#10: The Fillmore Black Market

People think teens are sneaky, but they have no idea what goes on at the elementary level.  I call it the Fillmore Black Market, and I know all about it since last year my brother lived in it.  My mom would see Steven chewing a piece of gum or something (chewing WHAT something? Eew?) and say "where did you get that," to which my brother replied "bought it from ___ for a dime I found on the ground, and tomorrow I get a dollar for my chips..."  It got worse though.  One day he came home with a pokemon card he bought for a quarter.  The next day he asked me if he could sell some pokemon cards, which were mine, and also weren't allowed at school.  He hopefully listened but I still think he "buys stuff" at school.  I've seen the kids in elementary school.  Some of them make C.J. look friendly and peaceful (I was an evil kid sometimes!).  I'm afraid to think what will happen to him in 5th grade.  

(I guess I had style, even back then!)

#8: Being Sick All Week

I missed every day of school this week except Friday (today).  I've had a high fever, at one point 104.4, msucle pains, shivering like a madman, and a sore throat.  I still don't know what made me sick, but I had it while my parents were on vacation in Las Vegas, so my parents were very scared.  My grandma took good care of me, but got worried when I almost threw up from only eating a fruit cup in the last two days, along with pills and water.  My Grandma took my brother and I home on Monday, so I could sleep in my bed and check on my frog.  When my parents got back, I just kept laying down, and taking medicine.  On Wednesday, I got my homework and my mom gave me a bubble bath with weird bubble stuff that gave me a rash.  Now, I'll have to catch up with school, but I'm happy to see my friends.

(Instead of entry #9, I guess we checked verb papers, or so I say)

#5: Need Sleep

According to my grandma, a growing boy needs lots of sleep.  I greatly agree.  I go to bed at 10 and wake up at 7 (shift that over about four or five hours and you have what I'm currently doing), a measly nine hours!  I know that I need lots of sleep to function, but I have questions.  They say if you get enough sleep, you won't be clumsy.  How much more do I need?  Studies show you grow in your sleep, so how come I am one of the shorter boys in the class?  At sleepovers, I get the most sleep of anyone the day before, but I still can't stay awake past 11.  I do not have the ability to change my sleeping times like others who barely sleep during weekdays but sleep all weekend.  To finish it all off, I hope you all will shed a tear for me (teacher's note: "sob!").  Just kidding, but, as much as I try to go to bed, I still have my snoring brother to deal with.  Good night...

(At the bottom of my page, I say I'm absent for journal entries 6 and 7)

#4: Star Trek

I am starting to like the show Star Trek more than I used to.  I still am not and will not be a trekkie or whatever a fanatic of the show is called.  TNN has been showing old Star Trek movies almost every day, and they are as entertaining as the classic black-and-white Godzilla movies (I don't think I had seen any of those at 8th grade).  Earlier this year they ended what out of the few episodes I saw, their best series of Star Trek: Star Trek Voyager. (That isn't a sentence, but that's what I wrote!).  Later this month they will have a new series: Enterprise, but the commercials make it look more like a soap opera than a science-fiction show, so I don't really care to watch it.  In terms of merchandise, just like Star Wars they have Star Trek everything: Halloween Costumes, board games, card games, video games, movies, tv shows, and even oragami (Brandon!!!)  While the new series seems dumb, with everything to do, it seems interesting.  (Ain't that profound?  Teacher's comments: Are you a Trekkie too?)

#3: The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book series.  I have always heard of Tolkien's work, but I didn't read any of the books until Mark V. started reading them.  I started with the Hobbit, and thought that was a long book, until I started reading it (it being LOTR.  While my pronoun use sucked, I must say that back then, I had perfect handwriting.  I feel a bit guilty for writing so sloppy nowadays).  I got so involved with the book, it as over within days.  I then started, and am still working on The Fellowship of the Ring.  It had more pages and smaller text, making the book seem more exciting (if only length and small text correlated to excitement in college textbooks...).  I then found out that there will be a Lord of the Rings movie, which will be really cool.  The series is very well developed, and without a doubt I would choose The Lord of the Rings over Harry Potter.  (ooh!  Burn!)  The book states that it is "the greatest fantasy epic of our time" and from the fantasy books I've read, it is.  Surprisingly, I still think that the books are too short, but what can I say; I still have two books to go.

#2: The Others (T.O.C)

On Saturday of Labor Day weekend, Mark V, Ryan, Tejas, Fred, his mom, and I went to see the movie The Others for Freds birthday party.  When we entered the theater to get seats, there were only about 10 other people even though it was a new movie.  I was not impressed with the movie.  It was the Sixth Sense (another movie I didn't like,) with different characters and setting.  The movie took place in a very dark, gloomy, mansion and that was where 95% of the movie was spent.  While it was supposed to be a horror movie, there was very little that scared me, and the scary parts dragged on too long.  To finish up; while the trailer for The Others looks scary, what is shown there is about it.  (Film criticism in 8th grade FTW!)

#1: Travelogue

Mon, August 13: I woke up with my brother sitting on top of me. I yelled at him to get off and went to have breakfast. After watching TV and playing on the computer, I had lunch. The weather was nice, so I spent some time outside riding my new bike (note: I think I still have that bike, though I don't think I've touched it since about 8th grade) After I got tired I went inside, had dinner, watched more TV, fed my frog (the damn thing is still alive!) and read The Lord of the Rings until I fell asleep.

Tue, Aug 14 - It was a hot day, and my brother and I needed haircuts.  We went to a Fantastic Sams and had a cool guy named Dwayne cut my hair.  When we got home, we had lunch and asked our neighbors if they wanted to play.  They said sure, and we rode (not drove) to the library, where I got Tom Clancy's Op Center and then swam at their pool.  (I used to be such a good kid...hanging out is going to the library and saving the environment by not dri...having our parents drive us?!  Wow!)

Wed, August 15: It was a very hot day.  Most of the morning was spent sitting at home rotting away.  My mom had the idea of going to the St. Clair Shores pool.  I had the chance to bring a friend so I called Mark V and spent most of the day there.

Journal Requirements

On the inside cover:

Journal Requirements:

1. Date each journal entry.

2. Title each entry:
A) Topic of choice
B) Topic on Board
C) Create a titel according to what you are writing about in that entry.

3. Write approximately 3/4 of a page for each entry. (Miro's note: this is on wide ruled paper, at that!)

4. Place the Power Word at the bottom of each entry page.
(this will provide consistency for each entry.)
A) Write power word.
B) Write definition for power word.
C) Use power word in a complete sentence.
D) Sentence should be descriptive and have purpose

5. You will be graded on how well you adhere to these requirements.

Introduction

I was totally cleaning the basement today and stumbled upon this:

my eight grade writing journal.

I haven't read it yet, but to preserve a part of myself for the inevitable biographies they'll write when I'm famous, I'm gonna retype all of my entries here.

Wish me luck?!