Rather than spending most of today in class, like a normal student on a normal day, I spent most of today in the weight room right off the gym.
No, I wasn't lifting weights. I don't lift weights.
So, what was I doing in the weight room, if not lifting?
I was SAWING PEOPLE IN HALF! (Doing the illusion, of course - my friend did not ACTUALLY get sawed in half twenty times) It was rather fun. It was for the Physics Festival (which, as I learned this year, is for physics students, and they get graded on it).
See, the whole thing with the sawing in half thing (and the reason it was for physics and not something like magic class) is the volume of the box that the person is in. We had two people inside - one was the head, one was the feet, and they wore the same shoes.
Since the physics fair is usually themed (and I think we get graded on presentation as well), and this year's theme was "feats of strength, skill and magic," we all (except for the two in the box) dressed kind of like classic black magic presenters (kind of... I don't know how well we did) - black tights, dark shorts, white button-down shirts, black shoes, white gloves, and, of course, black top hats. It was kind of awesome. Of course, I had to wear my combat boots to kind of hide the fact that I was actually wearing black leggings (I only own one pair of tights, and they are blue and have hearts on them), but whatever.
It was fun.
YAY!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
words and ninjas
Well, I had my first two rehearsals for the all-grades show today and yesterday. It was rather fun, actually - rather unlike the all-grades shows that have gone up in years past.
I think it's partly due to the fact that I have to be onstage ALL THE TIME, so there's more opportunity to flub up, but also there is more opportunity to laugh about it. Like yesterday, for example. It was a scene at the end of the show with just me and the French teacher, who plays my grandpa. I was supposed to be all energetic and stuff, and so I was.
I was just kind of feeling the energy more than I needed to.
One of my lines was supposed to be "because he's not smarter or funnier or anything!" Instead, as I was so hyper (no idea WHY I was hyper at 6:00 pm, but whatever), I rushed the line, so instead I said, "Because he's not smunny or anything!" It was kind of hilarious.
And today we were doing a scene where I wake up in sort of a cross-way between two universes (while still lying on my couch), and I got to actually say stuff (somewhat under my breath as we were exiting, but it fit) like, "Wonderful. I'm being led into an alternate universe by a bunch of middle schoolers pretending to be ninjas. This does not bode well."
Of course, I was the only person (disregarding the director and assistant director) present who wasn't in middle school. The two high school boys who are supposed to be the love interest in the beginning and the best friend for the rest of it weren't there.
I don't know why.
But whatever.
I did the math, and I have 150 lines in this show. YAY LOTS OF LINES!
Also, YAY FOR BRAIN FARTS!
Yes, I will most likely be getting brain farts a lot during rehearsals (though hopefully not much during the run of the show). It's kind of hard not to when one has ten of eleven scenes and 150 lines in a show. Nobody said it was easy being the lead.
But nobody said that it was not more fun than being an extra.
I haven't been a lead for long enough to know which I like better yet, but I think there's more opportunity to have crazy stuff happen when you're at rehearsal every day.
And yes, I will be at rehearsal every day that rehearsal is held.
Including the day after my birthday.
When we will *not* be running the kiss. (Mostly because that actor will not be present at that rehearsal). I'm still nervous. Not as much as before, but I'm still nervous.
Whatever. I'll deal with it when the time comes.
Or something.
I think it's partly due to the fact that I have to be onstage ALL THE TIME, so there's more opportunity to flub up, but also there is more opportunity to laugh about it. Like yesterday, for example. It was a scene at the end of the show with just me and the French teacher, who plays my grandpa. I was supposed to be all energetic and stuff, and so I was.
I was just kind of feeling the energy more than I needed to.
One of my lines was supposed to be "because he's not smarter or funnier or anything!" Instead, as I was so hyper (no idea WHY I was hyper at 6:00 pm, but whatever), I rushed the line, so instead I said, "Because he's not smunny or anything!" It was kind of hilarious.
And today we were doing a scene where I wake up in sort of a cross-way between two universes (while still lying on my couch), and I got to actually say stuff (somewhat under my breath as we were exiting, but it fit) like, "Wonderful. I'm being led into an alternate universe by a bunch of middle schoolers pretending to be ninjas. This does not bode well."
Of course, I was the only person (disregarding the director and assistant director) present who wasn't in middle school. The two high school boys who are supposed to be the love interest in the beginning and the best friend for the rest of it weren't there.
I don't know why.
But whatever.
I did the math, and I have 150 lines in this show. YAY LOTS OF LINES!
Also, YAY FOR BRAIN FARTS!
Yes, I will most likely be getting brain farts a lot during rehearsals (though hopefully not much during the run of the show). It's kind of hard not to when one has ten of eleven scenes and 150 lines in a show. Nobody said it was easy being the lead.
But nobody said that it was not more fun than being an extra.
I haven't been a lead for long enough to know which I like better yet, but I think there's more opportunity to have crazy stuff happen when you're at rehearsal every day.
And yes, I will be at rehearsal every day that rehearsal is held.
Including the day after my birthday.
When we will *not* be running the kiss. (Mostly because that actor will not be present at that rehearsal). I'm still nervous. Not as much as before, but I'm still nervous.
Whatever. I'll deal with it when the time comes.
Or something.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Back and psyched
Okay, as I didn't say this on Wednesday (I have no idea WHY I didn't say it on Wednesday, as I found out on Wednesday... whatever), I'll say it now: The all-grades show was written by the drama teacher this year.
And I have the main role.
YAY!
Of the eleven scenes, there is one that I'm not in.
Why?
The scene's just after intermission.
Right before intermission, I look (or will look, as the case may be - the show doesn't go up for a month and we start rehearsals tomorrow) very thouroughly dead, due to multiple stab wounds in places that have yet to be located. Of course, I'm not ACTUALLY dead. I'm the main character, and it's not a tragedy, so by the Laws of Any Non-Tragedy That Is Performed Onstage, nobody important is allowed to die before act two.
I think I count (finally) as a person of consequence. And I'm SUPREMELY psyched.
The one thing I'm nervous about is the fact that I have to do an on-stage kiss.
I've never met the guy. However, I talked to the director today, and she said that we don't have to do it right away... as in, not at the very beginning of the second time we've been in the same room and been aware of it. Which is good, I guess. It's still intimidating.
But that's what actors have to do - cease to be intimidated.
Or learn to tell their intimidation to shut up until they get the scene over with.
And, if the actor's friends decide to crash the awkward rehearsals, the actors must make sure they have the liberty to break character to hit their friends over the head with something heavy if the friends laugh at them.
Okay, that's not entirely professional and stuff.
But THAT rehearsal is the day after my birthday, so I think I still have some birthday rights left.
Maybe.
And I have the main role.
YAY!
Of the eleven scenes, there is one that I'm not in.
Why?
The scene's just after intermission.
Right before intermission, I look (or will look, as the case may be - the show doesn't go up for a month and we start rehearsals tomorrow) very thouroughly dead, due to multiple stab wounds in places that have yet to be located. Of course, I'm not ACTUALLY dead. I'm the main character, and it's not a tragedy, so by the Laws of Any Non-Tragedy That Is Performed Onstage, nobody important is allowed to die before act two.
I think I count (finally) as a person of consequence. And I'm SUPREMELY psyched.
The one thing I'm nervous about is the fact that I have to do an on-stage kiss.
I've never met the guy. However, I talked to the director today, and she said that we don't have to do it right away... as in, not at the very beginning of the second time we've been in the same room and been aware of it. Which is good, I guess. It's still intimidating.
But that's what actors have to do - cease to be intimidated.
Or learn to tell their intimidation to shut up until they get the scene over with.
And, if the actor's friends decide to crash the awkward rehearsals, the actors must make sure they have the liberty to break character to hit their friends over the head with something heavy if the friends laugh at them.
Okay, that's not entirely professional and stuff.
But THAT rehearsal is the day after my birthday, so I think I still have some birthday rights left.
Maybe.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Creative Writing Stuff!
Sooo this is something that I did for a Creative Writing assignment - it's "describe your main character's hands, eyes, or posture in one or two (or three) paragraphs. Try to convey as much about his/ her personality as possible." I did Shyasha Rinkari. Hope you like it. :D
Four and a half thousand years can do a lot to a person. When I was born, for example, my eyes were hazel-green. I died of heartbreak when I was seventeen, but the gods chose to spare my life in exchange for my sight. When I re-awoke, my vision was gone, and my irises were downy white, according to everyone I asked. When I regained my sight, my eyes found color – my left one is purple, and my right one is yellow. These are known as triple-lucky eyes. Lucky eyes are two-tone, normal-colored eyes - blue and green, black and brown. Double-lucky eyes are the ones that are a combination of two abnormal colors, or one weird color and one normal one, and are usually caused by enchantments – orange and pink, red and white, blue and yellow, black and purple. Triple-lucky eyes are purple and yellow only – they are contrasting colors that are abnormal outside of enchantments. It has also been said that one who wears triple-lucky eyes have been marked by the gods. I do not know whether my survival has been based on luck or the will of the gods – whichever it is, I thank them for keeping me from the death I face on a daily basis.
As I have to do rough, physical tasks every day, my hands are not in the greatest shape. Well, they are fine by Ranger standards – downright smooth for a Ranger, in fact. However, if my mother the Queen saw them, I am quite certain that she would lose her head in frustration and also several limbs. I have calluses in the inner joints of the middle three fingers of my right hand – an occupational hazard of being a Ranger armed with a bow for four and a half thousand years. These calluses will never fade, no matter how many creams that my mother makes me try. My hands have plenty of cuts – nothing but dragon magic and my own fairy magic will heal those, and I refuse to let them mend, especially the big X that crosses my left palm. This is how I am recognized as a Dragon Friend, especially now that the Age of Dragons has come to a close. Poachers can attempt to imitate this scar, as can anyone who wants to see a dragon for real. It will not work. Only dragons can mark their friends. No ink or knife is made from the claw of a dragon king, the fire of its mother’s queen, and the blood of the wearer’s palm. I am the only being alive who has been trusted enough by the dragons to wear this scar on my palm, and I will not misuse it.
Whenever I am forced to go back to the palace, be it for a gala that I am forced to be present at or a meeting with the king that I am mandated to attend, my mother seeks me out and demands to know why my posture is so horrible, and why I choose to slouch all the time. The truth of the matter is that I do not slouch all the time. I only slouch in Mother’s presence to irk her and in Telsiel’s presence because he irks me. Mother hates me on purpose, and Telsiel has no reason to love me. When I am with the dragons, I must stand as tall as possible, just so the dragons can see me properly – at five feet and eleven inches, I am almost too short for them to see. When I am traveling the back roads, I am forced to bend over – unlike with the dragons, I am too tall for most of the forest, and I must make sure not to hit my head on something.
Four and a half thousand years can do a lot to a person. When I was born, for example, my eyes were hazel-green. I died of heartbreak when I was seventeen, but the gods chose to spare my life in exchange for my sight. When I re-awoke, my vision was gone, and my irises were downy white, according to everyone I asked. When I regained my sight, my eyes found color – my left one is purple, and my right one is yellow. These are known as triple-lucky eyes. Lucky eyes are two-tone, normal-colored eyes - blue and green, black and brown. Double-lucky eyes are the ones that are a combination of two abnormal colors, or one weird color and one normal one, and are usually caused by enchantments – orange and pink, red and white, blue and yellow, black and purple. Triple-lucky eyes are purple and yellow only – they are contrasting colors that are abnormal outside of enchantments. It has also been said that one who wears triple-lucky eyes have been marked by the gods. I do not know whether my survival has been based on luck or the will of the gods – whichever it is, I thank them for keeping me from the death I face on a daily basis.
As I have to do rough, physical tasks every day, my hands are not in the greatest shape. Well, they are fine by Ranger standards – downright smooth for a Ranger, in fact. However, if my mother the Queen saw them, I am quite certain that she would lose her head in frustration and also several limbs. I have calluses in the inner joints of the middle three fingers of my right hand – an occupational hazard of being a Ranger armed with a bow for four and a half thousand years. These calluses will never fade, no matter how many creams that my mother makes me try. My hands have plenty of cuts – nothing but dragon magic and my own fairy magic will heal those, and I refuse to let them mend, especially the big X that crosses my left palm. This is how I am recognized as a Dragon Friend, especially now that the Age of Dragons has come to a close. Poachers can attempt to imitate this scar, as can anyone who wants to see a dragon for real. It will not work. Only dragons can mark their friends. No ink or knife is made from the claw of a dragon king, the fire of its mother’s queen, and the blood of the wearer’s palm. I am the only being alive who has been trusted enough by the dragons to wear this scar on my palm, and I will not misuse it.
Whenever I am forced to go back to the palace, be it for a gala that I am forced to be present at or a meeting with the king that I am mandated to attend, my mother seeks me out and demands to know why my posture is so horrible, and why I choose to slouch all the time. The truth of the matter is that I do not slouch all the time. I only slouch in Mother’s presence to irk her and in Telsiel’s presence because he irks me. Mother hates me on purpose, and Telsiel has no reason to love me. When I am with the dragons, I must stand as tall as possible, just so the dragons can see me properly – at five feet and eleven inches, I am almost too short for them to see. When I am traveling the back roads, I am forced to bend over – unlike with the dragons, I am too tall for most of the forest, and I must make sure not to hit my head on something.
Disney or Bust
I don't know if I've said this before, but the music trip starts this afternoon - we leave for a 16 hour bus ride to Orlando, Florida an hour after school ends. The bus ride is going to be absolutely HORRIBLE - a bunch of juniors (and some seniors) on a bus.
All night.
Hi, Sleep: I won't be seeing you tonight because you'll be deserting the entire music department. Have fun.
I'll survive, I guess.
It probably won't help that my Bus Backpack has more clothing for tomorrow than it does stuff to do for the ride. Hopefully I won't die of boredom. My guess is that tonight will follow the classic Situation of General Annoyance: if you pack lightly on the stuff to do, you get bored within an hour, but if you bring a TON of stuff to do, you focus on one thing and ignore the rest of the stuff you brought for the rest of the trip. I think it'll be okay, though.
My biggest fear is that I'll forget to take my chorus folder from my backpack and put it into my suitcase, therefore forgetting my music and what I'm supposed to sing and costing the choir points for professionalism (we're doing bits of Vivaldi's 'Gloria,' which is traditionally sung with music whether or not you actually have it memorized. This means that yes, I DO have to have my music, and yes, I DO have to have my folder over pain of death).
Between tomorrow and Sunday, we'll be spending LOTS of time in Disney World - as we'll be staying in the area, and the awards ceremony is at Hollywood Studios, it makes sense. We aren't going to go to Harry Potter world/ Universal Studios, however. I don't think I will mind it too much, but I know some people who are going to go on about it to no end. I just hope they don't go on about it too much. That would suck. A lot.
All night.
Hi, Sleep: I won't be seeing you tonight because you'll be deserting the entire music department. Have fun.
I'll survive, I guess.
It probably won't help that my Bus Backpack has more clothing for tomorrow than it does stuff to do for the ride. Hopefully I won't die of boredom. My guess is that tonight will follow the classic Situation of General Annoyance: if you pack lightly on the stuff to do, you get bored within an hour, but if you bring a TON of stuff to do, you focus on one thing and ignore the rest of the stuff you brought for the rest of the trip. I think it'll be okay, though.
My biggest fear is that I'll forget to take my chorus folder from my backpack and put it into my suitcase, therefore forgetting my music and what I'm supposed to sing and costing the choir points for professionalism (we're doing bits of Vivaldi's 'Gloria,' which is traditionally sung with music whether or not you actually have it memorized. This means that yes, I DO have to have my music, and yes, I DO have to have my folder over pain of death).
Between tomorrow and Sunday, we'll be spending LOTS of time in Disney World - as we'll be staying in the area, and the awards ceremony is at Hollywood Studios, it makes sense. We aren't going to go to Harry Potter world/ Universal Studios, however. I don't think I will mind it too much, but I know some people who are going to go on about it to no end. I just hope they don't go on about it too much. That would suck. A lot.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Update of the Day
I have returned to the blog! HOORAY! For the record, I DID work on the novel today, and I DID make more progress than I normally do (I think). Anyway, I'm (hopefully) on a track to close the 70-something page gap between where I am and where I'm supposed to be. However, part of that track involves me getting off of Blogger RIGHT NOW and closing the gap EVEN MORE.
On the other hand, tomorrow IS Friday, which means I WILL have plenty of time to not sleep and write LOTS.
When I'm not sewing for a fundraiser or knitting for a fundraiser, or judging for teachers, like I did today and will do tomorrow.
What was I judging, and why was I judging it?
I was judging food (which was good) for a Life Skills elective, because the teacher needed four people who were free during that period, and I was one of them. YAY!
The stuff was good, though two of the three dishes were kind of blah. And, as I can't cook, all I could think to write for the 'improvement advice' was that they should put it with a side dish in future. I don't know how the dishes are made, so I can't really be like, "OKAY! Use this spice and that thing and the dish will taste a LOT BETTER!" when I don't know what I'm talking about. I just volunteered - I'm no cooking expert. I just happened to have been in the library for nearly every day this school year. And I'm also affecting some people's final grades.
So no pressure or anything.
Right, well, I'm going to go write some more now. And attempt to close the 70-something page gap between where I am and where I need to be (or at least, write enough so that it doesn't grow too horribly overnight).
At least I have TIME.
I think.
Maybe.
Okay, I'm going now.
On the other hand, tomorrow IS Friday, which means I WILL have plenty of time to not sleep and write LOTS.
When I'm not sewing for a fundraiser or knitting for a fundraiser, or judging for teachers, like I did today and will do tomorrow.
What was I judging, and why was I judging it?
I was judging food (which was good) for a Life Skills elective, because the teacher needed four people who were free during that period, and I was one of them. YAY!
The stuff was good, though two of the three dishes were kind of blah. And, as I can't cook, all I could think to write for the 'improvement advice' was that they should put it with a side dish in future. I don't know how the dishes are made, so I can't really be like, "OKAY! Use this spice and that thing and the dish will taste a LOT BETTER!" when I don't know what I'm talking about. I just volunteered - I'm no cooking expert. I just happened to have been in the library for nearly every day this school year. And I'm also affecting some people's final grades.
So no pressure or anything.
Right, well, I'm going to go write some more now. And attempt to close the 70-something page gap between where I am and where I need to be (or at least, write enough so that it doesn't grow too horribly overnight).
At least I have TIME.
I think.
Maybe.
Okay, I'm going now.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
novel lag
I'm exceedingly behind on my novel. It is kind of crazy how far behind I am. I'm supposed to end on page 108 by the end of today. I'm on page 40. This isn't going to end well. Unless I stop blogging RIGHT NOW and start writing and somehow speed write fourteen pages a day for the next week. And then do six pages for the three days after that. Or something to that effect. I haven't done the calculations yet. Well, none that involve page counts per day. That made absolutely no sense, did it? Anyway, the point is, I'm going to have to get no sleep and a really bad writer's cramp for the next week and a half if I want to get back on schedule. Which I kind of do. Because I want to finish the novel.
I checked out a book from the library on Saturday about how teens can get published. So far, it has mostly covered short stories and poetry competitions and publishers - well, those are the only ones that I've seen, anyway. It's also a bit out of date - I'm pretty sure it was published in the mid-90's, so there's the fact that there could be more/ fewer publishers who want to publish teen writing than there were when the book was published. Just saying. But, so far, the bits I have read for the "Before You Submit" parts have been really helpful, because they most likely still apply to any writer. So yeah.
In other news, I auditioned for the all-grades show today. I can't spell the title of the show - the drama teacher wrote it, and the title is the name of the mythical country to which the main character goes in a dream. So yeah. A lot of my friends wonder why I auditioned for the show, because in two all-grades shows we've been in, rehearsals mostly consist of middle schoolers being insane, high schoolers getting headaches, and some blocking and line memorizing getting done on the side. My answer is that it's still EXPERIENCE, no matter who gets casted in what role. I still act to figure out what I can do better in performance, no matter how idiotic the middle schoolers are. I mean, it's still annoying for them to be so loud so much of the time, but there are some that are okay. To middle schoolers, big casts mean more time to hang out with friends, and more friends to hang out with. Although that's mostly true, I feel like most middle schoolers would be okay with shutting up while other people learn their blocking, but all the mental middle schoolers get cast and goof off just to get a rise out of the others, which causes the others to rise up to the challenge, which causes all the commotion.
And that's my rant for today. I will be writing for the rest of the block, and if you care to interrupt, be prepared for pain.
I checked out a book from the library on Saturday about how teens can get published. So far, it has mostly covered short stories and poetry competitions and publishers - well, those are the only ones that I've seen, anyway. It's also a bit out of date - I'm pretty sure it was published in the mid-90's, so there's the fact that there could be more/ fewer publishers who want to publish teen writing than there were when the book was published. Just saying. But, so far, the bits I have read for the "Before You Submit" parts have been really helpful, because they most likely still apply to any writer. So yeah.
In other news, I auditioned for the all-grades show today. I can't spell the title of the show - the drama teacher wrote it, and the title is the name of the mythical country to which the main character goes in a dream. So yeah. A lot of my friends wonder why I auditioned for the show, because in two all-grades shows we've been in, rehearsals mostly consist of middle schoolers being insane, high schoolers getting headaches, and some blocking and line memorizing getting done on the side. My answer is that it's still EXPERIENCE, no matter who gets casted in what role. I still act to figure out what I can do better in performance, no matter how idiotic the middle schoolers are. I mean, it's still annoying for them to be so loud so much of the time, but there are some that are okay. To middle schoolers, big casts mean more time to hang out with friends, and more friends to hang out with. Although that's mostly true, I feel like most middle schoolers would be okay with shutting up while other people learn their blocking, but all the mental middle schoolers get cast and goof off just to get a rise out of the others, which causes the others to rise up to the challenge, which causes all the commotion.
And that's my rant for today. I will be writing for the rest of the block, and if you care to interrupt, be prepared for pain.
Many Sad Farewells
Well, tonight is a goodbye dinner for my TA, who is leaving this Friday for Florida for family stuff. Which sucks for us, but her family will be grateful she is there. And she will be missed. A lot. Times eighteen. However, duty calls. And sometimes it calls at the beginning of the fourth quarter of the school year. But whatever. However much it sucks, she will be invited back a LOT for graduation, shows, and other things of that nature, and all of us in her TA hope (a lot) that she will PLEASE accept any and all invitations back to see whichever ones of us are performing/ graduating/ doing stuff of an important nature. PLEASE!!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
COOOOKKKKKIIIIIIIIEEEEESSSSSSS
I just finished my Journalism article on Girl Scout Cookies. And I'm now very hungry for Girl Scout Cookies, despite the huge bowl of fruit that's sitting right next to me. Apparently, Little Brownie Bakers (which is one of two licensed Girl Scout bakeries in the US) has had nearly thirty varieties of cookie since it began baking for Girl Scouts in 1974. One variety, I kid you not, was called "Trail Mix." Who would eat cookies called "Trail Mix?" Apparently, nobody did, because it didn't come back for a second selling season. I don't blame the people of the early 90's for not bringing the Trail Mix Cookies back.
Anyway, moving on, I have NOT worked on my novel since Friday, and I'm NOT happy about it. I'm already WAY behind as is (though arguably not as WAY behind as I was... though that might have changed, now that I have an additional twelve pages of Missed Daily Writing to make up).
I also took my second degree black belt test yesterday, which made me kind of sore in many areas of the body. I was the only girl and I was obviously the oldest. I was also the only one testing for their second degree. Make of that what you will.
Also, the kid testing for his kup (between first degree and second degree) blatantly tried to correct me for one of the one-step sparrings, when I was testing for a higher level than him and he'd learned a different Throw Sparring Number Two than I had.
I don't blame the two red belts for not wanting to test at the main dojang, but at the same time, I'm still bit mad that they didn't have it as hard as I did. We didn't even do SPARRING yesterday. You haven't experienced truly hard-core sparring unless you've fought with the kids from one of the dojangs where they teach their students to kick people onto their butts and then attack immediately after the victim gets back up. Which hurts a lot. I nearly got knocked over a second time. But that doesn't really matter, I guess.
Anyway, I have to go and research stuff about World War Two tomorrow, so I can not fail at the debate thingie we're having and hopefully get a decent grade this quarter.
Anyway, moving on, I have NOT worked on my novel since Friday, and I'm NOT happy about it. I'm already WAY behind as is (though arguably not as WAY behind as I was... though that might have changed, now that I have an additional twelve pages of Missed Daily Writing to make up).
I also took my second degree black belt test yesterday, which made me kind of sore in many areas of the body. I was the only girl and I was obviously the oldest. I was also the only one testing for their second degree. Make of that what you will.
Also, the kid testing for his kup (between first degree and second degree) blatantly tried to correct me for one of the one-step sparrings, when I was testing for a higher level than him and he'd learned a different Throw Sparring Number Two than I had.
I don't blame the two red belts for not wanting to test at the main dojang, but at the same time, I'm still bit mad that they didn't have it as hard as I did. We didn't even do SPARRING yesterday. You haven't experienced truly hard-core sparring unless you've fought with the kids from one of the dojangs where they teach their students to kick people onto their butts and then attack immediately after the victim gets back up. Which hurts a lot. I nearly got knocked over a second time. But that doesn't really matter, I guess.
Anyway, I have to go and research stuff about World War Two tomorrow, so I can not fail at the debate thingie we're having and hopefully get a decent grade this quarter.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Writing again (before I die)
Well, I HAVE successfully carried out Operation Retrieve Old NaNoWriMo notebook, and I have now made quite a bit of progress (not a satisfactory amount of progress, but suffice it to say that I no longer have an excuse to write fewer than three to six pages a day).
However, I might as well not have done it, because I'm quite sure that I'm going to die tomorrow morning in my second degree black belt test. Although I know it is probably not going to be as emotionally taxing as the first degree test, this one will be more mentally taxing. I have to practice my old forms - the Tageuks, which I have not practiced since my first degree test. I barely remember a lot of them - lame, I know.
Anyway, in other news, when my doom is not being foretold, I had District Festival today. It was for chorus - we went, and people judged us on our singing; then we left that room and read by sight, where we got judged on that, and then we waited for forty minutes for the bus to come before coming home again.
And now I'm here.
And my brother is home from college.
HOORAY!!!
Anyway, for some reason, I'm kind of tired - I don't know why.
And I should practice my forms and work out my board breaks. Goodbye.
However, I might as well not have done it, because I'm quite sure that I'm going to die tomorrow morning in my second degree black belt test. Although I know it is probably not going to be as emotionally taxing as the first degree test, this one will be more mentally taxing. I have to practice my old forms - the Tageuks, which I have not practiced since my first degree test. I barely remember a lot of them - lame, I know.
Anyway, in other news, when my doom is not being foretold, I had District Festival today. It was for chorus - we went, and people judged us on our singing; then we left that room and read by sight, where we got judged on that, and then we waited for forty minutes for the bus to come before coming home again.
And now I'm here.
And my brother is home from college.
HOORAY!!!
Anyway, for some reason, I'm kind of tired - I don't know why.
And I should practice my forms and work out my board breaks. Goodbye.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Waaaay behind
Well, I know that I said that I'd work on my novel for Lent, along with reducing my sugar intake in favor of water.
However, the novel bit isn't working quite as well.
I'm currently 30 (or more) pages behind. Why? I'm pretty sure that part of the reason has to do with the fact that I have to keep stalling the scene because I keep forgetting to look up which deity/ star they are supposed to be saving. I can only think of so many ways to stall this scene, and I have come up with the last good cause (which is going to result in them finding the deity/ star). Each of these stalling things takes up about a page, and I've had a net gain of three pages since about Thursday. This means that, as I was a few days behind then, I have about 30 pages to go until I meet today's quota. Wonderful!! This isn't going to end well, I'm quite sure of it.
In other news, the sugar-reduction thing is going well. The drink-more-water thing is going reasonably well, but I feel like I'm drinking less water. I mean, I'm drinking more water than I did a week ago, but I'm not drinking as much water as I did when Lent started. It could be that I'm not as dehydrated as I was before; however, I'm still not drinking as much water as I technically should be.
Oh, the annoyingness.
However, I HAVE started practicing voice/ forms/ piano every day, which has resulted in (surprise!) an increase in proficiency in the bits I've been working on (which is completely NOT liable to happen when one practices stuff... not).
Soooooooooo yeah.
Goodbye for now. :D
However, the novel bit isn't working quite as well.
I'm currently 30 (or more) pages behind. Why? I'm pretty sure that part of the reason has to do with the fact that I have to keep stalling the scene because I keep forgetting to look up which deity/ star they are supposed to be saving. I can only think of so many ways to stall this scene, and I have come up with the last good cause (which is going to result in them finding the deity/ star). Each of these stalling things takes up about a page, and I've had a net gain of three pages since about Thursday. This means that, as I was a few days behind then, I have about 30 pages to go until I meet today's quota. Wonderful!! This isn't going to end well, I'm quite sure of it.
In other news, the sugar-reduction thing is going well. The drink-more-water thing is going reasonably well, but I feel like I'm drinking less water. I mean, I'm drinking more water than I did a week ago, but I'm not drinking as much water as I did when Lent started. It could be that I'm not as dehydrated as I was before; however, I'm still not drinking as much water as I technically should be.
Oh, the annoyingness.
However, I HAVE started practicing voice/ forms/ piano every day, which has resulted in (surprise!) an increase in proficiency in the bits I've been working on (which is completely NOT liable to happen when one practices stuff... not).
Soooooooooo yeah.
Goodbye for now. :D
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