First semester half way through...Already?!

Hey Guys, wow, it's been a while since I've updated my blog.

CRAZY! Well, new things in the life of Dylan... transferred from my little, private school to a big, public school. I started last week and boy, has it been a transistion. I am still taking all my regular classes such as Biology, English 3, Spanish 3, U.S. History, Computers, Art and Algebra 2. The classes aren't too bad, but they are GINORMOUS and I mean it. I have upwards of 35- 40 kids in each class and since I transferred in late I sit in the back in almost every class. "/ Which is a huge bummer since the front is like my HOME.

Right now my school is conditioning for basketball. It is considered Dead Period so the coach can't train us but, we do have private 24 Hour Fitness trainers who work us for about 3 hours every Tuesday and Thursday.

Gotta keep it short and sweet.
latterrr(:

-Dyliee

Summer's leaving us....

For most public schools in my area, school has once again begun. Thankfully my small private school doesn't start until Sept. 1, but for close to everyone else; they are back in their school routines. Backpacks are on and pencils are out.... summer was a good break but who doesn't wish it could have lasted longer. Another year for students to come and go. (: Welcome Back to School My Friends ! !

Sly Park Basketball School

Sly Park Basketball School :)

A few days ago I went to Sly Park Basketball School up in Sly Park. I had a blast. It was truly amazing and very fun!! For our 5 on 5 teams, we were the Sacramento Monarchs and we placed 2nd in the championship. We lost by 6 which was a bummer but was okay because we bonded as a team and grew from the experience. I placed 5 out of 95 girls in the Hot Shot knock out competition. I also tied with my friend Michelle for the Free Throw Champions (this was also out of 95 other girls). 

Above are pictures of the people I met at Sly Park! && Then Me and Jordan one on one in the championship game.

Intense...like camping? No, like a Motel, Hotel, Holiday Inn...

AWA HITS The El Dorado County Fair!
This Thursday-Sunday (June 18-20)

Today was the "set up" day at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, California. The Camp Grandma, Tyler, Chris, me and the newest member to the AWA recruit team Leslie, arrived in Placerville to set up our booth. We are located right when you walk into the fairgrounds. We will be in front of the Oasis and next to the Classic Car show. The Shark Exhibit had to be relocated because it was far too large. (: Today, we set up our EZ UP which wasn't so easy to set up. Then we put up our 3 foot tall FREE ADVENTURE CAMP banner, and then we put it up again and again and again. 3 feet was a little too tall for our EZ UP tent. This meant a few more hours in the sun trying to figure a better place and way to put the banner up. Idea: Raise the EZ UP another 6-8 inches. This will make the banner hang higher so you no longer have to duck under the banner in order to get inside our booth. Tomorrow we are headed back to Placerville to set up our 12' foot AWA raft and to fill buckets of sand and put our EZ UP feet into the sand piles in order to make the tent taller.

Today definately was an INTENSE day but not like camping more like how Pitbull would say...."hotel, motel, holiday inn." ha. If you all haven't noticed Pitbull is by far my music obsession.

-Dylan

Pitbull Punches && Then Keeps Performing....
whats the real story....? ? ?

Apparently in Colorado, during Pitbull's famous Bojangles song a man from the audience "makes it rain" by throwing money straight into Pitbull's face. Pitbull keeps singing but brings the man up on stage. As he does so the man continues to throw money all over pitbull while he's singing. Pit then slams him one in the face and continues to sing... never missing a beat. The man was hauled out by security but the police were not called. The man was let back in once he convinced the security that he meant no harm to the famous reggeaton rapper Pitbull. Don't mess with Pit. Mr. 305.

Akon Does The Same Thing....

In 2007 a mysterious "object" is thrown at Akon while he is talking to his fans at a concert tour. He has security find the guy then has him brought on stage where he then launches him onto his shoulders and flings him into the audience.


Why...?
Is it because of where these artists have grown up that they need they have to "handle" and "deal" with people in this way. Now, don't get me wrong I love Pitbull and I like Akon, but is that necassary to do. Do they need to take such harsh acts?? What do you think?

Walking down a horror corridor...

PROM. ahhh! So, basically school is out. Yes, I said OUT. We are free! && I am officially a JUNIORR. yessurhh! Anyways, another year has flown by....and another summer enters our lives, full of summer flings, blowouts and makeups. exciting.

Summer is here so that means AWA Summer Camps for Kids. Oh yes! ( http://actionwhitewater.com/camp-adventure.htm ) You can catch AWA on Twitter. ( http://twitter.com/theAWA ) && you can also catch AWA at the El Dorado County Fair Thursday through Sunday. You can see our booth located near the Marine Exibit in the Children's section. (: The Camp Grandma ( Christine ) will be there along with Dylan and Chirs. Robin and Gabe will make guest appearences. There will be a boat set up and books to show what our camps are like.

Trouble Maker on the South Fork of the American River
Rogan && Taylor make guest appearances! Go Rogan! Go Tay Tay! (:

So, You're Going Rafting: how to be prepared
Rafting: be ready, have fun
Being Prepared: What to Expect and Have Fun on your Raft Trip
Whitewater Rafting: demystified
Just Do It - Rafting: being prepared so you can have fun
Of Course You Can: whitewater rafting, step by step
Step by Step How To for Whitewater Rafting

You've been invited to go whitewater rafting, congratulations! What?

You're nervous. You can't swim. You don't know what to do. Are you going off waterfalls? Are you fit enough? Are you old enough? Are you young enough? What do you wear? How do you wear it? Do you need special shoes?

Don't worry, everyone has these questions. You'll be just fine. On the South Fork of the American River, in Northern California, some 65,000 + people go rafting each and every year. California whitewater rafting is an excellent stop to add to your vacation. If you've been invited, it's great to be cautious but you shouldn't let this stop you from attending the trip.

Here are 14 easy steps to make your trip a breeze:

RELAX! If you're rafting with a professional company, you're in great hands. They know what they're doing and they know how to get you down a river

Go with a can do ATTITUDE. It's alright to be nervous, this is something new, something exciting but don't be a whiny baby. Breathe, listen and enjoy.

Rafting has different seasons, what you WEAR depends on the season:

SPRING rafting ~ tends to be cooler, you should definitely consult the company you're rafting with but a thin wetsuit may be appropriate. More commonly, wetsuit booties or wool socks with your STRAP on sandals or old tennis shoes (more on foot ware below), shorts, wool sweater, splash jacket or dry top, possible wool cap. (this is all for cooler weather rafting).

SUMMER rafting ~ Strap on sandal or old tennis shoes, shorts (you can wear a bathing suit but trunks/shorts are recommended for you're sitting on rubber and bathing suits tend to get moved off the bottom and you end up flashing the people behind you. Hey, we're not judging, this may be your intention but we just wanted to let you know), t-shirt, hat and sunglasses. Some companies wear helmets and you may or may not be able to wear a hat while rafting.

No matter the season, no matter your skin tone, SUNBLOCK! We like to recommend all natural / biodegradable sunblock as they're learning these are causing problems in ocean reefs, so we might as well keep the river clean, if possible. Some ingredients to avoid: PABA, octinoxate, oxybenzone, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and the preservative butylparaben.

Proper SHOES - Shoes must strap to the foot. Crocs and their composite foam ankle strap do not count as they do not bind to the foot. Old tennis shoes are good because you can tie them. Name brand foot ware Teva, Chaco, & Keen all make sandals that bind to the foot. Water booties with a sole are fine. No one wants you swimming without your consent but if you do swim you want something on your feet.

Trust the GEAR. You'll be wearing top of the line personal floatation devices, in nearly all instances these are Class V coast guard approved flotation devices, the highest rating. The rafts are some of the toughest boats on the water, they're made to commercial standards with commercial quality materials.

COMMIT fully to the experience. If you're offered the opportunity to swim a rapid, do it! This is an incredible place to be (the river canyon), you ought to experience everything it has to offer.

DON'Ts ~ Don't bring a towel to the river! There's no place on the raft for a towel. One in your car, for a shower after your trip, sure, but not to the trip itself. Don't wear suntan oil. Oil + Skin + Rubber = swimming. Don't consume drugs or alcohol prior to your trip. Your participation is required to get the raft down the river, this can prove difficult if you're under the influence. Alcohol and rafting don't mix. The water is cold, alcohol lowers body temperature, long swims while inebriated are dangerous. Don't bring cigarettes down the river.

There are plenty of rafting companies to choose. On the South Fork of the American, 33. Pick someone you feel comfortable. Most all prices are going to be within $10 of each other, so the importance for you, is comfort. Most all will provide a professional trip but there are different attitudes and energies to each company.

No, generally there are no WATERFALLS. There are drops but nothing that equates to a waterfall. The boats are made to do what you'll be doing, relax.

Yes, chances are you're FIT enough. This is not an olympic paddle crew time trial. You'll be pulling your weight along with 5 or 6 other people.

The trips are professionally GUIDED. You'll have a professional, competent guide in the back of the raft controlling the action.

AGE, check with the company you're rafting. There are rivers where tighter age ranges do come into play.

Finally, don't disqualify yourself based on unfounded PRECONCEPTIONS. You're going to love this adventure. We raft young kids to grandparents, you can do this!

You're welcome to find free information on summer camps and what you might expect from a camp, videos of camp-life in action and photos, visit our summer camp page. Action Whitewater Adventures has been providing quality raft trips to families and youth groups for 20-years on the South Fork of the American River.

So far yet so close...

Well less than a month to go before school is out and summer is in. Less then a month to go before each grade advances to a new and higher level in their education. We say "goodbye" to seniors and "hello" to new freshman. At this point in the year, we are all emotional-knowing that it will be a while before we can see our friends again. A new beginning to a journey we started so many years ago. I, personally, will soon become a junior. This will be the year I learn about colleges and have to attend the infamous "C Day Meetings" with the head college counselor Ms. Fels. Driving will become a new priority as I soon forget all the young and lame sophomore drama. No longer will the "he said she said" drama be the biggest part of my worries-No, now I'm planning shopping trips, parties, prom, etc. To put it in a nutshell...BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS! Life is moving so quickly it's hard to breathe. I find myself wondering where to day went as I wake up at 600 and find it already 1200 before I'm hitting the lights and snoozing the computer. Does it ever slow down? Gosh, I seem to live for that rush...constantly moving....stressing....worrying about being somewhere or someplace. It seems like just a week ago I was starting my new and exciting high school career as a freshman. Walking amongst all the other kids (all 22 of them). :) For those of you who know my school. ha! Headed to home room with Mr. Neukom and ending in Physics with Dr. Peck. Then, it was starting Sophomore year. First period Mr. Wells ending again in Chem with Dr. Peck. Now, in less than a month, I'll be a junior. Ugh, it's just so hard to handle and grasp. I can't even imagine how my parents are feeling. The end is so far yet so close.... (:

New News: Sacramento Country Day's Girls Softball Team Makes Playoffs!
Yeah, you heard correctly. The newly started team has done it; they have made the playoffs winning a grand total of 2 games!! Eh, it doesn't matter. We beat out the baseball team. In their first year they didn't even win a game let a lone make it to playoffs. :) (4 teams in our league) But, who cares...we still did it. We overcame many obstacles and actually made it for ourselves. I'm so proud of each player on the team. There were only 3 previous softball players before and they helped the rest of the team unite and overcome the fears of the game. Thank you to everyone on the Sac Lady Cavs Team. Here is our line up (last names will not be added): Rachel-catcher, Sam-1st, Nora-2nd, Maddie-short, Shanna-3rd, Dylan-pitcher, Eva-left, Sadie-center, Mack-right and Amelia as flux right. Our playoff game is tomorrow, thursday, at 700 in Lodi. Good luck to us all. Oh, and sports booster is Wednesday of next week which is May 20th. Sports Boosters will be handing out awards for all Spring Sports players. Come and support. :)