First of all, so basic life stuff. Past couple weeks have been flying by, I feel like I'm going to crash into winter break at 100 mph. Things haven't been awful, but I have two really big tasks to complete over the break (my 12-15 page seminar paper and my college applications), so I can't really look forward to a terribly relaxing break. Still, I think the mere thought of having those two things done is relaxing. In the meantime, I'll have to try to get as much of it done now, so maybe I can breathe for five minutes of break. I've been waiting to submit my common application until I found out if I made District Orchestra..... the auditions were yesterday. I think things went pretty well, but I play violin, which, along with flute is the most competitive instrument, so I could do well and still miss it by 20 people. Our orchestra director should call me today if I made it. Anyway, back to the applications thing, after I finish up with the common app, I still have to do a bunch of little "why do you want to apply here essays", a 500 worder for Yale, and the Honors app for GW. My fabulous paper (I hope it will be) is on Christian Science, and I have a myriad of things I have to do in the paper. I've done a bunch of research, but I still have more to go. My thesis is due tomorrow, and hopefully my teacher will be in a helpful mood so he can explain WHAT THE HELL RELIGION HAS TO DO WITH GLOBALIZATION! As for my classes in general, instrumental music should be much less tedious now that my audition is over. In Seminar we're reading White Noise, which is cool, but I'm kind of dreading having to write about it. Calc is calc. We have a pretty easy test of Friday, so I hope that'll boost my grade a little. This mp has generally been better than last, so maybe I could sneak away with an A? English is cool now because we're doing o\ur feminist unit, The Awakening and then....The Bell Jar. Squee for that. Plus, we're acutally going to do some villanelles, which most English teachers have never even heard of. Double squee! After winter break, we only have two weeks before finals, then I'm into my super sweet second semester. Which is good, because I haven't had enough time to work on Science Olympiad, so I'll have to crack down then. 
So, as busy as I sound, I somehow have made time for reading also. Its been a long time since I read a Star Wars book, I read the Dark Nest series (much to my disappointment) as they came out, but then I never got to picking up a Legacy of the Force book, until Thanksgiving that is. I'm now on the third book, and I have to say, while they're not NJO, they're pretty great. I've been kind of disappointed with a lack of Jaina, but the third book seems to be trying to rectify that. There are nine books in the series and they go on a rotation of writers: Aaron Allston, Karen Traviss, and Troy Denning. Allston has been funny as ever. Bloodlines was my first Traviss book, but I wasn't disappointed. Kind of a unique, but good style. Denning is definitely doing his thing, and I'm confused as ever about his descriptions, but its still good for the most part. It appears Jag is coming back, and Jaina did finally tell readers definitively that she's not into Zekk, so I can't help but hope for a rekindling of the old flame. Of course, the would have to get over the whole battling each other thing. Tenel Ka is also finally making an appearance in this book, which is cool, but I really wish somebody elso knew that Allana was Jacen's son. As for Jacen, i have no words for the moment. Oh, no, I found one: idiot. I know his sith path is inevitable, but does he have to take Ben along for the ride? Grrrrr. Also, my dear best friend spoiled for me that Jacen kills Mara, which is ever looming over me as I read these books. Why????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? This is why they need to put in more Jaina, because they already took away Anakin and now Mara too? I bet Lucas was behind this as well. 

Sorry, crazy rant over. Have fun in the snow, my friends.