Great Wolf Lodge

My parents have been planning a mini vacation for us at Pocono Great Wolf Lodge for a while. Finally we decided to go on March 16. I have been looking forward to this vacation because this is no ordinary hotel. This hotel has a huge indoor water park.
After about one and a half hour drive, we got to Great Wolf Lodge at Scotrun, PA. After we checked in, I wanted to jump into the water and play. Unfortunately, dinner was in our way. So after dinner, we went to the water park. My first ride was Coyote Cannon. You would go down a steep drop, then go into a roundabout, circle around two times before you go to another steep drop and end in the splash pool. The ride I liked the most was Hydro Plunge because your tube would go faster than all of the other slides. The slide I rode the most however was called Alberta Falls. It had three slides and a short, fast line. The cool thing about all the Alberta Falls slide was all of them went outside the building and back inside. But the temperature did not change. At least I didn't feel it. We played until 9:00 PM which was the water park's closing time. We weren't sleepy so we played at the arcade until it closed. I got a magnet that says Great Wolf Lodge on it and I got my sister a small cloth bag. The next morning, we went back to the water park again right after breakfast. I rode all the water rides again, then spent a lot of time relaxing in the wave pool and hot tube. At 12:30, we headed home. We did not have a chance to play the MagiQuest this time. So both my sister and I are looking forward to coming back again.

2009 PA State Chess Championship

On March 6th,  my family and I left the house right after school to go to Carlisle.  My sister and I would play in the 2009 PA State Scholastic Chess Championship.  I was top seeded in K6 Open section, but that only meant I had a good chance of winning first place.  I ended up getting third place. But I still think this was a good tournament for me.
In the first three rounds, I won without much trouble.  For example, in the third round, the result was basically decided within twenty moves.  As the tournament proceeded, my opponents got tougher and tougher.  So on the fourth game, I found myself facing one of my old rivals.  Last year, if I beat him in the last round, I would get second place.  But I lost that game and I got seventh place.  So this year I was determined to beat him.  My opponent changed his opening, which turned to be one of my own openings too. So we both played pretty well in the opening and early middle game.  The game was pretty even until he made a mistake.  After that, it is not difficult for me to defeat him.  On the last game, I could have at least tied to be co-champion but I lost due to making a quick move without carefully analyzing his threat.  It results in a two pawns loss and forcing queen exchange.  Then I lost the game quickly after that. 

Even though I am a little bit disappointed that I did not won the Championship.  But I still think that I made some improvements.  In 2007, I got 10th and in 2008, I got 7th and in 2009, I got 3rd.  I will try again next year to win the first place.  My next big tournament is Super Nationals at Nashville. I am looking forward to this big event.