SHOPPING!!!!!!!!(THIS TIME IN BUCKHEAD) & 2011 Reflections

I write this in my Mom's office, on New Year's Eve, December 31st, 2011. You will probably be reading this in 2012, a year yet to come. It puzzles me and flabbergasts me that the year is almost over, that there is only a minute left of this wonderful year. Well, in politics and in the economy the year wasn't the best, and there was plenty of natural disasters that came our way. But two terrible people died, in May Bin Laden, on October 20th Muammar Gaddafi died also, not to mention Kim Jong Il, who was a good person to some and a tyrant to others. There were some lighter matters, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton one of them. So 2011 was a pretty good year. For me, it was the last year of Elementary School, and the first half of an adventurous and exciting trip around the U.S., seeing everything from prairie dogs to whales, empire state buildings to little rocks that have gained so much publicity, Smithsonian's to little redneck auto shows in South Dakota boondocks. I have seen pictured rocks, sleeping Bear's dunes, tunnels of trees, and many other things, and that was just at one place! I've learned so much and seen so much, I couldn't tell everything about it in three books, 400 pages each! And the best thing about it is, it's not over yet. 2011 has been a truly great year. I got a lot of friends and did cool activities in school, and then sadly (at that time) lost all my friends and missed out of the activities at the school I was GOING to go to. In retrospect and hindsight, I'm so glad we went on the trip, and glad we will continue it following the first days of January. It has been a wonderful year for me, and I look forward to this new and interesting year that is yet to come, 2012. For some people it will be the year the world is destroyed (not likely) for others just another year of work. But I, Andrew B., am excited for the continuation of our trip and the time I'll have. I am sad that in about 10 days we will be heading out again on our trip and will leave our loved ones, but I am also excited. I believe it will be easier to leave this time, knowing what to expect and how fun the first half was. Now, some resolutions, 12 in fact, because it will be 2012, and I think it's fun to have the number of resolutions of what year it is:

1. To Exercise, and bike and run and walk the dogs, a little more, and eat better food.
2. To be nicer to my sister Rebecca
3. To write some blogs that are different than the regular ones about our days, for example about the art of homeschooling
4. To put all our movies we've made on YouTube, I really got to get on top of that
5.To call and email and phone more people I haven't kept in touch with a lot, and to have good conversations with them
6.  Watch T.V. less and do more productive things
7. To play more of my guitar, I haven't played so much as I want to
8. To read more of the Bible, I am in Matthew and want to finish to Revelations
9. To go to church more, to try different denominations and stuff
10. To focus more of my time on writing a story or two, to incorporate our adventures into fiction
11. While in Middle School, in 7th grade (which I'll be in after August) to be kind and humble and not talk about the trip so much, to not judge people and to not become a bully
12. To thank God for what I have, and be grateful and a joy to have as a companion, to not be a bother to people

Well, there you have it folks. Now to the blog.


Early in the morning four days ago we got up and got ready to leave, and got the National Geographic Book. I started a book called Redwall, and it was very good and had a nice plot. We drove over in the Chrysler 300 to Buckhead, seeing all the big pretty buildings and city life. We were going to bake in the deals of the Christmas sales, to catch them before it was too late. On the way over I played a game on my phone, a game where they show you a flag and you guess what country it was. Well, it was hard earlier in my life, but on the drive over I found a part of the Geographic book that had all the world's flag's in there, and the countries that go with it. I beat the game. It was very fun. I also read a little of Redwall. We came into the parking garage of some big mall called Phipps or something, and walked in. It was a big huge mall with many stores and shops, most of them clothing related. There was a lot of people as we went through the first store, trying on numerous leather jackets. I liked one of them, a sleek but bulky and good one. Dad and Mom wanted to get one for me. We put the jacket on hold, with an African American lady named Pam. She was nice. We then went on. We went into Belk after going up escalators and such, trying on different pants, jeans, and khakis. Rebecca and Mom stayed together as Dad and I went and got the leather jacket back. It wasn't much fun. I read the Redwall book as I reluctantly tried on the clothes. Dad and I then sat down at a table as he took a nap. The girls joined us and we went outside. I don't want to describe it a lot. It wasn't very interesting. I speak truth when I say that.

We ate at Smash Mouth, a hamburger joint, and it was very sizzling and beefy. Then we went home, and relaxed for a long time, watching T.V. and reading. It was an okay day. Not the best but okay. We got some good clothing.

I don't like shopping,

Andrew.