Please Pray

So. Saturday is the tournament, but we're leaving tomorrow. We're going to Cosi tomorrow, but obviously we're going to the tournament Saturday. And although I'm not nearly as nervous as I was at the last two, I'm still worried. I reallyreallyreally want to get second place, and I'm having doubts about it. I'm having doubts that I will place at all, truth be known. I think I'm getting tired of my POI, and I don't think other people will like it. I don't know. I'm also doing a prose, and have to keep reminding myself that I don't care what I get for the prose, I'm just doing it for fun. I didn't choose the piece to win, and I probably won't place for it.
Anyway, I also found out that E.G. is going to be at this tournament, so there goes that little piece of comfort. He's gotten second every time.
Anyway, please pray for me and the upcoming tournament. I don't want you to pray that I win (I mean, you can, but that isn't what I'm talking about) just pray for my nerves to calm down.

Spring Fever!

I've been out working in the garden today. Actually, calling it a garden is not very accurate because it's just a bunch of dirt at this point.
The potential garden is actually pretty big, and it's all for me. I'm still trying to decide what to plant. I'm thinking I'll have five different sections, Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and some other special thing in the middle. (No, I'm not some witchy person, I just think putting the elements in would be cool.) This reminds me of Terry Pratchett. Everyone knows that there are four elements. There are actually five. Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Surprise. So I guess the fifth will be Surprise.
Anyway... I was (again) listening to Into the Woods outside while I was working, and have decided that my dream role would, in fact, be that of the Witch. Because she is obviously the best character, and also has some of the coolest songs. So yeah. Unfortunately, I don't think that the homeschool Drama would do a production of Into the Woods. It kind of has to be Christian, and it kind of has to be something possible. And an actual broadway musical is a little too much for us, I think.
I'm supposed to be doing laundry right now. Ha!
Spiritual Lives of the Composers was today. We had two other people join us, in addition to Aragorn and Lynn and the other family. I don't think they really liked it, but I don't think they knew what they were coming to until it was too late. That's what Mom said, anyway. They were pretty good about it, though. They didn't complain or anything, though I'm pretty sure they were just putting up with the class. Even though Mozart was a very interesting person, and all. I like the joke symphonies. Like Hayden's Surprise. And Mozart's one with the French Horns (which are French because they were invented in Germany, as Uncle Scrooge, the teacher, likes to say).
Plus there were brownies and cookies, which I've never known teenage guys to think badly of.

Correct me if I'm wrong...

But are show tunes not the best thing ever?
Yeah. They are. Specially Into the Woods. Which Mom got from the library. And I have been listening to nonstop. I am going to be the Witch at some point in my life. Or at least Little Red Riding Hood. Or the Baker's Wife. Any of those would be good. It's one of the few musicals that I don't want to be a guy for. Like Fiddler on the Roof. The main guy is the only good one. The daughters are okay, but the dad is the best. Or Music Man. Well, I guess there's Marian, but I would rather be Harold Hill any day. Or one of the train guys. They're so cool. And duh, Peter Pan I would SO be Peter, although mostly girls play him anyway. I guess I would want to be Laurie in Oklahoma, and not a guy. But I would want to be Milo Bloom, and not some random girl in The Producers. So yeah. Generally speaking, the guy parts are better than the girl parts in plays and musicals. I'm trying to think of another good one. Annie has a cool girl, I guess. I'd rather be her than Daddy Warbucks, although I'm too old, anyway. Sound of Music I don't think I'd want to be in at all, because I am nothing like Julie Andrews, and I always think of her (like everyone else in the world.) And Beauty and the Beast I'd be Belle. This is all, of course assuming that I actually would get a main part in anything, which is unlikely, since my voice isn't that good, all things considered.
Anyway, I don't remember what I got on to say. So that's it.

Does this make anyone else worry?

So.

I've been thinking about college lately. Yeah, I know, you don't have to tell me that
a) Not everyone has to go to college,
b) You're really smart, you shouldn't have to worry, or
c) You're only a Sophomore, so you don't have to worry.
Yeah. About that. I kind of do, actually. Because
a) I want to go to college to make the most of myself
b) I'm not THAT smart and
c) I'm homeschooled, and don't really have an automatic way to keep track of credits, or whatever. So I do have to worry about that.
And I'm thinking, "Well, what do I want to do, anyway?"
And I'm thinking "I'm not so sure, anymore."
I have too many interests and not enough skills. That's my main problem. I'm interested in just about everything, and I have NO idea what I want to do anymore. I know that most people don't at my age, but isn't that a little worrying? I'm getting to the point where I have to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I don't know.
So I'm interested in Biology. But I don't know if I actually want to be a doctor. I might just tear people open once in a while. (Okay, you can all start worrying about me, now.)
Then again, I've always wanted to be a writer, and I think I'm pretty good, but I don't think I can make a living off of that.
Then I'm starting to think that I'd like to act. And direct, too. Because I'm pretty sure I'd be a good director. As a matter of fact, I am a pretty good director, and that's with my siblings, who don't listen to a single thing I have to say, anyway. And I guess I'm an okay actress, but I'd reallyreallyreally like to go to that special selective acting camp that I probably can't go to, on account of my money problems. The problem being that I have none. Not enough, anyway.
So I'm looking at all these different colleges, and some of them seem really cool, but I'm not seeing any where you can get a good education in medicine AND art. Or whatever. So maybe I'll just be a professional student. You know, attend a billion different colleges and never actually get a job. That sounds pretty fruitless, come to think of it.
Anyway, the only thing I'm sure about (as sure as I can be about anything) is that I'd like to go to a small college in the country. And it would be pretty cool if it were one of those really selective brainy artsy ones, but because I think I would fit in. Only those are usually pretty liberal, and I've kind of got the whole Christian thing going on. Then again, I don't think I would be bothered if everyone I knew had some far out religion. I know what I am, and I'm way too stubborn to change just because being a Christian isn't cool. And I've known WAY too many people who are pretty much messed up because of smoking or drinking. So I wouldn't have any trouble on that front.
I'm pretty sure that you're all bored now, so I'm signing off.

I am the champion, my friends! *duh duh duh duh*

Oh yeah. Who's the coolest? That'd be me. Because guess what. I took my FINAL ALGEBRA 1 TEST.
And I actually passed.
And I actually got a better score than last time.
And I actually got 100%
(And I actually shouldn't tell you that it was possible to get 105% because of the bonus question, but still)
The only things I got wrong were pretty moronic, too. One was because I didn't have a calculator, threee were because I'm stupid, and one was because I forget the format, which was pretty stupid of me to do.
So yeah. That's the thing of note for my life, lately.

Back in Black (and Blue)

There's something weird about soccer fields. Even if you're as old as I am and should know better, you start tearing out the grass when the coach calls you together after practice. Okay, so I didn't do it, but almost everyone else did.
It's been at least five years since I last played soccer. Possibly six. Since we moved to an area that didn't have a good non-school league. Before that I had played since I was five. So that was five years. Wow.
I've loved soccer ever since I was four, and we drove past the soccer field down the road from our old house. I begged Mom to let me play, but when she asked they said that you had to be five. I waited FOREVER until my fifth birthday, and the first thing I remember thinking was, "Now I can play soccer!"
It's kind of weird, because I don't understand any other sports, and am rather afraid of a few of them, but I LOVE soccer. I don't even care that I'm not that good at it. I just love playing.
Today was the first practice for the homeschool group's soccer thing. They say that it's only going to be seven weeks, but I bet everyone will want to do it for longer, and we'll find a different field. Dad's coaching, like he used to when I was little. I was worried that I was going to go there and everyone was going to be really good, but it turns out that most of the people had never even played before, so I turned out knowing more about it than some people, and explaining to people on my team.
It's so funny, but when I was playing defence I found myself shouting things like, "Go Insert-Name-Here! Way to hustle! Spread out, offence! Great kick! Nice pass!" at the top of my lungs. I asked Dad if I was being too loud or bossy or anything, but he said no. He said that it was great when people yelled encouragment to their teammates. So that was good.
I am dog-tired.
Nackeberry said that his definition of cool is Bard. That was nice of him, even if he was joking.
I need to do my Algebra homework.
Signing off.

Torture Tuesday

You know Garfield and Mondays? I never got that when I was little. I think that's partially because I didn't (and still don't) have to go to school on Mondays and didn't (and still don't) have a job, and partially because I always had choir on Mondays, which was the highlight of my young life. This was probably also partially because when I was little I loved to read the comics, but almost always had to have them explained to me. I still don't read Mary Worth and Dr. What's-his-face because they are the most pointless wastes of time I can imagine. I also don't read the political cartoons because I either don't understand them or don't agree with them. Anyway. I think I can now understand how a day can be out to get you. Only I couldn't share the day with the rest of the world. Oh, no. I have to have a horrible murderous day all to myself. It's known as Tuesday.
First off, I have Algebra, which isn't NEARLY so bad as it used to be, and the actual classes are rather fun. But it's the principle of the thing. Then, as if the undue strain on my mind isn't enough, I have to be stressed out in body (and mind agains, but I already said that). Mom signed us all up for Irish Stepdancing Classes.
I'm sure that Irish Stepdancing is very wonderful for someone who doesn't have trouble walking across a room without tripping, nay, even standing in one place without falling over (I don't know how I do it, but I have done so on many occasions.). But that lucky person is not me. It may be any of the other jovial Irish Stepdancers in the class, but I am not one of them. Plus the teacher keeps playing fast music randomly, and I think I have a hold on the steps but then I don't. Which is enough to shake anyone up.
Another thing that shakes me up is seeing my feet rebel against me. I can understand being clumsy, but I can't understand jumping backwards when I'm trying tro jump forwards. It's disconcerting.
So if you want to see me, I'll probably be laying on the floor with a stunned expression. I'm determined to master this thing if it (or my foot) kills me.

The Best Biology Class Ever!

Thursday, March 30th, 2006, is a day that I will never forget.
Dr. N (my Biology teacher through the homeschool group) is a vet. So he brought in two cats (one for each class) to spay. In front of us. I wasn't very worried about the whole thing. I don't like violent movies, but it isn't really just because of the gore. It's because it's just (in my opinion) glorified violence, just like the Roman gladiators. Sure, people aren't getting killed, but they look as if they are. And I think it's kind of pointless to watch someone being dismembered if
a) you can't do anything about it,
b) you aren't fighting them,
c) it's pointless, or
d) you aren't learning anything.
So I'm not really squeamish about blood adn guts. I mean, I have two younger brothers who have each needed stitches at least twice, and I was there for all of the injuries. It's not like I haven't seen this stuff before.
Anyway, Aragorn was pretty worried about the whole thing and, unfortunately, she was sick last week, and had no idea what Dr. N was planning. She figured it out pretty quickly, though. And I have to hand it to her, although she stood in the back of the room, she stayed in until about halfway through the procedure. Her sister was next to me and not bothered at all.
Here's something that's annoying: people thinking that girls are squeamish and/or not interested in science. It's simply not true. Aragorn might not have liked the whole thing, but she's not a sissy or anything. I don't blame her for leaving. We were standing outside the room before class started because it smelled like chemicals in there, and we didn't want to enter, (we being Epoh, Lynn, Aragorn and Grape). One of the moms came out to tell us that Dr. N was going to start. So she ushered us in and announced, "We have a few squeamish girls in the hallway." No one really payed attention, but Lynn and I looked at each other. She'd seen plenty of cats spayed (I think she works or used to work at a vet's office) and I certainly wasn't worried. The only one turning green was Aragorn.
Dr. N first shaved the cat's stomach and rubbed it with iodine and something else. Well, first he gave the cat a shot to make it sleep. Then he shaved it and so forth. It was kinf of funny, because when I walked in, everyone was standing around the table, about ten feet away. I thought that he told them not to come near for some medical reason, but shortly after told us to move up so we could see. I did, and had a prime view from the side. The other ways either the head or the cat's legs were in the way. Lynn was right next to me. Grape was a little farther back, and Aragorn and Epoh were at the back of the room. I was a little bit worried when he made the first incision, but when I wasn't sick and was still interested, I was home free.
Dr. N explained different things as he was going. It was when he pulled out the ovary that things got interesting.
He was feeling around in the cat before that with tweezers and stuff, but it had only been a cut and some blood. Then he pulled out an actual organ. I heard people mumuring on the other side of the room. Then one of the guys was on the floor. Well, half on the floor. The two guys behind him had caught him, and dragged him over to the bench. He'd fainted!
He was only out for a few seconds, but sat down on the bench for a while. Meanwhile, Dr, N was taking it all in stride and working on stitching up the blood vessels leading to the ovary. I looked across the table to another guy who was standing there. I had been looking at the cat, but it seemed like the guy was swaying. His eyes were huge, and his skin was pale. His sister, standing next to him, looked over. "Are you okay?" He didn't even respond. She started to lead him over to the bench, but by then he had collapsed. She caught him. "Dr. N, what should I do?"
"Just lay him on his back over there and it'll get the blood circulating," Dr. N waved a bloody, latex clad hand. "It happens all the time. Now you can see here that I'm cutting this section..." Aragorn left with Eoph, who was going mostly for moral support, I think. One of the guys commented that the class was dropping like flies. Yeah, that's true.
Pretty much the only eventful things after that were when he finished cutting out the ovary, he put in on the table right in front of me. I made a funny face (it wasn't really that gross, but it was funny) and laughed. Other people did, too. Then, just when he was stitching the cat up, the table (which had been propped up with a few hymnals under each leg) fell off on one side, followed by the other a few seconds later. Dr. N just kept working.
All in all, it was a great class. Plus, you know the woman who said that we were squeamish girls? It was her son who fainted. Not that I'm happy about that or anything. It just thought it was ironic.
Sidenote: Aragorn wouldn't eat or let anyone else eat for the rest of the day.