Rar.

Attempts to stay focused on homework failing miserably. Although, I did accomplish some things:

• Printed out labels on envelopes for my transcripts and extra documents to go in
• Only problem was that I don't think I needed to put my return address on the enveloppes so whiting out will ensue. (Well, save for the enveloppe that will contain my letter)
  
• Finished job application form
  
• Nearly lost it while trying to reset McGill pin as it kept saying my stuff wasn't alphanumeric when it was.
• Couldn't print out Extenuating Circumstances letter because the disk/my old computer is dumb and won't open it. (or well, it will but the screen goes blue, displays an error and closes Word. Yes, this is on WinME. It fails btw. Dad's laptop=owns)
• Got dragged around by the Superman-Vacuum. (our house=has alot of dust) Put new air freshner in washroom and it smells nice. I do plan to buy another for the other washroom. :O

I was hoping on working on Chem30 and the lab but that doesn't look like it could happen...*is falling asleep*

Chris gave me Trigun to copy. I've heard interesting things about this series.

Debate meeting today was...interesting to say the least. Interesting to see some members show a different side of them that they reserve for things like that.

(So sue me, I've become a skeptic...and with good reason. Hospital doctors, as of a few months ago, have made me really skeptical when they were always all like "Oh, he'll be out Sunday" or "He'll be out Tuesday" or "Oh she'll be okay after this" or "Oh she'll be okay once we give her this" etc. etc. Yay skepticism D: )

Should randomly mention...

Our new vacuum is powerful. So powerful, that I was nearly dragged along the hall of the second floor (okay, so the 2nd floor hall is nowhere near long enough to be deemed a "hall" but I digress) by it as I tried to put it back upright.

It's not that I'm weak, it's just this new vacuum is about 100x more powerful than our old upright.

Alberta International Band Festival

*glares at Bass for a few minutes*

I must be cursed or something...So during the performance, I couldn't play lower than a G without making this horrible squeak or sometimes I could but other times I couldn't. Mr Paddock suspects it could be my reed ....it's likely them the culprits. Hm.

I think Saturday (if I'm not forced to film English Regionals...as much as I want to...kinda) I'll go down to Long and McQuade as St John's on 10th has mysteriously vanished. Who would want to come with me? (it's around Chinook.)

Ooh and I failed my first Chem 30 quiz. I think I need to take my own notes or something. I was just horribly confused for the first part and the quiz barely had any Thermochemical Stoich which pissed me off a bit as I just got the hang of it.

Then it occured to me that, "....I could've peeked at the other pages in a seperate window". Obviously this occured after I had done the quiz so I did it for the written question.

*sigh* c'est la vie...*sips on apple cider*

Oh and my dad's brother who sounds exactly like him is actually coming in Friday. I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that he probably looks exactly like my dad but with say, a beard or something. Steve suspects that my dad is/was a spy from Ethiopia and that his brother is the one who handles the mission while my dad sits in for him.

Yeah, my brain broke too

That being said, my dad came home with a new vacuum. Meaning, I'll have to start dismantling the desk and moving stuff out of the computer room...

Ahh! I'm being distracted again!

Kyle- I'M THE GODDAMN BATMAN GREEN LANTERN

or
Kyle- RAAAAH! DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!!11ONE

I'd opt for option number 2...Hm. So, basic principles of a democracy and models. Must finish that. (I have two hours to finish reading up on some stuff for the CHEM 30 online quiz that due tonight)

And uhm, his arm is slightly wonky and he has no upper body. I know. And yes, he's mad. D=

Band :O

That was interesting. Spotted Kat and the rest of Churchill hung with Az's sister. Good stuff.

I lugged a shoulder bag with my shoes and my small (it's miniscule compared to the other Math textbooks but it's heavy) Math 30 applied textbook and notebook. Somehow all of that made my bag weigh a ton...so much that my shoulder is still hurting :(. The initial plan was to work on homework but that didn't happen...mainly because a) People came and we chatted and b) Math is the on-paper assignment I have due but I've got like 3 or 4 other typed-up assignements/online work to do.

How can people carry shoulderbags...makes no sense! I'm in dire need of my hotpack right now...

So the performance? Hm. Ok. I uh-- kinda messed a bit on the solo in Witch and the Saint mainly because the D wasn't coming out so I skipped the note and moved from there. Anna-lise and I like high-fived each other and did the knuckle-to-knuckle thing and were like "ahomg we did it!" after. BTW, the flash on the camera blinded me. Three times. saw like three spots forming a triangle arround Mr Paddock's head. Not a good thing is it?

Oh crap. There's wind ensemble practice tomorrow morning *le dead*. Hm.

Oh I followed Amy to MUN and we sat until the stuff finished. Heard some rather interesting stories. MUN sounded like it was a lot of fun. During a random discussion a certain someone was making a face at me for showing my face at something I wasn't part of (MUN). Eh...I'll never understand that person's flaming hatred of me. I didn't do anything either so it confuses me slightly as to why I'm hated. *sips on hot chocolate* Oh I feel the love. Definately am feeling the love. lol.

Left as everyone went to the banquet thingy and ran into a debater that Devon faced at the UofC tourney in the first round. :O

EDIT there was a University student with the most AMAZING skater shoes I have ever seen in my entire life. They were black and on the sides (where the logo would be) the Jamaican flag was on them.
I want those shoes! :O (fun thing is, if they're men's only I can still buy them as I fit into men's shoes at a men's size 8.5/9)

Debate + Snowball fight = good times

Today's debate was fantastic! Congrats to Georgeanne, Cait, Kelci, Devo, Lisa and everyone else :D.


But for me, the photographer and videographer, the best times of this tourney were talking with ABE alumni. It makes me miss last year alot. So at the end of the tourney we --Sam, Thomas, Chris and Jackie and me-- had a nice snowball fight. We ganged up on Thomas for a bit then Chris declared a guys vs girls snowball fight and then we just continued from there. I got Chris and Thomas a couple of times. So good times. Lots of snow, frozen fingers, laughs but good times.

I won't see them again until May though! Aaaah! D:

Totally bursting my own bubble with this next bit of news but, I have to do a quiz for Chem 30 online by Sunday at midnight and I haven't looked at any of the material. Nada. snap.

Quelle tragédie...

I should've been in bed 2hrs ago as I have Wind Ensemble tomorrow at 7. oh yes.

So I'm listening, yes listening to the National as my dad listens to TV really, really, really loud. The whole loss to Russia is like a national tragedy. I'm kidnapping an issue of the herald, globe and mail and national post (maybe) from the library afterschool tomorrow.

Fun fact, Vancouver International Airport showed the match on big screens. That wins. But it's sad. I'd cancel my flight/or miss it if I watched the car crash of a match that happened.


Review and analysis to come tomorrow hopefully (Oh yes, in an old blog I used to chronicle soccer matches at Euro '04 and write analyses)

Got to love how my wireless was spazzing yesterday and all day today till I went to our main pc and fixed it. During that period of failed connections to the interweb, I managed to read chapters 2-4 (out of 5) of Unconscious Civilization. Maybe my wireless needs to spazz more often...


Also during for much of this morning till this evening, I have been having an allergic reaction to the old paper in the book. So I've been sneezing for the last 8 hrs. :D (I had an allergic reaction to US dollar bills throughout our Band trip too btw. I have no idea what causes this. (Could be the age of the paper...which doesn't work cuz those bills were 4-5 yrs old I think or it could be the ink). During this random period of sickness I have fallen into deep sleep twice. (And I don't know if that's ch 4's --IV From Managers and Speculators to Growth-- slight lack of interest is to blame...I'll go with the sickness)

Everyone's gone and gotten grad dresses it seems. I've barely looked let alone thought about it. Then again, looking at one through a window makes it harder to go and look for one as it kinda was supposed to be a mom-daughter shopping spree hunt venture....thing. Yes.

Oh yes, I'm sick, I'm feeling slightly tired as i read my butt off and I'm telling my dad to go buy a sofa bed so that when his brother ---who, btw guys SURPRISE, I just learned about his existance not too long ago---(Those of you who've heard my story of how I got to know of my 7-8 half-siblings get this) comes over next Monday from Georgia, my dad won't have to sleep on the sofa downstairs. Which will then mean I'd have to clean the computer room via disconnecting the computer, moving the desk to the other side of the room, migrating junk to the basement so that his brother can sleep on a sofabed (or a real bed if my dad just goes and buys that) and my dad on his own bed.

Am slightly annoyed that brother in Vancouver hasn't returned my calls. I will go under the assumption that the two of them (he and his wife) are on vacation.....or business trips.

The further more I read VI, the more I want to skip to the final chapter....Hm.(But yay! Almost done which equals Vanccie treating me to pocky tomorrow =O)

Fun fact: My dad's side of the family is wierd. Or well, I just don't know much about it. My mom's side ---based on what she used to tell me and what my aunt's told me---is huge and widespread. (Or well, my mom was the youngest of three and of her many her cousins (Their moms were sisters) is a famous Canadian poet)

So....could someone bwap me over the head for not clunking down and reading the rest of Unconcious Civilization?

It's getting slightly annoying that I can't sit down and just read this book.
(I guess it's safe to say I lack...er...motivation?)

Ahh! Panic!

So fact, I've only gotten to page 20 of Ralston Saul's fairly kickass book. Problem is, the project is due Tuesday and my speed-reading skills seem to have dimished over the years. That's not a good sign. But hey, judging from what I've read, Ralston Saul's establishes what he's talking about pretty in-depth and such by page 3. I suppose that helps.

That and the neo-citran is kicking in I think...(even though I had it...2hrs ago? Neo-citran fails to enduce drowsiness for me. (I hear stories from family and friends who tell how NC just knocks them out) So this sleepiness could be from the fact it's 10PM already as opposed to the medically-enduced theory..)

Guess Saturday's another day.


And here I thought I could kick this procrastination habit before this year...Hm.

À là, là. Help. Kind of. Sort of. Yeah.

I bring forth news!

One, I sent two other University applications (Ottawa and Concordia). All that's left is Calgary. Next I have to type up my Extenuating Circumstances letter for McGill. It's a pretty hard letter to write too since, as the name states, I'm chronicalling my "extenuating circumstances" that have hampered me or well, frankly put, avalanched me over the last few years. It's a pretty personal-ish letter IMHO. (And really hard to start because you're going "So, McGill, here's all the not-so-fun stuff that's happened to me in the last few years...." ) :O

Oh and I ventured into the Arctic yet again, geared up in my gangsta thick coat to the Telus Convention Centre downtown to help Poirier with his seminar on debate. Saw Mlle Richardier and another teacher whom I know from Branton who's name keeps fleeing my brain. Anyway, it was interesting to watch/film. (We get paid. :D...)

My aunt's a fun person to chat with on the phone. Yay aunt. And Montreal...Montreal...I need to call people in Montreal sometime. I actually should. The lack of communication I've been having with family and friends in Montreal is sad. :X

Aand I'm going to speed-read through Unconcious Civilisation by Sunday. Or attempt to. Should be interesting.

EDIT (1:58PM) Aha, stupid me.

Found a document entitled "Extenuating Circumstances Letter" just now. It's my letter. Completely forgot I had typed it up already. Haha...Having read it over a few times, it sounds good. It's just wierd.

Oh and I'm applying to the Calgary Flames/Saddledome as an Usher. Wonder if I'll get a job. Oh and speaking of jobs, I have to go to the bank with dad to sign...something that has still left me confused. Ah well. I know what I should be signing and what not to signing (ie of what not to sign: something relenquishing my ownership of our house to my dad. That'd be...dumb.) And I have to do invetigative duties and find out how my share of the mortgage has been being paid and who's been paying it and where that money being used to pay it is coming from.

Amlake T.D.-Part-Time Investigator. Oh-hoh.

Okay. Going to go watch Canada pwn Finland now.

Random

Mr Digital Camera has been FOUND!

Now all I need is batteries...

Haha....

I love philosophical "Make you question life and all aspects of it" manga. Always fun and intriguing.

So I'm semi-sick (sore throat, plugged nose---wait, blocked now, 3hr fever). So today wasn't particularily enjoyable.

Mr Poirier also announced that we will only have to hand in Part A of our Reports Tuesday. Don't know...I'll have to speed-read through the break and I'm busy.

Tomorrow- Anime-thon thingy with Amy. Yay.

Friday morning- help at Teacher's Convention.

Saturday I was hoping to spend with Vanccie since, we like never spend time together (Though, I have taken some of my double spares and run downtown like mad to her school during her lunch hour and hung out with her). Anyway, heartfelt friend-friend stuff ensues. You have been warned.

You're still reading?! This is long. Filled with memories stuff and friendship sappy stuff. D=



So me and Vanccie have been best friends since...forever---9 or 10 years this September. Yes. 10 long years. She's about 2 yrs younger than me and we're still hanging out like wow. We haven't been going to the same schools or anything for ...5 years I think. It's funny since the only time we ever talk is on msn or on the phone....daily *cough* (What?! 2hrs a day? You've never heard of that? SHAME.) we only ever see each other....*thinks*...uh--

Er--

Hmm....

Once....every 3-5 months?


I know. Long. But hey, recently, that number has gone down to 2-3 months. That's a good thing (The only time we hung out was at her birthday parties in October and at Otafest and the one or two random weekends where we weren't overloaded with homework) though, when University comes, it'll be hard I think. I'm dead, dead, dead set on going back home to Montreal even though I know I will never see Jordan, Bistra, Tanzeo, Pierre, Louis (the guy who got me into Star Trek when we were kids) or Zoe or run into them and expect them to remember me from 10 yrs ago. It's sad too since we were tight (though not intelligent enough to trade phone numbers. The true failiure of my life so far). I just feel happier there. I mean, Ste Cat's, smoked meat, REAL Montreal-style bagels (the ones here make me cry), the insane amount of festivals, the transit, the metro, my old apartment (I still remember where! 4685 Rue Clanranald. and I have our old phone number too. *fails*), super-clingy relatives . I know that when I'm back there, I'll feel relieved. Kinda've been angry that we got transferred all the way out here. (Some friends in Montreal have gone far enough to say that had we stayed in Montreal, my mom would still be alive)

So, let's get it straight, Montreal = HOME to me.

End, off-topicness,

Anyway, I know that Vanccie'll be sad once I leave and that the time we spend acting like total dorks and geeking will be limited this year. Eh, we've got Otafest to er-- "party hard" I suppose? And we can totally sacrifice our report cards and hang out during exams. Haha...maybe not a good plan. For sure, I'll run up a pretty big bill on phone calls. GUess it'll be Msn-restricted in terms of communication....

Since we got each other in Japanese cartoons as kids, we kinda vowed that we'd go to Japan someday. It's still in the planning stages. :)

Back to Montreal, a fact,

Apparently there was always the option of going back to Montreal after what happened 4-5 yrs ago but apparently I had to finish school here before doing so. (Well, transition from Gr 8 to Sec II or III would've been awkward but easier than say Gr 10 to Sec IV, second last year before CEGEP. Actually, my friend did that. He was all "WTF" for a bit.)

I'll frankly admit, I've had a harder time here than anywhere. Things pretty much were bad from the get-go when we moved here. Not financially mind you, but I suppose psychologically (I was grump for the first year here.). I had no friends, some of my mom's close friends quit and my dad was just as friendless as me (I mean, dude, there are NO Ethiopians here.). Soon I was going "Where's all the other people" and "Why is everything so brown" a couple days later. It wasn't fun.

Actually, another fun story. It happened a few days before we were moving.


I was being a sulky 8 and a half yr old sitting on our window sill looking at the balconies of the apartment beside ours (they weren't that far apart. I used to talk about stuff with the old couple in one of them) and I saw a kid staring at me from the other apartment window. Like any other 8 and a half yr old, we hid and pulled a sneaky move and snuck back into each other's view. Then I remember running off and then running back out onto the balcony as he followed suit. So we had our water guns (I loved water guns. Wanted a Super Soaker but never got one. Boo.) and we spoke in French and asked who we were.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Andrew, you?"

We had a mini water fight for a bit and we met a bunch of times at our balconies and asked "Comment t'était ta journée?" and all that. Then one day, he told me this;

"Maman told me that we're moving to a place called Europe"

I think I remember being shocked at that. Mainly because, I thought I was the only kid on the planet moving from the place they called home. I think I remember telling him that I was moving to Calgary but I told him I knew where Europe was (kid me= geography geek.) and he told me he was moving to a place that spoke French and I don't remember confirming where.

What I remember from our mini 2-3 day encounter, was that we traded items---our toy water guns.

So how do you suppose two 8 and a half yr olds have enough power to through little water guns across a 7ft-10ft gap? I don't know either. But, being a scardey cat I refused until he threw his and I caught it (proof of my goalie prowess perhaps?). I was tentative at first but with all my might, I threw my tiny little water pistol to his end and it landed safely. (I think the initial idea was to try out each other's water guns. But in the end, we decided to keep each other's water guns) We had a water fight, a neighbor below got mad at us. lol (my earlier troublemaking.) and we had fun.

I think the last I saw Andrew was when we planned to meet again before we left. When he had said that, his mom came out and ushered him inside and they waved bye to me.

I never saw him after that.


The next day, was our moving day. Terrible day, EXCEPT, when we got to the hotel downtown, the day after I was in the elevator with my dad when lo and behold, my "cousin" from New York appeared with her mum who promptly hugged me and me and my cousin went "OMG U!!" ala 8 and a half yr old style. My mom was pretty happy (and I think it was purely coincidential that they checked into the same hotel with us). We got to hang out and everything in downtown Montréal. It was a fun, yet bittersweet and a bunch of other things.

Nope. Haven't seen my cousin since then either. Her mom calls but I've lost their number (and I need to thank them for the christmas gift.).

Yay deep insight posts...er---relavatory.

Yeah, this post was supposed to talk about friends. I think. I guess? I don't know. I've got a complicated mind and this post was long.

I promise, no more SUPERMEGA lengthy posts like this EVER.

So what does Amlake do when she can't concentrate on her studies?

She doodles. For hours.

And that's what I've been doing instead of studying for the last while...*fails*

Obviously, I just can't get anything done unless my creativity decides to butt in on my homeworking and take up the rest of my precious homework time. Like it's doing now.

The good news? I've created some original characters that I like =O.

But other than that....ahh. *has a Math unit test tomorrow*

Uh-oh...

Taking a break out of my Math studying, er---"studying", I have something to say;

So my Social 30 project given to me late-December is due next Monday.


Haven't read a single book. (though I have Unconcious Civilisation, i need one more book) I'll go check how much it's worth (I wonder if it's a bonus project...?)...Not wanting to take a zero...so I'll see what I can do. =O


Happy Singles Appreciation Day!



BTW, cheesesticks (the oven kind) taste really really bad without ketchup. Ugh.

Mike~! Kate listened to my instructions and posted pics! They're pretty no?

Yoinked from Mike's blog (which says he's a Master blogger)

Amlake -- [noun]: A person of questionable sanity who starts their own cult 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Cult? What is this cult you speak of?

Anyway, I tried the accent, it killed my browser upon loading.


Yes my name is just that almighty. So almighty it crashes web servers with a single click! :O

Hah-hahahaaaah.

*clears throat*

Actually, in truth, it said I was an alien. lol (Actually last time i did the quiz it did crash my browser)

goodday.

About Friday's band class...

I'm kind of kicking myself for having kept it to myself and not asked this to the general Grade 12 class.

Okay, so Mr. Paddock asked us or well, told us about a change with Grad that he was proposing/thought about. He suggested that we let the Gr 10s and 11s go as a band together and play at our grad as opposed to what usually happens (or what has been happening for a while at grad ceremonies)---The Symphonic Band plays for the grads for a piece or two and the Gr 11s play together for another.

OKay. Wierd.

What annoyed me the most after Mr. Paddock asked if it was okay, lots of people were in favour of it. It was saddening and angering. I mean, what's the point of being in band if you don't want to even play at your grad? I've been psyched to play at our grad since we did it with the last Gr 12s last year. I mean, saying that you don't want to is like the equivalent to saying you don't want to go to grad! And I know alot of those who said "No!" happily want to go to grad.

I pretty much wanted to ask the general band "Why are you guys in band if you don't want to play at your own grad?"/"How come those who happily said 'No' don't want play?" and if someone said "It's because (the most of us) suck" then I'd have to counter with either "Hey, we don't practice now do we?" or "Well, the few Gr 12s who do practice and enjoy band and the Gr 11s will cover for those who aren't so good"....which would've been mean but frankly true. It happens everywhere.

I mean, if we were a soccer or hockey club and part of the graduate class and we got the invitation to play an exhibition match for...I dunno our soccer academy at the "grad", I'm sure alot of people would be more than happy to do so.

Okay, semi-not-good example.

I don't know. It's just angering and saddening at the same time to hear that most Gr 12s don't want to play at their own grad. I think even a few weeks before Grad last year some Gr 12s told me good luck (and were pitying that I wasn't in their grad class) and speculated that we would have some catching up to do. How true. =/

Laura's suggestion that voulenteers play was nice too. (I mean, that would just include me, Devon, Katie A and I guess B, Amy, Bryan, Steve, Naz, Laura, Jenna and some others) I mean, with 90% of the class unwilling, it's completely plausible.

What I would like to suggest, is not to exclude us altogether but perhaps include the 10-11 combo but first have the Symphonic Band play, then have the Gr 12s leave and the 10-11s play together.

Anyway, the next Symphonic band will be about the same level as it was last year but only better and the one after that will have a sturdy bunch of Gr 12s who actually like Band. Alot of the Gr 10s are fantastic players as are many of the Gr 11s.

And if 90% of our Gr 12s don't want to play at their own grad, then what in God's name are we going to do when Mr. Paddock tells us we'll be doing Small Ensembles (Like a Final Project but worth alot more) which includes us playing in small 2-10 Ensembles (or solo) in front of a decent sized group for an entire evening?

Then again, the question that should be asked is Mr Paddock even going to actually have a Small Ensembles again this year?



It's just a right shame that this Gr 12 Symphonic band couldn't have had some backbone or got their acts together. (or whatever the heck that expression is) Honestly.


(I realize not everyone in Gr12 is a bad musician, but this rant was more examinate of the Gr12 students in Band rather than individual Gr 12s)

ABE. We (seem to) know orange drama.



I'm craving nachos with cheese and red peppers right now....

*is filling out her tax return*
I think I need the actual paper copy because this is just so darn...so easy that i'm overanalysing it all complicatedly long. It's like "Question" then "Go look at this tab", then "be confused for 20mins" then "Fill out answer" and repeat....30-something times.

Olympics

Oh Vancouver~~ we have ALOT to compete with 4 years down the road.

Holy snaps. I LOVED their strategy for lighting the torch. It was soo amazing. The Opening Ceremonies was about...1000000x better than Salt Lake.

Best Dressed
Obviously not Team Canada. I miss Roots (Is HBC dressing our country in 2010? Because I'll be sad) I mean, the hats are cute, but the coats kill me for some reason...and I love our gloves. They're cute too but the rest is just...argh. I'll drag my dad to the Bay

Brazil had goggles ontop of their funky hats. I want their goggles, does anyone know how to buy those? Those were so cool

Mongolia's hats. Best hats. Brian and Mansbridge had an interesting comment about Mongolia's hats

"We were talking about hats. Those hats, those are nice hats" or something like that.

Virgin Islands. Loved their scarves. Romania had kickass scarves and Romania sported traditional black coats (as did another country...Forgot who). I liked whoever designed Lithuania's and a bunch of other countries coats.

Lithuania, Brazil, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Japan, Ukraine, Greece (I know.), (THIS entry will be edited a bit more since I taped a late-night rerun sooo) all had cool uniforms. They were traditional winter coats but they were awesome and pretty.

I have to say, Germany's uniforms were horribly tacky. Not as "We look like we actually live in igloos" as the Canadian uniforms, but they were tacky.

Shocker.
ETHIOPIA sent a team. Ethiopia. Yeah, that country. Primarily a marathon-track-and-field country rather than winter. The flag bearer had cool hair though. I say he should win because of his funky hair doo.

Jamaica didn't send a bobsled team. =X

I like...
CBC. NBC had a funky 10 mins video about Torino that made me and Amy want to go there...but they spent the other 30mins interviewing Michelle Kwan and other athletes...

CBC is cool, in our videos we don't show only Canadians, but Japanese, German, Ukraines, they use clips from other athletes from other countries.

SO....2010...
Hmm. It won't be freezing (unless Global Warming goes nuts again and Vancouver gets dumped with snow) and at THIS olympic opening ceremony, some chreographers were Canadian I think. So, come on Vancouver, make this 1000x better than Torino. (Although, since we don't have funky architects like the Europeans, I dunno if our stadiums will look pretty. Maybe they will. o_o)

Who knows, 4 yrs later (when most of us will be in our 4th or 3rd years in Universities---watch as many will high tail it to Vancouver during February 2010) maybe we'll pull off a show of a lifetime. =D (Don't we get to preview our olympics in the Closing Ceremonies?)

CUrrently on...
Moguls. OMFG Who saw Jenny Heil's run?! Omg. Superb. She won our first gold of the Olympics! Yay!

But teehee, the announcer said "Representing the United States--- SOrry!! Representing Canada, Jennifer Heil!". *amused*

So, next up, Canada v Italy in Women's Hockey. I've never seen Italy play....

It annoying.
That we've been slammed with a bunch of controversies....I smell conspiracy. (Or I don't but it's seeming like that)

Sigur Rós

Random:
You guys must listen to Sigur Rós (si-yur rose). They're an Icelandic band and their music simply incredibly, superly awesome.


And they'll be on Conan O'Brien tonight. Hmm.


And Devon, JLU brought in Carter Hall/Hawkman in tonight's ep. Made me very happy. lol

And the previews showed an E-2 Supergirl (or like the Linda Danvers/Original-costume one), and Stargirl lots. Still haven't seen an ep with Billy Batson/Captain Marvel though. =X

*pulls some random amazing karate move*

Ow. Well, that went well...

So not only is Mr. Neckstrap missing, but Mr. Digital Camera too. Actually, both have been missing for the last 2 and 3 months respectively. And yes, I've combed most of the house in search of it but to no avail. Boo.

BTW, I'm getting my finance issues ironed out a bit. I have some money on the way but, I think most of it will go to my portion of the mortgage....I think. Have to find that out.

BTW, BTW, my brother called (LA one). Vancouver one is being silent =x.

And, Amy and Az say I should be a manga-ka (manga artist and author). I fail at motivation and writing my thoughts into words is not my forte...oye. (manga-kas today write their own stories and do the art themselves. The assisstants---6-8 of them---do the inks, screen tones and text and suchnot.) I dunno...interesting as it may seem, I've been in such a creative slump it's sad. =X

oh and my brother from LA says "Why'd you guys vote for a Conservative governement?...Makes no sense..." with regards to the election.

So you know what?

The Contrabass clarinet is one of the coolest instruments EVER. I like, had a chance to play it during spare and holy crap has it got the most coolest sound ever!

Aside from the fact that I had some issues controlling the low and high notes (the mouthpiece is HUGE. It dwarfs my Bass Clarinet's mouthpiece.) like some squeaked themselves out where as others came out nicely and as I went on, I was able to play most of the notes squeakless to some extent.

Speaking about the mouthpiece, it might be bigger than the Bari Sax's as would the reed. And, when I have it on the stand, it goes pretty high so it sticks out higher than a Bassoon or a Tuba...or well, slightly higher. (It's a loopy/paperclippy one like the one pictured here ) The one some of you saw at Vic Lewis in Lord Beaverbrook's band (pictured here) would require me to sit on a stool or raised chair to play (And not only that, but both are roughly 7K to 10K. And neither of those prices are in Canadian)

(EDIT There's a third kind of Contrabass and it's a "Bass Clarinet"-looking one pictured here . Cost about....20K USD.)

The only problem I have with it, is it's stand. It doesn't do it's job. I have to have the Contrabass adjusted pretty high on the stand and so I adjust it, tighten it super mega tight and it like, starts slipping down slowly as I play. Not fun. Oh and Mr. Paddock told me the girl who played the Contrabass last brought along some pliers to unscrew the stand screw. I think I may have to do that too. *hunts down dad's toolbox*

So, in conclusion, the Contrabass clarinet > all. With a bit of practice, I'll be able to play it without squeaks. Har. Har. 8D

Sadly, Mr. Neckstrap that Riana the oh-so-cool Gr 10 Bass Clarinet found and gave me since she had two is still missing. =(

Other negatives
It takes ALOT more air than a Bass Clarinet or an Extended Bass Clarinet (the one I play) to get a middle C and lower. ohman. And the high A natural on this thing is horribly out of tune. The high high A nat. and low A nat are in tune.


ohmygoodness. bestinstrumentEVER!!!


So uh- you know, I want to play the Contrabass and the Bass Clarinet in band now. Think Mr. Paddock would let me? (I might try it a bit more then see)

I have concluded that this is the most geekiest band entry I have ever typed.

Again, I saw nothing at lunch. :O

The only news I have tonight is that I will now be able to play the Contrabass clarinet during my spares to get a hang of it. I'm quite happy. (NOTE: I will have a life during my spares. It's not like I'll spend all my spares playing the Contrabass. =X)


And we lost to the Canucks? Aie. Not cool.

*throws tablet in the air*

Okay, so I didn't throw my uber-special graphic tablet into the air. That would be dumb. Plus, I love my tablet and the pen is super funky and it's teal/metallic blue. More funkyness.

Anyway, my creativity's died on me again. Whee. Although, listening to ages-old Japanese Digimon music and Aqua music seems to be helping. Wish I was using Open Canvas and not Photoshop...OC is alot easier for me when drawing, but the trial ran out so I've reverted to Photoshop which is hard to manipulate imo. =X

I have no idea what happened to my creativity....

EDIT (10:02)
In some saddening news, one of my most favorite comic artist --Seth Fisher-- has died. (I have no idea how old he was...some say he was in his 30s and no one knows what he died of yet) So tonight, I'm going to sit read Green Lantern:Willworld because his art in that is just....incredible...and amazing---His art was basically one-of-a-kind and just jaw-droppingly cool.

Condolences to his friends and his wife and family.

And tonight's episode of the OC was just....wtf. Augh.

I've lost my neckstrap for my Bass Clarinet and I'm pretty sad. =X

I'll hunt for it later...in case it's lying around the house somewhere. But gah. I've lost my neckstrap!

AND, a thoughtful entry.

It seems as of late some individuals, who shall forever remain nameless, have seeked help from me in their life problems. Some of these people are online buddies, some are people I know in RL. It's interesting that there are people out there who consider me as someone who will listen to their problems. It makes me unbelievably happy. Thank you.

To end the somewhat random paragraph, I'll just quote Life of Brian seeing as how Strombolopoulos aired a clip of the song on The HOUR.
"Always look on the bright side of life."