I've sorta forgotten about it since I've had my Myspace. Well I shall blog!

It's a shame the Bears lost, but a joy they made it into the Super Bowl anyway.

But we all sure had fun -
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1886161677
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1886082039

My uncle Bob came up from Florida to watch the Super Bowl with the rest of his family! All 4 brothers back together have a good ol' redneck time.

School has been okay. My grades weren't looking so hot after finals but...I've started the other half of the school year out well.

Solo and ensemble is coming up soon - in fact it's on my birthday, March 3rd. Sorta makes me angry, but it's not like it was on purpose or there's anything I can do about it.

I don't know where it'll be. But I'll be playing with the whole orchestra and singing a solo for choir. That's right, my first year in choir, my first solo in front of people, and on my 15th birthday. Oh my freaking Gaaaawwwwd. But I think my voice has gotten a little better in these past few years.

I've mostly just been takin' and makin' pictures lately and posting them all on my ~deviantart. Check it out!

Oh my gosh,it was the funnest dance I have EVER been to!My first high school dance,and I had to get my friends to convince me to even go.I'm sure glad they did!

All the Jr.High dances were pretty lame.Everyone stood around talking and the DJ played all crappy pop and rap.But this homecoming dance actually had DANCING and it mixed it up between GOOD music(my kinda music,rock and oldies),and the pop stuff.My friends and I were right up in front next the the DJ in a big clearing,like center-of-attention-veiwing-area....Pretty much the only songs I didn't dance to was some rap song I had never heard,an old Britney Spears song(my friends and I ran to the bathroom holding our ears),and Baby Got Back(which I have vowed to forever hate).

All my school friends were there practically.Even Bri,who had said she wasn't going to go but earlier that day I saw her mom and grandma looking for a dress for her,lol.

I slow danced 3 times with 2 different boys(both older).My God,I haven't slow danced with a boy since th grade,andit was awkward then because it was my first dance and I was so much taller than the boy I was dancing with.At the dance yesterday,I - IIIII was the short one!I danced twice with this boy Tony,who was with me and my friends nearly the whole night.He dance with my others friends,too.

And later when a slow song started,Tony was dancing with one of my friends and the rest of us were just kind of swaying to the music,I get tapped on the shoulder by a Junior whom I have never met and we start dancing.Just like that.Holy crap.Then he danced with some of my other friends that he knew,but I was the first and it was awesome!I figured out later his name is A.J.,and I know of at least one popular girl who had a big cursh on him at some point.That made it all the more sweeter!Heh heh.

I was wild last night!Songs I did know,like Shout or Cotton Eye Joe had me dancing like a lunatic with my group of friends.

In Shout we threw up our arms and shook all around.In Cotton Eye Joe,as usual,Bri got us all linking arms and skipping in circles like a square dance,clapping our hands and doing the Can Can.Songs like Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar On Me,I was flipping my hair and singing,but I was the only one out of my friends that knew the song that well.

They played the old song Mickey,which I hadn't heard in a long while.We ALL knew that song!We got in our circle singing it and I started a few moves for it."Oh Mickey,you so fine,you so fine you blow my mind,hey Mickey!Hey Mickey!"

Then there was a remix of a few Grease songs.That was hilarious,we belted out the words and did the dances from the movie and acted it out.Especially Grease Lightning!

We screeeamed the words to Kelly Clakson's Since U Been Gone and jumped up and down!

I did crazy dancing my friends never dreamed I would do to some of the pop - AND rock- songs!

It was such a fun night,the funnest I've had in a very very long time.Being there with all my friends not caring how we looked in front of the rest of the high school!Just some retarded freshmen making the most of a night out!I was there from 8:30 PM till it ended at 11!I'm rarely ever up that late,but I never wanted it to end!

"I felt a rush like a rollin' ball of thunder
Spinnin' my head around 'n' takin' my body under
Oh what a night!"

Can't wait for the next dance!!

Friday - Saturday was my C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Leadership Camp where it was mainly just us recipients and tutors from Bradley University/Carl Sandbug college.

As much as I dreaded going that day,it turned out to be one of the best experiences I'd ever had.

The first activity was where everybody got in a big cirgle in the gym and put their shoes in front of them.Somebody in the middle would start by saying,"Move your butt if..." something like if you have a a green shirt.Everyone wearing a green shirt would have to run in the middle and find someone else's shoes to stand by.If you were left in the middle with no other shoes unoccupied,you'd have to make something up like "Move your butt if you like ice cream" and so on.

Later we were split into color coded groups.I was in the orange group and we called ourselves the Big Macs.There were two other girls and three boys in my group,I think.And then three girl tutors and one guy.After we had supper(pizza and pop) we went through a few different stations.Many were activities I had done before.

The first station was like a little visual story with dolls...Something about a husband who had to leave on a business trip.The wife begged him not to go because she knew she would be unfaithful to him.He had to go anyway,she once he leaves she crosses the river next to their house and cheats on him with her lover.She feels guilty and wants quit seeing her lover.When she goes to return to the house before the husband,she sees a killer on the other side of the bridge.So she goes further down the stream and asks if a boatman can take her across.The boatman says it costs 10 cence.She doesn't have any money so she goes back to her lover and asks if she could have the 10 cence.He says he won't help her since she didn't choose to be with him.So the woman decides since it's getting late and her husband will be home soon,she'll take her chances on the bridge.She is killed.

Once the story was over,we had to choose whose fault we thought it was that the woman died.I said I thoguht it was the woman's own fault for being unfaithful in the first place.Depending on who each of us chose,that meant there was a certain factor we were looking for in relationships.I think the woman meant fun...which isn't accurate for me.The boatman was magic,the husband was trust,and I forgot the other two.

Then we did the magic carpet activity where all of us had to stand on a carpet and without stepping off it,turn it over.It was a mess,people climbing on backs,jumping in unison,screaming,grabbing each other before we fell...Funny.They let us cheat a bit once we figured it out....

And then came the most emotional activity.Each one of my group had to take an apple,saying something that really upset us,and chuck the apple against the wall.There was crying,hugging,some of the saddest stories I've ever heard...Some of the girls couldn't even throw the apple.They jsut set it down in the middle of our circle when they couldn't go on.Some,including me,were crying before it was even our turn.But it really...really made me feel something different.

The next thing was where we each said our birthdays once,and then everyone had to try and remember and put ourselves in order by who came first birthdat-wise.That was really hard...we did bad,lol.And then we did the human knot,which my group finished in no time.

Oh gosh,the last thing was the trust fall.One person would stand on a table,the rest of us would link our arms tightly together,and the person would have to fall onto our arms formt he table backwards.Yeah.I was so nervous(and the pizza didn't agree with me) that I felt sick and couldn't do it.But I did do the tamer version where I fell back into one person's arms,not from a table.

By the time all that was done,it was pretty late,but we had snack time and movies and stuff like that...We had this thing where you could sign up to have a one-on-one talk with one of the tutors in your group.You could talk about anything.It was only supposed to be 10 minutes long,probably in case more than one person wanted to talk to the same tutor,but I was the only one for one in my group,Elise,and we ended up talking for hours.I've never been able to just...talk like that to anyone.Nobody ever wants to me talk for too long,lol.It feels good to be able to tell someone all these thing that they won't judge me for,and might even agree with.Or things that I'd never dare tell anyone else,not even my closest friends,just because...There's lots of reasons.

Oh,another activity was where they divided half the groups up,and then the half into another half that had to put their hands behind their back and close their eyes.Then the rest of us went over and hugged everyone one of them,and then we switched any they hugged us.Complete strangers pretty much,but it felt so good to be hugged by so many people.Some nearly knocked me over!

Then I played volleyball for awhile.It's different with so many people and a longer net.I'm used to our divded little teams at school.

Early in the morning most of us were still up.Elise and I went over to watch the Incredibles.There was this tutor in front of us,and it was so funny.He was so engulfed in the movie that he kept stroking his little beard.One of the tutors sat next to him and started stroking her chin,imitating him,and when he'd turn and say something to her she'd quickly stop.A bunch of us girls in back kept snickering and he never noticed...

I got in a few hours of sleep later.In the morning Carl came in yelling and playing music to wake us up for breakfast.I had some cereal and about an hour later,I think, we all went back to the gym and did stretches together.Then all recipients and tutors got in a big circle again and we did this thing where two people would read off something like,"If you are female".If it applied to you,you would take a step foreward for a few seconds,then step back.This,like,the first thing we did in the big circle,was to see who had things in common with each other.Other questions were,"If you consider youself Christian" or "Conservative" or "If you have cried in the past month, "If you have laughed in the last week","If you have considered suicide","If you consider yourself a person of color" etc...

After I left there,I went to meet with my tutor and that's basically all for then.

Sunday,I was way too tired to go to Suday School.I managed to make it to the boat regotta.Dad's class 2 boat didn't win anything,nor did the Subway boat he made for some other people(although it won 1st place and Pride of the Regotta at a race in a different town).

Today was my first day with my tutor,but my friend Kristin and I didn't need much help on homework,really.

And today is 9/11.Yep,everyone is wel aware of those two numbers.They're so meaningless when seperated,but together they can make people depressed,angry,or just think for a bit.

I feel that this day is a very important day to remember,but I don't think the memory should be constantly pushed on everyone.It's too painful for some to be reminded every moment of the day.But it should still never be forgotten.It makes me angry,actually,when someone says they're tired of hearing about it and there's more important thing to trouble ourselves over.As long as you are living in America,you should feel with America.I think some people's opinions on 9/11 rememberance would be very different had they been close to someone who died that day in 2001.I was friends with someone who had loved ones die there.The look in his eyes on the anniversery even two years later was heartbreaking.

Well,I guess that's about all I have to say...for my veiws.

God bless America.Continue to be supportive of our troups.Quit being dumbasses for a day.So long.

Today was my first day at High School,and I didn't get lost!I've got at least one friend in most classes.My locker doesn't give me too much trouble.The teachers appear to be pretty nice.And none of the older classes bothered me,trying to make me feel inferior like what was said would happen in all those Myspace Bulletins to freshmen.

So far I'm most looking forward to orchestra,to play my new cello at all the competitions.Oh,yeah,I forgot to say I bought the Suzuki and the blue hard case and I am oh so happy.

Okay,first I shall share my rant and then I'll update on things that have been going on with me.

I'M MAAAAAAAD!

Yes,Emily,we have established that much.

Right,sorry.

Well,I'm part of...three Phantom of the Opera groups on Myspace I think.I joined the last two recently because I just can't seem to get ONE WORD in at the first one without someone who thinks they're just the greatest Phantom expert in the world trying to make me feel like some ignorant 2004 phan.I know more about the Phantom than that!

I have seen LON CHANEY as the orginal,I have seen Claude Rains,I have seen William Finley as Phantom of the Paradise,and I have seen Charles Dance in the mini series.My knowledge goes beyond just Gerard Butler.

I have seen the stage play,not just clips on Youtube,not just sound files sent to me through other people,I HAVE SEEN IT IN PERSON ON STAGE!I loved it!But that was a whole other blog entry.So YES,I have heard what those "experts" call "REAL TALENT".

Now I am starting to read Kay's Phantom,and I'll read Leroux's after that.I am INTERESTED IN THE REAL STORY!

And while I have done all this in only 2 years(almost to the day),I do not claim to be an expert because I'm learning new facts about the Phantom all the time.I don't think I could ever really be an expert.I don't do all these things so I can brag,I do these things because I adore the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA,every version,every story,every face.I enjoy it!It's not homework!It's interest!A hobbie!An obsession!

And you know what,I really do love classical music,too!I don't buy the soundtracks to things just be collecting every possible piece of merchandise so i can say i'ma phan!No, I take the time to sit there and listent to the music.The pitches of a singer's voice,the different tuns each section of the orchestra plays and how it all gets turned into one beautiful piece!I have to notice things like that,I'M IN ORCHESTRA!I play cello,so I know all about the background music.Sometimes it really sucks,never getting the melody.But without the harmony a song is just blah.

You know why I dropped out of band?Because when we're not just making a bunch of loud noise to get the football jocks reved up for Homecoming,we're playing "songs" like Beyonce's Baby Boy for the slutty cheerleaders to dance to at games.There's a good occasional rock song for the finale at concerts,but I couldn't take being back there with the percussion.

I listen to opera and Broadway because I LIKE it.That's right,I LIKE IT.Not so I look all sophisticated next to my friends who listen to talentless rappers and pop singers,but because my ears find it appeasing,understand?

You wanna argue with me,BRING IT ON!

Je mangerai votre grenouille, sot personne.MWAHAHA! Au revoir,au revoir froggy!

Hmph,know it alls.

In other news...

So I had my ceremony for the C.H.O.I.C.E.S. program.I've my medallion now,and right after was the shopping spree.Now my friend and I are set for school with a bunch of new clothes.And then the parents went home and all of us recipients and friends went back to the Riverplex for the lock-in,which kind of sucked.

There was basketball,volleyball,a blow-up boxing ring with those giant goofy foam boxing gloves,a Sumo wrestling things with big fat suits,basically,lol.The D.J. played all rap,as I figured he would,so that got on my nerves.There was swimming until midnight,and that was actually pretty fun.Kristin and I pretty much had the big slide to ourselves the whole time.Not everyone went swimming.

There was kareoke in another room,but it was over by the time Kristin and I got out of the pool area and people were using the T.V. to watch what I think was one of the Bring It On movies.There were drinks and snacks in there too.

That stuff went on all night,pretty much.There was no sleeping.Early in the morning everyone was gathered in one room for the "rap session" where we were lectured about our futures and stuff even more.This went on to 4:45 AM.We all had to leave at 5 AM.

I slept nearly all day when I got home.In my clothes.Lol.It was funny,because at one point I managed to get up,take a shower,and put on clean clothes.My dad heard me get up and was gonna go with me to Mr.Knapps to talk about the cello I'm going to get,so he waited and waited.When I didn't come down,he went upstairs and found me back asleep in my room.

I'm going to be babysitting my little cousin Carloine this Friday.

My mom's birthday was yesterday.HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

School will be starting soon.I was thinking that I had to switch one elective to Spanish,but I guess not.I've got orchestra,as always,and chorus.

1st hour-Algebra 1 (what a way to start my morning.math. >_<

2nd hour-Orchestra (yay,a chance to cool down!)

3rd hour-English 1 (shouldn't give me a problem)

4th hour-History (hey,I wanna learn,but history...*snore*)

5th hour-P.E. first half or year/Health second half(with a lesbian teacher.at least she can't come near the showers,even though I'm not sure if they still shower at our High School)

6th hour- lunch

7th hour- Biology (ew,right after lunch!I always have science before or after lunch,why it that?!)

8th hour- Chorus

9th hour- Study hall

And...I can't think of anything else to type at the moment.

Today was my grandpa Dale's funeral.My grandma seems to be doing alright...But we think she has a mental problem,and my mom is trying to figure out how to bring it to her attention...It's nothing serious,it's just to do with the way she acts.

After the funeral I had to go to a meeting in Peoria for the C.H.O.I.C.E.S. program that is part of that award I won at the 8th grade promotion.

It sounds like a lot of fun,although it looks like I'm going to have be "outgoing" to get along with people and,well,not get kicked out of the program.I can't be my regular anti-social self which is basically what won me the award in the first place whether the teachers who nominated me knew it or not.I hate social events...but I'm gonna learn to deal with it,because we're going to be doing A LOT of stuff!

For one thing...oh,you're gonna crap yourself when you here this...They're trying to arrange for the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to be at our awards ceremony!And this isn't even a national thing,it only takes place in this area!

I don't get my computer until our Christmas party on December 10,and it's not a laptop.But still,a brand new non-crappy computer with interent is awesome,unlike the one up in my room right now.We won't have to take turns!

I get to bring a friend with to these monthly meetings,and she'll get all the same things as me(computer,pizza coupons,movie passes,medallion,personal tutor,etc) except the shopping spree,but even then she can come with and get the 70% discount!

Today at the meeting we each had our pictures taken and the pictures are being put in an issue of U.S.A. Today with an artical about the program.

In August we're having this awesome lock-in,but there will be no sleeping,I'm sure!They've got plans for the whole night.Those big blow-up slide things,swimming,pizza,endless sweets and candy,and a "rap session"(I had to confirm with my mother that there wouldn't actually be rapping,lol.Worried there for a second...).This is gonna be after the shopping spree,or "Shop till you drop".Literally.Carl,who is one of the people in charge of this whole thing,said that our arms are going to be full of bags!He says we're getting so much school cloths and stuff that we'll be complaining that we have left over money!No one is leaving until all their money is spent!

He's paying for this shopping spree and for ALL of our school supplies,everything we can think of(alarm clock included,lol,even though I have TWO).I'm gonna suck it up...It should be worth it!

Not much time here-

I'm going up to Iowa City with my mom and aunt and uncle.They're going to see my grandpa in the hostpital and are staying overnight,I'm going there to wait to be picked up by my friends Linda and Lissa.

I'm staying overnight with Lissa.We wer going to go swimming among other things,but I'll have to tell her I can't because this certain time of the month prevents me from doing certain things in certain bodies of water...Yeah,PMS,you got it right!Go you!...Anyway,we'll pobably go to the movies and see that Superman movie because she is an EXTREME fan of Smallville,and we're going to see Charlie Daniels perform at the park at night,AWESOME!

I don't know what else we'll be doing,but tomorrow I think I'm going with them to a family cookout for Independance Day.I hope to get home in time to go out and watch the fireworks in town!

Gotta go!

The Arch

Around Town

Museum of Transportation

  Phantom related (the pictures from the inside of the Fox Theatre didn't come in(except for the one with me in front of the poster),and it was so beautiful,too!)

St.Louis Zoo

(it's hard keeping track of 3 journals!)

Aight,here is my blog post for 5/22/06:

Six Flags yesterday was fun.I thought there wouldn't be anything I could go on since I refuse to be turned sideways or upside down,speed extremely fast down steep hills,and go at a height taller than...oh,50 or 60 feet.

 

But I ended up going on the Scrambler twice,or Shazam!,as they call it,and Thunder River once with my mom and a second time with Abbie,Dakota and Jake.The first time I got a good seat and was completely soaked!The second time I got sprayed a little,but I was never splashed.

 

I went on this Scooby Doo thing with my mom,Abbie,and I think Kim and her younger brother,where you have little laser guns and go through a dark haunted house on a boat and shoot monsters.The line was longer than the ride.Hardly worth it,especially since I lost with only 6000 points.I road on this Log Flume ride that was pretty tame.And I went on the Swings to dry off after Thunder River.I think that was all...I can't really remember.

 

I got a bracelet with bits of Mother of Pearl in little shapes,and I got this t-shirt that has three guitars on it and says "Musician looking for groupies."They had one just for the girls that was pink and said "Groupie looking for musicians",but I am the musician!

 

And last Sunday I got my ears peirced.I hope it'll work this time...

 

And I think that's pretty much all to tell about.

 

 

My Entry for today:

 

I just got home from my first camping trip at the Missip'.I was so grateful to take a shower...I smelled like smoke and fish.My legs and feet were all muddy.I hate camping.The only reason I went was to fish,and nobody told me how hard it is to get fish in a larger body of water!I'm used to fishing at a lake,getting blue gill one after another.Nobody caught ONE fish yesterday or today!

 

I was there with my dad,my brother,my grandparents,and my younger cousin Noah,whose mom and little brother were there for awhile during the day,along with two friends of the family,and my aunt and uncle.

 

At night I could hardly sleep.My dad and brother and I were all in one tent.We all had air matresses but mine was on screechy posts.I did eventually fall asleep,but around midnight I woke and saw that my dad wasn't there.I heard people talking outside and,being that I really had to find the bathroom anyway,got my dad's flashlight(which is one of those heavy black ones police also use as batons) and went out.

 

I saw a bunch of teenagers on the camping lot beside my grandparent's camper,talking,whispering,laughing,and throwing things into the river.I saw my dad sleeping in back of our truck(his air matress had deflated).So I walked to the bathroom with the flashlight,eyeing those teens.They didn't sound like a bright bunch.And then I passed this boy in the woods about my age who was camping with him mom a couple lots down.He was getting firewood.

 

When I came out of the restroom,the guys were around that boys talking to him.They were asking if the swampy creek in the woods was a good place to fish,and whether the kid knew where they could get some good firewood.I didn't like those teens so I kept my eye on them through the netted window in the tent.They offered the boy a few Budlights,but he must've refused.I saw him putting wood on his fire just a minute later.The guys all looked too young to be drinking,themselves.

 

I knew they were drunk when they took a bell saw to the lamp post,the retards.I found out in the morning it was my grandpa's saw,which they at least didn't steal.They threw it on the ground.They did steal a little blue fishing chair,though,or tossed it in the water(what they were tossing in before were their beer bottles).But the chair was no big loss.My grandpa said he paid a quater for it.Lol.

 

The kid ended up giving some wood to the guys,who then built up a pretty big fire(which they left going even after they left).They didn't leave till about another hour later.And I stayed awake the whole time making sure they didn't mess with anybody's stuff.Finally I heard them slamming car doors(louder than neccasary for the middle of the night),and they screeched down the path,honking the horn repeatedly!That night couldn't have lasted any longer...

 

Once we got back we recieved our yearbooks and spent that whole time signing them and shirts until it was time to go home.And here I am!Party!

.....................

(I think it was on the last day of school last year that I created this journal,so it's like a year now!)

Last Thursday was my Spring Concert.All day I'd been pretty excited about it, and then during study hall at the end of the school day,as a percusssionist, I had to walk to the High School gym where the concert was going to be later,and help set things up.

Well,to get tothe main point of this,I need to explain how a few weeks prior to this concert,8th graders in orchestra,band,and *jazz band(*which I am not in),could fill out an application for a special achievement award.One person in each group could get it.

I filled out an application for orchestra,but not for band since I wouldn't stand a chance.One reason being that there are many more 8th graders in band than there are in orchestra and also because I don't even like band.

I truly thought I deserved the orchestra award.But I knew that my only competition is a wonderful violinist,Haylee.If I didn't get it,I knew she would,and I was glad of that.

Well,as I was helping a 7th grader,Kelly,who also plays the bells in band with me and the violin in orchestra,move the xylophone,another 7th grade girl came up and said to us,cautiously looking around,that she saw the paper that said who won what award.

"Haylee."

Kelly looked at me sympathetically and hugged me.She I wanted that award really bad.I told her I was fine and how happy I was for Haylee.I really was happy for her,because God,Haylee rocks as a violinist!But I wasn't really fine.I couldn't help but feel upset.

I told my friends Leah,Brianna and Kristin about what happened when I returned to study hall.Leah hugged me too,lol.She's in band,Brianna is in chorus,and Kristin's little sister plays violin,so they'd all be at the concert for one reason or another.

On the bus ride home I had my little cry and mnetal pity party,but when I got home,I started feeling real good.In fact,I was thrilled that Haylee got it!And I was happy I found out ahead of time so I wouldn't break down crying in the middle of the concert,lol.

So the concert did come,and I played my heart out with that cello.And before our last song,as he always does,Mr.Olmstead came to the mircophone and said he'd like to announce who the award would go to.Ah,but here is the interesting part.He said two of his students tied.Kelly looked back at me with a grin.

First Mr.Olmstead started reading out Haylee's application,at the end he announced her name,and I cheered as loudly for her as I could as she walked up to recieve her plaque.

And then...

"She's been on honor roll and high honor roll...She is a member of church groups...She is a member of the band and orchestra and will be returning to orchestra in high school...She has attended College for Kids three years in a row..."And so on,with these seemingly familier bits of information...

"I'd like to present this medal to Emily M_____(you don't need to know the rest)"

My mom said everyone screamed louder for me than they did at any point of that concert.I wouldn't know,I was on the brink of collapsing as I went to shake Mr.Olmstead's hand and take my medal.

I sat back down,wiped a few tears away,praying no one noticed them,and put the mdeal over my neck so that it rested against my chest with seven other medals won the previously(Nothing compared to Halyee's sevenTEEN medals,lol).We played our last song,Stars and Stripes Forever,and I went to join the band people.

I was in a trance for the rest of the night!I could barely get around without being hugged or congradulated.I was so excited that I had the honor of winning with Haylee.She is so awesome!

So that was really cool.I'll never forget that night.Kelly had tricked me,she and several others knew I was getting that award.Kelly is a better secret keeper than she thinks...lol!

The next night was a dance.Not the 8th grade grad. dance which they CANCELED after us hirls went out and bought expensive dress for!Just a regular,informal dance that 7th and 6th graders were invited to. But it was fun!

My neck is still sore from head banging!I flirted for the first time with the new 7th grader,Brad.It was weird...I really don't think I've ever flirted before.But he started it!Anyway,I danced with him a little,but I never slow danced with anyone that night.

We were singing the Barbie Song and Brianna taught how to sqaure dance to Cotton Eye Joe.Shannon taught me how to prep dance to crap,er,I mean,rap.How low can you goooo....

That was a load off after what I had to do earlier that day.Run the mile.The hated,horrible mile.I managed to push myself at the end and improve by abou 40 seconds.I'm so glad that's over.We spend all year waiting and dreading...

What an interesting week....

Allo and salute everybody!

I haven't been blogging all that much so instead of waiting for a natural disaster or something amazing event to happen,I'll just write about what's been up.

It's almost the end of the school year,and it seems that graduating from 8th grade is somewhat of a bid deal around here.

There's this whole graduation dance that I don't remember if I have written about.I got my dress and all that.

And there's even this six flags trip for 8th graders only that we've been raising money for like with a bake sale and an aluminum can drive.I guess there's a car wash this weekend,too...I think...hm.

Um,so...I'm still lovin' orchestra...Really hoping to get my own full size cello soon.

Still disliking band.That's probably the only thing I'm looking forward to in high school;orchestra and choir as my electives,NO band! 

I'm making a website for my cousin's band DOY.Having trouble,but it'll get done.

Few days ago we got midterms.I had straight A's except for ONE C in math!But I've still got time to bring it up,and I'm really trying.I'd love to finish this year with a A's or all A's and one B.That'd be nice too.

Well,my Aunt Suzy has been recommending me as babysitter all over,it seems.She got me my first gig a while ago with the daughter of a woman she and my mom works with.This girl was about 8,I wanna say,not that young at all,well behaved.And she loved having me watching her because I was the first young babysitter she'd ever had.She was used to old ladies feeding her soy cubes for lunch.And I MAY have burnt the first pizza that day,but I made another that turned out fine,so HA!I ate the burnt one because it was the only plain cheese we had,lol...

But anyway,there's this other lady my mother and aunt work with that has a baby.My grandma was babysitting him for awhile,but not anymore,I guess.So now I'm the official babysitter.I haven't had a job yet,but when the time comes,I'm first on the list.Cool...

My mom says it'll probably be mostly during the summer since I don't ever go out that much in the evenings.Which may sound bad,but I now I really don't mind at all.My friends can have all the sleepovers they want,I'll be working for the green!

Lately I've been kind of depressed on and off.Maybe it's just puberty taking it's toll...I mean,it's nothing like the way I was in 6th grade,that was horrible...I haven't told my parents or anyone,really.It's nothing bad.But bad days are like,ten times worse than they used to be.Oh well.I'll be happier when sumer vacation comes,I'm sure.

Well,s'pose that's about all for now.

Lst night was FREAKY!I didn't get to go to bed until midnight!

It started as a beautiful warm spring day.When my dad was done with all his projects outside at around sundown,we went in and watched this program on tornadoes he had recorded from PBS.It was really cool...I LOVE shows about tornadoes.I love watching tornadoes.I'm fascinated and terrified of them.I just don't like it when they decide to stop by my area.

No sooner than the program was over,and we were watching regular TV again,then there were T-Storm warnings and a Tornado warning for a county north of us.I had a feeling we were going to get a storm,but it didn't look like the tornado area of it was coming for us.So we ate dinner and kept the TV on,and it seemed strange that every channel except like,PBS,had the weather going.Apparently a tornado had really touched down in that northern county.All I cared about was whether they were getting any footage of it or not.And we had to shut off the computer because the lightning was getting bad out,but there was hardly any thunder and it wasn't raining at all.

So I started drifting off in the chair with the news still going.A little bit later I was kinda half awake,and my mom tells me we have to go to the basement and I hear my dad tell her the Dave and Judy(my grandparents that live in a trailer) are coming over.It still wasn't raining,I saw as I practically sleepwalked down to the basement.I flopped on the couch down there and curled up and went to sleep while my parents turned the news back on down there.I kinda half woke up again when I heard my grandma come.My grandpa was coming in his truck in a few minutes,I don't remember why grandma had to go without him.

Well now I was awake enough to sit up and ask why we had to go to the basement,and my answer was that now WE were under a tornado warning.My eyes bugged out,and I'm like,"Are you serious?!Has one touched down yet?!"All that had been seen so far were funnel clouds.My grandpa arrived minutes later.

My mom got the little portable radio from the second floor bathroom,and was listening for reports there while we were all watching the TV.We could all hear it whent he rain started.Me,my dad,and my grandpa were all standing by or outside the front door watching the lighting,which didn't cease for a second.Still hardly any thunder,but constant falshes of lightning.And then everything just sounder different.The wind sounded different.The rain was splotchy,I don't recall it ever pouring.I was wide awake by now.

My grandpa went outside to watch it.I went back down to see if there were any new reports,but nothing much.I heard someone else talking outside and went up to see who it was.Our neighbor,Bev was saying something to my dad.She and her husband Clark came over to stay in the basement too.They had a small house with no basement like my grandparents.I got my video camera out and recorded the lighting for awhile,but it had a low battery and little tape left so it didn't last long.

Soon there were reports of two tornadoes touching down outside of town and making their way south(which would be right for us).I continued looking out the door for awhile,terrified that when the lighting struck it would reveal the silhouette of a tornado.

Later when I decided to stick to the TV and the rain had stopped,I thought I heard yet another person at the door.No,it was hale smacking against the door and windows.First pea-size,then marble-size and ping-pong ball-size.At some point we could hear tornado sirens in two different towns next to us.

A funnel cloud sighting was reported barely a mile from my grandma's house,and her house is barely a mile away from our house.Luckily it never turned into anything.Eventually the hale calmed and the worst of the storm passed us,with another tornado touching down south of us.Only one person died last died.

This link has a little bit of footage of the tornado,then it just goes on about how college students were affected.

Tornado Video

Warning-Could be spoilers if you actually want to see this movie.

So I got to see that new movie Rent for the first time.I can say this much,the acting was great,and the music was worthy of buying the soundtrack,but the story was bad enough that I don't want to watch it.

For one thing,a majority,if not all,of the main charaters had AIDS.

Then there was a lesbo couple that got married,and decided they didn't want to be together on their wedding day because one kept flirting with other women and the other was uptight.There was also a gay couple,one guy is this relationship was a cross-dresser,but not to worry,the other guy knew it and loved him anyway.

Then there was this nerdy guy who used to go out with the flirty girl,so apparently she was Bi.I think he had AIDS,too.

There was a stripper with AIDS who did drugs.

And the last one was this cute guy who reminded me a lot of Bon Jovi in his singing style and his looks.I was hoping he was the only one who wasn't messed up like all the other people.The stripper kept coming on to him and he liked her,too,but he knew she did drugs and that was what his last girlfriend died of,so he didn't want to go through that again.So I was thinking he was actually smart.At the end it turned out he had AIDS,too,and he went with the stripper anyway.

And the one main problem is that they can't afford to pay rent at this apartment building that most of them live in.A lot of thm a struggling artists.Like,the nerdy guy is into filming.The Bon Jovi looking dude plays guitar.The stripper is...just a stripper.On drugs.With AIDS.Who lives one floor under nerdy guy and Bon Jovi guy.The black guy in the gay couple(the one who doesn't cross-dress) lives with those two guys.I don't recall what he does.

But towards the beginning it's Christmas Eve,their power has been shut off,they're cold,but they burn their eviction notices and you see everyone throwing them out the windows while aflame,and they're singing about how they basically are refusing to pay rent.

So are we supposed to feel sorry for these people who aren't even trying to earn money?Oh,well the cross-dresser gets payed by a rich lady for killing somebody's dog because it wouldn't shut up.That's what I call a deserving person,eh?

Any money that these people do have is being spent on drugs and things.They don't take responsibility.They're all so messed up beyong help,but it's they're own faults,so I really felt no sympathy.

The funny thing is,despite this terrible plot-line,the music was so awesome,I'm considering buying the soundtrack!