Chime Update II

hurrah!!! all the chimes have had a double polish, once with course steel wool to remove scratches and factory lettering, and once with fine wool to make them shiny. and they all have holes drilled from which to hang them. all holes placed precisely on nodes, according to my careful calculations.

Chime Update I

the night is yet young, and the chime tubes are all tuned! yessssss. i have seven tones, spanning two octaves. much left to do, but i'm making progress. i know you can't wait for pictures, so i best get back to work.

Chime!

last night mom took me to lowes and we got some copper pipe for me to make my wind chimes for physics out of. so this evening i got all my pitches cut out. the first three are just right. the last four are going to need to be ground down a little bit because they're too flat. the pitch that is, not the pipe itself. :-P and i sent in my outline for the physics paper. and of course went to class and stuff. did piano and practice. it was a good day.

i've made some new friends that i've added to my aim list. some of them i don't really know very well in person, but it's fun just to chat. i now have 34 names. amazing.

ate chocolate today. that's just one of those things that should be a regular part of life, like getting dressed, breathing, typing, playing ping pong... etc.

talked to ben on the phone today. i think he may have finally caught the paintball bug, cuz he wants to get a gun and start playing. i hope he does! everyone is invited to my parents house for a giant paintball party!!! aren't they mom?!? hopefully this summer there will be plenty of paintball fighting.

best get ready for bed. i think i'm going to set a record for going to bed early tonight.

temporize \TEM-puh-ryz\, intransitive verb:1. To be indecisive or evasive in order to gain time or delay action.2. To comply with the time or occasion; to yield to prevailing opinion or circumstances.3. To engage in discussions or negotiations so as to gain time (usually followed by 'with').4. To come to terms (usually followed by 'with').

MacGamut

yesssssssssssssssssssssssss! i'm done with macgamut. it was agony, but now it's over.

that assignment was like when you're wearing a sweater and start to feel really hot. when you try to take your arms out they get stuck and you can't get it off or put your arms back through! then you panic!!! then you die!!!!!!!!! but wait...i'm still here. in body at least. i must have sleep.

I'm Going Mad

i am currently doing my macgamut assignment which is due tomorrow morning. i'm supposed to listen to this series of three chords and tell what kind of chord they are, which includes whether they are major or minor, what type they are as in dominant, subdominant, tonic, etc., dictate the actual base and soprano notes on the page, and tell what inversion each chord in the progression is in. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i have to get 8 out of ten 85% correct. and if i mess one up, i can't just start over, i have to keep the same record and add enough passing answers to continue. i have been doing this for ages now, and i get almost done and then suddenly i get 3 wrong in a row! this is the hardest assignment in the class i have ever gotten. and it shouldn't even be nearly this tough. i am so pulling my hair out! now that i've vented i guess i'll have to get back to it. this makes me want to ball my head off. even chocolate isn't helping.

dis·may ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ds-m)
tr.v. dis·mayed, dis·may·ing, dis·mays
To destroy the courage or resolution of by exciting dread or apprehension.
To cause to lose enthusiasm; disillusion: was dismayed to learn that her favorite dancer used drugs.
To upset or alarm.

n.
A sudden or complete loss of courage in the face of trouble or danger.

grieve ( P ) Pronunciation Key (grv)v. grieved, griev·ing, grieves v. tr.
To cause to be sorrowful; distress: It grieves me to see you in such pain.
To mourn or sorrow for: We grieved the death of our pastor.
Usage Problem. To file an official or formal grievance on account of (an actual or perceived injustice).
Archaic. To hurt or harm. v. intr.
To experience or express grief.

rage ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rj)n.
Violent, explosive anger. See Synonyms at anger.
A fit of anger.
Furious intensity, as of a storm or disease.
A burning desire; a passion.
A current, eagerly adopted fashion; a fad or craze: when torn jeans were all the rage. intr.v. raged, rag·ing, rag·es
To speak or act in violent anger: raged at the mindless bureaucracy.
To move with great violence or intensity: A storm raged through the mountains.
To spread or prevail forcefully: The plague raged for months.

have i expressed my inner turmoil??

How Normal Are You??

You Are 40% Normal (Somewhat Normal)

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

Almost Time...

the last break of the semester is almost over. ;-( it's so sad, but the work's got to get done some time. i did enjoy the break. i got some work done on my physics research paper. and i found out that it's not the final draft that's due. it's just a rough draft and outline. which of course isn't nearly as much work. now the stuff i have to finish learning for piano and jury at the end of the semester...now that's some work. the rest of my violin stuff (bow, shoulder rest, strings) did come in the mail today. unfortunately i'm not going to be able to get them before my lesson, because it would be very inconvenient for mom to have to drive all the way into town to give them to me and all the way back to get the rest of the kids to go to bsf. or bring them all in early and have nothing to do for a while. errrr... yeah. you get the picture.

*ah* there's nothing like drinking a leftover flat dr pepper from sonic. hits the spot. sorta...

i really must go do some more practice before my lesson. even if i don't have all the fun stuff yet. sorry dr dalmus... i ordered it the instant you told me to. just didn't get here fast enough. :-P

prac·tice ( P ) Pronunciation Key (prkts)v. prac·ticed, prac·tic·ing, prac·tic·es v. tr.
To do or perform habitually or customarily; make a habit of: practices courtesy in social situations.
To do or perform (something) repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill: practice a dance step.
To give lessons or repeated instructions to; drill: practiced the students in handwriting.
To work at, especially as a profession: practice law.
To carry out in action; observe: practices a religion piously.
Obsolete. To plot (something evil). v. intr.
To do or perform something habitually or repeatedly.
To do something repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill.
To work at a profession.
Archaic. To intrigue or plot. n.
A habitual or customary action or way of doing something: makes a practice of being punctual.
Repeated performance of an activity in order to learn or perfect a skill: Practice will make you a good musician.
A session of preparation or performance undertaken to acquire or polish a skill: goes to piano practice weekly; scheduled a soccer practice for Saturday.
Archaic. The skill so learned or perfected.
The condition of being skilled through repeated exercise: out of practice.
The act or process of doing something; performance or action: a theory that is difficult to put into practice.
Exercise of an occupation or profession: the practice of law.
The business of a professional person: an obstetrician with her own practice.
A habitual or customary action or act. Often used in the plural: That company engages in questionable business practices. Facial tattooing is a standard practice among certain peoples.
Law. The methods of procedure used in a court of law.
Archaic.
The act of tricking or scheming, especially with malicious intent.
A trick, scheme, or intrigue.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!!

happy birthday to my wonderful dear mother. and of course it's easter sunday which makes things super special. love you mom!

Wellness Program

"from now on, when employees call in sick on fridays or mondays we say, 'well, well, well... that's very suspicious!'"

well, well, well… another day comes to a close. i got some piano practice in, some history reading, and went to class. officially decided not to go to houston. :.-( i just feel like i ought to go to the violin recital. and i should probably do a little studying and practice as well… but keith has a movie night planned, so there is a bit of fun in store.

sorry folks, i just have nothing to say the last couple of days. so here’s a big fat word of the day…

say ( P ) Pronunciation Key (s )v. said, (s d) say·ing, says (s z) v. tr.
1. To utter aloud; pronounce: The children said, “Good morning.”
2. To express in words: Say what’s on your mind.
3.
a. To state as one’s opinion or judgment; declare: I say let’s eat out.
b. To state as a determination of fact: It’s hard to say who is right in this matter.
4. To repeat or recite: said grace.
5. To report or maintain; allege.
6.
a. To indicate; show: The clock says half past two.
b. To give nonverbal expression to; signify or embody: It was an act that said “devotion.”
7. To suppose; assume: Let’s say that you’re right.
v. intr.
To make a statement; express oneself: The story must be true because the teacher said so.
n.
1. A turn or chance to speak: Having had my say, I sat down.
2. The right or power to influence or make a decision: Citizens have a say in the councils of government. All I want is some say in the matter.
3. Archaic. Something said; a statement.
adv.
1. Approximately: There were, say, 500 people present.
2. For instance: a woodwind, say an oboe.
interj.
Used to express surprise or appeal for someone’s attention.
Idioms:I say
1. Used preceding an utterance to call attention to it: I say, do you have the time?
2. Used as an exclamation of surprise, delight, or dismay.
that is to say
In other words.
to say nothing of
And there is no need to mention. Used to allude to things that fill out an idea or argument: The yard is a mess, to say nothing of the house.
you can say that again Slang
Used to express strong agreement with what has just been said.

Blah

once again, since i haven't learned my lesson, i wrote a blog in the blogger post page instead of word. i had an internet error and lost it. so sorry but i'm not going to write another one now. :-( guess i'll get back with you tomorrow. but at least you can have a word of the day. it kind of matches my mood...

stygian (also Stygian) \STIJ-ee-uhn\, adjective:
1. Of or pertaining to the river Styx, the principal river of the underworld in Greek mythology; hence, hellish; infernal.
2. Dark and dismal. (mhmm)

Thoughts of the Weekend

i got to hear some really wonderful messages at church this sunday. jeff's lesson from the morning really struck home with me. he kept asking, "what kind of a christian are you?" and the point he made was that a person can look like one thing on the outside and really be quite different inside. i really felt convicted about the hypocrisy in my life. jeff read a passage from a book about amy carmichael (er, yeah, i'm pretty sure that's right) and in it one little girl becomes a christian. her parents don't want her to become a christian, but they say they'll let her say she's a christian and act like one while the missionaries are there and then she'll get tired of it and they'll let her become a "harmless kind" of a christian. that makes me wonder... am i a harmless kind of a christian? do i hold up my sword and resist the devil? do i witness to others with words and with my life as an example? sadly, i fall far short of my duty as a soldier. for those of you prayer warriors out there, i could use some help. pray that i would be an effectual fighter for the gospel and that i would be able to grow in the strength of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. the thought of being a white-washed christian shell with a putrid core like a tomb, is a sobering suggestion. i don't want satan to view me as "harmless." but spiritually i want to allow god to use me in a powerful way. i want to live in the pillars of Christ's strength and not on the balsam stilts of pharisaical mendacity.

ben and i had a good bible study this evening. finished the second chapter of I Thess. we decided that we're both going to work on scripture memorization together. starting in proverbs. we'll recite the portion for eachother on our meetings to keep up the incentive and see where we're at. also we are going to try to choose an idea or lesson from each section of scripture that we talk about in our study and apply it to our lives, specifically for the week after our discussion. i'm excited!

so we had our study at java jacks tonight, which was nice. i'm always up for coffee, whatever the occasion. saw ben dodson over there and chatted with him for a few minutes.

had a test in aural skills this morning. it went rather well i do believe. i'm 99% that i got a 100 on it. once dr dean get's it graded we'll all finally have our midterm test grade average. i think i'm looking forward to knowing that...

had my violin lesson today. i finally broke down and spent some more money on my violin. but this time it was real money on some stuff that will make a real difference in my sound and quality of playing. new, super-fancy, extreme, ultra, orchestra grade, blah blah, etc., etc,. strings, w/ silver D and gold E. oohoohoho! yeah baby. aaaaand a new shoulder rest. the one i have right now is too low. i didn't even realize it, but it was causing me to get stiff and hunch and lift my shoulder and all kinds of awful stuff. aaaaaaand... *drum roll...* a new bow! yes, ladies and gentlemen, the best part of all. with all this gear i shall be a concert master in no time flat... *pause in writing to go tearing downstairs for pizza in the lobby.* ahhhhh. nothing like free pizza to satisfy the tum tum. so anyway, i'm totally stoked about all this new stuff.

ab ovo \ab-OH-voh\, adverb:From the beginning.

SESQUIPEDALIANISM

"In view of the federal budget deficit, civil unrest, and international politics, we need to consider that, notwithstanding the mitigating circumstances, this country has got to get back on its feet. Don't you agree?"

School Agaaaaaain

okay, i have no idea what is up with the numbers on those bridge pictures. i keep changing them and it switches the titles around to where they aren't in order from I - V. maybe i should have done 1-5 and it would have understood. if "it" can understand anything...

i don't feel in the mood to write much now, but i do have some stuff i want to talk about later. so tomorrow there'll actually be something to read! but at least you can have a word of the day.

caesura \sih-ZHUR-uh; -ZUR-\, noun;plural caesuras or caesurae \sih-ZHUR-ee; -ZUR-ee\:
1. A break or pause in a line of verse, usually occurring in the middle of a line, and indicated in scanning by a double vertical line; for example, "The proper study of mankind is man" [Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man].
2. Any break, pause, or interruption.

Bridge I

bridge

here at last are some of those pictures of my violin bridge that you've been anxiously awaiting and probably forgot about...

Bridge II

bridge

Bridge IV

bridge

Bridge III

bridge

Bridge V

Day...

this was a totally amazing day. i was way lazy and got up at around 10:00. ate some yummy muffins made by my dear mother. and then went to work, along with evan. *fast forward 8 hours...* got home and had a delicious meat pie for dinner. i hear rumors (and smell smells) of a magnificent derby pie for dessert.

tomorrow i suppose there will be more work. in fact, there definitely will. maybe some soft ball. and certainly a party. and now i'm just typing for no reason. so this will just be a short blog day.

cabal \kuh-BAHL; kuh-BAL\, noun:
1. A secret, conspiratorial association of plotters or intriguers whose purpose is usually to bring about an overturn especially in public affairs.
2. The schemes or plots of such an association.

intransitive verb:
To form a cabal; to conspire; to intrigue; to plot.

Dentist

i realized too late that i didn't bring my camera with me this morning. as i was laying on the "operating chair," squinting in the blinding little light, i thought, "a photo of this would be a perfect way to commemorate this day." so just imagine my gaping face with rubber wedges to keep my mouth open, little spacers holding my lips away from my teeth, a very unusual metal tool attached to the side of my mouth that hooked around my tongue to keep it out of the way, a suction vacuum hanging on, as well as long drills and mirrors going down my throat, not to mention two pairs of hands crammed between my jaws. i hope my visual doesn't just disgust you. though a photo might have. i don't know. it would have been neat i think. does anyone else close their eyes while having their teeth worked on? it probably has something to do with that bright light equipped with mirrors for illuminating the dentist's work. but i also don't really like it when i open them and see drills and other construction (or destruction) tools going in. or the little puffs of "saw dust" floating up. so i was content to close my eyes and remain half-conscious, and just listened to the quiet mumblings of dr gandy and his assistant, "*mutter mutter mumble mumble, hmmmm, mumble grumble,* decay more extensive than i thought... *mrrr, schmumble grumble....*" turns out what he originally thought was a tiny one face cavity was a huge one. he had to get very close to the nerve and warned of crowns ($$) and root canals (pain + $$$$) possible in a few years. *sigh.* i paid my bill and departed thinking of other ways i could have spent that money (just what i spent today, not what i might possibly have to spend later). and of course, the last sloooooowly fading reminder of my visit was the numb left side of my face, as well as my chin and tongue. i couldn't even eat anything till 2:30! :-P reckon that's enough about the dentist for one day??

practiced the piano.

went to work this afternoon.

nothing else of particular interest, except that there are cookies on the counter now, which i'm about to go devour!

fugacious \fyoo-GAY-shuhs\, adjective:
Lasting but a short time; fleeting.

Fun Little Thingy

You Are Incredibly Logical

(You got 88% of the questions right) Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

Spring Break Continues

slept late this morning. (how many times have i written that as the first sentence of my post, do you think?) i'm going to have to straighten myself out in that sleeping in department. i forgot what time my dentist appointment was. so i called and found out that it was supposed to be at 11:00, and i called at 10:40. hmmm. therefore, i rescheduled it for tomorrow. i can hardly wait...

went into town and got my music from the music building at sfa so i can do a little practice this week. then picked up some lunch and went to work. now let me tell you... burger king has this amazing sandwich called the angus cheddar ranch bacon steak yadayadayada burger. it is the most delicious thing that has ever happend to the king of hamburgers. in my humble estimation. so we spent a cheerful afternoon working on ball qube stuff.

this evening we went to wal mart and picked up a new phone card for me. now i've got plenty of minutes (i was running low at only 6 more). then we checked out the incredibles, which we watched once we got home. at the same time as we puttied oak baseball bat end cap blocks. it was an incredible experience. okay, that was bad. anyway. now that we've eaten brownies, i think i'm going to bed. got that delightful denta appointment in the morning which i must not sleep through. or else.......

quotidian \kwoh-TID-ee-uhn\, adjective:
1. Occurring or returning daily; as, a quotidian fever.
2. Of an everyday character; ordinary; commonplace.

Spring Break

since i've been doing such a good job of blogging every day, i don't feel too bad about having missed a few days. i suppose that's just what spring break does to you. so what have i been up too?? let's see...

on friday of course i slept very late, as you may have guessed. unfortunately i slept all the way through my 12 o'clock class. i was entirely ashamed of myself. i assure you it wasn't deliberate. i fully intended on thursday to get up the next morning and go. ever will just have to fill me in on any important details i might have missed.

so i got up and went straight to studio class. that was good, as usual, and i didn't have to play but just listened to wonderful music.

went skating with my family and the homeschool group after that. went home and ate dinner and watched a couple of movies. let's see, we watched the stepford wives (weird show), and hero. the stepford wives was supposed to be totally hilarious, but i didn't really think so. it certainly has it's funny moments. let's just say it was so-so. hero was pretty good. one big negative about it for me is that there's not a word of english in it. the dialogue is chinese in it's entirity. so for mono-lingual people like me, the whole film is spent reading sub-titles. as for the action, if you don't mind a bunch of super natural stunts thrown into the fighting sequences it's pretty good. the whole thing certainly has a rather mystical quality to it though. aaaaanyway...

on saturday evan and i went and helped cody with his eagle service project. woo-hooo!!!! i didn't even know until the day before that he was about to do it. very pleasant surprise. apparently he's doing like so many of us, and finishing up right at the wire. he has one last merit badge to complete and his birthday is on march 31st. he's carrying on the sad legacy of procrastinating eagles. :-P the project consisted of building benches and picking up trash. and eating bbq. that was my favorite part.

went to work at jebco for a while. we were making a bunch more of those wonderful little oak baseball bat end blocks.

then home again home again, jiggity jog, TO PLAY PING PONG!!! got some good evening ball swatting. had a delicious steak dinner (courtesy) of the jones family. the ron and jerri jones. :-P i do believe they slaughtered some sort of a bovine beast and were kind enough to treat us to some of the delectible cuts. ahhh, much thanks for the delicious meat!

sunday we went to church. josh, who fortunately got to have spring break at the same time as sfa, came over for lunch. we goofed off, played ping pong, did a little dancing... yes, that's right. we danced. we had to get josh in on a little of our civil war as well as revolutionary era dancing. he liked it so much he decided to come with us the next day (that would be today). but i'm getting ahead of myself. we ate a splenditious dessert of brownies. then went to church again in the evening.

since we were so anxious to get the spring break celebrating started, evan and ben and josh and mary and sam and victor and me and i hope i didn't leave anyone out went out to eat. at first we were going to the hayter house, but, since it was closed we settled for auntie pastas. it was a wonderful evening of chatting and gorging on pasta. though i think mary-ruth felt a little out of place with 6 boys and no other girls. :-P

then, since we still were anxious to keep the celebrating that we just started on going, we went to sam's house. we ended up watching gladiator. it was actually the first time for me to see it. i rather liked it. at the end of the movie it was at long last time for us to disperse and head to bed.

and at last, i'm brought to today. actually monday. soooooooo.... this morning josh and i went to the caddo mounds. okay, wow. that was so totally random. he was one of us unlucky people who have a little bit of school work to do during spring break. he must write a paper, in this case on the caddo indians. so we went to the little museum and looked around, asked questions, he took notes, i took a bunch of pictures for him.

then we zipped to his granny's house for a bite of lunch before heading over to my house to pick up evan. once we got evan, we turned right back around and drove to tyler. we instantly turned in to the tyler skate plex and began skating around like crazy. the giant rink and relatively smooth floor just puts it way above and beyond the lowly nacogdoches skatarama. we chugged around for about 2 hours. we practically had the rink to ourselves, except for a few little kids, and it was wonderful.

from the skate place our little trio found it's way to the frazier's house where we had detected the aroma of home-made pizza. so we had a fine dinner. and we hooked up with the rest of my family who apparently had similar ideas. :-P

our next destination from the frazier's residence was some history building, or the history section of the library or SOMETHING. upstairs we found a bunch of home-schoolers. so we brought our music out and taught them all the civil-war and revolutionary war dances and stuff. we had a blast. at the beginning of the month they're planning to have a ball, or they might have said a "barn-yard dance." so we had to teach them a bunch of stuff to prepare them. i have now decided that i really want to try and teach a bunch of the people at sfa how to do this stuff. i'm willing to bet some of the music people would get a kick out of it.

since a night of dancing always calls for ice cream, josh and evan and i directed ourselves to braums. after getting large quantities of ice cream, and stopping at a gas station and getting some energy drinks (monster) we were headed home.

once there, we booted up joshed comp and downloaded the pics i took this morning. then there was nothing left to do but say our tearful goodbyes and wish eachother happy sb.

and if you made it through this whole "story," congratulations. this is probably the longest blog post i have ever written. that's what i get for putting off (or forgetting) to post. now, for your word of the day...

bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\, intransitive verb:
To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

Exceeding Lateness

wow, this is like, super late. even for me. quite frankly, since i haven't been wearing my watch all evening, i had no idea what time it was until just now. soooooo, my day.... (pardon me if i'm brief)

had theory this morning. good. breakfast definitely good. history. naaah.

lunch. absolutely nah. i enjoyed accompanying class as usual. i finally got some new music for it. two violin pieces. one for kellly, and one for someone named erin, who i don't know. fun stuff.

this late afternoon and evening i went to the shop and helped make some oak baseball bat endcaps. if you want to know more about those just ask and i'll elaborate some other time.

went to christine's this evening. i actually had a really, really good time. we ate pizza and cookies and rice crispy treats. actually i didn't eat any pizza because i had already eaten some before i came. we watched napolean dynomite. and it was just as good, if not better than always. then we just talked, all us piano majors, for a long time. did i even say anything about this party before? it just occurred to me that this might be the first time i even mentioned it. so christine had invited all the piano majors to come to her house for a party before spring break started. so yeah. after the movie we just talked for a long time. told tons of jokes and stories about ourselves. i really got to know everyone a lot better. i feel like we had a super bonding time and we're all better friends now. :-P then when we finally left, david was like, "soooooooo, what are y'all doing tonight?" even though techniquely it's not "tonight," but, "this morning." and i was like, "uuuuuuuuh, i don't know. did you have something in mind?" so, since he had a good night (as in, lot's of tips) he decided to treat me and india to milk shakes. and then, since he didn't want to dump us at our respective dorms and just say, "enjoy your milk shake all by yourself," we went over to his house. we sat around drinking our shakes and telling more stories. i found out that dave is totally crazy. he has all these stories about jumping off of 60ft water falls, riding a skate board behind a truck at 30 mph, getting hit by a moving truck and rolling all the way over the top off the camper and back on his feet in the same spot, getting blown out of pickup truck while sitting in the back holding onto a hang glider and soaring away off the side of the mountain without any of his straps tied on yet, being a stunt man for a movie and jumping off a cliff and catching himself by grabbing a rope with a hook attached to his arm, leaping off the hand rail of a porch which had a drop off on the other side and grabbing the top of a tree down below and swinging down to the ground, jumping off the sixth floor of a hotel into the swimming pool, etc. etc. etc. (lot's of jumping, don't you think??) so here i am at this insane hour. but it ws very intertaining. best hit the sack.

exiguous \ig-ZIG-yoo-us\, adjective:Extremely scanty; meager.

is this the twilight zone?? 

Little Bro, Papa

littlest bro and papa... aren't they cute...?

Beeeeeautiful Flower

and since i'm in the mood for random pictures....

Me and the Bro

here's a nice picture of evan and me. i think it was taken last year. no particular reason for posting it, just saw it and decided to share. :-)

Library??

some of you may find this truly amazing, what i'm about to say. but here it is... today is the first day of my college career to ever check out any books from the sfa library. and today i checked out 8 books. yes, they're all sitting right here next to me. i have no idea how i'm going to read them all, but somehow it will happen. so, why this sudden interest in all these extra books? you might be asking. well, i have a big research paper on the acoustical properties of my instrument (which i am doing piano, not violin) for physics, which is due at the end of the month. and i have to turn in my title and sources tomorrow. it's really going to be rather fun i think.

soooooo, had an aural skills test this morning. as far as i know, it went super. we did rhythemic dictation, chords, and intervals. in fact, i'm pretty sure i did better than last time. the second part of the test, involving sight singing and more rhythem (this time spoken and tapped on sight, instead of written after multiple hearings) will be tomorrow. the third part will be on monday after spring break. and actually, i'm not sure what will be left to do on that one. but there will be one - we have been forwarned. ahhhh, spring break. how wonderful. i'm really looking forward to a nice week of relaxing... uh, ahem, NOT! at least no homework.

had convocation today. it went quite well. all but but one of the pieces had piano in it, so that made me happy. sam did a nice job on his katchaturian (sp?) taccata. christine played wonderfully as well. she played... hmmmm... something in g-minor... oh well. can't remember. it was good though.

talked to my singer today. we're still friends. someday we'll get together and sing/play. "somedaaaaaaay, in the wild blue yon-derrrrrrr....."

practiced. had my piano lesson. now hitting bach, beethoven and debussy hard. i have mega work to do on them during break.

played a bit of you-know-what. won the match 2-1.

went to the library again this evening with ever to help him get some books for his research paper (same class). i don't know what is with me and the library today.

erudite \AIR-yuh-dyt; -uh-dyt\, adjective:Characterized by extensive reading or knowledge; learned.

Crazy Morning

i had the second major "let's sleep through the alarm and almost miss class" scare. i think that i vaguely remember the radio coming on, and then i don't know what happened. maybe i was having trouble making it snooze (heh) and somehow turned the volume down instead, i don't know. but i woke up at 7:54. now, when you have an 8:00 class, with homework due, and it takes 7 minutes walking fast to get from the door of my dorm to the door of the music building, 7:54 is a really bad time to wake up. so i lept out of bed, hit my head on the ceiling, hit my feet on the floor, ran around in three circles, got dressed, put my shoes on, grabbed my glasses since contacts would take too many precious seconds, siezed my backpack (which i had fortunately already packed and gotten ready last night), ran smack into the door, backed up and experimented with the possibility of unlocking it, then fled down the stairs, mounted my wild mustang with it's wet seat and galloped to class like a bolt of lightening! got to the class room door, paused, slicked back my hair, straightened my imaginary tie, and walked gracefully into the room. "GUHH-HEEGHHH, HHHHHH, HHHHHH, HHHHHH, *gasp,* sorry i'm *gasp* late dr goodall, HHHHHH, HHHHHHH, HGGGGGHHHH, *gasp,* HHHHHH............." but he had only just finished returning our last graded assignment and hadn't even taken role yet. so it's all good. goodall. whatever.

went to history. part of it was very interesting when dr mathis started talking about the battle of new orleans (1812). he really got into it, and i was quite facinated and fully awake. but he lost my interest again and i went back to battling sleep as he droned on and on. i still took notes, but there's a difference between information assailing ones ears, and really being enamored with the subject and absorbing the information. i wish there was some way to force myself. i keep thinking, "wow that is so cool! this is awesome. i am just so interested." and it doesn't work. so i just keep scribbling away and repeat his words in my head and, uh, look at my watch AND THEN take some more notes....

i'm getting really annoyed with my singer. i was going to say i'm getting ticked off, but i looked it up, and techniquely it means infuriated, or very angry. and that's not really true. buuuut, once again he stood me up for our rehearsal. i understand he's busy, especially now he's got his wife moved over here, and his little boy to take care of on top of his school work. but still... he does still have other responsibilities. and i've been trying to help out and be understanding. however, after he wasn't able to do our original rehearsal time, i let him pick a new one. we've now set up three temporary practice times, at times he chose and said he could come to. and three times in a row now he not only hasn't shown up, he didn't call to say he wasn't coming, or call afterward to apologize or explain or set up a different time. hhhhhhhhh. i need to pray for patience. it's not one of my few virtues.

went to accompanying class. i got back my german quiz - 100. a few of us have a little unofficial competition to see who can get 100's on all the quizzes. it's just devastating to get anything lower. last year i got 100 on the first one, but then a 92 on the second one. :-( sam got 100's on both last semester, and 100 on this one. hmmmmmm. i guess there's not really any way for me to catch up unless he messes up on one. :-/

washed laundry today.

played ping pong. i'm learning to limit myself and play in moderation, instead of playing for two hours every time i hit the table.

now i've gotta hit the books again.

ludic \LOO-dik\, adjective:Of or relating to play; characterized by play; playful.

Fox News

Security Device Biased Against Fat Cops
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Portly police have a new reason to work out thanks to a new security entrance at the National Police headquarters that won't let them in if they weigh too much.
A construction error in the recently remodeled security entrance, which has a built-in scale designed to only let one person at a time pass through the door, has caused some embarrassing moments for officers who may not have spent enough time exercising.
Those weighing more than 230 pounds who try to pass through the entrance are greeted by a recorded voice telling them: "Stop! One at a time!" and are not let through, police spokeswoman Linda Widmark said. [LOL!]
She said the scale is supposed to be adjustable to let people weighing up to 350 pounds pass through, but an apparent construction error is playing tricks on those with ample girth.
"We'll have to get that fixed," Widmark said. "We've got some big strong men around here."
The security entrance is mainly for visitors and police denied entrance can use other doors.
"There are other options for them," she said.

Swang

got back into the swang of things today. that's east texas swing, of course. had aural skills. it felt really weird when i woke up this morning. i actually woke up earlier than i needed to, without the alarm going off. it seemed brighter in the room than usual too. but i checked the alarm, and went back to sleep. on my way to class i didn't feel any nagging dragging feelings of tiredness. though a little bit of that did creep back in after sitting still in a chair for an hour... but i must have done a good job on catching up on sleep at the end of last week, and this weekend. anyway, that was nice.

only had a dr pepper for breakfast this morning. there are a few reasons. first off, i had to have a one hour lesson with dr petti this morning right after aural skills, because he was gone last week and that 9:00 slot was the only time he and i could both do it. and since my regular one is already at 9:30 on monday, i ended up with one hour. therefore i was unable to go to the cafeteria. unless, of course, i had been more motivated when i awoke extra early. also our microwave is broken, and i had no desire to eat cold poptarts (i got the unfrosted kind this time, because when they're heated up with butter on top they are so good). but last time i put butter on them and proceded with the nuking, that butter didn't melt a bit after 5 minutes. grrrr. but the dp was good, especially since i wanted a little caffeine just to make sure i really was awake.

did more last minute studying for physics. sorta last minute. about the very last 30 minutes before the test, i just decided i wasn't really going to assimilate that much more info, and just cleaned my room. it really needed it, and it felt good seeing things all tidied up. when i took the test i got another B. hhhhh. that doesn't stand for bad, of course, but i would sooooo like an A. i have now firmly decided to do whatever it takes to get an A on the next test. and no, that does not include cheating. also our research paper counts as a big portion of our grade, and i'm good at writing papers. so that should help.

finally talked with ben (singer ben) again today. we set up another temporary rehearsal time. he better come.....

practiced for a while. then had my violin lesson. it was good. actually got to use my metronome too. it has all kinds of nifty functions on it. it will subdivide beats into 3's, 4's, do syncopations, accent any beat you want, give you pitches in a one octave range. you can even change the exact frequency of each pitch as well. like, i could tune to an A-441 if i wanted. or even as low as an A-413. which, on the 440 scale is basically a g#, it's so low. so it's totally awesome. adds a whole new dimension to what i normally expect from the "little ticking device" we call a metronome.

i've eaten dinner now, and getting ready to go do bible study with ben (friend ben, not singer. not that singer ben isn't a friend...). just had a few minutes, and decided to blog early. maybe that will help me get to bed at a more decent time. :-)

fey \FAY\, adjective:1. Possessing or displaying a strange and otherworldly aspect or quality; magical or fairylike; elfin.2. Having power to see into the future; visionary; clairvoyant.3. Appearing slightly crazy, as if under a spell; touched.4. (Scots.) Fated to die; doomed.5. (Scots.) Marked by a sense of approaching death.

hey, at least it's a great scrabble word...

Another Concert Night

had a pretty typical sunday today. went to church this morning. unlike last week, i did get up and get down to the lobby at the time that micah was supposed to pick me up. but this time, he forgot me. :-( so he suddenly remembered while he was singing at church, and he came tearing back over hear to get me. it's all good.

after lunch i practiced piano. good ol' bach.

did physics. hhhhh. what can i say about it?? i just did it!

went to church this evening.

after the service i went to a piano quartet concert. it had mrs parr, dr dalmus, dr saslov, and dr rychev. it was brilliant, of course. they played a mozart quartet in g minor, and a divorak quartet in e-flat. dr saslov came out at the beginning and gave an incredibly long introduction. i swear he talked for a full 20 minutes. he was supposed to give a brief history and background of the pieces. he did do that, but he went on to expound his extensive knowledge of every bubbling stream and chirping bird that ever inspired a note of divorak's music. but of course i hold no ill will against him for it. he was just barking on painfully obviously long after they were supposed to have begun. by the middle/end of his oration i could hear hi-heels start tapping around back-stage and the side panel kept opening a crack as if a stage hand (or dr dalmus) was giving him an evil eye and telling him to get on with the show. but he seemed to be having such a good time telling us stories about all the things he knew, the places he'd been, and how he was spiritually enriched by playing on the organ the divorak used, and how he (dr saslov) felt that he embodied the spirit of mozarts music as he played the viola in this quartet... et cetera, et cetera, et cetera... it's all good. "we love you dr saslov!" :-P

then went to chilis this evening for dinner. karen had a gift certificate, but she didn't want to go by herself, so she invited ever and i to go with her. which of course we were only to glad to do. ahh, real food. nice, since i stayed here to study and practice instead of getting mama made lunch.

asperity \as-PAIR-uh-tee\, noun:1. Roughness of surface; unevenness.2. Roughness or harshness of sound; that quality which grates upon the ear.3. Roughness of manner; severity; crabbedness; harshness; -- opposed to mildness. "Asperity of character." --Landor.

this of course is not related to the quality of the concert. it's just a good word.

Snacks

a trip to wally world today finally ended my snack crisis. i know i didn't tell you about it, but i didn't want you to be concerned. now that this potentially catastrophic event has been precluded i can share the news with you, and you can simultaneously gasp in horror and sigh with relief that my supply of pringles and chocolate has been renewed. never fear, with chocolate and cheezums life can continue!

studied up on my physics powerpoint slides and stuff. it's getting pretty deep.

finally got to see the last of the matrix movies. it was awesome.

i played ping pong for a bit. marcus (hollywood) and i were tied 2-2. we're working on some sweet spins, let me tell ya. showed marcus and james my senior recital dvd after they finished playing ping pong. they've been so excited about my piano playing after seeing the concert the other night. marcus said he has to admit, now that he's seen me play, that i'm even better than he is. and that's really saying something......

man, i've got to control my chocolate eating urges! mom! what have you done to me?? this is all your fault!!!! actually, there's some traits i'm really quite pleased with. i know one day it will start making me fat. but right now, under the intense heat of my youthful metabolism, i can devour big bars of belgian chocolate and suffer no ill effects. micah would say, "i hope you become a big fat blob when you get older!" but i just laugh and say, "that could never happen to me." okay, i'm just exaggerating. or bellowing nonsense. or whatever what i'm saying could be called. but i do like chocolate, and that's a fact.

mien \MEEN\, noun:Aspect; air; manner; demeanor; carriage; bearing.

this is such a good scrabble word, don't you agree?

here's zits for today. jeremy's just like me...

Beard

well, cabbage said that since she supplied pictures of her hair cut that she wanted to see pictures of josh and i's beards and mustache experiments. so here's a current picture of my mangy looking face, if you didn't see the werewolf one. the mustache has only just begun, the beards been growing for much longer.

Weekend Time

i think one of the hardest parts of each post i publish is coming up with a new title. now why is that so hard? it's so difficult to come up with something that sounds interesting or catchy. hhhhhhuuu....

so i slept late today. played ever in a game of RA2 (red alert II). need i tell you the outcome of our match?? for those of you who know about me and command and conquer style multiplayer strategic computer games, i don't think so.

had a good studio class in which i finally didn't have anything to play for. :-P that makes it sound like i don't like to play for class. but that isn't true. it was just nice to have a day off, and to be able to just listen to some of the wonderful pieces other people have been preparing, instead of missing out on their play-through's because i practiced until my turn to stay warm and then barged in at the last minute to perform.

gave bethany and courtney their piano lessons. what can i say... they're going to walk in their big brother's footsteps. er... something like that. :-P

played tennis for a while. i'm really bad at it. it's kinda fun though, except you have to run a lot more than in table tennis. and it's easier to hurt your wrist. and you can't put as profound a spin on the ball. in other words, table tennis is way better. we were going to play volley ball, since it was such a pleasant day, but the decision was made before i even arrived that that was definitely too hard on the wrists (buncha music people with precious hands) and that the ball was too hard. after tennis we went to east college cafeteria (oooooh, fancy). we usually go there on fridays. then some us (i'm sorry if you don't know who all the "we's" and "us's" are, but it would be to hard and long to explain. just know that there's bunches) went to watch the movie. tonight they were showing national treasure. it was pretty good. i can't really say anything against it, but it wasn't really super. had lots of action. i don't know... once i think about it, the whole thing was pretty stupid, the plot about an invisible map on the back of the declaration of independence, and this huge hidden treasure... just go rent it yourself if your curiosity is peaked. after that we went to andrea's apartment and watched traffic. except we unanimously agreed to skip one part. it was a dvd, so no problem skipping chapters. that movie really confused me. i felt comforted by the fact that david said he was confused too. so we were bewilderment buddies.

tomorrow i hereby dedicate to studying and practicing. and washing laundry. and eating.

Brobdingnagian \brahb-ding-NAG-ee-uhn\, adjective:Colossal; of extraordinary height; gigantic. -- as a noun: a giant. [Often misspelt Brobdignagian.]

i know you could never use that in scrabble, but i couldn't pass it up.

Mozart is FINISHED!

i really can't fully comprehend it, but i'm done with mozart. at least with this concerto for a while. tonight was the big performance. people, if you didn't come, you totally missed out. but for those of you too far away to come, or those of you with wimpy excuses and apologies, it was recorded. so if you ask very politely i may be able to get you a cd of the concert. i'm looking forward to hearing it myself, since i only heard once piece and the end of another one before i played. turns out dr rychev didn't play, but dr dalmus did a smashing job on her violin solo. and of course "yours truly" played the last piece. hope you enjoyed it as much as i did, and if you haven't heard it i'm sure you'll enjoy it to a lesser degree in the form of a recording. "mozart, i kiss you good bye, and lay to rest this dear old worn out concerto. hopefully for a very good LONG rest." now i can finally get on with the rest of my music life... i was so happy that so many of my friends came. it was quite magnificent er something like that. and it was mrs parr's birthday. and yes, i remembered to wish her a happy one. i think that made her day - at least, added on to the concert. so don't forget to wish her a belated one if you see her soon. and garfield too, since his was today as well. poor guy, i really should get him something. i'm thinking about giving him a copy of my senior recital too. he might enjoy that.

my wonderful family took me to marble slab to celebrate. i got my usual favorite of double dark chocolate and coffee ice cream mix, on a butter finger cone. mmmmm. very special treat. just a wonderful evening. mom brought me some more coffee filters and a bit of sugar. and yes, i'm not ashamed to admit that i put a couple spoonfuls of sugar in my coffee. let's see... what else... oh! i got some of the posters advertising my concert. so i can hang one up in my room and stuff. also papa complemented my beard and said how full and nice it's looking. i was very proud. and i enjoyed wearing my tux. i like wearing it, but since it's only for special occasions, my oportunities are limited.

once again i have no 8:00 tomorrow. much rejoicing on that account. it will be a day of much music (like any day isn't). practicing, teaching my dear sisters to follow in my foot steps, going to studio class, and probably some more practicing. AND NO MOZART! Yesssssssss. no offense old man... on to bach. and let's see... ah yes, beethoven. mhmmm. oh yeah. and of course we get to see national treasure tomorrow. haven't seen it. it looks like it could be entertaining. so i'm looking forward to it, especially since i didn't get to go to the SAA movie last time. or, i could have, but they were showing team america: world police. and i had no inclination to see that. in fact, i had a strong inclination to avoid it at all costs. :-P anyway. once again, cheers to a terrific and successful day.

gelid \JEL-id\, adjective:Extremely cold; icy.

Buddhist Monk Mistakes Super Glue for Eye Drops

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Doctors have partially restored the sight of an 81-year-old Buddhist monk who accidentally glued his eyes shut when he mistook a tube of superglue for eye drops.
The doctors at Angthong Hospital, 60 miles north of Bangkok, used a chemical solvent, acetone, to dissolve the glue in the monk's right eye, a hospital spokesman said. The two-hour operation was done Feb. 23.
"His eye is not damaged, the right eye can see clearly after the operation and the doctors said the left eye also is not damaged," a hospital spokesman said.
The monk, Phra Khru Prapatworakhun, who is the abbot of a temple in Angthong, was to have his left eye operated on later.

Funny Story From Fox

Street Racer Made to Wear Sandwich Board
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — If drivers can't read Erik Rivera's sign, they might be going too fast.
Rivera used to street race on late nights through south Orange County. Now he goes at a slower pace, wearing a sign: "Don't Street Race. I Lost My Drivers License for 3 Years."
Orange Circuit Judge John H. Adams Sr. ordered 24-year-old Rivera, of Kissimmee, to wear the sandwich-board sign as a deterrent to other racers.
Rivera was arrested in June and convicted in November of fleeing and eluding deputies and resisting law enforcement without violence.
Along with losing his license and being placed on probation for three years, he has to wear the sign where he used to race at the Waterbridge Shopping Center (search) parking lot near the Florida Mall.
Rivera will wear the 2-foot-by-3-foot sign for 50 consecutive Sundays from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., when other young people are out racing. He must also pay for the sign and attend a special driving school.
Rivera's attorney, Aramis Donell, said her client had some initial reservations about wearing the sandwich-board sign.
"There is a level of humiliation," Donell said. "But it beats going to the Department of Corrections."

Sickly

i'm dreadfully afraid i may be getting sick. right before the concert! i did have a bit of congestion and runny nose before, just like everyone else pretty much. but now my throat is really starting to hurt. or, not bad yet, but it feels like it's about to actually be a soar throat. i hope i don't have a fever in the morning. pray for me please.

had class and practice and all that stuff again. man, i really can't think of anything entertaining about them. only four people came to theory class today. but i think that was because most of them were on tour with the orchestra. today was the last day of their traveling performances. apparently the bus broke down this morning and they were forced to wait for another one to come pick them up. caused them to miss the first performance. 400 unfortunate (or maybe happy, i don't know) students sitting at the auditorium with no performers.

washed some clothes today. actually lots of clothes. it's so wonderful being a male college student and being able to wash everything together. mom doesn't whine about mixing colors and whites (not that my mom would really mind since they're my clothes) and nothing delicate enough to be damaged by blue jeans. makes for fast and efficient laundering.
also washed my watch band. whew, it was stinky.

i thought about doing the "list" that's been going around on a few peoples blogs. if you haven't seen it, check out the blogs i have links to, and you'll probably find a few. i think i'll just rack my brain and come up with my own list or whatever. eventually.

got a new wall paper for my desktop. pretty cool one. it's called celestial melody. it's mainly white with a woman playing a violin. there's an unsettled ocean underneath and it looks like a storm is coming up. little notes are sprinkled around and going up into the air and it's awesomeness.

this dilbert cracked me up. for those of you who haven't read it today...

fiat \FEE-uht; -at; -aht; FY-uht; -at\, noun:1. An arbitrary or authoritative command or order.2. Formal or official authorization or sanction.

YESSSSSS... i'm going to get to bed early!!

The day of the tournament

as you may have already noticed, i added a bunch of pictures before this post. it was in an attempt to document our ping pong tournament and our goofiness. unfortunately i was unable to get the videos to work. they just appeared on hear as the first frame of the movie, like a single picture. wouldn't play for some reason. i'll have to work on that. and sadly i did not win the tournament. i'm convinced i should have. :-P for some reason the last game i just "lost it," as in, lost my touch or something. after the tournament i played him (sean, aka stevo) again and whooped him 21 to 11. but there was free ice cream, which i had two bowls of, so it was fine.

went on a bike ride with micah today. we put on my new tires. they're slick without the heavy knobby tread of mountain tires, and man could i go fast with them on there. we had a blast. went about 8 miles. next time hopefully we can do a lot more than that. but we got to a late start.

did capoeira tonight. it went well. didn't remember to bring my camera to that, so i don't have pics yet. but next tues i'll be sure to get you some.

i'm a sleepy head, so best head to bed. really tiring day with all that. not to mention all the classes and stuff that i'm not even bothering to talk about, since it's just SOP.

captious \KAP-shuhs\, adjective:1. Apt to catch at faults; disposed to find fault or to cavil; eager to object; difficult to please. 2. Fitted to harass, perplex, or insnare; insidious; troublesome

the mighty arm of the pro 

check out sonny in action 

ice cream bowl, paddles, tobogan, and discarded weight 

quote, "iss gonna be you an' me. ain't nobody but yo punk a_ _ gonna beat me!"  

Buncha ice cream heads 

Big Bad Bunch a Buff Boys