So yesterday was spent almost totally on auditions. Needless to say, the rest of my evening was shot. I saw some scores before I left for dinner, but unfortunately mine weren’t up yet. So it turns out that Robert, Will, and Christine took 3 of the top 4 chairs in the 11–12 Wind Ensemble. Enloe took 31 chairs overall, but I don’t know all of the numbers for Enloe students, so we’ll find out who made what on Tuesday. Quite surprisingly, however, I managed to make 1st chair for Bass Clarinet. After 6 years of waiting, I guess something finally paid off.

So the All-District clinic is next weekend, and that should be a lot of fun. Auditions for All-State are now on March 6, so I have that to prepare for now, in addition to the clinic next weekend. Oh, and that’s not to mention All-Carolina in February. It’s either February 6–7 or February 6–8; I’ve now seen conflicting reports… Their website says it’s only two days (6–7), but Mr. Hunter’s calendar says it’s three days (6–8). Last year it was also three days, so I’m not sure who to believe.

So this has been, overall, a very band-centric weekend for me, and the next several weeks are shaping up to be the same way. As for the rest of my weekend, it’s looking like scholarship essays that my parents are forcing me to write. And possibly a road trip on Monday, but we’ll see what happens with that.

The weather is grey and gloomy; the temperature is cool and cautious. There is nothing vibrant about the weather today. It’s just one of those days; faded in the wake of yesterday’s glory. Yesterday was a day of blue sky, warm sunshine, and relative happiness. Today just can’t fill it’s shoes.

And that’s about all there is to say about today in general. I’ll probably drop some messages later this weekend. Until then, I’m out!

Wow, it has been quite a while since I’ve put anything here. So many things have happened it’s hard to guess where I should start. I guess I’ll putter back to Christmas, which is about where I left off. So here goes!

So Christmas went without too much mention. I got a long sleeve half-dressy shirt from my parents; it buttons up and has this neat dark blue and green pattern on it. Then I also got a maroon collared shirt from them, which is also interesting. Candy from the grandparents, which doesn’t really qualify as a surprise, knowing them. And of course, anything from them has “Disney” on it. And for the first time in a while, I got something from out of the family. I got a flannel shirt from Marj, which is also long-sleeved and colored blue and green. That was definitely a nice change in pace.

The highlight was, though, being able to take Christmas money and buy an iPod. Yes, I know that I bought the 40GB iPod which is very likely major overkill, but I can use it for things other than just music, such as backing up important files from my computer. That has been a nice toy and an interesting tool to have around.

We had a party on New Year’s Eve at Liz’s house, but that ended with a sorta fizzle when we set off some bottle rockets in the driveway. That was the “party” on New Year’s Eve. Marj, however, wasn’t lucky enough to be able to go to a party… I wished that she could have been there, if for no reason other than being able to have fun.

And now school has started again. I did a lot of work on my short story, and I’m hoping that maybe it doesn’t actually suck. I have a comparison and contrast essay to do this week between Death of a Salesman and Equus.

Oh, and the bad news: Last friday it snowed. Yes, I know it seems like good news, since snow is great and all. Yes, we did have a snowball fight at school, which was a lot of fun. However, it caused All-District auditions to be cancelled on Saturday, as well as causing Winter Formal to be postponed to some undetermined date. Now I have to re-psych myself up for All-District, and hope that Winter Formal isn’t scheduled to conflict with the two band clinics I’m doing this year. That would be All-District (January 24–26) and All-Carolina (February 6–7). So that’s all up in the air.

And finally—today. I practiced, and that’s been the highlight of my evening, I suppose. Done a lot of talking, took a nap, and I haven’t done much else. I’ve still got some German homework to do, so I suppose I’ll get on with that shortly, but not before taking a shower. In addition, my sympathies go out to Daniel for those of you who know why. And wow, this is a lot of stuff to read, but that should bring this place up-to-date.

We’ll see how auditions turn out on Saturday; wish me luck—I’ll need it! I’ve been angling for 1st chair for over 6 years now, and this is my last shot. Hopefully I’ll make it!

That’s it for now. Have a wonderful evening, everyone!

What can I say? There’s a fine line between saying too much and saying too little, and I’m trying to walk it. If I should fall off of the line? Well; I’d rather not consider that, since I can’t see the ground. I keep telling myself “don’t look down.”

It’s hard to say exactly how we met, and I know people have debated how it happened. I say she started talking to me, but certain others will say it was the other way around, like Anna—but she’s crazy anyway. We’re all crazy. Life is crazy. I’m crazy. It’s fun to be crazy.

If we weren’t all crazy,

we’d all go insane

Jimmy Buffett

So, I have no idea how it happened at all, but I’ve also stopped trying to understand. From other people’s perspective you could say that we’re going out. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Wow, it’s hard for me to say that… it just seems me being so unlike myself. For those of you that know me this is indeed a first, and I cannot tell if it will be a last or not, but I’m not going to make any predictions. I’d make a fool of myself.

So anyway, she’s very different from me. Came from a small(er) town, whereas I’ve grown up in a large(r) one. She has ties to the military, whereas I have anything but. I’m a nerd, she’s, well… not. She goes to a liberal arts school, whereas I’ll likely be going to an engineering, or sciences, school. She also has one of the strangest, and possibly scariest, closets I have ever heard of. Which is a good thing in some ways, because if I met someone so boring as myself, I wouldn’t like them very much, I think.

So, as the sayings go, opposites attract, but we’re polar… slightly opposite, but not completely. The future holds what it may hold, but nobody can see it. It’s like staring at a brick wall and hoping to see what’s on the other side. You just can’t. I can say, however, that I enjoy having her as a friend and girlfriend, even if I’m making more or less of whatever the latter is. As for next year, well, I’ll still gladly talk to her, no matter what happens.

It’s been great, and hopefully it will stay that way. Thanks for being a pal. So yes, you finally made it here. It took me too long to type all of this, but you’re worth that. Alas, what are words? Just a crude approximation of feelings. Hopefully I have said enough without saying too much!

Wow, how could I have missed someone I see every day? Well, it seems that I have. That question set aside, I guess I’ll get on with why she gets a spot here too. She has done marching band for the past two years with us, and has been a lot of fun to be with. And, no, it’s not just because she’s Robert’s girlfriend.

I do sorta feel sorry for her, since between family and allergies, getting out and going places with us seems to present a challenge more than it should. I enjoy it when she comes, as does Robert, I’m sure. Some of the funnier things are her… ahem… whistle. If you’ve never heard it, perhaps you should. It’s an experience.

Unfortunately, as with most of my friends, it is unfortunate that there will not be a “next year” for us to spend together. I will close with with something I have said many times before; just because you’re not on my friends page doesn’t mean you’re not my friend. I’ve had fun knowing Emily and I hope to keep in touch with everyone, her included, next year!