If we listened hard enough, we would hear what wasn't actually there. Every day, all summer long, we listened for the jingle of the ice cream truck, even though it only came once that entire year. In that warm summer's air at 8:30, light still in the sky, it was alright to do this. We would never give up hope.

My dad would read the three of us siblings chapters of Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, or Anne of Green Gables out loud on the front porch, and every once in a while, my brother would lift his head.

"Did you hear that?" he'd ask, and my dad would set the book down on his worn blue jeans he always wore when weeding clovers. I would look up, as if I could see over the tall pines--a type of X-Ray vision specifically for ice cream trucks.

"I don't think it's coming," my dad would finally say, after we were silent, listening hard, for a good ten minutes. Sometimes, my mom would make us a snack--a mix of berries she called Special Treat. We would sprinkle sugar on top and eat them on the uncomfortable, prickly wicker furniture outside.

After my dad read, we would play skip-it or hopscotch in the hilly driveway. I would ride my bike and maybe skin my knee. We refueled our bikes in chalk gas stations. Sometimes, Jonny or the Smart boys would ride their bikes with us, around and around the circle of the cul de sac.  When darkness fell, we would retreat and park our bikes in the garage, propped up against foul smelling trashcans, figuring maybe the ice cream truck would come tomorrow.

Now, I am old and do not live at home. The green Honda Civic I share with my sister rests rusting in the driveway. Last summer, the ice cream truck came, just a few years too late. I couldn't run outside, tearing the thin fabric of my socks, chasing wildly after it, without feeling like a fool. I would listen to its jingle play, until it got fainter and fainter, finally fading into nothing. I could hear it in my head, even after the truck drove away, the sun setting in the distance.

Paul_Partisan asks:
1) This contest will have you trying to prove you are the most deserving woman. I want to know some of your weaknesses first. What do you think you need to work on the most when it comes to your personality? Silly answers and no answers will probably make me hesitate in giving any points later on.

My biggest weakness is my bladder. Seriously, it is so weak. So weak. I've tried those liners that look kinda like pads, but they're no good. I'm sticking with the full-out diapers. It's okay, though, because I've overcome my weakness and can rock it. I like to pair my diaper with a leotard for a Lady GaGa look. It's bold and says, "Yeah, I have a bladder weakness. So what?"

2) Have you ever created drama or been part of it?

I am AntiSoccerMom.



Oh, wait, not really. But I sometimes leave really mean comments anonymously because I don't have the balls to do it normally. I usually tell emo people to tough up. Or I correct people's grammar.

Garistotle asks:
1) If you could have a meal with any famous person, who would it be and what would you eat?

I would definitely like to eat special brownies with George W. Bush. I just think it would be an interesting experience in general. We would go to his little ranch in Texas and eat the brownies. When it hits us, we can listen to some Modest Mouse, and when we're done with that, some of Barack Obama's speeches. I've heard the Yes We Can chant sounds fantastic high.

2) Assuming you sing in the shower (as its the right thing to do), what is your favorite showerhead song to sing?

My favorite song to sing in the shower to is one of WhereTheFishLives' parodies, Xanganizer. I sing this song because Xanga is constantly on my mind. I'm on Xanga at least four hours a day, so you should probably consider that while judging me in this contest.

Kestryl asks:

1. What's your biggest flaw? And I don't mean physically, 'cause I can see those for myself, thank you. I mean, what about your character or personality would you consider the ugliest part about you.

My biggest personality flaw is that whenever someone does something that displeases me, a strong compulsion comes over me, and I am forced to scream, "You are displeasing me!" Whenever I scream this, I get a lot of weird looks, especially while in public. I've tried to stop plenty of times, but I just can't.

2. What do you regret most? And I don't mean "I regret spending $100 on that trendy new purse". I mean one thing you've done in your life that you'd do anything to change or take back.

Okay, well, this is a very personal question, but, when I was seven, I ripped all of the heads off my Barbies and started writing a book called "101 Uses For Barbie Heads." I would test out the uses and put the Barbie heads various places around my house, like in the refrigerator, or on top of the broken clock in the living room. My parents thought I was deeply psychologically disturbed (which is why I fit in with the rest of Xanga so well, LOL) and sent me to a Psych ward for a year or two. I deeply regret this incident because if I hadn't done it, I would be Psych-Ward free.

VaneDave asks:
1. If women demand equal rights, why should men still have to do stuff like hold doors, offer jackets, and carry women over puddles? Does that seem very equal to you?

Well, a man would be an asshole if he didn't do those things for a woman. And a woman would be an asshole if she didn't do those things for a man. EXCEPT for the puddle thing. Regardless of sex, I don't want random strangers carrying me over puddles. I would not like that. Men also might want to avoid carrying other men over puddles. I would, however, appreciate people, regardless of sex, holding the door open for me. I don't like doors slammed in my face. If someone doesn't hold the door open for me, I'm probably in Wal Mart.

2. Have you ever used PMS as an excuse for a time when you were just being a bitch? If so tell me a little bit about the incident(s) when you have. If not, explain why you would or would not do so in the future.

I do not get PMS because my periods last two days, usually. I think I am almost  a man, but don't tell anyone, because then I would have to compete in MR. XangAmerica.

StewieIsMyHero asks:
1. If someone paid for you to have breast implants and guaranteed the safety of your health, would you get them?

My boobs are already quite large. See?



2. How many pieces of pizza can you eat in one sitting?

I can eat three pizzas in one sitting. See?

 

AreYouThereGodItsMeEmilyC asks:
1) Worth a thousand words:

The MXA pageant has asked/required photos of contestants in the first round. For some, this is the first time showing their real faces on Xanga. Aside from privacy, why is it that some choose to remain physically anonymous while being emotionally honest and open? What assumptions do you make about people who never show their faces? Do you assume that they are ugly or attractive? Do you feel more connected to a blogger or online friend if you know what he or she looks like? Just how important is the profile picture? What does not having one say?

Here is what I think. Blogging is extremely dorky. If someone found out I had this blog, I would be upset. So, for a while, my profile picture was a fourth of my face. But then I realized this made me look very emo, especially with a name like HollowHopes. So I tried to decided what was less embarrassing: Being emo, or being a blogger? Not having a profile picture says you find being emo and being a blogger equally embarrassing.



A previous profile picture of mine. It conceals my identity, but makes me look uber emo.

2) Does faith/religion have a place in MXA? Should it?

Faith and religion only have a place on Revelife, because that's its own little category. I can't talk about religion, food, health, all of the trips I take to Africa, any celebrity life or pop culture, video games, or Megan Fox. I can't even blog about how ghetto I am or autism, which are the two topics I blogged about most often before the ish sites came along. I can't talk about any of those things here anymore because of the ish sites. I have an individual account for all of those things. So, no, religion has no place here.

TheTheologiansCafe asks:
1. Which moment of your childhood was the one that caused you the greatest sadness? (Please describe the event).

Well, if I'm on Xanga, obviously my life was so filled with trauma I can't possibly pick one event, so I'm going to have to say my entire existence is by far what's caused me the greatest sadness. Just look at how sad I am now.



If you want to read about my traumatic life of sadness in detail, you can just check out all of my previous entires. I think you'll find my rhyming poetry quite deep and touching.

2. If you could eliminate one social ill, which one would you eliminate?

I would eliminate smoking, because all of the smoking posts on Xanga have been annoying me lately.


and finally your reigning Miss XangAmerica asks:
1. If you were to win MXA, what do you wish to contribute to Xanga with your title and new found "Xanga-popularity"?

I would do the obvious. I would do my duty. I would do the basics that come along with the great honor of winning. I would save kittens from high up trees. I would bake brownies in only five minutes, not forty. I would grow food magically and feed all of the children in Africa. I would invent a money tree a combat poverty throughout the world. I would cure cancer, and in my spare time, I would work to cure the common cold. That's just a few things I would do.

2. Tell us one joke/event in your life in ONE sentence that would cause the audience to to shoot milk from their noses.

I am majoring in Creative Writing.

Oh, wait, I feel as if I haven't put enough pictures of my boobs and stuff up yet.



Alright, now I'm good.

Please note that iStephanieMarie is an extremely nice person, and I love reading her blogs. It's great she's doing this contest for Xanga; it definitely stirs things up. I'm just avoiding packing for college all I can .

1. Gravy

2. The Beastie Boys

3. NASCAR or the Indie 500 thing

4. Beer


* I think I will continue to update this whenever I discover another thing I don't understand how anybody likes.