Monthly Archives: May 2014

Some People….

Hey. So, it finally happened. The moment I’ve been dreading. My classmates have discovered my blog. Not that I wasn’t expecting it. I just don’t know how the hell G1 did it (no, I’m still not using names- I don’t care if my classmates can read this, it’s still on the internet for everyone to see, and it’s not for me to disclose their names). Z said G1 was hanging with a small group of kids before school, looking up all of his friends for fun, and he ended up Google-ing “Samantha Murphy.” Which, by the way, is the name of some singer, and I also think I’ve typed my name all of 3 times on this blog. So I have no freaking clue how he found my blog from those search terms.

But, the thing is, when they found this, they didn’t just go, “Cool, Sam has a blog.” No, they had to tell everyone. And let me tell you, when I say everyone, I mean everyone. I was alerted to this second period by Z, who was like, “So, been on Sammi Talk lately?” Also, I was walking into Chem and I heard G2 saying to my friend M, “…Sam’s failing history….” Which reminds me….

Hey, newsflash for you: that post was written on March 15, 2014. The beginning of 3rd quarter. A lot has changed since then. And I mean a lot. And by the way, just because I was failing history doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I have a genius IQ, in case you skipped that part. I got a higher score than you on the placement exam, and I know that because I got the highest score. Not only that, but my score was the top 1% in the country. So shut up. You know nothing about me (You think I put my life on this blog? Ha! As if!).

Anyways, I don’t really care what everyone thinks. I made this blog knowing some people I know would find it. I just didn’t expect it to be freaking everyone. But, it doesn’t matter. I’m just going to continue on normally. So, the post I probably would’ve written today is below.

I got braces yesterday. They hurt like hell, but no where near as much as last time (yes, I had braces before but didn’t wear my retainer because my orthodontist didn’t tell me anything, including that my teeth would revert back to the way they were if I didn’t wear it). I got navy blue and orange for the colors, for the Detroit Tigers. No, I’m not a fan of the Tigers (Red Sox all the way!), but I was on the Tigers when I played minor league for five years, and this year I’m officially helping coach the team, so I decided to get Tigers colors.

In other news, Burban’s not dead! I know, I know, this required a little back story. Okay, so last night she ate an azalea, which are apparently “moderately toxic” to cats. Needless to say, I was freaking out. I was like “Oh my God what do we do?!” And it turns out, she’s fine. So, that’s good. On a side note, though, she’s getting sooo big. Definitely not the tiny 10-week-old we got in October, although she’s still a kitten.

Alright, that’s it for now. I need to go work on some more of my history fourth quarter project. Bye!

-Sam

P.S. I just want to make it clear that I don’t blame G1 for any of this. He’s a really nice guy, and I know he didn’t mean for it to escalate the way it did. It’s not his fault in any way. Also, Z has no fault in this, either. He was just the messenger. And as Dos would say, don’t shoot the messenger.

Thomas, You Crack Me Up (In A Good Way, I Promise!)

Hey! So, as you may know from the widget at the right of my blog, my ten-year-old friend Thomas Harrington is fighting cancer. Well, he was at Hasbro when Julian Edelman, a New England Patriot, visited. Here, I’ll let you watch for yourself:

http://www.abc6.com/story/25569536/julian-edelman-visits-hasbro-childrens-hospital

Let me just say, Thomas, you’re adorable. Also, I was laughing for about two minutes straight. “I don’t even know what a touchdown means?!” Priceless! Oh, you’re so funny! Anyways, I just wanted to share him with you all. Also, here’s his CaringBridge.

Thomas and Wally, the Boston Red Sox mascot

Now, I’m going to go work on another post. Bye!

-Sam

ER Visit Last Night

Hey. Alright, so, before I start, I’d like to say that I’m fine, no, so far it’s not serious. Here’s the deal. I’d been experiencing some slightly disturbing symptoms. The most disturbing part is the fact that all of this had only started about 11 hours before. It began with me umpiring a baseball game on Saturday. When I was jogging around, I realized that my lower shins hurt when I ran. I shook it off, attributing it to I always hurt or have some kind of pain. Later, when I was shaving my legs Saturday night, I noticed that I had a rash near my right ankle. I attributed it to razor burn, but questioned it since it’s a brand-new razor that I’d just opened. Upon further inspection, I realized that both of my ankles were pretty swollen, the right one way worse than the left.

I finished drying off and then went down stairs to show my mom, who immediately saw it from about 4 to 5 feet away (that’s how swollen it was). She said to show my dad, who glanced at it and was like, “yep, it’s swollen alright!” I pointed out that my left ankle was swollen as well, and my mom suggested I wrap my right one, since it was crazy swollen. I did, then went to bed a little while later.

Fast forward to the next day. It’s a little less swollen, but hurts more. My throat also hurts a little when I swallow. I’m pushing my littlest sibling on the swing when my right wrist starts to hurt. I compare it to my left one and realize that my right wrist is indeed swollen. Soon after, my left knee starts to hurt, and that’s swollen, too. Also, my left wrist is swollen (on the opposite side than the right one was). My mom then calls my doctor, who tells her to bring me to the ER.

Now I’m freaking out. I have no idea what the hell is happening, or why it’s happening so freaking fast. So, my dad brings me to the ER, and I have 5 FREAKING VIALS of blood drawn. 5. Vials. Of. Blood. It wasn’t that bad, though, I must admit. They were really nice, and even made me smile. Oh, and I forgot to mention, while I was waiting for the doctor to come in, my right knee started to hurt, and I realized that it was swollen, too.

The initial labs, like the arthritis one, came back negative, so I got to go home, and now we’re waiting on the labs that take longer to come back (including the Lyme one). I really hope it’s not the fucking Lyme. I’ll do a post on that later.

Anyways, here’s a list of my symptoms:

  • hurts on lower shins when jogging or running
  • rash on right ankle
  • VERY swollen and painful right ankle
  • swollen and painful left ankle
  • hurts a little to swallow
  • swollen and painful right wrist
  • swollen and painful left wrist
  • swollen and painful left knee
  • swollen and painful right knee

I think that’s is, but there might be more. Possibly. Do any of you have any ideas?

Anyways, I’m okay. I just want to see what you all think. Please comment if you have ANY ideas at all. Thanks! Bye!

-Sam

TCWT Blog Chain Post: May 2014

Hey! So, I’m taking part in a blog chain, found here. The prompt is: What kinds of published books would you like to see more of? Hmmmm….

Well, I think I’m going to start with being very specific. There’s this series I read when I was in, like, 5th grade or something like that that had a horrible ending, at least for me. I absolutely hate books that leave everything open at the end. The series I’m specifically talking about right now is Chasing Yesterday.

It pretty much ended like any book would, but paving the way for at least one more book, if not two or three. It’s as if the author was like, “well, I want it to be a trilogy, so I’m just going to just stop writing now.” I HATED IT SO MUCH! I’m not going to give anything away, because it’s actually a pretty good series, so you should read it, but the ending sucks.

Now, going wayyy more general. I wish there were more books written from a guy’s point of view. I mean, I already know how girls think- I am one (not a typical one, to be sure, but I have Gabby for the “typical” stuff). I really liked Allegiant (excuse me while I go sob in a corner at the mention of it) from Tobias’ point of view. I just wish it was for a different reason… CURSE YOU VERONICA ROTH!

The books I’ve started writing (there’s probably about 50+ of them) are actually pretty even, with a handful having a guy narrator, and the rest a girl’s point of view. It’s just so much more interesting when authors mix it up. I’m so tired of hearing about a girl, with a little romance problems, who has to change worlds or something like that (going with dystopian novels here). There’s so much more out there!

One thing that ticks me off is when people say to not focus on describing the characters, to let the readers develop their own image in their heads. That’s a little hypocritical, because everyone’s always like, “DETAIL!!!” Plus, I like the book to paint a picture in my mind, don’t you? Anyways, I just want your opinions on this because my friend and I got into an argument about it the other day.

Alright, I need to go finish some homework 😦 I’m looking forward to everyone else’s posts! Good luck!

-Sam

 

Participants In The Chain:

I Almost Shook The Hand Of My Dead Classmate’s Father

This past week has been crazy, and not in a good way. Not at all. Crazy as in this-is-something-you-only-hear-about-on-the-news-and-never-think-it’s-gonna-happen-to-you crazy.

Four teenagers got into an accident that resulted in one flipped car, two people injured, and one girl killed. Erika Hall was 16 years old. She’ll never see 17.

I first saw the news on Facebook. I was scrolling through my news feed and my friend’s post caught my eye. It was something about “the town lost another beautiful face RIP Erika” or something like that. I got this sinking feeling in my chest, and though “no, it’s gotta be another Erika.”

But it wasn’t.

I pressed the “Home” button to refresh my news feed. All of a sudden, there’s a bunch more of those posts, one of them tagging Erika Hall. I thought “ohshitohshitohshitohshitohshit.” Honestly, I’m surprised I was able to form any thought at all. I began to shake, but clicked on the name. I had to know.

In my heart, I already did.

It was here. My former classmate’s Facebook page. It was tagged in a post about her being dead… I sat next to her for a freaking year in 7th grade! And she was dead. She’s dead. Dead. Erika Hall is dead. I’m waiting for it to actually sink in. I thought typing it a few times would help. It didn’t.

I stared at my computer screen for a few minutes, feeling numb. It felt like forever. I just couldn’t comprehend it. How could she have died? She was supposed to do great things in life! She was so happy, wild and free, a fun person to be around. And she’s gone.

Erika

What do you do in this kind of situation? I think it’s different for everyone. For me, I just slowly act as if nothing happened, hoping that acting this way will make it true.

But it didn’t.

My mom was on Facebook or checking her email or something when she called me down from my room, where I was doing homework. She asked if I knew an Erika Hall. I was just like, yeah, I know, she died. Just like that. I think I regret that the most. Erika deserves more, even if I was delusionally trying to bring her back from the dead.

That was April 26. Fast forward to Wednesday, April 30. My school’s memorial service for her. I spent the first ten minutes of it not there, trying to be nice and not interrupt my teacher. Turns out, all I had to do was give up and walk out. My teacher asked where I was going, I replied “the service” and he nodded.

I wish I’d known that earlier.

I got the service (my friend Christina was with me) to find that the doors to the chapel were already closed. I peeked my head in the office and asked if we could quietly go in. The secretary said she didn’t think so, but we had to ask the vice principal. So we ran to Ms. McGuire’s office, halfway across the school, only to find out that yes, we could in fact go inside. So we ran back to the chapel and quietly sat down at the back.

I didn’t cry until Erika’s dad went up to talk. That was when I lost it. It’s just not fair. Why does he have to live without his daughter? Kids are supposed to bury their parents, not the other way around!

He only spoke for about a minute, though. After that, the priest said one short prayer, and then we all migrated into the AAC (Academic Achievement Center, just another name for library) for a power point with a bunch of pictures of Erika. It was beautiful.

It shouldn’t have had to happen.

After the power point was over, her dad thanked everyone for being here. Then he went around to hug everyone.

When he got to me, I was boxed in by Christina, so he reached to shake my hand. I didn’t think about it- I didn’t have to. I stood up and reached over Christina to give him a hug. Something told me Christina wouldn’t mind.

After I hugged him, I sat back down, shaking, and just stared straight ahead. I kept thinking, over and over again, I just hugged my dead friend’s father. It was so peaceful.

I’d trade it in a heartbeat for her to be here.

Even now, thinking about it, I’m shaking a little. It’s crazy. I just, it never should’ve happened. I never should’ve met Erika’s father, because, had she never died, I never would’ve met him. And, also, part of it felt so surreal, it was so weird. I can’t really explain it.

I don’t know why this happened. I just know it shouldn’t have happened. Why should a 16-year-old girl have to die?

She shouldn’t.

But there’s nothing I can do about it now, no matter how much I wish there was. I guess I’ll just have to live with it.

RIP Erika Hall

-Sam