Christmas times!

I’m SO sorry I’m so lazy! Honestly, you’d think me not posting forever just means I’ve been super busy but that is not the case. I’ve been pretty relaxed. However I was waiting for photos off Lisa’s computer to post but then it exploded so it looks like I’ll have to find some alternative photos.

So what have I been doing...well I sung and played with my percussion class at our schools Holiday Notes concert. The concert itself was good but my performance was certainly NOT a highlight. And yes yes I know thats what they all say but honestly...it was shameful. I was silly and went with a song our choir accompanist chose for me. I really liked the song but it was way out of my range and I could not get hang of the breathing. I think I sung better at my grade 5 talent contest. The start and the end of the song went rather well but the middle...oh the middle... I sounded somewhat like a shrieking harpy. Imagine a shrieking harpy ’singing’ the words THE JOY THE JOY THE JOY. Not very bloody joyful if you ask me. I wanted to rip my own ears off and it was coming out of MY mouth. BUT I’m putting it behind me, moving on, bouncing back and all that crap. It’s over now. Thank Oprah.

Moving on from my humiliation...

American Christmas was a blast. The day before Christmas eve, the family and I headed up to Kearney to the Ramada Hotel where we met up with Lisa’s entire family. Lisa is my host mum for those of you that don’t know. We had a wild night. Presents, food, games, the whole lot. Things got kinda crazy...ANYWAY. I’ll have to explain in person. There are things that I might get in trouble for posting.

Christmas eve was spent at Jeff’s parents house. We opened a few presents, took a few photos which I don’t think exist anymore, and we made some general chit chat. Lovely christmas. Having presents 4 days in a row was pretty flippin sweet. I say 4 days because on Christmas day we got prezzies from ‘Santa’ and on boxing day we exchanged all the gifts from each other! It was wonderful. My host family rules. Sadly, I did not get the white christmas I’d hoped for. I mean there was snow around....but it was all patchy and depressing. In fact, it was a little bit shit. Poor form snow. Get your act together.

I’m so ready for my 6 week break now. Sadly it’s only 2 weeks because America is crazy town. Right now it’s new years eve and my boy Adam decided to bugger off to New York and leave me in the pathetic snow in Nebraksa to run suicides with coach Ball Buster at 8 in the morning. Thanks pal. Times square is poo anyway! I didn’t even wanna go..so you can just....GET MUGGED! Ha! :D :D :D

I found some Christmas time photos!! I’m sick of talking to you people. All our conversations seems so one sided. Some participation would be nice. Gosh.

Nate, Lexie, Lacey and I

Jon, Nate, Lexie, Lacey, ME and Kaleigh

WHOLE FAMILY. Jeff has a lovely smile

I got hold of some binoculars... 

Flippin cold snow and flippin hard basketball.

Oh good grief it’s freezing. I do love the snow but I don’t love the cold. I do believe the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced in Australia would probably be around -5 degrees Celsius. Here I have experience NEGATIVE THIRTY DEGREES CELSIUS. Not a fun time. Luckily a big feathery coat came in the mail today from some domestic goddess, otherwise known as MUM. It’s not all bad news though. Playing in the snow it good fun. Especially when Lexie bends over to collect some snow to throw at me but she ends up splitting her jeans instead. Just split em. Right down the cheek. Brilliant. This is the kind of thing that happens when you mess with an Aussie.

So as you already know (I think you do anyway), I joined the school basketball team. And let me tell ya, it’s a bloody disaster. I’ve never in my life been in a constant state of confusion but in basketball...well thats pretty much it. SCREEN, PRESS, FALLOUT, OUTPUT, CUT KJDGNSJNDGKGNDFNG. I don’t have a clue, and they all make it look like common knowledge. I’m getting rather sick of feeling like the team bafoon. All I’m good for is getting a laugh out of the girls by saying things like ‘bugger’ and ‘you bloody champion’. You can’t say bloody hell though, or you’re in deep doo doo. My Basketball coach doesn’t even allow you to say ‘sucks’ or ‘stupid’. You have to say silly or she’ll make you run suicides. I had my first game the other day (we lost) and I honestly was not prepared for our big pre game prayer. Begging baby jesus to win the game and whatnot. Just another thing I’ll have to get used to :D

Americans do things very differently when it comes to sports. Everything is just like the movies. It’s do or die. Incredibly intense. You don’t get a drink until your told, you never question the coach and you NEVER complain. Whenever we run suicides every time we touch a line we have to say something encouraging like ‘we can do this!’ or ‘keep pushing!’. I felt kinda silly at first, because you’re CONSTANTLY cheering everyone on but after doing it for a while, I can’t imagine not being constantly cheered on. It’s the only thing that really gets you through the tough practices. Coach is just a nicer way of saying slave driver. Usually after we run seven thousand suicides I wish I had a diary just so I could write nasty things about that coach in there. 

In Australia, if you don’t like what the coach is having you do, you tell them. Well at least on my soccer team we did. We didn’t call our coaches ‘coach’ either. You just call them by their first name. You can muck about, have a laugh, go get a drink when you want, swear, and not take anything too seriously. I asked to get a drink in practice here the other day and coach gave me a look as to say ‘you’re kidding me, right?’. It’s TOUGH. My boys soccer team would NEVER be able to do what Broken Bows girls basketball team does. It’s mental. As tough as practice is, I always have the support of the girls though, which is nice. More than nice actually. Even when I pass, shoot, and dribble like an absolute retard they still have my back and tell me I’m doing a good job. 

On completely different note, weird American things I’ve noticed recently:

1- Americans don’t have Honeycomb

2- They never say ‘reckon’ when they mean think like we do

3- I told Lexie I had a parcel from Mum coming in the mail and she laughed for a really long time before asking ‘whats a parcel?’

4- When you say you got absolutely flogged in a game or in practice, that means jack over here. Woopsie daisy!

5- Trying to explain to an American what Hedgehog is, is REALLY hard. I mean, how do you explain it? “Umm...it’s like a chocolate slice with biscuit and icing.” They don’t say slice, biscuit, OR icing. So what the good gravy do you say!? Don’t know. 

Thats it for now then I spose. Ciao! 

Americanny things

Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears! Well, eyes...

Behold! My first and last AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO! Gonna be in the year book and everything. Americanny, right? I know. 

Moving on....I think I officially failed Thanks-giving. The idea of this holiday is to stuff yourself silly with potatoes and turkey until you pass out and die. I did not do this. I had a speck of turkey and some tato but thats it. I didn’t completely fail however, as I DID stay up long enough to go BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING. Black friday is the day after thanks giving where from 12am to 12pm EVERYTHING is on a super sale. People everywhere pull all-nighters and hit the mall to get some amazing bargains. I learned that the last place I ever want to be ever is at Walmart at 12am on black friday. Horrible. Lines just to check out were curving round the block so you can’t even imagine what it’s like inside! In the end we decided we were NOT going to wait 4 hours in checkout so we just hid all our little bits and bobs around the store and agreed we’d come back at 5am when the crowds had died down to collect them. IT WORKED. Emily stashed her big George Forman grill in one of the compost bins (not a used one, one for sale) and we were stashing DVD’S behind paint cans, it was great! It was pretty calm by 5 so our plan was a total success. The only thing I bought from Walmart was about 11 kilos worth of M&M’s and a bag of Jolly Ranchers for Rachel. Fun times.

I still don’t really know EXACTLY what thanks-giving is about. I think pilgrims sat down with indians and ate turkey and they made a holiday from it. Something like that! Oooh the Macey’s thanks-giving parade in New York is also fantastic! I only saw it on telly but it was still good. So thats thanks giving.

Today is the last day of thanks-giving break then it’s back to a whole lotta school, basketball, dance, piano and one act. Speaking of one act, for those of you that care for some reason, last week we performed at Conference which is kinda like a little judged practice round so we know what we need to work on. It didn’t go so hot in my opinion. We had some technical difficulties working in the new space (Conference was in Gothenburg) and my acting was a bit crap. It’s all good though because I still won an outstanding actor award. It’s the accent that does it. I could probably say anything and it’d be an inspiring piece of art (just trickin). We have districts this week on Friday and if we place in first there we go to state. We’ll see how that goes!!!

Good-bye.

P.S having your “ass in the air” does not mean literally having your ass up in the air. An embarrassing mistake to make.

Jacqueer and Lester Cornflake

This blog update is simply to tell you all about my wonderful host sister LEXIE! Otherwise known as Lester, Lekerson, Lester Cornflake, Sisser, Lettuce, or just Lekker. Last week we went up to lincoln and had a jolly old time at the Settle Inn. After shopping we spent most of our time in the Hotel pool doing all the usual things; hanstand competitions, synchronised swimming, and doing bombs of the edge of the pool. Funnest of times. The best bit was when she was doing the butterfly stroke and she cracked me in the jaw has her powerful fists came down to once again propel her that little bit further. My fault really. I was in the way. 

Lexie is a nutter really. Tonight she tried to get me to eat a combination of white rice, cool whip, sugar, and cinnamon. She’s always eating strange new concoctions that even people around here haven’t heard of. And she’ll try ANYTHING...except Vegemite...she smelled it and ran for the hills. She says, and I quote “That shit smells like a cats ass!”. When we were having supper in Lincoln she decided that she was going to order the fried pickle. Sounds revolting right? Well it pains me to say that they were rather delicious. I felt so gross after eating them though. She really is a powerhouse when it comes to food. The girl can eat more in one sitting than my burley father can all day. It’s pretty amazing to witness. And she still has a gorgeous bod! Legs that go on forever, seriously. HOW DOES SHE DO IT? I don’t know but I hate her a little bit for it.

Nutritious AND delicious

Now the her volleyball season is over we’re both kickin arse in basketball! And when I say we’re both kickin arse, I mean just her...I suck. Royally. OH WELL. At least I’m having fun, right? I’ve been to 2 practices. First practice I ran myself ragged and I suddenly became very aware of my appalling fitness level. Lex killed it like it was nothing though. Blasted Americans, can eat and eat and still run a marathon like it’s nobody’s business. Hardly fair. 

Lester really is a sweety poo. In fact the other day I was out somewhere I can’t recall but I knew Adam was coming over and my room was a disgrace. I messaged Lexie and asked her if she would mind throwing whatever was on the floor in my washing basket. I came home and was FREAKING OUT about the state of my room, because there was a lot more wrong with it than just the amount of clothes on the floor. I anxiously open my door and there it is...a perfectly clean room. Clothes put away, bed made, EVERYTHING. “Lisa did you clean my room?” “No...” “LEXIE YOU DID THIS!?!??!”  I flipped out. She is #1. I owe her big now. 

Anyhoodle, thats pretty much it for now. I didn’t really have much to say so I just thought a little insight into a piece of my family might fill you guys up. So that’ll be all. 

Love and miss you all terribly, well the people I know that is. Not you strangers. I’m sure you’re all nice people though. 

BYE.

Technical difficulties and HALLOWEEN!

Good day to you all! I’m so so sorry to hear my videos wont work. If you have any idea of how I can fix it let me know, it’s really giving me the sh*ts. Hopefully by the end of this blogging adventure, we’ll all be good enough friends that you’ll be able to come on over to my house and we’ll watch them on my laptop. This offer will not be available to any creepers.

ANYWAY, today is November first which means last night (on a monday...bleh) was HALLOWEEN!!! Oooh!!! Now I was a slacker and did not really put together the extravagant costume I should have. Oh well. I still got loads of candy. My lovely friends Emmalea and Ashley took me on a trick or treating extravaganza! We only got around to one house but that house just happened to belong to Christine. Christine is my glamorous, fun, bubbly, and enthusiastic piano teacher. She gave my friends and I about 10 houses worth of goodies. She forced us to take a plate of food to go too. She’s fantastic. Her husband also used to be a pro soccer player so after all my piano lessons I’ll go have a kick with him and their kids Daisy and Miko. It’s a fun time. She even gave me a pumpkin AND carving kit. What a woman.

After my trick or treating adventures were over I headed over to the wonderful Adam’s house to carve my first pumpkin. It’s a lot messier than I thought. First you have to cut the top of so it has a lid, then you have a scoop out all the innards. It was slimy and yucky, aka, bundles of fun. We went with the classic look, you know, triangle eyes, crooked teeth etc. But it needed at least one distinguishing FREAKTURE bahaha get it? Like FEATURE but FREAKTURE because it’s Halloween!! Am I right fellas?!! Nope...right. Well anyway, we gave it a Harry Potter scar for poops and giggles as Adam would say. Then the final touch was to put the candle inside and watch it glow. It was the most bootiful pumpkin the country had ever seen. I was very proud.

All in all Halloween was a great success. Thats pretty much all I have for this update. One Act has it’s first performance next friday so next week will probably be the next time I update. Catchall then I spose.

Shalom!

The final march

Extraordinary girl/American idiot

Holiday

Hey friends! So last night was our football teams playoff game which means that the BRILLIANT Broken Bow High marching band got to field march at half time. Dance team also performed before the game. The reason this post is called the final march is because we got absolutely creamed in the playoff game which means no playoffs for us because we’re a bit dodgy. Plus all our starting players have broken legs or concussion or something, I dunno. I’m going to show you crazy kids the film that was taken of our final march. The quality is a bit crap so its hard to make out whats actually going on but the sound is the important thing! Last night we played 3 Greenday songs. American Idiot, Holiday and Wake me up when september ends. I don’t have all of september ends but you’ll get  the gist. I’m the one with the massive bass drum hanging of my chest.

Today I’m off the Kansas to do something...I don’t really know what, but I’ll be there!! This week has not been extremely eventful. It’s getting COLD. Frosty frosty frosty! We’re already scraping ice off the car. Yesterday morning I had NEVER been so cold. I thought my lungs were going to turn into icicles inside my chest, shatter, and kill me. AND APPARENTLY IT GETS FAR FAR WORSE. Hasn’t even started snowing yet! Good grief. 

Harmony and Homecoming!

WELL! This week has been a busy one. I’ll start back last saturday when our school band headed to grand island to march in the Harvest of Harmony parade. That certainly was a site to see. There were marching bands there from all over Nebraska. I thought our band was huge. I was SO wrong. Basically all these bands showed up and we all marched through the streets of Grand Island doing their thang while a bunch of flag girls danced around behind them. Our school played Safety Dance. I also thought our uniforms were cool but they’re NOTHING compared to what some of these schools had. I saw schools with cummerbunds, tail coats, ruffled shirts, gold lined pants...you name it! Our modest uniforms still looked pretty sharp though. I had a really fun day. It was an awesome experience, I loved every second of it.

<<Thats me!

About to march

Good ol’ Mr Rikert

Moving on. So the week that has just past was Homecoming Week, or Spirit Week. Each school day during spirit week there was a theme for dressing up. I tried to dress up every day. I did everyday but wednesday. Wednesday was lame. Every year Friday is always ‘red and white’ day. Friday is also the day of the big homecoming football game and a little tradition at Broken Bow is that all the girls have to wear a boys’ football jersey. I was not planning on taking part in this tradition. I’m not particularly good friends with any of the football players and the ones I am friends with had already promised their Jersey to another girl. I was planning on wearing a cross country jersey for the lols. So spirit week rolls around and I am informed that as a member of dance team I am obliged to wear a football jersey. By this point all the jerseys are pretty much gone. I ended up wearing the jersey of 5 foot freshman Tyrel. He is the football coaches son. It was a tight fit but it worked alright. So thats how that went down. 

Anyway here is how my costumes went down. 

Monday: Pj day. (Thats ma buddy Evan)

Tuesday: Super heroes and Villains (Bobby as Robin and myself as Catwoman)

Wednesday was ‘colour war’. Each grade has a colour and the grade wearing the most of their colour wins. Ours was ‘camo’. Lame. I did not take part. 

Thursday: Blast from the past (80’s me, 70’s Adam)

Friday: Red and white day! (Karly, myself, Sydney)

My english class on red and white day

Quarterback of our football team Marcus and myself. It took

a lot of convincing to get him to let me take this photo.

My pal Aaron and I

So later that day everyone headed to the town square for our big pep rally. The band performed and so did cheerleaders, flag team and dance team. We watched our Assistant principal kiss a goat, heard some presentations and a bunch of other stuff. Then we got some free food and went home to get ready for the big game! Woohoo! We played the Gothenburg Swedes. And I played I mean we lost to the Gothenburg Swedes. Not a nice feeling losing your own homecoming game. The boys were pretty cut. After the most depressing game ever the homecoming king and queen candidates came out. They crowned prince and princess then after much anticipation the king and queen were announced! My buddy Patrick (patches) got King! Was quite the surprise but we were all very happy about it. 

Homecoming candidates

The anticipation is killing them!

Nice blurry photo of the King and Queen

After the game there was the homecoming dance. Adam and I quickly nipped off to his house for a bite to eat before the dance. They said it finished at 12:30. We had plenty of time, right? Wrong. We rocked up around 11:50 and they said ‘once you leave you can’t come back in!’ we pleaded with them saying we hadn’t even been in yet. They thought we were full of rubbish and wouldn’t let us in. Oh well. 

So thats what I’ve been up to this week! I might throw some more photos down the bottom for your enjoyment. Having a wonderful time. Love and miss everyone. Bye bye! 

DANCE TEAM

Lexie, Krisha, baby and I