Summer Break Should Have Started By Now

Alas, it has been an entire week since my last blog. This week has been of a consistency that was most unpleasant. Spring Fling rehearsals every day except today. Sometimes two-and-a-half-hour rehearsals. And lots of homework.
At some point this week Stephanie threw her shoe at me during lunch. I don't remember what I did to deserve it. Well, anyway, I wore it. Yep. On my right foot. Gosh! That was uncomfortable. On the plus side, it had arch support. On the negative, it was tight, and I was walking wobbly all the way through rehearsal that day, cause my shoes are flat footed. And after rehearsal my leg was killing me. Actually, my leg was killing me for a couple of days. Maybe "killing" is a bit strong of a word. The point is, that it made the rest of my week uncomfortable.
Yesterday the temperature was so high that I wanted to go and jump in the river right then. But, alas, I had papers due today that had to be printed yesterday. Ah! But today, I was at the river, and I jumped. It was cold, and refreshing. This is going to be a good summer.
Spring fling is next week. The 2nd and the 3rd of June. 7:30 PM.
Is it really only May still. Wow. It feels like it's July.
For the record, I would like everyone to know that this year has been hard, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and it has been wonderful in all those respects as well. I would like to thank the guy that made it all possible. Thank you God for everything you have done in my life this year. I look forward to seeing what you have in store for me in my future, and ask that you will prepare me for it. I couldn't have done any thing that I did this year, without you. Thank you.

Attention: 9 more days of school!
Senior Count: 4 days!
It's hard to believe we made it this far. God bless you seniors.

Chaotic Tranquility

Hello. I am going to maintain this level of calmness so as to not get carried away in this blog. It has come to my attention that I have become to excited in my blogging and have gone beyond informative and into over dramatic. Ok so I just think that my writing is getting a bit annoying.
Today I had spring fling rehearsal. It went well. It will be even better when everyone is actually there.
Yesterday I did have the pleasure of - get this - hearing Stephanie sing. (gasp) Congratulations Steph. You are almost there. Just a tiny bit louder next time.
Also today I was able to write my essay for English. It's due on the 27th, but now I don't have to worry about it. Not my best work. But it does have alot of deep and possibly meaningful stuff on it. The only problem is in the flow of thought. Or, to be more correct, the lack there of. Oh well. It gets the point across. And hopefully the A+ as well.
Tomorrow I'll probably spend some time reading this text book so that I can write two papers for social studies. Not likely, but I might make a dent in the reading.
I've been talking with Eric quite a bit on line lately. (See Eric, you get mentioned in blogs too) Maybe some day I'll actually talk with him in person. It's not like he's in another country or anything. I see him every day at school. It's just harder to talk with people in person. I hope I'll get over that soon.
These next few weeks bring forth mixed feelings for me. Yay! Schools almost out! I made it through the year! Boo! Five papers due within two weeks. Not to mention all the homework I have to do in that time. Along with spring fling rehearsals and then finals.
And so I conclude with this thought. I shall do what I must for today. I shall do my best tomorrow. I shall look forward to the future beyond finals, because no matter how I do in school these next few weeks it will end and summer will begin. Thank you God!

Attention: 14 more days of school!
Senior count: 9 days!

Spring Fling, Shming Fling!

I would just like to start this blog by saying, you are my most favoritest blog readers in the world.(Take that one, English teachers) Spring fling is going well. The choreography always starts out kind of weird, but it's getting to that point where it doesn't matter how awkward it feels. Oh, and I'm stealing the show. It's not my fault. Maybe I should explain.
Before we even began rehearsal I talked with Mr. Frunk about doing this classy duet with someone else, didn't matter who. So I had one duet. Then Frunk gave me another, eight measure, duet within the music. Ok, so I'm performing a lot. Doesn't bother me. Ah, but then there is this beautiful solo in the music that I didn't want Frunk to cut, and I didn't want it to go to someone that might ruin it. Sufficed to say, I took the solo, but I let Frunk think he was giving it to me. Well, wow, I'm up stage for half the show now. There is no way Frunk would put me up there any more. Right?
Wrong! Stephanie picked out this duet to sing. It's a nice song. If you want to know what it is you just might have to come to the performance. June 2nd and 3rd 7:30 start time. Back to what I was saying. Frunk gave me the other part of the duet.
I don't mind at all. Some may say that it's a lot of music to learn in a short time. It really isn't. Most of them are 16 or so measures. Not much. And the longest one is a song I've known for a year.
Three duets and one solo. Thus the joke, that apparently only I think is funny. I'M STEALING THE SHOW! It should be fun. Oh, and other people will be singing too. Just so you know. I'm not the only person in the world. If I was then who is reading this anyway? Who is reading this? You there, who do you think you are?!

Attention: school days left, 15!
Senior count, 10 days!

Computers, Jazz, and English

I'm going to have to make this post short and sweet. The reason being that I am on my brothers computer, and the reason for this is the same reason I haven't been able to post for the last two days. My computer is dying.
It's realy quite a sad state of afairs. I guess some time in the last week when I went online it automaticly "upgraded" the computer. It's not exactly a new computer, and it was already slow. Now it won't even go online without dying. I'm lucky if I can get on AIM before it dies. And yes, I have tried hitting it reeeealy hard. 'Nough said.
Today we had the very first Tri-vally League jazz festival. It was totaly fun. The great thing about jazz band perfomances is that it's alot more relaxed than concert band perfomances. Sadly, we were the only band to figure that out. All the other bands were so stuck in their music that they didn't look like they were having any fun. Sufficed to say, out of four bands we placed 1st. Haha. I'm never first. When I got back to school I still had fifth period to go to, and everyone else was still in lunch. I walked right through the school commons, still wearing my tux and trumpet in hand. Everyone else may not have know what we had acomplished that day, but I didn't care. I walked through those commons in a stately manner fitting to a man that had acomplished the imposible. I felt like a king. It was great.
But don't worry, I won't get a big head. I was talking with Stephanie on line and she very quickly put me in my place by correcting my spelling. Thanks Steph.

The Calm Before The... Everything Else.

What am I thinking? Alot has happened today. Little things. Little things that could bring big changes.
I had youth group worship team rehearsal this morning. The first thoroughly planned out rehearsal we have had in a long time. I had made sure that everyone knew when it was going to be, so everyone showed up. During practice we were able to get through all the music, and even work the parts we were having trouble with. Those of you who know what it takes to get a band to practice may think that this is no big deal. Well it is for this band. We hadn't been able to practice with our drummer for the longest time. Besides that, we usually have been going through each of the songs once, occasionally twice, before calling it quits for the day. This could be the beginning of a very good thing.
Later I got in a bit of a verbal tussle with my Dad. He doesn't take me seriously, so whenever I say anything that disagrees with him, and continue to do so, he thinks I'm just getting rebellious and cocky.
The rest of the day I spent with my friends. Just hanging out. We even went down to the library and read comic books for a little while. It's nice to be able to step back from life for a bit and spend time without responsibility.
And, on top of it all, I had enough time to mow the lawn. It's amazing what all one can do with so much daylight.

Mop Top

I have just had a moment of happiness. To explain this I am going to have to explain a few other things.
The first thing that must be understood is that in my family, consisting of my parents and a few (Cough) six (Cough) kids, my mother does all the barbering. She isn't exactly a "fashion stylist", but she does a good job. It is for this reason that she acquired special "hair cutting" scissors. These scissors have become an important item in this house hold, sadly. On a few occasions they have even disappeared (usually into my sisters room). So it was kind of a big deal when these scissors went missing... permanently.
Several expeditions were sent into my sisters room to find them, and none returned. Okay, maybe I did make it out alive. But I didn't have the scissors. It was eventually assumed that they might have fallen into the trash, and been thrown away.
Sufficed to say, we didn't have hair cuts for a while. We did try using a pair of regular scissors, but it just didn't do the job.
On this very night I was going to have my mother give me another hair cut, with regular scissors if necessary. It was upon asking my mother if she would be so kind as to do such a thing that she mentioned THE scissors.
Come to find out They really were in my sisters room. (It wasn't like I was going to search the whole room.) And so, I rejoice. For tonight my hair will be tamed again. MUAHAHAHA.

Attention: 19 days of school left!!
Senior count: 14 days!!

"My Plan." (Yeah, Right! HAHA)

What was Mr. Frunk thinking. Yes. Mr. Frunk. That is the name of my chior teacher. Today we were going to have a spring fling rehersal at 4:30. I had my whole day planned out: School, quickly do as much homework as I can before rehersal, go to rehersal, go strait to home group, go home, and do as much homework as I can before I go unconsious. A perfect plan. But no. Mr. Frunk tells me, at lunch, that there isn't any rehersal.
"What? NOOOOO!!" (this is serious. I rarely use more than one exclamation point)
That was it. My plan was ruined. Now some of you may say "What's the problem? Now you have enough time to get your homework done."
This, my friends, is a great misconception. Just because I have more time for homework does not mean that it will get done easier. I'm not saying that I won't get my homework done inspite of the amount of time I have. It is just a proven fact that I get alot of work done under pressure. I don't nessicerily like pressure. But that's the way it works.
All this to say, my schedual was ruined. So now I was stuck with alot of time that I had no plan for. Well, so far it's going well.
I was actualy able to have a good conversation with one of my friends via I*M*. Ahhh. The age of technology. Yeah, just wait. They'll call the next age the technology age. And the next, and so on and so forth until the crash of civilization.
Well, maybe I should get to that home work I was so worried about getting done. Later days.

Sweet Jesus (Jesus is Suh-weet!)

G'day ladys and gent's. Today we are observing the elusive blogger. Watch as he sits at his key board stairing at the keys, ready to strike as soon as he gets a thought. Oh! I think he's gunn'a go for it. WOW! Look at the size of those fingers, slammin' down on the keys. Croykey! That's a dangerous one.
Okay. 'Nough of that. Well, I have my phone back. The weird part. The connection was loose, and we shouldn't have even had internet. Yeah. Then how have I been blogging these last three days? I'm sure some of you are thinking of a similar question. "Why does he ever blog?"
On a different subject... today I was taken from my first period class (chior) to go "forecast" for next years classes. I never knew how much I realy needed chior until now. I actualy went into something akin to withdrawls. It was a good thing we had rehersal after school for spring fling.
Which brings me to another point. We have now started having after school rehersals for spring fling. (did i not just say that?) For the next few weeks (three, I think) we are going to work this show 'till we can't stand it any longer. It is better than the last few years though. Even last year, though I had done it twice before, I was a bit uncomfortable with the songs. I always get over it...eventualy. But it starts out weird. This year, however, I have been able to jump right in and belt the music out. This is good considering I'm one of the few basses that actualy know how to read music, whilest, and at the same time, singing the music correctly.
So, baisicly I think it's safe to say that God is great. He kept me online against all odds, gave me my chior fix inspite of the lack of class time durring school, and prepaired me for this time when my voice would be needed. And again I say God is good.

ATTENTION: 22 more days 'till schools out!
Yes Stephanie. You only have 17 days. Stop crying about it and move on...please. = )

Life Stopped for Directions after all (and he's taking a long time about it)

Here I sit. I sit here. Sit here I. I here sit.
Yes. That's how boared I am. No school today. Don't get me wrong. I'm very glad I don't have to go to school today. But now my homework is as done as it's going to get, and I have nothing to do until 4:30.
Of coarse I could go do something, and I was planing on it. Well my Dad saw to that. You know that phone problem I mentioned. My dad finaly called a repair guy. So I'm stuck here waiting for the guy, and repair guys don't exactly show up at convenient times. They make you wait around until the last possible moment. Then...BAM! "You're having trouble with you telephone?" After that you have to wait around for him to get it fixed.
So, there goes my whole day. Oh well. I'll make the best of it.

ATTENTION: Still only 23 days of school left!

Busy Signal

This whole weekend our phone has been offline, and that has not been a good thing. We've checked every phone in the house maybe four times to make sure none of them are off the hook. But it doesn't even make those kind of noises. In fact it doesn't make any noise. Usualy you can atleast hear your own voice in the receiver. It's like there's no power going to the phone. So we have to hope that nothing comes up that would be a problem in which the phone would be necisary.
Today I played bass for church again. It was pretty sweet. I had some realy cool parts too.
Life is coming pretty fast now. And I'm still worrying about some decisions I have yet to make, while'st, and at the same time, taking care of the things that are happening now. It's looking like I'll just have to let some things wait 'till the end of the school year. And then I won't have to worry about them for a while. Untill that time I'm just going along with it due to the responsability I have to finish.
Attention: 23 More days of school left. Yesssssssss!!
Accept for those mean seniors and their 19 days! Just kidding. You know I love you seniors. God bless you in the real world.

La, Do, So,

Today, yes the day of this writing, I have competed in the Oregon state choral festival, and I'm tired! I did get out of three periods of school to do it. And that is a bonus. It was fun. I dunno. I've been singing in this stuff for so long that it just happens, and that's that. No big deal, no stress, no Jason.
Now that last comment should be explained. This is the first year that I have been in choir without Jason, my best friend. At the beggining of the year I wondered how I would manage all those field trip bus rides without anyone to talk with. Well so much for that. Today I couldn't get people to stop talking to me. This year was a bit different though cause Jason usualy has all these outside connections. Last year we met people at the competition that weren't from our school, but that Jason knew.
My older brother did go and play his piccolo. (For those of you who don't know what that is: A piccolo is a miniture version of a flute.) We sang this sweet celtic song with drums, piccolo, and guitar. Eric had the drums, Jon the piccolo, and stephanie was on the guitar. I realy love singing celtic songs. It just seems natural. Maybe something to do with my Irish roots.
On the bus ride back I was sitting rite in the middle of all these cackling girls. Ugh! That was tiring, and at times a little obnoctious. But that's ok. I'll get over it. The worst part is all the whispering. Girls! Gagh! Grow up!
But it's ok. I don't hate any of them. Although at times it's almost like they are trying to make me hate them. What can you do?
I'll tell you what you can do. Do what i do.
Step #1: Smile
Step Two: Nod
Step C: Repeat steps #1 and Two
It's flawless. The worst that happens, they think you're a jerk and never talk to you again. Oh well, Their loss.

Dissclamer: I'm realy not a mean person, just missunderstood.

My Day in court

TOday in my social studies class we had a debate over the Dred Scott case back in the 18 somthing's. Or was it 17 something's? Anyway the point is that we organised the debate court style. There was a judge, and two sides. One side opposed the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case, and the other side deffended the Court's decision. Three members on each side. I was on the deffense.
The whole thing started out a bit awkward. No one realy knew how to aproach the whole thing. But once the bullets started to fly you couldn't get people to shut up. If we had more time I could have caught the opposition on so many technicalities in word usage. It wouldn't have even been funny... for them.
All in all the whole thing went well. Accept that we didn't have nearly enough time. And of coarse, me having the delayed mind that I do, I came up with the perfect opening statement...after I got home. Darn! I need to work on that.
OH! Yeah! I have state choral festival tomorrow. That is going to be alot of fun. Last year was a blast. This year should be better. I should start gettng ready. LA LA LA... Later days.

Life doesn't stop for directions

That's just the way it works. You finish one thing and then another thing pops up. Never a moments peace. You spend two or three weeks working on and getting ready for this one day, or weekend, and you plan on taking a break right after it's over. Then as soon as the time has come and gone...BAM...you're busy again. And I'm sure I wouldn't have it any other way.
Last week I spent the whole week counting down the hours 'till prom. After that I sang a song, for my church, with a couple of my friends. As of this moment I'm staring Spring Fling and graduation right in the eyes.
Spring fling is a big production my high school chior has every year. We sing, we dance, and there is alot of preperation that has to be made. After school rehersals, rehersals on days that don't even have school. I mean, we're talking realy extra curricular activities. This is why it is posible to letter in band and chior. Say it with me. Over time. In the job world that kind of thing deserves extra pay.
And along those extra curricular lines we have to get ready for graduation. The band mostly. But the chior sings the national anthem, and some songs for baccalaureate earlier in the day. But the band plays a bunch of stuff durring graduation. That whole Pomp and Circumstance thing.
All that having been said, this is going to be a very interesting month.

Blood Bus

Today the red cross came to my school and took blood. Now I don't have a problem with other people giving blood, but I don't give blood. It's mine and I like it right where it is. Sound selfish? Maybe, but i'm not into the whole puncturing my skin thing. Call me a wimp. Call we a wuss. I don't care.
The ironic part though is that a few people in my class tryed to give blood but couldn't. It wasn't that they flaked last minute, or that they had some kind of weird dissease. They just didn't have big enough veins. Yeah, go figure. And guess who has veins so big that his little sister tells him he should probably take medication for it. That's right. Your's truly. But then again, I'm not the one trying to give blood.
But it gets worse. My dad seams to think I should get a blood test. I know what that means. It means a needle big enough to fill the grand canyon going right into my arm, and then pulling out enough blood to...ugh. I don't even want to think about it. And for what? Just so that we know what my blood looks like under a microscope? Well no thank you. Like I said before, I like my blood right where it is.
However, on the off chance that I have to get my blood tested anyway I'm going to make sure they find out everything they can about that blood, cause I aint giving any more for a long time.