Things That Annoy Me

Here is a list I have compiled of the top 5 things that quite frankly, drive me up the wall.
1. When people add extra letters to words like thisss on Facebookkk and whatnotttt.
2. When peolpe act the like the characters from Twilight are real.
3. Mets fans (no questions asked)
4. When people think dumb, not funny things are hilarious
5. When people listen to their iPods so loud that I can hear it through mine (happens on my bus all the time)
Of course there are many more, but I have chosen not to mention them because sometimes the keyboards on laptops annoy me. :-)

The Final Countdown

So, it's finally approaching. The time period we have all been waiting for! THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yes, the exclamation points are a bit extreme, but the last week of school deserves it). Here we are now, a whole year has gone by, and it's time for summer vacation. I am very excited for this because I hate to be in school when it's so nice out, and I'm am really getting bored of following the same routine every single day. That is why I actually am enjoying finals, because the open schedule gives us some variety. So anyway, we all gave to survive 4 more days in school, then it's FREEDOM!!!

Jamie Moyer Still Trying For Career Win #250

Last night, the Philles played the Marlins, with 46-year-old Jamie Moyer on the mound for the Phils. he went in 12-1 lifetime against the Marlins, and this was an important start, because he was trying for his 250th career victory. So, he pitched 2 good inning, and the Phils were ahead after Ryan Howard's 2-run homer. Then, the 3rd inning came, and Moyer fell apart, letting the Marlins get 3 runs. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had no choice but to take Jamie out of the game, meaning he would not reach his career milestone that night. So, Jamie Moyer will just have to wait until this weekend to try again. The Phillies play the current worst team in the entire league, the Nationals, so he better get a win then.

David Likes The Rain

This past Sunday, one of NASCAR's most prestigious races was to occur, the Coca-Cola 600. However, just like any time something exciting is going to happen in NASCAR, it rains. They tried to dry the track at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, but that didn't work, so NASCAR officials decided to postpone the race until Monday. Then, on Monday, it seemed like an O.K. day weather wise, so they started the race However, it began to rain. They red flagged the race and dried the track when everything cleared up. They got back to racing, and it was pretty exciting for a couple hundred laps until, you guessed it, it started to rain. Right before the rain however, many crew chiefs made key strategy calls that would make or break the race for a few. One of these calls was made by Rodney Childress, crew chief of the 00 Aaron's Toyota, which is driven by David Reutimann. Childress decide not to have David pit on a caution, because the 00 was leading and Childress was watching the weather. At this point, all they had to do was hope it kept raining, because the race could e officially called under NASCAR's rules, since half way point was reached. So, it rained and rained and NASCAR tried to hold out to see if the track could be dried. Finally, they gave up, and David Reutimann was named the winner of the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600, his first career victory. This was great for NASCAR because they need people with Cinderella stories like David to win more often. I was really happy to see David and the rest of the Michael Waltrip Racing guys go to victory lane for the first time. Also, once again, Joey Logano, who celebrated his 19th birthday this weekend, proved he can run with the elites this weekend, coming in 9th. He would have came in 3rd if he had not pitted on the caution right before the rain. So, congrats David Reutimann and the rest of Michael Waltrip Racing on your first career victory!

$1 Madness

So, my mom and I went to Old Navy today since the flip flops are on sale for $1 for today. We both love flip flops, so this was a perfect opportunity. The thing is, when we got there, it was wall to wall filled with people and the line was from the cash registers, snaking through the store, and about to go out the door. Yes, $1 for flip flops is a great deal, but is it all worth it in the end when you have waited 3 hours to pay for your $1 flip flops? Not really. so, my mom and I left, because we didn't want to waste a perfectly fine Saturday standing in line to buy flip flops. Plus, we were supposed to be camping anyway.

Memorial Day Weekend Camping

This weekend, I am camping with my family for Memorial Day Weekend. The bad part is, I am watching the Phils on a smaller than usual 16 inch TV, and dealing with WiFi that is somewhat sporadic in its connection, while thinking about if I should make a Betty Crocker Warm Delight in the microwave, but not wanting to have to turn of the AC so I don't blow a circuit. Yep, I'm roughing it. Seriously thought, I have been camping all my life, but you will never find me in a tent, EVER! When it comes to camping, if it doesn't have it's own shower, I don't stay in it. So, looking around the campground we stay at every year on this weekend, I'm thinking to myself, look at us outdoors people with our nice patio setups and our radios that have indoor/outdoor stereo speakers. Yep, we know how to live in the great outdoors. Seriously, look at the new definition of camping! All of us RV people are pretty spoiled if you ask me. Earlier, i was on my way to the campground store to ask the lady why my her Internet wouldn't connect, (like I said, we're roughing it) I walked past a site with a tent on it. I thought to myself: wow, I have a lot of respect for these people, they are actually camping. So, my point is, I like camping. Not the sleep under the stars camping. I like the new camping. The turn the AC off it's too cold in here camping.

All-Star Race XXV

Last night, Tony Stewart took home the $1,000,000 prize as the winner of the Sprint All-Star Race. The cash was not the only reason this was a big win for Tony. This was Tony's first victory in his new car, which he is partial owner of, and the first victory for Stewart-Haas racing. Even though this race did not count in the points standings, this is still a big accomplishment and morale boost for the whole team. Other stories worth mentioning that came from the All-Star Race is that Sam Hornish Jr. and Jamie McMurray raced their ways into the All-Star Race by finishing 1st and 2nd in the shoot-out. Perhaps the biggest side story was the winner of the fan vote,18-year-old rookie Joey Logano, who has improved majorly since the beginning of the season. joey definitely held his own during the All-Star Race, having a few opportunities to make big moves. Joey ended up finishing 8th out of 21 in this race. Not bad at all.

The Phils Visit The White House

Yesterday, the Phillies got to visit the White house and take a tour with President Barack Obama to celebrate their World Series victory. They were supposed to go earlier, but the event was postponed due to the passing of Hall of Fame announcer Harry Kalas. While at the White House, President Obama made a speech regarding the Phillies victory, call them the under dogs, just like himself. He also acknowledged many of the players and their wives for the charity work they do. He also recognized that both he and center fielder, Hawaiian native Shane Victorino come from the same state. At the end of the speech, the players presented President Obama with a jersey with the number 44, for him being the 44th President, and a baseball autographed by the team. The President joked with Jimmy Rollins, who was giving him his memorabilia, asking if he could have Jimmy's World Series ring as well. The Phillies were told to come again, on one condition, the win another World Series this year. Let's hope that was incentive for the Phils to repeat this year!

Happy NASCAR Day!

Today, May 15th, 2009 is NASCAR Day! Here is what this means: NASCAR day, held on the Friday before the All-Star race every year, is the day where the NASCAR community celebrates the sport and all the sport does. On NASCAR day, a telethon and rally is held in Charlotte, North Carolina to raise money for all the charities NASCAR is involved with, such as the Ronald McDonald House, the Children's Miracle Network, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness, Habitat for Humanity and many more. Also, on this day drivers, owners, crew chiefs, and officials usually make contributions to NASCAR's main charity: Victory junction Camp, run by one of NASCAR's first families: The Pettys. This camp was set up by Kyle Petty after his son Adam was killed in a racing accident. It was always Adam's dream to help kids with special needs, and at this camp, children with special needs from around the country can come, free of charge, to have fun for a week. Also, many drivers have their own foundations that are recognized and donated to on NASCAR Day. Finally, on this day the past, present, and future of the sport is celebrated.

The Race for $1,000,000

This Saturday night is NASCAR's annual Sprint All-Star race at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. This race is truly one of the best of the year, and it doesn't even count for anything. The winner gets no points, but he does get the $1,000,000 prize. To get into the All-Star race, one must have accomplished at least one of the following: a) won a points race between the last All-Star race and this All-Star race, b) been a previous All-Star race winner in the last 10 years, c)placed 1st or 2nd in the All-Star shoot out that takes place before the all-Star race (only those not already in the All-Star race compete in this race), d) won the fan vote for the final All-Star race spot (fans vote for a person who is not already in the race, if the person who received the highest number of votes comes in 1st of 2nd in the shoot out, the person who received the next highest number of votes gets the spot). This race is always exciting and dramatic, so I'm really exited to see what happens.

NLCS Re-Match!

Last time the Phillies met the Dodgers, it was for the National League Championship. Not only was it exciting because it was for the ticket to the World Series, but there was a big scuffle between the teams that cleared the dug outs. It happened when Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda appeared to have thrown a pitch intentionally at Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino's head. This cause the somewhat hot-tempered Victorino to start mouthing off to the less that fluent in English Kuroda, which upset the Dodger's catcher. Then, Chase Utley, who was in the Phillies on deck circle started saying some stuff to defend his teammate, and got in a battle of words with another Dodgers player. Somehow, this lead to the dug outs being cleared and and a full scale riot seemed to be on the way.However, everyone got calmed down before things got violent. A few players walked away with fines. So anyway, starting tonight, the Phils are in a 3-game home series with the Dodgers. This is exciting because it will show how good the Dodgers really are without Manny Ramirez. Many are saying that the Dodgers are the favorite to represent the National League in the World Series this year, but those statements were made before their star slugger tested positive for steroids. I personally believe it is too early to say who will make the playoffs, let alone be in the World Series. I'm excited for this series. It should be good. Hopefully, everyone will keep their tempers in check and let the winner be decided on the baseball field.

A Random Story

Today, I am going to tell a random story about something that happened last summer. Last summer, I was at the Little League World Series with my friends. We walked by the PowerAde stand, and a sign was that said Ryan Howard would be there at 2:oo at the players' zone or some weird place like that. I said to my friend: "We have to go! Ryan Howard will be there!" Of course, she knew who Ryan Howard was from being near me. She agreed, so come 2:00, we went to this place where Ryan Howard was going to be. It was somewhat (by somewhat I mean really) unorganized, and people were everywhere, demanding to know where Ryan Howard was. The PowerAde people said some explanation to where Ryan Howard was, and suddenly a rumor that he was at the mall spread like wildfire. To this day, I still don't know if I should believe that. So anyway, a line was somewhat formed, and we waited and waited for Ryan Howard to come. It was 3:30, and Ryan Howard was still not there. Finally, they announced that he would be there in a few minutes and started asking Ryan Howard trivia questions like: What is Ryan Howard's favorite PowerAde flavor? To bad all the answers were plastered on posters all around. Finally, Ryan Howard arrived, and everyone cheered, excited to get his autograph. Then, they announced that only the people who answered trivia questions correctly would get to meet Ryan Howard. I was soooo mad, so i took two pictures of Ryan Howard from a distance on my phone, and my friend and I left. The only good thing about that experience was that I can say that I was close enough to Ryan Howard to take two blurry cell phone camera pictures.

Manny Ramirez On Steroids... NO WAY!!!

And this surprises you?!? Come on, any guy who hits a home run practically every time he goes up to bat is someone to wonder about. I was not surprised one bit when I heard this. I personally think a 50 game suspension is not long enough at all. Here's a guy who won a World Series, most likely using performance enhancing drugs. A WORLD SERIES! Come on! So now, the Colorado Rockies might have been robbed of a World Championship (you never know what could have happened). I really think not just baseball, but sports in general need to be tougher on cheating policies, because after all, using steroids is cheating! Also, I would like to know where peoples' priorities have gone. Is winning so important that you would cheat and risk your health to do it? Do you want people to remember you that badly? Don't get me wrong, I really like to win, but I do not see the point in winning if you cheat. Why would that make you feel like you accomplished something. To me, it wouldn't. If you have to cheat to win and to make yourself look good, then you should really find something else to do, because nobody like a dishonest person. Also, i have a problem with this 50 game suspension because what does that do to punish Manny Ramirez? Nothing. To him, that's a nice vacation. Its not like he needs the money, and honestly, sometimes I don't think he really cares for and respects the game, but that's just my opinion. I don't know though, maybe its just "Manny being Manny".

Felize de cinco de mayo!!!

Manana es cinco de mayo de dos mil nueve! Me gusta las fiestas muy!!!! Adios! (I thought I would put my Spanish skills to use)

What's in a Name?

As we all know, the Kentucky Derby was this past weekend and Mine That Bird won as a dark horse (no pun intended). So, that made me think, Where do they come up with these names?!?! Here are the names of some of the horses that were in the Kentucky Derby this year: Hold Me Back, Join in the Dance, Flying Private, Dunkirk, Pioneer of the Nile, West Side Bernie, Advice, and General Quarters just to name a few. I want to know why these owners can't just name their horses normal names like Bob or something (well maybe not Bob but you get the point). I mean, what does Mine That Bird even mean? Has Pioneer of the Nile ever been to the Nile? I would like to see Join in the Dance actually dance. Seriously, I thought celebrities got the award for thinking of strange names, but I think race horse owners are a little worse. As I am writing this, I am trying to think of the crazy name I would give my horse if I had one, and i honestly can't think of one. i would probably just call it Without a Name or something like that because that is just as crazy and way cooler than Flying Private.

Raul

The New Guy shall now and forever be known as Raul Ibanez. The more the season progresses, the more I have started to like Raul. He has proven to be a valid left fielder, and is an excellent addition to the Phillies offense. He is currently the leader for RBI's and home runs for the team. At first, I was one of those stubborn, anti-Ibanez, pro-Burrell fans. I still miss Pat Burrell as a member of the team, but Raul Ibanez has proved that he belongs in Philly. When Raul comes up to bat, it sounds like the fans are booing him, but they are actually prolonging his name. He is now one of Philadelphia's favorite sports figures. Pretty good for a city that isn't exactly the most welcoming when it come to new people. Good job Raul, and welcome to Philly.

Today's America

Ok, so I was bored so I looked up one of my favorite topics on Google: The Philadelphia Phillies. I was looking through the pictures and came across this particular billboard of Chase Utley and various TastyKake sweets. While I do love TastyKakes, I couldn't help but think to myself: NO WONDER THIS COUNTRY STRUGGLES WITH OBESITY!!!!!!!! I mean, seriously! What kind of message does this billboard send to kids. On it, you have a person who is a role model to kids about being active and healthy, considering he is a professional athlete and athletes sort of need to be heathly, and then you have the TastyKakes which represent almost anything and everything unhealthy. In this country, way too many kids are struggling with obesity, and what do the advertisers do? They pair unhealthy eating habits with someone who represents health. Now, I know you are all probably thinking: well, if he represents health, then people would know that they need to exercise if they eat junk food. Yes, but my point is, this advertisement could be brought about better. Perhapse exercise could be added, such as showing Chase Utley actually playing baseball instead of standing there. Instead of kids just seeing that Chase Utley eats TastyKakes, they would see that Chase Utley eats TastyKakes and exercises to stay healthy. When kids see this as it is, they don't think about burning calories. They see that Chase Utley is a physically fit person, and they assume that they will be as well. If exercise was actually shown, they would see that exercise is a good thing. If exercise was incorporated into this billboard, TastyKake would still sell just as many Butterscotch Krimpets and Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes, but they would also being doing a part in promoting healthy lifestyles, which is something this country desperately needs.

One Cool Cat

Jimmy Rollins, a.k.a. J-Roll is one cool cat. I mean, look at those shoes. I only wish I had shoes like that. But in all seriousness, Jimmy Rollins provides plenty of entertainment on and off the field for Phillies fans. Last year, Jimmy Rollins told the media that he would be revamping Chase Utley's wardrobe. The reporters thought he was serious and asked what he was going to do. Jimmy responded by telling them he would get Chase some bling and grills that say Chutz (Chase+Utley=Chutz I guess). This year, Jimmy got a hold of one of the bobble head dolls of the Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel. He was having a conversation about himself with this doll, asking "Charlie" if Jimmy Rollins is the best player on the team. Of course, the doll nodded yes. Jimmy Rollins is a key member of the Phillies team as shortstop, but even more importantly, he is a great source of entertainment for everyone.

Daria

So, on Senior Project day, I was bored out of my mind, so I turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels. When I passed MTV, I did a double take, and turned back to the station. Much to my surprise, Daria was on. At this time, I could not remember the name of the show. All I remembered about it is that my sisters (who are 10 and 12 years older than me) would watch this show and I would watch it when they did. So, I sat watching it, thinking and thinking about the name of the show. I could not think of it, so i had to call my sister, who is a stay-at-home mom. At first, she thought there was something wrong because I was calling her when I was supposed to be in school, and she didn't know that it was Senior Project Day. So anyway, I told her why i was calling, and she told me the name of the show is Daria. Anyway, now i happen to like this show called Daria, because it is back on MTV!

The Best Show Ever

To put it simply: The Rugrats is the best show ever! I really miss watching this show because they never show it anymore! Now all they show is the spin off: All Grown Up. Seriously, why would I want to watch a show about the awesome Rugrats babies when they grow up to be idiot preteens who have totally fake and trivial problems? I don't want to watch that! I have searched desperately for a Rugrats DVD set, but I can't find one! Seriously, the producers of this show need to wake up! If they made a DVD set of this show, they would make fists full of dollars! I have talked to many people who grew up in the Rugrats era, and they all really miss this show. All of us would buy this DVD set. The story lines of the Rugrats are so funny! Whether you are a little kid or older, this show is very entertaining. Here's an idea for Nickelodeon.Instead of constantly showing Spongebob re-runs (which used to be a funny cartoon) show other cartoon re-runs. Not only Rugrats, but shows like Doug, Rocco's Modern Life, The Angry Beavers, and so on. I know they would get a much broader audience.