The most depressing thing about today is that I spent about half of it in a dark auditorium doing nothing for about 3/4 of the time. Yes, it was the technical rehearsal of the school production where we all witnessed just how hard it is for the lighting crew to get anything right. (Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, they do a good job in the circumstances (ie Mrs. Jennings) but still, I have to take it out on someone...) I had a splitting headache all the way through the rehearsal because:

1. I woke up (again) to the sound of domestic arguments (again), which doesn't do wonders for anybody.
2. I strained to read the music on my page. It's hard enough that I'm reading off the conductor's score, with a page turn every ten bars or so, but to try to read it in dim light (which really shouldn't have been the case, if the lighting crew had done its job and set up the lights for the orchestra) is just that little bit harder.

Anyway, it ended up as a really annoying rehearsal. Most of the time was just sitting there, when the weather outside was pretty good and it was a Saturday, for goodness sake. People in the orchestra who didn't watch the conductor (ie Serena, the "drummer") made it even more annoying.

Annyoing.

Anoiying.

...yeah, anyway, that was the bad part of today.

The GOOD part was after production when me and the rest of FFOF and a couple of other people (who I will talk about later) went to Thomas' house for a little get-together party thing for his sister's (Stephanie) Japanese Exchange Student, whose name escapes me even though I heard it about ten minutes ago, but I know it involves an A. Something like...Ayaka? I'm not too sure.

Anyway, Thomas' family organised it just so that Ayaka could have a good time or something to that effect and I had a good time too. FFOF was back together at last (I'm not sure how David was coping with the evils of infections but, he seemed okay), and I met:

==1. Ayaka==

Who was a typical Japanese female teenager. For some strange reason though, she knew how to play the drums as well (apparently she had played in elementary school while in Japan), so she played a few songs with the rest of the band and I sang (I think. Or maybe I sat there). She also had the Japanese version of Somewhere over the Rainbow lying around, and could play the saxophone, which

==2. Jonathan (I'm not sure how to spell this but that's my best shot)==

Could also do (and probably a lot better, although both didn't really play enough for any sort of decent comparison). He's the Fourth Form saxophone player whom Miss Hall kept bugging Thomas to photocopy music for as he (John) wanted to play in the school Concert Band and Stage Band. He was really good. He also didn't really look Fourth Form, but then again this is coming from the person who forgot that Steph too was Fourth Form (I'm sorry! Don't hit me...) I taught him how to play the drum part (or part of it, anyway) to N.E.R.D. - She Wants To Move.

==3. The Band==

Played pretty much all of the songs we knew: All the Small Things, Say it Aint So, tried to do Movies but kinda failed, same deal with The Vines - Get Free and Basket Case by Green Day, but we did pull off Somewhere over the Rainbow and our original again and kind of half-did Sweet Child of Mine. Also, there were random jams with Ayaka (?) which was Smoke on the Water, I do believe, and Saxamaphonist Jonathan, me, Dave, Willie and Tomo had a random jazz jam. It was good.

==4. Food==

Consisted of awesome home-made pizzas (thanks, Mrs. Wood) and dessert was chocolate fondue. I'd never had it before and it was kinda fun trying to not lose my bite-sized piece of fruit in the deep well of molten chocolate. Such a novel idea, really. It's kinda like a do-it-yourself dessert. Don't like chocolate covered peach? Try a chocolate-covered banana. It was very cool.

--

Yeah, it was fun. Things I'll probably remember are:

1. How cool my new drumsticks are. They're a bit heavier but they're still quite easy to control and they give a lot more volume and offer more grip. I hadn't tried them out on actual drums until today (which was fair enough since I only bought them yesterday) so I was really surprised at the excellent result. I'm sure all the positives outweigh the hideous choice of purple for the coating.

2. Saxamaphone John playing the drum part to N.E.R.D. really really loudly.

3. Singing "Get Free", and then understanding why John Boden does not like that song.

I had a great time. I will bug Thomas for photos, I kind of want to remember that the party actually happened.

Today was a very tiring and eventful and rewarding day. I'll try to tackle it categorically but obviously the ideas will bleed into one another and the whole post will get contaminated.

But you'll forgive me.

==THE BAND==

It was pretty good. Warwick covered for David who had an ear infection and we did pretty well, I thought. The crowd seemed to like us. Of course, I disappointly dropped my sticks (AGAIN, the last time which it happened was during the "Rockfest" that the school held as practice for the Rockquest, a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away)...so I went and bought another pair to keep on top of the bass drum in the likely eventuality that I ever drop them during a performance again.

Cons: Half of the stick is purple. They are slightly heavier and therefore will probably end up tiring me faster. Or something. $17.95

Pros: The purple half is some crazy rubberish coating which improves my grip, so therefore the odds that I'll drop the sticks are slightly lower. They're longer...and they're thicker. I assume that means they'll be louder, too. They were actually $19.95 but I got a discount because of the Rockquest HURRAY

Maybe instead of keeping them on top of the bass drum I'll keep them in a backpack that I'll wear and if I drop sticks, I'll act all ninja like and whip out a new pair from my bag. How cool would that be....(not much, but better than looking like a tard while the drumming stops for a decent amount of time and you grab your sticks off the floor)

Actually, talking to people after the performance I was surprised at the number of people who didn't notice I dropped my sticks (I also pulled the fingers at the drums out of habit which really wasn't a smart idea with the principal watching but that's...another matter) Maybe they were too caught up in the music. Maybe I played the drums with my mind while I was picking my sticks up. Maybe those people were deaf.

Yeah, but it was fun. I had fun, playing. Yeah...I felt like a huge tard afterwards though, because I'd dropped my sticks. But when I talked to people and found that at least one person didn't notice it didn't feel so silly any more.

(sidenote: The electronic drum kit I'm trying to save up for isn't $2000 like I thought, but $2999...at least I have a job now, as low paying as it is. Maybe me and Tomo should go busking)

==LICENSE==

Today I went to reclaim my learner's license. If you remember, I had lost my entire wallet at KLIA a long time ago and ever since then I'd been slowly replacing everything I had in it. Yeah, I'd lost my learners there which meant I had a very good excuse for not learning to drive yet.

I lost that reason today. I went and paid the $31.50 it cost for a replacement, saw Gareth there booking his full license test and felt a twinge of...guilt? Whatever, it was just that he was in Sixth Form...and booking his full...and there I was getting back my learners. o_O

Then my mum drove me to the Temple Carpark and told me to drive around. It was quite embarassing because:

1. It was totally illegal - we didn't put up L plates yet.
2. All of my mums friends were there and looking at me strangely.
3. I drive incredibly shittily.

More on point number three: I can drive a mean bumper car, but a full sized proper fuck-off car is a bit much for me to handle. The main problem is just that I can't see anything...I have no idea where the left side of the car ends, and where the back ends, and reversing is incredibly hard and I always seem to cut too much into the right side of the road (simply because I don't know where the left side is)...the pedals were way too sensitive for my tastes (especially the brake, I never knew a car could brake so hard.)

Anyway, I've made up my mind. I hate driving. I mean, sure, it's great and convenient and it's great that you can drive around and be cool and pick up friends and stuff...but I guess I'm a bit selfish.

I'd rather ride a motorbike for the following reasons:

1. I can actually see where I am with no problem.
2. It's probably a fuckload easier to control.
3. I can only take one passenger at a time (no, I'm never getting a sidecar) - that means no group of stragglers trying to get a ride off me.

I mean, it's kind of stink for me to say all of this and keep accepting rides from Thomas which I'm really quite grateful for...I've always liked motorbikes. Sure, they're a lot more dangerous but it's probably a lot more fun too. It'd probably be a lot easier to get from place to place as well if I was in a big hurry as they're easier to weave in and out of traffic. So yes. I'd like to learn to ride a motorbike. My mum, however, won't let me. I guess it will have to wait until I move out or something.

==OTHER==

I gave those whiteboard pens that Mr. Barrett gives out on occassion to my Physics Tutor. It makes sense, really. Mr. Barrett is the Head of Maths at Macleans, he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants with stationery. His handwriting is shocking and partly because of how he holds his pens - at an angle, so that all the whiteboard fluidwriting stuff flows to the back of the pen and he thinks it's out of ink. He then gives them out, but they're perfectly fine.

Of course, on the other hand, my Physics tutor's whiteboard pens are refilled and it's semi-depressing, that they're kinda dull and make it hard to read. So by giving him the whiteboard pens I got from Mr. Barrett:

1. The pens don't end up in the "refilling bin" in the Staff Room which I hear is overflowing and nobody ever refills those pens.
2. The pens don't end up in the rubbish bin when they're still perfectly useable.
3. Mr. Barrett feels good. (I may be making this one up.)
4. My Physics tutor saves money.
5. I get better quality tutoring as I can read what has been written the whiteboard much easier.

It all makes sense!

Also, while I was getting my new pair of sticks, me and my mum went to New World (the place where I lost my "watch people pack your groceries like ACTUAL grocery packers that do nothing but pack your grocery, just like in America, land of the stupid ideas, virginity") and we bought a lot of juice. By a lot, I mean in excess of 40 litres of the stuff. That meant putting all this stuff in a trolley and rolling it through most of Botany Town Centre to where our car was parked.

I felt like an idiot for a while, but I soon got over it. I then noticed that the Town Centre was a strange place indeed. Where else can you get idiotic preteens, poser-like skanks and losers who have pants ten sizes too big and geriatric couples shopping together in (relative) harmony? It's crazy.

Anyway, that's that. I can't wait for tomorrow night because Tomo's having a party. Kind of. Actually, no, not really. Here's hoping.

Song: Say it ain't so by Weezer

Here are some random quotes.

We are what we pretend to be,
so we must be careful what we pretend to be.  -Kurt Vonnegut
 
:
 
The first few steps: the first few words: the first moment when a line crosses a line and suddenly you can never stop seeing. This changes - seeing more, seeing less, seeing better, seeing worse; but seeing is the first stone in the pond, and as the ripples pread they alter everything they touch, fundamentally. Everything takes on meaning - a look, a touch, a motion, a sign, all seeds growing, seeds that never stop growing because you just never can stop them.

How can it be explained? Think of the one thing that you've always wanted - then think of it existing within you, as a part of every day, like breathing. Then think of the breathing as a living thing that begins to change, obeying only those elemental forces which we sense but can never see - and then it disappears. And then what? Once you get it, what then? You just go on and on until you become what you always were - something simple and human. Remember - it's not what you do, but the way that you do it.

So why all the worry? Why the need to possess, the need to claim, the need to feel like the one and only, the need to be "I", the need to decide one thing against another, the need to sit on the top of the heap, the need to prove? The fact of our individuality resides in us like the facts of our biology, and yet the hardest thing is to move on, to put this to one side and to be there for others, understanding and, finally, communicating. This is what makes us human, but we still want to be islands.

This would be the next step: to refuse to give in to those impulses of acceptance that trigger the mind and send us running after the rabbit around the track - to listen to the heart when we know, but we can't explain. That this set of circumstances is wrong, that we could be doing this better, that we could be moving forward instead of standing still. It's all a question of approach.

But how can an approach really be described? Can it be described? The accumulation of experience lasts a lifetime, and encompasses both thinking and doing (and all the things in-between). These things do not exist in isolation.

Closed strucutres: do we always need to force square pegs into round holes? So you go to school, and you always know what you want to do, and you know it can be done - and then you're told it can't. Not even maybe, or yes if you work towards, but not, unequivocally, no. It can't be done. How would you know until you tried? There are some shapes that can grow into others, some shapes that can change the shape of their container and some that grow out of it. It's what happens. Simple.

The simple things: like echoes of an afterthought, these little moments, little shifts, they grow into one another, and in growing they change each other, and as they change they become something new again - always having taken on and taken forward each other's characterstics, like a shadow of a memory, and adding and learning and contributing, binding with consistency the loose possibilities that will contribute to our evolution.

It's about moving, seeking out, involving, becoming. Not a journey along a line to a fixed point when it will all happen, when it will all be clear, but a journey within a circle that explores and maps the possibilities that arise along the way. We are here. We are not yet there, or there: this is what it is. Where are we going? From this moment to the next: from the centre to the perimeter and around, and back to where we came from, and then out again - finding, bringing back, showing, finding...

The process stays alive. it makes us human. Thinking, acting, thinking again, accepting or refusing. We know it already. We have always known it, but we needed to apply our thoughts to our methods. We are all people. The thought is the process. The act is the process. We are people, not definitions, or even things. This is us, and we are in this world, and we are in this world together.  - from Process; A Tomato Project

:

What is thought? Thought is travelling without motion.
What are words? Words are sound as form.  - from Process; A Tomato Project

:

Memory is a fluid that encases an event. We do not recall the event itself, only the shape that the fluid describes.  - from Process; A Tomato Project

 
---

Anyway, I'm worried. Photography, fun as it is, is very time consuming and annoying at times. Same for music although I find it a lot easier to get into. I'm worried about next year, but it'll pass. I'll forget/get over it.

There's plenty enough for everybody to worry about. I'm not going to make up some bullshit statistic about the comparison between worries and what actually happens, but I'm convinced that most of the time the fears are unfounded.

Still, it's weird, this year. It's like a limbo, almost. I don't really want to leave Macleans but at the same time I yearn for change and new experiences. Some days I find it unbearably boring, other days I wish it'd never end. It's like this huge vortex filled with doubt of the future, doubt of the present and uncertainty of tomorrow that spins and just like a roulette wheel, you don't know what happens until that wheel stops spinning.

What's today? Sad? Happy? Relaxed? Probably all three, at different times and varying degrees.

Bleh.

Thanks Jenny by the way for lending me those CDs and letting me have a badge. You rock! If I ever get a lot of badges and CDs you'll be sure that you'll have the right to take them off me.

And Ellen, you be careful. One day, that Frog will pay for the list. It will pay.

Woke up really early this morning. But I still was late to Production Orchestra practice which was at 7.30... I don't plan on being late to tomorrow morning's band practice though. I'd better not be. I'm excited. I hope we win.

I want to win.

Since not the Rockquest at least the Talent Quest. >.>

But actually it's just fun no matter what.

Who am I kidding of course I want to win.

I think we're (by we I mean FFOF/ Fist Full of Fives, which people just can't seem to get right, with everything from First Full of Fives to A Fistful Of Fives popping up...) playing for some people on Saturday as well, I can't be too sure though. I'm pretty sure...but not TOO sure.

I've had a long day. Woke up to the sound of domestic issues (which hopefully have solved themselves now, it's not exactly a pleasant awakening, yelling...) and basically from 8:00 to 8:00 I've been out of the house.

But it's all good. Only 10 more hours of schoolwork left until the weekend.

"Work" was good today. I say "work" because I didn't get paid today but hopefully from next week on I will. At the Rec Centre in Howick, pretty much what I used to do in the holidays except on a smaller scale now, and after school. It's such perfect timing that my study periods are last on Wednesdays, I can't get over how incredibly coincidental that is.

Hurrah, I have a job now. I don't feel so redundant any more.

More on meningitis.

That baby which is bleeding from between the legs is really scaring me. Damn you shock imaging pamphlets. Same to you woman at School Assembly. We get the point that it's a killer you don't need to keep repeating "DIE DEAD DEAD DEATH DIE".

Also, my brother (William) I found out was already vaccinated (by my dad) before the vaccine was available here. I feel special now, tee hee.

I also got a job recommendation from Sonny (cheers) - Rec Centre, after school care, Wednesdays. It'll be good, it will be. Or I hope so. I like money, and I don't use my time on Wednesdays very well anyway so I might as well work.

Today was mildly interesting. Points to ponder:

Band practice at lunchtime (or about half of it to be exact, Alex of 44th Calibre fame and some other people he was practicing with for some NCEA Assessment took the first half)...I can "kind of" play the drum part to The Vines - "Get Free" but as for John singing it, that's a different question. We also kind of tried "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes version (they are a very wicked band by the way, if anyone is stuck on what to get me for a birthday present, there's a great hint for you)

[Consequential tangent: Birthdays are just really an excuse to have a party and get presents. I don't seriously believe that I can wake up one day and suddenly learn and grow a year's worth of learning and growing. Of course, corporate giants love to cash in on birthdays. Especially Hallmark and all those other greeting card bastards. Same with Halloween. Same with Valentines.]

I also listened in to J.A.C.K.'s practice after school. They're getting along pretty well for being together in such a short time and the fact that half of the people don't actually play the/any instruments. If I had to pick a weak link it would be Kate though (sorry, I can't tell this to you in person I'd be the crappest person to break it to you), who's probably alright on guitar but isn't really in time with the rest of the band. But meh.

Listening in to J.A.C.K. made me late coming home and I found my mum making dinner (which was dumpling thingies which she was making, thanks mum) [Talking about food, I made my own lunch today again. I feel like such a grown up now. HAH! And Tomo it turns out I don't have as many of those pineapple cakes as I originally thought I did.]

Got meningitis today. Or rather, a form which my mum has to sign if she wants me to get the meningitis vaccine. Supposedly it's a really poo vaccine and makes you feel really rotten but that probably means a day off. Something that would be nice but not something I can probably afford, what with exams coming up (yet again) and my photography board due.

Rikky passed me these CDs he bought at The Warehouse. I'm busy ripping them like a nice little pirate. I have to pay him some amount though to share the cost, or something. I'll be listening to them later to pick out a song or something.

Also, just then (well actually about half an hour ago) Taryn from the Howick Recreation Centre called and offered me a working spot for Wednesday's After School care. I'm excited. I had originally wanted to do this before but Sonny had taken two slots. Now that he's dropped one though he recommended me (thanks bro) and hopefully I can do a good job in his place.

It's pretty convenient that he dropped the Wednesday one as well because that's the only day I can reasonably make it to the Centre in time as I have study last period which means I'll be walking from school to the centre at around 2pm. I'm sure the teachers will understand that earning some dosh for myself is more important than sitting around, unsupervised trying to "study".

...wow, I wrote a lot. o_O

Finished Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Jeremy Soule (of Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind and Dungeon Siege fame) did a fantastic job with scoring original music and rearranging John William's epic film score. I'm busy "stealing" the music from the install folder right now.

I hate production practices. I mean I know it's probably going to be almost worth it in the end, but I've basically lost my weekend to production. Today (and yesterday) were the two nicest days we've had in a long time, and I spent them inside in a dark auditorium trying to play music with minimal light, and that nosyface Shredder who can't keep to herself.

Who is this Shredder, you may ask? Long story.

Yes...so I mean it's understandable that the last thing I want is for my brother to sneer at me and ask why I'm watching the credits to a game I just finish (and spent a good 30 hours on...). I'd just wasted all that time at production so I wasn't very refreshed or anything.

Meh, it's all past. Water under the proverbial bridge. You know the one.

The entire universe is one very big, delicate balance. The government taxes - the people lose money, but earn services. The government loses debt, but earns contempt.

Today was a balanced day (although I personally felt it tipped nicely to the positive side)

=Positive=

The biggest would probably be the Talent Quest singing heats. J-Bo aka John Boden, the amazing singing machine, got through in all three categories but me, Rikky and Sonny made it through to the group singing finals (which I suppose was fair enough we did spend a lot of time practicing - the curry and Seinfeld was a very good bonus of that though....no soup for you!) It was very fun performing to a pretty large crowd, and it was nice to see that people started clapping of their own accord in time to the music (or at least I had no hand in it - pun intended)  and although Rikky forgot a few words and I wasn't perfect either, it was great. (THANKS FOR THE SIGN ELLEN I SAW IT AND I WAS LIKE YUS THANKS)

Also, in the morning before all of the Talent Questing, there was the Year 13 photo. I'm probably going to purchase a copy sheerly for the novelty that I can say "it rained while that photo was been taken". How many students can say that? Not many, if any.

And even more coincidentally, the other photo I had at 9.25 for the Musical Production was rained on as well. It didn't stop raining so the photo was taken in the rain. That's even more novel...but I suppose I'd relate better to the whole of Year 13 than the Musical Production.

Maybe.

Another thought just came up. I hate the whole duality of Year/Form...it's hard enough for me to remember that Year 9 is the equivalent of Form 3, let alone take into account that Australians are back one Form or something silly like that.

=Negative=

Home family issues, same as usual. I didn't "make" my lunch this morning although I did pour my own juice into a drink bottle which served as a practice microphone for the performance (in which I wasn't accustomed to using a microphone...but it's all over and done now......oh wait, we have to pick a song now. Damn.) It rained while I was walking home with Janko and the red tie I was wearing got quite wet.

Also, I forgot to bring my brother's guitar back home. Come to think about it I forgot to ask him whether Sonny could borrow it. But I suppose he really wouldn't care considering he wasn't very supportive of me entering the Talent Quest anyway (ie "uh, what are you singing, you're not a singer, you're going to lose"...I may be paraphrasing slightly though) There's also another negative that relates to the guitar but...only Sonny and Rikky know what I'm talking about.

---

I've finished reading Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman. I found it a lot longer but just as rewarding as its predecessor, Shadow in the North (needless to say I was very pleased when I found that Shadow in the North was the second part of a series...) I've still got one or two books left in that batch I've got. Once I finish I've got books requested at the library however, so I'll be able to keep going. I wonder when I'll get sick of reading. Probably never.

I've been really sleepy lately, mainly because of the practices that last until 11.30 at Rikky's house for Talent Quest thing. It's all worth it now though and I might catch an early night's sleep tonight, although I did say I would yesterday and it didn't happen....and the day before....

Yes...anyway thanks Rikky and Sonny, especially Sonny for putting up with my crap. In fact, thank you to everyone who puts up with my crap. I know I deal a lot of crap, sometimes they call me El Crapo...but thanks for not being fazed. Thanks to all the random people who congratulated our procession to the finals.

No thanks to the rotten cunts who said we sucked without basing that on anything.

And lastly, thanks to Australia for Golden Circle's Golden Pash. Though the name may sound kind of dodgy, the sweet nectar that filled my drink bottle was very refreshing.

Thanks to Ming I am introduced to Urban Dictionary.

*be warned the following links are probably mildly to extremely offensive depending on your ideologies, background etc*

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=henry&r=f

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rikky&r=f

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=owen&r=f

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mayonnaise&r=f

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kuraden&r=f

That be enough for now o_O

I'm kind of hungry but I'm holding out to later tonight when I'm over at Rikkys because I don't want to be uncourteous and not eat food he said his mum would make.

I can't wait to go to sleep now. I've been getting tireder (is that a word?)  and tireder ever since the start of school. It's like a downhill slope. It's like a negative gradient.

It's like...-_-

The worst thing about the first day of the term was that after thirty minutes, it felt like I had never left, never had a holiday, never had a break from the day in, day out - ring of the bell, sullen march to next class, and so forth.
It really sucks, five years in the system. If only they'd keep things fresh once in a while, like announcing sudden classroom changes or something. But no, they have to be all regular and stuff.
BAND PRACTICE TOMORROW I CAN'T WAIT EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T PLAY FOR PEANUTS AND OTHER ASSORTED FOODSTUFFS.
Talent Quest singing thingy I got told today that I was singing tomorrow. Which was kind of nice.
And then after school Rikky tells me he wants to do a duet.
And then I'm all like, okay.
But that leaves me stressed and stresseder.
His mum should be coming to pick me up now. For the second practice in like, two hours. -_-

So that's it. Today was the last day and it was all a bit anti-climatic really.
 
I've sort of figured out my university pathway. Although I'm not too keen on the conjoint, its the only way my mum will let me take it. I'm doing BMus/BSc, although I'm not sure what I'll be majoring in for the Science part of the degree.
 
Maybe I'll look it up later.
 
I've just realised how much I miss reading books. Books don't talk back to you, they don't require you to subtly read other people's expressions to figure out what they are truly saying. So I went to the library again this morning, swapped out the books for a fresh lot.
 
Yeah.
 
I guess I'll see most of you reader people in school, then.

According to my mum, The Wizard of Oz is pronounced "The Wuz of Ozee".
 
Don't even ask...o_O
 
Anyway, went to a NZSO concert in Auckland Town Hall just then. Heard some famous (supposedly) cellist guy play Dvorak's Cello Concerto. Extremely hard, extremely impressive. Yes, yes.
 
But at the end of the day it's a sad realisation that the day after tomorrow (don't watch the movie) it's back to school again, where I have to work. I still have no idea how I'm gonna get the masters degree that I want.
 
And also looking back at that list I made a couple of days ago, it's nice to see that I accomplished nothing on that list.
 
Figures.

Reminder to self: http://www.brendakelly.com/wall-paper/1024x768/cello.jpg

(Interesting wallpaper, when it works...)

I went to the library and got my library card back yesterday. Honed in the fact that I hadn't gone to the library for ages (since the last time I went was when I still had my card sometime at the start of this year)...but at least I have my card back now. I borrowed four books too. I've read three, in no particular order the books I got out were:

+ The Cello, by James Riordan
+ The Broken Bridge, by Philip Pullman
+ The Shadow In The North, by Philp Pullman
+ The Rag and Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier

I got The Cello out because it was just sitting there on the shelf and it said "the cello". And obviously, being a cellist I was immediately drawn to the book. I got the Philip Pullman ones out because I enjoyed his "His Dark Materials" trilogy...and I got the Robert Cormier one because I saw "Beyond the Chocolate War" on the shelf and decided to try another of Cormier's books.

Hmm, I suddenly had this flashback, one of me being a crappy junior (as opposed to a crappy senior) in the school library and Ms. Wordsworth (I must have been Third Form) trying to pick a book for me to read since I didn't know of any good ones I wanted to read.

Random. Anyway, yeah, I've read The Cello, The Broken Bridge and The Rag and Bone Shop, and all three were very good.


--==The Cello==-

I thought this book was written quite well. It has a lot of parallels to Billy Elliot which was kinda nice considering I just saw the movie. The back of the book says: "Tom gets a lot of grief on the estate where he lives. He's not the same as the others. He's a bit different. Because he plays the cello he's a magnet for the bullies." So instead of ballet/tap dancing, the talent is playing the cello. Instead of a mining strike, it's a riot against paedophiles...and so forth, except Billy isn't gay. Yeah, its the typical "struggle and truimph" fare but still I thought a worthy read.

[This is who I am - whatever they say...]

--==The Rag And Bone Shop==--

This one was quite good. I found it a bit hard to get into but towards the end it was really good...tension was built well with the writing etc.

I'm getting quite lazy with these. Let's just say that they were good books and they served their purpose well, that is to stop me from being bored to death.

Although I do think the books would probably make a good movie...this is the same with most books I read though.

Hmm.

I wish I could play the cello better now, damn you book.

Damn you holidays being too short. There aren't many days left. To be honest I haven't really done much, watched a few movies, wasted most of my time on some crappy video game...

Watched Billy Elliot. I hate watching movies sometimes because I'm way too impressionable...but that's another story for another time.

For now, I will create a list of things to do before the holidays are over:

+ Spend half a day at the beach.
+ Write out the cello part for Wizard of Oz
+ Learn to play Moonlight Sonata

I'll probably end up not doing any of them but at least I've taken the first step, so says Dr. John Edwards, identifying the problem or somesuch.

I had another photo, really. But I don't like it cause I look more poo than normal so that will stay buried somewhere within the recesses of my hard drive, amongst the millions of other unused bytes of data.

PICTURES HERE (sorry for the poo resolution Rayho took it with his styly spy camera)

That Weetbix Crunch stuff with Honey is really quite nice. PICTURES COMING

I ate my first ever chilli dog today. Very very nice.

It's okay! Don't worry! I managed to find the sneaky hole which the pen fell through into my pants and I retrieved it. Phew.

Today was the last day of work for me these holidays at the HRC - we went ten pin bowling which I'd never done...I got a really poo score of 82 but I got a strike once so I don't care :P

My mum's at the hospital sending off someone...and I haven't had dinner and I'm hungry.

Believe it or not, somehow or rather I've gotten a black pen stuck in the interior layer of my pants and I can't figure out how it got in there and how to get it out...I can't find the hole which it probably slipped in (and therefore the hole to retrieve it from)

So I'm sitting here, and this black pen is just happily sitting here too.

It annoys me. I don't like things that annoy me...

Went to Burger King for lunch today! Got driven there by some random restricted driver person volunteer person. BK makes awesome chicken burgers...but Subway and Wendys is still better. (Wendys never ceases to amaze me at the speed they whip out those burgers especially since they claim that they are made when I order them...)

Was served by a mint looking server person. Mmm Mint... Can't remember the name I did get a glance at the tag but oh well. It's nice when you get served by someone who smiles too, that always makes your day just that little bit better. Especially when you know that you're already running late and have made plenty of mistakes at work.

Okay I just came back from watching Spiderman 2.

I really really liked it. I wasn't really expecting much but it was waaay better than the last movie I watched (The Day After Tomorrow, please do not watch that for the sake of your children) - even though it did still suffer from the same problem of American Patriotism as said movie suffered from, what with all these American Flags that just kept popping up all over the place. But this is forgivable simply because I thought the movie was just so good and also it was based in America (whereas, unfortunately for the rest of the world, global warming/ice ages are NOT confined to America)

Anyway where was I. Yes. I thought this was a great one (SPOILERS) although I'm a bit worried about Spiderman 3 if it ever comes out because Green Goblin again would be really poo. Doctor Octopus though he was so awesome, I wish I had those awesome arms and terrorized the shit out of everything in sight...they'd be mean. Hmm, hmm hmmh mhmh...the depiction of fusion was semi-accurate, I'm not 100% on the details but I'd presume they're not using the right stuff (tritium instead of deutrinium) and I'm not sure about that magnetic field thing.

Spiderman running out of web was funny. Spiderman falling around (and Peter Parker falling around) was funny. That asian violinist busker was funny. The train Spiderman rape scene was funny, where everybody just couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Mary Jane looks nice as usual.

Yes...it was a good movie. I hope the next one is just as good.

Before I go to sleep I must mention the angry usher woman (yeah, yeha yeah YEAH) who was standing there as we watched the credits because I (or actually Thomas but I have to pay him back) paid a good $14.00 to watch the movie and I was gonna squeeze everything I could out of it. So there I was, and the movie was over and nobody was siting in front of me so I figured what the hell, I'd stretch my feet and I propped my legs onto the chair.

Along runs this angry Polynesian woman with the angriest face and an angry demeanour, waving and flashing her usher lightstick thing and hitting it against the chair yelling something that we couldn't quite understand, due to her bad accent and general angriness. We finally figured out that she wanted us to put our feet down but a "put your feet down please" would have done it a lot easier than a random black angry usher woman in a neon green vest thinking she's all high and mighty with that torch of hers. WELL IF IT WASNT FOR US CUSTOMERS LITTLE MISS USHERBITCH YOU WOULD BE LIVING IN A DUMPSTER SO YOU COULD AT LEAST ASK NICELY FOR ME TO PUT MY FEET DOWN. EVEN IF YOU WERE TO SAY IT INCONVENIENCED OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CINEMA, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAD LEFT, AND IF YOU SAID THAT THE BACK OF THE SEATS GOT DIRTY THEN YOU FORGET THAT PEOPLE ARE PAID TO CLEAN, AND THE LAST TIME I SAW SOMEONE ELSE USE THE BACK OF A CHAIR IN A CINEMA WAS TO, SURPRISE SURPRISE, PROP THEIR FEET UP AND NOBODY ELSE TOUCHES THE BACK OF A CINEMA CHAIR FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

...

Sorry. Damn I want those four limbs.

Came back from work just then: Big Rich, the team co-ordinator for my age group has moved on to a different pasture, and the new leader (Tanya) is nice and all but it just feels slightly disorganised. It was still good though, and I'm earning money AND having fun at the same time which is great. There's this one volunteer which really confused the heck out of me though...I don't think she was very good but that may just be because she keeps giving me misleading information, acts really stand-offish and told me to say "bottom" instead of "bum" when I haven't ever been told to ever before. (I wasn't aware that bum was rude o_O)

Maybe it's just me. But meh.

I might volunteer next week too solely on the premise that there's movies and laserstrike.

My mum thinks my hair is long and that I wasted the $10 on the haircut.

o_O

Then again this is my mum. I watched her attempt to chat with my dad with MSN today, quite funny it was, yes. My mum also didn't believe me when I told her Lake Taupo was the largest lake in NZ...

I have work tomorrow which means for me that I have to wake up at 6.00 tomorrow morning to prepare for my 7.30 shift.

Yes...

Who wants Gmail? (1000mb web-based email.)

Let me know I've got an invite.

From left to right, the people in this photo are: Lili, Raymond, Me, Rikky, Chris.

You know what's poo?

Having to go to school on the weekends...in the holidays...for a production practice which lasts 5 1/2 hours. It's very poo...

The good side of it though is that I've now got a really cool rocked up version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow...maybe I'll get us (FFOF) to play it. I think John would like.

I remember now!

It was a physics lesson. I have a wavelength. I could get diffracted or something but I'd have to be travelling incredibly slowly so it'd never happen.

...wow that wasn't as interesting as I thought but no matter:

HOLIDAYS

Thought of the moment:

Petrol stations are the most unorganised crazy places ever. Watch all the cars go in all different directions and wander aimlessly to get in and out of the place.

I went to the Warehouse. Bought a DVD for someone's birthday. Hurray.

Yes. I swear I had a lot more to write before I sat down. Oh well.