This year looks like it will be hard but at least, perhaps, interesting. I'm taking a moderate number of APs (including chem!... that exclamation mark could either mean great or terrible things which will reveal themselves in the near future), have the director of the school plays as my english teacher, and am taking studio art. Those are the highlights as they appear to me right now.

So right now it is 10 o'clock on the first day of the school year. I don't know if it's because it's the first day and I'm just tired from that, or because I then went straight to the pool where I worked as a lifeguard for five hours (at my pool, at this time, it's not a strenuous job, believe me), but I feel as though I am already sleep deprived and drowning. I guess that's not good, but reading it over it sounds pretty normal and more than a bit of an exaggeration. Also, it's 10 and I'm about to go to sleep so there is a high probability it will all be better in the morning (there's also a high probability that it won't be, but I'm being optimistic, for the sake of anyone reading this).

I miss my old latin teacher. He was great. I also miss my old bio teacher, but I'll get to still see him in the halls and hear stories about him and his adventures with this year's crop of ap bio-ers. I saw him wearing a tie this morning. It made me laugh. He's not a tie kind of person.

Speaking of laughing, I intend to laugh more often this year. And stay happier in general.

I wish I could say this year is off to a good start but it wouldn't be quite true. Oh well, better hope for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next week, and the next, and the next, until it's summer again. It'll come later and sooner than I wish.

All this makes me remember that there's no escaping the fact that I'm now one of the Big Kids. This afternoon I had to scold an 10ish yearold because he almost went in the pool when there wasn't a guard up on the chair. I wonder if it'll stick to him as the scolding of lifeguards past did to me.

I'm a junior. I guess I'm old enough to be one because I am one. A Big Kid. I don't like it. But at the same time, I do.

I wonder what will happen this year.

Best wishes, Claire.

.~oOo~.