Ivory on Ebony

I hope burnout isn't contagious.

2012-01-04T15:30:00.005-07:00

I doubt anyone reads this blog anymore; in fact, in a roundabout way, I think I hope that no one reads it. This is just me, spitting my thoughts out into space - sort of a journal, but it's out there on the web in the improbable scenario that someone else wants to know what I think or accidentally stumbles across this page because they share some of my issues and/or pursuits.

Now that that is said and out of the way, here's what's on my mind now.

I hate music. I have one semester left to go before I completely my bachelor's degree, and the thought of spending 16 more weeks killing myself to pass my lessons is unbearable. I've been living and breathing music for... well, probably the last five or six years, and the pace has always intensified rather than relaxed. At this point, I'm sick of looking at a keyboard; I can't stand my music; I don't want to hear another note to analyze; I don't care who influenced what how, nor do I care why I should know about them. It's beyond tiredness (though I'm definitely tired, too) - it's that my mental capacity for music has been sated, and then some.

In sum: I'm burned out.

At least I recognize this, and I can deal with it. I know that I need a break (a complete break) from music, for at least several months. After I finish my degree, that's exactly what I'll do. Hiking, biking, writing, reading, and as little practice as possible for... oh, maybe about six months. I know I'm still going to go to grad school, and I know I'm still going to continue my studies in music - but in order to do that, I have to give myself a little room to breathe and get out of this slump. Didn't Einstein work as a clerk in a patent office after he graduated with a degree in physics? I'm no Einstein, but I think I know roughly how he felt.

One more semester. 16 weeks. It isn't really that long a time span, objectively speaking. I'll get through it. I'm looking forward to getting it over with, and I'm sure there will be a few spots in the semester that are absolutely wonderful, but I know quite well it may also be rather hellish (pardon my language, if it offends you). I will have five recitals. Five. Three for which I'll accompany, my own solo recital, and a composition recital. As I think about the sheer amount of music that I will have to know inside-outside-backwards-forwards for these recitals, my initial reaction is 1) loathing, and 2) panic. I know I will learn the music, and all will be well. I also know I will detest the process of learning this music and will likely collapse (and/or have a nervous breakdown) when I finish.

One more semester. One. More. Semester.

I may hate this at the moment, but music is still what I love. Not going to give in just because I'm burned out right now. I can do this, and I will do this.

It's time to go practice. Bach makes a wonderful main course, with a side of Bourgeois. Reger to add flavor, with a touch of Hindemith for zest. Carpal tunnel, here I come.

Apologies

2009-03-17T13:14:00.002-06:00

Apologies to anyone who frequented this blog during my extended absence (I'm hoping no one did!). Things have been more than a little out of control lately; here's the scoop:

1) I'm now a freshman (well, technically, sophomore because of the number of credits I transferred in) at CSU, maintaining a 4.0. While I'm glad my GPA is that good, keeping it that good is killing me. I never run out of things to do/finish/work on.

2) My classes are fun, but hard. I'm taking an intro to biochem class which is really fascinating, but hard to study for--and no BSing allowed on assignments. The "no BS" rule isn't too hard to follow, but it does make it so that I can't whip out the writing as fast as I normally would. My intro to music history and lit is... well... boring. I'm not sure if I could devise a more pointless use of 50 minutes every MWF. I'm sure the teacher knows her stuff, but her presentation style simply doesn't work for me. As for math... I like math; I don't like the math that I'm doing right now, because it's all with a calculator. I hate not knowing how to solve a problem algebraically.

3) I feel awful for my organ teacher and accompanying teacher. I'm so swamped with everything that I don't get in half the practice time I should. I swear, I'm doing my level best, but I'm only getting the bare minimum of practice time in.

4) Choir is going very well--though I wish I could prepare for each practice just a bit more, the choir is progressing quickly. We're on to some polyphony that's about a moderate level of difficulty (Lotti's "Miserere Mei", at the moment) and working into the harder Gregorian chant.

5) The 2009 Colloquium was something else! It was incredible... music, music, more music. I learned so much so quickly. And hanging out with friends that I hadn't seen in forever was fantastic. I'm really hoping to go this year, but I don't think it's going to happen because of the price change. It's just too expensive, and I don't think I should be spending my money on something like that right now.

6) I'm still hiking, biking, running, etc. when I can, but not as often as I'd like. I'm trying to fix this, but... honestly, it takes time, and time isn't something that I have in plenty.

7) I'm still living at home, but I'd like to move out eventually. Not necessarily because of family friction--just because I'd really like to have my own place for a while. I don't know when or if it's going to happen, but it's been in the back of my mind (sometimes the front, depending on how my day is going) quite a bit lately.

8) I. Just. Can't. Wait. For. Summer. Break. I'm on spring break right now, and it's not bad, but... it's not really a break. I have too many assignments to finish, too much practicing to do, etc. It's a break from scheduled classes, but that's all--and, to top it off, Dad assumes that I have lots of time because I don't have class. So, I'm busy with chores on top of schoolwork.

9) I miss writing. I've done very little since school started because I've been too tired both mentally and physically. Writing is one of the best ways for me to relax, though, so I'm getting even more stressed out than usual because I don't have time to write.

10) I don't know where I'm going, and I hate not knowing. While I know that God's plan has something good in store no matter what I do, I can't help being a little frustrated that I'm so clueless. Everything sounds appealing, yet at the same time, nothing does. Should I get a second major? Minor? What should it be in? I like forestry, natural resources, biology, biochemistry, GIS, computer science, and... well, you get the idea. Should I work over the summer? Study abroad? Volunteer? Just take a break? Save up for a long vacation after I get out of school, or just have fun while I don't have to pay off my loans? Should I consider grad school, or should I finish my bachelor's and RUN? ... I don't know. I just don't know.

11) Odds are... I miss you. Friends from Indy, online friends with whom I've talked for hours and hours, family from CA... I miss you. College is so faceless--they try to create community in a huge campus, but it just results in lots of very specific groups. I don't need a lot of acquaintances that I share a few things in common with; I just miss having those two or three really close friends who are always there. Currently, I only have one friend like that, and that one may be leaving in the near future.

All right, so that's what's up with me. How are you?

P.S. I'm not sure how fitting the title of this blog is. College is sapping my fizziness bit by lethal bit...

Commandment #1: Thou shalt not stray off pitch...

2008-05-14T19:08:00.002-06:00

For it be necessary in order to gain a pure blend of voices, ay! *mock gasp*

I'm completely obsessed with choir, I know, I know. But - HOW CAN I NOT BE?! I have a great group of people to work with (enthusiastic, willing to learn, understand the basic principles of reading music and are swiftly understanding more), a great group of people teaching me, and a supply of fantastic choral music to share... I love choir. We're working on the Vaet 'O Quam Gloriosum' and Des Prez "Ave Verum". The Vaet's mostly to help them learn to listen to each other (we started that one before the "Ave Verum"); the Des Prez, to help them learn to blend (with the "Ave Verum", it really stands out if some people are singing in a different tone than others, so it's almost perfect).

--

In other news - I'M GOING TO THE COLLOQUIUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *spins around in wild, crazy-happy circles* I can't wait. Can't wait. CAN'T WAIT! 33 days!! THIRTY-THREE DAYS!!! AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!! MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUUUUUUUUSSSSIIIIICCCCC!!!!

And I'm only going to be hanging out with two of the most awesome people in the world for that week, too. I couldn't ask for more. HUR-RAH!

Decision

2008-04-06T12:35:00.003-06:00

I got into both the colleges I applied to...

Now here's the fun part. I got a full ride from one, but it's not the college of my choice. My college of choice is going to be really expensive, I'll have to work over summer breaks (which means no Colloquiums, workshops, vacations, etc.), I'll have to work while in school, I won't have a car, and I'll still come out of school very in debt. On the other hand, I could go to the school that gave me a full ride, get a car, live at home, and come out virtually debt-free - but the level of education I get won't be quite the same.

HOW IN THE WORLD DO I PICK?!

(no, I refuse to flip a coin for the answer)

Lent

2008-02-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd let y'all know:

no internet for me during Lent.

Over the hills and far away...

2008-01-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

To quote my sister, "... That's where your brain is, Sam!"

It's where I'd like me brain to be, aye.

Too much stuff going on. Well, actually, it's not going on; it's that stuff that people want me to have going on. Apparently, word's leaked out that I can both sing/cantor and accompany... translation: "SAM YOU'RE SINGING FOR THIS MASS!" or "OOH, SAM, CAN YOU ACCOMPANY US AT THIS MASS?!" or "SAAAAAAAAM YOU SOUND SO LOVELY WILL YOU PLAY A PRELUDE FOR US BEFORE OUR SERVICE?!".

I'm a STUDENT.

I'm STUDYING.

And I'M SICK OF INTERRUPTIONS.

I have schoolwork to do. I have no intention of making any more commitments. People, it just isn't going to happen.

I'm going back to algebra now.

QWERTY

2008-01-21T20:42:00.001-07:00

aweprgaihwepofiahpweoufhapiweugoapuhepwiufhapiweuhfapiwueg[apiouehf[awoeufhapwieufgapieuygfaipuwehfpoahogjsfjkbvnklzxjhfsaphui oghacdvbjkbcckj nlhlaeuhycnoifgoiugioUHPIUHGPIUAHGIRUHigai;ruh.

You heard me, folks!

I'm... tired.

2007-12-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

Life's insane. Rather than getting used to it, I'm doing the opposite - it feels like if I have one more activity or commitment that I have to think about, then I'm going to lose my mind and jump on the next plane to Alaska and live in an igloo for six months!

I don't mind the schoolwork. Heck, I like the schoolwork. It's everything else; the playing for Mass, applying to colleges, writing emails, practicing driving, babysitting, cleaning, preparing for vacations.... etc.... that are driving me crazy. And it's too icy outside right now to go running, so I can't de-stress that way - nor can I go biking or teach myself rollerblading, obviously. The only times I get outside when it's like this is when I take Kodi out on his walks.

I can't wait until I graduate (again). Just... I'm ready for another break. Ready for all these college applications to be sent in and done with. Ready to know where I'm going to go to school. Ready to have time to write again.

I'm so ready to be DONE.

Writer's woes...

2007-11-01T21:21:00.000-06:00

Oooooookaaaaaay. Most writers have their own individual pet peeves, but there are a few certain misspellings and errors that annoy EVERYONE. Here is a sentence that demonstrates a few of those certain errors.

"Their are two girls who enjoy taking they're mothers dog, who's collar is too tight, to the park with its owner whose always more tired than her children."

Rewrite it correctly. If you don't see anything wrong with it... a grammar book is in your near future.

Essays

2007-10-31T15:11:00.000-06:00

I'm using my blog to study. Usually, I don't study with a computer at all, but this is an exception: I need to improve my writing, and as quickly as possible.

My writing is too murky. My meanings are ambiguous, my thesis is indistinguishable from the rest of my introduction, and my points are obscured by my language. I need to develop the habit of writing in a direct style, rather than enjoying myself and writing flowery prose. I need my writing to be more coherent and easily understood. The SAT reader who grades my essay will only have about three minutes to read my piece; I can't afford to be vague and have them wondering what on earth I'm talking about! My writing must be direct, lucid, straightforward, and hopefully interesting, and it must also demonstrate a competent understanding of sentence structure, spelling, and vocabulary.

My question to you is thus: how does the above paragraph conform to those qualities I just listed?

Random moment

2007-10-30T12:42:00.000-06:00

This morning, Zita came wandering up to Rebecca with a very forlorn expression. Beck, being the nice sister that she is, picked her up and asked, "what's the matter?"

Zita gave Beck a sad puppy-dog look, then told her, "I'm so hungry... I want an appetizer!"

Beck, doing her best to hide a grin, asked, "Do you even know what an appetizer is?"

Zita's response: "Uh-huh. See?!" Zita took off running for the kitchen, opened the refridgerator door, and pointed out what she wanted. "Appetizer!"

Beck: "Zita, that's apple cider."

Splashdown!

2007-10-29T09:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, no 'splashing'. BUT--

WE OFFICIALLY HAVE THE LATIN MASS!

We had the first Mass yesterday evening, and the next one is in a week. After that, it'll be once a month, on the first Sunday of the month. Once we have enough people that they think can support a priest, we'll get our own apostolate up here, and our own church. Hoorah!

Quote

2007-10-22T08:05:00.000-06:00

One of my many favorite quotes... I'm curious to see if anyone knows it.

"Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the Powers, against the Principalities, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

No googling that quote! - I want to see if you know it offhand.

Sickling

2007-10-13T08:31:00.000-06:00

I.

Am..

Sick...

So, I'm camped out on the living room floor, refusing to get up or move any more than I have to - and I'm DEFINITELY not going to eat anything for the next few days. I don't even feel like typing. Talk to y'all later.

Success!

2007-10-09T12:23:00.001-06:00

All right, I know this is minor, trivial, and in all other ways ridiculous, but...

I UNDERSTAND SINE, COSINE, AND TANGENT!!!

*dances* Hahahahaha I finally understand it! It's so simple that I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out... I don't know if I was making it too complicated in my head or what, but now that I get it it seems absurdly easy! Tangent is opposite over adjacent.... hehehehe WHOO!

Writing

2007-10-05T18:06:00.000-06:00

I just started working on a lipogram for the fun of it (for those who aren't vocabulary nerds, a lipogram is a piece of writing without the use of a certain letter of the alphabet. Most lipograms don't use the letter E). So, I'm working on a whole short story with not one single E in it. Call me crazy, but it's fun. Half of the time, my first draft sentences are kinky and unreadable, but now that I've been working on it for three days I'm starting to get the hang of it.

The difficult thing: Can you imagine a fantasy story without Es?! That nixes at least half of your setting nouns! Forest, tree, palace, house, hovel, cottage, throne, castle, turret, tower, desert, vale, valley, dale, dell, dance, stone, tunnel, cave, hole.....

Not to mention that there's no "the" allowed.

Music love

2007-09-09T21:22:00.000-06:00

The soundtrack for Stardust is coming out in TWO DAYS!!! I hope I can get it from the library ASAP... otherwise, I'm sure I'll end up blowing $10 for it on my next B & N trip. And same goes for the soundtrack to Transformers! The movie was all right (nothing to write home about, I'd say, but not too bad, either), but the soundtrack was love at first hearing. Forget all the heavy metal/rock that they put into the movie; I could care less about all of that. But the orchestral score was fantastic! And, to top it all off - I'm next in line to get the soundtrack for Pirates of the Caribbean III from the library. Weeeeee.

Here we go again...

2007-08-30T13:06:00.000-06:00

Almost time for another schoolyear to start - or, rather, time to plunge headfirst into the maelstrom of studying. School begins on the 4th. I've got vocabulary, reading, composition, religion, German, biology and chemistry, Algebra II and advanced math (pre-calc), organ, and American literature.

I don't think I'm forgetting anything...

Yiiiiiippee!!!

2007-08-26T17:54:00.001-06:00

*raises both eyebrows and gives everyone a crazy grin* Guess what, peoples!

Gggggguueeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssss........... guess what just made my day.

hehehehehe.

*dances*

Fascinations

2007-08-06T13:16:00.000-06:00

The concept of fascinations is fascinating in itself if you think about it long enough. Every person lives for different reasons; different activities are considered worthwhile or important; even lifestyles are vastly different from person to person. Eventually, looking at these differences leads you to the root: each person's unique fascinations. Fascinations sculpt us into what we are, who we are, and who we will become.

An interesting thought, isn't it?

I'll use myself as an example. My number one fascination is, of course, God. I live my life with the sole intent to know, love, and serve him to the best of my capabilities, which mean that I do my best to hold myself to perfection (no, I don't achieve it. But I do my best). That's going to govern a lot of my actions.

Other fascinations include: music, writing, reading, exercise, and animals.
- Music will always play a huge part in my personality; while I don't listen to music constantly, and would probably be get annoyed if I did, I love to perform, listen to, attempt to compose, and learn music.
- Writing is my outlet; through it I express whatever I'm feeling at the moment, whether it be blinding rage (rare) or a newly-discovered sense of humor.
- Reading is my pasttime; whether it be in immersing myself in the confines of a fantasy world, entering the mindset of the author in an autobiography, or confining myself to a Siberian forced labor camp in a non-fiction story, I adore entering the world of the story.
- Exercise gives me energy, in more ways than one. I feel an insane thrill when racing my bike down a mountain at 35 mph, or running until my legs can hold me up no longer, or slamming down a volleyball over the net as hard as I possibly can.
- Animals are my refuge; my dog Kodi is an ever-present companion, who howls when I leave him and welcomes my return with a deep "aaawww-WROOF!". I would love to surround myself with animals, whether they be dogs, cats, or squirrels - but the fact of the matter is, I'm 17, and I don't have the money to feed a Great Dane just yet.

There's another thing that rules my life, but it's not a fascination: family. Family, though, is not about "me", therefore, I don't classify it as a fascination.

Now, that's me. My life. My loves. My world. The above fascinations are unique to me - take away one, or add one, and I'd be completely different. There are so many different fascinations that it boggles my mind: cars, racing, horses, art, money, working, sewing, watching movies... the list goes on.

And fascinations are why it's so much fun to meet a new person, too. They carry with them their own set of fascinations, some of them alike and some of them not so much like yours. It's always interesting to watch two people meet while thinking about their fascinations - it makes it into a game of predicting how the two will interact.

I won't end this by asking 'what are you fascinations?'. I could, but I see no point. Rather, I'm just going to ask you... Do you think that I believe what I just said in this post?

Random music wonderings...

2007-08-02T19:17:00.000-06:00

Anyone have suggestions for music to sing for the first High Mass up here in Ft. Collins? I have plenty to draw from, but I don't really feel like thinking about it at the moment... just curious to hear your thoughts/suggestions.

And hey - anyone familiar with the Latin Mass, feel free to comment on which chant Mass you think I should do (VIII, XI, whatever). However, I can already guarantee I won't have the choir "learn" XVIII. :P

I feel like going to sleep now. And it's only 7:20.

Latin Mass meeting

2007-07-30T21:33:00.000-06:00

I just got back from a meeting for the people who want the Latin Mass in Fort Collins. Here's the scoop:

- They don't know where it's going to be yet, but wherever it is at first, it'll be temporary: We're eventually going to be building our own church. And, judging by what Fr. Jackson (the priest who will probably be saying Mass for us) said, it may not be an itty-bitty chapel. We've already got pews, Communion rails, and there's a surplus of high altars that have been offered to us (not just cheesy ones, either. Real white marble, fantastic statuary, the whole she-bang!).

- They don't know what time exactly, but it'll be on Sunday afternoon/evening-ish. It depends on the location.

- The first Mass is going to be Sept. 2nd.

- Said Mass is going to be a High Mass. Heeeeeeeeeerrrrrrreeeee's where it gets interesting.

Getting together the Music for a High Mass is not going to be a walk in the park! Carl Dierschow, the director of a Gregorian chant choir at a very contemporary parish right by my house was at this meeting. The first person that Fr. Jackson looked to when he said "This will be a High Mass," was Carl. The expression on Carl's face was priceless. It was something between "Holy Lord, Mother Mary, HELP!" and "Are you serious?"

And Carl's first reaction: To point to me, the one teenager there, and say, "Hey, she's the one that you should talk to, she knows what she's doing." (Not an entirely true statement, people! I have much to learn)... So, I am now unofficial music person for that Mass. And possibly all the following ones.

Now, regarding this particular Mass: there is no way Carl's chant choir is going to be able to sing the Propers for a High Mass. No way. Not feasible. Me, I can sightread the Propers, but that doesn't do any good. I need to find a choir. Ooooooooohhhhhh boy. I have a month to get together enough people to sing at a High Mass. *promptly gets down on knees and says a Memorare and a prayer to St. Jude*

- Supposedly, we have an organist. He wasn't at the meeting, but someone said he'd be willing to come play. (whew! that's a load off my shoulders.)

- We have land. Donated for $1, provided we build a church on it.

------

A request: Rebecca Willen, if you're reading this, can you beg your sister (and heck, the whole Holy Rosary choir!) to visit me on the 2nd of September? I... need... help... *goes off to find the Propers for that Mass*

Character deaths

2007-07-23T11:05:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are familiar with my writing and/or why I started writing, you already know that one of my pet peeves is that my favorite character in a story usually dies a heroic death. The point of this post, however, is not to rant about how the author had the nerve to kill off a character (specifically, a character that I liked); rather, I want to show why character deaths bother me so much from a writer's standpoint.

Realistically, I don't mind the character dying. Hey, I've killed off my fair share of valiant heroes, innocent bystanders, and rabidly cruel villains alike. BUT! I really do mind when my favorite character in a story dies for practically no purpose whatsoever, especially in a story with sorcery. It's not the death itself that bugs me (often, some character death is necessary) - I just want to see it done well!

First Point:

There must be a need for the character to die.

If a characters dies, there MUST be a need. Take, for example, Gandalf from "Lord of the Rings": though he technically didn't die in Moria while fighting the Balrog, to the knowledge of all but he and the Balrog, he was no longer on the radar. This was necessary because, with Gandalf present, the Fellowship probably would not have broken up. Gandalf would have kept Boromir in line, so Frodo wouldn't've run off to Mordor; he would've sensed the Orcs coming sooner, and so would have warned Merry and Pippin to stick with everybody else. His death also heightened the stakes and increased the sense of danger for Frodo. So, Gandalf's temporary death was necessary, story-wise.

What I dislike is when characters die simply because "someone has to die". That is so incredibly pointless. Which leades into my next point:

Second Point:

The death cannot be cheesy.

If I read - or watch on TV, for that matter - another heroic death in which the loyal servant/sidekick/friend character takes the death blow instead of the hero(ine), I'm going to retch. Not because I dislike heroic deaths; rather, because they're usually done so poorly.

My opinion of the typical "friend leaps in front of the hero and is skewered by the spear meant for hero" scenario: it's pretty pathetic and an easy way out for the writer. If someone has reflexes fast enough that they can leap in the way of a moving spear (or arrow in flight, or javelin thrust, whatever), they're going to have insanely fast reflexes. So, if they're fast enough to throw themselves in the path of a moving javelin... wouldn't they be fast enough to be able to shove the weapon away with their hands? Or at least deflect it?

That's one thing that bugs me.

The other thing is mostly applicable in novels with sorcery or magic. The very first thing that a sorcerer (especially one with a lot of enemies) is going to do is protect his life in some way or another. All right, maybe some morons would do this by surrounding themselves with spells of strength, invincibility, etc. - but, if someone's smart enough to use sorcery in the first place, why would they do that? Rather than practically shout out "here I am and I cannot be killed... except by someone who breaks these spells!", why not hide all methods of self-preservation? Why not make a labyrinthine maze of complex spells that are next to impossible to trace and almost completely invisible/unbeknownst to the average enemy? It seems odd that sorcerers would put all their energy into, say, something as obvious as the One Ring.

So, in conclusion: I like deaths that are obviously well thought-out on the writer's part, that work well in context of the story, and that take characters who are likely to die. Apart from that, though, characters deaths annoy me. A lot.

Chinese Zodiac

2007-07-22T16:44:00.001-06:00

I find those things absolutely hilarious, for more than one reason. They're interesting ways to pass the time if you're bored while waiting for food at a Chinese place, but apart from that, I can't imagine their usefulness. Take my zodiac sign, for example -

"Horse: You are popular and attractive to the opposite sex. You need people."

... *dies laughing* I think they were describing my opposite, because:

1) I don't particularly need people. As a matter of a fact, I vastly prefer to be alone. My dream home is a 100-square-foot house in the middle of the Sierra Nevadas, with no neighbors except the mountain lions for a few hundred miles. Aaaaaah, bliss.

2) "Popular"? Me? I hope not. While I try to be friendly, true, I want to be there when I'm needed as a friend, not just have people seek me out constantly.

3) "Attractive to the opposite sex"...? Excuse me while I go vomit. *fierce glare* I hate being considered (much less called) attractive, especially by a member of the opposite sex. Let me repeat: I like anonymity and being unnoticed. "Graceful", "attractive", "gorgeous", etc. - you get the idea: I hate those words. If my zodiac sign is right, and I am attractive, then it's time for a serious makeover.

So, yeah... point made: Anything attempting to predict your personality and/or tastes regarding companionship based on your date of birth is absolute malarkey.

-------- that was a really random post.

I now have a goal.

2007-07-05T18:29:00.001-06:00

Results for the 5K I ran... 32:10. I forget what I placed; 600th-something out of about a thousand.

Ouch. That's lame even for someone who didn't train beforehand. However, I'm not at all disappointed - it was fun, and it was my first time running in an official race. Now, if I'd've been dead last, that would've been a bit of a damper.

So, my new goal: to run the next 5K I enter 10 minutes faster than I did this one. It'll be a bit difficult, but I've got the rest of summer to train. *chuckle* Here goes nothin'.

A much-anticipated first

2007-06-30T15:46:00.000-06:00

- I just signed up for my first run! Only a 5K (3 miles, roughly), but I figured I'd start out with a shorter run rather than leaping in headfirst and signing up for a half-marathon. So, obviously, I'm pleased with myself... and I can't wait.

Hiking pictures

2007-06-15T15:46:00.000-06:00

We rarely take pics while we're hiking (unless F or Rebecca has the camera!), but here are a few random pics.

Gateway Park, Ft. Collins:

The place was perfect for shooting a fantasy movie. Crystalline lake nestled 'midst the rocky hills and mountains, surrounded by the varied greens of pine and fir, with bounders strewn over the ground like pebbles... very picturesque. If only Z would have stopped screaming - argh, did those hills carry an echo!

Z's pitching a royal tantrum in that picture, but hopefully you can't tell. Dad had his hands full on that hike, let me assure you!

After a good, long hike, we were all exhausted - except for Zita. After being carried for most of the hike, she was just getting started.

Rebecca at Lory State Park, Ft. Collins. Yes, we climbed past all those hills in the picture.

McCormick's Creek State Park, in some tiny city in Indiana. I loved that place; no other people around. Just us, the trees, and a million gray squirrels that loved to chitter at us.

LESS THAN A WEEK....

2007-06-13T14:38:00.000-06:00

'Til I'm in Washington DC, surrounded by fellow lovers of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony, and learning as much about sacred music as I can possibly hold in my head!

*dances around* Haha, I can't wait! I'm looking forward to the plane flight, too - I think it's a total of about 4 hours, one way. I'm looking forward to a lot of writing and/or reading during those hours... not to mention the time that I'll have to spend waiting in the terminal.

So, yes... the music colloquium at CUA starts next Tuesday (19th). I'll be flying to Chicago the day before, then hopping on a flight to DCA the next morning - I think that's what the plan is, anyway. After that... ahhh... inundation in Catholic sacred music. *huge grin*

The only downside: the day that I get back, we have relatives arriving from California - which means that we're working like crazy to get the house clean before I leave for the colloquium. Though, I guess that's more of an upside than a downside, since I've never seen the house this clean since we've moved into it...

This is a definite first!

2007-06-05T18:47:00.000-06:00

I've finally read a book that was worse than the movie based on said book. The book: "The Princess Bride". If you ask me, the movie was great; the book left a lot to be desired. My advice to anyone considering reading that book - stay content with the movie, because the book isn't worth it.

So, to repair the damage done to my avid love of book-reading, I read "Wolf-Speaker" by Tamora Pierce and am in the middle of "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke... both of which are excellent, in my humble opinion. Two totally different books, but they're both great in their own way.

Technology is taking over.

2007-06-03T14:32:00.000-06:00

Hah. Well, I can attest to that... I'm still trying to break my computer addiction. Or, well, my internet-addiction, I suppose I should call it; I use my computer for writing, but I don't count that as computer time. But, even though I've been trying to break away from the computer, I still spend at least an hour and a half on it EVERY DAY! Agh. And now I'm blogging, which is on the internet... I'm ranting about how much time I spend on the internet, while being on the internet. My gosh.

On a similar note... my 4-year-old sister Zita just came up to me and said, "I need to check my email."

Summer break, HERE I COME!

2007-05-08T13:53:00.000-06:00

WHOOO! School is over, I have my final grades back, and it's time to kick back and enjoy the surf! (Too bad I'm a thousand miles from the nearest beach. Ah well, I can fantasize.) But hey - there's still biking, hiking, running, writing, reading, dog-training, dog-walking, playing with the dog, re-varnishing my desk, cleaning my room... and a million and one other things to do!

I am so ready. I have a bike to ride, a car to drive, a dog to walk, and a computer addiction to break - all in all, it's time to enjoy life again instead of slaving away for my teachers. Haha, I feel like hiking a 14er!

Chaos, craziness, and confusion galore...

2007-04-28T09:12:00.000-06:00

That's synonymous with college applications, of course!

To sum up the past week: Mom and dad made the spur-of-the-moment decision that I should go to CSU this fall, not next fall like I was planning (yes, they got my consent on it too, obviously). My SAT scores are good enough, my GPA is phenomenal for an entering freshman, I'm already taking organ lessons with the professor who'll be my teacher, I have more than enough credits to graduate... the only hitch: my application is due THIS WEEK. I've missed most of the scholarship and financial aid priority deadlines. And I have a music audition in a week and a half!!!

Yikes. So yes, I'm practicing piano/organ between 4-5 hours a day, already wrote up my essay, need to write a resume, need to fill out the application and get it in ASAP.

Not to mention that my neighbors are moving out today and mom volunteered me to help, I still haven't gotten my driver's liscense (needs to happen soon), I just got glasses and am still getting used to them, and astronomy finals are coming up.

Craziness abounds...

New shoes!

2007-04-20T20:25:00.000-06:00

YAY!!! My organ shoes came in today... and they fit! These are probably the nicest shoes I've ever had, and *gasp* the first pair of women's shoes I've gotten that actually FIT! Now I don't have to play in duct-taped, falling-apart shoes that I've had for almost 7 years (YAY!). Can't wait until the next time I practice organ so that I can try them out...

The joys of...... nothing!

2007-04-16T17:26:00.000-06:00

Hehe... I have nothing on my mind... no schoolwork, no chores, no scheduling... no guilt about homework that I haven't gotten done yet... no random thoughts flitting through my brain... NADA! It's awesome! It's so nice to be able to think about zip. *stares at ceiling in pure bliss*

Strange?

2007-04-15T19:25:00.000-06:00

I haven't been able to write much lately - matter of fact, I was so caught up in my classes that I went for several months straight without writing. And when I finally do get to write, what comes out of my tormented, overworked, school-ridden brain? This.

Insanity was pleasure.
Kiandi threw himself over the edge with a shriek of pure rapture, plummeting down into the darkness of the abyss with the grace of a dragon in flight. Engulfed in blackness, his body plunging ever swifter towards the bottom of the rocky chasm, his mind ready to be exploded into a million pieces when his body splattered on the ground below… this was joy. Mindless, idiotic, insane joy.
Kiandi’s last thought before he hit the ground was a wish that this could have truly been his final moment.

How weird is that? That's got to be the strangest thing I've written yet... but... it's interesting, and reflects the chaos in my brain (no, I'm not suicidal - but the part about mindless, idiotic, insane pleasure sounds nice right now). Crazy.

Perfect timing

2007-03-31T10:59:00.000-06:00

The bad news: we have the flu (not the stomach flu - we have the real thing, influenza). Six out of seven people in this house were sick yesterday - me, Dad, Mom, Beck, F, and Z. Only Martin's stayed well so far. The good news, though: Nobody has had it for more than three days. I had it very mildly yesterday, but am fine today (whew!) - then Beck and Dad had it for three days each, and F and Z are somewhere in between.
What was bad about it was the timing. The morning that me and Mom got sick, my dad had a crisis at work and had to be working from home all day, even though he was still sick. I also happen to have an astronomy test on Monday, and wasn't able to study with any of my classmates because I got sick. Meeeeeeh.
But hey, I'm well now, so - yay!

SAT

2007-03-29T06:07:00.000-06:00

My scores just came in...

I'm not happy with how I did. At all. I was barely above average in math, and my critical reading + writing sections could both stand some improvement. My scores will probably be okay for any college I'm considering, but... aaaargh. I could have done so much better.

I'm going to see if I can take it again.

Striving for:

2007-03-23T14:12:00.000-06:00

This is what I'm always trying to accomplish, yet never seem anywhere near to achieving:

My chores are done, my room is nice,
The kitchen is spotless and smells of spice;
The house is clean, I can enjoy relaxation,
My work is finished - time for a vacation.

The greatest gift ever given...

2007-03-23T12:38:00.000-06:00

The Holy Eucharist

That is God. Jesus Christ is there present, in his full body, blood, and soul. He is present physically, in his full humanity and divinity. Through the powers bestowed upon the priest in his Ordination, what was ordinary bread and wine at the beginning of Mass is transformed into the physical flesh and blood of Jesus during the Consecration. Though it still maintains the appearance, taste, and texture of bread and wine (the "accidents" of bread and wine, as defined by Church doctrine), it has been completely transformed into Jesus' body and blood.

I receive God every week. Every time I go to Mass. For a time, I'm a tabernacle, because until the last particle of the Host dissolves, I'm holding Jesus Christ inside me. What thing on this earth can ever be greater than that? It's... almost incomprehensible. Jesus Christ has, for mankind, taken on the appearance of bread and wine so that he can be with us in the fullest way possible. Apart from Creation, or the Redemption, this is God's greatest gift to humankind. He's given (and giving) Himself.

I asked the question a while back on a previous post: "Why am I a Catholic?". Well, even if I hadn't already reasoned that the Catholic Church is the ONE, TRUE, HOLY, and APOSTOLIC Church, that the Catholic Church has the Truth in fullness and entirety, and that the Catholic Church is the one and only Church that Jesus Christ founded - I'd be a Catholic because the Catholic Church has more than any other Church has. It has God. And I can worship Him, and touch Him, and see Him every single time I go to Mass.

That's why I'm a Catholic.

Revelation!!!

2007-03-21T12:16:00.000-06:00

NOW I know why I have problems with my computer sometimes!

Cars and I don't get along.

2007-03-19T16:27:00.000-06:00

-- Not if I'm in the driver's seat, anyways.

Being a student driver sucks. Seriously. All right, so I can drive on the streets, but still..... I have so much left to work on. I always - always - start cutting my turns too late. If I pay attention to one thing (say, staying the speed limit), I lose attention and let something else slip (like missing my turn?). Not to mention the fact that I'm a total moron and can't remember to take the parking brake off if I'm driving mom's car (the parking brake on that car is messed up... you can't tell when you're driving if the parking brake is on or off). And better yet, I have a driving test in 15 days. Oooooooh boy. And if I manage to fail a driving test, I'm going to practically murder myself.

--------------------------------

On the good side, though... I can drive on the freeway. It's a whole lot easier than city driving (no stop lights!! WOO!!), just because there's not as much to watch out for - you just focus on a few things and you're good. And I drove to Nebraska and back over this past weekend to pay my boyfriend a visit, so I got plenty of driving time in on the freeway between Ft Collins and York, NE. Oh, and I even got to hit over 95 mph......... yeah, I know I was speeding, but I had a good reason. Had (yes, that's "had") to pass a semi AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Not a stunt that I will ever duplicate again unless I have to, though.

Why fantasy novels rock...

2007-03-12T14:25:00.000-06:00

... It's the CREATURES, dude!!!

Haha, yeah... In my mind, it's the creatures that really make a fun fantasy novel.

Sure, you're probably thinking... "vamps, werewolves, dragons, dryads, goblins... so how does that make or break a story?" Well, I'm not really talking about those kinds of creatures. I'm not saying that dragons or werewolves aren't awesome - quite the opposite, they're popular for a reason! But it's the unique creatures, the ones that the author has made up to fit their own little fantasy world, that make reading a fantasy novel really cool.

One of my favorite examples of this is Kate Forsyth's novel "The Witches of Eileanan". I was kind of annoyed with the main character (she was described as spunky?? Are you kidding me?!), the writing style made the story hard to follow, and the neatest character of the bunch was getting tamer, not the other way around! But I couldn't put it down because her creatures had totally captured my attention. Though they didn't play a huge role, she'd populated her world with elven cats, dragons, Mesmerds, and all sorts of other interesting animals. By far, I'd have to say the Mesmerd was my favorite... a swamp creature with big eyes, a bunch of arms, wings, marsh-grey skin, (overall, it looked like a sleek, oversized Gollum... a bit) a breath that kills, and a mission to steal young children - how could that not be riveting?

So yeah... I'll admit, some of my stories are just excuses to make up my own fantasy creatures. Preyteons, Satarri, Kine, Kridh' - ah, I have so much fun with them. And even the creatures that aren't totally my creation are fun to play with, like weredragons, wind dragons, sprites, shapechangers, Elementals, and vampires... I could go on and on, but you've probably heard enough.

Try it sometime... just pull out a piece of paper and start sketching, or watch a movie and let your imagination run wild, and see what sort of crazy creature you can come up with!

The SAT is OVER!

2007-03-11T12:51:00.000-06:00

WHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! *combined shriek of joy and sigh of relief* Man, I'm so glad it's over with... actually, I kinda didn't take it seriously enough. And it didn't help that I had two power bars right beforehand... I was fidgeting whenever I wasn't totally focused on whatever test section I happened to be on.

Anywho... as far as I how I did, I'm not very happy. I guess it went all right... I had no problem with the verbal/writing/reading sections, but math.... I think I blew it. I don't think I'll score well. I had one section where my brain just totally froze for two whole minutes. I get my scores back on the 29th of March, I think, so we'll see just how bad I did... I sincerely hope I didn't do as bad as I think I did. As far as the essay, well - we'll just say, it could've been better. I finished it on time, but had absolutely no time to proof what I wrote; I put my pencil down after the last sentance just as the time was up. I don't even remember what I wrote, the time went by so fast.

So yeah.... I really, really, REALLY hope I did well... if I didn't, that means a retake, because I NEED a good score - something I know I can get, but just... eh... I don't know. I still can't believe that my brain froze during a math section, and I'm worried about the essay... aaaaah... I need to stop thinking about it. I'll find out my score soon enough.

This is tragic.

4 days.

2007-03-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's half a week until the SAT. Crazy thing is, I'm not nervous yet... maybe a little, regarding the essay, but overall, I'm feeling fine with the whole thing. I wish it wasn't at 7:30 in the morning, though - but hey, at least that means that I'll be getting it over with, first thing.

Practice done to date: 10 lessons of algebra II, 2 practice essays written, and 2 novels read. My astronomy homework has been taking a big bite of out of the time I can spend practicing for the SAT, darn it.

6 days and counting...

2007-03-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have less than a week until the SAT. I'm not nervous about it - I know that if God wants me to do well on it, I will, and if he doesn't... then I won't. But I'm still studying like crazy for it.

Practice that I've done to date: 8 lessons of math (including some trig), 2 practice essays, and one novel read (that's my way of studying for the verbal sections - reading, reading, and more reading).

Keep me in your prayers, please!

You know you're in 2007 when...

2007-02-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

And now you're laughing at yourself.

----
I know, I post way too much stuff like this, but... hey, I got such a kick out of it that I couldn't resist, haha!

Why do I write?

2007-02-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Kloude posted about how she first started writing, when, and why, and asked others to respond. So...
I started writing for a few reasons... I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. Probably the main reason that I started writing was because I hated the ending to Lord of the Rings - crazy, but true (hey, I still don't like how sad it is). After I finished reading Lord of the Rings, I decided that I was going to write a sequel purely for my own enjoyment, just so the ending didn't bug me. Obviously, that project got ditched pretty quickly, but that was the big thing that got me started writing.
The second reason why I started writing - it drives me CRAZY when my favorite characters die. And it happens in almost every single book I read! It's safe to say that I'll usually be sobbing at some point in a story when my favorite character dies some heroic death. That is soooooo depressing. So a big reason I write is so that I can have awesome characters that don't die at the end of the book. There's usually a death or two in each of my stories, but it's rarely a character that I absolutely adore (I think I've killed off a favorite character... once. And then I missed her so much that I brought her back. I'm terrible, aren't I?).
What else... apart from those two main reasons, I also started writing simply because I wanted something fun to read. I needed a few characters who weren't all wishy-washy and docile, a villain that it was a pleasure to hate, a liberal sprinkling of magical creatures, crazy escapades, zippy comebacks, and just some all around fun.

Writing is awesome.

25 Ways to annoy your parents

2007-02-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

Not quite as good as 27 things to do in an elevator, but there are a few laughable ones. Forwarded by my sister.

25 ways to annoy your parents:

1. Follow them around the house everywhere.
2. Moo everytime they say your name.
3. Pretend to have anmesia.
4. Say everything backwards.
5. Run into walls.
6. Say that wearing clothes is against your religion.
7. Go to their room at 4 in the morning and say,"goodmorning sunshine"!!!!!
8. Snort loudly when you laugh then laugh harder.
9. Say all of the words in a movie.
10. Pluck someones hair out and yell,"DNA!"
11. Wear a sticker that says,"I'm a retard."
12. Talk to a pen.
13. Have 20 imaginary friends that you talk to ALL the time.
14. Try and climb the wall.
15. In public yell,"No, mom, I will not make out with you!"
16. Put pegs on your nose and eyes.
17. Switch the light button on and off for awhile... and then say: "Oh... now I get it!"
18. Eat your hair.
19. Hold their hand and whisper to them,"I see dead people!"
20. When you shower or bathe yell,"I'm drowning!"
21. At everything they say yell,"LIAR!"
22. Pretend to be a phone.
23. Try to swim on the floor.
24. Tap on their door all night.
25. When they say a word from a song you know...burst out laughing if you know it!!!!

Staring into space...

2007-02-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

... all done with that, for now at least! Just got back from doing my astronomy lab at the local observatory - I can now say that I can identify and point out in the sky the eight brightest winter constellations and ten brightest stars. The only downside of going out tonight was that it was absolutely FREEZING outside (AND WINDY!!!), so I was standing outside and literally shaking because it was so cold. But my homework is done with (for now), so I'm happy.

Now I get to look forward to the organ recital tomorrow night... *gulp*

I hereby declare war on... on second thought, never mind!

2007-02-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

*mischievous grin* I've decided to surrender to the homework!! --- okay, not. But my mindset has shifted dramatically in the past few hours... essentially: hey, it's just homework, it's not gonna kill me! Besides, I can so totally whip any homework that my classes send my way - and it's just goin' in one ear and gonna be out the other, come end of this semester! So why should I give a care? :D

*completes solar elevation angle projects with a grin* I love my fizziness!

I hereby declare war against...

2007-02-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

.... MY HOMEWORK!!!!!!! The soul-sucking, brain-washing, idiotically complicated homework is driving me sane. So what if I'm only taking two college classes this semester? It's disgusting to think that my life "depends" on me getting into a good college, getting into a good college depends upon my grades, and my grades depend on knowing such pointless trivia as the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. I'm sick of having to know infinitely tiny details about stuff I don't even care about - or want to know. Why must I waste my time on stuff like that? I'M A GOING TO BE A MUSIC MAJOR, NOT A FREAKIN' SCIENTIST!!!!!!
---
I need a vacation.............. but it's only the third week of the semester.

*dies*

The Prayer Every Student Should Know

2007-01-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

*grin* Taken from my astronomy teacher's webpage... no idea who wrote it.

Test Prayer

Now I lay me down to study,
I pray the Lord I won't go nutty.
If I should fail to learn this junk,
I pray the Lord I will not flunk.
But if I do, don't pity me at all,
Just lay my bones in the study hall.
Tell my teacher I did my best,
Then pile my books upon my chest.
Now I lay me down to rest,
And pray I'll pass tommorrow's test.
If I should die before I wake,
That's one less test I'll have to take...

Let it snow?

2007-01-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Whoever wrote that carol must have lived in the Sahara Desert.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..." very aptly describes our weather. It's windy. It's -11 degrees outside, windchill not included. There's roughly two and a half feet of snow on the ground, accumulated from four or five snowfalls, and it has partially melted and refroze several times, which means it's also icy. And guess what? It's snowing outside - MORE! I need to commandeer my sister's camera so I can take a few pics of the vast whiteness outside. It's awful to go out in, and it's even cold in the house... but oh well! I like snow. I kinda like the cold weather (even though this is pushing it), because it gives me an excuse to stay inside and read a good book.

So - let it snow!

A well-deserved thank you...

2007-01-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

... to Kyla, for drawing my character "Rain". She did this a few months ago (something like that?), and I loved how it turned out so much that I wanted to post it on my blog. I love how the expression turned out... Kyla captured Rain almost perfectly! The posture, the expression, it's almost exactly how I'd imagined Rain in the beginning of my story. I am thrilled with it - I'm an absolutely awful artist, and no one else has ever volunteered to draw my characters, so I've never actually had a character from my story drawn out before. Thank you, Kyla!!!

Why am I a Catholic?

2007-01-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've heard this question, and others that are very similar, more times than I can count. From door-to-door missionaries, from roadside "preachers" telling me to convert to their own "true" religion, to people who are just genuinely curious - my statement that I am a Catholic and am not going to budge doesn't make sense. Even more frequently, I hear people say (and not unkindly), "Oh, you're Catholic... I'll bet that you can't wait to get out of the house so your parents aren't making you go to Church any more."

It's saddening that when I say I'm Catholic, people automatically assume that I'm going to quit my faith as soon as I possibly can. Truth be told, it's the exact opposite.

Most people look at the vast realm of religion and their initial thoughts are either "These people are all insane." or "Every single one of them thinks that THEIR religion is right, and maybe one of them is - but how can I know which one?!"
For me, there are two main reasons why I think my belief Catholic faith is justified.

1) There is more evidence to back the Catholic Church than any other religious denomination that I've yet encountered. (to those reading this who aren't Catholic - please correct me if I'm wrong!)

2) Everything in the Church is logical.

Expanding upon the first reason: the Bible is widely recognized by scientists and historians to be historically accurate. There are a few incidences of questionable nature (such as that the world was created in six days), but the New Testament (the Gospels) is known to be valid. In the New Testment, Jesus states explicitly that he is God, and came to earth to redeem mankind. This is supported by the miracles he performed (facts which, to my knowledge, were not questioned or refuted by people at the time).
Secondly, throughout the ages there have been amazing miracles attributed to Catholic saints. The history books tend to leave these out; but there are multitudes of these miracles, which have been verified by medical professionals (yes, there are still miracles today, verified by our "cutting edge" doctors) to be beyond the realm of human intervention.

Expanding upon the second reason: "faith" and "reason" are in no way separate. There are many religions I consider to be illogical, either in their foundations or teachings. To give an example, I have come across people who say "it doesn't matter what you believe, just so long as you're a good person." That may be - but shouldn't we strive for truth? Take the Muslim and Catholic religions; one says that Jesus is God, the other that he is not. They can't both be right. Does this mean that we shouldn't investigate further or make a decision for ourselves which we think is correct?
That said, I believe in the Catholic Church because its evolution as a religion follows a series of logical steps. The Jews (I won't go into why they're credible, it'd take too long for me to explain every little thing) believed that a Savior - the Messiah, the true King - would come to save them, liberate them, and reopen the gates of heaven for them. Jesus not only fulfilled all of the prophecies, but also said that he was the Messiah - however, the Jews had been expecting a more physical King, one who would also save them from the Romans, not a carpenter's son. The religion that resulted was the original Christianity, Catholicism.

And why I believe that Catholicism is the correct version of Christianity... that requires a separate post.

Back!

2006-12-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Wooo... I loved my break! I had so much more free time - I didn't realize how much time I spent just hanging around on the computer until I cut it out completely. Quite a bit of my "vacation" was spent shoveling snow, though, because the blizzard started early Wednesday morning and we got about 2 1/2 feet of snow (now that deserves its own separate post - pics included). I also got to go see Eragon, make my own Christmas stocking, read a few books, and just hang around with the family a lot. Not a super eventful vacation, but it was what I needed. I feel recharged again!

With that said... it's nice being back online again. Hoorah for the internet!

End of the semester... now it's time for a break.

2006-12-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

I hate the computer.

Truth be told, I'd much rather be hiking, or biking, or reading - or even just laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling! I hate living my life bound to a machine, staring endlessly into an animated screen. I do like being able to keep in touch with friends via email or IM, but right now, I'm just sick of the computer in general. Or not even the computer itself; I hate the feeling of having to always be "connected", knowing what's happening and keeping up with everything. Over the semester, that was all I did - sometimes I spent as much as 12+ hours a day on the computer. I can't deal with that. I feel like, if I have to stare at a computer screen any longer, I'm going to go absolutely sane.

So, starting at midnight tonight, I'm unplugging. Over the next week, I'm going to turn my internet off, not going to check my e-mail, not going to IM, not going to watch stuff on youtube or look things up on Google. I may use my computer to write, for a few hours a day - but apart from that, I'm getting off.

Talk to you all in a week!

Meet Francis, Jedi in training.

2006-12-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

There's no such thing as "Dead Week"

2006-11-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Not in Sam's world, anyway. While it seems like all the state universities have a really, really easy week in the week leading up to finals week... my community college is doing the exact opposite. I have two papers to write, a speech to give, a presentation to give... all before finals start on Wednesday. And that's not including all the studying that needs to happen between then and now.

Is anybody else in the same boat, or is it just my community college?

A movie review.... maybe I should do this more often, it's fun!

2006-11-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Just got done watching the newest version of "Count of Monte Cristo" and I LOVE IT.

Since I'm sure that most people know the story (even if they haven't read the book), I won't go into enormous detail. Edmond Dantes, sailor on the verge of becoming captain, is betrayed and sent to Chateau D'If. After a number of years, he escapes, with one thought in mind: revenge.

This movie didn't get the most fantastic reviews, but guess what? I'm not into technicalities. And most of what I think disagrees with quite a few reviewers. SO!

I liked - well, took a wicked, fiendish delight in - the duels. They were too short, and not enough of them, but when there were duels, they were good. Dantes (Jim Caviezal) was excellent, in my opinion - intense, angry, passionate... but cold and reserved when he needed to be. Oh, and the jailer in Chateau D'If looks like Marilyn Manson. And he's such a creep that it's a pleasure to hate him. Mondego could have been a little better... since the screenwriter decided to stray from the book and make Mondego and Dantes friends, I would've liked to see Mondego be a bit more likeable in the beginning. Richard Harris as Abbe Faria gave his typical brilliant performance, giving his character a bit of a humorous twist, which was a pleasant shift from Dantes' depression.

Overall, excellent. Could've had a little more action, a little less narrative... but I'm thrilled as is. It *technically* stretches believability a few times, but manages to make the hard-to-believe believable. And isn't that the whole point of a movie - to suspend reality and transport the watcher into the world of the movie, where anything can happen?

I say A-

"Roamin' " Catholics?

2006-11-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Mass holds a "special" place in Catholicism. Mass is not just a place where Catholics gather to worship - far from it! It is not like a Protestant church service (no matter what denomination). During the holy Mass, we unite ourselves with the Church, we offer our entire selves to God wholly and without reserve, but most importantly we unite ourselves with Christ through the Holy Eucharist. Mass is the most sacred thing that we have on this earth.

The Mass is not about this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khco_N-uEOY

Halloween costumes?.... Did I hear drums? Tambourines?..... A minister of the Holy Eucharist dressed up as a devil?.... While I'm sure that these people have the best intentions, THIS IS WRONG. The Mass should be treated with reverence, as the holy place that it is; it's not a joke, or a social gathering.

For those of you who aren't Catholics and have never attended Mass... that sort of thing does not represent us, and it is not what we are about.

update needed, but not happening just yet.

2006-10-18T21:14:00.001-06:00

I know, I need to update... blame school! I have six tests spread out evenly over the next two weeks (it was seven yesterday, but I got the PSAT out of the way this morning) and I'm sick again. So yeah, I'll try to update sometime soon, but right now things are just too chaotic.

Random thought: True, I know the PSAT is being taken across the USA on this exact day by me and half a zillion other students... but it'd be really nice if we didn't have to wait until December to get our test scores back.

Random: things to do in an elevator

2006-09-28T11:57:00.000-06:00

Some of these are weird, but a few of them are hilarious. Thanks to Kloude for the original post (and for the extra ones on the end).

THINGS TO DO IN AN ELEVATOR
1) When there’s only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder and then pretend it wasn’t you.
2) Push the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.
3) Ask if you can push the button for other people, but push the wrong ones.
4) Call the Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what floor you're on.
5) Hold the doors open and say your waiting for a friend. After a while, let the doors close, and say, “Hi, Chinel. How’s your day been?”
6) Drop a pen and wait until someone goes to pick it up, then scream, “That’s mine!”
7)Move your desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on, ask if they have an apointment.
8) Lay down the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play.
9) Leave a box in the corner with a wind up clock in it, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can hear ticking.
10) Pretend you are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the passengers.
11) Ask, “Did you feel that?”
12) Stand really close to someone, sniffing them occasionally.
13) When the doors close, announce to the others, “It’s okay, don’t panic, they open again!”
14) Swat at flies that don’t exist.
15) Tell people that you can see their aura.
16) Call out, “Group Hug!” and then enforce it.
17) Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering, “Shut up, all of you, just shut up!”
18) Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, “Got enough air in there?”
19) Stand silently and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
20) Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce in horror, “You're one of THEM!” and back away slowly.
21) Wear a puppet on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers
22) Listen to the elevator walls with your stethoscope.
23) Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
24) Stare, grinning at another passenger for a while, then announce, “I have new socks on”.
25) Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers, “This is MY personal space.”
26) Pretend you are a ghosthunter and check everyone's belongings to see if they are possessed. If someone asks why, reply with, “The ghost of Benjamin Franklin has been trying to learn how to control elevators.” If they respond to that, tell them you are Ben Franklin.
27) When alone in the elevator and then someone else walks in, pick a part of the ceiling to stare at and look at it like, "We're all gonna die."

And life is good!

2006-09-22T13:21:00.000-06:00

O-K! So by now I've gotten my grades back in all my classes, and while they aren't awesome, they're not bad, either!

-------

Speech: First test, and I got an A! 23 out of 25, to be exact. My first speech (Narrative) also got a high B, so there's nothing to complain about there.

English: For my first portfolio (included 3 different summaries, revision, outling, notes, workshop notes, and 1 final draft), I got an A!!! Wow... I was totally not expecting that. English is the class I like the least - and so far, it's the class I'm doing the best in. Go figure.

Macro: I LOVE MACRO!!!! For the first homework, I got a perfect score, plus bonus points (33 out of 30). For my first paper, 25 of 25. And for the first two tests, I got a 25 of 30 in one and a 26 of 30 in the second. YES!

Sociology: Just got my first test back - 86%. Not bad, considering that it had four essay questions!

History: Okay, so when my teacher first handed back my test, the first thing I saw was "75%". It didn't really surprise me, because that was a test where we'd covered NONE of the question topics during class (and it was ridiculously detailed, too). I'd done all the reading for that class, and I was still guessing on a lot of the answers. BUT.... after looking at the test a few times, I couldn't figure out his grading system. I got 60 points on the essay questions (best possible score) but I only got 15 on the multiple-choice, which I didn't understand because I'd gotten 25 right. So I asked him after class how he was grading, and he just stared at my test for a while, then said "OH! I MISCOUNTED!" Result: I NOW HAVE AN 85%!!!! JOY! Not only that, but I also got my first history quiz back, and had a 100!!! And that quiz was all essay questions... wow... I think I'm still in shock.

-----

Whoo. So yeah, not the greatest grades in the world, but hey - I don't have any Cs!

Random - essay questions

2006-09-19T18:26:00.000-06:00

Is it just me, or are "essay questions" a student's worst nightmare come to life?

I have two tests tomorrow. Both of which are going to be long, hard, and have at least 4 or 5 essay questions ON TOP OF 50-some-odd multiple choice. I have fifty minutes for each test. Joy.
I am not a verbal learner; logical, but not verbal. Basically, verbal learners can articulate well and find it easy to express themselves in both speaking and writing. After taking the learning styles quiz (required for Macroecon), I found out that my "verbal learning skills" are nil. No wonder essay questions are hard! Give me a multiple choice and an "Explain your answer." and I'm fine. Ask me to compare, contrast, and analyze?.................... You can fill in the blank.

School update

2006-09-16T16:11:00.000-06:00

Let it suffice to say.... school is taking over my life! School and Kodi, actually. Can't leave out the Kodester!

Speech: Okay, I don't like the fact that it's at seven in the morning. But, so far, I've only showed up late for one class - and even then, it was only five minutes. But this class is totally worth getting up at six every morning. My speech teacher is great; she's interesting, helpful, and all around awesome. And our speech assignments are fun, too.

English: TAKE IT AWAY!!! I can't wait until this class is over and done with. Then it's NO MORE ENGLISH FOR ME!!! So far, we've had to write three summaries, and two logs. That's not including smaller assignments. But it isn't really the amount of homework that bugs me - it's the fact that NONE of the reading for this class could remotely qualify as "interesting". It's a definite challenge to write an interesting summary of an article that isn't interesting in the least.

Macro: Awesome. Complicated, but extremely interesting, and there's lots of numbers! I work well with numbers - not necessarily with remembering statistics, but I like calculating. And it's just... well, interesting! I can apply it to everything and say "now I know how this works!"

Sociology: Cool, but hard. A lot of memorization that needs to happen, but it's all very interesting. I dislike the fact that I have to interview people for this class, though... it's a shy person's worst nightmare.

History: I LOVE THIS CLASS!!! The instructor is a really cool guy who's teaching just because, well, he likes to teach and he loves history. Everything is interesting, and very easily understood. The projects are fun, too, and it's not that much work. There are "pop" quizzes in this class, but we always know that they're going to be within a week of the actual test... so they aren't exactly "pop" quizzes, which is cool.

And, last but not least: Pipe Organ(!): very neat. By far my favorite class! I really like my teacher; fun, but extremely nitpicky and a total perfectionist. I love it!
I think I'm starting to get the hang of making music with my feet, rather than just fumbling around. Very handy when you're playing the organ. I'm figuring out all the different stops now, too... it's taking me long enough. Though it doesn't help that all the stops on the organ are labeled in German...

First day of school!

2006-08-22T11:04:00.000-06:00

First day is over! I found all my classrooms no problem, met the teachers, even began in some of the books... yada yada. My seven am class is going to be a pain some days (gotta love getting up at 5:45 in the morning!), but it's totally worth it. Anyways... here's what my classes are like! ---

Speech: I love this class already! And, ironically, I'm the only person who's not just taking it because they have to. I'm really looking forward to learning how to write and actually present a speech (for me, it's the actual presenting that's the hard part). The teacher's great - she's really clear, easy to follow and work with, and her lectures keep your attention. Which is a good thing at seven in the morning!

English comp: Not my favorite class, but I'll survive. The teacher for this class is a serious stickler - she's an extremely precise, extremely focused, extremely strict. She's already got every single day of class planned out. None of my other teachers, not even for macro, are anywhere near that organized. In my opinion, the precision/focus/strictness is a good thing, but it makes her a little harder to work with. And, just to contrast her to my other teachers - she's the only teacher that's going to quiz us on the syllabus. And she's the only teacher that gave us homework.

Macro: Definitely going to be my most challenging class. My teacher's a bit disorganized, and his lectures aren't exactly exciting, but the material covered is going to be really neat to learn. First class was pretty slow, but I have a feeling that it'll get tougher - soon.

Sociology: This class is going to be so much fun! I'll have a lot of work to do, but it'll be fun to do. And the teacher's awesome! He's an outgoing, easygoing kind of guy, really easy to work with, and his lectures aren't necessarily straight out of the book. Matter of fact, he likes to ramble and go off on a tangent! So, while it's all technically on-topic, it's not just fact, fact, fact.

History: Okay, as a norm, I like doing "history" on my own - reading books, looking at timelines, researching, etc. Apart from that, I usually hate history. Every single history textbook I've read has been awful. But this history class is great! My book isn't fantastic, but the teacher takes everything and makes it really interesting.

So overall... first day went well! I still have one more class to sign up for (organ), but it's at CSU, not the junior college, so classes haven't started yet. Tomorrow should be interesting - I get to start riding my bike to school. And I have to bike to my organ lesson, on the other end of town... oh, joy. We'll see how that goes.

Fundamental Rules of Cycling... for dummies.

2006-08-05T09:27:00.000-06:00

Rule Number 1) When going down a steep hill, ride the brakes, especially on a curve.
Rule Number 2) When going down said hill, avoid any patches of loose gravel.
Rule Number 3) Stay away from metal signposts.

With that said - GUESS WHAT I JUST DID...

Let's just say... 30 mph descents + sharp curves + loose gravel on the curve + metal signs don't go very well together. Need I elaborate?

Summer... break?!

2006-07-24T14:20:00.000-06:00

Wow! New word in my vocabulary! I get to have a summer break... a real one. No schoolwork, minimal chores, no cross-country moves, nothing! I get to do almost whatever I feel like for the next month... play with my dog, ride my bike, write, read, or whatever! I'M FREE!!!
The reason for this unexpected privilege? Starting August 21st, I'm going to be a full-time college student! I'm taking five classes at my local junior college - Macroeconomics, English composition 1, sociology, US history, and speech. And that's not even including math and music at home! Basically, I'm way behind on my schoolwork (getting strep and having surgery killed a few months right there) so I decided to knock off some college credit and my highschool subjects at the same time. This way, it's also going to be easier for me to catch up, because college classes actually count for more credit than high school classes do.
Depending on how this semester goes, I'll figure out what classes to enroll in next semester. I'm hoping to take biology, and some literature of some kind, but I'm not really sure yet. They have several classes that look like fun - creative writing, celtic literature, metalworking... etc.

Pictures of me and mountains... I like mountains

2006-06-17T22:16:00.000-06:00

This is Rocky Mountain National Park... just one hour from our house. We took this photo halfway up a trail that started down in that meadow, and we still had about three miles to go before we got to the end of the trail. What a view...

See that big rock in the background (it's called Arthur's Rock)? We've hiked to the top several times. It's simply awesome. For his sixth birthday, Francis wanted to hike to the top of it... despite the fact that it's an 800 foot elevation gain. And he made it to the top!

This is what it looks like from the top of Arthur's Rock.

I love hiking... but what you can't see in that pic is that I'm hot, tired, and having a very hard time smiling. The temp was at least 100 that day, if not more. And the trail started down at that little house in the background. *pant*

This is where I broke the speed limit - WHILE RIDING MY MOUNTAIN BIKE!!! (see below) There's a very steep hill (steep for me, anyways) that's pretty easy to coast down... I hit at least 30 mph, and the speed limit was only 25. It was SWEET! Who needs roller coasters?

They changed the speed limit! The evilness of it... killjoys. Yes, that's the steep hill that I love. And believe me, it feels much steeper when you're riding your bike up, and not just looking at a pic. My legs are sore, just looking at it.

FOR ALL YE MONTY PYTHON LOVERS!!!!

2006-06-02T17:45:00.000-06:00

Okay... if you haven't seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this won't make any sense at all. So ---

A few days ago, my family and I were out hiking. Along the trail, we passed a really high cliff, and there were tons of swallows flying everywhere. Tons of them.
My dad looked up for a few minutes, and finally said, "Woooow.... just look at all those swallows!"
My younger sister just shrugged and said, "Good thing they aren't all carrying coconuts!"

I'm not needle-phobic!

2006-06-02T07:40:00.000-06:00

Well, I survived tonsillectomy with my insanity intact! And flourishing. *evil grin* If any of you have sensitive stomachs, you don't have to read on. I now know that I have absolutely no needle-phobia whatsoever.

Mom and I got to the surgery center at seven-twenty in the morning - I was wondering if I would actually need anesthetic, because I was falling asleep anyway. Okay, so I got there, signed in, waited for just 3 minutes (I love it when they're quick!) and then went through this big long questionnare from my nurse determining that I was the healthiest kid she'd ever met, except for my tonsils. Then I had to change into one of those crazy hospital gowns... bleh... it looked like an XXL ancient Roman toga.

Getting my IV inserted was cool! I even leaned over so I could see better... my nurse couldn't believe it. She had to give me something to numb my hand first (a "number"). Just a really quick prick, and it was done... the number was this liquid that made a big lump inside my vein. It was really neat, because I could feel a little "sting" as the number spread, and then the area would go totally numb. After about a minute, she took the numbing needle out and got the IV (a much bigger needle) and just put it in, really quick. I didn't feel anything at all, so apparently the number worked!

Let's see... okay, so then I waited for about twenty minutes, until the surgeon and anesthesiologest (sp?) came to take me to the operating room. I had a really interesting conversation with them... my surgeon looked a lot like Dr. Richard Feynman, and he talked like him, too.

I actually remember the operating room! Or at least, the first few minutes of it. I now know what it feels like to go under anesthesia. All of the sudden the room just started fading out, and my focus got really weird (far away objects were clear, near objects were blurry) and I just had the time to ask the doc "You just gave me the anesthesia, right?" The doc kinda chuckled and said "Yup."
Then I blacked out.

Next thing I remember, the anesthesia was sloooooooooooowly wearing off, I was as tired as heck, and my throat hurt. My doctor was saying... "She'll prob'ly wake up in about five-ten minutes". Now, since I was too tired to open both eyes, but I just had to prove him wrong, I managed to keep one eye open. Hah, I was awake, and I was gonna stay that way!

Don't remember much else... getting dressed was a fuzzy blur (but I know I did it by myself! I wasn't going to let anybody help me, lol) and so was walking to the car... but, walking to the car, I had a nurse helping me. I was too uncoordinated to tell her I could do it by myself, which was probably a good thing.

So now... I'm stuck either in bed, on the couch, or at the comp, drinking ice water like there's no tomorrow. My diet consists of ice cream and popsicles, washed down with more ice water. Random note: my painkiller meds (Codine, or Kodine, or something like that) taste like the Communion wine at Mass. I wasn't expecting that.

So... a week or three of taking it easy, and I'm back to my rambunctious self! I can't believe how much I'm supposed to take it easy. No weights, no running, no biking, no volleyball, no contortioning, or anything, for at least two weeks! Now that is annoying. I'm already bored. But at least I'm allowed to write. Dad suggested that now would be a good time to do schoolwork... I ignored that comment. Schoolwork? Nein danke!

Trip to Rocky

2006-05-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

First of all - Rocky Mountain National Park is awesome! There aren't adequate words to describe it.

RMNP is only about an hour from our house, but the drive is hard. It's twisty, narrow mountain roads the whole way - but the scenery is gorgeous. The road follows the Big Thompson River through a deep ravine most of the way, and you're surrounded by hills, boulders, and sometimes aspen/pine forest.

Before we'd been inside the park for five minutes we saw our first elk. Actually, three of them. They were grazing a few hundred yards away from the road, right along the border of a meadow. And - as if that weren't enough - there was a coyote too! It seemed like it was just wandering around aimlessly, since it would walk for fifty yards one way, then circle back, and then do it again. Then we realized that there were actually three coyotes, all circling the elk. I don't think they would have dared to attack, because coyotes are so small, but they looked like they wanted to. After about fifteen minutes one of the elk finally had enough and chased away the coyotes.

We didn't do much hiking (quarter mile, at most) but we went to a really scenic place. It was called an "alluvial fan" - a place where a flood had gone through, basically. There was a lot of branches piled up in places, and small boulders spread all over the place. Right above the fan (the place where the floodwaters spread out) was a waterfall. It was a really small one, but it was still breathtaking. Pics soon.

On the way back we saw a couple of bighorn sheep and a whole herd of elk, but we weren't allowed to stop. Saw two more coyotes on the way back.

Stopped by the Stanley Hotel on the way back, too. I haven't seen the movie or read the book, but it was interesting all the same. It was very majestic on the inside, with lots of fancy woodwork, spacious rooms, etc. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain outside and we needed to get home before the roads got slick, so we didn't get to explore as much as we'd have liked.

I think we're going back to Rocky in a few days or so, this time to do some more serious hiking. I'm hoping that we get to go on one of the more difficult trails, but Dad's not sure. I'd like to go up to Sky Pond, see the Lake of Glass, and do all that - but Dad gets altitude sickness, so maybe not. But I think that, no matter what we do, it'll be fun!

Kodi update

2006-05-21T17:09:00.000-06:00

Okay...

We've had Kodi for three whole weeks now, and he's almost three months old. Just in the three weeks that we've had him, he has doubled his weight (he was eight pounds at nine weeks, and now at twelve weeks he's sixteen pounds) and is very noticeably bigger. Here is what he looked like when we first got him:

And this is what he looks like now:

Yeah, it's not the greatest pic (he had just gotten up from a nap... tired pup) but it's the best one I have. Anywho... he sleeps better than any three month old puppy I've met (or had) yet. Last night I only had to take him outside once! Usually at this age, they can only go for about three hours at max. Maybe it's how hyper he is during the day... he hardly takes any naps, and he's always GO GO GO PLAY PLAY PLAY! - That is, when he isn't eating. He eats like a horse! Matter of fact... at the moment, he's sitting on my feet, begging for my food.

I'm starting to leash-train him now... at first I just walked him around the house, then yesterday he went all the way around the cul-de-sac, and this morning I took him a few blocks. He's great on the leash, except when other dogs start barking - then he gets scared and tries to bolt. I need to socialize him to other dogs a little bit more, get him used to it.

House-breaking.... bleh. Don't talk to me about house-breaking. Let's just say... he's still working on it. Starting to get it, but he's got a ways to go.

O-K! So, obviously, Kodi is taking up my life. But heck - what's wrong with that? Whoever said that a dog is man's best friend was absolutely correct. I can't go anywhere without Kodi following me. If he can't follow... he sits down, points his nose at the ceiling, and howls. And - typical me - I'm such a softy that I can't listen to it for more than two minutes.

I suppose I should post an update on moi, but I'm too dang lazy. Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after... I don't know. But soon!

So, til whenever -

~Sam

PUPPY JOY!

2006-05-02T10:53:00.000-06:00

Aaaah I have a new puppy! I am so thrilled! We brought Kodi home just two days ago from a rescue down in Aurora. Kodi is just nine weeks old, so he's only about eight pounds - but he'll get way bigger! He's a border collie/aussie shepherd mix, so he'll probably be about fifty-sixty pounds or so. Border collies and australian shepherds are very similar - born to herd, extremely smart, very hyper, and they love to be with their owners as much as possible. So, basically, he's a high-maintenance dog - but that's okay with me! I can't wait until he's old enough to go on hikes/runs with me, play frisbee, and all that. Anywho... I hope to get some pics up soon, because he's absolutely adorable!