Camp Nicol

I'm so sorry I haven't gotten to this. I became a bit of a procrastinator and now with school starting ( I'll post about that too. ) I've been so busy! My to-do list is jammed. Anyway.. The rest of my Camp Nicol Adventures! (I'll send pictures soon.)

Day 3: We arrived home and started unpacking. The meal was very tricky because we had planned on making sushi, but Bob doesn't like sushi. This night was the only night he was out (Boy Scout Meeting). Also we had to go to the grocery store. Joyce and I were pressed for time, since we couldn't have prepared ahead of time. After going over many steps ( the ones mostly in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrCrG-EMr8g and this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vFpcKeSdS0) So as you guessed, we had a late dinner. 8:30 about!

Day 4: We started the sewing project (making a beautiful little doll I named Jessica. I'll blog about her too.). We also made lasagna for dinner (In a regular time-frame!) It was a long layering process, but tasted very good afterward!

Day 5-6: More sewing and cooking (Grilled Swordfish on Day 5 and Chicken Avocado Salad Day 6)

Day 7: The rest of my family came! We also finished Jessica. We made my family Tenderloin for dinner and Cappuccino Brownies for dessert (Mmm!) I told all about our adventures and then when night came, we started packing up for tomorrow.

Day 8: We finished packing and headed off home! But the most exciting thing was getting home to a newly painted room!

Thanks for your patience!

Camp Nicol: Day 2

Hello!

Sorry I haven’t continued with my adventures. I can’t really say I’ve been busy (because that’s procrastinating). My mind’s just been jumbled. Anyway, the second day in Philadelphia was a busy one. I had 12,000 steps on my pedometer! Yep, we were sightseeing! The day started off with walking to the Haverford train station. We rode about half an hour until we reached Philly, where we crammed in as much as we could. We saw the Liberty Bell, a short movie about the Declaration in Independence Hall, where the Declaration was signed, had Philly cheesesteaks for lunch, and went on a duck tour. When we got home we had Maui Maui and Tilapia for dinner. Since I LOVE seafood, this was delicious. This was our last day in Philly. The next day we’d be leaving, but I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.

I will e-mail you my Picasa album of pictures, so check your inbox!

Camp Nicol: Day 1

Today (after 5 hours plus rest stops)we arrived in Haverford. Tamara set us up with rooms soon after. Then Joyce and I played with Sylvia for a while (She has so many toys!). Once she got tired out, it was dinnertime. We had peanut noodles with tofu and “crazy rooster sauce”. It was pretty good. I never knew peanut butter and noodles tasted good together! After dinner, it was dessert obviously. There was a frozen yogurt store right across the street, so Tamara treated me to some. I had cookies and cream with a little milk chocolate and some chocolate chips and brownie chunks. (I know you’d love it Oma!) Now I’m sitting in the dining room typing away across from Tamara and Bob, planning our sightseeing for tomorrow.

Read about our adventures in Philadelphia tomorrow! But for now, I’m signing off! Ciao!

Babysitting Training

Hello everyone! As some of you know, I took a course in First Aid and Child Care at the library. It was sponsored by Red Cross, so they knew what they were talking about.

It was a very interesting class. It took place from 9 am to 5 pm. (I know it’s a long time but it went pretty quickly in some parts) It was taught by an older man named Alan.

I thought the class was pretty insightful. Here is a list of everything we learned how to do when something like one of these happen: (in alphabetical order, of course)

• Allergic Reactions
• Asthma Attacks
• Bites and Stings
• Bleeding, Cuts, and Scrapes
• Blisters
• Breathing Emergencies
• Burns
• Cardiac Emergencies
• Choking
• Cold-Related Emergencies
• Diabetic Emergencies
• Embedded Object
• Fever
• Head, Neck, and Back Injuries
• Heat-Related Emergencies
• Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries
• Poisoning
• Seizures
• Shock
• Stroke
• Sudden Illness
• Teeth (Knocked Out)

We also learned about child care and safety such as:

• Telephone Safety
• Personal Safety
• Danger from Strangers
• Watching out for Germs
• Picking Up and Holding Children
• Feeding Children
• Diapering

And THAT’S why it took so long! But it was very fun. For some stuff we used baby mannequins, and some we used a partner for. So know I’m an officially certified babysitter!

My Screenplay Idea

My idea is about a clinically depressed teenager named Liza. Her parents are divorced, her mother abuses her, and everyone at school thinks she's a creep. Feeling overcome with sadness, she stabs herself and dies. Soon after, she arrives in heaven where she meets a middle-aged man named Joseph, who died of cancer. He explains that he wanted to live forever, but died because he couldn't withstand living. But he said Liza could've lived as long as she liked, but chose to be dead. Suddenly, Liza sparks an idea. She decides that since they both wanted to live a different life they should come back to Earth in an alternate reality to try again. Joseph says that's total fantasy, but Liza decides to go on a journey to do it. She decides immediately to go tell God, but after a chat with a local angel (the angels are like servants to the people in heaven), she hands him a message. After explaining her situation to him, he wrote back and said that would be extremely hard to do. He said that would be impossible since the point about being dead is not being able to come back. The only way would be to come back as a ghost, kill someone, and go back to Earth as the age she was right before any of her depression started. But if she died in her new life, she couldn't start over another time. Liza knows it's crazy but does it anyway. She rises from the grave and immediately runs to her former high school. She tracks down her rival, the very popular, wicked Penny, and, since ghosts are invisible, strangles her. But soon she realizes that she completely changed the future. Penny's friends feel they don't want to live without Penny and commit suicide as well. And since Liza's state of mind has been changed, she doesn't know that her parents are going to get divorced. It happens again and Liza finally realizes that there really are no second chances at life and decides to make a change. She calls the authorities and flees to a more safer foster home, where her spirits brighten and people start to respect her.

THE END

Fifth Grade Finale

On Friday was the party of the class of 2018: The Fifth Grade Finale. It’s pretty much celebration to commemorate the fifth graders, who are leaving elementary school. There was a DJ, pizza, sno-cones, popcorn, cake, a bouncy house, spray tattoos (They’re just paint!), carnival games, Dance Dance Revolution, beach ball dodge ball, and memory books, a book filled with memories all the way back to infancy.

All of my friends were there, and we all had a great time! Too bad there are still 2 more days of school…

Awesome Songs

Hi followers! Today I just felt like listening to some music so I decided to share my favorite songs with you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvdQ12w_fxc 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7J_IWUhls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9vXebU4RO8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Widfun4HjPY

Have fun!

My Birthday!!!!!

Hello everyone! From now on I’ve decided that this is now a photo blog! Anyway, my birthday was on Monday and it was very special! Here are all the details:

Saturday:

On Saturday I had a sleepover with two of my friends (Stephanie and AnnMarie). We played Wii, watched two movies (City of Ember and Over the Hedge), and had a delicious dinner (cheese and pepperoni pizza,  buffalo and country sweet chicken wings, and chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Mmm!)

I also got some awesome presents! Here’s a peek!:

Sunday:

On Sunday, since we were having guests on Monday, we went out to eat (In my family it’s a tradition to have the birthday person choose a restaurant to eat at) at Zebb’s , a gourmet burger place in the city. I was also allowed to open one present. Guess what it is?

Monday:

On Monday I was officially eleven! But since I had to go to school, I could open only one present in the morning. Here’s what it is!:

Later that day (6:00) the guests (Jan, Kristen,and Oma) came. We had a delicious meal of fish tacos and pasta summer salad (I picked the menu out of the Wegman’s Menu Magazine.). Everybody had a great time and I got some cool stuff!

Mom (Ariana helped):

 

Ariana:

Oma:

• $30.00
• $50.00 for college

Jan:

Kristin:

Joyce:

Tuesday:

You didn’t think my dad didn’t give me anything did you? On Tuesday my big exciting present came that he ordered. I bet you can guess what it is!

So all in all I had a very happy birthday! And now I just have to wait until Christmas! (Just kidding! Well, sort of)

Law Library Visit

Good morning/afternoon/evening! A few weeks ago my mom’s friend Marie took me to the place she works. She’s a law librarian at a place called Harris Beach. She finds books about certain laws to give to attorneys. I thought it was fascinating how all the laws of this country are kept in one building. It was interesting to learn how the organization of the books worked for two reasons:

1. I LOVE organization!
2. I’m intrigued on how law works

Marie even showed me the website where they are putting the books on (that must be a lot of work!). Afterward, we went out for salad and pizza at Bocacinni’s, a little restaurant in Perinton Square.

In short, I had a fun time, and I hope to come back to Harris Beach again.

Band Concert

Hello followers! I’m sure most of you have heard about my band concert, but I’m here to tell about the details.

The concert was held on March 15th at Fairport High School. Everyone was supposed to wear Concert Dress. (White shirt, black pants, black skirt, white dress, black dress, white shoes, black shoes) As for me, I wore a delicate white blouse, a black skirt, footless tights, and silver kitten heels. The night before I painted my toenails bright red, so they really popped!

We played six songs that we had practiced since October. They were Courtly Dance and Procession, Danza Africana, The Enchanted Wizard, Valley Circle March, Midnight Madness, and Midnight Mission. The instruments in the band were trumpets, tubas, baritones, trombones, French horns, clarinets, flutes, alto saxophones, percussion, and an oboe. (Just recently, we added tenor saxophones)

Everyone thought the concert was wonderful and that we sounded even better than the middle school band! I’m very proud of the experience and I’m excited for our concerts in May and June.

Science Fair Report

Introduction:

When you think of global warming, you may not believe in it. You may think it’s a natural occurrence and it’s nothing to get worried about; or you may think humans have nothing to do with it and go on living your normal life. And your beliefs are entirely respected, but I’m here to show you something new and, perhaps, your opinion may change about the topic.

On the other hand, you may be completely clueless about global warming. You might ask something like: “Who makes it?” or “Why is it so hard to get rid of?” or simply, “What is it?” But don’t fret, for I’ve concocted this report to inform you about everything about global warming you need to know about it.

What It Is:

Global warming starts with heat from the Earth exiting in infrared waves. Normally, the rays should bounce into space, but the atmosphere is too thick to do so. When this happens, the hot rays get trapped in the atmosphere, do to the gases (methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor) that, the atmosphere is made up of, which makes the Earth much hotter. Most of these gases are made from human activity, but some are natural.

Yet not all greenhouse gases are bad. Without any, the Earth would be very cold, and uncomfortable to live on. But too much heat could cause severe damage (I’ll explain more on page 6).

Causes:

Global warming is caused by many things we humans do, but one thing in particular that is a major cause to global warming, is over usage of electricity. When we use electricity, it is provided by a power plant, which burns fossil fuels, which are sources of fuel that have been made from living things a long time ago.

Another big cause of global warming is factory emissions. Everything we buy has to be made in them, so there are many around the world, and they’re always running, emitting gas and burning fossil fuels.

Whenever we drive or ride in mostly any vehicles, they are also emitting greenhouse gases.

Deforestation is also a big problem, contributing to global warming. This is when people cut down forests for wood, farmland, and new cities or towns. We need trees, because they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe oxygen for us to breathe. Without them, the atmosphere would get even worse.

History:

Global warming began in The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) when people started building big machines and factories to help production of products. This led to growth in industry, agriculture (farming), and transportation.

In the 1930’s chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) was discovered. This was used in mostly aerosols and propellants. It was bad for the atmosphere, but people had no idea back then how bad it was.

But soon, people started to think differently. A man named Professor Revelle was the first to start measuring gases in the atmosphere in 1958. Soon after, he hired a scientist named Charles David Keeling to help him with his experiments. They started by taking measurements on the island of Hawaii each year. Then they’d graph the data, and show it to many people all around the world, for they had realized this atmosphere was not all it was cracked up to be.

More evidence appeared on December 24, 1962 on Apollo 8 (preparation for Apollo 11, the mission to the moon). On that mission, the crew took the first picture of Earth from space. It was coated in clouds. There was so much fog, you could barely make out the continents! This got ecologists thinking about what has happened to Earth that made it this way.

Even after this evidence people still didn’t believe that anything bad was happening. In the 1970’s CFCs were very common in many refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosols.

But this didn’t go for much longer. In 1986, a hole had formed in the atmosphere. This evidence finally made people realize that they had to get together and make a difference.

Effects of Global Warming:

I bet you’re thinking, ‘So what if the Earth gets hotter?’ You probably didn’t know that global warming takes a serious toll on our planet.

For one, heat rise can affect many species of plants and animals that aren’t used to this kind of weather, especially since it took so long for them to adapt to their regular environment.

Many animals try to move to colder places to live, but this makes the ecosystems change. For instance, predators may not have prey to hunt, so they go hungry. Some of the animals that move die because they can’t find anywhere to live. Many of them have become endangered from this, such as the Emperor penguin, the tree frog, and the greater mouse lemur.

Hot weather also attracts troublesome pests like bark beetles, who destroy trees, which makes the problem worse. Some pests, like ticks, lice, and snails carry harmful diseases that can hurt the other animals.

High temperatures start to make the poles and ice caps deteriorate, and turn to water. This water sinks into the ocean to make water levels rise. When this happens, floods become more frequent! Additionally, beaches and islands get smaller when they start getting covered up with ocean water.

How to Stop It:

You may think global warming is impossible to solve, but fear not! There are many ways to reduce the effects of this horrible problem.

For one, you could think before you buy something, so the factory usage will go down. Don’t buy things you don’t need. If you do buy something, make sure it’s durable and useful, like a good pair of headphones, not a pack of gum (Unless, of course, if you have horrible breath). If you have bought too much stuff, don’t just leave it lying around. Sell it online or at a yard sale, give it to someone else who wants it, or donate it to charity (If you can’t think of any charities, research about ones in your area.).

Don’t buy things that have a lot of packaging, like packing peanuts, wrappers, and bubble wrap (yes, I know it is fun, but it’s bad for the environment!).

Reduce riding/driving in a car, van, truck, or any other gas-powered vehicle, for they emit lots of gases. Instead, try riding your bike or walking for short distance trips. When you have to go pretty far, carpool with a friend or neighbor. Or use public transportation, like a bus. These suggestions will help reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Another huge factor of global warming is over usage of electricity, so cut down a little! Turn off lights when you’re not using them, instead of leaving them on the whole time. And when you are using lights, only use necessary ones. For instance, you don’t need five lights on if you’re just reading a book. Another light tip is to change your incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient CFLs (Compact Florescent Lights)! These will save plenty of energy needed for other things.

When you use appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, or dishwashers, you’re also using energy, so cut back on those as well. Replace your appliances with energy-efficient ones that use less electricity and water. Instead of using a dryer to dry your clothes, hang them on a clothesline. And when you wash your clothes, use cold water instead of hot whenever possible, so you don’t have to use your hot-water heater as much. The same goes for showers. And keep your showers short, so you don’t waste too much water, but you’ll use even less water if you take showers instead of bathes. Another way to use less water is to fix leaky faucets, so you’re not wasting water without knowing about it. To reduce water washing dishes, wash them by hand instead of using the dishwasher. But if you absolutely must, only run it when it’s full!

Another great way to help the atmosphere is to plant trees and gardens to keep the air clean. These plants will suck up the gases in the air and replace them with oxygen we can breathe! And if you want to be really green, use soil from your compost pile to fertilize it!

What is compost, you ask? Well, it is pretty much organic matter that has been turned to dirt by worms and other creatures. Now I know you’re probably wondering how to make a compost pile, right? Well, all you do is gather up some garden and food scraps and pile them together in your backyard. Maybe put some worms in there to help decompose it. Everyday turn the soil to mix it. You should also water it often to keep it fresh.

Save trees by writing on recycled paper, and use both sides of the paper as well. If you have to make a model of something for class, try using Paper Mache, which is newspaper held together with plaster. It’s a great way to recycle and reuse something for another purpose.

A single change in packing your lunch can reduce trash by a lot too. Use reusable lunchboxes instead of paper bags, which you have to throw out each time. Instead of using plastic bottles for your water, use refillable ones. And cut down on your packaging! You don’t need to wrap everything single thing in plastic wrap! A good alternative is using plastic containers that keep everything separated neatly.

Your heaters and air conditioners are working very hard for you, especially in the winter and summer, so give them a break to reduce energy usage! To keep warmer, where thicker, longer clothing or snuggle up with some blankets or a pet! To keep cool, drink colder beverages, including water and lemonade. Go swimming in a cool lake, beach, or pool! Just make sure to put on your sunscreen!

And, of course, recycle! To keep more out of the landfill, recycle metal, plastic, glass, and paper products that you’ve already used, so less methane can get into the air!

Conclusion:

If you keep working at it, and do all these many things to take care of the environment, global warming won’t be as much of a problem. I know you must think going green is a chore, but it can be a lot of fun!

Be creative with new and inventive ways to save the planet! Maybe you could make a competition to see who in your family recycles the most! Or you could make cool Halloween costumes out of reused material!

Inform people about the problem by forming clubs and groups about ecology and going green. You can discuss important problems and issues in the environment, and try to do something about it! Or make up some fun crafts that are eco-friendly! And make sure every member spreads the word!

To learn more about nature, go explore it! Whether going on hikes in the Adirondacks or swimming in the Hudson River, see the world around you from a whole new perspective!

And no matter what, if we join together, and work with plenty of perseverance, we can solve the epic problem of global warming.

Bibliography:

1. Fact Monster

"Fluorocarbon" Dictionary

<http://dictionary.factmonster.com/fluorocarbon>

2. Fact Monster

"Global Warming" Encyclopedia

<http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0821016.html>

3. 363.7387 GOR

Gore, Albert An Inconvenient Truth

Emmaus, PA; Rodale Books, 2006

4. National Geographic

"Causes of Global Warming" Global Warming

<http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes>

5. National Geographic

"Effects of Global Warming" Global Warming

<http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects>

6. National Geographic

"Global Warming Solutions" Global Warming

<http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-solutions>

7. Reference

"CFC" Reference.com

<http://www.reference.com/browse/CFC>

8. Reference

"fossil fuel" Reference.com

<http://www.reference.com/browse/fossil+fuel>

9. PBS Kids

"Air and Water" Eekoworld

<http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html?load=air_water>

10. 363.73 PRI

Pringle, Laurence Vanishing Ozone

New York, NY; Morrow Junior Books, 1995

11. 363.7 WIL

Wilkes, Angela My First Green Book

New York; DK Publishing, 1996

Future Librarian

Hello, everyone! Recently, I’ve learned about YEP (Youth Employment Program) jobs at my school, so I looked at the job postings and selected the one I liked.

In this case, I chose the library to work at. I’d organize books(because many people don’t keep them that way!), dust shelves, and help people find books. I had gotten very excited on that aspect, for I love to read and suggest.

I’m elated about working there, especially since my job starts on Monday! Mrs. Heider (the woman who organizes the whole thing) had informed me that Mrs. Conrow (the librarian and my employer) was very happy I was working for her, since she knew I loved reading and helping out.

It’ll be tough work, and I’m a very busy person, but I know I can manage!

Education

Something that has always been very puzzling to me is why people don’t like school. Sure, it’s a lot of work and school taxes are high, but it’s amazing how you can learn new information and skills everyday! There are also extra-curricular activities which make each day different. And I don’t know about you, but I love coming home everyday and sharing my new knowledge. Schooling has also trained me to be very organized, having to keep up with home and schoolwork, long-term projects, and making sure I keep my grades up. Most of my friends I’ve met through school. I love to learn and socialize with new people.

I love learning new things about technology as well, which makes writing a 5 paragraph essay a lot easier!

All in all, I don’t know what I’d do without school. I’d have no organization, commitment, and social skills without. And you probably would too.

Procrastination

Procrastination is a problem I've suffered with for quite a while, not even noticing I had it. But don't we all? At some time or another we put things off, thinking they're too hard, thinking it's not due for a long time, or we just don't want to do it. This has never happened in school, since I'm a straight-A student, but I put things off at home. I never post on my blog (sorry, by the way), I don't make greeting cars until last minute, and I spend WAY too much time on the computer. It's just...these things suck you in and when you get concious about doing something, the day's almost done. But in a book I read, I got a wonderful idea. Every day I write a daily to-do list to keep track of my task. And the book had said to prioitize and do the hardest items or the items that are due the soonest first. This way, if I didn't have time to do the less important things, I can just save it for tommorow. So I hope all of you followers are learning, right now, as you're reading, and if you have any interesting procrastination experiences, share them! And I promise that I will post at least once a week!