Prompt #1 (Out of Order)

Julianne McKinney was outraged.  She didn't know how to approach her boss about what she believed she had figured out.  She didn't want the chance of losing her job at such a well established company.  The following Tuesday she finally gathered enough courage to address him:

JULIANNE:  Excuse me, Mr. Dawson. (knocking on his office door)

TRENT:  Yes, Julianne, please, come in.  

JULIANNE:  Sir, we need to talk... (She nervously murmurs under   her breath.)

TRENT:  About???

JULIANNE:  I don't know how, but somehow you have been managing to fool the entire world. 

TRENT:  Excuse me?!  And, please, enlighten me, tell me what on Earth you are trying to accuse me of.  I could use a little humor today.  

JULIANNE:  We both know you know exactly what I am talking about.

TRENT:  If I told you, you wouldn't believe me...

JULIANNE:  Try me.

TRENT:  I...I'm a time traveler...

JULIANNE:  What are you talking about?  I knew something was up with you.  You're crazy aren't ya?  Yup, I always am intrigued by the crazy ones.  Next, you're gonna tell me you're a spychic aren't you?  All right Mr. Spychic, will I find a cute outfit at the mall tomorrow?  I don't know whether or not I should waste my gas driving to the mall.

TRENT:  Ha, I knew you wouldn't believe me.  

JULIANNE:  And he continues... Oh man... Let me go along with it.  How do you travel?  By bus, train, airplane, car?

TRENT:  Real funny...it's not like that.  I close my eyes, and my mind brings me to what seems like a dream.  It's everytime I fall asleep.  The only difference is, it's not a dream...it's real life.  It's the future.  It varies.  Sometimes I travel a week into the future, sometimes a month, sometimes 20 years.  I don't know how... I don't know why...It just happens.  That's how I always know what is to come.  I have been living alone for so many years because no one understands or believes me, despite all of the concrete evidence with these lottery numbers and my investments.  Anyone who ever asks to know just thinks I'm crazy...but you don't think I am crazy, do you? Do you?  I just want to be normal.  I want to live in the present.  I don't want to know my future of all time. I am done.  Or at least I want to be.

JULIANNE:  Wow...this seems like the most absurd thing.  I don't want to believe you...but your voice, and the tears in your eyes can't seem to be fake.

TRENT:  You believe me?!

JULIANNE:  Not yet, but can you show me?

TRENT:  I'm afraid it doesn't work that way.

JULIANNE:  Well, lets try to figure this out together. I can't do much in life, but I've been told I'm good company.  

TRENT:  You know what...that's exactly what I need right now.  I need to live in the present.  There is nothing I would love more.

Prompt #3A

My Silver Lining
I have concentrated all of my efforts for so many years, in and out of school, on doing whatever I could to place myself in the best position to secure admission to the college of my dreams.  After a substantial amount of research, I determined that USC is just that - the college of my dreams.  This past Saturday, I sat before the computer with my parents behind me (as they have been throughout this entire experience), opening the letter that I believed would be reflective of all of my hard work and accomplishments; the letter that would determine where I was going for the next four years of my life; the letter that would prove that all of my efforts had finally paid off.  Needless to say, when I read the letter denying my admission, it really hit me hard.  I began to shake uncontrollably as tears poured down my face.  I'm embarassed to share this with you, because this is not me.  This is not who I am; but I had invested all of me, emotionally, into this one goal, and I had never before experienced failure to something that meant this much to me. On top of this crushing experience, there was more to follow.  There were so many people eager to hear whether or not I had been accepted.  I was dreading all of the inevitable conversations with family and friends.  After spending a considerable amount of time feeling sorry for myself and questioning what I could have done differently, I reached one conclusion: I can either dwell on my failures, or I can use them as motivation to try even harder.  I realized that everyone fails at some point in life, but it is how we overcome these failures that define who we are.  This was my silver lining.  I put the peices together.  Everything happens for a reason, and I have yet to discover mine.  However, I believe I will find my answers within my experience in Urbana-Champaign next year at U of I.  I know that I am an immensely hard-working and determined person. I know that, if afforded the opportunity to attend, I will excel at USC; and more importantly, make a significant contribution to the impressive list of alumni who have attended.  I am not giving up on my dream of attending USC.  I am determined to do whatever it takes. Until then, however, I am looking forward to attending U of I, and discovering the reason I wasn't supposed to go to California just yet. 

E v e r y t h i n g   h a p p e n s   f o r   a   r e a s o n .

W h a t ' s  m e a n t  t o  b e ,  w i l l  b e.

Prompt #2

Once upon a time… there was an intelligent, creative, beautiful woman.  This woman was envied by all other women, and wanted by all of the men.  Considering it was back in the day, she had so much going for her, but her only aspirations were to marry a handsome man and live in a pretty house.  She had never believed herself to be capable of much more. 

Growing up, she was told to always stand by and look pretty.  No one ever took her seriously.  She had been laughed at so many times when she suggested plans of becoming anything more in the future.  Everyone underestimated her, and because of that, she began to underestimate herself.  She began to believe the criticism, and forget any other serious dream.

As the story goes on, she meets a very handsome man at a local club.  They began to see each other more and more often.  They always seemed to meet at night and have a night on the town with his friends and some of hers.  She was so caught up in the excitement, that when asked to be married after only a few months, she agreed.

She fancied her fiancé very much so.  He bought her pretty diamonds, expensive purses, and finally, an enchanting house to live in.  She was so consumed with his showering of gifts and parties, that she never took the time to time to fully get to know her husband to be.  All of friends congratulated her on finally reaching her happily ever after.  Yet, somehow, there was an emptiness she felt when the thought of being his “forever” crossed her mind. 

She came to the conclusion that maybe something was missing in her life.  Maybe there was something wrong with her marriage.  Maybe it wasn’t right.  Maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought she did.  Maybe she wanted more out of life.  She had planned to sit him down, shortly after, to share these feeling that she couldn’t help but feel.

He arrived home after a long night of poker.  She had been waiting up for him.  He wreaked of alcohol and cigar smoke.  She began to worry that tonight wasn’t the night to tell him how she felt.  However, her compulsive mind kicked in and she shared how she felt regardless.  She shared how she feels that she needs to do something for herself to feel complete, and that they should take a break.  He was stunned, and he was angry.  In response to her proposal, he back handed her and continued to throw and kick her around until she was unconscious.

When she finally gained consciousness, she looked at herself in the mirror and began to panic.  She had to escape, but she didn’t know how.  Could she really survive on her own?  Could she really be independent for the first time in her life?  She felt that she had no choice.  She had to.

That day, she packed her bags and finally gained the courage to do things on her own.  She was free of men controlling her.  She decided to follow her dreams consisting of independence and capability.  She decided to begin her dream life all by herself.  She picked up an ax and began to get to work on building her dream home without needing the approval of a superior male figure.  She was strong and capable.

Review #3

DIVERGENT:
Let me be the first to tell you, I did not expect this movie to be good.  I did not read the books, but I saw the commercial for it, and I wasn't very impressed.  Also, the main girl, Shailene Woodly, was in that I am not fond of, "The Secret Life of an American Teenager".  I describe this show as being, quite possibly, the worst acted show on television.  When I saw that she was the main charcater, I was even more uninterested in seeing the movie.  However, I was proved to be very wrong.  I saw this movie and absolutely loved it!  I was ready to see it again a few hours after I had just seen it.  It was magnificent.  The acting was surprisingly very good.  The story was very compelling.  It was a story that can appeal to an array of audiences.  I saw it with my parents, and each parent really liked it.  This movie is not targeted to just one gender or age group which is what I loved about it.  In addition, the male lead is very attractive.  He doesn't make it so difficult to watch.  Yet another celebrity heart throb to keep the girls occupied.  I would give this movie five stars out of five.  It kept my attention throughout the entire thing.  I had to use the bathroom when it first started but I didn't want to leave at any point during the movie because I didn't want to miss anything.  Bottom line, see this movie!!!

Review #2

Dave Matthews Band Concerts
I have been to four DMB concerts in my life; and let me tell you, they NEVER get old.  In my opinion, they are the most talented band from my era.  The band, from a musical stand point, is amazing.  The vast array of instruments contributing to a single song is ridiculous.  The musicians that they have in their band are so talented.  When you go to one of their concerts, they will just have random jam sessions on stage.  The band gets so lost in the music, it's pretty beautiful.  Watching people excel at some something they enjoy so much is inspiring.  I am inspired everytime I watch one of their concerts. That's when you know what your listening to is meaningful.  In addition to the outstanding instruments being played, their lyrics are brilliant.  Dave, the singer, plays his guitar when he sings each song.  This man is crazy talented.  I know I am being repetitive, but it needs to be emphasized.  The songs each have such a deep meaning behind them.  They write all of their own music.  One of their songs, Grey Street, is probably one of my favorite songs ever just because of the emotion that you hear when he sings the song.  That kind of emotion in a voice, makes me emotional just to listen to it.  If you're ever in need of some direction or just a great quality jam session, turn on any of their songs or go to one of their concerts.  Trust me, you won't regret it.

Review #1

SHWAYZE
SALLY IS A HIPPIE GIRL ONE DAY...
SALLY IS A ROCK CHICK THE NEXT...
SALLY IS A HIP HOP BABY...
THEN A DRIP DROP LADY...
BUT THERES ONE THING SALLY SAYS EVERYDAY& IT'S
SHE LOVES ME...SHE LOVES ME...
JUST THE WAY I AM.
 SOOO....Shwayze is a pretty cool rapper. My very best friend, Megan Magurany, introduced him to me.  I am very happy that she did.  His chill and catchy sounds make you want to listen to his music on repeat constantly.  The weather has been getting warmer, which means it's Shwayze time yet again. He's best to listen to on a beautiful summer day with the windows rolled down and the music cranked up.  Well, this is what Megan and I like very best at least.  I recommend Shwayze to anyone looking to be in a good mood.  His music always finds a way to turn my mood into a positive one.  His music is very simple, but just what you need for a good smile.  Megan was lucky enough to go to his concert last summer and meet him.  I am very jealous, however, I will meet him next time with her.  To sum it up, he is a great artist to listen to when you're cruising around this summer.  Check him out.

Prompt #1 (of cycle 2) (forgot about it)

POEM

Have you ever found beauty in an unexpected  place?

The courage
                       to dive in
                                         and let yourself experience
                                                                                    
                                                                                       your life & beyond.                               
                                             Take the next step.
Function positively.

Find                  what moves you              for             inspiration.

Be strong,   independent,    inspired.   

                                                                         Reach the high point.
ALWAYS dream.

Focus hard.                                        Respect yourself.           

                      Strong is Beautiful.                                                      GROW.

Fallllll
                 in
                            Love....                                      Oh, what a feeling.

May your spirit live                        FOREVER.                                      <3

Prompt #2

Dr. Dawson

Episode two synopsis:

Julianne McKinney is on to something.  Mr. Dawson just invested money into a stock which made him 5 million dollars. This is not the first time something like this has happened.  Julianne has been an employee in a huge stock corporation on Wall Street.  This corporation is one of the wealthiest in the world, and guess who runs it...yup, Mr. Trent Dawson.  She has worked for the company just long enough to raise these suspicious questions.  She just doesn't understand, how does he always know what is going to happen?  Everything.  He can't just be that smart, can he?  She thought he was somehow rigging the system. n How could this make sense?  She put the mystery to the test and asked what will be next to collect money from? Of course, he had the answer; and couple days later it came true.  She even went to go as far as buying lotto tickets to see if it was maybe that he was just THAT lucky.  He picked the right numbers and won the jackpot.  She was in disbelief.  None of it made sense.  She planned to confront him soon.

Prompt #3

Above the garage, there lived a girl.
Behind her walls she was fragile.
Caring, compassionate, but most of all
Delicate.
Every night she would stare out her window.
Far beyond reality's horizon.
Gazing and questioning the purpose behind everything.
How she yearned for direction, for answers.
In the sun beamed.
Jubilant the moon gleamed.
Kind-hearted was all that she seemed.
Longing for closure.
Monstrous curiosity that she was never able to tame.
Never will she know?
Opposed and confused.
Paralyzed by perception.
Quiet she remained.
Repeating "Why am I here?" over and over.
Silence was all that she was ever given.
Time rapidly passed.
Unless it slowed (or came to a stop), she was afraid it would pass her by.
Very lost.
W"hat is the point?"  "What if I miss it?"
Xylol spilled to the floor!
You seem to feel all alone.
Zoo of chaos; a fire trapped within the door.

Review #3

College Visit: USC
    So, I visited USC and fell in love with the school.  I took a campus tour and I was blown away.  While I was there, I was told that USC is in the top 25 academically and athletically.  I thought that this was awesome.  Academics, primarily, are most important to me; however, I am a big sports fan, so learning this fact only made me like the school that much more.  While I was there I was told that there is a 9:1 teacher-to-student ratio.  This number is very important to me because small class rooms means that I will really have my voice be heard and there will be in class discussions which is very important to me.  I was told that they guarantee that you will graduate in 4 years no matter what desperate measures that means need to be taken.  I was told that one girl needed a certain class to graduate that no one signed up for.  Normally you would think that she just wouldn't be able to take the class.  Instead, she took the class and for her that meant meeting with the professor three times a week in a coffee shop to discuss the subject.  This blew me away.  It seems at USC that they truly care about their students and also the "Trojan family".  To me this is critical and I was very happy to hear all of this.  In addition, for the Communications and Journalism school that I applied to, they are renovating and creating an entire new building with state of the art equipment that will be ready to use at the start of my freshman year.  How perfect. However, I think I want to switch majors and study film at USC, where it is known as the best film school in the world.  It would be my dream to attend this school.

Review #2

A Winter's Tale

I thought that this movie was pretty good.  I thought that it was a very good idea, and I think they pulled it off pretty well.  The only reason I don't think it was great was because it was a little unrealistic.  The entire movie is built around the idea of a miracle; it's not this which I find too unrealistic.  There were just some unrealistic conversations and other things that happened.  I think it was as if the movie was a little too rushed.  I did, however, really admire the out of the box idea that the movie was based on.  I thought it was really neat how the whole concept came together at the end.  After the movie was over, it really made you think about whether or not some people are destined to be in your life for some greater purpose.  It also makes you believe in the possibility of miracles happening in even an average life.  I thought it was overall a very sweet film. It was a good movie to catch for the Valentine's Day holiday.

Review #1

One Tree Hill  

 This show is the best television show that I have ever seen.  I love it.  Everything from the acting to the story line to the deeper meaning behind it all is brilliant.  The show is packed with a phenomenal cast full of all relatable characters.  I, along with the rest of the viewers I've conversed with, can see themselves a little bit within each of the characters.  The show makes you feel that everything will be okay, and that there is something worth believing in.  You watch as they overcome numerous obstacles and you feel as though you are capable of achieving the same.  It's an inspirational and feel good show that is also very entertaining.  The music for the show is also spectacular.  I always find myself "spotifying" the song that is playing in the background of the scene.  Music is a huge aspect of the show that they have always focused on and this is a huge reason why I like it to the extent I do.  I recommend this drama for anyone to see.

Prompt #3

Mr. Dawson

Episode One Synopsis:

Trent Dawson is unlike any man you've ever known, but at the same time he's just like all of the rest.  He is manipulative and mysterious.  However, he is a man, that every man wants to be; and every woman wants to be with.  He's charming and intelligent, yet there's something strange about him.  It's as if he's too perfect.  It's as if he knows exactly which buttons to press.  He somehow seems to be a little too on point with everything.  It's as if Trent, is a step ahead of all of us.  Could it just be that he's just that brilliant and charismatic?  Or is Trent somehow cheating the system?  He seems to fool everyone with his charm, except for one Julianne McKinney.  She is suspicious of him, and doesn't fall into the same spell every person around him seems to be under.  She raises these question; that others can't seem to ask themselves.  They fall right into his act; however, she is smarter than this.  She sees right through him.  She sees him as a riddle that she must find answers to.  Trent is a billionaire investing in the right stocks at what seems to be just the perfect times. No one is that lucky; she tells herself.  Julianne McKinney is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Prompt #2

   She gasped with excitement and shouted over the noise of the propeller: "The islands in the clouds are real!!" I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  I wiped my eyes repeatedly to make sure that what I was looking at was really there. I turned to my grandpa in mere astonishment.  "I told you it was a real place," he calmly spoke.
"OH, THANK YOU GRANDPA! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" I exclaimed as I threw my arms around him.  
"Of course sweetheart. Now, how about we land this jet and check it out?"
"There's nothing I would love more."
      As I gazed around I couldn't believe what I was seeing; I had never seen so many colors. I began to run in excitement past all of the little shops.  There was my favorite ice cream shoppe and a store just filled with my favorite barbies.  How could this be? I thought to myself.  I entered the barbie store and began to eagerly look around.  Every Barbie a little girl could ever want was stocked on the shelves. When I picked one up to buy, I couldn't find where to pay.  There wasn't a single counter top in sight. In fact, there wasn't even anyone who was working the store! I looked up only to find a sign that read, "HELP YOURSELF! UNLIMITED STOCK. FREE OF CHARGE."  I slowly backed away in awe...could this be real?!  
      I quickly hurried out to show my grandpa, but he wasn't anywhere to be found! "Grandpaaaa! Grandpaaaa! Where are you, Grandpa?"  There was no response.  Finally, I spotted a girl from far away.  I quickly approached her to see if she could help.
"Excuse me.  Have you seen an old man walking around her?"  I politely asked as I tapped her shoulder.  She slowly turned around and my jaw seemed to have dropped the floor.
"Jenny! You finally made it!" 
"What?! You're Kit! You're just an American Girl Doll! How are you here? How are you talking to me right now?!"
"Well Jenny, you traveled into my world. So I should be asking what you're doing here."
"What are you talking about?!  Where's my Grandpa?  I need to find my Grandpa!"  I frantically exclaimed.
      I began to run.  I needed to find him to ask what was going on.  I kept running but I didn't know my way around.  I felt that I was running in circles.  It began to get very foggy.  I couldn't tell where I was going and all of a sudden...
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"  I was falling off of a cloud.
      I suddenly jolted and woke up! I began to panic until I opened my eyes to find myself still wrapped up in my Grandpa's lap rocking back and forth in a rocking chair.
"Sweetie, are you okay?  Were you having a nightmare?"  He asked me worriedly.  I looked down to find the book "The Island in the Clouds" still being held in my Grandpa's hand.  It was all just a crazy dream. I sighed heavily, "I love you Grandpa.  Next time we visit the island in the clouds, please hold my hand.  I could never risk losing you."

Critique #3

Dubliners

This book was written by James Joyce in the early 1900s.  He lives in a very troubled time in Ireland and his book is a masterpiece of what he has to say about it through hidden messages in stories.  Each story is brilliantly written.  It seems as though every little detail is critical to the overall message that he is trying to get out.  The book contains short story after short story and within each story is an epiphany to discover.  He subtly hints at what he believes is wrong with Ireland without coming out a stating it clearly.  It is a magnificant peice of work for anyone to appreciate.  They are the kind of stories that a person can read and re-read and continue to catch minute details which add to the overall message.  Each story is extremely thought out and very clever.  It is almost a mystery trying to figure out exactly what he is trying to say with each detail.  It is written very intelligently.

Critique #2

Gossip Girl
This show is very mediocre.  I am only in the second season of six seasons, but I am not too impressed; however, it somehow holds your interest.  It is definitely not a terrible show but I think that the writing is pretty boring.  There is the same typical drama that you will find in any drama show.  I think that the writers could get more creative than writing situations that have already been seen over and over again. Even throughout the 20 episodes that I have watched thus far, the same drama has seemed to just go in circles repeating itself.  It is for this reason that I call it very mediocre.  The other thing that bothers me is how almost the entire cast is in their twenties playing high schoolers.  It is not very believable.  Also, they are constantly at bars underage in this show which is a little unrealistic.  Overall, it isn't the worst show; but it isn't the best either.

Critique #1

Frozen

Frozen was a fantastic movie.  Everything from the story line to the music was spectacular.  The voices of Anna and Elsa were beautiful.  It wasn't your typical love story which I really liked.  There was a plot twist that was different from most princess stories.  Instead of true love's kiss to heal all, the love of her sister was enough to magically heal her heart.  This idea of a woman not having to rely on a man is empowering.  A great movie like Frozen will appeal to any age. It was comedic and heart-warming.  Overall, it was an adorable film.

Prompt #1

Dream of a day where you find all of the answers.
Dream of a place far, far away.
Dream of something bigger than all of this.
Dream of a future with never ending happiness.
Dream that your dream will come true & maybe life will surprise you.

I enjoy writing, just to write.  I guess what I want to accomplish through this blog is to just get my thoughts down on this page as best I can, so that maybe one day I can look back and see how I viewed everything at this point in my life.

I am interested in film and apparel design.  I hope to do something with either of these industries some day.  I want to travel Europe.  My favorite place in the world to be is at my family's cottages in New Hampshire.  They have been in the family for over 100 years on the prettiest lake.  Anyway, this is where the slogan "Live free or die" comes from; it is New Hampshire's infamous phrase.