So sorry for the delay in putting this up. 

More journal and pictures...
7/12 My first day at the Gaelic College! Unfortunately, I have hardly any time to write. The Gaelic classes are quite easy for me, but the teacher is very nice and accommodating. She has pink tips of her hair. Stepdancing is fun; everyone in the class is between the ages of 5-7. Highland is great, but goes by super fast. The classes are not big. I hope we don't do a lot of nationals for Saturday. I liked Sandra Bald Jones. (Sorry for the random sentences). [I'm hoping to do a separate post on the Gaelic College.]
Our neighbors at the campground are going to the College too, and are very fun. We also met the K-s, F and O both little and sweet. It's rainy and cold, foggy and misty, and in the middle of nowhere. But it's rugged and beautiful. Gotta go! :)
Friday (7/18): Won most improved in stepdance along with C, most exciting. Had ceilidh in the afternoon. Arduous, sweaty, tiring, but enjoyable. 
7/18 Ugh. I'm sorry for not writing.
About today:
We packed up and left Englishtown Ridge. Had very yummy clam chowder at the Village Kitchen in Baddeck. We actually saw Cornelia as we were driving through town. We went to the Alexander Graham Bell museum, which was possibly the most discombobulating and surreal museum I've ever been to. But that could've been just because I was tired. It was very interesting though, It was completely bilingual (French), and even the staff was bilingual.
We then drove to Whycocomah and set up at a park there. The view is beautiful and the campsite is pretty spacious. I have not seen the washrooms yet. [Note the "washrooms".] Earlier it was pretty hot but now it's quite nice.
Yesterday (7/19): Said goodbye to A and C (above) -- there was even talk of strapping one or both of them to the roof of the car. I've missed them. Went to the competition, and hung out with a different A and Cornelia, and some people from the College. It was HOT. I was glad it didn't rain though, because the indoor stage is tiny. I didn't do very well, only a 4th in the Blue Bonnets (they awarded to 4th). I messed up my jig and hornpipe, although I got through my Earl! Yay! I heard the judge wasn't very technical and after all, it's nationals, so I'll not worry about it. A did quite well, and C won again. I had a fun time though. When we got back to the campsite, our new neighbors were playing 80s hits loudly all evening and into Sunday morning. Continue to have attacks from the squirrel.
All right then folks, more comin' your way soon, I hope! :)
 
USIR 2010 08/16/2010
 
With the United States Inter-Regional Championship this weekend, even us at home were excitedly searching Facebook and Dance net for results, holding our breath as we searched the numbers, our blood racing, our minds praying, "let me see her name..."


Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic, but still, I was anxious.


Most results can be found here, and more will be added in the next few days I'm sure.


Congrats to Sandy for getting 4th runner-up, that's fantastic!


Congrats to Caitlin for placing on Saturday and Sunday! Whoot!


Congrats to Rachel, for qualifying for her first USIR and doing a wonderful job on her dances. And thanks for kicking the sword for me. :)
 
Wordnik 08/09/2010
 
Picture

Another kewl word website.

Check it out! (Click on the picture).

I'll be back in a bit with another installation of my trip journal! :)
 
 
I will post my journal in parts, because 1) I tend to write a lot and 2) we have A LOT of pictures. Here goes!


7/7 Woke up at 4:15 and drove 12 hours to Bangor, Maine today. Had delicious Chicago deep-dish pizza at Pizzeria Uno. Went swimming in the most chlorinated/salty pool I've ever been in. Even though we're still in the US, we got Canadian television and things are translated into French instead of Spanish. The weather is lovely. Our waiter is good, had a Boston accent. Feeling relaxed and enjoying the internet, cookies, hot cocoa, and a real bed for all it's worth.


7/8 It's actually 7/9 but I didn't get a chance to write last yesterday. We crossed the border! I can hardly believe I'm really in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It feels different. In addition to the signs being bilingual they also have these icons, or symbols for everything from handmade pottery to to bed and breakfast, and even a spinning wheel! The landscape is wonderful, and looks like Canada. Loads of pine trees, fog, (in N. B.) rocks, and even though the forest is thick the land feels open. Lots of little lakes too. It's awfully windy and COOL! I can't get enough of the temperature. The people seem to be welcoming. When we were changing our money, a lady said, "You're a long way from home! Don't get lost! Enjoy your trip."
On the highway, a car honked and the people in it waved as it passed us. At the groccery store (they sell British candy!) (my first transaction with foreign currency) the cashier asked if I played piano. I said no. Do you play guitar? No again. You have such long fingers! In the nicest way possible. Oh and our lunch was at this little market in St. John. I had battered, fried fish, (the best I've ever had I think) and poutine, fries with cheese and gravy. Surprisingly good. Looks nasty though. :) I also tried dulse, dried seaweed.
Antigonish is very proud of its highland games (the oldest continually running) as pictures of dancers, tartan, and kilts, etc are everywhere. Going swimming now, so bye!
7/9 Tha i blàth gu dearbh an diugh. (It is warm indeed today.) Enjoyed the swimming today very much, Julius lent me his goggles. It's hot but the wind keeps blowing. I got sunburned... again. *sigh*. But doing well otherwise. So after swimming we got lunch at Sobey's and picnicked on St Francis Xavier's campus. It was cool to be there after hearing so much about it. Saw a chapel that said "God's house" in Gaelic on it. Went to the bookstore inside and saw some interesting Scottish books (one about Scottish Customs by Margaret Bennett looked particularly good). When I asked the cashier about a specific book that wasn't on shelf she went into the storeroom (I guess) and brought back a grammar book for me -- for free!
Went on a Gaelic walking tour (The Great Book of Gaelic -- An Leabhar Mòr) and got to meet several nice people, including the tour guide, Lewis MacKinnon, who had met Mr MacKay. Poems in Irish or Scottish Gaelic and illustrations to go with them. Very neat.
We went to buy dinner at Sobey's . We asked some Canadian customers about something we noticed yesterday -- milk in a bag. Literally, 4 liters (don't ask me to convert) of liquid milk in a plastic bag. They said that they had a container at home the bag went into and so poured the milk straight from the bag! Prices are also quite a bit higher, and the 16% tax on everything doesn't help. Oh -- and something that makes me excited is the (so seeming) vibrant Gaelic community here -- a few bilingual street signs. Gaelic books in the local bookstore. And on the tour, everybody but us knew each other, quite a part of it all. So cool. Well, I've blabbed for longer than I expected, tioraidh an dràst'!
Today we, Mommy and I, went to the Antigonish games and I competed. Because it's  a little remote, and Scotdance (their national championship) is this weekend as well, it doesn't attract Canada's top dancers. That said, there were 15 dancers in my age group and it is a championship. To make a long story short... I got 1st runner up!!! Not only did I make my goal of a judge's placing, I got an actual placing (the first in a open champ), and 2nd overall. 3rd in the fling, kicked the sword, 2nd in the Seann Triubhas, and 2nd in the reel. The champion in my group was Cornelia Geib. I am so happy with how I did. And I'm glad, actually, that I didn't win overall because it wasn't a big championship and then I wouldn't be able to do any more pre-championships. 
More Gaelic at the games... and met a lovely lady named Sìne Mairi, a fluent Gaelic learner. She's from Antigonish and started when she was 10. She said that she was trying to set up a pen-pal program for her (young) students, and so I gave her my email addy. We went to a salmon supper at a local church in a town of a crossroads and a few hundreds. It was dominated by more elderly people, but the food was great and the people very nice. We received an invitation to visit a couple, looked inside the church, and bought some tablet and a magnet for the pastor of our church.
We went swimming for a little while too. On a different note, (SLIGHTLY GROSS WARNING), I got a blister, which popped while I was warming up this morning (the work of 20 minutes, start to finish) It hurts.  (END) I'm not too keen on our neighbors; I'm not sure why. The weather continues to be windy, if humid. Happily your for now. :)
7/11 Won fourth in the special sword, naught in the hornpipe, 6th in the blue bonnets and village maid, 3rd in the lilt. Rained. Saw a sign for a pancake breakfast and screeeech, we were there. It was good too. Made friends with C (who won yesterday), A and S, from P. E. I. Had a short conversation in Gaelic with the check-in guy at the Gaelic College. TTFN. Will try to write more tomorrow.


So that's all for now!
 
I'm back! 07/29/2010
 
Moooooose!
From our wonderful, buggy, fun, rainy, green, enriching, photo-filled trip to.....

CANADA!

From our first stop-over night in Bangor, Maine, to Iona, Cape Breton, NS, to Acadia National Park, Maine this trip has been a whirlwind.

So... I have plans for posting, really I do. I actually kept a journal this time, and so you'll actually get an account. But it's going to be a few days before you get it. For one thing my birthday is on Friday, and for another we have a very full weekend ahead of us. So I'll be back in a little bit. Home sweet home.
 
Hot 07/06/2010
 
It's 102 degrees here today. Can you hear me groaning? 


Okay bye. See you in another month.


Just joking! Well, maybe not. Those of you who know me know what I'm going to be doing over the next three weeks. Those who don't know me don't.


So needless to say, although I'm saying it is that something very exciting/crazy/packed/busy is happening over the next three weeks, so I won't be able to post.


Here, however, is a post about a recent mòd I competed in on my brand-new Gaelic blog. Have a look, stay cool, and I'll see ya in a little bit.


*This post may not make any sense.* 
 
 
I wanted to get a new post out this week on some other topics, but I don't think it's going to happen. I am trying to scramble to get schoolwork done and prepare for my trip, which I'm leaving on tomorrow night. Yikes! I'm going to Colorado for a Gaelic immersion event which is both exciting and scary at the same time. Anyway here's my Damsel's Daybook, which I know I haven't done for a while. :)

Outside my window... light blue cloudy sky and GREEN! (I'm not sure why that makes me so excited, but it does.) Thankfully today wasn't as hot as yesterday. But it was still hot.

I am thinking about... the things I haven't done today and yesterday and my entire life. Also about my trip and all the things I need to do because of the former.

From the kitchen... ummmm, an unknown dinner? We had a parmesan and black pepper baguette from Wegmans as a part of dinner last night. Very interesting and delicious. I love Wegmans.

I am creating... a draft of a dratted essay. (Not really).

I am reading... I just finished Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright. Recommended. 

I am hearing... my fan and the birds squabbling outside. Silly birds.

I am hoping... desperately. See my thoughts.

I am planning... to finish this blog post as fast as I can. Then do some other stuff.

I am wearing... some tan and purple striped pants with a brown shirt. And headphones. Don't ask.

Around the house... we're hot. And cranky. But AC -- oh AC how I love you. Even though you haven't been put in yet.

My wish of the week... uh, other than get through it? One moment I'm looking forward to my trip and the other I'm dreading it. I'm also worried I won't be get all my stuff done. So yeah. 

Sorry if that was gloomful. I'm just kinda going crazy right now, and you know what happens when I get crazy. Anyways, I'll see you all later. I've got some singin' to do.
 
Free Rice! 05/26/2010
 
If you are:
-- a word geek
-- just a geek in general
-- concerned with world hunger
-- just a random person with some time on your hands


I present to you....
Free Rice.com 


The idea is that for every question that you get right, 10 grains of rice are donated to stop world hunger. They start off pretty easy, but then they get harder and harder. So you are feeding your brain, vocabulary, and the world at the same time. How cool is that?


Check it out! There are also other subjects: math, English grammar, foreign language, art, chemistry, and geography. Be forewarned though: it's quite addictive.
 
Umm, yeah 05/13/2010
 
Don't worry, I'll be back soon with a long-belated post (sorries!). But for your entertainment, here is a picture of my dad...
Picture
And a sign my mom is going to put on our front door because of the annoying salespeople who come by. All. The. Time. All of the instances mentioned here have happened.
NO SOLICITATIONS

Solicitation:

Act or instance of requesting or seeking bid, business, or information.

In plain English:

If you replacement doors, windows, or other home items that you would like us to set up and appointment to talk about, don't knock. I am not interested. I used to answer the door but now I can't. You folks don't take no for an answer and I really hate to have to threaten to call the police, but I will call if I have to say "I am not interested" more than once.

If you are from Verizon or Comcast or another such company -- WE DON'T OWN A TV and therefore are not interested in your service. And no we don't plan on getting one. Yes there are other things to do in the evening like read and knit and whittle, oh yes, we do those things. I was asked so I'm telling you in case you are curious.

I don't buy meat leftover from a delivery out of the back of your truck, no matter how great a deal it is. EVER!

Take a look to your left. You see that building there on the corner, it is called a LIBRARY. Therefore I don't want your educational books or encyclopedias or magazines. I can walk across the street and get anything I need. Even if you will use the money to take a trip to Europe, I don't want any, sorry.

If you are from a religious organization -- I'm not interested in arguing with anyone and am set in my convictions, so DO NOT KNOCK.
 
Hodgepodge 04/22/2010
 
We are in the thick of competition season! I had another one in NC last week and have one this weekend too (leaving tomorrow).

On a different subject: how do you like the new header?

On another subject: I saw a play of Romeo and Juliet today. Let me just say... Oh. My. Goodness. It was amazing.

Anyway, before I left I thought I'd post some links to things I've been enjoying lately:

Daily Writing Tips Poetry Competition First Semi-Final

My friend Emily won this round... I meant to vote but I didn't see it in time. I would've voted for her even if she wasn't my friend. Her poem is called The Moon is My Cradle. Great job, Emily!

Fattypuffs and Thinifers by Andre Maurois - Wikipedia 

One of the "most influential" books of my dad's childhood. Apparently he loved it. Looks rather delightful.

Signs of Spring Photo Contest

My mom entered a photo in this contest -- please vote for her! (Her's is the photo on the linked page). 

DC Blog: And now for something completely different.

Just an interesting blog post from David Crystal.

A food blog post of mine.

All righty then, that's all for now! :)