I'm at so many crossroads right now... and I need to start venting in here because it's the only one Rob doesn't know about and I don't feel like making a new account elsewhere (yeah, i'm a bit lazy, and I can't blame senioritis anymore). I hate where i've chosen to go to college already and I need somewhere to transfer... but depending on how much things go in one direction this fall... mainly with Sean... i'll probally just transfer to Pitt... but if things don't go well, the sky's the limit... although i'd really like to stay on the northeast coast...

Oh well. I know the whole thing with Rob is over... and i'm really going to have to apologize for some of the things i've said... if I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't have. I probally would have gone on that date just as friends. I let the whole dating Rob thing... I let it go. I had come to terms that he and I were going to be just friends... my sophmore year. I think I can pretty much pinpoint it to when he basically told me he would rather sit at home than take me to homecoming that year.

Oh well. Here's to the summer and getting a counselor job at that summer camp.

*signing off*

Drop the bag, they want the bacon! -Stephanie
No way i'm giving up my bacon! -Lula

To the Nines -Janet Evanovich


hahahaha, totally random. Funny in context and out.
Great stuff, can't wait to read book number 11.

Havent updated in forever... but I guess i'll be posting here more often.

That's all for now!

*signing off*

700. Your behavior is excused when you say "I'm with the band."
701. You've mastered the skill of walking off the field with a trombone slide attached to your ponytail.
702. You play your clarinet/saxaphone until your lip bleeds - at which point you get mad that your reed will now be stained, but continue playing.
703. You give your concert band a name.
704. American Overture for band has been played so many times that you have it memorized. And it turns you on.
705. You have to wear your marching band shoes to the spring concert, and you dont mind a bit.
706. Your parents met in college marching band.
707. You make up an entire marching band drill with Goldfish Crackers during lunch.
708. You take the director's hall pass and smack him with it on the behind.
710. You take the directors hall pass when you're a senior and hang it up on your rearview mirror in your car to show off.
711. (Oboe and bassoon players:) You go to IDRS events and can't wait to go pro so you can get your membership.
712. You know what IDRS stands for.
713. You know all the different kinds of cane and get offended when people don't know what you're talking about. And you're a brass player.
714. You want the brassline from the Blue Devils to play at your wedding.
715. When you're explaining to one of your best friends why you're reading 700+ symptoms of band symptoms and use the excuse, "It's a band thing".
716. You come up with a song for your band. The regular school song was chickenarse quality anyway.
717. You start recruiting new band geeks from the lower band
718. You don't mind getting to school at a quarter to seven in the morning for a competition for the sole reason of getting a band T-shirt.
719. While watching Drumline with band friends, you start renaming the band members in the band on the movie with the names of members of your band.
720. At football games, you can get away with acting like a plume is a boa and wrap it around your neck whilst continuing to play and sing.
721. "Once more" does not, in fact, mean once more.
722. You see a flag and you duck without thinking.
723. You can drink soda on a bus without spilling it. WHY would you have soda within a 20 foot radius of your instrument?!
724. You can tune the 25 flutes all named Sarah perfectly.
725. You start crying because your new school doesn't know what a mellophone is and has never had one before.
726. You still go back to your old school for concerts, even though it's a four hour drive.
727. You adopt someone as your section mascot so your section can rub their stomach before a competition.
728. When asked who you would never date, you reply "Anyone from ____ High School's band."
729. You have a secret supply of sunscreen.
730. You have section parties just for the heck of it.
731. You think lower of people who cant read music
732. You've witnessed your director hit someone in the head with a baton.
733. You've witnessed your director place a flute case between his legs.
734. You've seen a tuba mute.
735. You've ever drooled over a trombone section's performance. Because that spit valve action is so irresistible, you know.
736. You've seen someone break a drum head at state/national level performances.
737. You've ever stared at a trophy and acted completely stupid when someone acknowledged you as you stared.
738. You get dumped for a drum major.
739. You compared your arm width to that of a bassoon.
740. You have found food in your sousaphone... and you saw somebody eat it.
741. You use honor bands as an excuse to pick up potential honeys.
742. You take IB music (even if you're not in IB). Check out the cross-list reference on this number, yo.
743. You quit IB after the coordinator says the band is not important, which is the biggest load of crap ever. Wordy word.
744. You play air quads.
745. You've created band mythology.
746. You practice your field marching out in the street.
747. You make up lyrics for concert pieces.
748. You can run in step.
749. Your director has adopted you.
750. You start to wonder if any of your band mates are going to try to marry the director.



I see you baby, shakin' that brass.
-UCLA marching band t-shirt



751. You think band should be a graduation requirement.
752. You dream about practice.
753. Marching around the house constitutes as exercise.
754. Your children will have genes for glide stepping.
755. You get a tattoo of a music symbol. Anywhere. Doesn't matter where.
756. You consider getting a leash for your instrument case.
757. The word 'locrian' turns you on.
758. You select fellow band members after which you'll name your kids.
759. Nothing smells better to you than band uniform BO.
760. You meditate at attention, and you march in your sleep.
761. You can play and sleep simultaneously.
762. Your instrument has ever doubled as a weapon.
763. You've marched in an evening gown.
764. You can sleep right next to a jamming percussion section.
765. You want band songs played at all your milestone events (i.e. wedding).
766. You have contests with fellow trombone players to see how many animals/objects you can see in a puddle of spit.
767. You are dressing down and scream "I'm not straight!" and nobody thinks anything of it.
768. You have slipped on the field while jazz running in a crazy set, and accidentally threw your flute two yard lines down as you sprain your wrist on your neighbors shoe. You then scramble to retrieve your flute and make it back in the correct set without the director noticing. Skillz.
769. You walk through the halls practicing double tonguing regardless of the weird looks you are getting.
770. You have been hit in the head with half the instruments in the band (including the stationary ones that aren't band related, like the piano).
771. People can't stop singing once they start singing.
772. When there's a tornado warning, you immediately take your adored clarinet into the closet with you.
773. You use pick up lines, like, "I'm a formata... hold me."
774. You filed suit against the producers/directors of 'American Pie' for defamation of character resulting from that 'this one time at Band Camp' scene.
775. Who needs Chapstick when you've got cork grease?
776. You take a Band Geek quiz and are determined to be the Ultimate Band Geek.
777. You never want to graduate so you can stay in band.
778. You think about trying to see if Chapstick is just as good as cork grease for your instrument, but decide not to, for fear of the Chapstick ruining your precious.
779. You found a picture of your marching band on a website that isn't even your school's, and you can find yourself in it.
780. Instead of clapping on the downbeats during a John Phillip Sousa song, you clap on the upbeats.
781. Your date at band ball notices the key changes.
782. You make fun of Drumline. Or secretly wish that was you.
783. You're surprised when people's personalities don't match their instrument.
784. What's with female drum majors being well endowed?
785. (For tubas) You've been knocked over by a football player.
786. (For tubas) You've learned how to pick up your instrument without bending over.
787. You've developed "tuba shoulder." And you play flute.
801. Your poor instrument has to go into the shop because you dropped it *GASP!* one too many times at practice whilst pretending it was a baton or a drum major mace.
802. You cry because it's taking forever for your instrument to get fixed and you can't practice.
803. You can convince someone to get in a tuba locker, then quickly lock them in and have the entire band make fun of them. And then do the same thing the next day. Your band is, uhm, clever.
804. You have made up a parody to every cheer the cheerleaders do (see number 198) and have even forgotten the original words.
805. You miss class to go to the chiropractor, but don't miss band practice. Instead, you learn how to pick up a sousaphone without bending over.
806. You belong to the band fraternity/sorority webring.
807. After hours of band practice, you have an uncontrollable urge to practice at home - even though your are in terrible pain because your mouth is on the verge of bleeding.
808. You know that you fit inside your music library's sliding shelves. What is it with people and seeing if they fit into things not made to fit people, yo?
809. You've climbed inside said drawers to retrieve your precious supply of valve oil, which was thrown behind the shelf.
810. You find it amusing to crab walk up and down stairs.
811. Your director had to kick you out of the band room after competitions because it was 1:00 in the morning and he wanted to sleep.
812. You hear a song and instantly picture what the drill would look like for it.
813. People have gotten into screaming, punching, weave-pulling fights about who should be head drum major. Weave-pulling! Classy.
814. Hits have been taken out on people who stole your chair placement.
815. The band gossip is better than all the soap operas put together.
816. Instead of going to a movie on the weekend like normal people do, you plan the drill for next year's show, even though you aren't the director.
817. When a tornado comes through during pit orchestra practice for the musical, you take your metronome and clarinet with you and laugh at the actors who have nothing.
818. Off the top of your head, you can think of at least 87 dirty jokes about saxophones.
819. You invited your only non-band friend to hang out and she left half way through because she was tired of being so lost and ignored. And you didn't notice she left.
820. You can perform a tracheotomy with your directors pocket knife and a brass mouth piece. Skillz, son.
821. Your director is commonly known as God.
822. You and your band buddies have IM conversations in song titles.
823. You think that, at the Senior Awards Ceremony, they should have an award for being in band all four years.
824. You have fantasies/nightmares about the gag gift your band director will give you when it's YOUR turn.
825. You embroider "bandgeek" on all of your clothes.
826. You've used your black marching pants and white undershirt to play "mime."
827. You got excited when a marching band was formed on Spongebob.
828. You were less than excited when the "flag twirlers" on Spongebob were way off count.

Yes, people of the world, it is an end to the madness. Enjoy.

514. You count jazz eighth notes in math class with the other jazz band kids... just for the fun of it.
515. You play air French Horn.
516. People get your attention by calling out your uniform number.
517. You tell your other teachers to call you by said number.
518. You memorize all the trumpet chants.
519. You memorize them in hopes of using them as your section cheer next year (see
above), and you secretly wish you were a trombone.
520. You yell out your section's chant even if no-one's backing you, and you don't feel embarrassed.
521. You only visit FanFiction.net to read the Marching Band section (in Misc).
522. You're still kicking yourself for missing that one practice where all the flutes played in tune with each other.
523. You are able to pick out and name all the different chords in your favorite songs (which are band songs anyway).
524. During silent reading time, you try to pursuade your teacher to let you read your music.
525. You use your band teacher as your councelor, advisor, and shoulder to lean on. Word to the third.
526. Your pet(s) run away when you open your horn case.
527. You know the difference between a french horn and a mellaphone.
529. You remember all of your director's strange anecdotes.
530. You trace back your family history with what instrument they played.
531. You don't need pain medication: just the memory of running drills numbs the pain.
532. You have stopped envying the pit for not having to march: their parts are much harder than yours.
533. It means something to have marched 180+ tempo. FLAMING LEGS.
543. You start relating your horoscope to upcoming band competitions and events.
544. You don't look in the classifieds for cars. You're looking for a new private instructor.
545. You know how to insert the bocal of a bassoon into a trombone lead pipe to produce a "tromboon" (an instrument made infamous by PDQ Bach, sounding something like a badly pitched lawn mower).
546. A friend of yours, who is learning the bassoon, learns that if you finger the lowest note, and someone else sucks on the bell (like a bong), it produces the overtone series of unpleasant squawks, and subsequently runs around the music building/complex/suite yelling, "SUCK IT!" and shoving his bassoon in anyone's face. ...I am SO JEALOUS.
547. You have been removed from a "claimed" practice room by being lifted and thrown into the hallway.
548. You have your own practice room.
550. You enjoy scaring your dachshund by playing multiphonics on the saxophone
555. You will travel up to 3 hours to go to a decent music store.
559. You hardly ever refer to people by their real names; you call them whatever nick name they were given freshman year.
560. All your non band friends hate you because the conversation always turns to band stuff.
561. No one calls your mom Mrs. Smith - they call her Mommy Smith.
562. You know the gross joke behind each sections band t-shirts. (Woodwinds Finger Fast, Trombone Kama-Sutra: we do it in 7 positions, Kicking brass, Rule one for safe sax: always use protection).
563. You have no idea where anything is in your room except for all your band music, drill books from all years you were in band, your concert clothes, band shoes, and both of your instruments.
564. Your sole basis for dating a guy is what instrument he plays.
565. Your band-mates all have band-related screen names
566. You can tune almost any instrument, and play exerpts from a solo of such, but you can't figure out how to type.
567. Your friends call you a faggot and you don't mind (actually, it's a compliment... and for non-bandies, faggot is German for bassoon).
568. People can ask you if you fingered your faggot today, and you won't clock them.
570. You have attempted to ride the vibraphone to the football field, and it resulted in what you'd like to call "sport-related injuries."
574. Even scarrier than 9/2 time: a flag girl with an attitude and a rifle.
575. You have a year-long argument over which is a subdivision of which: emo, or punk, andthen you compromise by saying that marching music beats all.
576. Low brass gets pissy because a bassoon, bass clarinet, and baritone sax are included in this unfair generalization.
577. You know that the alto sax is stalking the bassoon player, who thinks the quad player is hot, who consults the stationary keyboard player on Final Fantasy stuff, who is best friends with the bassoon player.
578. This is your version of the "Kevin Bacon game"
579. With the uniforms scattered haph-hazardly on a crowded bus, you can still find yours in the dark silence that follows a competition. Or party, either one.
580. You get bored in class, you compose music that is a variation on a variation of a re-arranged exerpt from a previously played band song.
581. You tell your friends that the guy you're dating isn't in band, you rationalize by saying: "Well, he plays a drumset..." but it doesn't help.
586. Being in extreme heat (or cold) for long periods of time is normal to you.
587. You notice the school bell is out of tune.
588. Your parents were so sick of you playing your instrument in the middle of everything, they gave you your own practice room.
589. You get enraged whenever anyone gives you the American Pie joke, even if you've never seen American Pie.
590. You and your band friends all get together at slumber parties to watch band videos from the years before you joined band.
591. You are ecstatic when you find out you are getting new uniforms next year, but you feel a little sad and nostalgic, too.
592. You want to punch someone when you learn that you're getting new uniforms not next year, but the year AFTER next, when you'll have already graduated.
594. You have shoe-polishing parties.
595. You know that the cigarette paper and dollar bills that woodwinds keep in their instrument cases has nothing to do with illegal activities.
596. You go to band competitions you're not in to check out the hot guys in band uniforms
601. You get walkie talkies so you can overhear the staff's walkie talkie conversations
606. Your license plate says "BNDGK"
607. You know your band directors license plate, phone #, address, and schedule.
608. While reading some of these things you say "wow that sounds like a great idea!" and then you go and do it.
609. You're surprised when a non-band person doesn't know what a ligature is.
610. You know the band directors from other schools.
611. You've had to buy extra memory space for you computer because of all the classical midi files and downloadable sheet music you've saved.
612. You actually paid for some of that downloadable sheet music, and it was probably most of "The Lincolnshire Posy."
613. You can spell "Lincolnshire"
614. You skip family vacations to march in Memorial Day parades.
615. (Horn players) You have threatened to move out if your little brother took up the alto sax.
616. (Alto sax players) You have threatened to move out if your little brother took up the French horn.
617. You've been kicked out of the practice rooms to give other kids a chance, so you went and practiced in the bathrooms instead.
618. Your parents were forced to buy a bigger car just to fit the people from your section in it
632. You can direct all the past shows before you were drum major, and challenge the old drum major that you can direct it better.
633. You refuse to participate in a joint sectional with trumpets.
639. You go beyond naming your instrument, and have names lined up for your next couple of purchases.
640. You have a favorite Guard outfit
643. You stop speaking to your section for a week when they don't come to sectionals.
644. You come to marching band playing sectionals even though you're in Guard.
645. The thought of not making it into the music school at your college of choice brings you to tears.
646. You won't see your best buds during the entire summer after your graduation because they'll be marching DCI and you'll be at college band events.
647. You KNOW when the tuner is screwed up: NOBODY is THAT flat... except the picc.
648. he directors for the music department have to kick you out of the music department at 7:00 every night (including weekends).
649. The highlight of your weekend was the party at your music instructors house.
650. Your instructors ask you to run errands for them, and let you borrow their cars to do so.
651. You have keys to your instructors houses/cars.
652. All the band moms can get in a kickline and play various parts of your show... from memory.
653. You lock your car doors and you try to match the pitch of the beep with a note.
654. You conduct to the music on the radio in the car--while driving.
655. You tell horror stories to freshmen about "the year we had 8 sets of double time!"
656. The shoes you wear with your tux to the prom have rounded heels.
657. You stack the band room chairs up to the 18-foot ceiling.
662. You quit cheerleading to join marching band.
664. You scream bloody murder and cry when you get a one on your solo at contest.
665. You visit music websites every day even though you know exactly what's on them.
666. You order free band brochures because you want to hang the free poster on your wall.
667. You're a member of at least 3 school sponsored bands.
668. A member of the band has printed out this list, passed it around the room during rehearsals, and 3/4 have sat around after school highlighting the best ones.
675. There's a sale at the music store, and - much to the annoyance of the staff - you camp out for 3 days in tents waiting for it to happen.
679. You get a letter from Reed College and immediately think of your clarinet.
680. You cut physics class on a regular basis to go hang out in the band room. When you start to learn about frequencies and pitch, though, you show up to every class and immediately become the best student. Subsequently, your physics teacher thinks you are possessed and sends you to the nurse. (But nooooooo!!! Band is next period!!!)
681. You ask for a detention in band just for an excuse to stay longer.
682. You find pleasure in being able to conduct 3/4 and 4/4 at the same time...
683. ...and you put that on the drum major tryout requirements. You also wrote the rest of the tryout requirements.
685. You've had a sleep over at your Band director's house. In his front yard, without him knowing beforehand, that is.
686. Playing through a rehearsal when it's 100 degrees outside with 90% humidity? Not a problem.
687. You've pondered who would win in a band vs. football team fight. (Hmm, 160 band members with instruments vs. football players. Let's see.)
688. You dance at every single drum cadence while in the stands. Even if you're the only one and you look like an idiot.
689. Your section has pre-game rituals.
690. You've nearly slipped in a puddle of brass player spit.
691. You've had to suck the spit out of your instrument.
692. You clean up the band room for fun.
693. You walk around your room doing stuff (such as IM, eating, sleeping, talking on the phone, TV viewing, radio listening) while holding your flute.
694. you can name at least 5 people from every marching band within 30 miles of your school
695. You can play all of your marching band tunes on all the brass instruments.

Yes, there are even more, but i'm tired.

Yes, people of the world, McGuffey is now 2 losses, 2 wins in their section, 3 losses overall... this is turning out to be a GOOD season. And Garrett wasn't even the leading rusher tonight, which shows the dumbass "Weekly Recorder" how wrong they are.
"The Weekly Recorder" is the local newspaper here and they printed an article, written by someone who graduated from McGuffey, and stated how we won last week because Garrett came back from his injury and that if Garrett can stay off the injured list, maybe we can win more than two games this year. My English teacher had A FIT! She made signs to support the football team and encouraged us to write angry, eloquent letters to the newspaper, which we will be doing Monday.
So I sat there during the football game and talked to Steve about the Disney Evils and Homestarrunner (www.homestarrunner.com in case you don't know). Steve is absolutely hilarious. If only he were 1. a bit older 2. a bit cuter 3. and slightly less dorky, i'd be all over that kid, let me tell you. He is extremely hilarious. He and Erik. I really like Erik... and if I weren't so fat or ugly, I might (BIG might) act upon it... but i'm fat and ugly, so i'm not.
The other team's band members were SO COOL!!! I stood and talked to their drum major the whole time. She liked our show and LOVED our show last year... and HATES EA... (and did a really good, funny impression of them), and when I told her we're playing them next week, she laughed and said "that'll be an interesting meet&greet", which is what i've been saying since we got our schedules in May!!!! OMG!!! It was great.
Yes, i'm very tired now and I have to work for 7 hours tomorrow... *ugh* I hope Harold is working, even though I know Sara, Bryce, Blayne, Gradert, and Meg are working...
*signing off*

Homecoming was pretty awesome! I got to dance with Garrett!!! And the football team WON! Our stupid loser football team actually won!!! Against WAYNESBURG!!! THAT'S HUGE!!! I am so tired... more things I will talk about later: Sommer and Joey screaming lyrics, my shoes, gradert making fun of me, pink shirt guy, JAY *signing off*

Right now I wish Jay hadn't said all of that... there's nothing we can do about any of it right now. I knew the topic was going to come up eventually, but still, it couldn't have waited another month or two... or six? 9 years... that's a lot... but there could be more... maybe he's right, maybe it is a blessing in disguise. The thing he said that really got me was "Do you want to see a man that you love deteriorate faster than you?". That's the one thing he said that really got to me... I mean... thinking about it makes me want to cry.

I got a date for homecoming! Yay! Earl asked me and of course I said yes! Whoo! So now i'm looking at shoes... I need flats... I should get SmAsh to help me. School is crazy. I hate Chemistry... since I have it first period, it's rather difficult to stay awake and pay attention that early in the morning. But I really love English... Miss Sprowls (formerly as Memar) is SO AWESOME, but today I felt like I was in a stupid class... it's so easy. But, I have Honors A.H. with Garrett, so it's not so bad. Hahaha... yay today! There was a water main break in Clays. and so we had a 2-hr delay. Chloe was sitting in homeroom and complaining about how she had to put ice cubes in the microwave just so she could brush her teeth. For once, i'm glad I don't have city water. So I go through periods 3 and 4, but by period 5, the water still isn't working. So we got out of school at one... which was okay... I have been craving McDonalds for MONTHS and we were going to be able to finally go, and then it got cancelled on us. The band had to go home, eat, and be back by five for the football game. It was SO FAR AWAY... Freeport... let me tell you. But yeah, I wanted to sit with Earl, but I ended up sitting with Jodie. On the way there, we watched Blue Collar Comedy tour and then on the way back we did what girls do best: talk about guys. I had about 40 of those sour straw things and i'm so hopped up on sugar I can't sleep. We got beat so bad at the game. 21-0... oh dear... and the marching show: not good at all... the beat was turned around 3 times in the first song... but the rest of it was pretty good... the second song sounded REALLY good... the third song would have been fine if the saxes hadn't dropped the beat when they carry the melody and if the two clarinets had been paying attention to what they were doing at that one marching part... oh well. Josh Newton was yelling "knicker" at people... I thought it was SO FUNNY... it almost sounds like the "n" word (that I REALLY hate), so people don't know weither to laugh or be offended... even though he was just saying it to our cheerleaders. Tomorrow is going to be... much more nerve-wrecking. Oh well. I got a hug from Earl again today... once today (I think) but I got a good nice long one when we were getting off the buses... hahaha... he gives really nice hugs... I love hugs... they're friendly. I need to go to bed... or look up stuff about the SAT... maybe i'll do both *signing off*

The silence keeps the harmony
That I consider my only friend
As the absense of a before
Keeps me content until the end.

I feel my body submitting now
And my breath is slowing fast
While my eyes are slowly blurring
Into visions that have no past.

The darkness now consumes me
Still beside my wake
As I pray to silent shadows
Whilst their form I take.

Now I may whisper to the willows
And sing atop the plains
As my voice echoes past the horizon
Calling the distant rains.

Soaring angels guide me
To a place of eternal song
As a chorus sung by deities
Resound as I strolled along.

The herons danced belows lilly pads
And the sky seemed an ocean of blue
Whilst the wind told tales of lovers
That were heard by few.

Then from above there came dull thunder
As I lay still in the ancient stream
Crying softly as reality crept closer
And I left behind my dream