Too---Much---Rehearsal...

Almost five hours of my day was spent at violin rehearsals.
The first two and a half hours directly after school at Henry High.
The next two hours were at orchestra, right after Henry.
I didn't get home until 9:30 ever since I left for school... Looooooong day...

Homecoming

First of all, virtual handshake to Sammy, who won the best costume for today's award.

I got a good costume for tomorrow (Tacky Tourists)-- all I had to do was raid my grandmother's closet!
Short post. Huh.
Anyway, bye!

Ending Speechy Thingy

So how did the teachers choose the person that gets to do the end-of-the-year Junior High overall speech thing to the sixth graders?

My Little Munchkin's First Performance

So today was my little munchkin's first dance performance, and I had to sit at the front of the audience and sign them their movements. Cause they're, like, four, and can't remember any of it, except for Telly, who's practically a genius. And she's the youngest, too.
Anyway, I missed a part, but no one could tell except for the kids who remembered. Oops. (They were doing the Jasmine Flower dance, just in case you were wondering, Sam.)
It was at this culture place where there was this other dance group, and guess who was dancing?
Guess?
Come on.
No, no... last guess... and no.
It was *drumroll, please...* Dominator. Yes. Dominator. Dancing.
IT WAS HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sam, you should've been there.
Anyway, that's the end of the little tidbit about my little munchkins... Bye!

Henry High

Since I will be leaving the Woods of Brent next year and therefore have no change to be in the musical, I was very happy to get the chance to play for Henry High's musical, Into the Woods. Which the Woods of Brent has done before. Anyway.
Today was our first rehearsal. I am one of the two violins, the other one being my friend, Davey. We split the parts so that I play 2nd violin for the First Act and then I play 1st violin for the Second Act. Actually, we haven't counted the acts, so maybe there's three. I don't know, we'll get to that later.
Anyway.
Our friends, Mad (only cello) and Sair (only viola) make up the string quartet with us. And there are about ten select band instruments.
So we rehearsed a couple of songs (there are 72 in all!) with the cast. They sing loudly.
And when they say their lines, they talk to the rhythmn of our music. Which is difficult, but fun at the same time. I like it. And every once in a while there's something called a 'safety line' which is a measure you repeat over and over again until the actor says your cue, which is basically a line where you continue the music after that.
Anyway, we were playing, and all of a sudden, there's this solo. For me. And I've never played it before. And here we are, going almost full speed, everyone stops--
And it's my turn.
In front of ALLLLLL the cast and band members (all of which who are high schoolers except for Davey)...
So after realizing this, I play. It was easy, I mean, this music is just background stuff.
It was scary, though, I mean, everyone paying attention. It would have been a lot cooler if I actually KNEW it and the key signature wasn't all whacked up.
Anyway, after I finished and was still recovering from the shock of practically messing up in front of everyone, Davey turns to me and says, "That C was supposed to be flat."
Thank you. Thank you, Davey for making me feel better.

Then after about an hour the cast got to just sit on the edge of the stage. By the way, the orchestra (what they call the band and strings) is in the pit.
So the guy playing Jack comes up and sits behind Davey and I and said, "Yeah, we get to sit behind the violins! Party!"
Um, so that's how it went. Basically. Yeah.

Fonts!!!!!!

Wow, we can change fonts on this? I am so technically challenged, I just figured this out!
Can you read this? Okay, Sam, I know you're reading this... No big surprise there... :)

Am I a Llama??

Today I looked up my name in Google Images-- and pictures of a llama pop up. Should I be worried? I think so.

YOU'RE BAAAAAAACK!!!!

Yay, I am so happy that Jestar's blog is back! :)

*sigh*

*sigh* still sick...
But yesterday I didn't have to go to violin, dance class, or Chinese yo-yo. Even if that meant being sick... still, though.

TCSIT Duets

I don't think Deer and I are going to make TCSIT.
Mrs. C doesn't like her much now cause she still doesn't know her lines for the play. And she only signed up for 3 events.
One she hasn't heard back from, and the other she forgot. FORGOT? How do you forget what you sign up for??
And I'm thinking she didn't make the Bible Reading Tryouts...
Here my dreams are crushed.

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

I'm Mad, I'm Sick, I'm Tired... etc...

Today I almost got sick. Like at 9:30 I went to the nurse and had a 99.7 low fever. And I didn't HAVE to go home cause it wasn't over 100.0 so I stayed because we would have play practice until 5:00.
So I ddddddrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggg myself throught the entire day, including-

• Substituting for Paul in High School Band cause the other flutes can't play without getting lost within five seconds (sounds like my band) unless Paul's there. Or me. Maybe. I don't know, they don't seem to like me very much. Whatever.
• Sitting up in the locker room the entire PE cause I didn't feel good and it was a free day.
• Lifting 20 pounds five times (I know it doesn't seem like much but when you're sick it just about squeezes all the strength out of you) of paper and lifting them up on shelves. Lucky, huh, the day I get sick, the strenuous work. The first time I did it I had a heat stroke. Anyway. Basically, that was NOT good. At ALL.

So I FINALLY get to Drama, where I have been WAITING, almost sick the WHOLE DAY to have the rehearsal.

And guess what.

A ton of 7th graders didn't know we had practice. Meaning their parents would pick them up at 3:30.

So what does Mrs. C do?

She makes the practice last until 4.

FOUR!!!!!!!

That's a whole hour's worth of difference!

We didn't get anything done but carry desks to the stage and go through lines, which no one knew theirs.

When I could have been home by 10:00 in the morning, in bed. Or, better yet, not even GO to school today.

*sighs*

...a what?...

In Drama we watched 'This is a Test' as our school last performed it.
With high schoolers.
A long time ago.
Meaning we had to watch it on tape.
And whoever the cameraman was, they didn't do a great job.
It makes me wish that I got the part of Allie (main character) cause SOMEONE doesn't memorize their lines.
I'm the only 8th grader (besides Codez and Guineapig) on the stage. Guineapig doesn't count cause he's the teacher, chosen for the role because of his lack of emotion while acting.
Anyway.
We're supposed to be like a real classroom. But everyone else just sits there, staring at their scripts, blandly says their lines without looking up, and stares again.
Um... hello?
Acting isn't only about lines. It's about reactions, too!
Sorry. I complain to much.
BUT REALLY!!!!!

TV with Ray Benson

So today I had to go to watch some sort of Yunnan (China province) dancing group film for the TV channel. I didn't know much about it, so we walked into the TV station and went up to the 6th floor... and walked throught GIANT grey, heavy doors...

And there we were. At the City Limits Stage. World-famous.

Funny how we live right here and I've never heard about it until today.

Anyway, Ray Benson (again, haven't heard of him until today, but apparently famou) was up on stage with his band, Asleep Behind the Wheel. He was singing "Miles and Miles of Texas"-- with Chinese dancers in colorful costumes dancing (not impressive) and a guy playing a leaf. A LEAF.

It was loud.

Just... a leaf. Like, in the forest. A real one. And it sounded GOOD!!

So we took a seat and watched them. By this point I was trying to cover my ears cause the leaf guy was WAYYYYYYYY loud.

After watching the Yunnan dancers yell at each other about the dance routine, the camera crew began filming.

Pretty much everyone watching (high-pay job people) pulled out their cameras, so I took out my phone and recorded some.

After all that TV filming was done, Ray Benson came to talk to the person sitting behind me.

At his is HUGE!! No, not fat, just... Ultra tall and GIANTISH.

And now that I think about it, everything in that room was giant. Giant camera, giant backdrop, giant... singer...

Then poor Mr. Benson had to be in a magic trick. It wasn't even good. It was like one of those that you could buy the instructions for $3 at Terra Toys.

Then was the acrobats. Who weren't very acrobatic. Considering that one of them was kinda... thick, and that wasn't all muscle.

It wasn't impressive until the end, where one guy balanced on the other guy's shoulder blades, like... guy on bottom standing straight up, guy on top upside-down, their shoulders balanced.

But the guy on top came down heavy. And when they were done they just skittered off the stage.

So I enjoyed being in a TV station once again, (good thing there weren't a lot of people) and I can show you pictures I took.

Later! Bye.

Guess

Sam, I guess you have your phone back?

Good Luck, Sam

Untie your shoelaces yet?