glimmering -

We just finished with most of our 2nd Christmas with our visiting relatives - here's a brief list of what I got...

-- Finding Nemo on DVD
-- fringy fleece scarf (made by my cousin - it's really cool looking!)
-- beads and wire (to make jewlery) all in a decorated box from another cousin
-- Lucky Boys Confusion - Commitment cd
-- $25 from my aunt and uncle
-- a blue and white apron from Greece
-- $40 from my grandfather
-- a navy journal
-- Burt's Bees lotion and lip gloss
-- a hair clip

Because it's New Year's eve, and thus my parent's anniversary, we'll be staying home (again) while they go out. I guess we're going to order pizza and watch some of our new movies, which will be fun, but not as fun as going out to a really nice restaurant, and then seeing two really good movies at the theatre. Oh well.

rachel

Posted at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

irritated -

I now fully understand why someone can become best friends with their immediate family after they move out, but up to that point, be extremely annoyed and frustrated by them. It's because you're not constantly around them, hearing and seeing everything they end up doing. I can't wait to move out now, and I think I won't be going to the UW here, either. I guess I really wanted to go to the university here because I've been around it my whole life. My parents work on the campus, and I know those areas like the back of my hand. I would feel comfortable going to school there. But now, I don't want to feel safe, and I don't want to be too near my family. As much as I love them, I really can't stand them.

On to a whole new and different topic.

Money is very controversial, even though we all need it to survive in this world. Is it so wrong of me to want a high-paying job when I'm older? I don't want the money just to have money, I want it so that I can live comfortably and not have to worry all the time about making payments. My family isn't poor or anything, but we're also not rich, and I constantly hear my parents worrying about money. So when I tell them that I want a high-paying job when I'm older, they get all huffy and tell me money isn't everything. Honestly, though, it just about is. I know it can't buy happiness, or love, but it can buy you food, shelter, and warmth - leading to some happiness, and little worrying. Am I so wrong to feel this way?

rachel

Posted at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

optimistic -

I just took a pretty interesting quiz, and honestly, I think it nailed me.

You are Aquamarine #7FFFD4

Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definately strive to be logical you care about people and know there's a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days. Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Posted at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

capricious -

My relatives finally got here around 8:00, and it was sort of shocking - my cousin Mariel has short hair!! It used to be extremely long, and now it's short. It looks really nice on her, though, so it's not a bad change. It's just, very different.

I was contemplating this earlier today. I believe people with wickedly long toes are artistically inclined, be it in music, dance, or the forms of art we usually think of right away, such as painting, metals, and sculpture. My sister Juliet and I have long toes. I love to sing and play the piano, and I wish that I could at the very least draw, but sadly, I suck at drawing. Juliet plays the violin, can dance, and is very artistic with metal. My little sister doesn't have as long of toes as us, but she does have long toes, and so is interested in playing the cello and piano, but doesn't work very hard to improve at those instruments. Perhaps this theory only applies to my family, but I'm really not too sure. Help me out. How long are your toes, and are you artistically inclined?

What do you believe dreams are? Some believe it's your mind wandering through your thoughts and creating wickedly strange stories out of them. Others ponder whether or not they are glimpses into different realities and other worlds. I think it would be incredible if the latter were true. I'm a romantic by nature, and the existence of other realities is a very romantic idea. The first belief is very no-nonsense - not my kind of thing. I would love to talk about this with my family, but my parents are scientists, often relying on proof. There's no proof of alternate realities, so obviously they'd all call me crazy. Ah. How frustrating.

rachel

Posted at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

exhausted -

I really can't go for too long on only 7 hours of sleep. Why is that? Most weekdays I feel a lot more awake if I only sleep 6 hours, and extremely tired if I sleep more than 8. Last night I was babysitting, and the parents went out for a drink for 3 hours after a 2 1/2 hour movie. They got home around 1 in the morning, and I got to bed around 2. And it's not even 12 hours since I woke up this morning and I'm already falling asleep in my chair. So odd. Maybe it has to do with visiting relatives, but I really didn't do that much "visiting". More like an hour of standing around talking, then 5 hours of playing Texas Hold'em poker. I came in third, leaving the two most inexperienced players in first and second place. Actually, everyone went out in reverse order of experience - my father, the most experienced person playing, was out first (at my hands). Next was my uncle, and I only got out because my little sister ended up getting an extremely lucky river card. I still can't believe she won that hand.

It seems as if my aunt and cousin finally made it out of Oklahoma today, after a week of trying and failing to leave. They should be here with Grampy sometime tomorrow.

rachel

Posted at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so-so -

My sister, Juliet, is mad at me for no apparent reason. Hm. PMS? Ah, well. I won't let it ruin what good mood I have left. My dad's birthday is in three days, and I have no idea what to get him. He actually bought all of his presents for Christmas, and gave them out to us to give back to him. Maybe I should get him a biography on Rachmaninoff. He loves playing piano, and has been working on Rachmaninoff's famous Prelude in C-sharp minor. Did you know that Rachmaninoff didn't think that people would like that piece, and so he didn't buy the thing that would make it so he got money back from international sales of the sheet music. He grew to hate the piece because of that, and because he had to play it at every single concert he gave. But, off of Rachmaninoff. If you have any ideas of what to get my father, please share!

rachel

Posted at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We opened presents recently, and it was so much fun seeing everyone happy and surprised. I got a lot of the things that I wanted, and some I wasn't expecting.

-- Sims Hot Date and Makin' Magic (my sisters got the others to fill in from Livin' Large)
-- The Maid of the White Hands by Rosalind Miles
-- $20 to spend at Aveda (woo!)
-- $30 to spend at Borders (double woo!)
-- $50 to put on my VisaBuxx card
-- Chopin Mazurkas
-- Chopin Polonaises (Now I have all but the etudes!)
-- 2 necklaces
-- a keychain to put my dog's picture in
-- AOR solid perfume - Chamomile and Lavender
-- a pretty little bowl

My grandfather, aunt Kari, and cousin Mariel are coming up tomorrow from Oklahoma and Illinois - they should be here by Saturday. When they come we'll have another little Christmas. Saturday will be spent at a Christmas party for my Mom's side of the family, and sometime in January when my other relatives get back from Africa, we'll have another little Christmas.

rachel

Posted at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

sparkly -

I hope you have a wonderful day - Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

Drive safely if you are traveling, and have an excellent time with your families!

rachel

Posted at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

jolly -

Christmas Eve - it's always so magical as it starts getting dark. Even more magical when there's snow for lights to twinkle across, but we don't really have that this year. Oh well. It's still magical.

I was just remembering the first Christmas that my friends swore Santa wasn't real. I was so adamant that he was real, that he really came down the chimney, gave us presents, ate the toffee we made for him, and wrote us letters on our computer. And then I slowly realized that... No, he can't be real. That was a horrible Christmas - I'm upset with those people. Why can't I still believe that someone really does spend their whole life giving presents to children and making them happy? Our society is too no-nonsense, and yet we still try to be romantic, basing things on our emotions. How hypocritical.

May you have a magical night, too, no matter what society thinks.

rachel

Posted at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

content

I really like that face.

I'm very proud of myself - I cleaned more of my room than I thought I would. And now I'm a neat-freak about that part. Yay me! I'm hoping I'll get to another section today. I was reading in a magazine that have a neat room will better the feng shui of the room. Of course. But it also said that having a clear view of the door from your bed is good. Apparently it makes you calmer because you won't be nervous that someone will come in unexpectedly. You're also not supposed to have electronic gadgets 3 feet or less from your bed. Does that include alarm clocks? I'm guessing not, but how should I know? Anyway, it was a really interesting article. Don't remember what magazine it was in, or else I'd tell you.

My mother's annoying me - again. She keeps telling me every detail of what's happened to her, and most of the time I'm thinking "Please, don't talk to me about that. I don't want to hear that. Oh, no, she's saying it..." If I get mad at her, she tries to make you feel guilty, and if I just calmly say, "I'm kind of busy, could we talk later?" she screams and yells how she was only trying to be nice. I can never even make a truce with her when we fight - it's always that she argues until she drops dead or I storm off just to get away from her. And I know that she's talking to me because she thinks I'll understand, but shouldn't she realize by now that in the morning when she wants to have a heart-to-heart, all I want to do is eat my breakfast and have it nice and quiet as I wake up?

rachel

Posted at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

driven

Driven... driven, to clean!! I have this urge to clean up my living space as much as possible today. I can tell you right now that I won't make much of an impact, mainly because I always sit around reading and looking at the things I'm supposed to be throwing away. But I'm telling myself, not this time! Oh no! I'm going to throw away whatever I hardly use! And what better time to do this massive cleaning than the day before garbage day, and the 3rd day before Christmas Eve? Perfect timing, I say!

I just have to eat, clean the brunch dishes, and shower before I start.

rachel

Posted at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Juliet got me to go to the theater, only to find out the show was sold out. Well, of course Return of the King was sold out! How absentminded can we be?? We ended up seeing Mona Lisa Smile, which is so good, and we'll be going sometime soon (when we have tickets bought ahead of time) to see LOTR.

rachel

Posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

sleepy -

Fun, huh? I love feeling sleepy on a Saturday morning - it really makes you feel like getting up and taking a shower. ::rolls her eyes a little to show that she's being sarcastic, just in case you can't tell already::

Okay then.

My sister is pressuring me to go see Return of the King today, and as much as I'd love to, I really wouldn't like to go today. I just want to sleep some more, eat, go back to bed, and get up and shower to go babysit tonight. But she's threatened that if I don't go with her today, she'll go on her own, which is a mean threat because she knows that I can't drive myself there yet and my parents hate taking us to the movies. I'm just hoping that she'll get bogged down with things to do and won't even think about going to the movie without me. Actually, that sounds a little mean of me... I just don't want her to go without me!

rachel

Posted at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Got the template working - just had an extra symbol in there that wasn't needed. I like it - it's fresh. Tell me what you think!

rachel

Posted at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

glowing

I'll make this short and sweet - my hands are still a little cold.

No more school for a couple of weeks now - yay!

I'm working on a blue theme - the orange is starting to feel... bland. There's a problem with the big box on the upper left hand side, though. Won't fill in, and I can't figure out what's wrong. Wish me luck on that!

rachel

Posted at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

random -

The choir concert went pretty well last night. I won't go into too much detail, but the sleigh in the Show Choir performance was hilarious, and the Voices performance (which I was in) was amazing. All of you did an incredible job!

We gave out presents to our Secret Santas today in Voices - Clint gave me very pretty earrings. Other people got toys, candy, lotion, body spray, thongs, stuffed animals, and candles. Needless to say, it was wicked fun.

I love chilly dogs. There's something so refreshing about hugging a sweet, cold dog. What I mean by chilly is when they come in from being outside, and their fur is still cold, but not wet. Usually my dogs are incredibly excited to come back in, and want to give us hugs. You should go cuddle a chilly dog now. It will make you feel better. I promise.

rachel

Posted at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

creative -

Finally writing my essay - I tried to get it started yesterday, but I couldn't start it! It was incredibly frustrating. Luckily I'm in a much better mood tonight, making it easier to write this thing and turn it in tomorrow.

Choir concert tomorrow, meaning a dressed up day, and a late night while wearing a robe (for Voices) which makes you feel like you're wearing a mumu. Very uncomfortable feeling. Not that I've ever worn an actual mumu - it's just what I've imagined it to feel like. Mumus scare me. No shape, horrible colors, usually fake silk, and usually with a deep slit down the chest. My neighbor wears them often - scary.

rachel

Posted at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ornery -

Bad day. Bad, bad day. I can't believe I am getting so mad at everyone today!! On my way out of school, some guys came running up and wanting me to hold the door for them - after school's out, doors are locked. So what did I do? I pretty much stormed away from the door, and when they complained, I just told them I was in a hurry and couldn't hold the door for people. I said this very meanspirited, too, and now I feel bad. And a little scared, because I'm not very confrontational with people I don't know, and I'm worried that they'll be mad at me tomorrow. I'm just really not being myself - I don't like it. I guess on a lighter note, we got decorated our Christmas tree last night, and it's oh so pretty now. Makes me a little happier just thinking about it. I'll try and work on pictures to upload here - a little challenge for myself, you could say. I have to stop now - have to write an essay for Civ. Not fun. I'd much rather do math right now. And I say that because math is a happy thought to me.

One more thing - mom has been in a horrible, pity-me mood for the past few days, and I really can't stand it anymore. She's coughing none stop, but she won't take cough medicine. She refuses it, and if you offer to get her some, she yells at you and feels hurt. I can't do anything without her yelling at me and bringing up past arguments. All I want is a chance to have the house to myself - almost impossible these days with two sisters and my parents.

rachel

Posted at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

fresh -

I woke up half an hour ago, so I'm a little sleepy, but otherwise I feel happy-new-fresh. Just wanted to clarify that I wasn't in a bad-attitude-fresh mood. Anyway.

We finally put our Christmas tree in the house - got it Friday night and left it on the side of the garage protected by our trash cans. I'm suspecting that my mom will want to decorate it today, meaning I'll have to make many trips up to the attic connected to my room. I think I'll try to take a few pictures of the tree when it's decorated and show them here - don't really know how to do that yet, but I'll try. Maybe if I figure that out, I'll clean up my room and take pictures of that, too. My room is kind of awesome in the way that it has steps that are more like shelves going up to the attic so that when it's clean I can sit up there and read, even sleep. I guess I'll work on that.

It snowed here last night, so now we have a little more than an inch of snow!! I can't believe people west of here got up to 7 inches during the week. Take some advice from me: When it's winter, don't listen to the snow forecasts. Snow is so much more exciting when you aren't expecting it.

rachel

Posted at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

sparkly -

Woo! I feel so good! Christmas shopping can really lift your mood. I bought everything I needed, but it totaled up to around $110 (only $50 from my savings account, $60 from babysitting last week). I can't say what I got for everyone since my mom is in the room with me and my sisters keep walking in and out. They're really good presents, though. I love being in the holiday spirit!!

rachel

Posted at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

exhausted -

All I want is for this to be next week's Friday so that we would be starting winter break. I'm mentally and physically exhausted, and this weekend is packed to the limits. I'm getting a headache just thinking about it. I sightread a lot of the Joseph music, and I'll be telling Cyra on Monday that I'll do the musical. It should be really fun, even though hard work. For instance, the first full chord on the first page of music is a 9-note reach. The treble chord has a note that's a sharp in it, too, making it impossible to reach, not to mention the middle note in each of the chords. I think that and the odd rhythms in some of the songs are the only really hard parts of the score. Can't wait to get on the piano now.

rachel

Posted at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

gleeful -

YAY!!! I talked to Mr. Cyra again today and looked at the music of Keyboard #2 (there are two keyboard parts), and it looked a lot easier than I had thought it would. He told me he had called my piano teacher as a "background check" and found out just what a good pianist I am (he didn't know me at all before I talked to him last wee). He said he'd like to have me play in the pit, but it's all up to whether I want to or not. I'm pretty sure I'll say yes when I talk to him again on Friday or Monday. Woohoo for me! I am SO happy!

rachel

Posted at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

chaotic -

So much to do! Not only do I have a load of homework and studying for a quiz on Friday, but I'm feeling extremely pressured because tomorrow at lunch I'll be talking with our band director about the piano parts for the musical we are doing this year, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." I didn't try out for a musical spot because I was hoping on getting a keyboard part in the pit orchestra, but now I'm having wicked doubts about my ability. I have no problem what-so-ever playing classical music, but Broadway? I did some sightreading today for practice, and I can tell you, Broadway is not my style. Maybe if I decide I can't to a keyboard part, then I'll talk to my choir director about possibly getting a spot in the chorus. Tomorrow's a half day - conferences in the afternoon, so only hour long classes - yay! You have no idea how tiring 90 minute classes can get. Can't wait for the upcoming break.

rachel

Posted at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

optimistic -

Some philosophers in the 1800s believed that the dramatically increasing population would in the end create a world with horrible conditions. As I was reading that, I immediately thought about all of the things today as a community we are trying to limit to save the lives of people, such as disease and starvation. However, disease and starvation are just a few ways of cutting down the population. It's how other species live in balance with each other. They also have natural predators, while we have none. Humans are destroying the earth, and I believe it is mainly because of our large population. We try to do everything in our power to save people, but it's not the way things are supposed to work. I almost feel like I'm contradicting myself when I say this, because I have a compassion for other humans, too. I understand why no one wants others to suffer, but by not suffering, we are causing the destruction of the world as we know it.

I hope you realize that my general mood of optimism is not because of the above blurb. No, that makes me feel depressed and helpless. I feel optimistic because I have a good chance of getting a keyboard part in the musical pit orchestra. How trivial my concerns seem compared to the paragraph above - it almost seems to loom over this section.

rachel

Posted at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

radiant -

Hm. Don't really know what to say. So exciting for you, I'm sure. You know, you really should try and listen to the song "Bongo Bong" - it's so much fun! It's about a guy who loves playing his bongo, so he goes to the city to get more popular, but no one likes him there. It's really quite funny. This weekend I have to go Christmas shopping, but for once I'm not stressing over money. I made $60 this weekend from babysitting, and I have $200-some in my account - definitely more than plenty for the holidays. For some reason lately, I've been feeling so alone, when in reality I'm really not - I have plenty of good friends and a great family. Must be just the influence of Monday. I'm listening to some Lucky Boys Confusion songs right now - I hadn't heard of them until just yesterday, but they're pretty good. You should check them out, especially "Atari."

rachel

Posted at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

infuriated -

I was really looking forward to the Capitol Pageant, but stupid people had to ruin it for me. Let me list all of the things they did:

1. didn't watch the conductor
2. talked the entire time
3. were mean - made fun of people there
4. sang the wrong notes
5. sang the wrong rhythms
6. sang too loud, especially in quiet parts
7. left in the middle of the performance, disrupting everyone, only to return a minute later and disrupt everyone again

Don't think I'll be doing the pageant again, mainly because all of the upper classmen who know how to act during a performance will be gone. Damn those stupid underclassmen.

rachel

Posted at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

blissful -

Wow I'm in a good mood! I think singing in the capitol for the Christmas Pageant rehearsal, shopping, and singing on State Street as we walked is one of the best cures for a tired, bleh mood. Especially if you sing Christmas songs in French. I'm also pretty happy because I will be making money in a fun way tomorrow - babysitting some of the sweetest kids I've ever met, Jeff and Jill. I always want to sing "Jack and Jill" when I see them, but I successfully restrain myself. I'm hungry, so I think I'll cut this short and go get some food.

rachel

Posted at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

foggy -

Hm. Today has been really, really quiet. Not much going on - I don't really want much to happen. I just... I guess I just really want to go to sleep. But I can't yet. Oh well. My mind has been dead since I took a test in Pre-Calc. The test is a competition throughout LaFollette, and I was extremely flabbergasted. Wicked test. Blah. Can't think of much more to say - just gonna go lie down for a few minutes...

rachel

Posted at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

blah -

Okay then. You know what my favorite time period is? The Romantic period. All of the individualism, creativity, idealization of nature, drama, and emotion that filled the art and literature of that time is overpowering and makes me feel... enraptured. It's probably why I love playing romantic music so much, like Chopin, Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn (Felix's sister!), Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Schubert, and Mussorgsky. Even post-romantics, like Debussy. This weekend is going to be chaotic. First a GSA leadership meeting on Friday, then right after that I have to be at the capitol for a rehearsal for the pageant. I'm babysitting pretty much all day Saturday, and on Sunday we're performing the pageant - twice. No late nights watching SNL for me. But back to romanticism, because that makes me happy. I'm pretty sure Mussorgsky composed "The Great Gate at Kiev". It certainly sounds like a very romantic piece. It was composed based on the painting of the Gates of Kiev. If I'm wrong about Mussorgsky composing it, please correct me. If you get the chance, download it. It's an incredible piece.

rachel

Posted at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

distraught -

Grr! I am so frustrated and upset! I have so much work to get done, and I have a lot less time tonight to do it all because I have to wash dishes tonight, and there is a rehearsal for the capitol pageant at 7:00 tonight! This is going to be extra short because I'm in such a time crunch - I just had to get all of this out.

rachel

Posted at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

grand -

Today has been pretty good. I feel happy, satisfied, hopeful - grand. It's a great feeling. I just saw a preview for LOTR - Return of the King, and it looks so good! I can't wait for December 17th, which is also the day of my choir concert. I wonder when the third Harry Potter movie is coming out? If you read this maxigumee, please let me know! Tomorrow for my Civilization class we'll be going to East Towne to see Master and Commander. We're only going because it's about the Napoleonic Wars in a time period that we are currently studying. That is, we'll be seeing it if everyone turned in their permission slips. That's one problem with the 4-block schedule - sometimes it's incredibly hard to get teachers to sign things. Oh well, I can't do much about it. I already got my slip and money in. Hopefully people will realize that they need to get it done. There's a website that is incredibly hilarious called Weebl and Bob. You should go there - I guarantee it will have you laughing. If not, let me know on my little tag board.

rachel

Posted at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)