New Music!

So I felt industrious (read: I felt like procrastinating) and instead of practicing all my pieces, I cleaned off my unsightly music rack. And I found this huge book of music that I don't think I've ever played before! It looked kinda old, so I thought, "Maybe Mom got me this at a yard sale and put it here for me and I've just now found it! Perfect timing!" (The cleaning of the music rack was finished then, and I still felt like procrastinating.) I was looking through the index and it has all these great songs that I've always wished I could play - popular songs that almost everyone knows. 274 songs! I opened the book to the page number of one of my favorites and...... it's a tiny little "baby" book, as my teacher calls really easy music. It doesn't even have a bass clef! The note heads are humongous and they actually have the note name (i.e. A, B, C, etc.) written ON the note heads! (Yeah, that's how big the note heads are.) I've never been more disappointed (okay, yes I have...).... *sniff* No wonder I've never played it. It's been almost 9 years since I played music that easy.

As soon as I saw all the paper that it took just to print those gaudy, gigantic, sickening notes I knew that it was printed before my time. No one would get away with wasting that much paper nowadays. I think I'm going to recycle that book. :P

I should have known 274 great songs in one big book was too good to be true.

Depressed just because of a book,

~Lizzie

Teens fail to plan (?)

Our mom just recently finished the book "For Parents Only" by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa Rice. I am very sad to say, that out of all that wonderful, wise insight on teens, Mom only learned two things (Ok, maybe she learned more, but she's only told us these two): Teens want you to punish them, and teens fail to plan. *sighs and smacks self on the head. Again.*
OK, so it's true (actually the first one is definitely true, and I don't mind that she learned that one. I'll be talking about the one that is also the title of this post. (I'm so brilliant!)) As I was saying, it's true...-ish. Teens don't always fail to plan, and I'm sure that at least a few of them plan alot. I plan alot. Or plot alot *evil snicker* but it's the same thing.
Mom mostly pointed this idea at our schoolwork; we don't plan it right (or not at all) and it doesn't get done. I would like to resent that. My school gets done, and I have planned it perfectly. I just don't execute my plans very well. Nevertheless, my work is always done before the next Monday.
Just for the record, parents don't always plan ether...

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go finish *planning* a painting. I *plan* for it to accurately express how strongly I despise my retainers. Then I must *plan* a day in which I will paint it.

Just in case anyone is wondering; nope, I didn't exactly *plan* for this post to have a point.
Later, I just might *plan* to post something on how weird a word "plan" is.

Planning evil plans with her evil-planning-mind,
--Sarah

*sigh* Lazy Saturday.

Today was exactly the kind of empty nothingness that everyone who stays up as ridiculously late I as do would hope for in a Saturday. When you spend your weekdays doing so much running around and schoolwork that you begin to despise the fact that there's only 24 hours in a day, a Saturday that borders on boring is heaven.

This Saturday wasn't quite empty however... Sarah and I spent a couple hours this afternoon at the conservatory (where I take piano lessons, and she takes art lessons) playing games with other students and playing pieces/showing off artwork. Which reminds me that, once again, I didn't get to see the mural! I intend to see it Tuesday.

~Lizzie

Random funny quotes. Ha. Ha.

A few of my random favorite quotes, which I find hilarious simply because I was there when they were spoken. In a attempt to make them even slightly funny for you, (our numerous loyal readers) I've tried to explain them to some extent.

Home-made quotes:

(Dad's searching for mustard)
Joel: any luck?
Dad: [holds up a jar of spicy, brown mustard]
Joel: Darn. It's like finding your phaser, only the battery's dead.

(To Lizzie when her plans weren't being well received by Mom and Dad)
Joel: Bitten by your own pet snake!

(At swim practice with a group of noisy swimmers)
Coach:...... does everyone understand that set?
Swimmer: What?
Coach: "What?" means "What is the number of butterfly laps I'm swimming next?" and "Pardon me?" means "Could you repeat that please?" Now... which did you mean to say?

Favorite TV show quotes.

Shawn Spencer: "If I had to guess -- which I don't -- yes, I can mess with your mind... and I can put an entire sandwich in your hair."
-Psych

Shawn Spencer: "I'm looking for a Jon Doe..... actually, check all the Doe's. Tai Kwan, Cookie, Dosy...."
-Psych

Randy: *standing in model position*
Natalie: What are you doing?
Randy: Standing. This is... how I stand. What are you wearing??
Natalie: Clothes. This is how I dress.
Randy: This is how I stand!
Natalie: This is how I dress.
-Monk

Shawn Spencer: "Oh, you mean my pilot's license? That's out back in the Cessna. Or perhaps you're referring to my license to kill. Revoked. Trouble at the Kazakhstan border. I could give you the details but then I'd have to kill you, which I can't do because my license to kill has been revoked. "
-Psych

--Sarah

Chemistry.

Every Friday, I wake up earlier than I'd like (let's not say what time that is....) and grudgingly head off to Chemistry class. This morning was particularly horrible because it was so ridiculously cold. The car didn't warm up the entire trip... I was freezing, and, of course, I forgot gloves once again and the icy steering wheel was making my fingers numb.

At class, we spent TWO HOURS simply "preparing" for the test, and then taking it. After all that fuss I took 10 minutes tops to take the test and spent the last 15 of "test time" standing out in the lobby talking with the other people in my class who managed to finish quickly as well. That was fun at least.

That explained, I am beyond delighted to be missing class next week for a swim meet in Winston-Salem. It's merely a bonus that I get to miss class; I love swimming. I can't wait!

Lizzie

Answers

My answers to the quiz:

1. Olympic length lanes (50 meters).
2. It was easier to count.
3. the 2 100 IM's.

*whew* that was hard! So, am I right?

Yeah, I was just as happy as Lizzie 'bout the long course, and totally agree with her except on one thing... I just so happen to really hate those Pepsi bubbles, so I made a special effort not to imitate them.

--Sarah

Long course.

Ha, most of you (I'm pretending we have readers... ;P) are probably thinking "course" = schoolwork. Nope. Pay attention, there'll be a quiz at the end.

So, today I arrived on the pool deck ready to swim (5 minutes early, as usual!! :D ) and, to my intense disappointment, the big pool was set up as long course (Olympic length lanes) instead of the usual 25 yard lanes; which I assumed meant that our team would be stuck in the "little" pool (which has about 10 lanes 25 yds. long).

Imagine my delight when I discovered that we actually got to swim the long course! I squealed like a typical girl and then proceeded to bounce around like the bubbles in the Pepsi commercials. Even my friends warning me to "save" my "energy" for practice couldn't stop my excitement. I was delirious with ecstasy. (Okay, maybe that's not quite true, but I've always wanted to use that phrase....)

It was a little daunting to have to swim so far before arriving at a wall, but it was so much fun! And long distance swims were easier to count. Plus, to top all that off, this may be a regular occurrence for our Tuesday and Thursday practices!

Okay, I promised a quiz, so here it is.

1. What is long course?
2. How did long course help with long distance?
3. What was my favorite set from today's practice? (just kidding!)

~Lizzie