VICTORIA'S COMING BACK!!!

So here I was, walking my sister back home after school, when I noticed a letter (or a few) sticking out of the mail box. At first I thought it was Shelley finally replying to my letter, but then I looked at the writing on the front and it was from VICTORIA!!

I couldn't stop squealing and jumping up and down once I realised it was from her! (sounds impossible, but it's true people)

She told me how the Japanese students are learning about how to use Word, Excel and Powerpoint and how she finds it weird since they're supposed to be high tech and all. It's really cold there and they're not allowed to wear their cloaks or scarves inside the building. Apparently there's heating but it's always set at 19 degrees. Poor Victoria!! She must be freezing!! Apparently students aren't allowed to dye their hair there..strange. So she obviously hasn't dyed hers.

Most importantly:

She's coming back early on Monday. She cut her hair again, so it's a bob cut with a fringe. She wouldn't answer my question in regards to whether she's seen any hot guys/girls or if she has a boyfriend...

But whatever. The important thing is, she's coming back, and soon!

Reckon we should have a party or something?

:)

Still jumping around and squealing, Jessica

The Jessica Projekt

I know its spelt project losers. So... this is kind of odd for me to say but I talked to Jess about it and she knows this is happening. Now I put the question to you: Old Jess or Soon To Be New Jess? Explain and discuss.

What I really mean is Jessica as she was: perverted. Or the new Jess who is trying to not be so extreme in that particular area.

oh and as a side note, from her: "i won't hurt them if they diss me badly"

------------------------------

So guys, some of you probably haven't realised but, over the holidays it was like a light turned on in my head. I suppose I realised that the way I've been acting has not been good. At all. And not just in the perverted sense. I think I'm just a bit much. The hugging, the kissing, the random acts of violence. I don't want to be like that anymore. I don't want to scare those around me, nor do I want to hurt them. I've probably offended/hurt most, if not all, of you in the past.

So I'm here now, apologising to each and every one of you.

And I know that apologies can't fix everything and I can't guarantee that I won't hurt one of you guys again.

So I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm trying to change into a better person. Someone who understands where the line is and knows when to stop. Someone who thinks before they speak. It's not going to be easy though yeah? Change doesn't happen over night. It's two steps forward and one step back for me.

So I'm asking you all to bear with me here. I'm going to change for the better!

Jessica

the best blog post in the world

is right here

The Bright Side

Wonderfully charming man that I just want to bear hug talks about life:



"Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you still end up among the stars."

All in a day's work

In line with our Big Plans for WD, Shelley and I went paperclip swapping and ended up with a bunch of items. Our final list:

1 Clinique 125ml Dramatically Different Pump moisturizer (which I'm going to list on eBay tonight, and get around $50 for. Minus all eBay fees, when I sell it, we'll end up with around $20 each. Which is $10 an hour if you consider it. Which is also better than if I got a job. Which is really good, considering all the exercise and people skills we've gained. We're one small step closer to WD!)

2 One bike, which I doubt we'll be able to sell, even though the tyre is only flat. I mean, a NEW kids bicycle sells for around $100 on eBay, and ours is old, scratched and in terrible condition. My mother dearest says we should have kept the mini guitar/ukele. Whatever that thing was. She said bike major downgrade from guitar. Nevertheless we have learned not to trade things backwards. Let's make an emphasis on better not bigger. I mean, didn't we swap that little tennis ball for that NEW footyball which was swapped for an OLD BIG tennis ball?

Anyway, about the bike, I don't think it's salvagable.

3 One Breakfast tray: Hey, do you want me to buy some wood paint and we'll decorate it and then try to sell it, or do you want to try selling it anyway. I did some research and it seems as though we might be able to get around $30 for it. Even though it's used. Have a look: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280297761113&category=162789

It's similar to ours yeah?

What about this one: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350148063872&category=20548 <--- I swear, ours looks EXACTLY like that one. Except ours is slightly dustier. You were right, the breakfast tray is worth more than that man shirt.

4 Some Christmas gift bags, which will be used this year's Christmas for giving gifts.

5 One cap.

6 Some sunscreen. That nice lady said it was NEW, but it's not. It's like half-full, but whatever. That rose water cologne she gave us got us the Clinique thing that's worth like $50.

Hey, you have all the photos. I was going to take photos with my phone and upload them to record how we went with the words above but yeah.

I was actually sorta disappointed with what we ended up with in the beginning, but I'm sorta seeing it now as we turned 3 (or was it 4?) paperclips into $50. In two hours. I think we're pretty damned good! :)

Shelley dear, our talks about those WD plans got me thinking. We're not going to just sit around and talk about it right? So, we gotta get off our arses and work work work! I don't actually mind if we don't own the W, but I would like those Wheels & Dollbaby dresses. Anyway, we need goals. SMART goals.

Special
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time Orientated

Your talking of my Sunday motivational highs got me getting all my notes out. Anyway, I found this really smart article, that I guess I wanted to share with everyone:

Anyway, so no. 3 strikes a chord with me.

12 Laws of Life

These are non-negotiable and there are no escape clauses. No excuses are accepted.

Ignore them at your own risk.

I got this information over decades of living, but many people never learn these rules at

all. And so they live in “quiet desperation.” You don’t have to settle for that. If you

consider these Facts and test them against your experience (NOT your conditioning!), I

predict you’ll adopt them, and you’ll be on your way to a life of freedom and

accomplishment.

********************************

1. SELF-MANAGEMENT AND PEOPLE SKILLS ARE THE KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS.

This is a MAJOR fact of life. And it took me a long time to get this. If you want to be smarter than me you’ll give this first principle serious consideration. Your skill level in these two areas will determine the quality of your whole life. Every champion and high achiever knows this. These simple skills are the clear difference between winners in life, and losers.

If you learn to manage yourself you can accomplish anything you can dream up. You can deal with negative experiences wisely and you can add skills as you need them. You can become unstoppable. Self management puts you on the launching pad to all the success you desire.

Most people limit themselves by their unwillingness to consider personal change. They won’t learn new things and they won’t change their behaviors even when they discover they’ve been wrong.

The funny thing is, self-change is EASY. You are the one person that you can get to anytime you want. You don’t need permission or an appointment, and no one can stop you from learning and changing whenever you decide to. The only obstacle is you! Self-management is actually the first step to building people skills. Once you commit to changing yourself into who you can be, you will notice the people around you in a different way. Now you see them as fellow beings with their own fears and drives. And they will see you with new respect and attractiveness. You are surrounded by people who can help or harm you, based on how you treat them. Learning how people work is a skill, just like learning how you work. These people can multiply your efforts and supercharge your success It takes leadership and persuasion skills - people skills. People skills are like a booster rocket propelling you to your dreams. And the process of succeeding with others can be learned just like you learn to make toast. If you follow directions and practice, you can develop the skills that will make you very happy and prosperous.

2. YOU ARE AT THE CENTER OF YOUR UNIVERSE. STAY THERE!

As a young sailor I learned the hard way that when I was in a foreign port I needed to take my corners wide and keep my hands out of my pockets. In other words, I had to stay balanced, alert and ready to react to surprises. I’ve found that a lot of life’s situations are like “foreign ports.” They range from the bedroom to the boardroom, and you will encounter them throughout your life.

Keep your balance. Stay centered. Expect surprises.

Being centered has two sides; inner and outer.

Begin within.

Inner centeredness comes first; look there for your best self. It is how you will find peace of mind. There is a place in you that’s connected to something beyond you. Spending time there will keep your mind clear and your spirit refreshed. That “doorway” is your center.

Until you’re connected to your core you won’t be very good at handling the rest of the world. Few people really get this. It is the single most important and least understood fact of life Your center is easy to find. Every spiritual tradition in history teaches prayer and meditation - it’s the most important thing you can do for the quality of your life. Just take a little break a couple of times a day, and learn to be still and RELAX. If you give yourself this little time each day you will become calmer, stronger and your physical and mental health will improve. You will begin to focus more on what you think of yourself than what others may think of you.

For outer centeredness, you need to gain awareness of your personal boundaries. This is critical. Pay close attention to where you stop and others start. Protect your personal prerogatives and respect those of others. Allowing others to invade your boundaries will destroy your personal freedom and subject you to their tyranny.

If you cross the boundaries of others you become codependent with them, caring more about how they live their lives than how you live yours. You can care about others without having to run their lives. Let them go and feel the relief, once you get used to living only your own life.

3. WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT MOST IS WHAT YOU GET.

There is a Law of Attraction in human nature. What is in your mind is reflected “out there,” in what you experience as your reality.

Afraid? Then all the goblins that you fear will be attracted to you. The only useful purpose of fear is to remind you to plan. Plan so that you protect yourself from harm, but don’t become timid. If you play it TOO safe you’ll freeze in place and trade your life away for nothing.

Angry? Then you’ll get a lot of angry people to tussle with. Your life will fill up with honking horns and people pushing you around, and you’ll spend all your time pushing back.

It’s a good idea to choose your habitual thought patterns carefully. Love, optimism and gratitude are good choices. These states of mind inspire you to explore, to create, to grow and to give. People and opportunities will become attracted to you. And the goblins and angry people will get smaller and less important, and finally they’ll fade and go away.

The point of choice comes up when you have to deal with a challenging situation. Do you call it a “bad break” - some S.O.B. was out to get you? Or was it just something that happened, leaving it up to you to interpret in the most nourishing way? You might as well be positive. Bottom line - it works better. It makes you easier to be around and more creative and good-natured. And your immune system will be strengthened.

Events are just events until our thoughts and reactions turn them into experience. What the experience means, how useful it might be, those are the choices that we make -they’re the stories we tell ourselves about our lives.

We’re taught that it’s not ‘reasonable’ to expect to win all the time. Nonsense! That kind of thinking numbs ambition and smothers greatness. Even worse it leads to reasonable excuses. Excuses don’t accomplish anything so do NOT be reasonable. Actually, achieving the impossible is quite normal - you’ve done it thousands of times. EVERYTHING you do now was impossible for you before you did it the first time, from feeding yourself to balancing your checkbook.

Try this for a week. Focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want. Practice the skills of optimism, gratitude, generosity and forgiveness and your life will expand.

Yes, that’s right. PRACTICE.

Good attitudes are skills that you develop through repetition, just like swimming or math. And skills become second nature through practice. You will become stronger and more relaxed when you decide that you might as well thrive. Your commitment to expectancy is another skill, and it’s decisive and magnetic. It attracts luck and creates focus. People and opportunities will be drawn to you. Life starts to get easier. And more fun.

Go ahead and test it. What have you got to lose? The only way you can fail at anything is to quit trying!

4. YOU MAKE YOUR HABITS AND THEN YOUR HABITS MAKE YOU.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” It means that our lives are created by what we do, not by what we intend. It means that we can harvest only what we plant. And every day you’re planting something, so choose wisely.

The biggest and most important influences in your life are created by small daily acts. For example - Meditate, Study, Set Goals, Save Money, Exercise, Floss, Smile, and Say Thank You.

When you do the right thing at the right time it makes more difference than if you make a big dramatic effort too late. Cramming may work in school, but not in real life. The school term is over in a few months; life lasts longer. Days turn into years and those years become your life.

The most important qualities in life - Spirituality, Health, Relationships, Wealth, and Your Personal Character - are developed by regular acts done on a daily basis. They’re called “practices.”

Daily practices - done on schedule. What? Just “can’t do anything on a schedule?” Baloney. You can do anything you want on a schedule, unless you’ve never gotten to a plane on time. It’s a matter of priorities. And your priorities create your quality of life. Choose the practices of your life as if you were a farmer. You can’t skip spring planting if you want a fall harvest. Master this principle and you will live your life to its fullest. Changing your life doesn’t take a lot of work - just repeat a single positive act daily for three weeks and it will become a habit. Good. Now add another one. Then another one. The force of good habits will automatically generate power and “good luck,” and your life will blossom.

5. GUILT ENSLAVES YOU. RESPONSIBILITY LIBERATES YOU.

Here’s a secret about “Original sin”. It’s guilt, and you get it from your parents.

Are you self-conscious? Most people are. They’re worried that they’re “unzipped.” They’re walking around thinking that people will notice their missing button, their bad hairdo, their poor credit and personal shortcomings. These feelings are universal - we all got them while we were being taught how to behave as infants (”No!” “Bad!” “Don’t!”).

When we become adults we are supposed to leave these feelings of inadequacy in childhood where they were needed.

The way to do this is to forgive your parents for their shortcomings, whether they were minor or major. And then forgive yourself for all your sins, real and imagined. Forgiving doesn’t mean that you think what happened was okay. It just means that you free yourself from the work of remembering it and getting mad at people that are not even around anymore. Including the younger “you.” You MUST do this if you want to be free.

6. “OBLIGATIONS” ARE A FRAUD.

Okay, take a deep breath here. This one gets a lot of people, because most of us have been brainwashed all of our lives to believe a huge lie. We’ve all been taught that we “owe” other people all sorts of obligations, and that we should expect lots of things from them in return.

That idea, in one word, is bullshit.

We waste an incredible amount of time either doing things we don’t want and don’t have to do, or feeling guilty because we didn’t do something we “should” have done. We also waste a lot of time and emotion being disappointed when we don’t get what we expect from others.

Freedom lies in the other direction.

The truth is, you don’t owe anyone anything and they don’t owe anything to you. This is all part of the “guilt” thing. It’s good for us to give to others, but ONLY when and how we choose.

The difference between free people who master their lives and those who are slaves is easy to spot.

Who sets their priorities?

Free people set their own priorities, while “slaves” allow them to be set by outsiders.

Your life belongs to you and you alone - and not anyone else. Want a formula for unhappiness? Make your welfare dependent upon someone else’s choices. Do you need “support” from those you love? Or approval from a parent or friend? Or permission from anybody to pursue your own path?

That’s not living - that’s slavery!

Don’t look to anyone else for your success or happiness. That’s your job and yours alone. You must tend to your own welfare. No one else will, nor should they.

7. EXPECT LESS FROM OTHERS AND MORE FROM YOURSELF.

Most people expect way too much from others while they themselves actually get very little done. Inertia and distraction are insidious and damn near universal - expect it in others but guard against it in your own behavior.

Everyone listens to his or her favorite mental radio station - W.I.I.F.M., which stands for, “What’s In It For Me?” So don’t take it personally when you’re overlooked, your call goes un-returned, and you go un-thanked.

Most of your fellow humans are so distracted and disorganized that they only get around to the most essential, familiar or urgent things in their lives. They’re on “autopilot” most of the time - aren’t we all on occasion?

This self-interest is natural and healthy. Use this knowledge of other’s desires in your plans and proposals.

Here’s the big principle. If you want something to happen, take control and do it yourself. Don’t get bitter if perhaps someone else didn’t keep a commitment to help you.

It is a waste of time to criticize others, and a bigger waste to pay attention to anyone’s criticism of you. Just know that you can get better at doing things on your own. It’s a LOT easier than trying to get someone else to change.

8. NOBODY WAKES UP IN THE MORNING CHOOSING TO BE THE VILLAIN.

Everyone alive thinks that they’re the “good guy.” He or she is the hero in their version of the story. They have a reason for what they do - even if it’s impractical or unworkable or has evil consequences.

People who are troublesome aren’t worth changing. Don’t even waste time complaining about them.

If someone hurts you, it’s not about you and you shouldn’t act like it was. People do what they do because of their own inner reality. Learn what you can do differently the next time, then forgive them and move on.

Really. Forgive them completely. And then, figure out how to manage, tolerate or avoid them in the future.

By the way, forgiving doesn’t mean that you think whatever they did is okay. It’s NOT okay. But here’s the thing - if you don’t forgive someone you can’t ever let it go. Then you have to go around with this burden of anger and sourness. Wasn’t the original hurt enough for you? Why would you want to preserve it and remember it? Or them?

Carrying grudges ties up brain cells that you could use to make life sweeter for yourself and those you love. So, after you forgive them, forgive yourself for getting hurt - and then LET IT GO!

9. THERE IS NO “HAPPILY EVER AFTER” IN THE REAL WORLD.

Friends and mates may change or leave, luck comes and goes, and there are no guarantees. The only certainty is that someday your life will be over, and only you can decide how it will be lived. If you want a happy ending you need to create it. Think about it. When would “Happily Ever After” start?

After you win the lottery? - Most lottery winners are broke within three years.

When the wedding bells ring? - Over half of all marriages fail.

When you retire? - 95% of those over 65 live from check to check.

Stories have to have happy endings, because the story ends before their characters do.

Real life is different. You’re going to live until you die, so you need to have a plan for every day of it.

Choose your goals, write them down, and track them daily. Your life will happen by accident unless you have a plan for it. Either way things will happen to you. On every day of your life, after every climax, every tragedy and every triumph, the sun will rise again.

You get a new day every morning of your life. And as long as you’re alive you’ll have to prepare for that next day and the one after that.

So respect reality.

Think as if you have a future, because that’s where you’re going to spend the rest of your life.

10. THERE IS A HELL, AND IT STARTS EARLY.

People create their own personal hell with moral shortcuts, regrets about lost opportunities, resentment, and guilt. Then they add jealousy and envy, and they’ve paid the toll to enter Hell’s suburbs.

What toll do they pay? They give up their peace of mind, and sometimes their self respect.

They trade it for short-term pleasure.

Those who avoid doing anything that requires effort - physical exercise or forgiving or doing something for someone else - grow more narrow and less flexible day by day. Stunted ambition strangles their dreams and their enthusiasm dies. By the time they enter “downtown Hell” they’ve got a bad attitude about most things in life. They complain and criticize because “life has let them down.” The truth is life didn’t let them down - they quit trying.

Pretty soon their immune system gets the message and then their physical afflictions begin - their relationships are desolate and life becomes an ordeal. They start looking and acting older than they really are.

When these people look ahead, the future looks just like the past. Stretching on and on, day after unhappy day.

And that is truly Hell.

11. YOU CAN CREATE PARADISE ON EARTH. MANY PEOPLE DO.

You can make your life sweeter bit by bit. It doesn’t take much, just some daily practice.

Spend some time in solitude each day renewing your peace of mind. Invest in good memories by managing your behavior so that you enjoy looking back on your life.

You create your Heaven by small acts of generosity to others, making them smile and feel better.

You create it by little acts of courage - doing the right thing when no one but you will ever know you did it.

By making promises to yourself and keeping them, which builds your self-respect. You create it by telling the truth even if it’s inconvenient or embarrassing. It makes you careful about what you do, or what you commit to doing. And that brings credibility and trust. And most important, you will know you’re liked for who you are instead of for some lie you’re living.

You’re in Heaven’s neighborhood when you notice the amazing number of things in life there are to be grateful for, especially as your gratitude becomes a constant part of your being.

Humans are the most flexible beings on this planet, and you build Heaven by stretching sometimes to try something new or a little scary.

Your reward is learning that you are more than you thought.

And you can always stretch more.

As you become older your personal Heaven becomes a bigger influence on those around you. Your life will expand faster than your physical abilities contract. You will laugh a lot more than most people, and enjoy more contentment and peace than you ever thought possible. And it just keeps getting better and better. If you choose to follow this path, you’ll be in Paradise long before you leave this life.

12. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE.

Everyone alive gets the same amount of time. 1440 minutes a day. 168 hours in each week. As long as you live. The only difference is in how you spend those hours. You decide how to spend your time and you make that choice each minute.

You can begin to turn your life around in a second.

The only thing you need to do is decide to make it better. You can start to change immediately, beginning with a simple act and letting the acts pile up on each other, creating the change almost effortlessly.

You know the scriptural quote, “By their deeds you shall know them?” It was talking about us. It doesn’t really matter much what we think or what we intend, until the thought is expressed as action.

The quality of our lives comes from what we actually do.

Experience comes in moments - and the moments will keep coming for you until they finally stop. Each moment is a gift, and the chance to make your life different comes to you during each one of them.

Each of these “Facts” boils down to a single principle.

Decide

You can decide how your life will go during any moment you choose. This may be that moment.

It’s okay to dream big. Where do you want to go from here? How do you want your next moments to be? It’s up to you.

IN CLOSING

I’d like to leave you with a personal note.

Odds are I’m older than you and I’ll confess something. I wasn’t born knowing these Facts of Life. I got them one by one, over decades that would have gone better if I had known all of these rules earlier. But the bottom line is I eventually got them, and with each new breakthrough every area of my life (health, wealth, relationships and happiness) has gotten better and better.

The very few regrets I have are mostly not about the “sins” I may have committed. No, they are about the things I didn’t do when the opportunity arose. I invite you to avoid creating regrets in your future by embracing opportunities for growth as they appear.

This article may be one of those opportunities. And who knows? You could decide to use these rules as guidelines, and spend your life turning your dreams into reality.

If you try it, I think you’ll like it.

Seeya,

Tom Hoobyar

StreetSmartCEO.com

Anyway, Shelley watch this:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WPUi8Ru08D8

Maybe we can trade a paperclip for the W? I mean, some dude traded a paperclip for a house.

Last time I did this (at the Sunday motivation thing), I traded a paper clip for a tennis ball, traded the tennis ball for a ball of wool, traded the ball of wool for a computer monitor, and then traded the computer monitor for a garden mulcher, and then we ran out of time (we only had one hour). I want to do this with my neighbours, knock on their doors and trade.

I just found out the mulcher is worth about $100 if I tried to sell it on eBay. However, I don't have it.

I'm excited! So every time we make a trade, we should take a photo (with my phone) of the thing being changed hands! I mean we should keep a diary of how we conquered the W shouldn't we? Starting with paperclips. :)

Anyway, to be rich, we must first think and act rich. I'm already a snob, so yeah. :) I can't wait to own that W & DB dress. All eyes will be on ME! And you must buy that adorable notebook. The one that has WD plans on it.

I know I'm so late with this that it's definitely not fashionable, just really really late, though I finally remembered to do this because I had a dream about it somewhere between my dream of meeting Alexa, and the one where I'm taking pole dancing lessons.

Anyhoo, on with the sweet nothings. It's sorta like that bag thingy we did at Peer Support training (what was the bag called? ahh, warm fuzzies) and that time I thought I should tell the people I liked what I really thought of them, because I knew that if I suddenly died, there'd be so many things left unsaid. Anyway, I only got around to telling Victoria outside the toilets, Michelle on the train on the way home from 'The Black Balloon' and Jessica outside my textiles room. Then it just got weird, because it was weird telling people to their face. I guess people these days have a false sense of modesty, and don't take compliments well, or feel uncomfortable receiving compliments. Anyway, kudos to whomever this idea belongs to, the internet is a less personal medium than face to face, but still warm enough to make the person feel loved.

Alice
Oh Alice, Michelle and I are definitely getting you an alarm clock that you have to put across your room so that we aren't left waiting for you ever again, but it's okay, we don't mind waiting for you that much. I really enjoyed textiles with you these past 2 years, you've been a great listener, and it was really nice to be able to talk about Karen, Max and Eeyore with you and have Jennifer and Anne Qin listen in. I meant every word I said in your Christmas card, I believe that you will achieve great things in life. And you are just so cute.

Actually, I'm not even sure you frequent this blog, as your computer exploded or something and you have no internet access (which sucks, because weren't you addicted to it?)


Eunice
I have a feeling that you, you know every word spoken between Michelle and I (erm, not that we are very discreet). You're cool, and you like Doctor Who(and that makes you cooler), and though I don't get that much time to talk to you, when I do, I feel special. You have a way of listening, and I just get the feeling that you're actually listening, not just nodding along. And you laugh at my jokes, even though they aren't very funny, oh, and I remember that time you kept me company, while Michelle and Alice were off to the computer room, though you probably don't. But thank you for that, it made me feel less completely and utterly alone. :)

Emily
Erm, not sure if Emily even knows we have a blog, but yeah. I guess I haven't been as close to you as I got to be in year 7, and it makes me sorta sad that our year 7 days are over. I had so much fun with you, especially at the walkathon (remember, our stand is going to be the sexy bubbles stand!), and I'm sorry I was absent so much (which I guess I still am, but I'm getting better). You're a fantastic cook, artist and origami folder, and it was a pleasure to be your closest companion in year 7 and 8. You're always bubbly and optimistic, and it's so fun to be around you.

Jessica
It was really, really nice to get to know you, you've been a fantastic friend to me over this past year (erm, I know you may think otherwise), and it was really actually you who got me going to school. You've got a very special gift of making a girl feel special and good about herself, and you always show compassion and caring to others. When you see someone down, you take it upon yourself to cheer them up, and thanks for cheering me up so many times. :) You are very sweet under that potty mouth exterior, and you have a big heart.

Michelle
Oh Michelle, we can talk for hours and hours about stuff can't we? I loved our 5 day sleep over and those secret plans in the dark, and I don't mind your bodily functions that much anymore (just don't do them in my bed). You have always been there, to see me through thick and thin, and you are just wonderful. You are intelligent and funny, and sorta like my good half, though some of the crazy stuff we talk about you dreamed up, like that summer music festival prank idea. :) I'm really glad that we'll almost be in all of each other's classes next year, and though we won't get any work done, we'll have a tonne of fun, I just know it!

Shelley
You, Shelley, dear bring out my artistic side. Thank you for prodding me into making a corset, and supporting me in all my financial endeavors. I had so much fun cooking up hare-brained ideas with you in Geo, PE and History this year, and thanks for being my glitter buddy and drawing on me because I like it. You have such cool style and attitude, I know that sometimes I'm in awe at (or is it of? I have such terribly problems with prepositions) you. I have a feeling Johnkley/Johnnet thinks I'm the weirder of us two, but we both know the truth don't we?

Tiffany
You are such fun to talk to, and so, so awesome. I'm sorry if Shelley and I confused you with our cards (you kept them right?) but I guess we just wanted you to know that you are loved. Not in the romantic gooey mushy way, but that we think you're adorable and wonderful. It was real nice to sit next to you in Commerce and talk about the Wayne Cooper dress you didn't like, and in Science too.

Victoria
Oh Victoria, I miss you bursting into song. You're funny and terribly sweet, and I re-read your birthday card the other day and it made me smile. I miss the times we had at pre-uni, with Catherine and Lily and Miki (I've totally forgotten how to spell her name), and I miss you, because you're just so much fun to be around. You are more brilliant than you give yourself credit for, and I remember the last time I saw you, at rice, thanks so much for inviting me, I had so much fun with you. :)

Winnie
You made English worth attending! I know we bonded over something out of the ordinary, but I'm glad I got to know you. You're pretty and funny (without even trying!) that it makes me jealous sometimes. Your misspelled words are endearing, and I still remember the disastrous sequence of events at your house when we were cooking for community day (Emily actually illustrated all of them in the card she gave me last year for Christmas). You are very thoughtful, and very caring.