Merry Christmas!!

God, I honestly have no idea why I meriting this post right now.

I mean writing. Damn you, autocorrect.

Plus, it's 2;30 am. I didn't mean to put a semicolon there, but yeah, it's really goddamn early.

I just can't fall back to sleep. So I thought blogging you guys a Christmas post would help me gfall asleep.

That one wasn't autocorrect. But I think you get what I meant. You're smart like that.

So, merry Christmas. I probably won't remember typing this in the proper morning, so I'm posting it now. 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night('s sleep)!

See what I did there?

~RJ

Sleepless, yet not in Seattle

As the title suggests, I can't sleep.

I'm just too excited!!!

Tomorrow is the first time I'm seeing my boyfriend after out first date, and I'm just too excited to sleep. I want to sleep, because then tomorrow will be here faster, but I just can't.

Dilemmas, dilemmas...

I also want to sleep because I'm tired. Still, sleep just won't come to me!

Sleepily excited,

~RJ

General Update

Since I haven't posted in a while, I decided to update you on my life.

Last week (Oct. 7-11) was Homecoming week, and Saturday was the dance. Some weeks ago, I got up the courage to ask the guy I like to the dance, and he accepted.

Last night (as I'm typing this. I really mean Saturday.) was the most magical night of my life. My date (not sure what to call him since I don't want to use his real name on here) and I met up at my house for pictures, then went out to dinner, then hung out at his house for a bit since Mom made us early reservations, then went to the dance.

We slow danced a couple times(amazing), danced crazily for a little bit(I finally know someone who likes to dance like me - awesome!), and sat in the cafeteria away from the noise for most of it, since it was really loud and crowded in the gym. 

After the dance, Mom picked us up and dropped him off at his house...

(This is where the best part starts!!)

I walked him up to the door, and on the way I asked if I was his girlfriend. He said yes, then put his arm around me. And once we got to the door, we hugged.

I got a boyfriend!!! Yay!!! ETERNAL GLEE!!!!!

-----

About half an hour ago, I texted him to ask if he wanted to hang out tomorrow, but it turns out he already had plans to hang out with one of his friends, and I can respect that.

Even if said friend is Marcus Antonius Estupidus, as I call him. Cause I think the kid is an idiot. But still...

With eternal glee(and a boyfriend!!!),

~RJ

More from Bean's Band Camp

Band geeks playing keep-away with a baseball cap. Had me in a huge giggle fit for like 10-15 minutes.

The red blur in the first pic is the hat.

---

Ugh. Lost quite a bit of the post cuz I didn't save it. Grr.

---

I have my schedule! It's insanely simple, and there's a pic below to prove it!

See? So damn simple it hurts!! I might ask Bean later if that's normal. It doesn't look right!!!

Kyle is about to cry according to some people like Bean and... I gotta check my alarms, brb.

Back now. Had to adjust an alarm from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am.

I don't like the songs we're playing for our first show. I just don't!!

Gonna chat with Bean cause we have a break now.

Bean said my schedule is actually rather normal. But it looks TOO simple!

Kelbo doesn't know what a brony is. OMG.

Giggle fit ensued because Kelbo played a weird ringtone. And Adam made a weird comment.

My shoulder is pained. I need a shoulder rub or an ice pack...

Bye,

~RJ

Bean's Band Camp and Scheduling Confusion

Okay, so the schedules are available for viewing. On the computer, that is, not the skyward mobile app. Trust me, I tried to find it.

I will look on the computer ASAP, and tell u when I do.

Today is the second day of Bean's Band Camp. Yesterday, I had trouble curbing the instinct to do what we did at actual band camp(say "hut" when attention is called, say "hit" every four counts instead of every eight, etc.) but I did pretty well with very few mistakes. I'm kinda wanting to show Bean some of the marching things I learned at band camp, but idk.

Tomorrow is the house warming party. Bean will be coming(I asked yesterday), along with multiple other people. A few of Mom's friends, at least one set of neighbors, all that good stuff. Probably--er, no, MAYBE-- some relatives as well.

The washer here is really loud and it scared me at first. I thought it would explode or something. Now I'm used to it, though, so that's all good.

On the subject of band, we have three less people than last year. And I don't mean that we lost three seniors, I mean between the seniors leaving and the freshies incoming, we have three less people than last year. Thirty-three people will be in our band.

Comprised of:

Four flutes, six clarinets, four alto saxophones, one French horn, two oboes, one tenor saxophone, one Bari saxophone, four trumpets, three trombones, one baritone, two tubas, and five percussionists.

The sections with losses in membership:

Flutes, clarinets, and French horn.

Sections with gains in membership:

Saxes, trumpets, and trombones.

The other sections either gained as many as they lost(oboe, percussion, baritone), or just didn't gain or lose anyone(tenor and Bari sax, tuba).

Technically, we shouldn't have lost a baritone, but he seems to think he's quit. Luckily, a new freshie(and its a GIRL!!) came up to take his place. Yay for low brass girls!!!

I just had to put three exclamation points there.

While we're on the topic of band, for jazz band I'm gonna be playing the trombone! I'm pretty damn excited for that, because once I've got it down, I'll be the low brass master!!! Yeah buddy!!

It's About Time...

...To be getting back to school!

Quite frankly, I'm really rather excited to be going back to school. I get to do band and hang out with Bean, I'll be getting to know (... um so there's world history, English, chemistry, and speech) five new teachers. Granted, I already know a bit about one of them, so yeah.

I'm taking nine different classes this year. And they are:

Band, world history, English 2, Spanish 2, PE, speech, drivers Ed, chemistry 1, and Algebra 2. Out of those nine classes, I have ten different teachers (there are 3 PE teachers, and I have a different one each semester. 2 semesters), and I already know 5. I've mentioned at least 2 of those five, Bean(band) and Smithy(algebra 2).

If I can, I'll live blog the first day, or the second and third days(A and B days, block schedule, remember?). So look out for a post on the 19th, since I'll either have a live blog or a post saying I didn't get a chance to live blog that day and I will the next 2 days.

I only know for sure the placement of one class in my schedule, band, since its always the same no matter what. I will definitely get my schedule the first day, but if I happen to find out earlier, I'll tell you. If I don't, it'll come on the 19th.

August 8-10, from 3-5 pm and from 7-8:30 pm, I will be at Bean's Band Camp. That is what I'm calling it from now on.

There, we will decide the color of this years band shirts, get the freshies up to speed on marching, and see how well the drum majors can handle us.

I have been working on getting prepared for another year of high school. I haven't gotten a school supply list yet, but I have written down what classes I have with what teachers, and yesterday I made multiple attempts at a map of the school. I'll try again later, maybe tomorrow if I have nothing to do, but I'm taking a break for now. At least I got the general shape of the building down by using an aerial view map and drawing the building's different roof sections. I even color-coded it by the purpose of the section underneath the roof bit!

I'm gonna relax a bit now, check Facebook and twitter perhaps. I had fun updating you!

Look for more posts over the coming weeks!

Bye,

~RJ

Novel Ideas

I want to write a book. I have wanted to for a while, but an old episode of NCIS gave me more inspiration.

Though I have no idea where to start. Maybe I'll convince Tom to set up the hammock in the backyard so I can sit there and think. I don't know, maybe.

No hammock. And I remembered that when I try to write things I usually get writer's block. Also, if I based a book on my life it would be boring. I have a boring life. Who wants to read about teenagers with normal lives?

I could take the more interesting parts of my posts and try and piece them into something awesome, but I don't know how that would work.

Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't blog every day at schol bowl camp. I was very busy having fun and learning things.

Aaagh! Breakthrough!

A novel in blog posts! I've seen similar done before with journal entries, so it's possible to do. I mean, my best writing is on this blog, so it only makes sense, right?

And I'll base some characters off people I've blogged about, just with either their blog-nicknames or names I make up.

I'm gonna look through old blog posts for ideas...

Bye!

~RJ

This is AWESOME!!!!!

I have traveled long distances in a few different types of vehicles. Minivan, pickup truck, but until today I have never been in a semi truck! It's so AWESOME!!

Today is the first day of scholastic bowl camp, and Tom's driving me down there in his semi. It's so high up above the other cars and my seat is giving me a lower back massage and I'm so excited!!

I'm also hiding my nerves with giddiness and glee. I'm really nervous about being with a bunch of strangers for five days, and not doing good at the tournaments and not making friends and what if my roommate thinks I'm weird because I have four bags for five days and cause I brought Brownie with me as a comfort of home. But then again I'm weird anyway. But I'm still really nervous!! Like what if I do really awesome at everything and everyone gets really jealous of me or what if Kyle is there and beats me at everything and I'm just second place like usual?

Not even my caramel frappe or Tom's country music can calm me down. I'm gonna eat my chocolate now, just gimme a minute.

Didn't help. It did make my frappe taste more bitter than usual though.

Brownie does have a calming presence, I guess.

God, I have to sneeze.

Ok I'm better now. 

Tom's truck clock looks wrong. It says it's 11:00 when it's really 11:01! He doesn't mind though, so I'm not gonna complain any more. We're at a toll area but we have an electronic payer thingy so we're good. And I think we already went through it when I was typing the above stuff. Mom told me to take pix to blog with so I'm gonna take one once I find something picture-worthy.

I'm gonna go to the camera now, I'll be back once I've got a picture for y'all. 

Proof I'm blogging from a semi! The rear view mirror as seen from my window!

Just saw a UPS semi going the other direction. I wonder if one of the many things Mom ordered online is on it.

Had to clean off my glasses. They were dirty!

I'm blogging without Internet*! And autocorrect insists that the word Internet is capitalized!

*I don't need an Internet connection to type a post, but I need Internet to publish a post. 

I think Tom is on the Internet though. He has more 3G allowance than I do since he uses 3G for work.

I just noticed that Tom isn't using the pedals. Weird!! Should I ask why?? Nah, I won't. It's probably just a quirk of semis.

Why is there a town called Normal?

Tom is charging his Bluetooth.

Billboard!!

Tom is cleaning the windshield. It's less filthy now! Not dusty anymore, but there's still bird poop on it.

Why would a town be named "What Cheer"? Now that's weird!

Passing by a wind farm. Had to take a picture of a wind turbine.

There's about an hour and a half to two hours until we get there. Then I check in, put my stuff in my room, go to the orientation meeting assembly thingy, take the placement/aptitude test, eat dinner, and participate in the Wild Man Singles Tournament. After the tourney, I'll go to bed and sleep till tomorrow.

Check in at the college starts in a few minutes, but luckily it goes until three.

At three thirty, the orientation meeting starts, so I'll have at least half an hour to get my stuff into my room. That's good.

Luckily for you guys, I've been saving my 3G for camp. You'll get blog posts as often as possible! I'll try to update you every day, with my usual "use the phone at lunch" schedule, but with breakfast and dinner too, and every night I'll tell you how I did in that night's tourney. I'll tell you at dinner how I did in the optional side tourney, which I'm doing every day.

Had to get my phone charger, since Im at about 48% power at the moment, and I don't want my phone to be dead at dinner!

Hold on, I gotta text Mom real quick.

Never mind, she just called Tom while I was typing the text. Tom just responded to a question of hers with "no clue". I think it's about something with the new house and some tool or another. 

Weird electricy poley thingy by the side of the road!

Tom is screwing with Mom through text message! She hasn't replied yet though.

The highway is a jerk, according to the song on the radio. It just don't care.

And I know that's grammatically incorrect. But I don't care. Like the highway!

More screwing with Mom! *giggle*

Gotta text Mom now, back in a minute.

Back now. Waiting for her to reply though.

Once we get there, I'm gonna end this post and start another one in a live-blogging style. Like the birthday post I did in January, remember? If not, go read it! (If you want to, that is!)

-----

Everyone back now? Good! So there's an hour and a half to an hour left till we get there.

The radio just reminded me of a schol bowl question about current pop culture! They asked about the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People, and it was on the radio just a minute ago. And Adele was on a few seconds ago! Tom was flipping channels to find a good country channel.

I hope nobody makes fun of my oversized blue crocs. Cause they're the only shoes I have for camp!

Gonna check what direction we're going. Be right back.

We're going south!

There's an hour left till we get there. So close!

We'll be there at about 2. So excited!

39 miles to Champaign! Yay!!

----

So, I'm here now. I'm gonna end this post here.

Bye,

~RJ

Aaaah!!!

Quick post: I'm hiding in a sunken doorway from college kids but I can't see them. Scary! I have like an hour left to do basically nothing but hide.
Just slid down to squat in the corner between door and wall so I remain unseen. SOOOO SCARY!!!!!!

Going into the auditorium now.

See you on the other side!
RJ

On another note, I'm okay with the strange college kids being in our halls.

See- no, type to you later!
RJ

Valentines Day Thoughts

Tomorrow is Valentines Day. That means that all the couples at school will be even more lovey-dovey than usual. And all the singletons will be... well, single! Sadly, I will be being single tomorrow. :(

Well, unless someone (is crazy enough to) decides to ask me out. I don't think anyone will (be that crazy all of a sudden), quite frankly! Unless they have a thing for female tuba playing bloggers obsessed with pi. Or, in Greek letters, π!

Yes, I can type Greek on my phone. I have a Greek keyboard!

Anyway, tomorrow I will be all aloney-on-my-owney and, in the midst of all the happy couples, it will not be fun!

You know, I'm hoping that someone suddenly (renounces sanity and) decides to ask me out. It would be nice, not being alone for a change!

Well, I can't think of anything else to say, so...

Bye!
~RJ

Edit: Actually, I have a plan for tomorrow. I myself will renounce sanity and tell the guy I like that I like him. Wish me luck? I know I'll need it!
Hoping I have enough courage,
~RJ
(I'll tell you how it goes once it's done. So expect a post/edit on this post tomorrow.)

Superbowl Stuff

As you may- no, prob- no, as you have to know, the Superbowl is tomorrow. And, if you follow it like Tom does, you know that the 49ers(is that how you spell it? Or is it 49'ers, or 49er's?) are playing the Ravens.

And if you didn't know that the Superbowl is tomorrow, how are you reading this?
Eh, that's not my problem. How you read my blog is your own problem!

So, I know at least one person who's rooting for the 49'ers, but he's from California, so it's kinda to be expected. Personally, I don't care who wins, as long as I get to watch the Puppy Bowl tomorrow.

I say that because my TV is being screwy and I can't get Animal Planet on it, so I'm gonna have to try to find a live-stream of it on my laptop. I read somewhere that there will be a live-stream of the Puppy Bowl somewhere, but I'm not sure where. I'll look for it at about 2:30 tomorrow, since the Puppy Bowl starts at 3:00. I think.

Oh, man, I'm getting bored. Or tired, I'm not sure which. Either way, it's nearly 11:00 pm, so I really should be getting to sleep soon.

Let's make that now.

Bye,
~RJ

Sporty Thoughts

I am thinking about going out for football next season! I even have a position in mind: kicker.

That's because kickers don't really get tackled, and in a tackle situation, who would win: a 150-200 pound guy, or me, a girl who's all of 125 pounds? That's right, the guy. And, Mom's worried about me getting tackled. With kicker, I get to play football but I don't get tackled! Well, hopefully not.

I'm gonna have to discuss this with Mom, though, so I'll tell you the verdict later.

Bye
~RJ

Happy Birthday!!

Today is ITTBM's third birthday! I'm currently at lunch, standing in line behind a kid who has his iPod turned loud enough that I can hear it from a couple feet behind him!

11:25- I've finished lunch now, and I'm considering buying another milk from the ala carte vending machine under the flat screen tv. I'm gonna check to see if I have enough change for that.
And I do!!

12:34- Done with my computer apps assignment. There's like half an hour left in class. There are a few new kids this semester and one of them is sitting next to me. His name is Charlie and he's a junior. I helped him find the place on the network to save stuff. I feel accomplished!! There are three girls giggling madly not far away from me. They stopped and are now arguing. There are six people with my first name at this school. Charlie is on the computer doing something I don't know of. Because I can't see the screen. Bre is signing out to go somewhere and now I want to go get a drink of water. Sarah just told Korey something and he ignored her completely! Good job Korey!
I'm gonna go ask if I can go get a drink of water now.

12:49- Bre had me listen to a bit of a cover of a Justin Bieber song done by like a rock band or something. Now she's showing me pictures of her with makeup on. She doesn't normally wear makeup and a friend of hers put it on her. Sarah called Demery dumb. Bre is listening to Gangnam Style and Merik would rather marry Sarah than Kendra. But Kendra thinks she's married to Merik. And Sarah is calling Kendra stupid. They're arguing now. Merik is on the other side of the room.

1:07- In Biology now. OMG this class is big! I'm sitting at a smart table!

1:57- Fun biology class activities are fun.

2:28- Vocab is done so I'm havin fun! Kenzie was nice enough to turn my paper in for me. Scuba Steve is in this class and Kenzie claims she's part of a government conspiracy. Alex and Other Ash are playing a game on Alex's phone. Kenzie asked me what day it is and either Other Ash or Alex kicked me accidentally under the table. Kenzie has tic tacs in her pencil bag.

2:49- In homeroom now. I'm bored and boredness is boring. Someone told someone else not to be a ginger and it was weird. Scuba Steve is sitting in front of me. I'm bored. Becca is messing around on her iPod. Ten minutes left in homeroom and 55 minutes left till we leave for the schol bowl meet.

2:59- Six minutes till end of homeroom. So bored! Why do you have to get yearly flu shots? I wonder... Four minutes left... Three minutes... Two minutes... One minute... And there's the bell!

3:07- Climbing the stairs. I hate stairs!! Going to schol bowl.

3:22- Varsity players are talking with Mr. Smith about the Oscars. Mr. Smith went to get a Diet Pepsi and Alyssa came back from getting a drink somewhere. Livy I still discussing the Oscars and Kyle and Rinker came back from getting munchies from the vending machine. I want fooood! Livy is complaining about Clinton Symphony stuff and Rach said her brother is some kind of lobster. Someone gave Alyssa a coffee mug and she used it today. I'm so bored.

3:30- Izzy is quizzing someone on music composers and the quizzee is doing well. Livy is being weird and Rinker is using an iPad. I'm gonna go hang with Mr. Bean for like ten minutes if he's still here.

3:41- Izzy and Livy's mom looks like Hugh Grant and a fat Paul McCartney. Mr. Smith is watching for the bus and now I am.

3:51- Waiting for the bus that isn't here yet but should be. Alyssa wants us to go to Culvers to eat after the meet. The bus is here and I'm holding the door and now walking to the bus.

3:55- On the bus now. Headed for Amboy and we passed by my house. Fun! I love schol bowl meets! We're playing three matches tonight, against Amboy, Riverdale, and Erie, I think.
Today was the first day of the semester and I started all my A day classes. Tomorrow I start my B day classes, which are Geometry, Gym, Spanish, and English. Lunch is between Spanish and English.
I hope we go eat at Culvers after the meet because Culvers is yummy and schol bowling makes me hungry. But I don't have cash, sadly. All I have is a penny in my jacket pocket. The sun is shining on the right side of my head. I hope my ear doesn't get sunburnt.

4:49- At Amboy now setting up our buzzer system. I have my name plate now and we're going to the room soon. Or now, I guess. Playing Amboy first, gotta go!

7:25- We've finished the meet and I played for Fake Kewanee and won two matches but lost one. It was fun being Fake Kewanee. We're sitting around by a statue of Lincoln and its rather boring.
This post is getting pretty long and that's cool.

7:31- I hope we go to eat since I'm hungry. Nom nom noms! Earnest is pacing irritably. I wish to Gibbs-slap him! Smithy isn't here yet and its upsetting me!

7:42- Where in the world is Smithy?! We want Smithy people we want Smithy!

7:54- On the bus. We're going to Culvers, baby! But I have to ask the nice people that aren't Smithy to help me out with food purchases. I hope someone's nice enough to help me out. Help a blogger out please! I'm gonna play solitaire and maybe doze a bit on the way to Rock Falls.

8:50- Rinker was nice enough to help out me and Kyle with buying food. Earnest thinks I'm smarter than Rinker though. Weird, right? Anyway, we're gonna start rolling home soon and this post should conclude soon as well.

Happy birthday ITTBM, and may every subsequent year be as good as the last three have been!

Bye,
~RJ