Tag: fun

Pokemon

backinphillyLeave a comment

There’s a lot of different sides to me. There’s the Eagle-fanatic side that just loves the NFL and his Eagles. There’s the Honey Badger, my deranged, athlete side who simply has no regard for his own or anyone else’s well being. That side is also known as my “power trip”. And then, there’s my nerd side.

I am a bit of a nerd. I am an absolute Star Wars addict. I could look at a picture of a character, and probably give you a solid name and specific event that occurred in that character’s theatrical life.

But, as into Star Wars as I am, I’m a huge video game freak. My favorite franchise is the Super Smash Brothers series made famous by those awesome people at Nintendo. But there’s always been a very close second.

That would be the Nintendo-produced Pokemon franchise. Everyone knows about Pikachu, but I know about the other 600. It’s a whole world that I just love to immerse myself in from time to time. In fact, over the weekend, I went out and purchased one of the newest installments in the franchise, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.

I just realized how lame that actually sounds, but the game is once again very entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.

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True Friends

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

I think a lot of people, including myself, struggle with the concept of friendship. What does it mean to be a friend? What the difference between friends and best friends? How should a friendship play into the romantic relationships in your life? In all honesty, I think the answers to these the questions depend on each individual person. Friendship may mean something entirely different to someone else than what it means to you.

To me, and this is just my opinion on the matter, friendship means knowing someone so well that you can laugh at each other, know what they’re thinking based on the look on their face, support them through hard times and all the times they make the absolute worst decision possible.

A best friend is when you tell someone things you never tell anyone else. You laugh with each other, spend time with each other whenever you can, listen withought judging, and can buy the perfect birthday present no problemo. All because you know that person so well, you know their reasoning behind their actions, and eventually you start to see eye to eye with them. And when someone else criticizes your best friend you immediately jump to their defense, not because the voice in the back of your head is telling you to, but because even though they have made terrible mistakes, you know why, and you can honestly stand up for them no matter what. And a best friend doesn’t care if you third wheel, in fact, they relish it. You know without a doubt you are an important part of their life. That is a best friend, and what it means to be a best friend.

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Daphne Psaledakis1 Comment

This post is somewhat, if not very, overdue, seeing as the movie Perks of Being a Wallflower came out quite a while ago. I did however feel that a post on the film was necessary, as I truly enjoyed it. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me cry, and everything in between. It is the perfect movie, and for many different reasons.

The first reason is that it is relatable. The writers don’t try and hide the unattractive parts of being in high school. In fact, they embrace it, making it so the characters don’t seem like movie stars, but rather like someone you would pass in the hallways.

Which brings us to the second reason: The cast. Emma Watson was amazing. She fit her role perfectly, even more so than her major part in the Harry Potter series as Hermione Granger. In my opinion at least. Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller were fantastic as well.

The third reason is perhaps my favorite, but it could also very easily be my least. The roles played by the cast, and portrayed so well, made me want to be there standing in the back of the pick-up truck, cruising through a tunnel and listening to quality music. Wallflower made me want to try listening to new music, find a group of friends who accept me and push me to have more confidence, as well as deal with my emotional shortcomings in a safe way.

Perks of Being a Wallflower is a great movie, not just for teens but for adults as well, to really provide an accurate representation of what high-schoolers deal with on a daily basis. I wouldn’t particularly recommend it for the younger child, but to each his own. I loved this movie, and was incredible glad to have watched it. I would definitely say it’s high on my list, if not at the top.

Image for movie

Friends Who Last Forever

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

There are different types of friends, as many of you probably know. Last year, I was friends with someone who I expected to be close with for years to come. This year, we have barely talked. When I confronted her about this, she said she just didn’t care to.

It was at this point that I realized that some people, even if you might be close to them, aren’t going to stick around through everything. Looking back, I can see how she would cut me down and embarrass me in public, or make me feel bad about something. That’s not a true friend.

This year, I have been lucky to find someone who I know will stick around. Every day at lunch, we have our lunch date, almost without fail. We talk about everything that comes to mind, from boys and friends to food and sports.

She boosts my self-confidence by threatening to no longer talk to me, which of course has changed my thought process tremendously since the beginning of the year finally found my best friend.

Typeracer

displacedlocalLeave a comment

I have recently been shown a website called Typeracer.
This website is essentially a game that improves ones typing speed. The game works like this. You join a random race, you are paired up with people from around the globe, or you can join a friend’s game. Once you have joined the game, a countdown starts and you are shown a passage. When the counter hits 0 The race begins.

You have to type the paragraph with the fastest and your words per minute is measured. My average is 40 words per minute, but the top typists have averages of 180. A feat I could never even hope to accomplish.

There is another mode called “Instant death.” This mode is significantly more difficult because it requires you to never make a mistake because if you do get eliminated immediately.

Why have I spent so much time on a typing game you ask?

Since last year I have been working on my typing speed. This is because I feel as though when I am taking notes in class I can’t effectively get my ideas on to paper.

I tried various courses and programs to improve how fast I could type and I never could. I found them tedious and ineffective.

With Typeracer I have fun and I have become a much better typist altogether.

Back to Reality

moustachulousLeave a comment

Camping with third graders can be quite the experience. I went with a small group of seven third graders for three days and two nights. Wednesday morning, I woke up earlier than I usually do to get ready to get camping. I was at the Floyd’s house helping Mrs. Floyd pack up food for her camping trip. Mrs. Floyd, Connor, Taylor, and myself all drove down to Lower Campus to meet our classes. I show up to the Third Grade class ready to go and I see some familiar faces. I see Alex, daughter of Mr. Alvarez, Hayden, who was my reading buddy in 7th grade, and Ryan, a kid who went to OVS Summer Camp this past summer.  It was quite funny to see some of their reactions when they figured out that I was going camping with them. The two girls in the class ran up and hugged me, while all the boys stood there with an expression of disappointment on their faces. We load up the truck with camping supplies and pile into the bus for the hour and a half drive to El Refugio State Beach.

We arrive at our campsite for the next three days with excitement. Personally, I think I was more excited than the kids were. Basically the first day we just set up our tents and then hung out at the beach all day. We had burgers for dinner and sat around the campfire doing improv. I sat in my tent reading while all the kids were playing in their tents before bed.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of a freight train. I wasn’t very happy about that. We had eggs and sausage for breakfast. We packed up for the day to hang out with the fourth graders at another beach. It was really fun. All the kids got to hang out with their friends from fourth grade. I also got to hang out with my friend Connor all day Thursday.  After the beach, we had quesadillas for dinner and s’mores around the campfire. We had an early night that night. I was so tired I don’t even remember getting into my sleeping bag.

The next morning we ate breakfast and packed up- tents and all. Then we had a last walk down the beach before lunch. We got back to camp, had hot dogs for lunch and put all of our stuff back in the truck to go home.

The drive back seem so long. It was actually shorter than the one on the way there. I didn’t want to go back to school because I didn’t really want to do homework, but I did do some while I was camping. Anyways, we get back on campus and unpack and all of that. I’m waiting for Mrs. Floyd with Connor and Taylor. Taylor and Connor were exhausted and then there was me just like “Oh hey I’m perfectly fine, I actually want to go back.” All they said was “Jenna, you had seven kids.” Anyways, we drove back up the hill and I was glad to be able to see my roommate and my friends again. Everyone was still in sports when I got to the dorms, so I just relaxed, took a shower and did some homework. I walked downstairs to get some water and I find Nicole, my lovely and sweaty roommate who just came back from volleyball practice. She attacked me and gave me a big hug. At that point, it reminded me why I go to OVS- for the people I love and the people that love me. We are all one big family here and it is not the same when one person is gone.

(Sorry that this is like a week after camping, but better late than never.)

Papa Adventures

Daphne Psaledakis1 Comment

Let me start off by saying that I love my dad. He and I have always been very close, but especially so after the divorce of my parents four years ago. He is there for me to talk to whenever, and about whatever.

I can tell him about my friends, school, boyfriends. And no matter what he will listen and help me work through my problems.

As a kid we would go on “Papa Adventures”. In fact, we still do. During a Papa adventure, my two little brothers and I are rounded up and told to get into my dad’s dark blue Toyota Tacoma stick shift (the car I would very much like to inherit someday), and buckle our seat belts.

We never have any idea where we or going or what we are doing. But believe me, we sure do try to get it out of him.

Sometimes we drive for ten minutes, other times for four hours. But somehow we’d always find a way to play our song, “Live Like You were Dying“, by Tim Mcgraw. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we would be able to take turns sitting on his lap and steering while on an empty dirt road.

We used to roll around in the backseat laughing our heads off as one of us sat on my dad’s lap and purposely steer the truck off the road, causing my dad to freak out, and then laugh along with us once we were back on track.

My favorite Papa adventure was a long drive up a very rocky road, which we all of course found very fun, especially while unbuckled and playing jello. After hours of driving, and about a mile of hiking, we would end up at this beautiful lake nestled in the middle of a crater.

Petroleum Lake, Aspen CO

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Defeated by the Indians

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

 

While many of us were feeling hopeful going into our first night game under the lights, it did not turn out how we had hoped.

The team gathered in the locker room 5 hours before kick off to prepare for the close to 3 hour road trip over Highway 33 into Maricopa.

We all put on the lower half of our pads and so that when we walked off the bus we could get right into our pre game warm ups.

The bus ride was filled with many people sleeping, listening to music, and having a good time.

The team has not played a game under the lights for a while, so seeing lights on a field was pretty exciting.

While it was not a huge stadium, it was still a stadium none the less.

Seeing as we arrived about an hour early we spent some time running around on the field to get accustomed to the grass, and pass the ball around, having a good time, smiles could be seen on all of our faces.

At about 6 pm we all entered the final stage of game mode.

We quit the messing around, grabbed our bags, and walked over to a covered area to finish dressing and spend time thinking about our assignments, and what we wanted this game to be like.

It was almost completely silent as we all helped each other grab straps on our pads, and get pumped for the game.

After we were all ready we lined up in two lines, two men across, holding hands, and walking out in complete silence, as one well oiled machine.

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App Review: Dungeon Village

frog3Leave a comment

fr

Hello. As anyone who goes to OVS knows gaming has been banned in the dorms. There is a grayish area however (More of a ignorable area). iPhone Apps, more specifically iPhone Games can be amazing.

At 1ST Dungeon Village may seem like a Gameboy era Final Fantasy or Zelda game. In reality it is an entertaining bastardization of the Sims.

In Dungeon Village your job is to build a town that will host typical RPG Adventurers: knights, archers, merchants, or mages. You are given some gold, one adventurer and a quick tutorial before you are left to your own devices. In spite of its low graphics the game does have some complexity.

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Camping, Here We Come!!!

moustachulous1 Comment

Last year, I went camping with third graders for three days. It was a lot of work, but tons fun. I got to miss three days of school hanging out at the beach everyday and just being a kid again. Who couldn’t love that? Well the reason why I mention this is because I get another amazing opportunity to go with the third graders again. I am leaving tomorrow (Wednesday, October 2, 2012) and will be back on Friday. I’m actually really excited to go. It is nice to take a little break from school that is longer than two days. I’m going to miss my friends and my lovely horse, but it will only be three days. Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone! I’ll write all about it on Friday or Saturday!

Oh and I don’t have any pictures yet because, well I haven’t gone yet, so here is a picture of a cat.