Back From the Dead

     I could start this post with a "Hey, Candies" or something like I used to before my extended (and unannounced, for which I apologize) hiatus. But I won't. For one, for me to remember that I used to start my posts with some variation on "[insert greeting], Candies", I actually had to go back and read some of my old posts. This leads me into my next point; the blog, and its author, have changed in the half-year that has passed since my last post. The last update on this site was on September 7th, 2018, about a week or so into eighth grade. It became the last update probably because of the fact that eighth grade had started; things started to get busier, and a part of me wanted to use that as an excuse to stop posting. Truth be told, a posting schedule didn't seem like me; one one hand, being forced to write did nothing but good for my creativity and commitment skills, but on the other, I could never predict how busy a week could be, and this left me scrambling to put together a shoddy post last-minute many a Thursday night. I was never proud of these posts, and I think the only reason I let them go up was that this blog had (has) such a small following I was basically the only one with any criticism for myself. One might say that I didn't try hard enough to put together quality writing, and while I think that was true to some extent for the last few scheduled posts on this site, eventually it truly became impossible to find time to write. Especially farther into the school year, weeks consisted of homework-homework-homework, and my weekends were taken up by Science Olympiad practices (because I'm that nerd), leaving me no time to blog. And so, the blog puttered out; first due mainly to my laziness, and then due to an actual want for time to sit and type.
    However, Science Olympiad is over. My team competed at NorCal state, where we placed third. Our success, I think, can be attributed to the fact that Science Olympiad was taken very seriously at our school, so if there is anyone out there who still cries over the fact that I stopped posting, know that it was for a good cause and ended up having great results. The fact that I am done with it, now, begs the question: will I resume posting? The answer to that is a solid mAyBe? I won't be sticking to an upload schedule, but even writing just this post was so much fun I think I can commit to at least two posts per month starting May. About what I will write is still undecided, but if you're willing to hop back on the train that is this blog, I will try my best to steer it to a place I can be proud of this time. And that's all for now.


Oh P.S.
Proofreading is for suckers (sarcasm), so I didn't bother with this post. If there are any pressing errors, or of you have something to say about this post otherwise, leave your thoughts in comments.

A Sleepily Written Brain Dump

     Hello, everyone. For this week's entry, I decided to take an idea from my English class and turn it into a blog post. I'll be taking random words or phrases from the internet and writing for 180 seconds about each one of them without stopping to correct grammar or pausing at all. Keeping with the quick theme of this post, let's get started without further ado.

"A red box"

     As I walked into the room, it felt as though I could cut the energy in the area with a knife. It was a grueling day at the police station, just like any other. I mean, when your job is law enforcement, you don't exactly deal with daffodils and cupcakes every day.
     However, it was my birthday, and I was particularly sad that I had no one to cut some cake or even spend a night out doing nothing with. So, as I always did,  I went home. Surprised was I when I saw my family crowded around a red box in the middle of my tiny apartment when I unlocked the door.
     "Surprise!" they yelled. Taken aback but delighted, my eyes went to the box once more. A second later, a Dalmatian puppy jumped out and ran towards me, jumping at my knees and yipping.
     "For you, for company," said my sister. And I was never again alone when I came home from work.

"Panic"

     Panic is a twitching leg and a hitched breath. Panic is the feeling of wanting to rip one's hair out if it wouldn't add to the already overwhelmingly long list of current problems to address. Panic was right now.
     In all my life, I had never felt so anxious. It was my college graduation, and by that point, I had already done the work needed to walk out of the university with a diploma and into the rest of my life. However, Walking out onto the stage was a daunting thought. What if I tripped and fell? What if I had forgotten some requirement and my name wasn't called?
     What if they weren't in the crowd.
     Choosing to pursue a career in art, coming from a family of scientists who believed the humanities were wastes of time when things like cancer didn't have a cure might not have been the easiest choice, but it was where my passion was. I even paid for myself to go to college, working jobs in the day and studying at night, taking out a loan for the rest. Even after all that, all I wanted was their support.
     "Next, Mariana Lopez," called Dean Ana. As I walked up onto the stairs, I looked out into the crowd. my family hadn't shown up. Suddenly, though, the Dean started to say something.
     "This exemplary young girl, in addition to graduating our program, has been one of our most hard-working and honest students throughout her time here. Because of this, she has graduated with the highest honors we offer. In addition, we would like to offer her a teaching post here at the Academy. This is a very rare honor, Mariana, so you can accept or decline later. However, congrats either way."
     The rest of the room went silent. Then, a few seconds later, cacophony. A standing ovation. And inside me, peace. Finally.
     "Yes," I breathed.


Please don't judge my attempts at writing on the spot, and make sure to come back every Friday/Saturday for a new post!

The First Day of School, 8th Grade Edition

     Hello, Candies. This Wednesday, the school bells at my local academy for adolescents started tolling again, and I had to be up at 6:45 am once more. At the beginning of each year at an American middle or high school, one must always meet their new instructors, whether with unrestrained excitement (me) or with cold, dark dread (also me). This emotionally stressful day absolutely had to become a chronicle in the never-ending epic of Nandy, so here is my first day in school, 200% overdramatized.

     So we start off at about 6:35 am when the first of two alarms I set for myself goes off. At this point, I'd already been awake for a while due to jitters and the fear that I'd somehow sleep through my two obnoxiously loud wake-up calls, but even so, the thought of removing myself from the warm cocoon of my blankets and heading off to the cold, hard seats of my new desks was a thought I didn't want to entertain. However, I had no choice. Off to school I went that day, after the obligatory photo-ops and "you're such a big girl now" coos. What happened from now until 1:12 pm. would set the tone for the next 10 months.

     Ok, time for my first class. The first teacher I visited that day was my Spanish 1 teacher, whom I will not name. She started class with one word I recognized (Bienvenidos) followed by a bunch of other words in Spanish that I couldn't dream of following. This was not going to be une caminata en el parque, I soon realized. The teacher herself was an old grandma, so maybe she will understand our plight with her years of experience teaching, but I knew then that this class was going to require some work.

     Second period was P.E., so nothing special happened there. We sat and listened to the teacher map out our year for us, and it was a welcome break (as about 99% of breaks are). He seemed nice, if demanding, but totally manageable. Afterward followed the highlight of my day; English. No, the subject wasn't my favorite, and no, what we were doing that day wasn't exactly a thrill ride, but this teacher seemed right up Nandy Alley. She was young and relatable because of it, and her intelligence and sense of fun showed through her every action. But alas, the period had to end, and off to science I went.

     Science was, again, nothing too special. Our teacher seemed funny but down-to-Earth, and we soon immersed ourselves in a brain-intensive first-day activity. Lunch after that was also just like last year, with nothing much else happening to take my mind off the dread I still carried with me from the beginning of the day, the dread of my notoriously disagreeable fifth-period teacher. All too soon, the bell rang for the end of lunch, and I trekked to my history lesson with a pounding heart.

     Mr. HistoryTeacher was a master of instilling fear into the hearts of innocent teenagers, as I was soon to find out. He spoke with a gruff voice such bitingly sarcastic words I was simultaneously marking his as one of my worst teachers of all time him and afraid of what would happen if I hated him and he found out. "Maybe he'll get better or I'll develop a thicker skin soon," I thought. When the bell rang, I felt more relieved than I had for a while, and I dashed off to math.

     My math teacher, pleasantly enough, was actually my math teacher from 7th grade who happened to move up to teaching 8th this year. Since I liked her style of teaching and her approachability, she was both a bit of familiarity and a break from my history teacher's inaccessible manner. Her grading, she said, wasn't going to be as easy this year as it was last, but those were trial matters in the wake of my history nightmare. After that class, the day was over.

     To see updates on how the rest of the year plays out, make sure to follow this blog and come back every Friday for posts!

     

The Reopening of School; a Discourse

     It's that time of year again, at least in the United States. Supplies are being shopped for, clothes and shoes are being bought, and alarm clocks are returning to use from a summer of blessed hibernation. The vibe of the season is palpable; a time of both hope and dread, of new beginnings and bitter endings. One of the trademarks of the August-September Back-to-School season is the vast amount of cheesy internet content created in honor of this pivotal time for youngsters. From frivolous life hack videos to horrifying storytimes (okay, maybe not those), you can find it all. And now, it's time for me to add to the mix. Here are my thoughts on going into 8th grade.

     First, let's talk about MAZE day. For the uninitiated, this is the day when kids find out their schedules for the year. It's also the day on which you are inevitably disappointed as you find out that, yet again, you'll get to look forward to another year of running across campus. And why do they even call it MAZE anyway? Makes no sense...

     Secondly, this is the time of year when you realize that American schools start way too early in the morning. I'm usually not fully awake until 2nd period, and that's at around 9. Maybe I'm just lazy or something, but I'm not the only one by far. For this reason, we should really reconsider when school starts every day.

      Lastly, and most optimistically, at this time of year is when we rediscover our internal curious children as we start on another leg of our journies through the world of knowledge. School is sheltered like no other place is, with friends placed in your lap and the freedom to make mistakes with no other consequence other than a letter on a sheet of paper. Although school can really suck and is nowhere close to perfect, I am happy to be going back.


Make sure to follow this blog!

     Hello, dog biscuits! It's Casper here, back at it again with another guest appearance on Nandy's blog. If you want to see more of me (likely) or more of her posts (slightly less likely, but don't tell her I said that), make sure to follow this blog and come back every Friday for new additions. Ok, now that the promo is out of the way, I have something deep to talk about. And when I say "deep," I really mean deep. A few days ago, we went to this weird place a few naps away in the car. After I was so rudely woken up and the family got out of the car, we set off on a walk down some steep wooden stairs. Now, that's strange enough to be considered a blog-worthy adventure, but it gets weirder, so just you wait.

     Anyway, after almost getting trampled and/or flipped over on those stairs, this strange grain-coated ground was what awaited me. The rough grains (I heard the humans call it sand) got in between my toes and was on the whole not something I would recommend my fellow canines step in. However, every step overturned some of the sand, which released the most delectable aromas into the air. Smoke, other dogs' pee, and something salty and fishy, all for my smelling pleasure. I was content to sit in the sand and sniff for a while, and maybe get some sunbathing out of the way while I was at it, but this was when it all went downhill (again, literally. I am not a dog of symbols and allusions; those are human impracticalities).

     The tall guy and Nandy, as well as some other tall guys and laughing human-pups, started walking downhill to what looked like a rolling blue carpet. I thought it was water, but to this day I'm not totally sure. It was a deep blue from afar, but as I got closer, it became the clear I was used to expecting from my water dish at home. As we went closer to this water thing, the sand underneath me got cold at first, and then fine and wet. Then, out of the blue (the water is blue; get it?), a white carpet of foam came from the rest of the water-thing and attacked my paws! Of course, I ran away, but the rest of the humans dipped their toes in it. What? 

     Later, I accidentally got a little foam on my paws. It dissolved immediately into a watery feeling, so I'm almost sure this was just a large water dish for the Supreme Dog or something. It would be fitting, I suppose. Although the water wasn't really my thing, I could see why the humans enjoyed it. The feeling of it running over you, cold and refreshing, is something I could see as being potentially pleasant for creatures nor burdened with luxurious manes like mine. It also had a certain serenity and it made the humans happy (and got them soaking wet, might I add), so for that, I give this excursion 4/5 pawprints.

Thank you for reading this post and thank you to Nandy for transcribing this into human-speak. See you whenever Nandy next runs out of ideas!

Double Feature; 5 eco-friendly swaps for daily life // 3 green summer activities

     Hello, Candies! Sorry for not posting for two weeks. The first, we were leaving India so writing was a bit hectic. This week, I honestly forgot to write. But, as an apology, I'm writing a double post this week; 5 eco-friendly things you can do and 4 things I've done or will do this summer with my seemingly endless free time.

1. Bar soap and shampoo
    Bar soap is kind of an obvious swap since it eliminates the need for plastic body wash bottles. But what about those plastic shampoo bottles? It turns out that the folks at Lush and many other companies have started producing bar shampoo and conditioner. It's used just like regular shampoo and conditioner except for that it has to be rubbed, not squeezed, onto your hand. I've also heard that it can smell great, depending on what kind you get.

2. Forego the loofah
     Since we're not using body wash anymore, you can stop using those plastic bath sponges. Not only do they create waste that's hard to recycle, they can also provide the perfect home for loads of bacteria. Instead, try lathering soap with some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

3. Ecosia!
   Ecosia is a great Chrome extension that uses add revenue from all of your searches to plant trees! The German company donates 80 cents for every dollar they make to organizations that plant trees where they are needed most around the world. To add, look up Ecosia in chrome and click "Add Extension."

4. Ziploc bag replacements: reusable jars and wax wraps
    Using Ziploc bags is, for obvious reasons, bad for the environment. There are, however, many replacements for them that are much more eco-friendly. For storing things in the fridge, try reusable wax wraps, which are basically pieces of cloth coated in beeswax that can be used to wrap food and keep it fresh. Otherwise, you can use old jars and containers to store and carry food.

5. THIN PLASTIC RECYCLING
     Places such as Whole Foods will take old thin plastics that are normally difficult to recycle and recycle them for you if you bring them to the store. This way, you won't have to throw away as many plastic bags and the like.


And now for part two of this post...

1. Going to the beach
   Especially if you participate in a beach clean up, this activity is eco-friendly and perfect for summer. Honestly though, as long as you don't add any garbage of your own to our waters, you're already helping the planet a ton.

2. baking
    This isn't exactly summer-exclusive, but baking or cooking can be a great way to treat family and friends and pass time that needs passing, if you're like me. If you do bake frequently, consider a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper so we can saaaaave the treeeees!

3. reading
    I love curling up with a good book and a glass of tea or juice, so this activity is definitely one of my go-tos when I'm bored. I read on a Kindle mainly, which saves books from having to be printed and is also super convenient since I only need to look for one device to find my entire library. However, if you do read on paper, consider donating the books to your local library when you're done with them

4. cleaning
    Now I know what you're thinking; what the what? Who cleans for fun? And I would be the first to admit that cleaning can be mind-numbingly boring, but it can also be therapeutic. Sometimes, it's actually enjoyable to clean and prepare for the new school year while listening to an audiobook and chilling.

     That's all for this post. Make sure to comment and share, and I'll see you next Friday!

My Opinion On... Dogs!

     Hello, world. I did a post like this a while ago, but with pictures of toast. This week, I decided to bring back the style of writing and share with you my opinions on various canis lupus familiarises. Let's roll over to the pictures!

 

This dog caught my eye as soon as I glanced at it. Those innocent eyes set in that mane of soft fur truly mane you want to hug this dog and take him/her home. However, when you think about it, that fur would take a lot of work to keep clean and perfectly groomed. In addition, since this color of fur would show dirt very easily, the dog may be discouraged from playing and having fun. Maybe not, but either way, this pup brings to light our tendencies to favor pretty things (and animals), even if the beauty is impractical and annoying at times.

This gets 5/10 muddy paw-prints from me

10/10 on froooooooooooofyness though

This pupper came up when I image-searched for "stupid dogs," and sure enough, Google didn't disappoint. This doggo makes me feel strangely happy inside. Although that tongue thing is a little weird and those eyes look genuinely creepy in that moment, this dog is kind of inspirational, if you think about it. He/she wasn't afraid to run around really fast with that weird face on, no matter who was watching or had cameras out. Maybe it was running towards a squirrel or just for fun, but in both of those scenarios, we can learn a lesson from this doggy; always be as confident in yourself as you would be if no one was watching, because what you consider a flaw might be quite the opposite.

9/10 muddy paw-prints from the Nandyster here

This dog was picked solely because this photo shows the truth; that not all cute dogs are cute all the time. For a dog to look like the Before picture, he must first be bathed and go through a phase of looking like the After. Even though this picture was meant to be funny and show how hilarious a wet dog can look, it also shows how the phrase "beauty is pain" has some truth. Although I hope this doggie wasn't hurt in this bathing process, he/she definitely endured some discomfort (I know this because my dog vehemently despises baths and I haven't met a pet who likes them yet) to become the fluffy dreamball he/she surely became afterwards, which should be appreciated. Similarly, we should give some credit to those who make beauty their art, since, as this photo shows, it's not always rose foot baths and sugar scrubs.

This pic gets 7/10 muddy paw-prints

This is obviously the cutest dog out of all of these photos. No one can compare to the Casper. No dog on this planet has the same soft fur on his head that he's always pushing into your hands to be petted, or the same pink tongue that likes to lick your hand when he's happy. Other dogs may have already done everything he will ever do and more, but no dog can say they won the hearts of a certain Nandy and her family like Casper can. I had to use an old photo since I haven't seen him in almost a month, and I miss him so much writing this is almost making me cry. Casper, we'll see you in just a few more days, and hopefully you'll be as happy to see us as we will be to see you. Ruff on!

This photo gets... 15/10 gold paw-prints.

Thanks for making it to the end of this doggolicious collection of rants. Tune in next Furiday for... something to be decided! Aren't my puns paw-sitively purrfect? 

ok i'll stop