STACKED

Stacked, let's just say it's the new cool in restaurants. My dad took us there for lunch today and overall I loved the experience. I wouldn't say it was my favorite place to eat in the whole wide world but I will say that it is the funnest place to eat.

Picture this, your order is taken by an i-pad. How cool is that!?! So if I wanted a burger, all I would do is press BURGERS, and then I can STACK IT!!! On the i-pad is your burger but on the side are all the toppings. If I wanted onions I would just drag the picture of onions onto the burger and so on. When you're done stacking you press order.

Ordering food feels like it's a video game. What's even more awesome is you get want you want (no mistakes) and then you swipe your credit card into the machine that holds the i-pad and they will give you your receipt or they will email it to you. I swear that in the future all restaurants will be like this!

I ordered this delicious pulled pork sandwich. It was in a nicely toasted hamburger bun with coleslaw on the bottom, the delicious bbq pulled pork in the middle, and then and abundance of delicious onion rings/strips on top! It was so stinking good!

I recommend Stacked for the experience and to enjoy some good food. It's something I've never seen in restaurants before and I think from now on all restaurants should apply technology to food. I loved it and the best part was I had some great quality time with my family.

Les Miserables

Love. Love. Love.

I praise the producers of this movie. It was brilliant, inspiring, and leaves audiences with swollen red eyes . I'm not a crier, especially in movies, but Les Miserables touched me in ways a movie has never touched me before. 

When I say this movie will hit you hard, I mean you are left wrecked. I am all out of tears because I used them up last night in the movie theater at South Coast. I failed at composing my emotions not because it was sad; I felt a deep sense of compassion and love towards the characters.

I must say that Anne Hathway and Hugh Jackman deserve best actress and actor of the year for their remarkable performance. Not only did they sing but they ACTED. I will forever see them in any other movie they are part of as Fantine and Jean Valjean. I love these two because I loved their characters in the movie.

My favorite song of the whole movie was "I dreamed a dream". Our family has the soundtrack from the musical and I have heard "I dreamed a dream" plenty of times. When I saw Anne Hathaway singing with such strength and raw emotion, it was like I heard the song for the first time. She sang the song how it was supposed to be sung, not beautiful and perfect but haunting.

What I love about this movie is I am being told a story, not watching Broadway stars belt loud notes. The actors were true to the story and true to the characters they took on.

 Don't go into the theater expecting you are going to see the Broadway musical. Although none of the actors are second class singers, the movie is more focused on the story. Go see Les Miserables just because it's a great movie with a touching message. If you expect a Broadway musical with operatic voices, where everyone hits the notes just perfectly, go see the lame musical.

Boo to the Flu

So last night I got hosed. I totally have the flu and I feel like the walking dead. I know that this probably isn't the funnest post you'll read from this blog but I just have to write about it since I feel AWFULL.

My biggest complaint is that I am super sore. My muscles are aching which isn't fair because all I want to do is sleep but of course I can't even get comfortable in my bed. By the time I am laying down I am breaking out into sweats and I feel so uncomfortable and disgusting.  I also feel extremely messed up in the brain. I don't think I even got four hours of sleep last night since I was constantly running to the restroom. In a way it hurts to think. I probably have raccoon eyes. I don't even want to bother looking in the mirror since all that will do is depress me.

I think I get partially crazy when I'm sick. I went to South Coast with my mom and sister today and it was just no fun. I don't even like going to South Coast on a good day, let alone a day after I've been doing nothing but throwing up. I ended up sitting outside of the store on a bench. I figured that I'd rather be doing something than sitting on my couch feeling  lazy.

I feel like a ninety- year -old woman inside a seventeen year old body.

I guess the point of this post is to inform all readers to keep yourself healthy. Being sick should so not be on your list during winter break. Make sure to eat healthy, wash your hands, and avoid anyone that has a stomach ache. I wish you all a very healthy rest of your day! (:

Football and Grandpa

My grandpa is the biggest 49ers fan I know which is why of all the professional football teams out there they are also my favorite. My grandpa makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world. He's my pal and I'm his sweetheart.

My idea of the best day ever would be sitting on the couch watching the 49ers play while my grandpa and I are yelling out lame calls and cheering on awesome plays. In all honesty I just yell out what my grandpa yells out and I pretend that I know everything there is to football. I do ask him what a call for a play meant and he explains it to me, but I never remember. The only time I ever watch or care about football is when my grandpa is around. Once I'm at his house or he's at mine football becomes the highlight of our day.

I'll never forget, one Monday evening my gramps and I were both on the couch watching the 49ers. I made sure I was wearing my glasses just like my grandpa was so I was catching every play in high definition. We huddled under our blankets since it was a cold evening in Walnut Creek, California. The only light in the room was coming from a small lamp on the stand beside us and the tv screen. It was in the fourth quarter when the 49ers had the ball and the Lions were slowly starting to catch up.

Our eyes were riveted to the screen. The two hour football game felt more like 30 minutes. All of the sudden we were both on the edge of our seats when we witnessed the football spirling towards the end zone and a pair of hands caught it. The 49ers had won the game and my grandpa and I were fist pumping. I almost started dancing.

There is something about my grandpa that just gives me the greatest confidence in the world. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always felt so treasured and special to my grandpa. He always has my back in everything I do. My grandpa is so cool that he will walk into Forever 21 with me and pick out sweaters and shirts that I absolutely love and has me try them on. He would be in that store for hours as long as it made me happy. I remember one time I had a huge history project and my grandpa, the smartest man alive, sent me links to all sorts of fantastic information that I was able to use for my project. The best part is, I got an A on it! On Halloween, he took the time to search through all the candy and find me a Reeses since they are my favorite. I just know he loves me by all those little acts of kindness he sends my way.

I love my old man to infinity and beyond.

Cute Brother

In my family we have three girls and one boy; we feel bad for the boy. Not only is the boy the only one of his kind other than my dad, but the boy is the youngest. The boy has had to watch barbie movies, disney princesses, and dance shows. The boy's name is Jake Johns and I love this kid so much!

I remember when Jake was born; he was the biggest pain in the butt. He would always cry and never want anyone but my mom. As he grew up, my love for him has just grown and grown. He's my baby brother and I adore his cute little face. The best thing in the whole world is coming home from school and hearing Jake say, "Aly, you're beautiful" while he gives me a huge hug.

Jake and I have our disagreements for sure. I annoy Jake and Jake annoys me. I remember one time we were at the park and he was really bugging me so I chased him around  and pinned him to the ground. I guess he didn't like it because he ran home crying which resulted in more running for me and a whole lot of apologies to a slammed door in my face. Another time Jake was irritating me while I was being ever so studious and doing my homework like a good child. I decided to up his annoyingness by talking back to him in a sarcastic voice. We both bothered my mom so much that she banned us from speaking or looking at each other for the rest of the day. At least we never got sent to our rooms because it has happened.

With our ups and downs, moments like Wednesday morning remind me to cherish my little brother. I was up at the crack of dawn to get ready for school when I saw a note on the kitchen counter. It was a letter addressed to Santa Clause from Jake. I read it and about died of cuteness. Here is the letter that my cute little brother wrote to Mr. C with translations for clarification. 

" Dear Santa, I hope you are reading this because I love you a lot. You give me toys and all I have to do is play with them and you never ask for anything in reatern (return) and I think thats speashall (special). P.S. Tell Roodaf (Rudolph) Jake says hi and tell Scooter (Johns Family Elf on the Shelf) that Jake says hi and that Jake also says have safe fly here."

I adore how innocent and adorable Jake is. I don't want him to grow out of believing in Santa Claus, giving me lots of hugs, always telling my mom that he loves her (even when his friends are all standing right there), his sensitive feelings towards others, and well his cute little boy face! I'm proud to say that I have a little brother who never stops adding to the adventure, laughter, and cuteness in my life.

Hittin the Slammer

They call it the rock, or they did 45 years ago when a bunch of criminals were headed towards Alcatraz island. The rock received all the hard core villains like Al Capone, Creepy Karpus, The Bird Man, and Machine Gun Kelly. My family and I got to go to San Francisco this Thanksgiving to get a taste of what these men went through.

These men had absolutely nothing. The area they were allowed to be in was extremely small and limited. Their choices for free time were reading only philosophical books (boring), outside where they could play games like baseball or handball (lame), and time in their closet size cell (claustrophobic).

What really makes Alcatraz considered one of the best federal prisons is it was inescapable. Only three men ever escaped but were never seen or heard of again. It's highly un-likley they survived because of the crazy currents around the island, the freezing water temperature, and the great white sharks in the dark murky water below. To think of how prisons have become now, people escape all the time, and prisons are a luxury rather than a punishment. When Alcatraz was around everyone felt safe. Only the worst were sent to Alcatraz and there they remained.

Inmates said ," If you break the rules you go to prison. If you break prison rules, they send you to Alcatraz." (Not positive I quoted it with 100% accuracy.) Imagine that all of the worst criminals you can possibly think of are on an island where escape is impossible and death awaits those who attempt. The men on the rock were maniacs. If they caused trouble during their time, they were forced to remain in "the hole". In "the hole" people like The Bird Man were placed in a cell where there was no bed, bathroom, or light. I went into "the hole" for a few minutes and the darkness was so thick it felt as if life itself were non-existent. An inmate said that to entertain himself he would spin around, throw a button, and then spend the rest of the day finding it over and over again.

I loved my trip to Alcatraz and I've always found the island such a mystery. It's creepy to know that places you were standing, the most terrifying criminals of the 1920's like Al Capone and The Bird Man, were there not that long ago. I was in the prison cafeteria where men stabbed fellow inmates through their backs like a knife goes through butter. I was standing where a riot occurred and an officer was shot and killed. I stood where the military threw hand grenades because of a riot and saw the marks on the floor it left behind. I saw the hole that three men made through a cement wall with only the use of spoons. I walked down the empty, echoing halls where the worst men alive once stepped and where all chances of freedom were abandoned. Only a mile away from San Francisco I visited what these men would say was a living hell.

Halloween

I don't really celebrate Halloween but I don't mind the holiday. I'm all about cute little kids in their costumes knocking on my door. I also am a huge fan of the free candy. It's pretty sweet! (See what I did there?) My only complaint is that my neighborhood is a crowded mess on Halloween. The reason why is because I live in the neighborhood right by Harper Park. There is this house in our neighborhood where every year they go all out  for Halloween. One year they had real camels, the other year they had a fire breathing dragon, but my favorite year was when they decorated their house to Star Wars. They had a legit X wing fighter, C3PO, R2D2, and the Darth Vader they had looked like it came right out of the movie! It's been a fun tradition and I feel kind of cool being part of this iconic neighborhood in Fountain Valley. But with super cool events comes mobs of Halloween fanatics. I get really uncomfortable when people I only see at school are knocking at my door and now know where I live. Tonight is Halloween and I'm wondering what it's going to be like this year. Apparently there was a fight on our street last Halloween and the police were involved. I have a feeling it's going to be out of control this year. I will end what I am saying right now and finish this post with a report on how it was tonight.


(Three Hours Later)

Well I was right! We got a lot of interesting people. There were the usual girls in their skimpy outfits, crazy parents with their screaming and crying kids, and party adults with their beers. Apparently there were two people that got arrested, and there was no room for parking on any of our streets, not to mention our park got trashed with candy wrappers.  To be honest, I was a little disappointed by this year's decorations. The theme was the Wizard of Oz. It felt super last minute and I was bugged they weren't handing out their usual full sized candy bars, or at least I didn't get one, rude! I still enjoyed it and was impressed that they pulled it off. It didn't matter in the end because I was able to hang out with friends and get on a sugar high. I had a great Halloween and it was probably my best one ever!

Surf's Up

 I love the adrenaline rush I get from surf competitions.Our team shows up to the beach when it is pitch black and freezing cold. We quickly throw on our wetsuits in order to escape the chilly air. I usually grap my board and place a thin layer of wax on it just to make sure I won't slide off my board during my heat. Once it is more visible we walk to the shore line and stretch. While I'm stretching I'm watching the waves and picturing where I want to be and how I am going to take the waves. I play over and over my plan of attack. Once the competition starts I look at the competitors in the heat before mine to see where the swell is and  where the other guys are positioning themselves to get into the waves. Pretty soon I go check to see what color rash guard I have to wear. Our rash guards tell the judges what team we are representing. Once I throw that on I grab my board and head towards the water. When the horn blows I run into the water and quickly paddle out past the break. Now it's game time.

I'm constantly watching the waves to make sure I am right were I can catch them. When I see one I paddle towards it, position myself, and charge. It dig deep into the water to make sure I gain enough speed to drop in. Once I feel I have caught the wave I snap up and turn quickly to ride the wave left or right. It's the same process over and over again. After my fifteen minutes is up I head out and my dad tells me how I placed. I then get myself pumped up for my next heat. Even when I'm not competing, surfing gets me going.  My friend Dave told me why he loves surfing one morning when we  were out waiting for sets to come. He said, "Aly, your are riding moving water, that makes you like God." I don't know if I would consider it godly but it is perfectly described in one word, rad.

Cell Phone Envy

I feel so technologically behind in such a technological world. I see everyone with their fancy smart phones and i phones that I can't help but want one. They are just so remarkable I can't even process the idea of owning a computer, camera, video game system, GPS, and phone all at once! It's amazing the amount of things a cell phone can do. My mom has the i phone 4s so we like to use syrie a lot. In a way I find it a little creepy that my mom's phone can talk to me and I can talk to her. There was a kid in my Geometry class last year who asked syrie "where can I hide a dead body?" He did it just to see how syrie would react. The scary part was syrie said, "what are you looking for? Swamps,dumps, lakes, forests, etc." I find it alarming that our phones have become so advanced today that they could help us commit a crime, even murder!

I'm jealous when I see my friends texting or sending cool photos using their instagrams.
I wonder why I am the only teenager that doesn't have an i phone or smart phone. My phone is prehistoric and when I say prehistoric I mean it doesn't have texting or a camera, it's simply just for calls. The worst part about my phone is that it is pre paid. I hate pre paid phones! Once my phone runs out of money it starts to speak Spanish and it won't work until I pay for more minutes. This has happened to me at least four times. I remember talking with my good friend and I was in the middle of my sentence when all of the sudden my phone shut down. I tried calling again but my phone wouldn't let me. I checked on my account and my balance was zero dollars. I had to text my friend on my mom's phone that my phone ran out of money and it was all their fault. He told me that he tried to call my phone to see why I hung up but when he did the voicemail was some guy speaking spanish.

 On the bright side, I have an antique. My phone can flip up and down! I've had people ask me "why do you carry a brick?" I feel honored that I am educating other kids on technology from the past! It's pretty awesome because my "brick" is indestructible. I had a kid chuck my phone like a baseball across the park and it still works like a charm. I can't even tell you how many times I've dropped that thing on the hard wood floor. It doesn't break! The other bonus is I will never have to worry about my phone disappearing. No one will ever want to steal it!

Do you Mind

I've already made two posts but Mr. Ziebarth mentioned we could write a post about our blog and what it's all about. I have a friend who even said," you're blog is really random." To be quite honest, I really can't tell you what it's about. I pretty much write what ever is on my mind or what I am currently interested in. I consider myself a random person at times which means I tend to do random things. I have a hard time focusing on one thing for too long and writing this blog has helped me get out what has been on my mind. For instance, I wrote about dancing above because I had just watched my favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance, and was super excited by this one really good number. After seeing that dance, nothing but dance was on my mind.  So I guess in order to define what my blog is about I would say it's about the mind of Aly Johns. It sounds weird saying that but it's true. I don't have one thing that I could go on and on forever about. I am not an expert in any area where I could tell you everything I possibly know.

What's funny is I never imagined even having a blog. I have a hard time writing in my own journal so  keeping a blog sounded like a chore to me. In a way I'm enjoying having a blog because I am just dumping everything out of my head and typing it out on the keyboard. This blog is basically the waste disposal of my mind. My mind is a crazy place and I think it could be better organized at times. Perhaps this blog will help me organize my thoughts and inspirations. My inspiration right now is to finish up this post because it is getting boring and I have nothing else to say.

Dance

I hear the pounding of the loud beat. It cause the whole room, the ground, the walls to move along with it. As I walk, the vibrations from the ground creep up my legs and the music over takes me. I am dancing. My body can't resist. Dance is the language my body chooses to use.

I remember the previous night. My mom calls to me from upstairs. It it on, my favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance. I leap up the stairs and quickly seat myself on the couch. On the screen I see four people. Music begins to blare and fills up the whole stage. The four are speaking to me,  telling me their story. I see sharp sudden movements, each part of their body moving to the exact timing of the music. I can't tell the difference from the music to the dancers as they all become one. They are angry. I can tell from the way they fling their arms the way their feet smack the ground with much strength. Their faces become contorted. The whole stage is alive as the lights move with them. As I watch my body responds with the same intensity. My adrenaline is pumping. I feel the movements the dancers are painting so vividly with their bodies. All of the sudden it stops. The dancers are still. My hair stands on end. I am hypnotized. I have to watch it again I tell myself. I rewind.

As I'm dancing I think of the four on stage. What they were telling me. What am I telling others right now? I flow with the music. The music and I become one. I feel alive. I look around. My friends flail their arms, their heads pound, they move together in a similar fashion. Their faces are bright, their eyes wild. I see they are excited. Others stand around tapping their feet. Some walk to the beat. Everyone in the room becomes alive all moving to the language they choose to speak with. For the next two minutes we are all absorbed into a new world of thinking a new way to display our innermost emotions. For the next couple of minutes we read the beat. We speak it. We dance.

Shopping

 There are two kinds of people in this world; those who like shopping and those who don't. I hate shopping. It's sounds weird coming from a Johns since all of the Johns girls love shopping but I can't deal with it! It's frustrating, depressing, and annoying. I say this because every time I go shopping I start and end in a bad mood. Shopping bugs me big time! Shopping is like a bad boyfriend. I always reunite with the idea of doing it again but I come out more upset than I was before. To be honest, I don't hate the idea of shopping. I love  geting quality items and I'm a girl, I like to look good. It's the process and actual action of shopping that I can't stand. In the past year I've spent at least two hours each shopping trip and  have never come out of the mall with a purchase. Two hours is a lot! I'm dead tired after twenty minutes of shopping. This is why shopping depresses me and I don't know why I still attempt to do it.

I made another attempt at shopping this past weekend. It's crazy but I did it! My first store I stopped by was Urban Outfitters and it got me into the Aly Johns mood for shopping the rest of the evening.  It was a two for twenty four dollar deal on t shirts.Knowing Urban Oufitters that's a score. I really wanted this one t shirt. It had cats all over it, I don't even like cats, can't stand them actually, but I loved this shirt!

I made my way to the dressing room figuring I was going to come out buying this insanely cute shirt. 

I tried it on and to my dissapointment it was too small. The thing was suctioned to me, it was very unattractive. I walked back to where I found it and tried to find a bigger size. I tried a medium since there were no smalls left. I walked back in, threw the shirt on and to my surprise it was too big! It fit great on the top but was super long on the bottom.When I say long I'm talking it was like a minidress type of long. I was super ticked off! The worst is that my hair after trying on clothing for about an hour became a frizzy mess. I was so mad. I really wanted the shirt.  I did the work. I tried it on. I gave it a shot.  I even sacrificed a good hair day for it as well! After many tests and experiments, I've concluded that shopping is not going to be one of my favorite pastimes.  Shopping is not for everyone, especially when you're name is Aly Johns.