So It's Saturday...

Phew! Its Saturday already and the weekend is flying by! I'm exhausted though so how about some Kite Runner summary?! Yes?

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini Page 224-272

So last time we left Amir had just found out that Hassan was his brother and Rahim Khan wants him to go to Afghanistan to find Sohrab, Hassan's son. Amir stormed out of Rahim Khan's apartment and decline his request to find the boy. However, after some thinking later that night, he realizes that he owes this to Hassan and he finally has to stand up for something in his life. He goes back to Rahim Khan's apartment and tells him he will find Sohrab and take him to a safe family. The next chapter starts with Amir is a truck traveling with a man named Farid. They drive to Farid's brother, Wahid's, home for the night. There, Amir sees just how much the war has affected families. Wahid's three sons gather around Amir watching him as he eats. Amir assumes they are staring at his fancy watch, but later he realizes that in reality they were staring at his food. Since the Talib came and took over families have struggled greatly. Farid assumes his business in Afghanistan is to sell his land, collect the money, and return to America. He later explains why he has returned.

The next day they head to Kabul. Once they finally get to the city, Amir is stunned by the destruction of the city. Roofs collapsed, streets deserted, and all the trees are gone. As Amir and Farid were walking on the streets, the Taliban passed them. Amir stared at them as they passed, for this was the first time he had seen them. After they passed Farid scolded Amir, "What is the matter with you! Don't ever stare at them! Do you understand me? Never! Keeep your eyes on your feet when the Talibs are near." Then they see a beggar on the streets and ask him where an orphanage is; this is where they will find Sohrab. He tells them and through conversation Amir finds out the beggar knew his mother, whom he never met. Baba never talked about her, so Amir was eager to find out about her. The beggar told him as much as he could remember and said he would continue to think of things if Amir would come back later, he never came back, though.

When they reached the orphange the man who ran the place, Zaman claimed that he had never seen Sohrab and they should leave. After much begging, he finally let them in and explained that he had seen Sohrab, but he was no longer there. Every month, a Talib comes and takes one child in exchange for money. The man has no choice but to do it because he needs money to feed the other orphans. Sometimes the kids return, other times they don't. Last time Sohrab was taken. Farid is enraged by this and nearly strangles Zaman. When Farid finally lets his neck go, Zaman tells him where they can find this man, at the Ghazi Stadium the next day.

Farid and Amir leave and look around the city. Amir visits his old home, which is now occupied by the Talib. He's angered that they aren't keeping the house the way Baba and Ali had. He goes up the the hill on the cemetery where he used to read to Hassan.

The next day, the two men arrive at Ghazi Stadium. During intermission, two trucks come onto the field and unload a blindfolded woman and a man. They stone them to death for adultery. Amir is sickened by this sight. The man who stoned them is the man they need to talk to. The ask a nearby Talib to request a meeting with him. They set up a meeting for three o'clock the next day.

This part of the book was kind of long for me. But I feel like it's going to start getting interesting again. I can't imagine coming back to my hometown and seeing the destruction of war, it would be heartbreaking. It's sickening what people are having to do to survive there, too. Selling kids for money. They book even mentions a man selling his fake leg on the black market for money. It's just so hard for me to imagine going through all of this!

Well, time for bed! Goodnight, all!

2.23 Diction Exercise

Alright readers, time for an in-class assignment. I only have 11 minutes left so right to work. The excerpt we were given from "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, in my opinion, has a low level of elevation for diction. Holden uses words such as "crap," "lousy," and "crumby" which come off as vulgar and abrupt. Likewise, the connotation of the words are very literal. There is no poetic meaning to the words. They simply mean what they say. They're basic and to the point. The concreteness of the poem is mostly on the concrete end rather than abstract. All of the things Salinger writes about are items we can sense with our five sense. The language is bland and improper. So, with that, here is my claim: "The stark and ordinary formality, connotation, and concreteness of 'The Catcher in the Rye' conveys Holden's attitude toward the world.

Waiting For Wednesday... to end

Why hello! So its Wednesday. This week needs to go a little bit faster. The weekend starts tomorrow for me! No school Friday because its teacher in-service day! I have a ton of homework again tonight, which is a bummer. But This weekend should be fun. The boys sectional swim meet is this weekend so all the girls are going to that Thursday and Saturday. It should be fun. Then Sunday I'm going to see Elijah Michael Lee :) I can't wait to hold that 6 pound bundle of joy. I know I'm going to love holding him. I'll be afraid at first, but I'll get comfortable with it quite quickly, I think. Lets see... I'm trying to think of something more to say to make this post interesting, but honestly all I can think about it all the homework I have left to do. I haven't read enough to make another summary, so I guess this is all for tonight. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday. Maybe everyone should do something crazy. Meet a new person? Do something you've always wanted to? People watch? You decide! Enjoy the weather, though. I hear it's going to be in the upper 50's, Hallelujah!

Try this test! It's called the Idiot test. It's pretty entertaining, actually.

Goodnight everyone!

Plain and Simple, it's Tuesday.

So how many of you watched Jeopardy tonight? Man vs. Machine. If you didn't, you missed out. I know, weird that I'm so excited over a Jeopardy show. But tonight, they took the man who made the most money in the game and the man with the longest running streak, and matched them against an IBM computer named Watson. I think that was his name at least. It was crazy! They built a computer complete with knowledge on all sorts of things and built him so he can play Jeopardy. He analyzes the hints, thinks of answers, and if he is so much percent sure of it, he can actually buzz in and answer. As of last night, the man who has made the most money and the IBM computer are tied with $5,000. I didn't have time to watch it tonight but my guess is Watson won. It's crazy what technology has become now-a-days.

Straight to summarizing tonight... I have lots of homework to do!

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini Pages 214-223

After Rahim was finished talking, Amir asked if Hassan was still living there. Rahim handed him an envelope. Inside was a letter and a Polaroid picture. The picture was of Hassan and Sohrab in front of Baba's home. Hassan envied his self-assuredness. The letter to Amir tells about how the days have changed so much since Hassan lived there. Farzana was beaten in a market once becuase she spoke too loudly. And Hassan couldn't defend her because if he had, the army would have shot him. He tells him about how he learned to read and write, and how Rahim and himself have taught Sorab to read also. Once he has finished reading the letter, twice actually, he puts it away. Rahim told him that the photograph was taken the day before he left to go to Peshawar to see a doctor. A month after he had left rumors started spreading that a Hazara family was living in the big house alone. The Talib officers came and investigated Hassan. They called him a liar when he said he was living with Rahim, who was only out of town. They demanded that Hassan and his family were out of the house by sundown, but Hassan refused to let the house go out of his care.The officers said they were only going to keep it safe until Rahim returned.

"Hassan protested again. So they took him to the street--," said Rahim.

"No," said Amir.

"--and order him to kneel--"

 "No. God no."

 "--and shot him in the back of the head."

"No."

"--Farzana came screaming and attacked them--"

"No."

"--Shot her too. Self-defense, they claimed later--"

Rahim tells Amir that the Taliban moved into the house that day. Amir asked what had happened to Sohrab. Rahim says he hears he's in an orphanage somewhere. The reason he asked him to come, was because he wants him to go find Sohrab so he can be adopted by a good family. Amir says he doesn't want to go, it is too dangerous there. He offers to pay to hire someone to retrieve him, but Rahim reminds him, " I think we both know why it has to be you, don't we?" He tells him that one time Baba and him were talking and Baba said he was worried about Amir. He said that if he couldn't stand up for himself he wouldn't be able to stand up for anything. Rahim now says to Amir, "I wonder, is that what you've become?" Still, he refuses to go. Rahim tells him there is one more thing he has to tell him:

"Sanaubar wasn't Ali's first wife. He was married once before, to a Hazara woman from the Jaghori area. This was long before you were born. They were married for three years. She left him childless after three years and married a man in Khost. She bore him three daughters. That's what I am trying to tell you. Ali was sterile." "No he wasn't. He and Sanaubar had Hassan, didn't they? They had Hassan--" " No they didn't." "Yes they did!" "No they didn't, Amir." "Then who--" "I think you know who." "Did Hassan know?" Rahim shook his head no. "You bastards. You goddamn bastards! All of you, you bunch of lying goddamn bastards!" "Please sit down." "How could you hide this from me? From  him?" "Please think, Amir Jan. It was a shameful situation. People would talk. All that a man had back then, all that he was, was his honor, his name, and if people talked...We couldn't tell anyone, surely you can see that." Amir got up and headed for the door. "Amir Jan, please don't leave." "Why? What can you possibly say to me? I'm thirty-eight years old and I've just found out my whole life is one big fucking lie! What can you possibly say to make things better? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing!" 

And so ends chapter seventeen with Amir walking out the door angry and confused. Sorry that excerpt was so confusing... I wasn't sure how to put it in. It took me a while to actually comprehend the fact that Baba and Sanaubar had Hassan together but Ali had raised him. I can't imagine what would be going through Amir's head while he heard this. He let his own brother get raped! The book is definitely getting interesting again.

Ha, Goodnight!  

Happy V Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, all! I hope all of you eat lots of candy today and maybe even someone who loves you sent you some flowers? I know I've had my fair share of candy... maybe too much. So recently I've been listening to music that is relaxing. I can't get enough of Jack Johnson and Norah Jones right now. "Don't Know Why" and "Come Away With Me" are my favorite Norah Jones songs. I haven't decided what my favorite Jack Johnson songs are but they're both calming. And great to do my homework to.

 "Don't Know Why"

Alright, now onto some reading logs. Haven't done one of those in a while...

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini Pages 190-215

Chapter fourteen starts in June 2001. Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan. He asked him to come to Pakistan, he was dying and wanted to talk to Amir one last time. His last word of the conversation were "There is a way to be good again," which caused Amir to believe that he knew what he had done to Hassan many, many years ago.  Soraya is worried that Pakistan is not safe still and Amir will be killed, but he reassures her that he will be fine and it is something he has to do.

Chapter fifteen: Amir lands in Pakistan and goes to Rahim Khan's apartment. The man who opens the door, as Hosseini writes, was " a thing made of skin and bones pretending to be Rahim Kahn." The first few moments of their reunion were awkwardly silent. They made small talk, Amir's wife, Baba, and the war. He tells him about the army shooting people in the streets which influenced people to knock wholes in the walls of their homes so people could move from house to house instead of walking on the streets. The final page of the chapter Amir finds out that Rahim wasn't the only one who lived in Baba's house after they left, Hassan also lived there. Rahim says he wanted to write and tell him but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He says that he wants to tell him something about Hassan, but first he has to tell him everything.

Chapter sixteen: Rahim was getting sicker and sicker and was having trouble taking care of the house by himself. So he went to search for Ali and Hassan. After asking around he found Hassan in a village in the the middle of nothing but bushes and spiny tree trunks and dead grass. When he walked to the door, Hassan greeted him by kissing his hands over and over. Finally, he took him inside and introduced him to his wife, Farzana. They were expecting a child in the winter. Rahim asked where Ali was. He had been killed in a land mine explosion. At dinner, Rahim asked Hassan to come to Pakistan with him and live in Baba's house. Politely, Hassan explained that he and Farzana had a life here and although they wanted to help, couldn't move back with him. Rahim said he understood. As they drank tea, Hassan asked question about Amir. Finally, he asked about Baba. Rahim told him he had died five years earlier of cancer. Hassan buried his face and broke into tears. He wept through the night. When Rahim woke up, Farzana and Hassan told him they would move back with him. When they arrived home, Rahim told them they could have one of the rooms upstairs, but Hassan refused. Saying, "What will Amir Agha think? What will he think when he comes back to Kabul after the war and finds that I have assumed his place in the houes?" He and his wife moved into the clay house in the backyard. For fourty days after he moved in, Hassan wore black to mourn for Baba. He cleaned everything as if Hassan were coming home. He even rebuilt the stone wall in the backyard that a rocket had destroyed. In the fall, they gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. Then, one day a women appeared outside the gates. Rahim questioned her and asked who she was but she didn't answer. She stood there until she collapsed a few seconds later. When she woke up, she asked where Hassan was. He held her hand as she said, "You smiled coming out of me, did anyone ever tell you?" Hassan ran away, realizing that this was Sanaubar, the woman who had left him and his father after giving birth to him. The next day, Hassan told her she was home now, and didn't need to worry. Farzana and him nursed her back to health. The winter of 1990 Hassan and Farzana gave birth to a healthy little boy, named Sohrab. Sanaubar fell in love with him at first sight and wouldn't let him go. They did everything together. When he was four, Sanaubar died in her sleep. In 1996 the Taliban came in and ended the fighting. Everyone celebrated. Hassan, however, was nervous, "God help the Hazaras now," he said.

I enjoyed reading this part of the book. Hassan had finally returned into the book and I was eager to keep reading to see what else the book would say about him. His loyalty to Baba and Amir after all those years amazes me. Spoiler-alert.... I learn his loyalty eventually ends in his death. So many sacrifices were made for Amir. Sad to think he wouldn't do the same... or would he??

Goodnight!

This One's For You

Dad, I know I'm a really bad daughter. I didn't get you a birthday present... yet. I know it's not an excuse, but with state coming up I didn't want to go during the week because I needed lots of sleep. And last weekend didn't work because I had sectionals as well as two team dinners. But this ones for you. I love you!

51 Things I love about my dad:

1. I can always tell he loves me... even when I make him angry
2. He supports me in everything I do
3. He's my biggest fan
4. He'd do anything for me
5. Family comes first
6. Being able to brag about him to my friends "My dad's the National Chair of the Biomedical Department for the Red Cross, the primary Co-Owner of his CPA firm, chairman on the Bethel College board and the Mustard Seed board. What's your dad do?"
7. "Aw stink!"
8. The way I know he' s home because he jingles his keys before he puts them on the table
9. Wearing his size 12 moccasins around the house when he isn't home
10. Does your dad do "smooches" for a picture with a bunch of teenage girls? Didn't think so.
11. HIS excitement for MY sport
12. His generosity
13. His knowledge on things you wouldn't think he'd know
14. "whoa there, keemosabi!"
15. I'm daddy's little girl. Always have been, always will be.
16. Waking up to vitamins on the counter. He never forgets
17. It's pretty cool he's read just about every book Mr. Hill talks about
18. For a 51 year old, he has a pretty hip style
19. The way he texts- with his index finger because his thumbs are too big for the touch screen
20. Sorry, Mom, but Dad's presents are always so cool
21. When he takes me shopping, he always picks out the cutest clothes for me
22. "Peeshie"
23. Cheek pinches
24. Falling asleep on his shoulder during church
25. Listening to him sing during church- he has the best voice!
26. Running the Chicago Hot Chocolate 5K with him
27. Sitting in his office while he works
28. "No Dad, I do not want to rub your feet. But thank you for asking"
29. His signals at swim meets from the stands
30. He's pretty cool, I'll admit it. All my friends think hes funny
31. His blue eyes
32. The thoughtful things he does for me. Like buying my favorite granola when I eat it all.
33. He always has words of encouragement for me
34. He spends so much time and money on my swimming, yet can't get enough of me swimming
35. He has the loudest laugh
36. He always lets me have my swim team over
37. Even though he has a lot of work to do, he never misses a meet
38. Thumbs up before races
39. Sitting on his lap
40. He always carries my swim bag after a meet
41. "God bless that fella"
42. Listening to him drum along to a song in the car
43. I'll never let him down at a swim meet
44. Hearing that he brags about me to his friends
45. I could tell him anything I wanted to and he'd love me just the same
46. He always calms my nerves before swim meets
47. Sacrifices so many things for my family
48. Waking up at 3 AM to get his work done
49. What he's made himself from growing up with so little
50. His endless love
51. My friend, Sarah, and I were in her room and I picked up a book called "100 reasons why I love my dad." Her sister had given it to her dad for his birthday. Sarah told me she cried when she read it because none of them were true for her. When I read it, all of them were.

Dad, I know I didn't even make you a card for your birthday, but I love you more than anything else in this world. I hope you're birthday, although spent at a pool and in a car, was a memorable one. Hey, at least I swam well, right? Happy 51st Birthday. Keep on kicking!

So, Guess What?!

We did it! The Homestead girl's swim team placed 2nd at the IHSAA state swim meet! First time ever! We were all so excited and glad our season's hard work paid off. In fact, we were all crying. But not because we were so happy with the results, but because our only senior girl to go to state, Tori, was done. It hit us all, this is her last meet. Of course, they were happy tears, remembering growing up with her and all the hard practices. Its sad to think she won't be here next year, but we all know she will be cheering from afar. Personally, I got 8th and 5th. Yes, I placed one place lower than I was seeded from yesterday. But both were better than what I was seeded going into the meet. And I bettered my times, in fact they were life times! It felt great to see my work pay off. I loved looking into the stands and seeing my mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa smile and wave to me. My dad putting his hand over his heart mouthing, "I'm so proud of you." My favorite thing about doing well in a race: finishing to the wall and lifting my head out of the water and hearing, out of all the people in the stands, my dad's voice cheering. Somehow, I can always pick out his voice. I look over to my coach, who is jumping up and down, fist pumping the air. For some reason, other peoples reaction get me more excited than I do myself, if that makes sense. I made a deal with my coach, if we got second we would stop for milkshakes on the way home. Well, we got milkshakes, and man were they tasty!



But wait, there's more exciting news! I'M AN AUNT!!!! My brother Nate and his wife Melissa had their first baby boy today. It was so unexpected. He was a month premature. I can't wait to finally see him. I know I'll be a baby hog. Melissa will probably get frustrated because I've taken him from her for so long.
There he is! Elijah Michael Lee ____. Technically this blog is supposed to be anonymous I think so I left the last name out. Even though my blog really isn't at all. But anyways, hes so precious. Whats crazy? He was born on my Dad's birthday! Sorry, Dad, this day no longer belongs just to you.


It's really late and I'm exhausted. So, I'm going to go climb into my freezing bed. Hope you all had a great Saturday like I did!

State Update!

TGIF! Tonight was a great night! Finally state arrived and my high school swim team did awesome in the preliminary meet. First off, we got to miss school. We loaded onto SPVs and road down to Indy. Checked in at the hotel, took naps, finally shaved our legs (we hadn't done that since Halloween. Gross, I know), then went to Olive Garden for a quick lunch. The meet itself was the best part. Individually, I dropped a ton of time in both my events and made it back in the top 8. Which, for those of you who aren't knowledgeable with swimming, that's a big deal! I was seeded 18th and 6th going into the meet and now going into finals I'm ranked 8th and 4th. So lets hope all goes well tomorrow. As a team, were aiming to get 2nd at state. "Not first?" you ask. Well, no. Carmel has won for 25 straight years and bottom line, they out number us. So second is where we set our goals. That will be the highest a girls team from Northeast Indiana has ever gotten! We're seeded second right now, but it's not final until tomorrow. Just thought I'd give you a quick update but now I have to go to bed! I have a big day tomorrow! Wish me luck.



P.S. This is a landmark post! I've never blogged and not done a reading log. But I was so excited I just had to let you all know how I was doing.

So, I've been trying to think of another way to greet you all other than saying "Hello, reader" or some variation of that, but frankly, I'm drawing a blank. Instead, I will not greet you, but it's implied. No hurt feelings, okay? To start off the blogging tonight I thought I would add a picture from my sister's blog. She is very crafty and made these mustache stirring sticks. I love this picture. Why? Because the idea of putting fake mustaches on is so childish and youthful, yet the picture looks as if it was taken fifty years ago. The brick adds just the right backdrop, in my opinion. So kudos, Maddy.

She is the girt that is closest to the top, with the glasses. Her boyfriend, Mac, is on the right. The other girl is her high school friend, and now roommate. And to be honest, I have no clue who the other guy is.

"Life's a train. Get on board." That line was in my book this week. I really liked the catchy-ness of it. So much so that I made it my facebook status, ha. Right now the book is moving a little slow. I still enjoy reading it, but I'm a little disappointed. The beginning was so good! I couldn't put it down. Now I can't wait to finish it, but so I can start my next book.

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini Pages 153-189

As I do every time, I'll remind you where we left off. Last time you read, Amir was interested in a girl named Soraya, but her father wasn't keen on the idea of him courting her. A lot has gone on since then. Baba became ill. At first they assumed it was just a cold, but when he started coughing up blood, they took him to the doctor. What they found was every son's worst fear for their father, cancer. Because he smoked, Baba had gotten lung cancer. And just as he did with the welfare money, he said no to Chemotherapy. He was able to keep up with his regular life for a while, he would even go to the flea markets still. Then, one day while selling knick-knacks, Baba collapsed, started convulsing, frothing at the mouth, and his bladder let loose. In the emergency room, Amir found out that the cancer had spread to the brain. The doctors highly recommend radiation, but Baba again said no. While in the hospital, the General, Khanum Taheri, and Soraya came to visit. Then next day, at their home, Amir asked Baba to go khastegari, which from the reading I gather to mean Baba's father goes to Soraya's father to ask for her hand in marriage, on behalf of Amir, of course. Baba went, and called Amir with the good news that the General had accepted and Soraya and Amir were to be married.

The next few pages describes the wedding, which was held very quickly after khastergari because of Baba's illness. A month after the wedding, Soraya's family and Amir and Baba all joined and played cards together. The night was full of fun and laughter. It was very late, so Soraya and Amir carried Baba to bed, because he had gotten too weak. Soraya reached for his pain medicine, but Baba replies, "Not tonight. There is no pain tonight." He never woke up.

The rest of the chapter talks about the funeral held with hundreds of people there speaking good things of Baba, Amir and Soraya's acceptance into San Jose State, Amir's publication of his first book With everything perfect in their lives, they decided to try to have a child, after four years of marriage. They tried for a year, and when things were looking well, they went to a doctor. Months of tests were run, everything checked out okay. Amir and Soraya even tried in vitro fertilization. Nothing seemed to work. The doctors, as a last resort, suggest adoption, but neither Amir and Soraya nor General Taheri and Khanum Taheri were fond of the idea. Khanum Taheri said, "maybe it wasn't meant to be." But Amir figures it karma for betraying Hassan and it, "meant not to be."

Like I said before, the book is still interesting, but just not as captivating. I'm waiting for it to pick up again, though. There's really not much to say about this section of the book. So, I think I'll get in bed really early tonight and catch up on some sleep. Its almost state, only two more days til Friday when I swim! Ah! I'm nervous and excited and ready to be done at the same time. Scared , too. But I know everything will work itself out. Faith in training. That's what my friend Hanna keeps telling me. I've worked hard, so I know I will do well!

To part, I leave you with the moving lyrics sung at Amir and Soraya's wedding.

Make morning into a key and throw it into the well, Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly. Let the morning sun forget to rise in the east, Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.

Hola From Class.

Why hello, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the beautiful snow dusting that keeps coming down. The snowflakes are huge, almost like fake snow in a department store. As part of our class today we had "Action Tuesday." Mr. Hill gave us a list of things to complete before class ended. I chose to read a three minute story from a site he posted. Because were at school we have to use the older version or else it doesn't load. So I can't add a link, but here's the address: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/06/133542419/departure. The story was slow at first, in my opinion. Surprisingly they didn't throw a lot of information at you right away. If you had to write a story that would only take three minutes to read I would feel the pressure to get everything in really quickly. They managed to make it work, though. It was a sad story, about a mother getting ready to leave her family because her husband was cheating. She was in the kitchen at 2 am, almost about to walk out the door when her son comes down in his footie pajamas. He tells her a knock-knock joke, and she laughs. She hugs him, crying. But he thinks she is just laughing so hard. It's sad, really. But neat at the same time that such a short story can get across a message like that. In fact, I think I'll go read some more, just for fun. I would recommend you check this site out, too!

Have a great Tuesday!

Superbowl Sunday!

You know, I realized why my sister loves Sunday's so much today. I woke up this morning to a quiet, sleeping house, opened up my book, and read for a while. This is one of my favorite things in the world. The little bit of cherished quiet time I get Sunday mornings. My brother will probably sleep until one unless I wake him up... but why would I do that, now? My mom is with my Dad at his office. She cleans it for him every Sunday. So here I am, queen of the house. Snuggled up by the fire with a fresh cup of coffee. Ha, just kidding! But close! Laptop in lap, blueberry Greek yogurt with granola on top by my side, accompanied by a chilled glass of orange juice. And not to forget my fuzzy new blanket I got from my teammate, Ally. All of this goes quite well with my bed head in my opinion. Don't worry, Dad, I took my vitamins this morning. He's very good at keeping me healthy. I have my big State swim meet next Friday and Saturday. And I know I owe a lot of what I've accomplished to him. Not only does he make sure I stay healthy and get sleep, but he's my biggest fan. I love swimming a race and breathing to the side where he's sitting in the stands watching him wave his hands frantically motioning me to "GO! GO!" Even when I have my bad swims, he still has words of encouragement for me. I'll admit, half the time I don't want to hear it. I would rather sulk in self pity than reason to myself that what I've been training for is the state meet, not the sectional meet that took place this weekend. So thank you, Dad. I really do appreciate all the support you've shown for my sport. I love you!

So part of my assignment this week was to share a website that I enjoy browsing. I decided that this would be a good one. It's called Paper N' Stitch. The whole website is a collection of handmade crafts, ranging from clothes, to dishes, to jewelry. As I was surfing, I came across a few pieces of jewelry I like, the best part: all of the things on this website are priced very reasonably! Here are a few of the things I liked, hint hint Mom and Dad!!!

For only $7.00 you can buy these for me, parents! They're brass plated in yellow gold. And on the right, for only $12.00 these 14K yellow gold plated roses are such a steal!

And there goes the peace and quiet. My brother just woke up and turned the t.v. on and now he feels the need to comment on everything that happens on the show. So I guess I'll doing my reading log and go find some quiet space else where in the house!

The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini Pages: 125-152

Last time we left off Amir and Baba were fleeing to Pakistan. Suddenly the book skips to them living in Fremont, California. Baba has a job at a gas station, a large step down from running many of his own successful businesses in Afghanistan. He struggles adjusting the the uptight American lifestyle. In Afghanistan, everyone trusted each other. In America, Baba is kicked out of a gas station when he puts his hands around the owners neck. He is angry that the owner, even though he comes there every week, asks to see his license when he tries to pay. After Amir settles him down, Baba shouts, "Does he think I'm a thief? What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody!" Amir suggests that they return to Peshawar, but Baba refuses saying that Peshawar was good for him, not for Amir. Baba refuses to take charity from people although they are struggling to adjust to their new lifestyle. The eligibility officer offers them food stamps. Baba won't take them, " Thank you but I don't want. I work always. In Afghanistan I work, In America I work. Thank you very much, Mrs. Dobbins, but I don't like it free money."

In the summer of 1983 Amir graduated from high school. Baba was so proud he cried at the ceremony. Amir told him he planned to go to Junior college the following fall. A few days later, Baba surprised Amir with a car, saying that he would need it to go to school. He would take his new car out and drive around some days. He saw the Pacific for the first time and cried. I really liked this passage Hosseini wrote:

Almost two years had passed since we had arrived in the U.S., and I was still marveling at the size of this country, its vastness. Beyond every freeway lay another freeway, beyond every city another city, hills beyond mountains and mountains beyond hills, and , beyond those, more cities and more people.

Long before the Roussi army marched into Afghanistan, long before villages were burned and schools destroyed, long before mines were planted like seeds of death land children buried in rock-piled graves, Kabul had become a city of ghost for me. A city of harelipped ghosts.

America was different. America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown tot he bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins.

If for nothing else, for that, I embraced America.

The last part was the part I really enjoyed, but I felt like the first two paragraphs needed to be included to give some background. I really like how he sees America as such a fresh start. Although what he's forgetting is what he did to Hassan, the way he sees America the classic America Dream outlook.

Alright I just took a break to go to swim practice but now I'm back. So anyways, the next thing that happens in the book is Baba trades in his own car and buys a Volkswagen Bus. Amir and him would drive around on Saturdays to yard sales and on Sunday's take everything they bought and sell them at the Flea Market. The markets were full of Afghans with buses. This is actually where he meets a girl named Soraya. Baba and her father, General Sahib, were friends in Afghanistan. Amir falls in love with her at first sight, but doesn't have the nerve to talk to her for months. Finally, he gets the courage to talk to her one day when he sees General Sahib leaving their post. He goes over and asks her where her father is, to make small talk. Each Sunday he came back and did the same thing. Her mother, Khanum Taheri , also joined their conversations. One time however, the General came back and caught them all talking. He pulled him aside and as he walked him away from their booth he reminded them that people will start rumors that Soraya and him are courting if he comes around more, and General Sahib doesn't want that.

Well, I really need to move on to my other homework now. It's Superbowl Sunday and I'm going to a family party! I hope all of you have enjoyed the snow and have a great time watching the game tonight with family and friends! GO COLTS ;)