In the car on the way home, I was putting serious thought into what I was going to blog about today, but nothing really specific came to mind.
Then I remembered it's Halloween. Holidays deserve an extra special entry. (Btw, first holiday on the blog!)
Halloween has always been one of favorite holidays, as it is for most people, purely because of all of the fun and creativity that goes into it. Some of my friends have been really clever with their costume choices over the years. One year, in elementary school, one of my best friends at the time dressed up as a Monopoly game board. I've was a tacky tourist one year, complete with sock/sandal foot attire, t-shirt with Mt. Rushmore on it, Hawaiian shirt,leis, sunglasses, and straw hat. It also gives us an excuse to watch that old Charlie Brown TV special "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". All time favorite video ever. And you have to watch it either on TV when it's on, or watch it on VHS for the full effect. DVD doesn't cut it. MY grandpa introduced me to this when I was really young, and I've been watching it every year since.
Sadly, my neighborhood was never one for trick-or-treating. All there are is older people in my neighborhood, so I don't even get trick-or-treaters at my house. (Except a total of nine kids [and their parents] just moved into the house across the street from me, as well as the house next door, and not one of them came to my door to ask for candy. Little punks...More Twix for me, then.*) So what I usually ended up doing was going trick-or-treating with my cousin, who had better luck at the houses around where she lived (which, oddly, is only about three blocks from my house...) and get loaded with candy. Good candy. The year I raked in the most candy was, coincidentally, the same year I got braces four days before Halloween.
If I'm not trick-or-treating, which I haven't done in about three years, I'll be at a friend's house hanging out, doing Halloween-related things, like playing Qwelf (the slowest, most bizarre, yet entertaining game in the history of board games) or Apples to Apples (same applies...just with cards) or watching movies or playing hide and seek in the woods with only glow sticks and the full moon as our light source. But there is almost always food. Candy, for sure. Usually chili. I don't know why, but that's out traditional Halloween fare. When I'd go to my cousin's house, we'd always have chili for dinner...
This year, unfortunately, I feel extremely old and not festive in the slightest, aside from my Halloween shirt and socks. I guess that's what happens when you're taking three AP classes. You don't have the time for it. Plus Halloween this year's on a Monday. Talk about worst timing ever...Next year, though...I have plans. Or, at least, I plan to have plans...
Question for you guys: what was your all-time favorite Halloween costume? What is your favorite Halloween candy? For me, it would have to be Luna Lovegood and Reeses' Peanut Butter cups.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
P.S. 54 days 'til Christmas. Just thought you should know.
*As I typed this, we got ONE trick-or-treater. And it was one of the kids from across the street. SUCCESS!!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
For the Seniors (Special BEDSY weekend post, Sunday October 30th, 2011)
It's me again.
Not that you would expect anyone but me here...
There are a few things I left out of yesterday's entry that I wanted to say, but I just couldn't fit them in. But after yesterday, I figured I should do this now.
Like I said, Friday night was Senior night. Last football game, last time some people would ever march a field show (like me, but I'm not that broken up about it, truly). But it's one of those milestones. Those last milestones of our high school careers. It's one of those times when we ban the use of the "L" word (last).
After our field show (in which we just stood on the traack on front of the bleachers and played our show. Our director calls this a "park 'n' bark"), the whole band got into what we call the "swirly" (we get into thie massively long line and, you guessed it, make a swirly around our director) and had our usual post-performance debriefing. Then our director dismissed the band, asking the seniors to stay behind so he could talk to us privately.
Senior Circle.
This is tradition, for our director (let's call him Grams) to address the seniors after our last football game. To give us words of wisdom for the months to come, to commend us on our job as leaders so far (if there is anything to commend). All in all, it's an emotional time. Nobody cried. But it wasn't a night for tears. At this point, it's a time of celebration of how far my class has come, and excitement for what's ahead of us. The time for tears is in June, when we have our other Senior circle, after our last parade. I'll cry then.
I'm so proud of the Seniors in band this year. I'm proud to call them some of my closest friends. We've been through a lot together in the past two and a half years (for some people, it's been longer). We started out being told that we were going to march in the Tournament of Roses Parade (the big one down in Pasadena, CA on New Year's Day, 2010) and we had to be in shape to march all five-and-a-half miles of it and play the entire time. We didn't have a choice between doing it or not. We just had to do it. And we've kept that mentality ever since. It's shaped the band over the past two years, and now we're better than ever.
Of course we couldn't do it by ourselves. We had help, by the two senior classes before us. The senior class of our sophomore year impacted us the most, even to this day. They taught us how to lead, how to set the example for the underclassmen, how to lead the band in the right direction. And Friday night, we paid tribute to them in the most awesome way we could think of.
Sophomore year, for the Rose Parade, we chose to play an array of songs, one of which was a medley of two Beatles songs (as a tribute to the band that initially auditioned to get into the Rose Parade, where the Seniors were sophomores) and two Bon Jovi Songs, "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on A Prayer". We still think of that class, and Grams even said in his speech that our class and theirs are similar in many ways. So, Friday night, as a tribute to them, to the band that went to the Rose Parade (we're an almost extinct species), as the students ran out onto the field after our team won their last home game, after we played the school's victory song, our drum majors counted us off and played "Livin' on A Prayer".
And it was awesome. I hoped all of the graduates could hear it. They would be proud of us. Nay. They are proud of us. And I know the seniors this year will be proud of the band next year. Because we care about what happens after we leave. We never want what we had (again, that whole aspect of family) to disappear.
Take my hand, and we'll make it, I swear...
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got...
Songs of the Moment: Can't Help Falling in Love, Burning Love, C.C Rider, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock, Livin' on A Prayer...For the Seniors, past and present
Not that you would expect anyone but me here...
There are a few things I left out of yesterday's entry that I wanted to say, but I just couldn't fit them in. But after yesterday, I figured I should do this now.
Like I said, Friday night was Senior night. Last football game, last time some people would ever march a field show (like me, but I'm not that broken up about it, truly). But it's one of those milestones. Those last milestones of our high school careers. It's one of those times when we ban the use of the "L" word (last).
After our field show (in which we just stood on the traack on front of the bleachers and played our show. Our director calls this a "park 'n' bark"), the whole band got into what we call the "swirly" (we get into thie massively long line and, you guessed it, make a swirly around our director) and had our usual post-performance debriefing. Then our director dismissed the band, asking the seniors to stay behind so he could talk to us privately.
Senior Circle.
This is tradition, for our director (let's call him Grams) to address the seniors after our last football game. To give us words of wisdom for the months to come, to commend us on our job as leaders so far (if there is anything to commend). All in all, it's an emotional time. Nobody cried. But it wasn't a night for tears. At this point, it's a time of celebration of how far my class has come, and excitement for what's ahead of us. The time for tears is in June, when we have our other Senior circle, after our last parade. I'll cry then.
I'm so proud of the Seniors in band this year. I'm proud to call them some of my closest friends. We've been through a lot together in the past two and a half years (for some people, it's been longer). We started out being told that we were going to march in the Tournament of Roses Parade (the big one down in Pasadena, CA on New Year's Day, 2010) and we had to be in shape to march all five-and-a-half miles of it and play the entire time. We didn't have a choice between doing it or not. We just had to do it. And we've kept that mentality ever since. It's shaped the band over the past two years, and now we're better than ever.
Of course we couldn't do it by ourselves. We had help, by the two senior classes before us. The senior class of our sophomore year impacted us the most, even to this day. They taught us how to lead, how to set the example for the underclassmen, how to lead the band in the right direction. And Friday night, we paid tribute to them in the most awesome way we could think of.
Sophomore year, for the Rose Parade, we chose to play an array of songs, one of which was a medley of two Beatles songs (as a tribute to the band that initially auditioned to get into the Rose Parade, where the Seniors were sophomores) and two Bon Jovi Songs, "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on A Prayer". We still think of that class, and Grams even said in his speech that our class and theirs are similar in many ways. So, Friday night, as a tribute to them, to the band that went to the Rose Parade (we're an almost extinct species), as the students ran out onto the field after our team won their last home game, after we played the school's victory song, our drum majors counted us off and played "Livin' on A Prayer".
And it was awesome. I hoped all of the graduates could hear it. They would be proud of us. Nay. They are proud of us. And I know the seniors this year will be proud of the band next year. Because we care about what happens after we leave. We never want what we had (again, that whole aspect of family) to disappear.
Take my hand, and we'll make it, I swear...
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got...
Songs of the Moment: Can't Help Falling in Love, Burning Love, C.C Rider, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock, Livin' on A Prayer...For the Seniors, past and present
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Not Just a Bunch of Band Geeks: BEDSY Day 37 (Friday October 28th, 2011)
I'll actually put up a Friday blog on Friday. One of these days...
Last home football game at SK. I can now say this without fear of jinxing ourselves, but we went the entire season without rain during a home game (I say home games because I wen to the game last week, which was away, and it was poring rain). It was almost the opposite last year. I can't remember how many times we had to drag our the plastic rain ponchos (ugh!) Sadly, it rained enough during the day that the field was too squishy-squashy to march on without ruining our band uniforms. Gotta keep those uniforms clean...
Last home game also meant it was Senior Night, where all the seniors (and their parents) from cheer, football, and band are recognized. For some lucky people, it was a stark reminder of how supportive our parents have been of us over the past seventeen, eighteen years. For others, however, it was a stark reminder of how supportive they weren't. I was fortunate enough to find myself in the former category, and I walked across the track in front of the home team supporters while my name was called with my mom and my dad by my side. There were a few people whose parents didn't care enough to show up. Fortunately, we had some "surplus" band parents of underclassmen who were more than glad to act as surrogate parents for those parent-less students. There was one kid who was escorted by two students, two of his friends, who were in the student section. That's the thing I love about this band (and, frankly, our senior class)--there is the incredible, irreplaceable sense of family that defines us as a group.
In high school, I've figured out, in order to survive, you really need to find your own niche. Screw all the people who say avoid joining the dreaded "cliques" of high school. Sometimes they aren't that big of a deal. What is a big deal are the stereotypes given to those cliques and, sadly, very few students do anything to change that. People need something to latch onto in high school, whether it be a group of people who have the same taste in music as you, or a sports team or the theater or band. High school is a big place, and people need a commonality between their peers (not all, but some) in order to feel important, like they belong. Nothing's worse than feeling like you don't belong.
Of course, sometimes we hang out with the wrong types of people. We seek out the wrong commonalities. Partying.. Drugs. Alcohol. You try to hang out with the kids from the basketball teams, even though you're heavily into technology. It's okay if you figure out that you're hanging out with the "wrong" group of people, just as long as you remain true to what you believe in and don't sacrifice yourself.
Wow. That was cheesy. But it's true. Being a band kid, I already had a niche carved out for me when I went to high school. Or I thought I did. The first day of camp (which is in August) my sophomore year, I was told that the band was like a family, that no matter how many times we may have disagreements, we always look out for each other. I didn't believe it. So I was ignorant of it. Until life kicked me in the butt. Long story short, right around Halloween of my sophomore year, right up until February, being at home around my family wasn't the easiest thing n the world (maybe I'll go into why, but I have to save that story for a later time). But what kept me going was the environment I entered the second I walked into the band room. Funny thing is, there's always at least one other person in the band room at all times. (We pretty much live there. Last year, we had two sleeping bags and a tent in there at one point.) And people can tell when you're having a bad day. Sometimes they'll ask why, but most times they'll just come up to you and give you a hug. It may not solve everything, but at least it makes everything alright for a little bit. It lets you know that at least one person cares. And sometimes that's all you need.
Ever since, I've tried to uphold that sense of family. Most people do. We all cry at the end of the year when the seniors have to leave because we've grown so tight as a group over the past year, and it's always weird at the beginning of every year because the seniors from the previous year are missing, and there are all these new people, messing with the dynamic that had been built the year before. But that's normal. But no matter who is in this band, we are family, and we look out for one another. Two weeks ago, at homecoming, I caught word of how one of our sophomores was ditched by her date (who also stole her money). I and the group of people I was with (all band kids) stayed with her and tried to track down the guy. We told the dean and invited the girl to come hang out with us for the rest of the dance. She said she had a better time with us than with her "date". Mission accomplished.
I love these people (you'll hear me say this a lot this year, but it just shows you guys how much I love them) and I would do anything for any of them, and I know that they would do the same for me.
'Cause we're not just a bunch of band kids. We're family.
Last home football game at SK. I can now say this without fear of jinxing ourselves, but we went the entire season without rain during a home game (I say home games because I wen to the game last week, which was away, and it was poring rain). It was almost the opposite last year. I can't remember how many times we had to drag our the plastic rain ponchos (ugh!) Sadly, it rained enough during the day that the field was too squishy-squashy to march on without ruining our band uniforms. Gotta keep those uniforms clean...
Last home game also meant it was Senior Night, where all the seniors (and their parents) from cheer, football, and band are recognized. For some lucky people, it was a stark reminder of how supportive our parents have been of us over the past seventeen, eighteen years. For others, however, it was a stark reminder of how supportive they weren't. I was fortunate enough to find myself in the former category, and I walked across the track in front of the home team supporters while my name was called with my mom and my dad by my side. There were a few people whose parents didn't care enough to show up. Fortunately, we had some "surplus" band parents of underclassmen who were more than glad to act as surrogate parents for those parent-less students. There was one kid who was escorted by two students, two of his friends, who were in the student section. That's the thing I love about this band (and, frankly, our senior class)--there is the incredible, irreplaceable sense of family that defines us as a group.
In high school, I've figured out, in order to survive, you really need to find your own niche. Screw all the people who say avoid joining the dreaded "cliques" of high school. Sometimes they aren't that big of a deal. What is a big deal are the stereotypes given to those cliques and, sadly, very few students do anything to change that. People need something to latch onto in high school, whether it be a group of people who have the same taste in music as you, or a sports team or the theater or band. High school is a big place, and people need a commonality between their peers (not all, but some) in order to feel important, like they belong. Nothing's worse than feeling like you don't belong.
Of course, sometimes we hang out with the wrong types of people. We seek out the wrong commonalities. Partying.. Drugs. Alcohol. You try to hang out with the kids from the basketball teams, even though you're heavily into technology. It's okay if you figure out that you're hanging out with the "wrong" group of people, just as long as you remain true to what you believe in and don't sacrifice yourself.
Wow. That was cheesy. But it's true. Being a band kid, I already had a niche carved out for me when I went to high school. Or I thought I did. The first day of camp (which is in August) my sophomore year, I was told that the band was like a family, that no matter how many times we may have disagreements, we always look out for each other. I didn't believe it. So I was ignorant of it. Until life kicked me in the butt. Long story short, right around Halloween of my sophomore year, right up until February, being at home around my family wasn't the easiest thing n the world (maybe I'll go into why, but I have to save that story for a later time). But what kept me going was the environment I entered the second I walked into the band room. Funny thing is, there's always at least one other person in the band room at all times. (We pretty much live there. Last year, we had two sleeping bags and a tent in there at one point.) And people can tell when you're having a bad day. Sometimes they'll ask why, but most times they'll just come up to you and give you a hug. It may not solve everything, but at least it makes everything alright for a little bit. It lets you know that at least one person cares. And sometimes that's all you need.
Ever since, I've tried to uphold that sense of family. Most people do. We all cry at the end of the year when the seniors have to leave because we've grown so tight as a group over the past year, and it's always weird at the beginning of every year because the seniors from the previous year are missing, and there are all these new people, messing with the dynamic that had been built the year before. But that's normal. But no matter who is in this band, we are family, and we look out for one another. Two weeks ago, at homecoming, I caught word of how one of our sophomores was ditched by her date (who also stole her money). I and the group of people I was with (all band kids) stayed with her and tried to track down the guy. We told the dean and invited the girl to come hang out with us for the rest of the dance. She said she had a better time with us than with her "date". Mission accomplished.
I love these people (you'll hear me say this a lot this year, but it just shows you guys how much I love them) and I would do anything for any of them, and I know that they would do the same for me.
'Cause we're not just a bunch of band kids. We're family.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
BBT: BEDSY Day 36 (Thursday October 27th, 2011)
Totally watching The Big Bang Theory right now. I've never really gotten into sitcoms, but this is pretty stinkin' hilarious. It's the episode where the boys find an original Lord of the Rings ring and they spend the entire episode fighting over it. Oh, Sheldon...
"I'm going to make you want to pee..."
Pretty much winding down from a really long day and a short night's sleep on Wednesday night. Early to bed, though. Tomorrow's going to be short and really long at the same time. Last official football game tomorrow night. Which also means it's Senior Night. There will be tears. The winner of tomorrow's game determines who gets the last spot in the playoffs. We may actually be going to playoffs this year. Maybe...
"I'm going to make you want to pee..."
Pretty much winding down from a really long day and a short night's sleep on Wednesday night. Early to bed, though. Tomorrow's going to be short and really long at the same time. Last official football game tomorrow night. Which also means it's Senior Night. There will be tears. The winner of tomorrow's game determines who gets the last spot in the playoffs. We may actually be going to playoffs this year. Maybe...
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Talking Politics: BEDSY Day 35 (Wednesday October 26th, 2011)
Today was pretty awesome. Even though I was late to school. Stupid half days with stupid 7:25 start....
Classes were only an hour long today. So that was kind of nice. We watched a documentary in AP Gov. on how effed up our democracy is. Apparently even the most technologically inept--yet politically passionate--person could hack into the voting machines and skew the results. And the companies that made the machines--who were notorious for accepting bribes from specific political parties (in the movie it was the Republican Party, but I don't think the bribes were coming from just them)--did NOTHING to fix the programming and codes on these machines...even when all of the codes were, at one point, online for public viewing.
It's weird to think that by the next time our country is ready to elect a new president, I'll be able to vote. But based on these findings...maybe not.
Had my first audition today. This was the big one, though, the one for Wind Ensemble. I actually feel really good about my audition, though. I hope I get the chair (that's parts for the music we'll play all year) I want. We'll see in a few weeks.
Classes were only an hour long today. So that was kind of nice. We watched a documentary in AP Gov. on how effed up our democracy is. Apparently even the most technologically inept--yet politically passionate--person could hack into the voting machines and skew the results. And the companies that made the machines--who were notorious for accepting bribes from specific political parties (in the movie it was the Republican Party, but I don't think the bribes were coming from just them)--did NOTHING to fix the programming and codes on these machines...even when all of the codes were, at one point, online for public viewing.
It's weird to think that by the next time our country is ready to elect a new president, I'll be able to vote. But based on these findings...maybe not.
Had my first audition today. This was the big one, though, the one for Wind Ensemble. I actually feel really good about my audition, though. I hope I get the chair (that's parts for the music we'll play all year) I want. We'll see in a few weeks.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
: BEDSY Day 34 (Tuesday October 25th, 2011)
Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Well, this morning was at least.
I had English today. No need to explain myself, yes?
I felt like falling asleep in class all day long. Luckily my seventh period class was cancelled to day, so I got to go home kind of early.
Half days for the rest of the week. Yay!!
Here's hoping tomorrow will be better.
P.S. Ten brownie points if you got the reference I was making in the beginning.
I had English today. No need to explain myself, yes?
I felt like falling asleep in class all day long. Luckily my seventh period class was cancelled to day, so I got to go home kind of early.
Half days for the rest of the week. Yay!!
Here's hoping tomorrow will be better.
P.S. Ten brownie points if you got the reference I was making in the beginning.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Terrible Twos: BEDSY Day 33 (Monday October 24th, 2011)
Today was a day of terrible two's.
Two tests.
Two timed writes in government (as a part of one of the aforementioned tests).
Two auditions. For some strange reason, I had neither audition today, even though I was fully planning on having both of them. One is tomorrow, for jazz. The second is on Wednesday, for Wind Ensemble, the top performance group in our program. Into which I've gotten the past two years. But that doesn't really mean anything. I'm still scared. Scared that I'm going to do something really stupid in my audition and have it hanging over my head for the next few weeks until the list of who made it is posted. I hate waiting.
No more terrible two's. I now understand why they're called 'terrible'.
Two tests.
Two timed writes in government (as a part of one of the aforementioned tests).
Two auditions. For some strange reason, I had neither audition today, even though I was fully planning on having both of them. One is tomorrow, for jazz. The second is on Wednesday, for Wind Ensemble, the top performance group in our program. Into which I've gotten the past two years. But that doesn't really mean anything. I'm still scared. Scared that I'm going to do something really stupid in my audition and have it hanging over my head for the next few weeks until the list of who made it is posted. I hate waiting.
No more terrible two's. I now understand why they're called 'terrible'.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Hodgepodge: BEDSY Day 32 (Friday October 21st, 2011)
...'cause that's what you're getting in this entry.
What a soggy, soggy day. It's been raining off and on for the past day and a half. But I like it. Most of my friends don't, but whatever. I enjoy it. This type of weather makes me believe that it's finally fall, which means fuzzy scarves and hats and boots and hot chocolate and pumpkin pie.
Went to an away football game with two of my good friends. We cleaned house. 60-28. I honestly thought the game was going to be closer than that. Guess not...Next week's game should be exciting, then. (Side note: the game took place in one of coolest stadiums I've ever been in. It was set up like an amphitheater, built into the hillside looking over the water. If it was a) not raining and b) not dark, it would've been one of the coolest views ever. There were big concrete steps all the way to the field., giving it kind of a Gladiator-esque feel to the occasion. Except they were a pain in the butt trying to climb up. I made the fatal mistake of leaving my rain jacket in the car and having to hike up the entirety of the stadium, four flights of stairs to get to street level, and one flight of stairs in the parking garage to get back to the car. Not gonna lie, I was sweating pretty hard by the time I got back to my seat. The school itself also looks like Hogwarts. No, I'm not joking.
After this night, I will be forever called the 'asthmatic band kid'. My friends love me.)
Watching "The Prince of Egypt" right now, since I've been so obsessed with the music from it lately. I love this movie, honestly. I've never been a particularly religious person (even though I was raised Catholic and went to Sunday School), but this movie kind of makes me believe in something that really is bigger than all of us, and I attribute that to the story-telling and the music. (You guys'll figure out that I attribute a lot of things to music.) It's something that touches your spirit, whether or not you actually believe in God or Allah or the Flying Green Spaghetti Monster. And I think that's what counts the most.
I'm going to a study party tomorrow at one of my friends's house, to, hopefully, study for our U.S. Government/Politics test that we have on Monday. Sad thing is we'll actually study...I want to do well. Our teacher wants us to do well. I like how our teacher teaches this class. She gives us facts and information, but then she makes sure we have a way to get it cemented into our brains (last week she had us remember a 19th-century court case by remembering the sound old ferry boats made...*gib-gib-gib-gib-gib-gib*), and she really encourages study groups and offers to host study sessions at our local Starbucks. And even at her house. You must really want your students to succeed if you are willing to let them into your house. Especially high school students.
Didn't mean to ramble and skip around a lot tonight. I feel like I haven't written very substantial entries lately, so I'm making up for it. My apologizes for the schizophrenic nature of this entry. Deal with it.
What a soggy, soggy day. It's been raining off and on for the past day and a half. But I like it. Most of my friends don't, but whatever. I enjoy it. This type of weather makes me believe that it's finally fall, which means fuzzy scarves and hats and boots and hot chocolate and pumpkin pie.
Went to an away football game with two of my good friends. We cleaned house. 60-28. I honestly thought the game was going to be closer than that. Guess not...Next week's game should be exciting, then. (Side note: the game took place in one of coolest stadiums I've ever been in. It was set up like an amphitheater, built into the hillside looking over the water. If it was a) not raining and b) not dark, it would've been one of the coolest views ever. There were big concrete steps all the way to the field., giving it kind of a Gladiator-esque feel to the occasion. Except they were a pain in the butt trying to climb up. I made the fatal mistake of leaving my rain jacket in the car and having to hike up the entirety of the stadium, four flights of stairs to get to street level, and one flight of stairs in the parking garage to get back to the car. Not gonna lie, I was sweating pretty hard by the time I got back to my seat. The school itself also looks like Hogwarts. No, I'm not joking.
After this night, I will be forever called the 'asthmatic band kid'. My friends love me.)
Watching "The Prince of Egypt" right now, since I've been so obsessed with the music from it lately. I love this movie, honestly. I've never been a particularly religious person (even though I was raised Catholic and went to Sunday School), but this movie kind of makes me believe in something that really is bigger than all of us, and I attribute that to the story-telling and the music. (You guys'll figure out that I attribute a lot of things to music.) It's something that touches your spirit, whether or not you actually believe in God or Allah or the Flying Green Spaghetti Monster. And I think that's what counts the most.
I'm going to a study party tomorrow at one of my friends's house, to, hopefully, study for our U.S. Government/Politics test that we have on Monday. Sad thing is we'll actually study...I want to do well. Our teacher wants us to do well. I like how our teacher teaches this class. She gives us facts and information, but then she makes sure we have a way to get it cemented into our brains (last week she had us remember a 19th-century court case by remembering the sound old ferry boats made...*gib-gib-gib-gib-gib-gib*), and she really encourages study groups and offers to host study sessions at our local Starbucks. And even at her house. You must really want your students to succeed if you are willing to let them into your house. Especially high school students.
Didn't mean to ramble and skip around a lot tonight. I feel like I haven't written very substantial entries lately, so I'm making up for it. My apologizes for the schizophrenic nature of this entry. Deal with it.
Friday, October 21, 2011
HEY YOU GUYS!!!!: BEDSY Day 31 (Thursday October 20th, 2011)
I'm watching The Goonies on TV right now (while doing homework). I love this movie. For those who don't know, it's about this group of friends who go hunting for long-lost treasure in order to save their home from foreclosure. It's the ultimate underdog movie. It's also kind of a cult movie.
GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE!!!
I've been watching this movie religiously since I was about ten. It's still one of my favorites. It's a great movie to watch growing up, even though I started watching it over fifteen years after it originally came out. I'll probably even show it to my kids.
I'm also reading Atonement at the moment for English. Not as bad as HoD. I actually like this book. I'm pretty positive the author is still alive. I enjoy the plot so far. This author (who is Ian McEwan, by the way) really goes into great detail about the motives and the thoughts of his characters but without it being written in the first person. Plus the perspective shifts from character to character every chapter. I like it when authors do that.
Now I must go back to reading.
GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE!!!
I've been watching this movie religiously since I was about ten. It's still one of my favorites. It's a great movie to watch growing up, even though I started watching it over fifteen years after it originally came out. I'll probably even show it to my kids.
I'm also reading Atonement at the moment for English. Not as bad as HoD. I actually like this book. I'm pretty positive the author is still alive. I enjoy the plot so far. This author (who is Ian McEwan, by the way) really goes into great detail about the motives and the thoughts of his characters but without it being written in the first person. Plus the perspective shifts from character to character every chapter. I like it when authors do that.
Now I must go back to reading.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
BEDSY Day 30 (Wednesday October 19th, 2011)
Eff you, English class. Eff you for making me sleep-deprived enough that I want to go to bed super early tonight and not post and entry for today until tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Riding Down the Highway: BEDSY Day 29 (Tuesday October 18th, 2011)
I am now an officially licensed driver in my state. WHOO-HOOO!!!!
(This has been a long time coming. I got my learner's permit the spring of my sophomore year. And I spent a good portion of the time between now and then bugging my mom to get me into a driver's ed class, which I ended up taking over this past sumer.)
Next step: get a job and/or a car. Probably'll get a job first. Baby steps, girl. Baby steps....
(This has been a long time coming. I got my learner's permit the spring of my sophomore year. And I spent a good portion of the time between now and then bugging my mom to get me into a driver's ed class, which I ended up taking over this past sumer.)
Next step: get a job and/or a car. Probably'll get a job first. Baby steps, girl. Baby steps....
Monday, October 17, 2011
BEDSY Day 28 (Monday October 17th, 2011)
Almost pulled an all-nighter last night. Don't wanna talk about why.
Took a math test. Pretty sure I did well on it.
I take my drive test tomorrow afternoon. Everyone get off the roads.
This time tomorrow, I may be a licensed driver. Keep your fingers crossed.
Took a math test. Pretty sure I did well on it.
I take my drive test tomorrow afternoon. Everyone get off the roads.
This time tomorrow, I may be a licensed driver. Keep your fingers crossed.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Homecoming Part1: BEDSY Day 27 (Friday October 14th, 2011)
Homecoming game was tonight. It could've gone one or two ways (now that I think about it, that's how all games go...), and it when the way that was favorable to us, even with our running back out with an injured arm. We won. 38-7. And those seven points were gained (possibly out of pity) in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. We probably let them have it. I felt kind of sad. For the other team. We had a full set of bleachers. They barely had ten people cheering for them. They didn't even bring their cheerleaders.
I am glad we won, though. It's tragic when you don't win your homecoming game.
One more game. And it's Senior Night. There will be tears.
I am glad we won, though. It's tragic when you don't win your homecoming game.
One more game. And it's Senior Night. There will be tears.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
When the Lights Go Out: BEDSY Day 26 (Thursday October 13th, 2011)
I have a test in chemistry tomorrow over the Periodic table of elements.
Apparently I think blogging about today is more important than studying. This is a problem.
...Just spent the past half hour doing online review games. Now I don't feel so bad.
Today was onw of those days that had the potential to be really really disasterous...but, by pure chance, it didn't end up that way. I love it when that happens. Sadly it doesn't happen all the time.
I was pretty much screwed for homework this morning, as I had nothing but English done, and I have no time in any of my classes to finish other homework...so...yeah. Same story as usual.
We got our new book assignments for English. Thank God. We're finally done with Heart of Darkness. If I ever hear those three words uttered in close context with one another again...heads are gonna roll.
So I got out of English. (I'm actually kind of glad that my desk is at the back corner of the classroom. That means I'm usually the first one out when the bell rings.) We weren't thirty seconds into passing when the lights went out. No power. 2300 kids in the hallways. Oh, man. But, as the civilized person I try to be, I made my way through the crowded, now dark, hallways out to the portables to Calc. All the way, I'd heard speculations as to how and why the power went out...since it wasn't even windy out. Not even a fall, maritime breeze to rustle the bronze leaves along the walkway. My math teacher thought it was a suicidal squirrel who jumped from the power lines that run to our school. Apparently that actually happened a few years ago.
So we did calculus in the semi-dark. Which wasn't too bad, since we normally have the lights off to see stuff our teacher is putting up on the projector screen. Plus we had windows. So we're sitting there...turning in homework. Except me. I didn't turn in my homework. Or at least the assignment that was due today. Because it wasn't done. I turned in the assignment that was due Tuesday, when I was absent. I wish this assignment was assigned on Tuesday instead of last Thursday, but I digress...So I'm sitting in the back corner of the classroom (again, except I chose this spot; I have no choice in English) freaking out because this would have been my ONLY missing assignment in math, and I have a 92.99% in the class. Don't judge.
Class goes on as usual. One kid tried to sharpen his pencil with the electric sharpener while the power was still out. We did review problems for our test on Monday. The power came back on about halfway through class. We went to lunch, came back to class, and finished our test review. In the last few minutes of class, my teacher announced that, regardless of it you turned in your assignment, she was giving full credit to everyone on this homework assignment. The assignment that I had been unable to finish. Heck yes.
A similar thing happened in my next class as well. Didn't finish my homework. My teacher wasn't there. Finished my homework (plus the homework that's due the next time as well) while we watched a movie on Mt. Vesuvius.
And then I come home and have almost no homework. Aside from studying for the chemistry test. This happens quite often. I don't especially care for this academic schyzophrenia. It makes my eyes cross. And my head hurt.
Homecoming game tomorrow night. Should be lots of fun. Hard to believe I only have one football game left after tomorrow night. Yikes.
Listening to: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus,
Apparently I think blogging about today is more important than studying. This is a problem.
...Just spent the past half hour doing online review games. Now I don't feel so bad.
Today was onw of those days that had the potential to be really really disasterous...but, by pure chance, it didn't end up that way. I love it when that happens. Sadly it doesn't happen all the time.
I was pretty much screwed for homework this morning, as I had nothing but English done, and I have no time in any of my classes to finish other homework...so...yeah. Same story as usual.
We got our new book assignments for English. Thank God. We're finally done with Heart of Darkness. If I ever hear those three words uttered in close context with one another again...heads are gonna roll.
So I got out of English. (I'm actually kind of glad that my desk is at the back corner of the classroom. That means I'm usually the first one out when the bell rings.) We weren't thirty seconds into passing when the lights went out. No power. 2300 kids in the hallways. Oh, man. But, as the civilized person I try to be, I made my way through the crowded, now dark, hallways out to the portables to Calc. All the way, I'd heard speculations as to how and why the power went out...since it wasn't even windy out. Not even a fall, maritime breeze to rustle the bronze leaves along the walkway. My math teacher thought it was a suicidal squirrel who jumped from the power lines that run to our school. Apparently that actually happened a few years ago.
So we did calculus in the semi-dark. Which wasn't too bad, since we normally have the lights off to see stuff our teacher is putting up on the projector screen. Plus we had windows. So we're sitting there...turning in homework. Except me. I didn't turn in my homework. Or at least the assignment that was due today. Because it wasn't done. I turned in the assignment that was due Tuesday, when I was absent. I wish this assignment was assigned on Tuesday instead of last Thursday, but I digress...So I'm sitting in the back corner of the classroom (again, except I chose this spot; I have no choice in English) freaking out because this would have been my ONLY missing assignment in math, and I have a 92.99% in the class. Don't judge.
Class goes on as usual. One kid tried to sharpen his pencil with the electric sharpener while the power was still out. We did review problems for our test on Monday. The power came back on about halfway through class. We went to lunch, came back to class, and finished our test review. In the last few minutes of class, my teacher announced that, regardless of it you turned in your assignment, she was giving full credit to everyone on this homework assignment. The assignment that I had been unable to finish. Heck yes.
A similar thing happened in my next class as well. Didn't finish my homework. My teacher wasn't there. Finished my homework (plus the homework that's due the next time as well) while we watched a movie on Mt. Vesuvius.
And then I come home and have almost no homework. Aside from studying for the chemistry test. This happens quite often. I don't especially care for this academic schyzophrenia. It makes my eyes cross. And my head hurt.
Homecoming game tomorrow night. Should be lots of fun. Hard to believe I only have one football game left after tomorrow night. Yikes.
Listening to: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus,
McDonald's, McDonald's...:BEDSY Day 25 (Wednesday September 12th, 2011)
Today is my mom's birthday. And we celebrated by going to McDonald's.
Not really. I mean, we went to McDonald's and it was my mom's birthday...but they weren't necessarily connected in any particular fashion. It was mere coincidence.
Anyway, we were at McDonald's for a fundraiser for band. They do this think where, essentially, we "take over" the restaurant for a few hours by cleaning tables or handing out food or waving signs outside the restaurant. Or playing pep band songs with a small ensemble of kids to attract attention. Always my favorite part. : )
Short blog is short. Still mentally recovering from being sick.
Only two more days until the weekend...and only three more 'til Homecoming. : )
Not really. I mean, we went to McDonald's and it was my mom's birthday...but they weren't necessarily connected in any particular fashion. It was mere coincidence.
Anyway, we were at McDonald's for a fundraiser for band. They do this think where, essentially, we "take over" the restaurant for a few hours by cleaning tables or handing out food or waving signs outside the restaurant. Or playing pep band songs with a small ensemble of kids to attract attention. Always my favorite part. : )
Short blog is short. Still mentally recovering from being sick.
Only two more days until the weekend...and only three more 'til Homecoming. : )
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Sick Day #3: BEDSY Day 24 (Tuesday October 11th, 2011)
Yesterday was a holiday, therefore I had no school, and therefore, no blog. No punishment.
Still at home sick today. This is a nasty bug. I can't remember the last time I was this sick for this long. Regardless of how I feel tomorrow, I think I have to go to school. I've already missed two days. In the words of the infamous Matt McGuire: "Being sick is complicated".
Even though I'm lounging in my living room still fighting off a cough, a plugged head, AND A FEVER, I thought I should post something more...extensive. Especially since I'm much more alert than I have been for the past five days.
So today we're going to talk about movies, since watching them has pretty much been my pastime for the past five days...
...Four hours later and this is as far as I've gotten. I though about deleting the stuff about the movies, but I think I'll just leave it, just to show you guys my intentions...and how they don't always come to fruition. At this point, I blame the fever that I've had since Thursday night. You guys are lucky this thing is even grammatically correct. Or makes sense.
Non-fever-influenced entry tomorrow.
Still at home sick today. This is a nasty bug. I can't remember the last time I was this sick for this long. Regardless of how I feel tomorrow, I think I have to go to school. I've already missed two days. In the words of the infamous Matt McGuire: "Being sick is complicated".
Even though I'm lounging in my living room still fighting off a cough, a plugged head, AND A FEVER, I thought I should post something more...extensive. Especially since I'm much more alert than I have been for the past five days.
So today we're going to talk about movies, since watching them has pretty much been my pastime for the past five days...
...Four hours later and this is as far as I've gotten. I though about deleting the stuff about the movies, but I think I'll just leave it, just to show you guys my intentions...and how they don't always come to fruition. At this point, I blame the fever that I've had since Thursday night. You guys are lucky this thing is even grammatically correct. Or makes sense.
Non-fever-influenced entry tomorrow.
Friday, October 7, 2011
BEDSY Day 23 (Friday, October 7th, 2011)
Still sick today. Stayed home and slept. I'm missing a football game tonigh :(. First one I've ever missed. But I might be more of a hinderance if I went tonight...My head's all stuffed up and I had a fever this morning. My thoughts are going out to my band and my team. I hope they do well tonight.
BEDSY Day 22 (Thurday October 6th, 2011)
No title for today. Came home and felt terrible, so this is the extent of my blog. I'm going to bed.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Bring on the OJ:BEDSY Day 21 (Wednesday Oct. 5th, 2011)
Almost forgot to do a blog today. Almost.
I think I'm getting sick. This is not good. I have a football game on Friday that I pretty much can't miss. But my mom's also been sick. And I've been living in close proximity to her. Bring on the Vitamin C. Stay away from me, germs. I can't afford to miss any school. Not right now.
Listening to: Eric Whitacre's "Sleep". Beautiful piece. Maybe I'll write about it at a later time. But that would take time and a mind that isn't as exhausted as mine is now. But you guys should seriously go listen to this song. It's amazing. Even the piano part that establishes the pitches for the singers (since this is an a capella choral piece) is beautiful.
I'm going to take Mr. Whitacre's advise and go to sleep. 'Night, all.
I think I'm getting sick. This is not good. I have a football game on Friday that I pretty much can't miss. But my mom's also been sick. And I've been living in close proximity to her. Bring on the Vitamin C. Stay away from me, germs. I can't afford to miss any school. Not right now.
Listening to: Eric Whitacre's "Sleep". Beautiful piece. Maybe I'll write about it at a later time. But that would take time and a mind that isn't as exhausted as mine is now. But you guys should seriously go listen to this song. It's amazing. Even the piano part that establishes the pitches for the singers (since this is an a capella choral piece) is beautiful.
I'm going to take Mr. Whitacre's advise and go to sleep. 'Night, all.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Long and Winding Road: BEDSY Day 20 (Tuesday Oct. 4th, 2011)
Finally done with driver's ed. Heck yes. I like the feeling of actually accomplishing something.
*sigh* I told myself I wasn't going to do this anymore...but here it goes.
My English class is taking years off my life. I don't think I've actually ever hated English. Bu I do now. It's gotten so bad that it's starting to affect people's health. Physical and mental. No amount of college credit is worth this. COLLEGE isn't even this hard. And that's with, like, FOUR classes.
People are starting to switch out, and even getting their parents involved. This @!*& just got real. This teacher told us at the beginning of class that he really wanted to teach this higher level English class, and he'd been working with some of the other AP teachers in preparation for it...but if he wants a full class to actually take the AP test at the end of the year, he better rethink his teaching strategies.
Like that's going to happen.
This class completely sucks out all of my energy/attention span/cognitive power, leaving virtually nothing for any of my other classes (which are AP Calculus and humanities), and even less than that for after school. I almost came home today and took a nap. At three o'clock. And I probably wouldn't have woken up until just now. That's how sleep-deprived I am. And it's all from this stupid English class. The point where one class starts affecting my other six classes...I know something's seriously wrong.
On another note...we got our graduation packets on Friday. Like where we order our caps and gowns and announcements. Man, it's expensive to graduate. They make us endure thirteen year of FREE education...and then make us pretty much pay $200 to walk across a stage and shake our Principal's hand. Illogical world is illogical.
*sigh* I told myself I wasn't going to do this anymore...but here it goes.
My English class is taking years off my life. I don't think I've actually ever hated English. Bu I do now. It's gotten so bad that it's starting to affect people's health. Physical and mental. No amount of college credit is worth this. COLLEGE isn't even this hard. And that's with, like, FOUR classes.
People are starting to switch out, and even getting their parents involved. This @!*& just got real. This teacher told us at the beginning of class that he really wanted to teach this higher level English class, and he'd been working with some of the other AP teachers in preparation for it...but if he wants a full class to actually take the AP test at the end of the year, he better rethink his teaching strategies.
Like that's going to happen.
This class completely sucks out all of my energy/attention span/cognitive power, leaving virtually nothing for any of my other classes (which are AP Calculus and humanities), and even less than that for after school. I almost came home today and took a nap. At three o'clock. And I probably wouldn't have woken up until just now. That's how sleep-deprived I am. And it's all from this stupid English class. The point where one class starts affecting my other six classes...I know something's seriously wrong.
On another note...we got our graduation packets on Friday. Like where we order our caps and gowns and announcements. Man, it's expensive to graduate. They make us endure thirteen year of FREE education...and then make us pretty much pay $200 to walk across a stage and shake our Principal's hand. Illogical world is illogical.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Dance, Dance?: BEDSY Day 19 (Monday Oct. 3rd, 2011)
Oh, man. It's Monday.
Homecoming is just around the corner at my school. And my friends have decided that it's not an okay thing that I haven't decided whether or not I want to go to the dance. And it's not just one friend. It's quite a few of them. Might I also mention that homecoming is next Saturday?
I've never actually been one for school dances. I don't know why...I'm not anti-school spirit or anything...I don't know. I just have this underlying feeling that I shouldn't go...but it's Senior year. I promised myself that I would have as few regrets about the year as possible, not going to homecoming being one of them, but...we'll see.
Sadly, I've been led to believe that one of my good friends is kidnapping me this weekend to take me dress shopping...Help.
Homecoming is just around the corner at my school. And my friends have decided that it's not an okay thing that I haven't decided whether or not I want to go to the dance. And it's not just one friend. It's quite a few of them. Might I also mention that homecoming is next Saturday?
I've never actually been one for school dances. I don't know why...I'm not anti-school spirit or anything...I don't know. I just have this underlying feeling that I shouldn't go...but it's Senior year. I promised myself that I would have as few regrets about the year as possible, not going to homecoming being one of them, but...we'll see.
Sadly, I've been led to believe that one of my good friends is kidnapping me this weekend to take me dress shopping...Help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)