Go, Speed KIMMY, Go.

Aah, I love driving. I've got that bug. Daddy took me out for over half an hour on the streets up and over the hills of my neighborhood. There was a little turbulence, 'cause I got a little ahead of myself and went over 20 MPH. That, to me, felt like a million miles. I need to work on getting over hills and such. But, I don't think I'm the girl driver I expected myself to be. I can even parallel park! Just wait 'til I get my permit. "Ain't no stoppin' us nooow."

So, you know how I told you about my C in English 2 Honors? That's definitely gonna turn around, but under sad circumstances. My lovely and very sarcastic teacher, Ms. Chavez-Shapiro, is on hospital prescribed bed rest for the rest of the year. Due to a nasty kidney stone and growing zygote, she can't be over exerting her tiny little frame at school. We're still waiting for a long-term sub. to come in, so in the meantime we're wasting class with directionless, aimless conversation while telling the substitute we're working diligently on questions assigned by Chavez to answer referring to A Separate Peace, a book we should have read by now. I, of course, haven't yet read it, but that's why I love my dependable group mates. One sub. decided to write her own lesson plan for us one day and had us pick a poem or song and rewrite it to change the meaning completely while keeping the rhythm and most of the same words. I picked a song called She Don't Use Jelly by The Flaming Lips, one of those funky indie bands that I'm in love with. The song itself is very odd and quirky, and my version is just as strange. But, the sub. laughed and thought it was very clever, so my ego was boosted for the day.

Oh, I didn't forget. I told you I'd mention this new show I'm doing. Alright, it's called Surf Universe, and was written by a man named Ron Evans. It stars Jazmin Gomez, Erin Farrel, myself, and Vinny (whose last name I can't remember). The whole thing is pretty much a metaphor for what the 60s were like in the form of surfers and dancing. We dance in unitards, wear missile bras, I have to lipsync a song, and carry fake surfboards that are as flimsy as toast. But, we're all getting paid for it, and I consider that to be the highest form of flattery, especially when dealing with theatre. It's high time us devoted actors got a little reward for our craft. Now, I'm not saying I need to get paid for every performance, or else I would've quit nine years ago. I just feel the amount we're getting paid is very well deserved. But, I won't gloat and turn into some snobby actress who paints herself to be so magnificent, when she really can't do squat. It performs February 27th at the Armstrong Theatre at 8:00 PM. I'll have a flyer posted soon enough.

And, that's about it. I just enjoyed a delicious cup of double scooped ice cream from Baskin Robbins, provided by my lovely Daddy. I'm just waiting for Mama Shields to come home from improv., so we can continue our ritual of watching America's Next Top Model reruns from cycles past. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. B.G.G.

My life up to this point...

To all my devoted followers (or lack thereof) I apologize for my absence of over a month. A lot has been going on, good and bad, and my mind has been so preoccupied I haven't been able to do anything but occasionally eat and run back to rehearsal. That being said, these are the happenings in my life that are wonderfully occupying my time:

First, I just closed a show last weekend called Little Shop of Horrors. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't, but it's one of my favorite shows. I played the part of Crystal in the Trio along with two other beautiful girls named Lexie and Brittany, and our inner black girl got to come out. It was utterly fantastic. There were lots of riffs and "Mhmmm" moments that were too fun.


Second, the most joyous day of my life came on January 26, 2009, when the demons I call braces came off my teeth! I could not stop smiling and licking the slippery slimy things that are now my smile. I feel like a whole new person. I'm flashing my teeth in every picture I take and spreading smiles more as I walk around the halls of school. It gets annoying hearing "You have such tiny teeth!" so many times in a row, but I try to look past it. Here are my new babies:

WOO-HOO!

Third, school has been alright. I saw all my grades from semester 1 and wasn't exactly thrilled. Only two Bs, but the C in English 2 Honors made my heart sink. I really want to go to N.Y.U. for college, and I'm pretty sure the board of scholars that looks through the thousands of applicants are going to see my transcripts and just laugh. You'd think my native language would be the easiest class to pass. That's not the case. I just went to a meeting for English 3 Honors next year, and I am extremely intimidated and overwhelmed, but unless I challenge myself and take the class, I won't learn anything by doing the usual book reports and autobiographies. Aside from disheartening academics, other events going on at school are making this a very different year at South High. As a sophomore, I got invited to go an event called Boys and Girls State, in which we get to meet thousands of other gifted kids like us and make our own city and run it and get a feel for what it's like for politicians who sit in their offices every day and think of ways to improve our schools and other important things like that (although, I'm not sure California's elected officials are doing as good a job as we wish they were *ahem.*) The reason I mentioned being picked as a sophomore is because this is only offered to juniors who are going into Government/Economics next year as seniors. Teachers are the ones who nominate the kids, so I was shocked/honored to find out that one of my six teachers thinks I have the potential as a sophomore to go and invent my own city! It sucks, 'cause I don't qualify to go since I am a sophomore, but I'll hopefully be back next year. That'll give me enough time to actually learn/care about politics! That's gonna be weird. I also got invited to go on a one day event with 49 other kids to learn to break the barrier of discrimination and prejudice in high schools. Another teacher elected sorta thing, one of my teachers chose me! Out of the 2,000 kids going to South High, me and 49 others kids got chosen. It's bizarre that I'm picked for these, 'cause A. I'm not into politics at all and B. I didn't think I stuck out that much in any of my classes.

And I didn't forget to keep you updated with my New Years' Resolutions. It's coming along pretty well. Number one is a fluctuating one, but I'm starting to figure out how to reach that goal. I've lost a pound since the New Year! Yay! I'll get to my goal, I'm sure of that. Number two is coming true. I'm really starting to trust God more and understand that the things that shake my world are all for good reasons (i.e. my C in English). I'm making better choices in my life and am starting to fall in love all over again. Number three, well we know hasn't happened yet. If I just step it up a notch in all my classes, I'll be on my way to victory! And if Chavez-Shapiro would learn to be more sympathetic in English, maybe I'd have a fighting chance. Number four. I'm starting to do my stretches every day and am pushing myself a little more every day. But who knows when that magical day will come when my pelvis meets the floor. We'll keep our eyes peeled on that one! Number five hasn't happened yet, but I'm looking at a few different options of where to apply. I might even apply at Islands as a seating hostess and follow in Craig's footsteps and become part of the Islands family! Number six is coming very soon! As soon as Daddy gets his next paycheck, my online courses with EZ Street begin and by the end of March, I will be a driving fiend with my permit. Number seven is going to have to wait until the summer, because I honestly don't think I can fit in more classes right now with this new show I'm in (more on that in the next blog). Number eight is definitely coming alive. Ever since my teeth have been stripped, I've been more outgoing as I've already stated and have started feeling more confident with myself and that whole sex appeal thing might actually be applying to my life. What? Number nine, well, we all know how that's going.

Now that my hands are completely cramped from typing and your eyes are bleeding from too much reading, I will bid you all farewell. Why am I rhyming so much in this post? I don't know. But, I hope this weather isn't bumming you all out. I want to go dancing in it! I will be back soon, I promise. Thanks for stopping by, guys. I love you all. B.G.G.