[Tuesday, January 7, 2003] np: Samwise The Brave - Lord of the Rings
Oh, and first musical rehearsal was today. Fabulous people. I predict I'll go insane very soon with "It's a Hard-Knock Life" being stuck in my head during the coming weeks, but I'm saying that fondly. For now, anyway.
Set sounds like it's going to be really elaborate and fun. The orphanage will have a banner that reads, "We Love You, Miss Hannigan", pelted with whatever the orphans could throw at it. the lies are dizzying @ 09:25 p.m.
[Tuesday, January 7, 2003] np: Samwise The Brave - Lord of the Rings
Finally bit the bullet and returned one of my soundtracks and opened the other. I was tempted to return for the (not very impressive) Sam and Frodo cover, but I'll make do with Legolas. Unless there's someone out there who wants to trade for Sam and Frodo? (I'm probably the only girl on this planet who has the Legolas sticker and wants to trade. The only reason I didn't return mine is because it look me about twenty minutes to trade in my other copy.)
I told a junior today that the rumors about junior year being the toughest were lies, all lies. I think so, anyway.
New semester, some new classes. Time for new semester review.
Honors English IV: Apparently my English teacher didn't really read the term paper I got an A on, because apparently even people who wrote their papers the day beforehand got an A. Is this bad? Not really...but it is bad that I thought my writing there was up to her "normal really reading this paper" standard and wrote almost all the same things on my exam. My teacher gave me a C on the exam. I thought my exam was really good, and she's never even given me a C on anything I've tried on. If people belong in honors classes, you don't give C's. And I'm far from the worst writer there. I'm aware of this because... Economics: ...my econ teacher took me aside on Monday and told me I had tied for the third-best exam in his honors class (generally the same people as English honors), which was also entirely essay. Told me my writing was clear and passionate, etcetera etcetera. I'm not snobbish about my writing, I know I'm not great in general, but I'm not a C writer okay. Anyway. Econ looks to be as nice as government was, relaxed and happy while learning exciting things. Drama: Mr. Y! We're starting the semester with long scenes performed with a partner. I'm kind of eh on my partner even though I haven't performed with her yet. All "scenes for two women" book selections are the same; stupid girls whining and bitching about boyfriends. I took one glance at those books and threw them back into the pile, and rummaged around for a book of selected scenes from popular films. I came back to my partner with one of the opening scenes from The Producers, and she was poring over one of the books I'd rolled my eyes at before. "But it's really interesting, see there's these two girls, and one of them cheated with the other girl's boyfriend, and the other girl's really mad, and they scream and scream at each other." Do not want to spend the following weeks roaring, "He was MINE, you bitch!" and the like. Plan on convincing her that my selection is the way to go, because I'm not bending. I'm soo torn as to which guy I want dibs on to play, but I think I wanna be Bloom. XDXDXD ("You're going to JUMP on meeee!") Also, our big project this semester is to select a three-act play and go through all the steps in producing it. ^^ Then later, the more experienced theatre program participants will actually cast their play and have it performed by classmates, directing it themselves. *_* In the meantime we have to interpret characters, design programs/costumes/set, make a sound plot...oooh fun. Psychology: With our teacher, have no doubt I will learn a great deal of interesting information that will be completely irrelevant to our tests or grades. This is my "sleeping" class. Chem: Same as ever. It's okay. Prayer: Ehhh. Not looking forward to it. It'll be fairly easy, but it's just not a class I want to take. I don't want to do a stupid prayer journal - it's not any teacher's business how I pray, right, and I think the load of assigned journal topics will end up being made-up things anyway. I also loathe the concept of the mandatory school prayer service. Not so much the service itself, but the idea that if a certain amount of students don't show up, you fail the entire assignment. You have to practically pay people to go to those things, and they don't mean anything to anybody. the lies are dizzying @ 07:21 p.m.
[Sunday, January 5, 2003] np: The Breaking of the Fellowship - Lord of the Rings
>
La la la. Am perfectly content right now.
Went over to Ali's house yesterday. Les was an hour late, as usual. We shrieked at each other and exchanged presents. Les got me this scroll-thing?? it's a hanging wall clock on a fabric scroll, and it has Miroku and Sango on it *___* (I'm easy to please.)
Then we went to see LotR, third time around for Les and me. My goal was to see it five times in the theaters, but I remember movies really easily (even after months or a year, I often can still remember most dialogue from a movie I've seen once) and I now can pretty much recite the lines along with the actors completely now. Maybe I'll wait a week or two before seeing it again.
Then, we went to Toys 'R Us to shriek over the LotR merchandise. Saruman action figure comes with a little plastic Sauron-eyeball. No joke.
Back to Ali's house! Buffy! Most recent four episodes, three hours. Inuyasha, two filler episodes. That series has the most fabulous filler of any series I've ever seen. O.O There was an episode where some village ruler or something wanted to marry Sango, and she got really mad when Miroku didn't act jealous and instead told her to be happy with the guy...and then, at the end after she turned the other guy down, they shared an umbrella in the rain. The other was all about Jaken and how he met Sesshoumaru. Best part being when he tried to steal Tetsusaiga and got Kagome's Shikon fragments by mistake - and then nicely gave them back. Then we watched two episodes of Spiral...mm. Guys are pretty and seiyuu are great (I'm becoming such a Suzumura Kenichi whore), but the "mysteries" seemed rather boring.
Theeeen, and by that point it was three AMish and we'd realized that going back home wasn't going to be an option, we dragged out the sleeping bags and watched most of the LotR extras (maybe an hour's worth) and most of the first disc of the cast commentary. I retract my previous statement about everyone except the hobbit boys giving dull commentary. Ian McKlellan muttering about how nobody knows exactly what Gandalf's got in his pipe and how it might be some wild hallucinogenic was pretty fun. the lies are dizzying @ 07:05 p.m.
[Friday, January 3, 2003] np: Life Goes On - Leann Rimes
Spent roughly $100 today in one go to buy the rest of the DDR stuff. Spent almost two hours at it today. :D I'm absolutely ecstatic and having tons of fun...despite the fact that I seriously suck at it...but, bought it to get better, right. ^^;;
Tomorrow: the evil trio reunion (Ali, Les, me) XD Meeting at Ali's at ten AM, trotting over to see LotR, possibly going shopping after that...
Ingrid, about the fact that Frodo never uses the magic sword... XD Cast commentary track on the DVD even mentioned it. At Weathertop, Frodo takes one look at the Ringwraiths, drops his sword, and crawls away like the magnificent uke he is
"Did you see that? They made me train with everyone else for months with the swords, for that." As Frodo crawls away...
"....Elijah, that was pathetic, man. You couldn't have run away?"
"*small voice* But...but there's that part where he has to put on the ring, so..."
Amused me.
It was obvious though, that they had recorded cast commentary in seperate groups, and everyone who wasn't in the hobbit group was boring me to tears. Sean Bean speaks unfairly slowly, and he rambled about Boromir through almost every Sam/Frodo scene.
Also, Elijah Wood doesn't wear color contacts and his eyes have not been digitally enhanced, altered, or enlarged in any way (methinks it's just the camera filters). the lies are dizzying @ 09:45 p.m.
[Thursday, January 2, 2003] np: The Breaking of the Fellowship - Lord of the Rings
Oh, and Les is here but I haven't talked to her, but I talked to Ali for a really long time...we'll be doing Things this weekend, probably Mitsuwa (!) and LotR and who knows what else.
Zzz. I got a lot of money for Christmas. I also need to return some gifts. You'd guess with LotR you can't go wrong, but you can. I bought DDR pads, finally the kind I wanted. This means I need to go buy both the game and a PSone. I wanted to buy a tablet this year, but doesn't seem wise, not to mention impossible with possible Mitsu trip.
Back east, bought a nice outfit for college interviews, new pair of jeans. Nice.
Also, am slightly miffed at the sticker (?) cover choices for the LotR:TTT soundtrack. Eowyn, Arwen, and Theoden rate their own stickers but Sam and Frodo have to share? I wouldn't open either copy of the CD I recieved because I wanted to exchange for a copy with a Sam cover, and it turns out his cover with Frodo isn't even that nice looking. Guess I'll stick with Legolas, but... *pout* Well, at least I can open it now, and listen to it, but. the lies are dizzying @ 10:48 p.m.
[Thursday, January 2, 2003] np: Fiancee ni Naritai - Utena
Yaaaargh. I'm tired as all hell. I just went into insane standardized testing-mode. My ACTs are the exact same as the first time I took them, my SATs went up 20 points in math.
Overall, I must say that I'm in trouble. Reeeaaaal trouble. I'm toying with the idea of blowing an art division app or two off. Well, maybe just one.
I do have to simply direct a general "fuck you" to every campus who decided it would be cool to make their deadline January 15th. I'm going to be busy. Um.
Jan 15th:
-Wellesley extras due...I think I only have financial aid left. And the stuff in the envelope.
-Pitzer due...just their stuff in the envelope. Easy.
-UCLA portfolio. ERGH. And their little form and stuff.
-Right, financial aid. Work out ish with FAFSA, get extra college forms in, scream like fucking hell at my "father" for his tax returns. I'm sorry, but all colleges should go to hell insisting on these things for non-custodial parents by the same deadlines. Did I mention I'm not going to be recieving any aid whatsoever? Right. the lies are dizzying @ 10:48 p.m.
[Thursday, January 2, 2003] np: Toki ni Ai wa - Okui Masami
Ti. red.
Relatives are exhausting, especially during family tragedies that you're expected to fix as a unit in the span of five days.
Oh. Wait. SAT scores. *dashes off* the lies are dizzying @ 10:48 p.m.
[Friday, December 27, 2002]
Swore I would only watch the first disc of the LotR cast commentary, but I had to finish both. Stayed up till three AM doing so.
Have to finish college app tonight. Spent the entire morning shopping, the entire afternoon working on CSS profile for college.
I've spent an obscene amount of money these past few days. I still have more, mind you, but I still feel guilt. I either want to set aside $100 of it for college expenses, or buy a tablet. ;_;
Will be gone till the fourth, I think. After that should still be scarce, as Les and I will be in the same state for the first time in about six months, and much gay fanservice-viewing must be crammed into the space of a very small amount of days. the lies are dizzying @ 09:33 p.m.
[Wednesday, December 25, 2002] np: Kaze ga Fuku Hi - Sakamoto Maaya
Riiiight...my "little break" from apps appears to have gotten away from me. *cringe*
It was a good Christmas. Not, well, my absolute best as a day in and of itself, but it wasn't bad. And I've got a really good life going right now, you know. It's really starting to sink in how amazingly blessed I am to have met the people I have in my life. Which sounds so typical and silly, but really. Really.
I have the most wonderful best friend on the planet, and I have sat here for the past five minutes backspacing anything I type, because I honestly can't find the words to explain just how happy I am to know her. I have a family, and while I sometimes think they're a lot less than perfect, I'm so lucky to have them - they put up with so many of my mistakes and idiocy when I'm not forgiving enough of theirs. In the middle of my room, which has college forms strewn all over, there is a letter of reccomendation from the absolute best teacher I've ever had. And it's glowing.
And right now I'm so happy that I can't explain.
And I should also really, really stop trying to, because I have an app to mail. Tomorrow. And I'm trying so hard to be organized, and failing miserably - my room looks like a college-related tornado hit. And I don't want to "tidy things up", because if I start reworking the mess, I'll never figure out where everything is again. As it is, I'm carefully listing (on the outside) every paper, letter, and form that goes into the envelopes to make sure I don't miss anything (else). And I have labeled files. And other things. Gaaaah. the lies are dizzying @ 12:03 p.m.
[Wednesday, December 25, 2002] np: Vanilla - Gackt
Question: is college itself better than the application process? If it's worse, then I might as well just dig my own grave right now so I can jump into it ASAP.
Christmas was good, for the part that I wasn't locked in my room filling out paperwork, or in the bathroom trying not to throw up, or having stress pains hit me like a ton of bricks, or other cool stuff like that. No, seriously, was good. I mean it.
When I wasn't locked in my room, I was watching the extended LotR DVD. I was really pleased with it, though to tell truth I was more excited about the extras than I was over the new scenes. ^^;; (I haven't watched the extras yet though.) I felt that the extended bits did a lot for the movie, and evened out bits that in the original I had thought horribly choppy. When I saw Two Towers, and Frodo said to Gollum, "Smeagol - Gandalf said your life was a sad story..." I just went, the hell? Where is this coming from? But now it makes sense, though I don't think it was the smartest line to chop out if you're going to quote it later.
Let's see...I was planning to watch the cast commentary when everyone else went to bed, but I think I'll just have to wait till tomorrow. I'm such a DVD omake slut. XD Commentaries, behind-the-scenes, anything that tells me about how they did this or that. I want them to make more pretty movies like this so I can work for those people. *_*
I also wrote up my thoughts on TTT last week, but never posted it. Maybe later. I've seen it twice already. My extended DVD set came with a free ticket that needs to be used by New Year's Eve, fufufu. And I'm going to almost certainly run off with my friends to see it once we all get together.
Sam had me crying in the middle of the theater - both times I saw it, and I don't think I'll ever watch without crying a little bit. "Don't you know your Sam?" I don't think I've ever seen such a friendship story that completely ruled my heart in that way. I'm going back to see the movie at least twice for a lot of reasons, but that's the most important one. the lies are dizzying @ 09:51 p.m.
[Tuesday, December 24, 2002]
I was trying to understand what was missing from my Christmas atmosphere. For something indeed has been missing, and it was an important something.
I finally figured out what it was, today.
"BABY. KURISUMASU DA ZE."
On loop. For the past few hours. Been giggling madly while wrapping presents. For an eleven-year-old, Ken sounds unfairly sexy when he says, "BABY. Kurisumasu da ze," on his own. *_* the lies are dizzying @ 10:29 p.m.
[Saturday, December 21, 2002] np: Ordinary Day - Vanessa Carlton
And then even more good things! My exams were all easy - in fact, the English exam topics dealt largely with things I had written about in my term paper already. I got a final grade of 98.7% in my Japanese class. O.O (I should have slacked more!) Also one of the guys in my class brought his wife to our class party, and she's fluent and I got to talk to her...it was exciting. ^^ She exclaimed over how amazing it was that I didn't have an accent at all, and how I was such a good speaker. I went all *_* sonna koto nai desu~ and then she and sensei laughed over how in both speech and action I was completely nihonjin mitai. ^^;;;
And Ali and I went to see LotR - by luck, our friends were at the same showing so we got to see it all together!!
Also I updated Bound, with a new layout - a new CG as top this time. Working on the chapter, yeah, and I'll put up gallery later this week (both mine and fanart). ^^
Everything's going really well, save for one lapse of sanity last night. I was examining everything I had to do for my private college apps, and genuinely thought I had procrastinated to the point that I wouldn't be able to finish (fit was set off only by the fact that I couldn't find any of my old SAT/ACT scores...there are worse things, after all, I copied all the scores down on rough drafts of apps anyway).
Thus...yet another checklist for colleges due in January. (I'm under all this stress for the college due Jan 1, and I don't even especially want to go... *grumble*)
-mail: payment. application agreement signature. school counselor report. teacher evaluation forms. transcripts from both local colleges and high school.
-have SAT/SATII/ACT scores sent to all
-finish supplements and submit/mail them (art portfolio, financial, gen)
-yeah, that portfolio supplement: snag slides on Tuesday at photo lab, label them, and write up resume for drama supplement too
-get new transcript from stupid MPC who gives you half the number you ask for
-finish common app: classes, stupid dad info to wring out of mom, cut UC essay down to 500 words. the lies are dizzying @ 05:48 p.m.
[Tuesday, December 17, 2002] np: Hemisphere - Sakamoto Maaya
And there I was reveling in bliss, thinking life could not get better. I didn't think much else could happen, after getting my letters and nabbing an "A" on my English term paper.
Meimi: Mr. Y! Mr. Y: Hey! Were the letters okay? Meimi: Yes, yes, perfect! Mr. Y: Well...I only write the truth, you know. Meimi: *sneaks a glance over his shoulder* Is that the cast list for the musical? Mr. Y: Yes, I'm about to post it. Meimi: Could I sneak a peek? Mr. Y: Oh, you want to see if you're in this thing or not? Meimi: *laughs* I'm just curious! I'm not expecting to be in it! Mr. Y: *stops* You don't want to be? Meimi: Of course I do, but my audition was so- Mr. Y: *points to my name on the list - in the troupe of Roosevelt cabinet members* Meimi: .....horrib...le.... O.O
Because I had just been thinking earlier in the day, the only crushing thing about not getting in would be that I could no longer say, "I'll just try again next year."
And now, after three years of trying again next year...I finally did it.
Life, I'm certain, does not get much better than this. the lies are dizzying @ 04:46 p.m.
[Tuesday, December 17, 2002]
Oh, and I'll be working on Bound over break, when I'm not ripping my hair out over college apps and portfolio (not even for art art! just to help my case at schools!). It's actually going quite well - done with the first Council bit - and I've been working on CG for what I think might be the next cover. ^^
Oh oh, and today was gift-giving time since exam take up the rest of the week. Ali gave me the second Watcher's Guide and X 18. I got candy from other people. The twins gave me...I think a tiny stuffed bear, I haven't really looked.
[Tuesday, December 17, 2002]
Having another blissfully relaxing day. I have all my letters of reccomendation except the ones from my Japanese teacher, which I should snag tonight or Thursday. Mr. Y did not put my letters in envelopes, so I got to read his reccomendation and evaluation. Ego boost - on the rankings, I got "top 10% of students" on almost everything. I got only "above average" with self-confidence. But with creativity, he ranked me "one of the best seen in my career" *_* But the best part was the part that asked the first words that come to mind when he thought of me: "silent waters run deep".
[Monday, December 16, 2002]
Stayed up until three-thirty AM. Wrapping presents. That I'm not giving to anyone until tomorrow.
....
I don't know why, either.
My old to-do list is almost done. Time for new one.
Dec 17: must have all letters of reccomendation. Japanese final. Dec 18: English final room 3 8:30 AM. Maybe LotR afterwards. Dec 19: No school. Try to make serious headway on common application, or finish Christmas shopping. Last Japanese class, but it will be bouenkai so no worries. Dec 20: Government final 8:30 AM. Dec 23: I think that would be a very good day to send in applications. Dec 27: Off we go, I think, to PA. Jan 1: First common college app due. Jan 3: Return home. Second college app due. Jan 4-6: Hopefully shall be spent with friends in vacation bliss. the lies are dizzying @ 09:09 a.m.
[Sunday, December 15, 2002] np: Change the World - V6
I think I might pass out from sparkle overload after reading about the new Inuyasha chapter.
*_* ....
Spoiler: "Sono toki, watashi to tomo ni iki...watashi no ko wo unde kuren ka. Sango..."
"Ha...hai..."
"Unde kureru ka?! Juunin mo nijuunin mo?!"
"Hai!!"
*dies of joy* So....cute. I'm so HA-PPY... the lies are dizzying @ 07:51 p.m.
[Sunday, December 15, 2002] np: Shell - Witch Hunter Robin
Tra la la. I repeat, goodbye college-related standardized testing. Can you really cheer about that enough?
I'm almost done with Christmas shopping. Tomorrow, must go through the picture-a-day LotR calendar I bought Ali and insert random rude comments about the Horn of Gondor and such.
I feel like I could sleep for a week...I know I shouldn't be shutting down and deciding my brain is on vacation when I still have four more days of school...but. Well. the lies are dizzying @ 01:40 a.m.
[Sunday, December 15, 2002] np: Shell - Witch Hunter Robin
Goodbye, college standardized testing. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Witch Hunter Robin layout. Everyone should download the opening - sequence/song. I was rather dubious about both at first, but I've been singing the song all day. I don't know exactly what to think of the series - I've only seen a few random episodes, but. It seems rather cold and stylish - I like that to an extent. The cold feel makes it seem as though the series ought to take place years into the future, where everything is made of metal and there isn't any blue sky at all. But the main cast carries their black and dark atmosphere into sunny blue skies and a fairly normal outside world.
I like that tricky setting idea - sort of like Cowboy Bebop (always futuristic in space, but once they touch down, the planets seem suprisingly homey), and I really like the character designs...but the characters seem painfully flat (just doing their jobs without much insight into feelings), and the mysteries can be dull, painfully obvious, or so confusing that I can't follow what's going on at all. I feel like I did when I watched the first few episodes of Lain, which I never bothered finishing...very stylish, very hip, but you could never really get inside the characters' heads at all.
But...pretty character designs. *_* the lies are dizzying @ 12:47 a.m.
