My Bucket list

I tried but no more ideas are coming to mind. If you have any ideas that you think should be on everyone's bucket list, or tips on ways to complete some of the more ambitious points, feel free to comment and let me know! 

1.       Go to an airport, bags packed, and buy a ticket for an immediate flight anywhere in the world.

2.       See the leaning tower of pisa before it falls

3.       Go bungee jumping

4.       Sing the national anthem at an important sports event

5.       See the Egyptian pyramids

6.       See the Mayan ruins

7.       Swim with sharks

8.       Change a life

9.       Climb a mountain

10.   See the entire city of new York

11.   Discover something incredible

12.   See Paris with my mom and sister

13.   Live in another country for a while

14.   Fall in love

15.   Fall out of love

16.   See a volcano

17.   Write a novel

18.   Publish a novel

19.   See a tornado

20.   See the northern lights

21.   Travel by boat

22.   Watch the sun set in every continent

23.   Fly a plane

24.   Learn to speak Latin

25.   Pass a year of education in another city

26.   Buy a star for a loved one

27.   Have a phrase written in the sky

28.   Earn a starring role in a play

29.   Get a 7 in IB

30.   Master an instrument

31.   Give a big inspirational speech

32.   Be mistaken for a celebrity

33.   See all 7 wonders of the world

34.   Raise a lot of money for a good cause

35.   Stand up in the middle of a quiet movie theater and yell something clever

36.   Visit L.A.

37.   Listen to the bells of Notre Dame ring

38.   Build a house

39.   Attend the Olympics

40.   Buy something from behind a glass cabinet

41.   Make a huge snow fort

42.   Learn to ballroom dance

43.   Spend a night in a haunted house

44.   Celebrate new year’s eve in time square

45.    Sleep under the stars

46.   Go up in a hot air balloon

47.   Go water skiing

48.   Go on a safari

49.   Scuba dive

50.   Start a food fight

51.   Visit England, meet distant family

52.   Set off fireworks

53.   Learn to salsa dance well, then go salsa dancing for an entire evening

54.   Go to the moon

55.   Hula dance in Hawaii

56. Learn to draw one thing well

57. Spend one Christmas without snow
58. Learn how to skate
59. Write a bucket list of a decent length

60. Be completely at ease
61. Learn to dance
62. Go parasailing 
63. Go on a pirate ship
64. Be confident enough to stand on my own
65. Fill an entire wall with memories
66. Allow myself to lose track of time
67. Fill an album with memories

Bucket list

I'm trying to write a bucket list and, with my goal of 100 things to do before I die, it's not going all that well. I have 57 items and I'm stumped. No matter how hard I search, even my goal of writing this list seems out of my reach! In writing a list like this, what does it say about you if you get stumped at only 57? Does this mean that I don't have as much ambition as I thought? That I'm already well rounded and have completed thing that would otherwise be on my list already? I'm not sure. None the less, this is something I need to complete. Wish me luck!!!

Reading Reflection #12

The Plague (end) so glad it's done. Had some nice peeks into the making of human nature. Doesn't hold attention well.

I'm done. I should also note that I only finished this book because I had to for class.

Reading Reflection #11

Here is my short reading reflection from twitter! Follow me if you wish @christinabaland

The plague (pg.174) Was cool, now all I think is "I get it. The death toll is going up. What else is new?" @cre8tiveHavoc #RR11 #boring

As a side note, I know this seems cruel, heartless, etc. but nothing is happening anymore. Only thing I'm getting out of this section of the book is filler and statistics. This seems like the type of book I'd enjoy only if I read the beginning, then flipped to the end! It's sad and all but it's so boring that I really don't care anymore. For the record, I'm not at all trying to brush off the severity of the plague, I'm just not enjoying the book.

Twitter fiction (again)

I wasn’t a huge fan of writing twitter fiction. I felt very restricted by the character limit and writing out each tweet got old pretty fast. I can see that it was a bad choice of mine to write an extended story like this because I had way too many tweets. I’m really proud of the way I wrapped up the story, but I’m also just glad that it’s done. I’m not sure what I think about actually putting my writing on twitter like that. It’s not as edited as I like my writing to be before people read it so I’m really iffy.

                I enjoyed reading twitter fiction a lot. I read some of a lot of people in the class’s tweets and overall, really enjoyed them! I wanted to say something but my comments, no matter how much I mean them, always read as if they’re half-hearted. I really loved seeing how everyone took on this task though! I also read Elliott Holt’s tweets. This was the story about a woman at a party on a roof who went over the edge. I liked this story so much because it got you thinking. I also was impressed by the way that she made twitter accounts for some of the party guests and tried to show the story as if you could understand the events of the evening only through the tweets of these three people. Only thing I wasn’t too much a fan of was the fact that some of the tweets didn’t seem real, and I found myself asking “Who cares?” to the occasional tweet. I look at twitter in a bit of a different light now. I’m thinking that it would be really cool to actually make a twitter account for one of my characters and let them come to life a bit more. It’s neat how even twitter can be used as a means of publishing your work, although I’m not sure if I’ll ever tweet a story again, it could happen, and it is something that I’m very glad to have tried. 

Twitter Fiction

1 Each breath he takes sends a shiver down my spine. It’s a dark, damp night and everything’s about to begin again he just doesn’t know it yet

2 He took away my childhood, killed everything in me that was pure. He created a monster; all I want now is his life.

3 I will kill his hopes just as he killed mine, tare them from his heart and rip everything he cares about to shreds. 

4 I’m glad to have never learned his name. He told me to call him king.

5 He made me kill my family….He told me, “If you don’t do it, I have a fate much more fun in mind.” I can still remember that taunting smile.

6 My house was beautiful. It was all white and it was huge, with windows letting in light at all the right places.

7 This house was where I grew up. You could feel the love seeping through the walls and greeting you in the driveway

8 I stood outside and could no longer cry for the last people that loved me. If I didn’t do it, the king would do worse.

9 I knew that he would have killed them in front of me, used me as some kind of prop. Then, once it was all done…he’d kill me too.

10 The king told me how it must be done, and my outfit worked accordingly. Each weapon was hidden out of sight, but within my reach.

11 I wore a belt with knives and needles under a loose fitting shirt. A small gun was in my boot, there were so many more.

12 The needles held a strong tranquilizer in case I fumbled…I wouldn’t need them. 

13 Even with so many weapons hidden, the king wanted me to kill them with my bare hands.

14 The weapons were each for an “in case” situation. In case they started to run, I was to put three bullets in each of their heads.

15 A warm wind blew past me, then my watch beeped so I approached the front door.

16 I knocked twice as instructed and my mother answered the door quickly. She was always so excited to have company…

17 She gasped, “It couldn’t really be-“She was still in shock. I cut her off in a flat voice “It is.”

18 Her eyes were wide and I knew exactly what she was seeing in me.

19 I had sad, dead eyes; my hair was limp and lifeless, but my body was strong, lean…lethal.

20 “Oh my god.” She breathed as tears welled up in her eyes. “John!” She called over her shoulder, then she pulled me into her embrace.

21 My dad came running, then stopped in his tracks. The moment he saw me he was speechless.

22 My resolve was quickly weakening, the hard mask on my face; melting away and, all of a sudden, I was 12 again.

23 I pulled out of my mother’s embrace and just looked at them. I started crying, but all I could do was stare.

24 My dad stepped forward to rest his arm around my mom, and memories long forgotten flooded my mind once more.

25 I could remember everything, my loving family, all of my friends, coming home after school; I nearly forgot why I was returning.

26 “Mom…Dad” I said, tears thick in my voice, making it crack and break in funny spots.

27 “Would you like to come in?” My dad asked, trying hard to hold back his emotions; he had always been too proud to cry.

28 I nodded, because that was all I could do, and I stepped into my home.

29 Nothing had changed other than the people in the house. My parents had aged poorly, just as I’m sure I have.

30 “What happened to you? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” My mother couldn’t hold it in any longer, her words blending together.

31 I shook my head and smiled an awkward smile at her as if to say “I’m fine, they didn’t touch me.”

32 “Would you like to see your bedroom?” My father asked. “Yes,” I responded softly.

33 My mom took my hand and led the way. They had kept everything exactly as I had left it…

34 This room was once filled with potential and hope. I couldn’t handle it all so I went to the hallway to catch my breath.

35 I walked to the top of the hall that connected to my room to try to compose myself. “Breath, just breath” I told myself.

36 When I was ready to go back I turned around, but was halted by a familiar voice.

37 “Is this house #8?” They asked menacingly. I turned and saw familiar bloodthirsty eyes peering out of a cardboard box.

38 “NO!” I screamed, It was the king. I turned and ran at top speed; I had to save my parents!

39 When I got to my room my parents were gone. Everything was coated in a thick, oozing layer of their blood.

40 “No!” I screamed again, the pain was crippling. I turned from the sight and the king was there. He grabbed my shoulders and…

41 My eyes sprung open. I screamed. I was lying on the floor with a strange man and woman peering down at me.

42 I sprung up from the floor and backed away. “Who are you?” I yelled. Their eyes widened and they grabbed each other’s hands

43 I looked down and realized at that I was clutching a knife. 

44 The woman stepped towards me and I yelled, “Stay back!” lunging my knife at her.

45 The woman stepped back and started to cry in the man’s arms

46 In quiet, measured tones, the man told me “We are your parent.” “I have no parent!” I responded.

47 Then, everything started coming back to me, and I dropped the knife. “I…I’m so sorry…” I started crying again.

48 I stepped towards them and they cowered away. “No.” My dad said, putting his hand up to me.

49 “Please, I…don’t know what happened…I’m so sorry.” I pleaded. They were scared of me now. I blew it.

50 I really started crying now but the looks on their faces never went away. We all stood there for a long time, just staring.

51 “I think you should leave now.” My dad said in a soft voice.

52 If you listen closely, I’m sure you could hear my heart breaking in that instant

53 “Please…” I cried once more. I blinked and my dad picked up my knife. After all of this time dreaming of coming home, they hate me. 

54 “Get out of my house!” My dad roared. I took a defiant step forward, and watched as a single bead of sweat drizzled down his cheek.

55 I snapped. “Kill me!” I yelled angrily. “Kill me now, because nothing can be worse than going back!”

56 I was sobbing again but he didn’t move. He couldn’t do it. “Kill me!” I screamed once more, losing my mind.

57 I grabbed his hand and thrust the knife towards my gut. He released his grip before the knife could touch me.

58 The knife clattered to the floor loudly, resonating in my ears.

59 I blinked and saw the king, his eyes glistening, his teeth ragged, his smile so cruel and blood curdling…

60 My eyes flew open and again. I was on the floor. This time there were no faces around me, no one even in the room.

61 I sat up slowly to see that I was still in my bedroom. I looked around and my knife had been taken away.

62 I grabbed at the floor around me, but it wasn’t there. Panic rose in my throat and I couldn’t breathe.

63 I jumped up and ran for the door…locked.

64 “Let me out!!!” I screamed, banging at the door. Panic was getting the best of me now.

65 I clutched at my abdomen and felt that my belt was still there, everything but that knife were still there.

66 “Please! Please let me out!” I remember being scared for my life. If I didn’t kill them, the king would, and then I’d die too.

67 No one answered. The piercing silence rang in my ears. I turned around and saw a note on my bed.

68 “A doctor is coming in the morning to examine you. Stay in here for the night, everything will be okay.”  -Mom and Dad

69 Someone else knew about me now, great. More clean-up to do after.

70 There was nothing I could do immediately so I lay in my bed, wrapped up in my cozy blanket, and enjoyed the comforts I have missed so much.

71 I could only have slept for minutes before I woke up and saw the king peering down at me.

72 I pinched myself and felt the pain, but he still stood there looking down at me.

73 I scurried out of bed quickly and stood so I could look him in the eye

74 Rule #3, If you want to live…always look authority directly in the eye.

75 Rule #2, If you want to live…never forget your manners.

76 My gaze slid down until I was looking at the floor. “I’m sorry. I can do better.” I whispered sadly

77 “You will do better.” He responded, disappointment thick in his voice.

78 The next thing I knew, the king was gone. He vanished out of thin air, just like I use to

.

79 My mouth fell open, and I stood there staring at empty space. What do I do???

80 I shouldn’t have gotten attached. I knew this would happen! I should have attacked the moment I stepped through that door! 

81 I had to kill them while they slept. If the king wants it to be done with my bare hands…so be it.

82 I lay in my bed and lost myself in thought for a while. I would strike at midnight. 

83 When I looked at the clock and midnight had come around, I was ready.

84 I stood from my bed and approached the door. It was locked from the outside.

85 I knew this house well enough to know that if I screamed right then, my parents wouldn’t hear a peep.

86 I kicked the door down in one try. This room was only meant to restrain a 12 year old.

87 The house was dark and so silent, I could almost hear my parents slow, helpless breath.

88 I took my time getting to their room, taking care to make no sound.

89 They were so peaceful. They slept side-by-side and were perfectly happy knowing just that the other was right there.

90 My mother was first, easiest. She didn’t struggle, but just floated off into oblivion.

91 My father was next, but when I walked over to his side of the bed, his eyes flew open.

92 He jumped back from me and looked to his wife, he saw that her breath had stopped immediately.

93 I don’t know how the fight went down. It was my blind training vs his blind instinct.

94 He put up a good fight though…I was pretty beaten up after it.

95 All I remember was the end. He wound up on the floor, and I crushed his wind pipe with my boot.

96 he then died, as I cried. The deadly silence rang, while only my blood was left to stain.

97 Silent as death, I walked away. Tears would never again fall; they never really cared for me at all.

98 I tried to leave the house, and then I saw someone. 

99 She was young and pretty beaten up. Her wide eyes stared at me…fear 

100 I went to attack and so did she. I tried to knock her out but she shattered, then there were millions of her.

101 When I went after one of the millions, it cut me…I don’t know how.

102 When I bleed on them they disappeared. I fell back, and they all cut into me.

103 I stood and ran out, none of them followed me. They just disappeared. 

104 I stumbled outside, and there stood the king with open arms.

105 “There you are! My little darling!” The king hugged me. “I’ll send clean up for you.”

106 He was so proud of me for killing them…

107 That was then…now it’s his turn.

108 It has now been ten years of constant murder, and I can’t do it any more.

109 I’m outside of his apartment building, and his light is the only one on.

110 I can feel the cold rain on the top of my head, each frozen droplet.

111 I walk into the building, bypassing that lock like it’s child’s play.

112 I go to his room and knock, then take a step back.

113 I step around the corner, out of sight from his doorway.

114 Rule #76, If you want to live…never be seen

115 He opens his door and looks around. I’ve never seen him like this before. 

116 The king’s thick brown hair is a mess, he wears sweat pant, and has no shirt to be found.

117 The king is in perfect shape, and a truly worthy enemy.

118 The king walks away, his door slowly shutting.

119 I scuttle over, silent as a mouse, and open the door wide.

120 I lean against the doorway and smile tauntingly, seductively.

121 “Evening, sir” I whisper, dragging out the word ‘sir’

122 “Kenny!” He answers. When he turns around, he smiles.

123 “Won’t you please come in?” I can see his heart speeding up, from the blood flow in the artery on his neck.

124 I walk in, knowing the power I now hold over him well.

125 He grabs my hand and kisses it, before leading me to the bedroom. 

126 Two of us enter his bedroom, only one will come out…

End

Twitter Fiction

I've been working on my twitter fiction quite a bit, and here are two of my pages so far. I've already written about 65 tweets but I'm not done! I chose to write an extended story, using an idea that I’d already been working on. This was a really bad idea because I’m not even close to done, yet I have over twice our requirement. I have completed at some point most of the requirement from the “to do list”, I even have an idea of a picture to add. I’m really enjoying writing out this story because I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while now.  I’m not sure if I’m 100% happy with having chosen to put this story out there through twitter, but I’m enjoying it so I’ll stick with my first instinct and go for it. I only chose to write the extended tweets because I had an idea. I would love to go back and write some individual stories later, but for now I’m dedicated to my long story. 

Final Day (ending)

A single tear ran down my face, I raised the knife with blood already on it, and I ripped it across my throat. My eyes shut and I felt all control I had over my body drain out of me. I then slept forever, alone and drowning in sorrow. Leaving this world and all physical being in my past. They found my body the next day. I never would have guessed how worried everyone was when I didn’t show up at work. Word traveled to Jeremy’s parents immediately, and to him soon after. He had a girlfriend, but I still meant the world to him. They told him about my message. When my co-worker walked into the room she first saw the wall,

I Love you Jeremy, I always will.

-sincerely; Jj

  He followed me into death soon there after. The world was rid of us both, and order was somehow restored. Now, well the only way left to go, is up. 

Final Day (part 7)

Time had gone by without me noticing and all of a sudden I was hungry again and it was about 7:00 in the evening, already getting dark. My last stop for the day was dinner anyways. I went to this restaurant that happened to be just a few blocks away. It had been my favorit restaurant in town for as long as we had lived here. I walked in and asked for a table for one. When you ask for a table for one, the host always looks at you with sympathy. A look that says ‘Oh, I guess you must be so dull that no one wants to hang out with you, that sucks.’ I waited a while until a table was available then sat down. I had a perky, young woman as a waitress and she was always in a hurry for something. I got my food eventually and it was really worth the wait. I finished up and left a very generous tip, trying to get rid of as much of my money as possible since I soon would have no use for it. I walked home and took my time, trying to find a way to convince myself that I had something to live for, to no avail of course. There was nothing. It was time. I couldn’t put this off any longer. The universe was ready to be rid of me, and I was done trying. I was exhausted by the constant disappointment that I was undergoing. I stepped into my empty house. It already felt like a grave yard, soon, it’ll be mine. I walked slowly into the kitchen and opened the drawer with our cutlery. I lay my hand on a large, sharp knife, with a sleek, black handle. This was the one. I was led back into the living room by the decision I had been trying to forget about for days. The decision that I could no longer change. It was the room I had chosen to be my last place of rest. I slashed the knife across my left hand and the blood started to flow and pool in my hand. I scooped some onto the fingers on my right hand and I wrote on the wall my final words. I then sat myself on the couch and I could feel the pain of the split skin on my hand. It was time. 9: 47 pm.

Final Day (part 6)

About a week before I found out I was moving away we were hanging out. It was a hot Saturday and I lay with my head in his lap and he was playing with my hair absent-mindedly. “Do you ever think about how great it would be to run away? Just me and you, we could escape this stupid town and be happy together.” He said suddenly, “Everything would be so easy. We wouldn’t have to pretend for anyone anymore! My parents wouldn’t give up looking until they found us.” I responded, looking up at his face. He looked content, there was something under the surface though, something that was really bothering him. 

“My parents couldn’t care less. They’d put on that ‘Feel bad for me because my son is gone but all I really want is attention’ face. It sickens me. We would be so happy, just you and me. Can you see it?” 

“Every night, when I’m falling asleep, all I can think about is us… I love you.” This was the first time I said this to him, so I sat up to take in his face just before I said it. He blushed and smiled at me. 

“I’ve loved you my whole life. You’re my everything. If I had my choice of any girl in the world I would chose you every time.”

“I’m glad. Because now, you’re stuck with me” I answered jokingly, adoration as thick in my voice as it was in his. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” And he leaned in slowly, hesitated half an inch away, and then he kissed me. My heart ached every time I thought about Jeremy, but he was unforgettable. He was my first and only love. I was still totally in love with him, which only made me hurt so much more. 

Final Day (part 5)

I stood outside the museum and lost myself in my own thoughts. I’m not sure where my mind was but I decided that it was time for lunch. I went to this nice little sandwich shop around the corner. I then didn’t know what to do. My parents and I, we had some good times, but most of them were back home. I just started to walk; it didn’t really matter where I ended up. We vacationed a lot when I was little. California was one of those places we just kept coming back to. My parents loved California for reasons I could never understand. I guess they loved the sun, the year ‘round climate. I never understood but they were so happy when they made that decision to move. They didn’t realize what I was leaving behind. I never could have told them. I was leaving behind the love of my life. His name was Jeremy. We grew up together. It was the typical story. Our parents were close friends, so when they had a kid at the same time as my parents, we were naturally put together all of the time. When we grew up we started to realize that friendship wasn’t enough for either of us, so we started dating in secret. Our parents were none the wiser since we had been hanging out regularly since either of us could remember. You don’t need any expensive dinners or fancy presents when you know each other that well. All we wanted was to be together, and so we would go out on a picnic, walk along a river side, and watch the sunset at the end of each day. When I told him we were moving he was crushed. It was the only time I ever saw him cry. He was at my parent’s funeral, I wasn’t though. Physically I was there, but my mind couldn’t handle it, so it shut down. I shut everyone out that day. He didn’t even approach me. He saw me, I know that. Our eyes connected for a moment, and then he turned away. I heard he was dating someone else through the grapevine and I guess he couldn’t face me knowing that he had someone back home, and I had no one. Since my parents never knew we were dating, they told me excitedly when his parents had passed along that he had brought his new girlfriend home to meet them. I pretended to be happy for him, but I was heartbroken. Something in me had still hoped that he and I would somehow work out someday, that maybe he would wait for me, and then we could run away together, just like he had always wanted. 

Final Day (part 4)

This didn’t matter though. I was going through with it. My day was planed. I was supposed to go to my crappy paying job but I didn’t, I went to all of the places that had ever brought me joy in California. I went to a museum. I appreciated the past that I had missed, and the beauty that came with the most simple of exhibits. None of it brought me joy. I saw people though, happy people, with dreams and hopes. People who knew who they were. I was still clueless. It wasn’t my parents fault, they were the best family someone could wish for, I swear. They were my only family. Now I was alone in the world. I saw brave faces pass me by every moment, not one of them saw the dead girl walking. I saw a little girl and her mom, hand in hand. It was a beautiful and blissful scene. They where having bonding time amongst the remnants of old civilization. The little girl saw something in me though, somehow. She looked at me with these knowing eyes, understanding far too much for someone so young. She stopped in her tracks and her mom glanced my way, checking what her daughter was so interested in. The mom then pulled the little girl away, lecturing her about how rude it is to stare. This brought me back to a similar day I had with my parents at that age. It was beautiful. The sun was shining and we were a true family. We enjoyed the museum, then went for lunch, and back to the museum. This memory didn’t change anything; it just made me hurt more. I couldn’t think about my parents without thinking about how they’re gone. With this I started to feel as if I was choking. I had to get out of the museum immediately. I stepped outside and I could breathe again, just a little. The clouds had only gotten darker. Already I didn’t have much left to do with myself.

Final Day (part 3)

They saved my life. My lonely, unsuccessful, unimportant, useless life. They gave themselves to a lost cause. I wasn’t very smart. I had a 50 in each class, a 50 exactly. I wasn’t dedicated or passionate about anything. I didn’t even know who I was, it didn’t matter to anyone, and so what was the use in looking? My parents died in a car crash. I was off alone in a park and they were unsure if I was safe. I wasn’t answering my cell phone so the drove to find me. They lost their lives trying to ensure my safety. That is the true definition of love: willing to give up everything, for one person, and not asking a single thing in return. I was down, I was in the park so I could cry and no one would know. Then the moment I found out the only people that loved me and that cared about my existence were gone, I lost any reason I had left to live on this earth. So once this fateful day when the overcast came I didn’t even write a note. There was no one to write to, no one that would notice. It had been two years since my family and I had moved and only around a week since my parents had left me. The funeral had passed and again I had slipped under the radar. People gathered around the friends after the service to console them. I didn’t get as much as a passing glance. It was the longest day of my life. I wore a black fedora with a black veil over my face. This left me to freely cry and not have to face the world. In a situation like this some would turn to drugs, or alcohol. Well, some have money while others don’t. I had no hope, or money to survive on. I had no ambition for anything. There was no point in the effort. I knew exactly the way things would go once I was gone. I wouldn’t show up at work for a few days, so they would call and there would be no answer. Days would pass and eventually someone would be sent to my house to find me. They would find my corps. A short investigation would go underway. They would learn that I had no family, no money or dept to pass on, and my face would be in the paper. It would be the first anyone would hear of me. They would say “Look at her, such a pity no one cared!” They’d laugh cruelly at the pain I had gone through and the end that had found me. It wouldn’t matter though. The adults would complain that they should have done something. They would claim that they saw the signs, or should have seen the signs. Someone would faint after hearing the details of my scene, my final scene. All of a sudden my death would be about the people that are still alive, never about the one that won’t be missed.