Volleyball...

So when I was in high school I played on the school volleyball team. I wasn’t the most valuable player, but I was still pretty good considering I was a year younger than everyone else on the team. The majority of my time went to volleyball because if we were involved in anything else at school, and missed a practice due to it, our coach wouldn’t play us as much. She would hold a grudge over us, or something. Anyways, it was the final OFSAA tournament of my grade 12 year, and I was just about to leave to meet up with my team. My grandma showed up at my house looking completely distraught. It turns out my grandpa had passed away in his sleep. I couldn’t stay to comfort my grandma for long because I really had to go. There, my coach realized I wasn’t myself so I told her what had just happened.
Once we arrived at the tournament, we warmed up and began the match. I wasn’t playing my best, so my coach pulled my off for the rest of that game. After we shook hands with the other team, I pulled her aside and asked her, “How come you didn’t put me back in?” She replied by telling me that I was too emotional to play. I than asked if I was going to play again and she said, “Of course.” But what really happened was that I was never put back in and I missed my grandpa’s funeral. I have such resentment towards her now. If she would have told me that I wasn’t going to be played again, I would have just went back home and go to my grandpa’s funeral for a final good-bye. But NO! She had to be a bitch.


I chose to write this memory because it is something that really affected me. It also has a lot to do with a previous blog about my grandpa. (In Memory…) Thinking of my grandpa made me think of this and I thought this memory would make a good blog.

A Lucky Break

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/yourvideo/media/pages/judy_howells_01.shtml?query_ref=/wales/arts/yourvideo/query_objects/nav/category_arts.sssi&collection_list=/wales/arts/yourvideo/queries/category_arts.shtml

This digital story is about an older lady who was riding her bike down the road. Her brakes were broken, so when a horse drawn carriage came, it knocked her to the ground, breaking her humerus. While in physio she had to do exercises to get the strength back in her arm. She decided to draw and great things happened after that day.

My reaction: Right away it caught my attention because the second picture was of her on the ground. Another picture that caught my attention was the first photo of her drawing. The partial photo that she had drawn was already amazing. The finished product was a very beautiful drawing of two naked men holding each other. I was and wasn’t surprised that she won first place with that drawing. Surprised because she drew it with a broken humerus; and not surprised because it was so well drawn. The last line in the video is, “I love doing what I do and I’m really thankful for that lucky break.” That line makes me laugh because ‘lucky break’ can be taken two ways. One, she was lucky to have an opportunity to become an artist. And two, she literally did break something.

Geri's Game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m7dcbIKvlw&feature=related

This Pixar short movie is about an old man playing chess. There is no one around to play against so he ends up playing against himself. He creates an alternate personality to play with. This alternate personality is aggressive, conniving, cocky, and doesn’t wear glasses; he is the complete opposite of the old man.

My reaction: It makes me smile when he makes his first play and there is absolutely no one to play against. This is when he creates the alternate personality. Just when I thought ‘oh wow, this is it for the cute little old man,’ he fakes a heart attack and dies. Than when the other personality is not looking, the little old man switches the board around. He wins the game, and is so proud of himself. This video is so cute and it makes me smile every time. =]

For the Birds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBXna2RNJkI&feature=related 

This Pixar short movie is about a group of small, bitchy birds that don’t like this big, stupid bird. They talk about him, make fun of him, laugh about him, and they try to make him go away. The message of this video is to treat others the way you want to be treated. In this case, Karma really is a bitch.  In the end, the big, dumb bird gets the last laugh.

My Reaction: The sound the little birds make is so cute! They sound like those squeaky toys you give dogs. There are so many parts that make me laugh; like when the big bird sits in between all the little birds and they all start squeaking at him. When the big bird falls off, the small birds go flying and land with no feathers; so funny! I like the idea of telling a story with no words, just sounds and actions. After watching it a few more times, I noticed that all the birds have their own little personality, but all think alike. 

A Dog's Life

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/audiovideo/sites/yourvideo/pages/allan_jeffreys_01.shtml

This digital story is about a boy growing up with his stuffed dog that he slept with at night. It is written as a poem in the dog’s point of view.

My reaction: I love poem and the ironic imagery he created in it. “Silent sobs and un-wet tears.” I liked this video because I too have a favorite toy that I have in my bed, and like it or not, I will have to get rid of it sooner or later just like Al did. But I have to admit, the stuffed dog did scare me a bit with his big red eyes and dirty fur. 

Memories Written on my Face

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/yourvideo/media/pages/giorgia_carpagnano_01.shtml

This digital story is about a girl waking up to find new wrinkles on her face. Behind each wrinkle is a story; a moment of her life captured on her face.

I selected this story because we watched it in class and because I was taken back by how well she told her story. I also loved the idea that every wrinkle was a new chapter in her life. A very creative idea, and I kind of wish I started doing that when I began getting wrinkles.

My reaction: Her second wrinkle is called “Aliciana” the name of her sister who caused the wrinkle. I have a brother so I thought that it was funny when she said that her sister caused a wrinkle on her face; my brother has probably caused many of the wrinkles on my face. And I can’t believe her sister tried to convince her that she was adopted! The two wrinkles she is most proud of are her laugh lines. They represent Martin. This part of the video makes me smile because I know how wonderful it feels to be in love, and I have those lines too. =) 

In Memory...

...Of my Grandfather; Earl Speller.

I didn’t really know him that well, but I did know that he was very smart, very quiet, was married to my grandma Kitty-Lou Speller... and that his drink of choice was rye whiskey.

One day my parents dropped my brother Avery and I off at my grandparents place. The whole time we were there, they were yelling at each other. Nothing was being said other than, shut up! No, no! Shut up! SHUT UP! I didn’t want my brother to see them drunk and fighting so I took him outside, away from the house. That is one of my strongest memories of my grandpa Speller.

I will never forget the way he pinched my cheek to greet me. It kind of hurt, but it made grandpa smile. He never smiled, which is why I knew he loved me because he would always smile when I said “hi”. After a few years of taking photos at family functions, I noticed that grandpa wasn’t smiling in any of them! So one father’s day I made it my goal to get at least one picture of him smiling. And not even halfway through dinner, I got one! It was a really good one too. (see picture below) Once grandpa passed away, that very picture was the one they chose to represent him.


I wrote about my grandfather because, even though I didn't know him all that well, I still loved him and he will always be missed. I love you grandpa.