That swimmin' hole, it's nice and cold

So today I volunteered at a swim meet at my local pool. And not just any swim meet, folks, but the All-City Swim Meet. Where I come from, in the summertime, swimming is king. Nearly every neighborhood/community has a pool, and nearly all of these pools have a swim team of some kind. Big, small, my town's got 'em all (hey, I rhymed!).

Yesterday, I went to watch older kids swim (young people not unlike myself except for their dedication to early morning practices). Today, I watched some younger kids (as in, no swimmer was over 10) as well as helped out at the souvenir clothing stand and gave out awards to some of the kiddies. This may sound cheesy, but it really is cool to see a little kid's face light up when you give them a ribbon or a medal or even a heat winner bracelet.

It really was a great day. I may very well go watch the finals tomorrow.

Today I don't feel like doing anything

"Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything"

Lyrics from "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars. Don't really listen to him much but since summer has started, I've (cheesy alert!) been able to relate to this song majorly. There's no real set schedule, so I can get up, go to sleep, and eat whenever I want. Half of the time, I don't even know what day it is. Not that this is bad...I really do enjoy it :)

One of the few reasons I would ever get up so early

I got up, and I kid you not, at 4 o'clock this morning to watch the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (oops, I mean Princess Catherine). After watching all the rigamaroll surrounding it, I can tell you that getting up at such a god-awful hour was well worth it.

Kate looked positively stunning in her wedding dress. Ordinarily I do not care for lacy sleeves on dresses but her dress was splendid. The groom did not look too bad either; minus the not-exactly-super-hot face, he looked every inch the handsome prince in his dress military uniform.

The wedding ceremony was, as the Brits would say, "lovely". The London Chamber Orchestra played really nice music all throughout, and watching everyone sing "God Save the Queen" (minus the Queen herself, of course) in one of the most revered places in London gave me chills.

What more can I say? In the midst of a world with so many bad things, I think a wedding celebration is what we need!

Spring Training in Arizona

My father took me to Arizona/Spring Training as a delayed birthday present. I returned on Sunday night, after four days of fun, and I can say without a shred of doubt that this is one of the most heavenly things I have ever experienced. Unlike the lovely end of the country where I live, where it is in the 30s sometimes up until April, Arizona has consistently warm temperatures that allow for the constant wearing of shorts.
The "Spring Training" is for a group of dudes commonly referred to as Major League Baseball players. The vibe is great: the stadiums are nice, it's a "practicing" time for the teams so you don't have to worry about losses, and everyone is generally chill. Well, except for some enthusiastic (and inebriated) supporters, but what's a sporting event without a few of those?
An effect of the relaxing vibe of this whole event means that players are willing to go and meet fans before and after games. Some lucky people even end up with their favorite player's signature or, if you're like me, a picture of themselves with said player. I was one of these lucky people :). Had my picture taken with Mat Gamel (Milwaukee Brewers infielder), Jeremy Affeldt (San Francisco Giants pitcher), and Casey McGehee (Milwaukee Brewers infielder). All of these gents were extremely nice and willing to do whatever for the fans who stood by fences and sweated like pigs for up to 2 hours (what, like you've never done that before?). And, might I add, Mat Gamel was rather handsome.
I've got plenty of pictures. They will certainly help me through the dismal bits of March :D

Ashamed. Simply ashamed.

I'm ashamed of our governor.
Ashamed of our state senators.
Do they not realize what this bill is doing?
They are stripping teachers of their rights.
Many younger teachers cannot afford to teach in Wisconsin anymore.
As someone who would like to be a teacher one day, I am very dismayed that this bill has passed. As great a state as it is, I would not like to teach in Wisconsin. Thanks, Governor Walker.

Never have I wanted so much...

...for school to be open again. Schools have been closed for the past few days and there is another canceled day of classes tomorrow. The reason? The teachers are calling in sick to protest a bill proposed by the governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, which would eliminate collective bargaining rights, among many other union powers. Teachers' salaries would be cut greatly, as would those of many other state workers. While I do side with the teachers on this issue, I believe that this has to end. Students actually do want to go back to school.

While it has been fun protesting and watching those around you fight for the same cause, enough is enough. We need to get back to school.

eh what can i say

I decided to start this blog just for fun, and to write down stuff on the Internet. Nothing much yet but I will surely have something to write about in the future.