I'm back :)

Hello everyone, sorry it's been so long.

When I woke up this morning, it was normal. When I looked out the window, it wasn't! Guess what was different? SNOW!!!! Yeah, the white stuff that coats everything when it rains at a temperature less than 32 degrees Farenheit. So I got to test out my snow boots. (One guy asked me if they were snowboarding boots. ???) They work ok, but I prefer tennis shoes. Anyway, back to the snow. It looked really cool in the morning when everything had a deep blue tinge to it. Not so good now that it's afternoon and I can see the slush, branches etc. Oh, well, maybe it'll snow again tonight.

During Social Studies class, we have been learning about the Declaration of Independence and the constitution. Much more important now that I'm in MA. We have had a class debate, staging the debate over the slave trade grievance in the D. of I. We also got into little groups to discuss how the law-making body of government should be created to give equal rights to large states and small states. It's a very large topic.

I've had a lot of tests recently. Maybe like mid-year exams? There was a fairly large science test, a somewhat large math test, and a large Spanish test recently. Not to mention the English test tomorrow. It's quite stressful. I think I made it through okay, though.

I have recently come into the invention of...the Rubik's Cube. It's a very interactive toy, and it is a great way to spend the time. I can solve one in 1:48 minutes. I can also make patterns with it. I really enjoy playing with it.

Quote of the Day:
"I've been trying for some time to develop a lifestyle that doesn't require my presence."
-Garry Trudeau (1948-)

Happy Holidays (though I shall blog again before they're over!) :)

Interscholastic Events at Wayland Middle School

HI!



I joined the cross-country team for Wayland Middle School a while ago, and I've been doing great! Our track is 1.6 miles long, and it goes on and off school property, from the field to the surrounding neighborhood. Other tracks are longer, because the range is 1.6-1.8 miles long. On my first run, I got sixth place, fifth in my school. I've also gotten eighth and tenth on other runs. Because of my cross-country running, I have decreased my mile time from 6:59 minutes to 6:20 minutes and I plan on, eventually, running the mile in under six minutes. :)



During lunch on certain days, I participate in the Juggling Club. There are a range of items to juggle, such as balls, clubs, and...well, more balls. There are also devil sticks and diablos. I can juggle fairly well with balls, and so I have started trying the diablos. There are two sticks with a string connected to them. There's a sort of double ended triangle thing that spins on the string, and you do tricks with it. I'd give you a link to someone who's good at them, but, funny thing, I can't find anyone!


Quote of the Day:
"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."
-Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner

DaViD

Unusual Scouting Trip

Hi, all!
On Friday - Saturday, I was the Troop Guide for a troop campout in the new troop. I planned what foods we brought, what gear we took, and what requirements we passed off. Dad and I arrived first at the camping site, and set up camp. We started our fire (only 2 matches - Wow!) and had a campfire program. Then we slept.
Then...came...Saturday...The Interesting Day... I made breakfast and we passed off some Scouting requirements. Then, we went to the lake for our service project. Here is where the real story begins...
Seven of us came around the lake, armed with garbage bags, gloves, and protective footwear. We headed out, picking up bottles, cans, and shredded newspapers. As I walked along the shore, I found several glass bottles. Knowing they were trash, I picked them up. I started heading back towards camp, and then...And Then...AND THEN...the bottles tore through the bag and gave me a bloody gash on my knee. I hobbled back to camp and sent my friend over to get Dad. We cleaned it up and waited for the others.
That gash is most troublesome. I didn't quite have to get stitches, but it was a close thing. I have butterfly bandaids on it and adhesive tape holding them on. I have to bend my knees as little as possible (only up to a "normal" angle) and I can't play around as much as before. Worse, it might last for up to a week before it's healed enough to keep from using the butterflies. Annoying indeed!
Anyway, back to what everyone else found as "garbage." We had quite a group of strange and mysterious things that people leave behind. I'll mention a few: 1) the elastic band from a pair of underwear - just the band! 2) a scary mask from halloween 3) human droppings in a butter container 4) a newspaper 5) a six-pack of beer - with three full bottles! Finally, the REAL surprise - 6) A GAS MASK, such as was used during WWI & II. What a collection!

Quote of the day:
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
- Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919)

dAvId

Moved!

Em hotep, konichiwa, and bonjour!

I'm not taking language classes, but I sure am busy! We are currently in Dad's apartment, after a week of movers being here. They took everything apart, packed it, and loaded it. I think they left on Friday, maybe Thursday. We were in a hotel from Wednesday to Sunday.

We get lots of exercise here. We go swimming every day. When we walk the half-mile, it takes us five minutes, both up and down. Yes, we have another hilly region. Sadly, we don't have our bikes, as they were packed up and will come to us in a week.

I'm going to Scout Camp next week, so I'm packing Scout clothing, papers, and other equipment. The name of the camp is Camp Squanto, named after a famous Native American. He taught the settlers how to plant corn. In turn, they shot him. Ironic, isn't it? I should be having fun during the next week, though. :)

Quote of the Day:
"A people that values its privileges over its principles soon loses both."
-Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969)

"BYE"
-David (1995-)

Last Post Before Movers Come!

Hello, everyone.

This will probably be my last post for a while, because the movers are coming in about two hours. Everything I need is packed into a backpack, framepack, or suitcase in Mom and Dad's room. From Dad's descriptions of the movers, I'd call them a 'flood.' They will start in one room and box up EVERYTHING!!!

Along the lines of EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING has been cancelled, stopped, staunched. There aren't any more piano lessons (Piano will be packed), there aren't any more magazine subscriptions (I hope), there aren't any bills to pay (We wish), and everyone will forget all about us and we'll have to start over again (Maybe).

Quote of the Day:
"The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

daVID

Eagle Project and A Boating Experience

Hi, everyone!

Great weekend. I'll start off with the Eagle Project. It's finished! We got together quite a few people to help, and almost didn't have enough paintbrushes and rollers. The front of the stage is black and the cabinets in the back of the auditorium are blue (I'll see if I can get some pictures in later). We completed the project using only $170 of store donations and some donations from friends.

Mom said that it made a real difference, having black and blue areas in a 50 year-old auditorium. I'm glad I was able to improve the school's auditorium.

Floaters. . . . . . Huh? What kind of floaters? you ask. There are inner tubes that are attached to a boat by a 15-20 foot rope. 1-2 people will ride on one inner tube. The boat driver tries to knock the people on the inner tubes off by dragging them in and out of the wake and by spinning them in circles. We had 1-2 people on each floater, so it was a race to see who got thrown off first. Dillan Deffense, one of our ward members, was the best at it. He survived the longest and managed the best tricks (it's hard to stand up at 30 knots!).

This was the main attraction on the lake, but we had a quick 1/2 hour break at 2:00 to grill hot dogs on the boat. After that, we had to get a bunch of kelp out of the anchor.

Quote of the Day:
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
-Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

David

School's Out!!!

David Here:

Happy Father's Day, all you fathers out there!

Yes! School's finally out! I can now...work on my Eagle Project, go to swim lessons, practice more piano, clean the house more often, and move. Wonderful.

Well, I'll start off with my Eagle Project. I will paint the front of the stage and the cabinets in the back of the auditorium at Sequoia Middle School. This includes paint preparation, paint, and clean-up. It will take place over the next two weeks.

In swimming lessons, I'm a Shark. There are ranks of levels of swimming, from otter (?) to Shark. I'm at the top. The annoying bit is that this conflicts with my Eagle project, so I had to reschedule the times for after swimming lessons. At least it could be arranged. :)

Quote of the Day:
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."
-Winston Churchill (1871-1965)

David Whitesell

California Science Center

Sorry I've been away so long. I just can't find anything interesting to write about. However...

Yesterday, I went to the California Science Center. We got to see two IMAX movies, one about Prehistoric Sea Monsters, the other about Mummies. There were very interesting 3-D effects.

There were several rooms, each focusing on a different aspect of science. There was one room on sound, one on transportation, one on light. There was an earthquake room, too.

In the front, there was a lever with ropes and a truck. "Can you lift a truck?" It was 5,400 lbs. It was simple, using the lever.

Happy Memorial day.

Quote of the day:
"Wise men talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something." -Plato
David

Edited: There was also a high-wire bicycle. The tightrope is from one point to another, and there's a bike on it and a net under it. People are able to ride the bike because the weight at the bottom counteracts any people motion. Teresa was the only one who was able to ride - she was wearing shoes! Kara was too short (barely) and I had velcro-strapped sandals. Halfway through her ride, one of Teresa's shoes came off!!!! (See, velcro would have worked better!) We had to wait 5-10 minutes while they called in the janitor with his long pole to bike out and save the shoe. Wow. and they had ladders right there, for the same purpose. If it had fallen, a person might have been hit by a shoe fallen from three stories high. :)

Minor Catastrophe

Hi.

On Tuesday, after school, I was just walking to my locker. Suddenly, I feel something get into my eye. I don't think much about it, and just do my work. It begins to really irritate me when I can't rub or flush it out, so I go to the nurse. She suggests it might be under my eyelid. Doesn't seem to be there, either.

I go home, and Mom gives me some eye drops. We go to the eye doctor and they do their tests of vision (which I fail for my left eye, the one with the foreign object). They look at the eye and upper eyelid under an microscope and - lo and behold - there's a tiny shard of glass on my upper eyelid. What are the chances of that happening?! Invisible to the naked eye, and it comes to me. Wow.

Hope this doesn't happen to you!

Quote of the day:
"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."
-Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

David W.

Help the Environment! Stop Global Warming!

Hi, all you blog readers out there.

This could be one of the most important blogs I put out. As you know, global warming has been affecting our world. The average temperature of Earth has risen by 1 degree F. In the ice caps, it's risen over 7 degrees F. It would take a while to reverse the effects of global warming, but it can be done!

One website that I have found that gives ideas is http://www.dosomething.org/node/62554. Some things are simple, easy-to-do things - take showers of ten or less minutes, use recycled paper, only run the dishwasher when it's full. There's more information on http://www.dosomething.org/causes/global_warming.

Some of you like gardening. That's great. Plant a garden. You can get fresh fruit and vegetables when they're in season and get out more often. Beautify your yard. These plants also intake carbon dioxide and give us oxygen, allowing us to breathe, besides saving you money on veggies.

One person's junk is another person's treasure. Donate used items or sell them in a garage sale. Landfills take up a lot of space in our world and (1) Aren't pretty (2) Smell (3) Take a long time to biodegrade, if ever, and (4) can be mostly prevented. Recycle paper, glass, plastic, and aluminum. Use cloth bags at the grocery store and reusable water bottles. Plastic is not biodegradable.

Here are some car things that you can do to prevent CO2 emissions from getting out of control: Keep your tires properly inflated, check the car's air filter once a month, carpool and drive less, and turn the engine off (even in traffic) if you have to wait for 30+ seconds.

Quote of the Day:
"Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into opposing factions on it."
-Tony Blair (1953-)

Save the world!
David

Success!

NAW PRESENTTING THU WURLDS GRAYTEST SPELLLER, DAVID WHITESELL!

I can spell better than that, though. The Copernicus Report was a success. I dressed up and gave an oral report on his achievements and him.

News Flash: My cousin, Brent, just went off on his mission. He left for the MTC on Wednesday, April 16. He's going to Oregon. Bye, Brent!

I just completed a boxing debate in English class. I was against boxing, and the judge said that we won. However, there is no official documentation of the debate and our judge was not an official representative, so there will be no end of boxing yet.

Quote of the day:
"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time."
-Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

-David

Poem

Hello, all you blog readers out there!

Today, I am going to share with you a poem that I made about spring:

Is there poetry in spring? With birds chirping, flowers blooming.
Warm rains come from liquid snows and with them new life bring.

Spiderwebs shine with light from dew, and did I mention breezes too?
There are lots of colors, coming fast, a multicolored sail or mast.

Butterflies flip their tiny wings and bees buzz in serenity;
Soon their honey will bring bears, for licking in glee.

Is there poetry in spring, with animals coming
And with them their friends all come running.

The afternoons are sunny, and the new world brings honey
For the newborn bunny who would like to dip his funny little nose.

All the world is green now; and we see the light of spring – wow.
The Earth is reproducing for a show where we can come and go.

The dew on the grass makes it wet, so you must not forget;
That there is poetry in spring that has not come yet.

The colors range from orange to blue and make me say, “I do, I do.
I really do love this place; from the anchored roots to the tallest face.

Is there poetry in spring? Of course! The answer’s yes!
And never in my lifetime would I settle for any less!”

Quote of the Day:
"If you can dream it, you can do it."
- Walt Disney (1901 - 1966)

Bye,
David

The Big Aquarium and the Big Science Center

Howdy.

During the break, we went to the Boston Kid's Science Museum (something like that). They had a bubble room where you can make bubbles around yourself and on hoops. There was a golf ball room. Roll the balls down tracks, make your own track, and test out jumps with golf balls. Magnifying room: look up close at cat hairs, tea, sugar, and flys' wings. There's a microscope attached to a computer screen, so you can see your finger, shirt, or pen up really close.

There's one big play thing that's hard to describe. There are wavy wooden panels held together by this ropy stuff. You can crawl around, on, and under panels that make up a play area four stories high! However, you have to watch your head. Bonking it hurts.

One section of the center was dedicated to a healthier lifestyle (KidPower). You can power little bicycles with your hands, which power parts of the amusement. There's a light dancing thing, where you stomp on the lights in different games. A rock climbing wall, side to side and a basketball court make up some more fun.

Third story: Rooms focused on different things. There's a water room, exploring boats and testing currents. A room with games (checkers and other board games). There's even a light screen with butterflies on it. Your shadow shows on the screen, and the butterflies with flutter and come onto your shadow. Very interesting.

All right. Now to the aquarium. Lots of different fish in their thousand-gallon tank, fron sharks to manta rays. There are segments dedicated to penguins and seals, and others to electric eels. Lionfish and stonefish are some of the most dangerous fish to humans. Electric eels hardly ever produce charges strong enough to kill humans. More fun facts and trivia.

They have a touch tank, with the regular. There are sea stars, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, and those prickly balls with spines. It's warmish water, which is what these animals live in in the wild. Finally, there's the all-time favorite...seaweed. :)

I think that the most awe-inspiring thing is the set of whale bones that are in the aquarium. These things are EXTREMELY HUGE! It takes up an entire wall - or it would, except that it's hanging. Probably a larger whale, though not a blue whale. Not large enough.

Quote of the Day:
"The worst prison would be a closed heart."
- Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005)

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the marvels of science. Happy days!

DAVID

Monumental

Hello, all.

I've been sightseeing recently, and I have visited several different historical places in Massachusetts:

The Old North Church was where two lanterns were hung to tell Paul Revere that the British were coming by sea. Several Presidents have sat in different pews, some of which are interesting for other reasons. The one surviving lantern is in a museum in Concord. The angels that decorate the inside of the chapel were stolen by British pirates (they sank the ship) and then donated to the church! (huh?) Finally, when Newton hung the lanterns, the British army was on his heels, so he jumped out of the first-floor window to get away.

Paul Revere's house has two stories, though it used to have three. There is antique furniture there, along with some trinkets created by Paul Revere, silversmith. The front room was a kitchen and welcoming area. Next is the living room, with a fireplace that takes up a wall. Upstairs are the living quarters. Paul Revere Trivia: Paul Revere had 2 wives, and 8 kids with each wife. However, only 5-9 children would reside in the house at one time. Paul Revere was a goldsmith, silversmith, and copper smith.

The USS Constitution is a battle ship used in the 1700s. Also known as "Old Ironsides," she currently resides in a dock on the freedom trail, in an inlet of Boston Harbor. She was given her name because, when cannons were fired at her, they bounced off. Someone called out, "Her sides are made of iron!" The cannon balls bounced off, but the name stuck. All of the battles she participated in, she won. The museum has additional facts and trivia.

Finally, the Monument dedicated to the battle of Bunker Hill. The patriot army was sent to fortify Bunker Hill, the highest point, against the British armies coming by sea. However, the admiral decided to fortify Breed's Hill instead. The British won the day in three attacks, but it boosted the morale of the patriots by showing that they could hold their own against the best prepared army of their time. The obelisk the is the monument has 294 steps and viewpoints at the top.

There is the finale of your sightseeing tour, covering almost half of the Freedom Trail, at different points. Happy belated Easter!

David (the important one)

Tomorrow

Me, myself, and I say...HI!

We're leaving tomorrow to...correct answer...MASSACHUSETTS!!! Yay.

Quote of the Day:
"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time."
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

dAVid

ALL CAPS MOMENT!!!

Hello. I'm containing my excitement until...now.
THIS IS AN ALL CAPS MOMENT! WE'RE GOING ON VACATION OVER SPRING BREAK! WE'LL SEE DAD! YAY!
Okay, back to normal. Spring Break vacation to see dad, for those of you who can't read all caps. 1 week. I'll try to update as often as possible about what cool places we go to.
Guess where we're going. (Hint: A certain illicit tea party was held in a bay near here)

Quote of the Day:
"We must become the change we want to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

Bye!
David

Music

Hi!

This morning, I got up bright and early to got to my musical practice. For the past several weeks, we have been practicing songs to sing in front of our stake this Sunday. They're really inspiring and let you feel touched.

Quote of the Day:
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
- Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

David

What Class did you say?

Hello, friends, familiars, family, and...other. :)

Today was a good day in the life of a certain David Whitesell. He doesn't know why. Maybe it was because he got to look at a timeline of Earth in Science class. Possibly because he aced a math test. Or it might even have been because of his English assignment. Make a rhyming modern-day fairy tale.... I'm doing The Three Poor Brothers and the Landowner. Woo-hoo.

Book News: Not much. Any books that might interest a pre-teen? I'm reading The Merlin Conspiracy.

Quote of the Day:
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend"
-Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

Awl right now. I'm Logging Out.
David

Offend, Irritate, Annoy...

Aloha!

I have found, through trial and tribulation, some synonyms of bother, annoy, and irritate. Please add more. TIP: When bothering someone, walk beside them and chant a bunch of different words meaning offend, irritate, annoy, and so on. Here are the words I have found: bother, annoy, irritate, aggravate, incense, infuriate, exasperate, upset, trouble, hassle, worry, inconvenience, exacerbate, enrage, madden, frustrate, disturb, offend, disconcert, displease, harass, pester, and beleaguer. Hope your day wasn't any of these!

Quote of the day:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Adios!
David (ME!)

Literal and Literary works of Art, cooking, and science!

Hello, everyone!

It's the start of the Third Trimester here at my school. I now have a new exploratory - ART! We're going to make pots, and dioramas, and paint! And, we're going to be learning about different artists and their paintings. Ahem...Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Van Gogh. Feel free to point out spelling errors.

My previous exploratories were Horticulture (plants, soil, and the environment) and Cooking. I still have the recipes we used. They include Fruit Muffins, Banana Cream Pie, Fruit Salad, Whipped Cream, Manicotti, and Rolls. All of them have been test tasted by moi, making them excellent! There are about twenty total - you can ask for a list of foods for which I have the recipe or you can ask for the recipes themselves.

I have received a Renaissance project and must research Copernicus. Does anyone know of any good sites, to save me "looking time?" Or just direct information. That will also work. Oh, yeah. Don't use Wikipedia unless you can verify the information. Any information will help!

Book news:
Brsingr is the third book in the Eragon series. I don't know when it is coming out. Inkdeath is the third book in the Inkheart series. I don't know when it is coming out. The Final Warning is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride series. It's coming out on March 17. Rumor has it that there will be 12 books in the series. Happy reading!

Bye-bye!
David

Blogging & Maximum Ride

Hello, friends and family.
I've decided to start my own blog, to share information and aspects of my important life. I would like to thank my mom for the idea of creating a blog. This should be fun!
Just recently, I read a trilogy (currently) called Maximum Ride. It's about a group of mutants who are 98% human and 2% avian. And they can fly. They are hunted across the world, and have to fight for their lives. There's a lot of action. The books are The Angel Expiriment, School's Out - Forever, and Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports. A fourth one is coming out, called The Final Warning. It's a great series.
Spring Break is coming soon, and I'll be visiting Massachusetts to see Dad! Yippee!
David