It's Saturdaaaayy

My internal clock woke me up at 5:00 saying: "ABBEY GET UP THERE'S AN ECLIPSE HAPPENING! GO SEE IF IT'S TOO CLOUDY TO SEE!" So I got up and it was, indeed, too cloudy. Or, maybe it wasn't. Maybe I just couldn't see because I'm short and there was a shed and a couple of evergreen trees in the way. Anyway, I went back to bed and curled up with the dog who—miraculously—stayed curled in my arms until my mom came in at 8:00 to say that she and my dad were going to church to plant flowers.
I intended to sleep only until nine, but the next time I opened my eyes it was 10:30. Oops. I got up, poured myself some cereal, and finished reading The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. 
Now, I'm typing this blog post in an attempt to put off an essay quiz as long as possible.

Don't tell my teacher that I'm showing you this picture. I'm not sure if it's technically allowed...

I have a big day in front of me and thought I'd take you along for the ride. Stay tuned for further updates...

11:57 AM: WOO HOO! 100% on my essay quiz! This is really quite amazing because my average score on these quizzes are 70%. I think this is only the third 100% that I've gotten.
At first I though there was seemingly no rhyme or reason why one week I would get 40% on a quiz and the next week I would get 80%. Now, I think I know the reason. I don't do well on the quizzes that ask vaguer questions; questions like "In this sentence, what is the author trying to convey?" "What is the most probable reason that the author wrote two sentences instead of combining them into one?" "What is the intended tone of this passage?" With these types of questions, I always end up second guessing myself and changing my answers (usually from the right answer to the wrong answer).
With more logical questions like, "What is Kennedy's main argument?" or "Which rhetorical mode did Broadhurst use to get his point across?" I do much better. I'm more confidant in my answers and I don't end up switching my answers so often and, therefore, get better scores.

I have several options of what to do next. Lunch? Shower? Finish 1984? I think I shall eat some chicken and then take a shower.

Chicken, and celery with cashew butter and raisens.

It's 5:00 and I've finished 1984. Let me say... huzzah! The book went downhill as it progressed, in my opinion (though I still like Orwell's writing style), and I shall tell you why in my review (which will be written sometime in the nearish future, hopefully). Now I can give my attention books I am infinitely more interested in:

This is why I shouldn't be allowed in the library. I'll probably end up reading only a few of these books... Although now that I've finished 1984, I feel fairly confidant that I can whiz through several of these books quickly. Young Adult books and books in the children's section tend to be quick reads for me, more so than books which are deemed "classics," which doesn't make sense to me because I enjoy reading classics more than I enjoy reading YA (though perhaps not children's fiction). Maybe because I don't feel like I have to concentrate on YA, whereas I WANT to concentrate on classics. Classics certainly stay with me longer than YA books.

After practicing piano, the family and I settled down for a nice game of Carcassonne.

And after that? Me and my dad finally buckled down and decorated the gingerbread house. Let's just call it an Easterbread house, shall we?

Side Daddy

Side Abbey. Someone strung my Christmas (um, Easter) lights crooked...

And now, after making a birthday card for a girl at church, I am finally starting on my Camp NaNoWriMo writing for the night. Let's see if I can get a thousand words before 11:00.

Until next time, live long and prosper.