Stick Shift Troubles

My family has a truck. That's all it is, a truck. An appliance white 1996 Ford F150. I hate it. Mom hates it. We've tried to sell it, but no one wants it, so it sits idle in our driveway half the time, and we store it in the winter. What a life huh? Still, my parents insist on me learning how to drive a stick shift, because it's a skill I'll never forget. If I stay in the US, I don't see why I'll ever need it, because sane people buy automatics. If I go over to Europe, there is more of a chance that I will get a stick shift, but even that is a stretch.

So anyways, I started to learn to drive the abomination a few weeks ago in the nearly empty high school parking lot, and I was able to shift to second gears, turn, "park" and all the jazz. I just can't start from a dead stop, which is kind of important, especially when you have impatient people behind you. However, I did drive the whole mile home after that lesson. Then my next driving experience came on Friday, after an NHS meeting. Dad drove the truck to school to pick me up, so I thought I could drive home. With the younger NHS kids watching, I managed to stall twice, and I gave up. Little did I know that the parking brake was on. I'm so good. Then there was today. Dad drove me around the neighborhood and I watched his feet the whole time. Regardless, I stalled about a million times as I followed his route, twice at a stop sign in front of my neighbor's house, with all of them outside, and then about 4 times at another stop sign with someone behind me. I sat at one intersection for about 5 minutes, because I couldn't start and I would wait for cars half a mile away to pass before I tried to go again. I messed up a lot, but I can still shift gears. It's at the point where I don't know if I'm stalling, or if it will buck and keep going. I went in a big loop, but at least I got that far. I just can't start the damn thing. That would be really nice. I need to learn how to drive the thing so I can drive it during band, hauling the heavy stands to and from the football field a quarter mile away. We've been mooching off another girl and her truck for a year, but she's graduating, and I don't trust her little brother, so I gotta trust my undriving abilities.

Happy Blogging!

-Devon

Back in the mid-1970s, we adopted some fairly ambitious goals to improve efficiency of our cars. What did we get? We got a tremendous boost in efficiency

                      ~Jay Inslee

Woot! 10th Post!

Wow, I was exhausted by 11 after the banquet last night. What a full day, but it was a wonderful day, so I'm glad I was tuckered out. I slept for like 9 and a half hours, which never really happens since something always wakes me up. I completely kicked my sheets and electric blanket off the bed, but hugged my comforter. How I do that, I will never know. Mom took me out to JCPenney's to get a fabulous bathing suit that I found on my boredom drive a few days ago, and I'm so excited to wear it! I'm very self conscious, so getting excited about a bathing suit is about as likely as having Haley's Comet go across the sky on the day you're born and/or the day you die. But it's sooo cute! It's like a little dress, so I'm not as worried about my thighs and hips. Lovely!

But a shopping trip for a bathing suit soon turned into something a lot more. We went to World Market, this amazing store with merchandise from many parts of the world, and I wanted to get a print that said "In Love With London" on it, but it needed a frame and I couldn't afford it. They have candies from Europe, Japan and China, Moroccan scarves and decor, and fun party things and house ware. I love that store so much, but I never really go there because no one else wants to go. Then we went over to Old Navy.

oh.   my.   gosh.

It was worse than black Friday. It was a One Day Wonder, with $1 flip flops. When we got there, a line was weaving through aisles halfway around the store, and the only flip flops left were black and white, and maybe some beige or gold in another size. We went to look for shorts, but we couldn't find any, and we weren't going to wait in that God awful line either. There were team members in clashing outfits with a megaphone horn giving out random prizes, and the black ladies would go crazy if they won. It was a complete zoo, and we had to push our way out of there. No more one day wonders for us!

So my mom walked down the strip mall to the Dress Barn. I have a new favorite store (kind of). I've been getting more and more addicted to dresses lately, and I don't really know why, but this place was FULL OF THEM (who knew?) We went in looking for dresses for a friend's wedding, and my mom never wears dresses, ever, so it was a new experience for her, and I loved helping her out. I tried on a few styles, but one was too old-lady for me, one was too big and too fancy for anything and the last one was cute! I got a salmon sundress for myself, to wear to the wedding probably my friend's grad party, and my mom got this cuuute soft blue dress, that flattered her fabulously, and I even found some matching shoes. They had this strap she didn't normally like, but she LOVED these shoes and they were on sale! It was a great day for a mother/daughter day. We had Panera, and I was exposed to their Caesar Chicken Salad SANDWICH and I wish I got two! It was GREAT. We ended up getting pastries too, and even though we were still full from lunch, we had them too.

Basically, I love shopping. I love getting new things and buying new clothes to look beautiful. I love it when I can make people look better too. That's why, if the whole nursing career doesn't work out, I'll work as a fashion consultant or just at a department store. I don't know what about being a woman makes most of us like shopping, but it's just so much fun! I love going with my friends when they'll try on stuff with me, or I'll try stuff on and they'll give me their opinion. I hope I still have friends like that in a future, and some that don't, because I have those now and they're amazing people!

Happy Blogging!

-Devon

The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.  

                      ~Marcelene Cox

Ahh! Forgot to Post!

Wow! I was so bored yesterday after school, and yet I didn't blog anything! Well, I have a legit excuse (yes, legit. I don't say it often, but it slips). Yesterday was our final band concert of the year! That is, unless you count graduation, but that's not our showcase, plus, it's SOOO BORING. I hate graduation, because it depresses me, at least it did last year. I see all of these people going onto another part of their lives and becoming successful, while I'm just doing NOTHING with my life. But I'm trying to change that. 

Anyways, last night was the band concert, and we had a great program. The concert band did an awesome job and the symphonic band killed it, sometimes in the good sense and sometimes in the bad. We played 5 songs: Timestorm, Disney Blockbusters, Space and Beyond (Star Wars, Star Trek and The Planets), Pie Jesu (pronouced Pee-ay Yee-sue Dx) and Phantom of the Opera. I think Phantom was my favorite. In the middle, one of our members had to scream, and then a girl in the concert band in the audience screamed back. It was like an echo, but different tones and I just wanted to laugh. Someone always seems to scream at these concerts. Two years ago, as a freshman, the concert band did a song called "Electricity" and at one part, all the lights in the auditorium go off at once, and one girl screamed. It made us laugh in the dark. 

Tonight though, was the band banquet, a time when most of the band, colorguard and their parents, come together for a night of food and recognition. We get to cheer with our friends, wish off the seniors, and get pepped up for a new year ahead. Awards were given to outstanding people in each class, amazing seniors and to a junior for a senior picture package (too bad the girl was already a rep for another company!) Anyways, there was a lot of happiness and fun in the room, and it was nice getting cheers after being so shy for so long. I've been coming out of my shell with this wonderful group of people, through the hard times and the bad, and I just hope to make it an even better and more enjoyable group of people, as the head field commander and now historian on the Council! It was bittersweet though. All of my friends got on council except for my best friend in the whole wide world, who has wanted it for years. My other friends just want it for a college resume, and she wanted it because she loves the band, and I hate how she felt and looked after the whole thing. She's such a happy, bubbly and amazing person, and I hate to see her upset. I hope I can do something, anything to help her out.


I'm looking forward to a hopefully awesome senior year with the band kids, and hope that everything plays out well! (haha, band pun)


Happy Blogging!
-Devon

It's our senior year and will be closure for our marching band experience

                     -Katherine Smith

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

In a literary world where vampires are a dominant subject, it's refreshing to know that some people can be original and break "norm" with another good book. Spells by Aprilynne Pike, is a faerie book and a sequel to Wings the first in the soon-to-be trilogy/series. Wings came to me in a shallow sort of way: it had a pretty cover! With it's simplicity and beauty, as well as the summer weather, it was the perfect trap for me to pick it up and take it home. The series tells the tale of protagonist Laurel Sewell, who is a faerie living in the human world. She never thought that there was anything different about her until one day, when a bump starts to form on her back. At first she believes it's a tumor of sorts, but eventually, it blooms into a flower. Not exactly normal, so she is forced to hide it while trying to balance out her developing social life, transitioning from home schooling to high school. I haven't read Wings in about a year, so it's hard to summarize it here, and I had a rough time starting this book, where there were references to the last book and I couldn't remember anything about it, such as people, places and things. Laurel and her "parents" live on "the land" as it's referenced as in Spells, and the family has some financial issues, so when a shady real estate agent tries to buy the land, it seems like a wonderful deal. While the woods always seemed magical to Laurel, little did she know that the gate to the faerie land of Avalon rested in the trees. After learning this, she must do everything in her power to prevent the land from being sold to Jeramiah Barnes, enemy to the faeries.

Spells picks up a year after the end of the first novel, when Laurel is called to enter The Academy, a faerie school, for six weeks of training. Before she came to live in the human world, she had lived in Avalon for seven years, but she remembers nothing about it, leaving her far behind her other classmates. With the help of a good looking Tamani (her watchdog of sorts) she adjusts to the Nirvana of Avalon, but after the six weeks are up, she knows she needs to leave Tamani and go back to the human world, where her boyfriend David awaits. The constant threat of trolls and the romantic war between David and Tamani, as well as the straddling between two lives leaves Laurel in a state of disillusionment as conflicts pile up.

Usually I'm not one for faeries, but these books are very well written, and MUCH better in the romantic department than the Twilight Saga. It has a balance of normal problems with a fantasy twist, and the descriptions are beautiful and you just want to fall into the pages and live in Avalon. Vampire books get old after a while, and once you're tired of blood sucking, too-good-to-be-real gorgeousness, go to your local bookstore or library and check out Wings and at least get a taste for something different. Reading a wide range of novels is healthy, especially for book addicts like myself, and hopefully for you. Now, I must ask you:

"Do you believe in faeries?"
-Peter Pan

Happy Blogging!

-Devon

All Is Fair in Love-

One of my defining characteristics among my friends is my love of rainbows. I mean, I LOVE. RAINBOWS. I don't know what it is, but something about the way that all the colors are arranged just awakens something in my brain and it's pleasant to me, but they have to be done right. For example, this picture isn't quite right, as the rainbow has almost no green, so it bothers me a little bit, but the picture does represent my feelings. I have many accessories and such with a rainbow theme, and during my trip to Europe, I just about fainted with how much more they had. I bought a belt, socks, and I wanted to buy a rainbow hoodie, but I didn't for some reason. My first day of marching band, I wore my rainbow belt, and my whistle was on a rainbow lanyard. After the practice, a girl that came back after a year away came up to me and said "I was going to ask you something, but it might offend you." So I replied with "No, what is it?" and she asked in a hushed tone, "Are you like...a lesbian or do you just like rainbows?" Now this girl is awesome, and I know she would never try to offend me. There wasn't any tone of disdain in her voice, and I just laughed and said "I just like rainbows"


Now I've been told many times by several friends that it wouldn't surprise them if I turned out to be at least bisexual, and my other friend says she's waiting for that day to come for some reason. I don't have any problems with gay people, or gay marriage, because I believe that everyone is special in their own way and they all deserve the same amount of happiness. Heck, even the Declaration of Independence says that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Now my dad has stressed the "PURSUIT of happiness" bit, but we're not guaranteed it. You're allowed to work for it. But I digress. My dream for years and years has been to marry a gentleman, and have children with him, and live with him till death do us part. The man is the constant in the equation, yet at the moment, I feel like I lack a sexuality. I don't feel attraction to either side, though last year I was like BOYS BOYS BOYS. I've come to the realization that men are imbeciles, at least in high school, so I just shouldn't waste my valuable brain power on them. Another thing is that my dad is a homophobic, and if I ever became a lesbian, than the relationship between us would probably break completely. In the long run, that would be bad...


So I plead that one day things will change, and that one day headlines with read "GAY MARRIAGE LEGALIZED IN THE US" and cheers will be heard around the world, though it might cause travel to decline to areas like Belgium and Niagara Falls, but I hope not because both places are beautiful!


Happy Blogging!
-Devon 

Who would give a law to lovers?  Love is unto itself a higher law.

                          -Boethius

Clarinet Chaos

Seven years ago, I took the step in middle school to join the fifth grade band with about a million other people, and me, being so lucky, was chosen to play clarinet with about 20 others. My two best friends across the street played clarinet, and I wanted to too! Little did I know what a hassle it would be for me now a junior in high school. (almost a senior, can't forget that!) Last week, we received our audition music for next year, something new. Usually, we don't do auditions for concert band until after marching band, but my band director finally decided that this would be better because it better shows our playing abilities and some people don't play the same instrument in marching band as they do in concert band. That KILLED me this past year. It was my first year as a drum major/field commander/student director and therefore, I didn't play my instrument for about....5 months. I went down six chairs placements, from 5th chair and playing 2nd part, to 11th...last...playing 3rd. Now for all of you who aren't familiar with all these band terms, even though the directors say that's not the case, chair placements show one's proficiency within the band. First chair is the best player in the band, and last chair is the "worst". Also, there are first, second and third parts, with the first part being the hardest and the third part being the "easiest". While still in the top band, being last chair made me feel horrible, so I signed up for lessons to prevent this next year.

Lessons were awful. I'm a very sensitive person, and I was on some major hormone pills, which made it all the worst. Every Wednesday (pretty much) my mom would drive me out to my teacher's house, and we'd play. I'd feel horrible about my lack of ability, because he would always play complicated pieces from memory, and he taught the best 3 players, as well as the only freshman in the top band. Here I was, a junior, last chair, while the top player was a junior and had only been playing the instrument for a year. Yeah, I felt like crap, often having to hide tears. We stopped the lessons after about 2 months, and I felt even worse when I was called a quitter. Part of me wants to go back, now that I'm a bit more chill, but another just says "save your mom's money." After all, I'm only going to be in band for one more year, since I probably won't play in college.

So now, I'm wetting my new reed and getting ready to practice my music. The chromatic scale is going to kill me, because I never learned it all the way up and down, while other people just zip up and down the whole thing. I feel like I should ask for help, but when? Yeah, it's just a huge fiasco, and hopefully I won't feel as emotional and crappy once I get my destined last chair once more. I hate being pessimistic, I really do, but it just slips out sometimes. I hope I don't get last chair, because we're graduating five seniors in the section, but we're also getting a bunch of kick butt freshman apparently, and there are a bunch of soon to be juniors and a soon to be senior in the other band that have a change to come up. I just gotta work at it! Tryouts are the week after Memorial Day, wish me luck!

Happy Blogging!

-Devon

I look at my clarinet sometimes and I think, I wonder what's going to come out of there tonight? You never know.

                                    -Acker Bilk

Blast to the Past

Today was a pretty lazy day. I slept through church, a treat for me, since my brother didn't need to go. Once I got up from that, I sat around and plays some Sims 2, not getting much done on that either. There was lunch after the boys left to go play baseball, and while they were out, I made a trip to Barnes and Noble to buy my 3 summer reading books for AP English, putting me back $50. I thought that the coupon my teacher gave us was going to give us a discount, but instead a percentage went to after-prom, which I'm not even going to! Well, I hope my senior friends have fun with my money! I had to buy "All the King's Men", "The Things They Carried" and "A Brave New World". I have so much to read and for once I'm not particularly looking forward to it, but it will get done, as it always does. While at the bookstore, I read through the second Black Butler manga, which I will buy eventually, and then I just headed home. I got home and my neighbor mistook me for my brother, and I stayed inside most of the day.

But you may be thinking "why is this titled 'Blast to the Past' if it's all about what you did today?" Well for one, it is the past now, but the real reason is due to the fact that I watched The Brave Little Toaster on Youtube today! I remember watching that movie to death as a kid, but I never realized that it was more of a grown up animated feature. The references aren't those that children would understand, such as the historical allusions made by Radio (who has to be my favorite character) and Lampy even made a reference to the Holocaust when he said "when my first lightbulb burned out, I thought I was done for, 86ed, TO THE SHOWERS" and I was just like WOW (that's a low price!). Anyways, it's also pretty scary! I remember being scared of some parts as a kid, but I never realized how dark it was! I mean, exhibit A, the nightmare sequence, when Toaster dreams of seeing his "master" again, only to have the whole thing go up in smoke, and have THIS GUY come and show up! I'm not scared of clowns, but that's just WRONG. And then there is a whole part where the Air Conditioner gets furious and starts shouting and then blows a fuse and DIES. It caused a whole bunch on controversy, but it was made when animated films were made to be much darker than today's rainbows and unicorns and Barbie and everything is happy all the time. I mean come on, it was made in 1987 (another thing I didn't know. It had to be at least 10 years old when I saw it!).

All in all though, it was nice to see it again, even the disturbing bits. If you want to, you can see 10 of the 11 parts on Youtube, because the first broke copyright laws or something. If you didn't watch it as a kid, just spend an hour and a half of your time on a lazy day like today and watch it then. It's so amusing!

Happy Blogging!

-Devon

"Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things"

-Pierce Harris