More traveling pix!

Hey everybody and Happy New Year!
Have any of you made any resolutions yet? I've decided that I'm not going to make any, because they end up broken within a week.
Before I go, though, Vee's camera is broken (again, this time she says she sat on it!)...but I have new (to us) photos for y'all, courtesy of the disposable camera I brought along on my travels.

Click on the pic to see more!

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone, this is a brief post to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas (what's left of it, at least in the States LOL).

I already showed you most of my presents, the new Pretty and Plaid outfit and the charm necklace and my new wire specs (actually these are the retired version of the purple glasses from AG). I also got the now retired Scarlet and Snow outfit, too.

We have a Christmas tradition here, one I'm just learning about. During the Christmas season people here go on the levees and build these wooden bonfires, and on Christmas Eve these bonfires go up in smoke. I wanted to go see the bonfire in smoke but I wasn't feeling too well and it had gotten cold.

Oh and I'm told a new girl is here too. I haven't seen her nor do I know her name.

What did you guys get for Christmas? Spill it in the comments :D

Blessing in Disguise

Because I don't have the student body presidency to worry about (ironically that was the job I wanted since I got to Adams) I could devote my attention solely to the newspaper and yearbook. And with that in mind, I got some news that shocked me. I, Haley Elizabeth Hotchkiss, was named editor-in-chief of both newspaper and yearbook, succeeding Megan Ryder, who moved to Stamford, Connecticut, this year. Mrs. Baldwin even gave me a fancy title -- director of student publications. This means that anything that's printed in any student journal has to go through me. I kinda like this idea. I've got big shoes to fill but I think I'm prepared.

With this in mind, I started decorating my desk. At the right is the "Follow Your Dreams" book Wendy gave me in California, that I read sometimes and sometimes I use as a mousepad. There's a crocheted charm Marina gave me in New Hampshire and Kirsten and Mrs. Linda gave me a teddy bear. On top of the computer is the peace charm Alexi gave me in DC.

My first order of business as "director of student publications" was to meet with my staff. Isabelle Yarbrough was first. She's a new arrival, from Dallas, Texas, and she's the photographer. She has blond wavy hair (that she usually keeps in a braid), brown eyes, and darker freckles than mine. Lindsey says she's seldom without a camera around her neck.
"Hi," she said with her Texas twang, extending her hand out. "You must be Haley."
We talked about darkrooms and digital cameras for a bit and then we went to the yearbook. "We need to start getting club photos. Club photos, team photos, pictures of kids doing stuff."
Isabelle nodded.
I wanted to give them a glimpse of what I expect. I'm a perfectionist and I intend to run a pretty tight ship, now that my attentions aren't divided between student gov't and student printing.

Next I spoke with Lindsey and Kate. Kate's taking over sports for Alison McCann (who decided to focus on playing sports instead of writing about them) and is the assistant newspaper editor. Lindsey's in charge of graphics and artwork. Not necessarily drawing but making sure the paper 'looks' good. Kate taking over sports is actually a good fit -- she's crazy about baseball, especially her hometown Cincinnati Reds, and knows a whole lot of baseball trivia.

Last I met with Katarina Engel. Kat's actually really shy, doesn't say much, but boy, can she write. She's been the researcher because every time I see her her nose is buried in a book. I told her I wanted her to take a more active reporting role, and she made a suggestion I hadn't even considered. "Let's do a literary magazine," she said, "you know, for short stories and poetry and stuff." I would have to bring that to Mrs. Baldwin but I actually think it's a good idea.

The Big Holiday Pageant

So yesterday I was in the audience as the big holiday pageant was taking place. And yes, it was big. Too big for a lot of kids' tastes, as some of them walked out of the auditorium.

Notice the charm necklace I'm wearing. It came from the new Plaid outfit (I forget what it's called) and I have the 'smart' charm. Suits, huh?

Anyway, I'm seated next to Natalie Spencer and the current student body president, Hilary Lang, who I'm told beat out Meredith by one vote. I can't imagine what it would be like if Meredith had won. I doubt we'd even have had a holiday pageant.

So we have one. First off the Adams Glee Club (known as some circles as the choir) came out with a medley of Christmas songs. I'm still having a hard time believing Harriet actually joined this outfit.

There was a redhead in the front, with Harriet, Sasha Moore, and Vicky Vaccaro, and a few other girls in the back. Harriet told me the redhead is Cassidy Fitzgerald and she arrived in September from Kentucky. She's the one, Harriet tells me, who started the glee club after she saw Adams didn't have one. Thing is, Harriet never gave me any impression that she would do something like this. I mean, I'm happy for her but it's still a little surprising.

Then Sasha Moore came out with what I had to admit was a beautiful "Silent Night" solo.

Some of the other backup singers came out with angel costumes, with Mia St. Clair skating on the makeshift ice rink.
After the solo came the Nutcracker. Have to admit Meredith made a decent Sugar Plum Fairy. Maitte Luna as Clara was a nice touch. I don't know Maitte that well but she is a good dancer.

And there was another big surprise waiting for me. Antoinette!

Antoinette, remember, is the French exchange student who spent part of last year attending our school.

She showed up today, just in time for the holiday pageant. "Antoinette? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"My father is on a business trip, so I decided to pay you guys a visit." She laughed. "Cet endroit n'a pas change'. This place hasn't changed."

I decided to get her a seat somewhere in the auditorium to watch the rest of the pageant.

Good to be home (kinda)

Hey y'all, it's me and I'm home.

Well, it still looks like home and it's still in the 70s like home (unlike the layers and layers of snow I was in back in Oregon) but everything about AMS feels different.

For starters, the place is aglow with holiday spirit, given that the big pageant is tomorrow.

And speaking of the pageant, I've heard it's going to be the biggest ever. Hilary Lang (who returned this semester from California) was elected student body president, and she's been working hard on it. There's a Nutcracker ballet, with Maitte Luna (Marisol's sister) playing Clara and Meredith Hopkins as the Sugar Plum Fairy. The all-new Glee Club (I think that one was the idea of one of the new girls) is singing a Christmas medley. Mia St. Clair is going to do a special ice-skate. I've even heard that one of the new girls convinced Lindsey to sing a Hanukkah number -- in Hebrew.

I hate to say it, but Hilary is doing as good a job as student body president as I would have -- perhaps better.

That isn't the only thing that's different at AMS. Meredith Hopkins' vise-grip over the upper-grade girls isn't quite as tight as it was.

Sure, she has her chosen group of girls she hangs with, and I'm sorry to say Natalie Spencer is one of them, but there are some fissures in the group. Harriet told me yesterday that there was a fight at Natalie's birthday party. I'm not sorry I wasn't at that party. I was on a plane headed back.

I'm beginning to think they really wouldn't miss me that much if I transferred. Especially to that Innerstar Magnet school I'm looking at.

Hey, how do you guys like my new profile pic? And the in-progress re-design of my blog?

I'm HOOOME!

Yep it's good old me, back home in good old Loozeanna, just in time for Friday's holiday pageant at school.

Like my new specs? The eye doctor hooked me up with 'em after my old ones broke. I have another new blue pair that's plastic but these are wire and I prefer them.

Also redesigning my blog since I no longer have the 'Traveling' prefix in front of my name.

Harriet and Lindsey tell me 5 girls arrived since I left so I better get to know 'em quick, lol. Talk soonly!

The Birthday Party

Hey, it's me, Harriet again. Sorry this is late, but I actually got caught up in some other stuff.

Sophie suggested that I go to Natalie's party, if for no other reason than to write to Haley about it. So this blog entry is for Haley more than it is for anyone else. :P

I'm trying to get the hang of this (Lindsey showed me how to upload pictures from the digital camera to the computer).

Anyway, here's the birthday girl, all dressed up in her new birthday outfit that I'm told was bought for her by Vee.

"Hey, Harriet, glad you could come!" Natalie said, reaching for me to give me a hug.

I didn't recognize anyone else there actually, I didn't really know any of the other girls, except the ones from school.

"What were you doing?"

I heard a familiar voice, and I knew who it belonged to -- the one and only Meredith Hopkins.

"Why'd you invite HER to this party?"

"It's my party," Natalie said, "I invite who I want."
I didn't even bother staying long enuf for them to cut the cake and do the other stuff. I decided I'd had enuf of Meredith and left.

Natalie's Birthday

Today (12-10) is Natalie Spencer's birthday.

And tomorrow (12-11) is her big party, "Natalicious," (not my word, I think it's Meredith's) at her house on Oak Tree Lane.

I heard them in the gym, the whole time, talking about the party. And she passed invites to just about every girl in the grade.

It's only after we're coming out of yoga that she reaches for her bag and hands me an invite to the shindig. I haven't decided yet if I'm going, I'm thinking of skipping it. It's not like I'll be comfy with that crowd. -- Later, Harriet ^_^

Snowshoeing!

As most of y'all know, I live in an area where it just doesn't snow that often. So to see this much of the white stuff at once was a treat. Click the pic for more fun with Kelsyee and Morgan.

And yes, even more of me, Morgan, Kelsyee, and the white stuff here, here and here.

Oh and guess what Lindz and everybody???

I'M ON MY WAY HOME!!!! By the time you read this I'm on a plane heading back to Loozeanna.

Just sayin hi

Hey, its me, Haley. Welcome to December. lol
Sophie said I should try to log on more often while I'm out traveling. Trouble is, Kelsyee, Marsali and the gang keep me really busy, so by the time I do get on the computer I'm bushed. I live in an area where it just doesn't snow all that often, and when it does it's usually gone in a couple hours. The last time I saw snow to stick (before coming here to Oregon) was when I was back in Pennsylvania.
Anyway, been keeping up with the updates back home. I can't believe Hilary won the election. I'm happy for her and even happier that Meredith Hopkins didn't win.
Harriet, your yoga outfit looks cute on you. And you and Natalie are tight now? Odd, lol.
Love the redesigns of Sabine's and the Bolton Girls' blogs. Going to redo mine when I get back home. I had the traveling motif and won't be traveling much longer. :P