B is for Backboarding

And C is for certified lifeguard.
That's right.
I'M OFFICIALLY A LIFEGUARD.
Woot woot.

I'm actually pretty jazzed about this whole deal. The class was kind of boring, but I think I learned a lot... Besides that, I passed my CPR/First Aid/AED written test with only 1 wrong (woot), and I passed my written Lifeguard Skills and Shallow Lifeguard Skills tests with only two wrong on each.
And then I did pretty much EVERYTHING right in my practical tests.
And I got to be the victim. B)

Anyway. Yeah. I'm excited about this. Next January I'm planning on applying for a job at the pool... Not sure how that's going to work, but hey, I'll try.

...And now it's time to work on my packing list for camp, which starts on July first.
Huzzah.

What Angela Is Reading Recently

It seems like June is a time for litereature, for me. I've been writing a lot, editing a TON (way more than I'd like), and I've also been reading.
Yep.
Reading for fun.
I ACTUALLY HAVE TIME TO READ FOR FUN.
(Actually, I don't. I just have been doing it anyway.)

So, I have some books that I want to read. Here's a list of the ones I can remember off the top of my head.

Story Time by Edward Bloor.

George and Kate are promised the finest education when they transfer to the Whittaker Magnet School. It boasts the highest test scores in the nation.

But at what price? Their new school's curriculum is focused on beating standardized tests; classes are held in dreary, windowless rooms; and students are force-fed noxious protein shakes to improve their test performance. Worst of all, there seems to be a demon loose in the building, one whose murderous work has only just begun.

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

"Last night I dreampt I went to Manderly again."

So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley.

Coraline and Other Stories by Neil Gaiman

(Mine has a cooler cover, though.)

Basically a collection of short stories (and Coraline!) by Neil Gaiman, who is amazing.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

(And yes, I'm ashamed to say that the only copy the library had has the same cover as this picture. Oh well. Daniel Radcliffe is awesome anyway.)

A classic ghost story: the chilling tale of a meanacing specter haunting a small English town.

Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford- a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway- to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of eel Marsh House.

Mrs. Drablow's house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself huanted by a series of mysterious sounds and images- a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black.

(Saw the movie. I want to see how the book is.)

The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood

In 1776, the rebellion of the American colonies against British rule was crushed.  Now, in 1777-the year of the hangman-George Washington is awaiting execution, Benjamin Franklin's banned rebel newspaper, Liberty Tree, has gone underground, and young ne'er-do-well Creighton Brown, a fifteen-year-old Brit, has just arrived in the colonies.  Having been shipped off against his will, with nothing but a distance for English authorities, Creighton befriends Franklin, and lands a job with his print shop.  But the English general expects the spoiled yet loyal Creighton to spy on Franklin.  As battles unfold and falsehoods are exposed, Creighton must decide where his loyalties lie...a choice that could determine the fate of a nation.

Chalice by Robin McKinley

As the newly appointed Chalice, Mirasol is the most important member of the Master’s Circle. It is her duty to bind the Circle, the land and its people together with their new Master. But the new Master of Willowlands is a Priest of Fire, only drawn back into the human world by the sudden death of his brother. No one knows if it is even possible for him to live amongst his people. Mirasol wants the Master to have his chance, but her only training is as a beekeeper. How can she help settle their demesne during these troubled times and bind it to a Priest of Fire, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone?

So, there you go. I have other books I want to read (I want to finish Wuthering Heights, I want to reread The Bell Jar, I'd like to reread the first three Eragon books and read the last one, I need to reread the Abarat books so I can read the new one... etc.), but this is a sample. :)

Yeah. So, that's basically my post for today.
Sorry for the boringness.

My Epic Clock

Today I bought a clock. But not just any clock. I bought an antique clock from an estate sale. It's kind of steampunk, and extremely epic.

So I think you should look at my clock, because my clock is just really epic and stuff. Yeah.
(I had fun taking these pictures.)

This is my clock, and an epic steampunk key necklace my friend gave me (taken on top of a pillow case). It's a wind up clock (antique, I told you), and it ticks REALLY loudly. The alarm is also incredibly loud. But in case you think you've seen all the awesomeness, let me share more pictures!

This is the back of the clock. It has a wind up for the time, a wind up for the alarm, a dial to set the alarm (which is the little circle on the clock face), a dial to set the time of the clock, and a speed adjuster. But sometimes the little things are the most important...

These are two switchy things on the top of the clock, and these are what sold the clock. I'm not even kidding. Look how amazing they are! I love this clock. It's so steampunk and so awesome, and it's so worth the $15 I paid. Yepyep.

And that shot is just because I liked it. :)

How To Wake Up Early And Stay Awake

Have YOU ever decided to wake up early... Just to fall back asleep? Do you find yourself incapable of waking up earlier than eight in the morning? Do you suffer from a lack of motivation for getting up early? Does your family tease you for FALLING BACK ASLEEP after setting your alarm?

If so, The Guide is for you!

On sale now for only $999.99, The Guide will solve every problem that you encounter*! It will teach you to avoid answering questions you don't want to answer, and it will provide a useful guide to secondhand sales! BUY YOUR GUIDE NOW!
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*The Guide does not claim to clean your room, feed the dogs, mop the floor, or save you when skydiving. Please consult a doctor before use. Side effects may include: Vomiting, awesomeness, exhaustion, cancer, and death. Please use at your own risk.

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Chapter 7: How To Wake Up Early And Stay Awake

   Chances are good that you've had to wake up early before. You probably woke up to your alarm, shut it off, fell back asleep, and then woke up again an hour later, late for whatever appointment you had to wake up early for. It's a common problem that plagues most humans. Here at The Guide, we're dedicated to waking up early. We've developed a stash of secret tips for waking up early and staying awake, and we've developed a comprehensible plan for you, the reader, to follow.

   Step one: Go to sleep on time.

   It's amazing how many people do not follow this rule. If you need to wake up early, go to sleep earlier as well if at all possible. A good way to decide when to go to sleep is to follow the seven hour rule: If you need to wake up at seven, go to sleep by midnight. If you need to wake up at five, aim to be in bed by ten. This way you'll get enough sleep to deal with the next day.

   Step Two: Set Your Alarm

   If you have a choice of alarm sounds, go for one that is loud, preferably a song or sound that you like, and one that doesn't make you want to fall asleep again. For example, we find it easier to wake up to Icon For Hire's "Make A Move", or Skillet's "Whispers In The Dark", than something more low key like Five For Fighting's "100 Years".

   Step Three: Get Things Set Up

   After setting your alarm but before going to sleep, get everything set out for yourself tomorrow. Choose your outift and lay it out, get your favored method of music (iPod, MP3 player, internet, radio, CD player, etc.) set up for the next morning (See step four), and make sure you have a way to reach a light source from your bed.

   Step Four: Listen To Music

   After waking up in the morning, start listening to music as soon as possible. Listen to something that makes you want to get up and get stuff done, or at least something that prevents you from falling back asleep. Start a CD player, or listen to your MP3 player. The music will make you stay awake.

   Step Five: Turn On Lights

   Do not let yourself stay in a dark room! Turn on a light, preferably a bright one that lights up your room. Dont slowly turn on lights to give your eyes time to adjust, just turn them on. The light will help your body realize it's time to be awake, and will prevent you from falling back asleep.

   Step Six: Get Ready

   Get dressed. Take a shower. Brush your teeth. Put on your makeup, if applicable. In any way, get ready for your day, probably still listening to music for as long as you can and always in light. By now you should definitely feel awake, and the chances for falling back asleep are slim. Still, don't let yourself lay in bed, but keep on your feet as much as posisble.

   By the end of step six you will be more or less awake, and you are most likely going to remain so. Just follow these six steps, modifying them to suit your individual needs and environments, and you'll be staying awake after waking up early like a pro!

Rummage Sales, Refashioning, and Running Out of Ideas.

Hey, guys!

I have an odd addiction to getting stuff at rummage sales. Recently I went to one near my house ($5 bag sale... YES.) and got a bag of stuff. I got some amazing boots (that my mom found- thanks), a sweater, a blue shirt (a pretty blue shirt that fits O.O), a pair of jeans (only for the denim- they don't fit me), and... A stack of t-shirts.
What can I say?
I'm a refashioning addict.

So, yeah. It's all very cool. I actually got some neat ones, and I have a HUGE stack of them in my room as well.
Problem is?
I'm sort of kind of maybe running out of things I want to try.

Don't get me wrong. There's like fifty billion cool t-shirt tutes on the web. But most of them are all the same- and geared for adults. I don't really want a shirt that you can't tell I refashioned.
Truth is, I sort of don't need more shirts anyway.

Now I come with a challenge:
Come up with some ideas for refashions (can be as specific as "here is a tutorial, go make it" or as vague as "maybe like a skirt with a ruffle on the bottom or with maybe a pocket?"), and either email them to me or leave 'em as a comment.
And then I'll make 'em. :D

The Mark of Maturity

It occurred to me the other day that there is one thing that, to me at least, marks how mature someone is or isn't. That mark is the ability to find positive things in times or objects or environments that are markedly unpleasant or negative.
Think about a teacher yelling at you. It's obviously a negative thing, but the more mature people I know will be able to step back from it, and say "Well, at least she's taking interest in my project." or "At least she's giving good tips." or "At least now I know how I don't want to act if I'm ever teaching."

It just seems to me that the more immature you are, the more you're focusing on how something appears, and less on trying to find more depth in any given situation.

So, what do you think? Do you think I'm totally off my rocker, that I'm obviously a genius, or somewhere in between?

NEM 2: Finished!

Today I finished New Elementary Mathematics 2, the math book that I was in for what seemed like forever. (Before I was in NEM2 forever, I was in NEM1 forever.). I passed my end of book assessment with an 87%, which counts as a B+... Not bad, since I didn't really review at all. (Which is why I failed my standard form problem...)

Anyway, I had to take some pictures of my new (amazing looking!) math books. Which I must share. :)

As you can tell, I messed with the saturation of tehse photos a bit on Photoshop, but I think they look awesome...
And I can't wait to start my new books tomorrow!

(I'll have a proper post soon, I expect.)