2009.

As 2009 and this decade is being drawn to an end, I guess I'd like to dwell upon the masterpiece that was 2009.

By masterpiece, I mean the year was picture perfect in how certain things closed. Consider this the Mona Lisa of life.

But also by masterpiece, I mean that when the year was bad, it was a complete mess. The Jackson Pollock of life.

There's always two sides to every story.
Two sides to every coin...My year of 2009 was no different.
I loved being able to continue to coast through High School while knowing that College was right around the corner.
I loved being able to go into TOK every other day knowing that Neek and Nellis and A wag would be there talking about sex or pop tarts, knowing that a long day of Physics and Chemistry were right after.
I loved being able to elect a Caucasian Barack O'Bama, knowing that another class elected an African American John McCain and an Asian American Ralph Nader.
I loved being able to walk into the chapter to embark on a 7 month journey, knowing that I was rejected from that very same place just 3 months earlier.
I loved being able to hang out with the best neighbor in the world, knowing that things wouldn't be the same once Summer came.
I loved being able to talk to my brother from another mother, knowing that he'd always save my ass when it comes to physics, and that no matter how long we don't talk for, that I'm always there for him, and he's always there for me.
I loved being able to not talk to my older sister as much, knowing that when ever we did talk, or get coffee, or eat, we would start right where we left off. I love you chi.
I loved being able to ask my little sis to go every where with me, and although she hardly ever accepted, knowing that I was there for her when she needed me most during camp was more than enough. I love you em.
I loved being able to graduate, knowing that I would never go back to the monotony that was high school.
I loved being able to be involved in the Red Cross club at school, putting in everything I had to make it respectable, knowing that I'd never have any kind of impact on that club ever again.
I loved being able to find out what I meant to people, knowing that I made a difference in someone's life is the most rewarding thing in this life.
I loved being able to go to the Chapter every single day of summer and chat up a storm with anyone there, knowing that my days there were limited.
I loved being able to be apart of LDC2009 Staff, knowing that I was able to change lives like the Staff of LDC2008 did for me.
I loved being able to get to know every single Staffer on a personal level, knowing that our bond would carry us through beyond camp. TEN FOLD
I loved being able to make inuendos and terrible jokes with Neek, knowing that she couldn't do anything about it but laugh.
I loved being able to go to Guppie's with everyone, knowing that catching up on old times was enough to have a great time.
I loved being able to meet Isa and JDO, knowing that once I did meet them, my life would never be the same.
I loved being able to drive to Vivian's house and get breakfast at bagel me,knowing that I'd have a long drive down Orangethorpe ahead of me.
I loved being able to have an Opening, Closing, and Yarning activity with my staff and delegates, knowing that it was my first and last camp ever to staff.
I loved being able to cry, knowing that my staff was there to hold me down.
I loved being able to facilitate RTB, knowing that Isa and Akash were there with me yet again.
I loved being able to see all the delegates grow, especially the ones I recruited, knowing that they'd become a force to be reckoned with at the chapter for years to come.
I loved getting my acceptance letter to Pacific and Arizona, and the subsequent scholarships that came along with it, knowing that my decision would effect the rest of my life.
I loved being able to room with a high school friend, knowing that without him, I'd be absolutely nowhere.
I loved being able to meet the people that I did at Pacific, knowing that with Rushing around the corner, things can only get better.
I loved being able to live in John B, knowing that only they could laugh with us as we lose ever single intermural game we play.
I loved being able to open up my gmail 3 months after camp and seeing emails from LDC2009STAFF, knowing that the feelings are still mutual with everyone. DTD09 ...nothing but love.
I loved being able to come home to a family that would feed me and take care of me, knowing that I'd have to leave them soon after.
I loved coming home to my room, knowing that it was exactly the way I left it.
I loved being able to walk into my room and see that wall of LDC stuff, knowing that every single letter and yarn from the past two years is still here with me.
I loved being able to talk to anyone in my fam about anything, knowing that they got my back no matter what.
I loved being able to close out 2009, knowing that everything I loved in 2009, will still be with me in 2010.

With everything that happened to me in 2009, I will never forget the baggage that came along with it. I became attached to many things, and I was forced to let go rather quickly.
But with the bad comes the good, and I could not have asked for much better parity as I did in 2009. My take on the roller coaster that everyone talks about.

The Mona Lisa, and Jackson Pollock.


Till next time guys,
Take Care.
-Darrel

These Are The Best Days.

I'm going to warn you guys right now, this is a nostalgia alert, so if you don't want to be reminded of staffing, please don't read.

For my fellow staff of LDC09, does the title of this post ring a bell for you guys at all? No?

How about Brand New Day? Still nothing?

This Is Home? Oh...THAT rings a bell.

I was just listening to my iPod today, and I stumbled across this play list that was labeled LDC Shizz and it was all the potential camp songs that we had in line for a camp that was themeless at the time. Now that I listen to all the potentials, I just look back and think, how could we have even thought about not choosing this is home?

Of course, at the time, I remember talking to Nicole about the song, complaining to her that after listening to Switchfoot a thousand times before the next training, that it didn't feel like Crash and Burn of 08. And I still remember the exact words she told me after. "In time Darnell, in time."

What I also remember was the entire process of picking songs. How it couldn't have anything to do with religion or relationships in there, which I'm still bitter about because my song was immediately eliminated. How Pasha made fun of Graham Colton and his water fountain he had for a mouth. How I was so adamant about Brand New Day. How none of us could take a girl artist seriously for a camp song.

It still never ceases to amaze me how far the Staff has gone since those first couple of trainings. We were still somewhat strangers to each other, the older staffers cliqued with the older staffers, the new staff still on their camp high from Shining in 08. We were still pretty angry that the Jr. staff wanted Be Infinite as the theme as opposed to Sing Your Song. David and I were still pissed that V Necks were one of the staff ID's. And we could NOT for the life of us choose a song in one training day.

But here we are, 3 months removed from camp. The staff is far from a clique. Turns out our camp theme was neither of the original one's the camps came to a consensus with at second training. David and I are still angry, but thankful, that the V neck idea went through. And we found Home when we found our song.

When the first closing circle dawned upon us after Theme Assembly the first night of camp. I wasn't thinking about how Graham Colton or Joshua Radin should have been coming out of Jennifer's iHome. I just sat there, arm in arm with delegates, soaking it all in, listening to Switchfoot, and thinking to myself, it was time. Nicole was right, as she usually was.

This is home, and it will always be.

Till next time guys.
Take care.

- Darrel

Word is bond.

There are two kinds of people in this life.

Those who keep their word, and those who don't.

Stay true to what you fucking say kids. Because once you do the opposite, there's no room for respect left.

Don't say something just so you can prove something to someone. Be upfront about who you fucking are and at least the respect will be there.


That is all.

Until next time.
Take care.

-Darrel

Friendship.

Describe a friendship that you've had or do have at this point in your life.

Darrel Phong
Pacs 1 Sect 27
Friendship

March 7th, 2009. It seemed insignificant at the time. College applications were done. Summer was still 4 months away. Senior year was boring. I was coasting through life with no direction. And I was thrown into the conference room at the Orange County Chapter of the Red Cross with a room full of virtual strangers. This was the group of people I would spend the next seven months with, having only one thing in common, our love for the Leadership Development Center. We all had applied for the position of “staff” in January. We were the only ones excited when the applications came out in December. We were the select few that made it back after going through the camp as “delegates”. I know for me personally, I was excited to come back just so that I could have an impact on a delegate’s life, like it did for me. What coming back turned out to be, though, was an experience of a life time. Little did I know, that for the next seven months, I would meet my best friends in a place we thought of as a home away from home that we would eventually spend more time at than our actual homes.
The beginning was a bit awkward. People could tell right off the bat who was new to staffing and who was a seasoned veteran, but it didn’t keep us from getting close. It started off with simple AIM conversations and Facebook posts. From there it flourished into something greater. As the days progressed, and camp began to materialize into something tangible, we had gone through over 200+ hours of service together, not including the time we spent outside of the Chapter. We laughed. We cried. We frustrated each other. And never could I imagine giving them up for something more. By the time camp came, we had become a family. Inside jokes galore and plenty of support for one another got us through nights where we would get about 1 hour of sleep.
Every time I see someone or something that reminds me of the staff from LDC 2009, it brings nothing but happiness to my face. Every time I pass the Sesame Street aisle, the unflushed toilet, the sleepless nights, everything just seems to tie back to camp. The bonds built during this past summer have embedded roots that run deeper than just the summer because there will never be another Staff of LDC 2009, we are it. Every single workday and training since March 7th our liaison would always tell us when something needed to be done or we freak out about something, “it’s a non issue”. Now that we’ve moved on and I don’t get to see everyone everyday, I feel like sometimes we begin to separate. But every now and then, “it’s a non-issue” would reverberate in my head, and I can’t help but smile and move on. March 7th didn’t seem significant back then. It seems like an eternity ago. Little did I know that those strange faces I saw as I took that first step into the conference room would be the faces that I missed the most when camp was over, and I moved on to Pacific.




Leadership Development Center 2009. Dare to Dream.

til next time guys.
take care.

It's been a while.

Hey guys, I know i haven't updated in a long time. I was busy with LDC all summer (Dare To Dream!) and a week after i had to head off to school and the transitions been keeping me occupied! Anywho, I haven't had much to talk about really. I miss everyone back home, but at the same time it's exciting to be putting that foot forward into the future. I don't have an actual update for you guys, but I stumbled across this assignment i did for hahn..the prompt was narrate a childhood experience in any form of writing that best fit. So until next time..I'll tty guys later. Take care!

Darrel Phong
AP English Period 4
05/19/09
Ms Hahn

There was once a story of a boy. He was young and shy, but full of joy. He attended Anaheim Hills Elementary school and was real, no decoy. He kept to himself and played with his toys. But one day, on the play ground. He dropped one of his toys, and it is yet to be found. He searched frantically. He searched everywhere. He began to panic. He even began to swear. He ran home to his mother. He ran to his room. He was told to shut up by his brother, but he still worried about his toy’s doom.

The next day, he arrived at school, in woe. He had his backpack on, but no toy to show. He felt naked. He felt sad. He was jaded. He was mad. At recess he walked around. Little did he know, his toy was found. The toy ended up in the hands of evil, the bully by the name of Joo. He heard his toy was found, and he wondered who? When he found out who had his toy, everything was lost, including his joy. He sat in a corner and moped for his loss. Joo came up to him, toy in hand and said, “I’m a boss”. But he mustered up courage, and his inner wrath began to widen. He gathered together the strength to move a boat, the strength of Poseidon.

The fisticuffs had been engaged. His eyes locked on Joo’s, and Joo on his. He had never been so enraged. His conscience said Death had called for Joo’s time. He was out of line. He knew he was out of line. But he needed to bring justice to Joo’s crime. The back of his head was just saying “I need to get back what is rightfully mine.” Take away the spotlights, it was his time to shine. He was filled with boiling blood, a look of disgust on his face. Joo was ready to smash his face in the mud, a look of excitement with a swagger in his pace.

He woke up the next day, wondering how he ended up at home. He woke up in his room, sun shining, but he wasn’t alone. His mother crouched over him, a hodgepodge of emotions on her beautiful face. She was angry. She didn’t expect her little boy to get into a fight at such an early age. She was sad. She couldn’t believe that her baby’s perfect face be torn like a book, page by page. She was disappointed. Her son getting into trouble made her feel like it was a testament to how her son was raised. All he could do was watch his mother as she cared for him, slowly weeping. He’d never seen his mother so vulnerable. At the time, he didn’t realize how much his mother was hurt, he just knew he was hurt, and he felt like sleeping. Upon his eyes closing, she got up and set down the bandages on the table. While he was drifting off to bed, in his own fantasy land, she was up wondering, where did she go wrong? Slowly, she wept as her eyelids began to take a toll on her. She would wake up the next morning, still full of sadness, still full of disappointment, still full of anger.

It’s just the natural phenomenon of life. The young are restless. The old have less rest. The young are endlessly carefree. The old give endless amounts of free care. What is it that makes the young such a polar opposite of the old? To this day, he still doesn’t know. 10 years later, all he knows is that not a single day goes by that he regrets his actions. He vowed to never make his mother express the same facial expression again. In the end, it is the age old adage that holds true. “You live and you learn.”


till next time.
take care guys.
- Darrel

The Last Assignment.

The assignment was to reflect upon the year by responding to one of ten prompts.
The prompt I chose was "Who have you enjoyed knowing or observinf this year because you recognized something that seems entirely unique to them. Who may have startled you with how interesting they are?"

So here it goes.

Darrel Phong
AP English P.4
June 6, 2009
Ms. Hahn

Personal Reflection #4

I’ll diverge from the typical senior story of, “I finally talked to this person after four years and I regret it woefully so because he or she is so amazing.” No, my story of observation for this year focuses not on just one person, but rather a group of people. They are the youngest class, but apparently also the largest class. They are the class of 2012. The freshmen I got to know and love this year were one of a kind. They are the upper echelon of students in their class. They are shy, they are smart, they are the all around types, they are everything that I saw in the class of 2009 when we were freshmen.
Coming into my senior year, we knew about some of the freshmen already. It wasn’t because they had done anything worth notoriety, but it was because they were kin of fellow seniors or alumni. From the siblings, I began to make friends with not only them but with their fellow freshmen friends as well, and what I found was that they were an intriguing group of kids. I’ll go in depth with three of them.
First off is Jennifer Tu. She is the shyest of the group, or so it seems. She quietly goes about doing her thing, she’s apologetic about virtually everything, but there can be times in which she is adamant about something and becomes rambunctious because of it. She’s intriguing because you never know what you’re going to get from her, making it all the more exciting getting to know her over the course of this year.
Next up is Alex Friedl. Besides her cool last name, she is one of the most intelligent kids I know, and that’s including the senior class, the junior class and the sophomore class. She’s just naturally smart and if she doesn’t know something, she’ll strive to learn it ASAP. She tends to pick things up things easily and is just an interesting person to be around. She swears she was born Asian inside a White person’s body, and in all honesty I don’t blame her. At times, I feel she has more Asian tendencies than I do.
Lastly, but definitely not least, is Phoebe Tran. She is the sister of a past student, Anh Tran of 2008, and she is just the all around type of person. She is on the track team, she’s a good student, she’s involved with the Red Cross, and she is just super friendly. Anh had been like a sister to me when she was a senior, and well I felt like Phoebe was my little sister this year. We didn’t get as close as me and Anh were, but it is ok, because she knows that I’ll always be there for her, like her sister was for me. Ok, I’m starting to sound like a blog. Back to the business at hand, she came into high school with out knowing many people. She didn’t go to El Rancho like the rest of the freshmen class, but she made friends quick, and in all honesty, I saw a little bit of me in her. I went to El Rancho, but it seemed like the path I took freshman year was almost the same as hers. Sports, honors classes, making new friends. It’s nice to see.
There were many more freshmen that I knew and were equally amazing but these were the three that stood out and had most of an impact on me. I don’t regret not talking to them sooner because well, I couldn’t have. Minus Phoebe, I’ve known her prior to this year. But I appreciated them being apart of such a big year of my life. Will I sorely miss them as I journey off into the world of unknown? Most definitely. But we all knew that I was leaving at the end of this year, it was just a matter of whether or not we wanted to accept it or not.



till next time.
take care guys.

Should have been.

The end has come.
I don't want to post what I'm really feeling.
So I'll post the graduation speech I was supposed to submit, but didn't because I forgot to.
It's not great at all, it was just for me to reminisce.

“…and remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” This quote was once spoken by Chinese philosopher, Confucius. I am here in front of you today, reciting the very same quote, four years removed from finding this quote, at the very end of the fourth year of my high school career. Four years ago, during the summer after being promoted from eighth grade, I was in my garage, slaving away at the labor that is shoe cleaning. I had finished my Vans and moved on to the Nike portion of my collection. I got to my favorite pair, a pair of Nike Vandals designed by Jason Luedecke and I just happened to take a look at the inside of the shoe as I cleaned it. On the inside was the very quote by Confucius.

Whether I was heading through a frivolous freshman year, a sophomore slump, a not so jovial junior year, or a spectacular senior year, this quote has remained in the back of my mind. After four years of high school, this graduating class of seniors sits before a crowd of people who love them, ready to move on to the next part of their lives. The past four years have molded us into what we have become today, able bodied adults, parting ways into the real world. Some continuing with education, some choosing different career paths, but what remains ahead is still a mystery. As we look forward to new beginnings, I beg you to look back on your past and remind you to never forget the past four years of your life. Because no matter where we go in life, there will always be the past, that very past that has led us to Fred Kelly Stadium on the eve of closing one chapter of our lives. Some of us will end up in the health care field, others will end up teaching, we’ll end up in various facets of life, making a difference. But never should we lose sight of what got us here in the first place. Don’t ever get caught up in the pursuit of tomorrow. When you get caught up is when you forget to realize to live for today, and forget about what made us who we are today.

Never will I forget making parodies of Romeo & Juliet in Ms. D’s class. Never will I forget winning Century league when everyone doubted our Sophomore basketball team led by Mr. Anderson. Never will I forget the first day of APUSH in which Mrs. Ellis scared all of us into thinking we would never survive her class but would end up being like my mother from another grandmother. And never will I forget anything about my senior year. From Mrs. Rommelfanger caring so much about our political welfare, to Mrs. Torneo caring about the welfare of our future as chemists, to Mrs. Hahn always wondering how we were mentally and if we had contracted senioritis yet, to Nellis caring about, well our welfare in general. I know, as much pain as I felt going through the process, I will never forget the times that I had at Canyon, because I know I would not be the same today. I know Mr. Harrison would be proud, he never had much to praise of my basketball skills, but taking a page from Machiavelli, the end really did justify the means. And with that, I shall bid you a fond farewell with this, Class of 2009, no matter where you go, there you are.

TOK 09<3


Till next time.
Take care guys.

chyeaitsdarrel!

Hey guys.
Just a little random update...


So as I drove to the gym today, I had some time to contemplate in deep thought. Usually I listen to music, but I left my iPod at home, and I'd rather die before I listened to the radio again. Because the radio sucks. Except am 570. Sports radio never gets old.

Anywho, where were we?
Oh yes, driving to the gym. Yes, I had plenty of time to think deep thoughts as I drove off into the sunset. The most prominent? Well, after about 2 hours had past the incident, I realized that I spent after school in Mrs. Torneo's class for an hour, for fun.

What's odd about this, right?
Well, to those that don't know me or anyone else that has her this year very well, almost every single one of us dread that class.
Yet, here I was, along with Justine, Jong Min, and Janelle on a Tuesday after school, just hanging out, having a ball.

It's just dumbfounded me as I drove the the gym.
We don't absolutely enjoy spending 100 minutes every other day in that class and to spend another 60 after school is just absurd. But something great came out of this.

Like a child experiencing candy after being fed vegetables all his life, I too had just experienced the sweeter and more subtle side of Nicole Torneo. Outside of that stern and tense teaching environment is an awesome person that's the polar opposite of what we dread coming into after lunch on odd days.

It was refreshing, to say the least.
I have a new found love for chemistry.
Because, now I know, that Torneo's just a normal human being, just like the rest of us, she just loves chemistry, and she cares enough for us to do well.


So on that note, I shall be off to do my Government and Chemistry homework.

random..i know

Until next time.
Take care guys.

With my freeze ray...

So the other day, I went to Ikea with my mom and dad to do some shopping for the home. Well, they did some shopping for the home, I was looking for some cool dorm stuff.

So as I was walking around, off in my own world, and listening to my iPod, I caught a glimpse of this bunk bed, made completely of wood and had two side railings and a wooden ladder to get up it. Although that is what I had my eye on, what occurred simultaneously was what really blew my mind. For those of you that don't know, whenever I use my iPod, it is always on shuffle. Tap songs, tap shuffle, and I'm good to go. Well, when the bed was in my view, the next song on the shuffle played. It kind of just led to this surreal moment for me. I felt as if I'd just arrived at Big Bear, got off the bus that got lost for two hours, and set my bag right under my bunk bed.

I was just standing there, gazing at what seemed to be just your regular old bunk bed. But in my mind, it felt like a movie was playing. You know how sometimes, at the end of a movie, everyone is just silent and a songs playing while the camera just pans through everything thats occurred? That was me. At Ikea. You can call it cliche or whatever, but I've let everything marinate in my mind and just thinking back to Sunday just seems so, unreal. All I could think of were images late nights I spent chatting with roomates or just spending time in the lodge or even closing circle, it was just one constant play back of the week, while hearing Crash and Burn playing in the background.

I'm not gonna lie, I got choked up as I stood there. It made me realize how much I missed camp. Prior to this happenstance, I hadn't listened to Crash and Burn for the longest time. But it just seems that everytime that song comes up, all the memories and emotions just come rushing back to you and hit you in one concentrated blast from the past. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a bit unexpected. Weird how songs hold such power.

But anywho, it just finally hit me that it's been almost 9 months since LDC...
Even though my camp high has died down tremendously, the times up there will never leave.
In about 3 more months, it would have been one year and the new camp will begin.
I'll be taking a different stance in it this time around, and there will be new memories and new faces. But LDC08 will always have a dear spot in my heart.

I just can't believe it's almost been a year.
If I had my freeze ray, I would stop the world.
But I don't. And Shine08 has dwindled down to what happened at Ikea, a mere flashback.
Time waits for nothing, and it's going to be 09's time soon.
Let's make the most of it while it lasts...



So until next time...
Take care.

P.H.A.S.E: Pretty Hot And Something Else.

Only a select few, if any, will get the title.
But believe it or not, the other night, when a good friend and I were debating a hot topic, the acronym PHASE popped directly to the forefront of my mind, and thus leading to the title of this post.

The debate of the hot topic?
Well, it's none other than that of whether or not popcorn is a vegetable.
I know exactly what you're thinking.
"But Darrel, why would you ever bring up such a thing? If we EVER found out the truth about this, then there'd be terrible repercussions! People could die!"

Well, for you guys, my loyal readers, I am willing to take that risk.
I will put my life on the line to present you guys the knowledge necessary for progressing into the future, because we all know that with me and my aging, I have nothing left to offer but knowledge. And by aging, I mean my grey hair.

I'll start this argument off with my opinion, and that is that popcorn IS a vegetable.


So.
Friends, readers, Countrymen, lend me your ears.
I come to bury the state of popcorn as non-vegetable, not praise it.
The evil that popcorn serves as non vegetable has been intertwined with in its' soft buttery skin;
The good was lost when this vegetable was deemed unhealthy;
So let it be with popcorn.


Ok, so I couldn't quite pull off the Shakespeare....

But onto my real argument.
So the question I propose to you guys is, why is popcorn NOT a vegetable?

I think it all starts with how everyone perceives a vegetable.
I'll use dictionary.com because everyone seems to trust it.

veg⋅e⋅ta⋅ble

NOUN

1.	any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, as the tomato, bean, beet, potato, onion, asparagus, spinach, or cauliflower.

2.	the edible part of such a plant, as the tuber of the potato.

So, riddle me this.
Are popcorn kernels not seeds from a plant?
Aren't kernels edible?

I don't even have to argue anything, really.

Now, when I felt that my argument was adequate with my good friend, I presented my argument, and she conceded. But not before throwing another curveball at me. And that was, if popcorn is considered a vegetable, would it not be fair to disregard corn chips as vegetables as well?

Well, at the time I was stumped as if I were a dying tree being cut down by my owner.
But now that I have had time to let it marinate in my mind, I've come to the conclusion that it is ok to disregard corn chips as vegetables.

The difference you may ask?
Well, corn chips are not made directly from corn. It's made with cornmeal.
'But but Darrel! Cornmeal is just dried up ground corn!"
While this may be true, that's already made corn chips one step further from being a vegetable.
Not to mention the oil it's fried in and all the processed salts and stuff that go along with it.

Popcorn?
It's a kernel, DIRECTLY from plants of corn.
No processing involved!

So there you have it.
Me personally, I love popcorn.
When I'm at a movie or just chillin' like villains at someone's house, it's the perfect snack to munch on. It is also a communal food.
When the sound of popcorn pops, everyone gathers at the bowl to share its' goodness.

So with that, this hot topic comes to a close.
It's done with.
I obliterated it with the might of Zeus and the Pantheon.

Yeah, I know. You like my diction.
They call me P.H.A.S.E. ladies, holla at me.



Thank you to my good friend, Kim Sa Pham for the inspiration.
I know it's a bit late, but better late than never!
Till next time.
Take care!

Who, me?

Hey guys.
I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I PROMISE you.
There will be one soon.

It's been a busy and exciting couple of weeks so hopefully I'll come back with a fresh new post that's semi decent.

I'll be visiting the University of Arizona this weekend to start my Spring Break so when I come back, there will be for sure a post.

Hang in there readers!
Although I know there aren't many of you guys,
I thank each and every one of you that actually read this.



Have a wonderful day guys.
Till next time!

The Essence of Heart Break.

So as I sit in my humble abode as my clock strikes forty past ten, I am here, in front of my laptop, making another post about my life. Now to the reader(s) of this blog, they/he/she might be thinking, " Oh, Darrel made another post, let's see how funny or lame he is today." But to my loyal compatriots, I am sad to say that you (guys) could not be more wrong.

Behind this laptop screen is an emotional man.
He may seem tough on the outside but on the in, he is nothing more than Jell-O on a hot day. Soft and mushy.
You see, what the internet does not reveal is the past and the aftermath. As I type to you now, there is no way one could tell what happened to me or what is happening to me as this progresses, unless you were a sitting in my room with me.
Oh, how the internet can mask emotions.

What's happened to me, my readers may ask.
Well, in the course of 2 minutes, I have experienced heartbreak.
You guys may be thinking, "Oh that Darrel, he's only yanking our proverbial chains."
But I assure you. There will be no yanking of proverbial chains tonight.

What can happen in 2 minutes that would result in heartbreak?
It only takes 2 seconds for your favorite basketball team to lose.
It only takes a change of a song to ruin a good shuffle.
It only takes 2 minutes hate to...well. be hated.
And well, it only takes one response to experience heartbreak.

You see, life's a fragile piece of glass.
One event can shatter it all, and once you're done putting all the pieces back together, something else happens to make you pick up the pieces all over again and start over.
Every time you put yourself back together, you're still just as fragile as the first time you broke down. All the memories of the past don't go away, they just sit there, like the cracks in that not so perfect glass.
And so, when you delve deep into yourself, you see those cracks, those memories, and no matter if you're in one piece on the outside, you realize that it's only skin deep and that you're completely broken, and vulnerable to breaking again, on the inside.


So, back to square one.
I'm sitting here, typing, putting back the pieces of glass one by one.
I'm sitting here, in the dark, listening to Jimmy Eat World, reminiscing on the past all the while trying to get a handle on the future.

I sit here.
Typing out all my emotions as if the internet were my therapist.
I sit here.
Typing out all my emotions after my life long neighbor decided not to respond to my wall post on Facebook.

Oh, how the internet can mask emotions.




till next time.
take care.

The Real Madness of March.

Have you ever even thought about putting nacho cheese in your hot Cheetos?


....neither have I.

But an innovative group of Freshmen introduced this to me and my neighbor a couple months back as we were selling ice skating and Rock N Runway tickets.

What was presented before me, coupled by the smell, could only be described in one word, putrid.
No offense, but the concoctions of the cafetorium aren't exactly the healthiest of foods. What ever happened to that healthy foods initiative anyhow? I see kids around campus walking around with a bottle of coke and a bag of donuts, just enticing diabetes to come and take refuge into their bodies. But that's besides the point.


I woke up this morning at 8:06 a.m.
The condensation of the luke cold morning air was running rampant through the Hills, and I was still at home. Sitting. Walking. Waiting. In my house for 9:10 a.m. to come.
This may seem like any other Thursday to the average joe. Get up. Go to school or work. All the while waiting for Friday to come.
But for me, this Thursday was different.
No, it's not because it's the day after UCLA admissions came out (which I still haven't checked).
and no, it's not because I'm dreading the chemistry class I will have on Friday.

This Thursday was different because it marked the beginning of one of the greatest events known to man.
This Thursday marks the beginning of 3 weeks of nonstop glued to the TV action that has no comparison.
This Thursday, at 9:10 a.m., marks the beginning of me not contacting anyone but my closest friends and of course family while soaking up all the basketball goodness I can.

This Thursday marks the start of March Madness.

The only time of year where sitting at home for 12 hours straight is permitted just because you want to see that #16 seed upset the #1 seed.
It's the only time of year where you wake up, turn on the tv, eat breakfast while getting dressed, turn off the tv, rush to your car and get to school as fast as possible so you can find your favorite teacher's classroom, plop onto the couch and catch the game you had put off just to get to school.

Yes, yes. I can proudly say that this may be my 4th and last March Madness that I fully cover and root for the Pacific 10. After this, I'll either pledge my allegiance to the Wildcats of Arizona of the Tigers of the Pacific and I will be so consumed with finals to actually care. Why do I even care in the first place? Just the mere thrill alone should be enough, but as I flirt with graduation, I realize that all of this now is fickle and I won't even remember it in a couple months. So with that, I will soak in every last bit of this last possible March Madness that I can. As this marks me moving on to big and better things in a sense, like everything else that's occured this year. It's a maturation process that everyone goes through at one point in their life. Whether it be through a silly Basketball tournement that occurs every year, or anything else that's spontaneous in life.

Prior to this year, if anyone asked me if I thought watching basketball all day is rediculous, I would simply respond to them, "no."
But this year, I'll gladly contradict myself.
As I've realized that the only thing more mad than March Madness is the sight of Hot Cheetos slathered with nacho cheese.


thank you to jenPHO for the inspiration.
so until next time.
take care.



HAPPY 18th to my most favoritest neighbor in the world. love ya justine!!!
hope you have the most wonderfullest day.
and for you. a flower. from my home's garden. i took it today.


bye!

Back again for the first time.

So, I created this thing back in august of 2007. I had a couple posts but they were so emo, I really didn't know what I was thinking. So, I'm going start this thing back up again, update you on my day or just use it as a place for my new photos.


I should be reading Pride and Prejewdice. But I'm not. I don't see how people enjoy this book. Well, I mean I can, but being the narrow minded person I am, I'll choose not to acknowledge the fact that this book might be the least bit enjoyable. Who woulda thunk that a book about 19thcentury women and marriage would have literary merit.


Anywho...the college season is amongst us and it's great to see people get in to where they wanted. For me, the mystique of the acceptence letter has died since December when I got into Pacific and Arizona, so it's been a nice couple of weeks seeing others get in to prestigious schools. It's half way through, but hey, the big time schools are still out there....I know I'm not the only one looking forward to UCLA, Berkeley, and all those other private schools. A little note to the Facebook community out there though. Please stop posting evey single person's status update please. I don't think everyone in the world needs to know if someone got into UC Davis.


So, if you guys know me at all I've gotten involved with the Red Cross within the course of the last....8 months and I could honestly say it's been the better 8 months of my life. Whether it be spending time with the club at school (club of the month...HOLLAA!!) or just being at the chapter, I can honestly say I've never been more content with life. Just to reminisce on this past school year, even though it's not over, it's been such a great year building up Canyon's Red Cross to where it is today. We finally earned a tad bit of respect in the OC. The members and the board have made it such a memorable year and I should say thanks for the memories to each and everyone of you! With that said, we, the board, will be picking the second comings to follow up this great year. It's pretty exihlerating if I say so myself. The next two week's lunches and after schools will be filled with interviews and application reading, sounds like a blast doesn't it? Well on top of board elections, Rock N Runway is THIS SATURDAY! My how time flies. Now that Spring Fling has been cancelled(if you didn't know...surprise!), I'll switch all my attention towards Rock N Runway and having a great time! For those of you that don't know it's a fundraising event that benefits youth across Orange County for the summer camps that are put on by the American Red Cross every summer. Money raised goes to scholarships for LDC so you guys should go! Presale tickets are 10 bucks and 18 with a shirt. It shouldn't be all that hard to find tickets to be honest. 12 dollars at the door! Afterwards...fast forward to Tuesday and it'll be our second training, and I'm so stoked. I've got some camp songs ready to go...


Enough of my blabbering. I kind of got off on a tangent and that's pretty bad.
Anywho. I should get back to watching Friends and not reading Pride and Prejewdice. There needs to be some sort of fast forward button on life, like Click. I just want to get through school, without losing the times in between. Oh wells.

2008-2009 CHS RC

57 days left of school.
57 days till it is adios Canyon.
57 days till Summer graces our presence.

So until next time.
Have a good one!