Looking Out The Window On The South

Alright! Alright! So I haven't posted anything of any consequence! Wouldn't that be because possibly nothing of any consequence has occurred? Anyway, here's the rundown on what has gone on in the past two months, or as much as I can remember...

1. I was (and still am) suspended in limbo over whether I can visit the Scarlet Pimpernel again this year. (I doubt it)
2. I danced! (and had fun doing it) I know, you'd never believe that I would do this, but I did, and I'll be doing it again in about two weeks. I dance only country dances and swing, but any sort of melody gets me moving. The fun part is not so much the dancing as the people who are doing it (all my friends)
3. I had a successful game party (but I've elaborated on that already)
4. I have composed and recorded my own music (I meant to post the video but forgot. I'll do it eventually) Also, I learned part of the melody from How to Train Your Dragon. (30 seconds)
5. My dog, who turned 4 years old within three days of April 14th, ate my room a month before that (big deal... all the homework was old.... but he did break my watch, which I will be replacing soon...
6. My mom's herd of goats grew even larger. It now totals 16 induviduals.
7. A circus came to town. It was fun to watch but not as big as my memories (different circus). The one we saw claims to be the only operating circus left in America.
8. We recently came back from a two day trip down to Oxnard, where we saw a small but interesting museum devoted to model tall ships.
9. Through all this, the countdown to my Confirmation has shrunk steadily. It will happen on May 2oth, and I will be Confirmed under the name of St. Francis De Sales, who is a patron saint of writers (connection). this evening, my Sponsor and I will be attending Mass. Something special is going to happen, but we don't know exactly what yet.
10. I went on a retreat with my CCD class that may or may not have changed my life. (I'm not really sure what, if any changes, have occurred yet, but I don't know myself very well...
11. I have become Mr. Genius Man! (pause) Oh hmph. You knew I was kidding on that one...
12. Final random thoughts: The best line of advice I have ever heard from media is Yoda's "Do or do not. There is no try." I should really listen to that. The most inspirational things I ever heard from people who are special to me were "as soon as you were born,you were doing good" "You are-withoutquestion-THE MAN!, and "I've known you for a long time, and you are smarter and stronger than you think you are" (situations not described and sources not named to avoid embarrassment).

may you reign long and well

p.s. can anyone tell me how to remove the white background from my signature? That's why I don't use it often... 

p.p.s. My signature does not appear to be functioning anyway... : (

Ping-Pong & Pizza

Yes, it's true. I'm back. So anyway, way back in December, as soon as my birthday celebration was over, my mom turns to me while making dinner and says "You should start having a game night every month. It'll be great."
and I said "Yeah, that would be so awesome. I'll try that." A few weeks go by, and then I start telling people that we'll do it in February. The day comes, I wear myself out making the house look respectable, and what do you know, no-one shows up or even calls to apologize. Lo and behold, I  had chosen a date and time when everyone was busy! but that ended alright,'cause my mom took me out for ice cream as consolation. So then, I let it slide, and a couple weeks later I start telling the same people "We're not doing it in March, (because of the trip to TAC I wrote about in my previous post) but the game night is on in April. Ping-Pong tournament." I was very clear about it. I must of told each of them at least twice, maybe four times. Lo and behold! On the final Friday night before the date I chose, I discover that NONE OF THEM TOLD THEIR MOMS! HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET THERE, THEN? So the day (Yesterday) comes, I wear myself out cleaning the house, again, and this time... surprise, surprise! Someone showed up 20 minutes early! and brought an extra guy along! By the time that I had designated, all but two of them had arrived, and those two were 1. busy at a job, and 2, had simply forgotten. So for the next three hours, we played Ping-pong on the dining room table.Acting on her own suggestion, my mom the  bread baker provided a self-serve pizza bar. The homemade dough was SO GOOD! IT WAS GREAT! I think I'll eat another one later... anyway, the tournament was won by a guy who refers to himself as AK-47, who was unanimously considered the best player there. Next month, Chess!

TAC (An afternoon at a very nice college)

On the 25th, not the 26th, we drove down to Santa Paula to see a performance of a Gilbert & Sullivan play (and check out my brother's dorm and tour the college). I really am sorry for not having any pictures of the campus, because it is simply the nicest place I have ever seen, but I was never quite sure whether it was ok. The day went like this: Got up early, sort of did our thing, until we finally left our driveway around 12:20. This was an unusual car trip, because no one said a word until about 2: 00, when, after determining that no-one would be startled, I got my parents to turn on the score to Master & Commander, which my family all likes because all but two tracks of it is either classical or semi-classical. For the next 45 minutes, the only sound in the car was the music. By the time we reached the 9th track, we had also reached the college.The first thing my dad and I and my brothers did was to go straight to my other brother's dorm room, where we found him alone, practicing the music to the night's play. Strange as it might seem, I was surprised to find that he lives with another guy in a room barely eight by ten feet, if that. When we left him, we began our tour. In reality, we did not actually tour the place; my dad simply took us to the center of the campus and pointed out what was what. Then we went into the library, which is an enormous building which has room for at least half the student body, I'm sure. Absolutely no one was inside that we saw, though, as it was Friday afternoon, when everyone is free. Leaving my grandma and my younger brother in the library, my dad and I went straight to the chapel at the edge of the campus. The enormous dome on the chapel can be seen from a mile away; I know because I'm sure that's how far away we were. We only entered to admire the building and meditate, but before we knew it, (neither of us had a watch) a Mass had begun. When we left the chapel an hour later, we were raving about the almost-perfect acoustics. Check off a second reason why I suddenly want to go there. Next, we went to the chow hall to eat dinner. The food they gave us was not bad, but not very flavorful. When dinner was over, it was finally time fore the play. The orchestra played an overture for about five minutes before anything happened. Some highlights of the performance include lines such as "We were boys together... at least, I was." "I was happy to get to know myself, but then I reminded myself that I'd been acquainted with myself for years already" and songs such as "When I went to the Bar" which I believe is probably the funniest song in the show. Unfortunately, due to my poor hearing, and the fact that the speakers weren't working, I was unable to hear much of the performance, even though we were sitting in the third row. We left immediately after the show and didn't reach home until 12:30 a.m. And so we are all tired today.