Getting nowhere real fast.

*warning: this post might be somewhat similar to my last post, and therefore may be somewhat depressing. Do not read if you have a history of heart problems or chronic depression, and ask your doctor, etc...*

Those of you who are so unlucky as to be somewhat close to me probably know how I've been back and forth a million times about college. "I'm going. Not going. Going. Definitely not. Absolutely! Heck, no..... Sure. NO!!" (Fortunately I don't have the added worry of trying to think of where. I'm actually almost positive that IF I go to college, I want to go to Campbell University.) I feel like I've been running for my life, and I stopped to catch my breath and realized I'd been running in circles and spent all that energy for nothing. (Hey, maybe I've got some serious muscles from all that work..... =P)

And possibly worst of all, I can't think of anyone I can commiserate with because almost everyone I know (or at least everyone I've had a chance to ask) seems to have it all together. They know exactly what they want and they're going for it. I can't even run a straight line. I think I need to go back to preschool.

So when people ask me about college, do I say, "Well, I'm not even sure that I want to attend a college"? No. I'm a liar and a scaredy-cat. I have my automatic responses. As soon as those well-meaning people ask about my college plans, I rattle off my top 3 and recite my major. Campbell, Meredith and UNC-G; Piano Pedagogy. (For those of you who may not know, pedagogy is specifically for teaching private lessons, distinct from Music Education, which is teaching a music class, generally in a public or private school.)

So if I've lied to you, I apologize. For right now, I'm completely lost and confused, and I'm just going to sit here, gasping for breath in my little dust cloud and wait until I KNOW I can run straight before I get going again. Maybe I'll even try to figure out why I was running.

Three good things that have really been driven home (even deeper than before) by this time of my life are these: My God is an AWESOME God, (Thank Him!!!) He reigns, and He has given me the greatest parents ever. Even while I'm wasting my time worrying and being stressed, He's using it all for my good. Wow, just typing that was like a fresh breeze blowing away my self-created dirt cloud and lifting me back to my feet!

~Lizzie

The good ol' days.....

I miss being a kid. Lots of adults would probably say that I am still a kid, but that isn't true. I remember pine-cone wars and being able to play make-believe better than actors with scripts. We jumped out of swings, ran around just for the heck of it, put thousands of miles on our bikes and got completely soaked every time it rained. I remember when the biggest problem in my life was not getting my schoolwork done before lunch. When Claire turned 9, Mandy and I were worried that she'd only want to talk, just because she'd gotten older. Then we started getting scared that we'd only want to talk when we turned 9, and thought we'd be bored. (Completely missing the fact that if we *wanted* to talk, we wouldn't be bored....) We rolled down hills, played hide-and-go-seek, dressed up dolls, sold each other toys from our own "stores" with rocks for money and never understood why parents worried about things or what "stress" felt like.

Now I'm being forced into the adult world, and no matter how much I want to stay as carefree and joyful as I was at 8, all the deadlines, responsibility, and worry of adults is being thrown at me. In a lot of ways, getting older has made life a little richer. Life certainly has more dimensions. I see and understand many things that would have escaped my notice when I was younger. But while I don't want to give up this increased perception, I'm not sure that it's actually a pleasant addition to my life. When I was a kid, I thought everyone was my friend. Now I've realized that some people just don't like other people - for no apparent reason! I see frowns, hear anger, disgust and hatred; they never entered my world as a child. When I complain about life, people usually say that I feel that way just because I'm a teenager, and it gets better as an adult, but I really don't understand how life can get better without everyone going back to the innocence of childhood.

Sometimes, on warm summer days, I can feel it again: the light-hearted happiness of childhood. I run across the grass, throw my arms out and spin in circles with my face to the sun until I fall down from dizziness, and then watch the clouds. Turn cartwheels, ride my bike, roll down a hill and pretend I'm 8 again.

Dude!!

TAC used my picture!!!! Let me sum up. No, there is too little, let me 'splain. ( :P)

About a month or so ago we (or I) (or something like that) upon their request gave TAC (the place we swim) a few of my best pics from water polo games (game) and practices. (yes, I can take pictures while playing water polo!) AND, taped to the wall today WAS (drumroll please) ...But wait! I already told y'all, so it's not a surprise... (forget the drumroll!)
Yeah. They used one of 'em. ... It was so cool though! There was an article with it that was something about introducing water polo to the triangle or whatever... It looked like it came out of a news paper. :D
Unfortunately, I wasn't paid (or credited), but they had said they wouldn't, and I really don't care... *grin*

This is the pic they used:



The goalie is some one from the Winston-Salem Hawks, and the one shooting is Matt.

I have spoken.
--Sarah

Poll Comments.

I share Jess's opinion on not getting to know what people voted on polls. So if you voted on our poll and you're feeling particularly generous, please share what you voted.

Some somewhat related news..... the white team won today! (Woo!!)

Sorry, I'd post more, but I'm sure you don't want to hear how stressed I am about the sea of piano competitions surrounding me, or how much school work I should be doing right now and those 2 things are taking up a lot of my time.

Hurriedly (lol),

~Lizzie

I'm in a hurry.....

I'm in a hurry to get things done
I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why

I'm In A Hurry ~ Alabama

This song really hit me today. I think, in general, people are in a frantic hurry to get things done, but the other extreme is being lazy. It's pretty rare for me to see someone with who's balanced: diligently working (not stressed!) and then, when everything's done, just sitting back and enjoying life.

I'm talented; capable of both extremes almost simultaneously. :P I'm working on becoming balanced.

And now, I will leave you with this:

There are two rules for ultimate success in life. 1. Never tell everything you know.

~Lizzie

Poll....

I have to know... if you voted "Other" on the ice cream poll, what is your favorite flavor? :P

And here I thought that I probably didn't need to put that option. Haha. Good thing I did. =D

Driving.

I was just thinking of a few weird/funny things that have happened to me involving driving.... and I think we need another post.

A couple weeks ago my sister and I were going to theatre class, and it was dark out. We were just blaring Switchfoot and I was going about 70 mph (on 540 - the speed limit is 65... so I wasn't really speeding, just FYI. :P). Then suddenly I saw this strange looking thing in the road. I swerved because there were no other cars around me, but I didn't swerve in time, and my left front tire hit the thing, and threw the left side of the car up in the air for a millisecond. The mysterious thing was a LADDER. Strangely enough the car was fine... (I love Volvos); the tire didn't even go flat.

Also a couple of weeks ago, I was driving home from swim practice with my dad in the passenger seat. I was in the center lane, and there was a truck in the right lane going kinda slow. There was a huge line of cars behind the truck, so I decided to pull over in the left lane so some of them could get over if they wanted. Just as I pulled into the left lane, Daddy noticed a cop a ways up in the distance on the side of the road and suggested that I get back in the middle lane. I was checking my blind spot getting ready to change lanes, when I noticed..... a chair in the middle lane. It was the kind of chair you might have in your living room, cushion and all, wrapped in plastic. Since I couldn't possibly pull over, I slowed WAY down to pass the cop. And the rest of the drive was without incident.

Lastly, two days ago. I drove myself to Chemistry class in our Suburban (that thing is huge!) and when I arrived at Homelight, I tried to get into the first parking space I saw. Unfortunately though, I had to do basically a U-turn to get into it, and there was a median in the way of swinging out as much as I needed to. To keep from hitting the red bug in the space next to mine, I had to hit the curb on the other side of the parking space. When my back tire hit the curb, I backed out to try to get into position... but my front tire hit the curb coming out! I was basically stuck with the corner of the curb under the Suburban. So I went forward and back a few times, and finally managed to get out of the space, and go park elsewhere. As I was backing out of the space, I saw one of the guys in my Chemistry class, sitting in his car (perfectly parked) staring at me with his jaw hanging. *sniff* He had a little Honda.... of course he doesn't have trouble parking. :P

Anyway, I guess I thought of that because I can get my full license tomorrow. It'll have no restrictions: just say that I'm under 18. Woo!! lol.

~Lizzie

Sometimes I fantasize...

... about throwing my piano up against the wall. Never mind that it's way too heavy for me, or that it's my fingers' fault that I'm making mistakes - it would be such a satisfying feeling. Or at least, I imagine it would be. When I'm sitting on the bench right after I memorized a part that I just wasn't getting.... and then mess up the memory on another part, the only thing that keeps me from loosing my sanity is envisioning my piano crashing through the wall and splintering on the patio outside. And then I immediately feel guilty. I love my piano.... I'm just horrible at playing and it drives me crazy. And the next 4 Saturdays of my life are going to be spent advertising my inadequacy.

And I doubt my negative attitude is helping, so now that I've vented my frustration .... *breathe in* *breathe out* *hum* *I am a great pianist* *hum* *I will play memorably and marvelously* *hum* *I will be pleased with my performances* *hum*

Well, it's not working yet. :P (And I don't believe that *that* will.) If anyone out there has an extra minute and feels like sending a little request to the Almighty God of heaven and earth on my behalf I'd be most appreciative. =D

Now hopefully I've learned the valuable character-building lesson that can be derived from this: Don't procrastinate. If you have 10 pieces to memorize it's best to memorize first off.

Sadly though, I don't think I've learned the lesson yet, because this is what happens to me every year before competitions.

On a happier note: I LOVE THIS WEATHER! I hate when it's freezing cold outside but we don't have any snow. This warm weather is so thrilling. Especially since it's February. It's such a rare treat. I wish it could stay...

Enjoy the weather!!

~Lizzie

Hold on!!!

So, I was feeling a little bad about not posting for so long. I was rather worried that all y'all would get mad at me. (Yes, I'm still saying that we have readers) So, I got this in an email and decided it should hold y'all 'till I'm able to write something interesting.

1. What is your occupation at work? I guess I don't technically work 'cause I don't get paid for it...

2. What color are your socks right now? I'm not wearing any.

3. What are you listening to right now? Toby Mac

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Chili w/ cheese

5. Can you drive a stick shift? I don't know, you see, I'm only 14 so I've never tried.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My art teacher.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Oh, yeah!

9. How old are you today? 14

10. Favorite drink? Root Beer... I like Root Beer

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Basketball or Water Polo

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? With henna...

13. Pets? Shadow, my sweet, evil black cat.

14. What was the last movie you watched? Conspiracy Theory

15. Favorite day of the year? It's different every year.

16. What do you do to vent anger? Throw/kick/punch things

17. What was your favorite toy as a child? several stuffed lions.

18. What is your favorite season? Summer

19. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

20. Cherries or Blueberry? Depends

21. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yeah

22. Who is most likely to respond? Dunno

23. Who is least likely to respond? Still dunno

25. When was the last time you cried? Long time ago

26. Who is the friend you have had the longest and sending this to? Lizzie.

27. What did you do last night? Did school, fixed and ate dinner, painted a bit then went to bed

28. Favorite smells? Food, chlorine, snow, rain...

29. What inspires you? Dreams, movies, seemingly perfect days...

30. What are you afraid of? My goggles falling off when I'm racing...

31. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?! Cheese.

32. Favorite dog breeds? I'm not really sure... labs and long-haired dogs.

33. What would you have for your last meal? A full Thanksgiving dinner, and lots of dessert

34. Favorite day of the week? Wednesday (Water Polo day!!!)

35. How many states have you lived in? One, just one...

36. Favorite holiday? April fools day. (that's a holiday, right??)

37. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? Does a riding lawn mower count?

38. Your favorite NFL team? I don't have one. (ducks flying tomatoes)

39. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? Yeah.

40. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? right now, 10 inches of snow.

Now you know just a little bit more about me. (Do you feel smarter?!?)
Hold on now, I'll try to post more sooner!!

--Sarah

At a loss.

I can think of nothing interesting to post about, and I am bored now so that everything I've already posted about seems boring. Anyone reading this must be really bored also though, so perhaps a droll post about how frustrating it was to have been sick and missed the events of Friday would still be interesting enough to relieve some boredom. However I'm feeling too selfish to post about being sick (yes, I'm feeling too selfish to post about myself. How ironic.) because I'm sick of being sick and I don't want to think about it anymore. Anyway, it probably isn't really all that selfish since I doubt anyone was hoping to hear of how sick I was.
Ah, now I've thought of something really boring. Let's see how long I can go on rambling about nothing in particular. Never mind. As soon as I typed that, my train of extremely boring thought disappeared, and I can only think of one thing: Allie, you were wrong about Christy.

~Lizzie