​Since today is New Years Eve, everyone usually asks, “What happened to the year, it went by so fast.”
Well I haven’t had the time to reflect on the past six years and the amount I’ve missed the second most important man in my life (yes, dad, I bet you guess the most important was you), My Grandpa
John Musselman
.
I’ve done a lot these past six years. I’ve ground up, had various fights with my dad, gone through high schools, experienced the usual teen things, but I’ve also changed a lot. But reflection back to when I was twelve years old, I miss being twelve. I miss my Friday night Burger King dinners with my dad and grandpa. I miss reminiscing about how when I was younger I would throw my uneaten burger or fries behind the oven (that must have been fun when they cleaned up).
The reason (to me) the years go by so fast is because everyone tries to rush through everything. We don’t appreciate anything anymore. Maybe the nights spent at Applebee’s until they close, but even those aren’t like the ’bee’s nights I used to have with Dad and Grandpa. I used to think it was so great to be allowed to sit at the bare when I was eight. Now I sit at the bar like it’s a normal thing, because that’s what I grew up doing.
I can’t eat at Applebee’s or get Burger King without remembering those ten years of my life.
And I’ll always miss it.
But in those six years I’ve done a lot.
· Found out more about my mother.
· Gotten closer to my sister
· Gone through three and a half years of High School
· Moved into a house
· Learned to drive
· Turned 18
· Gotten a job
· Been on a roadtrip down the east coast.
· Fallen in love with Siesta Key.
· Disney World before freshman year.
· Most importantly, I’ve grown up

I won’t lie, the past six years have been sort of tough. But I’ve gotten through them with my dad at my side.
No one talks about grandpa much, in a way I’m glad (I’m sure I could never handle a face to face talk about him), but I think (or like to hope) that everyone who knew him still misses him tons.
I remember December 19, 2004 like it was just two weeks ago. But it’s now December 31, 2010, six years later and everything has changed. 

​This year was one of the best. My dad got me everything I wanted plus a few extra things. (Don’t worry, I didn’t ask for much.)
He didn’t cry at his gift, a “Thanks Dad” plaque, I wasn’t expecting him to, but it would have been nice.
We then spent a wonderful day at my aunt’s house where we ate, hung out, ate some more. Then we opened gifts. This is the purpose ofo thise post
My cousins all loved their giftcards and I got some really cute jewelry. Then it all came down to Mike’s (my aunt’s manfriend) presents. Dad got air. I got a really cute flappy hat (that doesn’t fit my ‘fat man head’) and the best present I could ever dream of!

It all starts when I grabbed the long rectangular box off the table. All I said was “If this was a wand I’d be ecstatic.” They all watched. I then got hold of the center of the paper and pulled revealing a shiney center reading
“Nymphadora Tonks.”
I started to laugh to cover the tears that wanted to spill over. I did cry. But I got a wand, finally.
MY DREAM COME TRUE!
And from a man who I see once a year.

But then my dad and I came home to play Jeopardy on the Wii. So we had a very Merry Christmas.

And from everyone here at JDKC, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and enjoy you’re New Year tonight.

I’m Jackie and I don’t know crap. 

​I bought Crank by Ellen Hopkins probably back in March. I’d known about it for awhile because Melany had a copy of it sitting on her bookshelf. Originally I had thought it was strange the way it had been written…. The all over the place poetry fiction was not my type of book. Then I saw Alaina reading it at work one night. She loved it; said she’s read it more than once. I figured I should give it a try since I was all about reading at the time.
All I knew was that it was about a drug addict, no one told me that it was about Meth. I met a new monster along with Kristina (Bree?). I felt what Kristina felt (I’m an emotional reader). I knew who she was and got to know Bree as she took all control of Kristina’s life. I hoped along with her mom that Kristina would give it up and stop using, hoped that chase was the one for her. And it all ended with her being tempted by the monster again.
Crank had me hooked from the start. But I waited until May (after I had finished 3 other books and Othello) to venture out to Half-Priced books and look for Glass. Even though I didn’t want it yet, they had it along with my intended purchase Impulse (another Ellen Hopkins).
The cover says it all, “once you’ve discovered Crank, you can never get enough…” I read Impulse first; I had to save Glass until I was absolutely ready for it to end. (Though I had done my research and knew the third book and final one was due in September.) She’s struggling to control the monster while taking care of Hunter.
All you want as a read is for her to keep that control, not to fall back. But she meets a guy, Try, and completely loses the rest of her control. At first I was happy she had found a guy, and then I felt it was a little shady, and didn’t want her to get hurt. When she gets kicked out by her mom, I felt bad; thought she would change ways after losing her home and Hunter. But she had Trey, right? Then Kristina (maybe still Bree) moves in with Try’s cousin Brad, where things get even more wonky. I loved the girls and that Kristina fell in love with them too. No so much her new feelings for Brad or the incident involving Trey, Brad, and Kristina. As things begin to get worse (stealing, dealing, etc) I can’t help but to hope things turn around and get better. But it won’t. The monster has full control now. When they (Trey and Kristina) get caught, they give up some names and get some jail time. This time going to jail meant ending the book with Kristina pregnant once again.
And I knew I wasn’t ready for the end. I’ve waited for months, and then I accidentally hit “buy” on my kindle and knew it was meant to be. I started reading it Saturday (week before Christmas) and only stopped to go to sleep or work and maybe watch some TV. I still finished in four days, if not for work it would have been two.
Fallout really was the incredible ending I could ask for. Though written in the future, it’s an insight to Hunter, her oldest son from Brenden; to Autumn, the baby from Try who doesn’t k now any of her brothers or sister; and to Summer, who is in and out of foster homes and trying to find love for herself. Giving all three of them a voice made it that much more addicting and real. I hoped that they would all end up happy, even if not together, but once I realized Autumn would end up at the Haskins’ house I knew they would all be together. The kindle doesn’t give page number just percentages and at 97% I began to anticipate more and more of the ending, but my heart began to race and I didn’t want it to end.
As all three watched Kristina apologize, they give their opinions of her, of what they see. Hunter and Summer have always been hurt by her, but Autumn doesn’t remember anything.
I did cry, happy tears, but I felt the joy this family felt on their Christmas dinner night.
I want more of Kristina’s story, but I’ll wait until Ellen Hopkins is ready to let me peak through the window of her life again.

I’ve been on a journey and I like where it took me.
Reading has brought me through new experiences time and time again, but this experience was amazing and I’m willing to go through it again. Ellen Hopkins (Marie Haskins), I thank you for letting me into some part of your daughter’s life.


Happy Reading and check out other great books by Hopkins at Amazon.com or visit your local bookstore or library.

And as always, I’m Jackie and I don’t know crap.