a vestige of thought...

I came across this while looking for some music on one of my bookshelves.  It came about, I believe, sometime during my visit to Heather's house nearly three (!) years ago. She sent me this in an email shortly after I got home.

Actors it is illigal (sic) to kill in movies:

1. Mel Gibson
2. Heath Ledger (someone forgot to inform the writer of The Patriot of this rule... therefore The Patriot is an exception)
3. Orlando Bloom
4. Owen Wilson (after much contemplation, I decided that Luke Wilson MAY be killed, but definitely not his brother)
5. Matthew McConaughey
6. Viggo Mortensen
7. Elijah Wood

What is the point of abridging books?  If you're too lazy to read the whole thing, just use the Sparknotes!  Stop taking pieces out of books I want to read so that I buy them, not realizing that they are dumbed down, and then start reading them only to discover that there are pieces missing!  It frustrates me to no end.

For example:
I was given a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo for Christmas a few years ago.  I knew when I opened it that it was much too short to be the real Count of Monte Cristo, so I used a gift card to buy what I though was the full version (the longest one on the shelf).  I recently discovered that this version is abridged as well.  I have finally gotten my hands on what I believe to be the real thing.  No where in it or on it can I find the words "abridged" or "unabridged," but the length and size of font seems correct.  Scott got the movie for Christmas and I have vowed to read the book before I see it.

I also realized today that my copy of Robinson Crusoe is abridged.  This copy cost me only 25 cents, so I don't mind the loss too much.  However I plan to keep my eye out for a full version.  Come to think of it I have one, but it is in my collection of old books (this one is from the 1930s, I believe) and I don't want to take it out of the house.

It seems that it is time to clean out the thrift store's shelves of classic books once again.  A quarter a book.  Can't get much better than that.
  

There's something about those Wyoming girls. When I'm around them, I always seem to be falling over!

True English Nerd You scored 84 erudition!

Not only do you know your subjects from your objects and your definite from your indefinite articles, but you've got quite a handle on the literature and the history of the language as well. Huzzah, and well done! The English snobs of Boston salute you.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 94% on erudition

Link: The Are You Truly Erudite? Test written by okellelala on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Friendship
Fragile as flower
Fragrant
Yet fading fast

A comrade
Once close and comforting
The comraderie
Now coming to a close

Time passes; people change
As the seasons
Always turning new to old,
Old to new

When one flower wilts
It nourishes the roots
Of a new bloom

Patience brings about a greater garden
Than clawing at the dust of what is past.

*     *     *
The risk in saying 'hello' to someone is that sooner or later you have to say goodbye.  Sometimes that goodbye is intentional and unavoidable, but other times it's said only in memory as changing lives gradually separate people.  It's a sad but unavoidable part of this world.

State orchestra contest was today. The FHS orchestra went in class B (up from last year's class C) and we got a one! That's a big deal. Perhaps if we keep improving we can earn back some of the respect that the band (quite justly) stole from us.

I have to admit I was rather surprised at our score, but I certainly won't complain.

I'm becoming a bit lax in my blogging. Shame on me.

I came home from Asbury today. I love that place. It has taken nearly everything scary out of going to college. I met a bunch of my future classmates (they're quite a great bunch) and I'm looking forward to this fall.

I believe my interview on Friday went well. It was only 20 minutes long, as opposed to the 30-45+ minutes that most people's took. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but I'm hoping it's good. One of the Student Ambassadors told me that the longer the interview, the longer it is taking for the interviewers to get answers they're satisfied with. I find out the results in about a week, so they tell me.

On Thursday night I went to a concert by an a capella men's group called Cantus. They were AMAZING. I was in awe the whole time. They sang everything from Gregorian chants to spirituals to international folk songs to pop. I loved every second of it.

I stayed in the dorms two nights, but I was shuffled around a bit because they girl I was originally planning to say with was sick. I stayed with two girls on Thursday night, but they both went on a retreat over the weekend, so I had to find someone else to stay with Friday night. Fortunately Asburians seem very hospitable and it was not difficult to find a host.

I had so much fun meeting my future classmates! Yesterday night six or seven of us, guys and girls, all sat in the lobby of one of the dorms and talked for four hours straight about literature and plays and musicals and movies and music any number of other topics that I found extremely enjoyable. I'm hoping for four years filled with fantastic late-night conversations like that (with some studying in there now and then). ; )

I'm quite tired. I only got about 4 hours of sleep last night, though certainly not for lack of trying. *yawn* Happy dreaming.

The only thing I miss about Xanga was the feature that allowed you to show what you are reading/watching/listening to at the time of your post. I doubt anyone else cared what I was reading or listening to, but it's nifty for me to look back at my Xanga entries and see what I was reading.

So, whether or not you care, here's what I'm reading/watching/listening to right now. It's more in depth than Xanga, just becuase I can make it so.

Reading:
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. One of my absolutely favorite books. I read it for the first time when I was 9ish and have read it probably 6 or 7 times since. I even bought it when I was 10, back when the $5 it cost was a lot of money. I haven't read it in ages, but Lisa (who has been sick the past couple of the days) watched the movie yesterday. I watched part of it and was horribly disappointed. The book is SO much better than the movie. I found myself wanting to read it, just to clense my brain from the rottenness of the movie. So I dug it out and am reading it again.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I'm writing a review on it for Literary Analysis.

Cathedral by Ramond Carver. A collection of short stories my lit teacher gave me to read. I am pretty surprised at how much I am enjoying it.

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I know I've mentioned this a zillion times. It's still just about the best book in the world.

Watching:
Finding Nemo, with Lisa (who is still sick). Today at the mall (after work) I went to go get Scott a birthday present. One of the cell phone kiosks had a big flat screen TV that was showing Finding Nemo. There was a crowd of 4 or 5 businessmen standing around watching it. It was funny.

Listening to:
The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. (I'm not actually listening to it at this current moment, but I was a little bit ago.) I downloaded it from iTunes the a few days ago. Good stuff. I still haven't seen the movie, though. It's high on my to do list.

I woke up this morning and looked out my window just in time to see Mom back out of the garage and into the front of my car, which was parked in the driveway. She took off my front license plate and scratched up the front a bit, but (fortunately) nothing worse. I (now that I'm fully awake and am certain that I still have working transportation) find the whole thing rather humerous.

Tonight is the 7th annual Butterfly Kisses Father/Daughter Dance. Several years ago (seven to be exact) one of the men in my parents' reading group (which has since dissolved) decided to organize a dance for fathers and their daughters on a weekend around Valentine's Day with the theme song "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle. Since the first year it has been on the Sunday night before President's Day. Everyone dresses up and we eat and dance and such and it is always considerably more fun than any prom or homecoming dance I've ever been to (and I imagine most of my peers would agree.)

On a similar note, last night I babysat and tried to teach Michael (a 9-year-old) to waltz. It was pretty funny, as I'm not a terribly good waltzer to begin with and he (obviously, since he was the one learning) was worse. We gave up pretty quickly.

Actually it's not. That was sarcasm. It's February. But today really wasn't bad.

I intended to wake up at 7:45 but something in my brain has programmed into me the inability to sleep late if I have anything to do before noon, so I woke up at 7:00. At 8:50ish Mom and I left to drive to Oak Hills High School for Solo & Ensemble contest. I played my solo (the first movement of Bach's Concerto in A Minor, class A) at 10:20 and Becky and I did our duet ("Table Music for Two," class B) at 11:50. We got ones ("Superior ratings") for both. I suspected the duet would get a one, but I was incredibly happy and a bit surprised that my solo did. I played fairly well, but it certainly could have been better. I suspect that the fact that it was Bach combined with the fact that I had it memorized are what gave me the Superior rating.

I know many people (my mother included) get bored waiting around at contest all day, but I enjoy it. If I had been there by myself I would have liked to stay longer and hear some of the vocal solos. There's something exciting about the hussle and bussle of students and instruments and judges, all mixed in with adrenaline and nerves (especially when my own nerves are behind me). The whole experience was rather surreal this year. I just got home a couple of hours ago, but I can barely remember it. But I got my medal (even though I had to pay $3 for it. It's pretty darn ridiculous that after you earn the medal you have to pay for it), and life is good.

I made a mix of my favorite songs from all the musicals Finneytown has done from 2003-2006 (that would be, the years I was in high school). Guys and Dolls, Working, Cinderella, and Annie Get Your Gun. Good stuff. Musicals make me happy. While I was laying in bed last night trying to fall asleep I created the following "Christy's Musical Awards" (out of the four musicals I have been a part of):

Best Musical (in regards to music, lyrics, and story): Guys and Dolls

Best Performance by FHS: Cinderella

Best Violin Part: Cinderella (the waltzes especially)

Best Message: Working

Most Mishaps: Cinderella (though Annie Get Your Gun was a close second, and Working a fairly close third)

Most fun to sing: Annie Get Your Gun

Best Song From Each Musical: "Luck Be a Lady," Guys and Dolls; "Something to Point to," Working; "In My Own Little Corner," Cinderella; "Can't Get a Man With a Gun," Annie Get Your Gun

Best Love Song: "Ten Minutes," Cinderella (it gets this award partially because it was so much fun to play)

Best Song to Play on Violin: "Guys and Dolls Reprise (Finale)," Guys and Dolls

Funniest Song: "Anything You Can Do," Annie Get Your Gun

Hardest Song to Play: "Luck Be a Lady," Guys and Dolls

Best Song That Got Cut from the FHS Production: "Neat to Be a Newsboy," Working

Best Instrumental Piece: "Waltz for a Ball," Cinderella

Worst Instrumental Song: "The Search," Cinderella

Hardest Pit Score: Guys and Dolls

Easiest Pit Score: Working (because there wasn't really one, Mr. Canter just took parts from the piano)

Best Foreign Language Song (never mind that it was the only one): "Un Mejor Dia Vendra," Working

That's all for now. Have a nice evening. : )

I am intrigued by the idea that, online, I could be someone that is not me. I could go to a random message board- or, more likely, one that I already am active on- and pretend to be someone else. I think it would be fascinating to create a new character, as if I were writing myself in a book. I could say and do things that *Christy* would not do and see people's reactions. I could try out other opinions and see if I could defend them any better than I can defend my own. Yet my conscience twinges when I think of all that, for the Bible says do not lie. I wonder, though, would that not make writing under a pseudonym a sin? This is not much different than that. Still, I shall probably refrain and just think of the fun it would be. I could get myself into a real mess, but it's an interesting notion.

I tried to post that last entry about five times yesterday, but according to Blogger it didn't work. This morning I see that it appears to have worked three of those times. Go figure.

I came to Panera today to finish my Physics homework (since I'm not at all a procrastinator) in peace and quiet, and to eat lunch. I come up here all the time and get tea or what-have-you, but I rarely actually have food here. Today I got broccoli chedder soup in bread bowl. I've been craving that for weeks since somebody keeps talking about it. While I was eating and working, I downloaded some computer updates that weren't that big but would have taken at least 24 hours to download at home. With wi-fi it took about 45 minutes. Fie on dial-up!

My main reason for posting was to celebrate the fact that the cashier at Panera (for the first time EVER) spelled my name right on the receipt! And it's not as if I am a rare visitor to Panera! I am forever amused at the many different spellings I usually get. Christi, Kristi, Cristii, Kristy, or (my favorite) Khristie. Then there are the people who mis-hear and write Chrissy or Christine.

I used to ride the bus with the girl who took my order. She doesn't remember me.

I chose to sit at one of the high tables, but that appears to have been a mistake. My shoes keep falling off. :P

A guy just came up and asked to look at my computer because he is thinking of getting one for his girlfriend. I thought to myself, 'Wow, I'd like to have a boyfriend who would buy me a computer.' But then, I don't need a computer, because I just got one.

While experiementing with Mac's Mail program, I downloaded all my emails since I switched to Gmail (about a year ago) to my computer. It's so much fun to go back and read old emails. Here's a quote from good ol' Heather from last May:

"Sometimes I feel like just being shoved in an insane assylum so I could slowly rock in a chair and listen to the few marbles I have left in my head roll out through my ears."

That's about how I feel currently, except I've lost too many marbles to write it like that. I'm about ready to turn in my two weeks notice and quit life. I need breathing time, but I can't find any! I swear, I'm so stressed I may just burst into a ball of flame.

Enough venting. I have to get back to Hamlet before I dash off to my work meeting and P14. I'm on the last act (finally). Maybe I'll try out his tactic of pretending to be crazy so that no one would take him seriously. But then, of course, they plotted to kill him, so maybe I oughtn't do that. I think I'll listen to my CD of Bach's Suites for Unacompanied Cello instead. Amazing stuff.

Heather sent me this too, more recently. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

(though I know I'm late), I give you my favorite Shakespearean sonnet.

Sonnet 116:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

By far the best way to experience this poem it to type it into iSpeak and have the "pipe organ" voice read/sing it to you. It it fantastic. ; )

Day by day and with each passing moment
Strength I find to meet my trials here
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment
I've no cause for worry or for fear

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what he deems best
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure
Mingling toil with peace and rest

*Excellent string interlude*

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust thy promises O Lord
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within thy Holy Word

Help me Lord when toil and trouble meeting
Ere to take as from a father's hand
One by one these days and moments fleeting
Till I reach the Promised Land

~Eric Hauck, "Day by Day"

I'm going to take a nap now.

Stress+senioritis=bad

Would someone sick please breathe on me? I honestly wouldn't mind throwing up for a day if it meant I could just STAY HOME!

So why did I leave tonight feeling let down?

It was very fun, but everything about this year is so bittersweet. I'm so ready for musical to be over so I can breathe again, but at the same time I never ever want it to end.

After every show (or nearly every show) we go to Perkins. Apparently this has been a tradition since there was a Perkins in Finneytown, which must have closed at least 10 years ago. No one (or it seems, no one I talk to) even likes going to Perkins, but we do it anyway. So this year I said, "Hey! We are the seniors! We are large and in charge! Let us effect change in the post-show traditions!" But no one listened to me. Everyone just grumbled about Perkins and then we went anyway. But when we got there we discovered that they had just seated a group of 20 and had only two waitresses. So we piled back into our cars and drove back to Finneytown to go to Skyline. I nearly bought food, because I was hungry, but no one was around to take my order. So I ate some of Brandae's food and some of Paula's food (though I don't think she knew it) and some of Kelly's food. And then I was not hungry anymore. Just tired. I'm still tired. Why oh why didn't I ask off work for tomorrow?!!? That was me at the height of my brainless-musical stupidity (when that happens, I sing a lot and forget important things).

When people get sad about themselves, I get sad for them. Please don't be sad about yourself, because I don't like being sad. This is a happy time!

If you marry a shootin' woman, you might have to eat "bun guts and cabbage for dinner." Haha. I keep waiting for Rich/Frank screw that line up again, but he hasn't. That's good for him, but not as funny for me. Pshaw.

One hundred posts. Exciting.

Thursday is always a happy day, but today was especially happy. Orchestra went quickly, which is always nice.

Around 9:30 I babysat for the Slaughterbecks. Stephen, the youngest, turned five yesterday and was extremely excited about it. He was only 9 months old when I started babysitting for him. It makes me a bit nostalgic. This is the boy who told me (when he was three) that he was never going to get married because he would have to talk to a girl (but I didn't count). I told him to give it a few years.

Physics was fun. I don't much like science, but I do like that class. The people in it amuse me to no end. I had to leave a few minutes early to dash to musical rehearsal (but I was still late). Rehearsal went really well tonight. I guess that's relative, because the show is not up to what everyone would really like but it's much better than it was a few days ago. We had several little blips tonight, but a lot of other things went much better than usual. It's encouraging. I can't wait to actually perform tomorrow. : )

I've been in a 'try other instruments' recently. Yesterday I played Dan's cello in x-period and tonight I learned to play 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' on Laura's baritone. The latter was particularly exciting, as baritone is quite a bit different than violin. I felt pretty accomplished. (Someone came up and told me I sounded bad. Hehe. They had thought it was Laura playing, though).

I feel like I ought to write something exciting for my 100th post. Sadly, I'm not feeling too inspired at the moment. Mostly I'm feeling tired. Oh! I have a story. The pit ate my water bottle today. We were at performance level and at the intermission they normally lower us to 'tunnel' level. When going down it's not as important to clear the edges of the pit. Today, however, they decided to take us up instead. Before I even realized that we were moving I heard 'pzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' and Mr. Canter says, "It's gonna blow!" I turned around just in time to get a face full of water and see the cap disappear between the edge of the pit and the wall. All my stuff got all wet. Mr. Canter says, "That's okay, I needed to wash my hands anyway."

That is all. I am going to sleep now. I predict that in the next three days I will get a combined 15 hours of sleep. Wish me luck (and caffeine).

In the past two or three days I have heard adults, especially older ones, talk about "young people these days" more than I ever thought possible. Especially things about kids not caring about their education and being ignoramuses. This is not only a gross generalization, it is also tremendously hypocritical. Observe:

Every week the Community Press (for me that's the Hilltop Press) interviews a local so that we readers can 'get to know our neighbors.' This week the interviewee (is that not a funny looking word?) was 73-year-old John Schnehain of Colerain Township. He owns a TV & radio shop. The first question he was asked was "What do you think is the best invention ever?" His answer: "Well, I think it would be the light bulb. Benjamin Franklin was the best in his day. Think of all the things run by electricity." Hum, well. The last two sentences might be somewhat related, but the light bulb was perfected by Thomas Edison and has little if anything to do with Ben Franklin or the wide-spread use of electricity. Go figure.

Also in the Hilltop there was a review of the movie Annapolis. Toward the end of this review was the following sentence: "Aren't their any boats in this man's Navy anymore?" My mom calls criticizing that sort of thing nit-picky. I try to be understanding with the general population, but if my English teachers could be nit-picky with me, why can't I be nit-picky with those who have made English their profession? Repeat after me: "They're over there in their yard."

One final example: In church a few weeks ago we had a combined service which incorporated many elements of both the traditional and contemporary services. This included the people. Two older ladies sat behind me and at the end of the service I heard one say to the other, "Have you ever heard of John Back?" "John Back?" "Yes, John S. Back." No, who is he?" "He's a composer. He wrote this beautiful anthem that I heard the other day..." Mom and I both walked away laughing when we realized they were discussing Johann Sebastian Bach.

Here's why:

~Because we can make faces at the actors while they're on stage
~Because Mr. Canter is funny
~Because Sarah is the Captain
~Because we laugh a lot
~Because Chris says so
~Because Miss Johnson never yells at us
~Because we can eat in the pit (Mr. Canter, today at rehearsal, with his mouth full of cookie: "Oh yeah guys, make sure there's no food in the pit. No eating down here")
~Because we can do homework during rehearsal
~Because there are lots of seniors in pit this year and Yuk-Yuks are going to be good!
~Because musicals make me happy
~Because we can talk to people in the audience during intermission
~Because if someone screws up, the audience doesn't know who it is
~Because we get to wear black and blend it and don't have to change out of our costumes and get our make up off after the show
~Because Sarah makes me laugh ("Mr. Canter, I have something to tell you." "What?" "I've had my way with so many girls, and it's been lots of fun" "Sarah, I never want to hear you say that in public school again.")
~Because I have gained a new appreciation for claranets
~Because of Harpo Joe
~Because of the new and improved Chad (or Chad version 2.0), aka Mr. Holt, the piano BEAST!
~Because Rich and Anna shoot Mr. Canter when they're not paying attention and he pretends to die
~Because I always get to sit at the edge of the pit where I can watch the acting when I'm not playing
~Because Sarah and Erin and I can break into waltzes from Cinderella
~Because it just does!

I have been lax in my blogging recently. Shame on me.

My schedule yesterday went something like this (including commuting time):
~Orchestra 7:05-8:10
~Learning Tree 8:30-2:00
~Talked to Christina on the phone ('cause she was sick) 2:10-2:40 (making it my second longest phone conversation in recent memory)
~Musical rehearsal 3:00-5:45
~Wendy's with Brandae and Paula 5:45-6:20
~BAYSO 6:30-9:30

I can't even remember orchestra yesterday, so it must not have been very interesting. Learning Tree went surprisingly well. Scott and I were late because there was an accident on Ronald Reagan, but I still made it in time to finish my Latin quiz before the rest of the class was finished. Latin was fun, though Latin is always fun. In the 45ish minutes between my first two classes I drove to Panera because I forgot to make myself a lunch. I got a Greek salad and a Asiago Roast Beef sandwich and (would you believe it) a cup of coffee. Panera has somehow cohorted me into spending my hard-earned money on the stuff. It shall not be a common occurrence. I wanted a chai, but those are 3.29 (or something) and coffee was 1.50. I was going for cheap, non-carbonated caffeine.

I got back just in time for Economics. In its three weeks of existence the class has gone from 12 to 2 to 4 students. The class as it is now (myself, Justin, Andy, Jake, the teacher and a teacher's aide [because the four of us are such a handful])stands to be pretty amusing. Last week I won a two dollar bill. It went something like this:

Teacher: I have an amount of money in this sealed envelope. The four of you will have five minutes to discuss your strategy before writing down an amount of money on paper and handing it to me. The highest bidder will win the money in the envelope minus the sum they bid.
Jake: Let's all bid one cent and then split it.
Me: Why?
Jake: Because that's fair.
Me: I'd gladly go along with that if there was $20 in the envelope, but chances are we'd end up with a quarter apiece.
*more discussion following this train of thought*
Teacher: Ok, write your bids down on a piece of paper and hand them in.
*pause as students write on and hand in papers and the teacher looks them over*
I would like to add here that I had decided from the beginning what I was going to bid, even before we started discussing it.
*teacher laughs and hands me the envelope (there was a two dollar bill inside)*
Me: Ha!
Jake: I thought we agreed to all bid one cent!
Me: I never agreed to that. I bid fourteen cents.
Apparently the others hadn't agreed either. Justin and Andy both bid two cents.

[an aside here: Friday we ordered pizza at musical rehearsal and were asked to contribute 2-3 dollars depending on how much we would eat. I started to give Mr. Canter my $2 when Marilyn snatched it out of my hand and gave me two $1 bills. "It's a $2 bill! I've never seen one of these! Here" *hands it to Mr. Canter* "It's one of my life goals to spend one of those."]

Yesterday in Economics we got into a discussion about tax money for schools. Apparently my teacher doesn't think schools get enough. I brought up an article I'd read about a test that and 8th grader had to take to get into high school in 1922 (when the school received very little tax money) and how most high school seniors would probably fail it today (when schools have an abundance of tax money, even if they think it's not enough). The teacher pointed out that because technology had increased, much more money was needed for proper learning equipment and teaching aids. In other words, because kids' short attention spans are constantly being catered to by the media, the American public should have to pay for schools to capture their attention just as well. The aide then put in that "people are so different these days." I have beef with that too, but that's a topic for another time. I later realized the irony of discussing tax funding for schools in a homeschool class. I wish very much that I had realized this while in class! Homeschoolers get no tax money for their schooling, and yet they still manage to produce the highest test scores and such. I hate it when I come up with good arguments after the debate is over.

Literary Analysis, my final class of the day, went quickly. I always leave that class with an exhausted brain (which, I imagine, is a good thing!) No one in that class thinks about literature the same ways as anyone else and it makes for interesting conversation.

Pit (and musical in general) was bad on Sunday. Fortunately, it went SO much better yesterday. Three more rehearsals before show. Cross your fingers for us!

The Wendy's crew was originally going to be me, Brandae, Paula, Dan, Scott and a few others, but Scott wasn't home and Dan ditched us, so it because a girls' outing. I love those girls. We had fun (and we got Frosties with Butterfinger topping)!

I had to take the back roads to Ronald Reagan on my way to BAYSO because the light at Winton and Galbraith was out and traffic was all backed up. The street that I had to take was really steep and narrow and windy and DARK! I did not like it a bit. I drove extra slowly and probably didn't save any time by going that way instead of waiting at the light. Ah well.

And that was my Monday. The end.

I have discovered Widgets. They are excellent. More on that later, if I remember.

Hahahahaha! I'm going mad I tell you. Stark raving mad! It's fun, though.

Good things that happened to me today:

I found $5 on the floor in the hallway at Finneytown. Because I have an overactive conscience I turned it in to the office (though I get it back if no one claims it) where I was told that since I'm on the F-town seniors list I could sign the seniors' t-shirt design and get a free shirt when they make them. Sweet!

It was rather dead for awhile at work today. I was bored and I had already stocked a ton and wiped all the counters and such on the afternoon checklist, so (even though I didn't really have to go) I asked to go to the bathroom. While I was there I happened to find a coupon for a free bagel and coffee from Panera. Then I got off work a little bit early, changed super-quickly, and dashed across to the mall to Panera for my late lunch/snack thing before back-dashing to my car and driving to musical practice. I discovered that Panera's coffee is way better than Chick-Fil-A's. I drank the whole thing, amazingly enough (and I didn't even put that much sugar in it.) It pepped me up enough to stay awake for the four-hour pit rehearsal (and probably added to my insanity).

Musical was really fun, even though it very, very long. We have so much work to do. But it's getting there. We ordered pizza and had cupcakes with insane amounts of icing. By the end of the four hours we were all cracking and everything was funny. When rehearsal was finally over I got in my car and couldn't stop laughing. And I sang really loud on my drive home (and when I got home I kept singing really loud and laughing because my family was out to dinner). Now I'm watching some movie (the name of which I don't know) on WE and am still in a very hyper, highly caffinated, sugared, sleep-deprived mood. It's not much fun to be crazy along, though.

I forgot to put the creamer in my tea. I tell you, I'm going mad!!!

I run hither and thither all day and then I finally get home and I sit in front of this computer screen and I can't think of a thing to write.

Here are a jumble of random thoughts for now. I can't promise anything remotely thoughtful until after musical. Ahhhh.

Annie Get Your Gun... Good musical. Finneytown's production needs some help. We could start by preventing all of our lead actors from getting the stomach flu. That puts a damper on things. Pit rocks. Rehearsals are loooooonnnnnngggg. I'm really, really, really tired.

Yesterday Christina and I went to Chipotle. It was good times. We are going to do it again after musical is over and I have a life again. Really, though, Christina, it was the chicken we had last time and steak that Kip (or whoever it was) gave you. I'm right. :P

I love my Bible Study girls. Y'all rock. We found Andrea's house on the first try this time! Go us. Brittany's birthday today and her cupcakes last night brought us good luck. Hehe. Happy 18th birthday Britt! When Brandae turns 18 we need to come up with something to do to celebrate our adulthood. There's gotta be something that the P1^4s would actually do that you can't do until you're 18. What is it? We can't meet next week because of, what? Oh yeah, musical. Ha.

My tea is gone. No one is on IM. I'm dead tired (and yet here I am anyway). I'm going to bed. If I haven't resurfaced in another 8 hours or so someone sent out a search party.

You know, for as much as I complain and as much as it completely takes over my life, I love musical. Really, I do. It's fantastic. I'll write about it sometime.

The Blogger spell checker suggested replacing "Chipotle" with "shiftily." Haha. It has also suggested "Christye" to replace "Christy." Go figure.

I'm tired.

#$%^@! wrist!