Band rank

Over the past week, band has been having auditions for concert band. The was it works is everyone plays all the major scales they know(in as many octaves as possible), their chromatic scale(again...), a small piece of music that can be practiced, and finally a non-prepared sight reading exercise. I went into my audition not caring too much. I didn't practice a whole lot, and it showed. Out of twelve scales, I played four or five. I could have tried to play more, but decided against it. My chromatic scale was no better than my others. My prepared piece was okay, but there was nothing special about it. And then my sight reading went pretty well. I figured that I got into the middle of the three bands, as I did last year. I was hoping for the top, of course, but didn't want to get my hopes too high.

I did that audition early on Monday. Trumpets were playing on Monday and Tuesday. For the rest of the week, some friends and I, most of whom should have been getting ready for their auditions, left school and had some fun. The two band directors were listening to auditions, and could not even come out of their rooms or look into the hallway, for fear that the blind audition process might be faltered. This allowed us an easy escape. Too easy, perhaps, because we left every day.

And eventually the last day of auditions came to a close. I had totally forgotten about being placed into bands by that time, but other people were not. They reminded me that sometime this weekend, we would know who was in which band. I wasn't too excited, though, because I expected the post to be on Saturday.

So after school, I went home, and my parents and I headed down to Manchester to see my brother's haunted house(the one he was working at). It ended up being only about 5-10 minutes, but we got to see him briefly. Afterwords, we started back home. About ten minutes into the drive, my friend texted me saying that I got into the top band. This, of course, made me very excited. I asked him how he did. He said that he got first chair in the second band, and he was very happy with his position. He then talked to some people, I suspect, and texted me saying that maybe I didn't make it into wind symphony after all. He saw the middle band's people and saw that I wasn't on the list. Because of this, he suspected that I was higher than him, so he told me that. I could have been in the lower band, however. I asked him to look and make sure, because I had two hours until I could check at home. He said that he would. And then he didn't. And he kept not checking until about an hour later, when I had stopped caring. He said I had gotten second chair.

This amazed me. How could I get second chair? There is three trumpet players who I know for sure should have beaten me. I wondered who the one who beat me was. How could've I done that? Could he be wrong? He can't be wrong. I hope he isn't!

When I got home, I decided to check. It turns out that I got second trumpet part. There are three trumpet parts. Two players play part one, three players play two, and three players play three. I was the middle in second part, meaning that I was fourth trumpet overall. The three that should've beat me did not. Two did, but the third got placed a couple slots below me, to my surprise.

The competition is horribly fierce, and I hate that part of band. I know that after most people try to challenge up once, they lose their anger and settle into the spot they were originally given. I feel pretty safe where I am, but I know that a few people under my spot will try to challenge. And if they beat me, that's okay too.

CDs

Today I came home from school and almost imediately started working on homework. Soon after I got home, my mom came home. She started her normal routine, which included listening to messages. There was a message from the library that I heard, that was for me. My reserved CD was available!

About two weeks ago, I had a great idea. I would make one blank CD into my music CD. I would put all sorts of songs that I love onto this CD. Since I had already made a list of songs that I like(I get bored in class...), I thought it would be very easy. I would look in my dad's CD collection and find all the songs I wanted. Any that he didn't have could be easily checked out from the Hiawatha library. I thought that my plan was perfect.

First, I had to find a CD. This was the first time I questioned how perfect my plan was; I couldn't find a blank CD. But after I asked my dad, I found one. I then went to my mom's laptop. I had already extracted around fifty CDs onto the laptop. I had some trouble finding the songs I wanted, but eventually got them into a list on the computer. The problem I then faced was putting the onto the CD. Windows Media Player said that I didn't have a CD in the computer. I checked, and reassured myself that I did. I ended up copying a song from the computer to the CD, but I don't think it will work because it is in a computer format that my CD player will probably not recognize. I decided to postpone the idea.

I thought that I shouldn't worry about getting the songs onto the CD until I get all the songs onto the computer. To get the rest of the songs, I headed to the library. The library's stock of CDs was not what I had expected. They had a lot of CDs, but I hadn't heard of most of the artists. I decided to look for someone I did know, but not very well. I selected a few CDs and checked them out. When I got into my car, I started listening to them.

I loved being able to change the song whenever I wanted to, or even re-listen if I wanted. I never listened to CDs much in my car. I never put the songs on the computer when I got home. I left the CDs in my car. When they were a couple days from due, I decided to bring them back. While I was at the library, I got a few more CDs.

Today, at the library, I saw a woman who was talking to the librariam. She was trying to check out two movies, I believe. While I was waiting in line, I overheard that she had seventeen items checked out. Two were due today, but she had already returned them. I thought that this must be hard to keep track of, and realized that my idea was correct when the librarian told her about her fine. But this complication was not the thing I was focused on most. I had a mew idea. I could check out movies and watch them, just like she was doing. This, in addition to the CDs, seems like exploitation to the library. But I guess they kind of want that to happen. That is why we have libraries, after all.

I am on my third set of CDs now, and am starting to listen to bands I have heard of, but never, to my knowledge, heard. Currently I have Counting Crows and Bon Jovi. I have heard songs from both, but only a select few. I plan on using the library a lot while I am a student. This will be nice, because I can get books, CDs, and even movies for free. A drawback is that I cannot have the forever, but I get to have a variety of material. This will help to have fun, but still save some money for paying for college.

More Ping Pong

Last night, I had youth group. This lasted from seven to eight o' clock. At about six-thirty, I started playing table tennis with the youth instructor. We continued playing after everyone left. Since I didn't have any homework, I decided to keep playing. He must have been having a good time, too, because we didn't stop playing until nine, when the pastor left.

I learned how to read his moves. I started to get a feel for my own playing style, also. I am generally a player who hits the ball with normal speed until a tasty lookg ball gets hit to me. I then smack that ball, so that the other player has both a lower chance to hit the ball, and gets a little intimidated by me. I also tried to change it up, by hitting the ball very softly. I found out that if I serve the ball softly, usually my opponent will hit the ball back softly, and I will be able to smack the ball back down on them.

Tonight from three to four, ping pong club will be meeting for the second time. I missed the first meeting, so this will be my first. I don't expect to be good compared to many of them, but I can surely be worthy competition. Maybe I'll talk about it tonight.

Table Tennis

Like I said in my first post, or at least like I think I said on my first post, I like to play ping pong. I will firstly say that I'm okay with it being called either ping pong or table tennis. I'm not one of those picky people who gets frustrated when someone says it by its Asian, or European name. It actually annoys me when people get heated over these minimal issues. This also goes for when people write essays over how "10 items or less" is written somewhere in almost every supermarket existent. I never noticed this, and find that it is unimportant, even now that I know it should be "10 items or fewer".

Now going back to ping pong. I once did an LA paper over table tennis. The paper was supposed to be about something in the book we choose to read. I read Forrest Gump, though my teacher urged me not to, because I have seen the movie. It turned out to be like the movie, but much different. It would have been a great project to make a poster over the book and movie, comparing and contrasting, but that was not the assignment. I say this because in both movie and book, Forrest is a mentally slow person. He lives in the south and gets faced with many opportunities. In both, he finds himself playing football for college, fighting in Vietnam, meeting Lieutenant Dan, and falling in love with Jenny. In the book, he is fat, is a genius in mathematics, ends up in a NASA program to go to the moon, and lands on an island in the Pacific. In the movie, he runs from coast to coast many times, just to run, he teaches Elvis a very famous dance move, and he experiences the permanent loss of his beloved. But in both, he gets injured in Vietnam, and in the hospital learns to play ping pong. He is a natural.

He goes strait to the top. When China, who at the time was at very shaky terms with the US, invites some US ping pong players to play in a tournament, Forrest is chosen to go. In the book, he actually ends up saving the Emperor of China from drowning, but in both he ends up making good terms with China. Soon after the table tennis tournament in China, he gets to go back home and starts fishing for shrimp, and ends up creating a huge corporation out of it. His ping pong days are over in a splash (get it, because shrimp...). But because he played ping pong in the book, I was able to write my report about it.

I looked up techniques and styles of playing. Firstly, holding your paddle is very important. There are two main ways to hold a paddle: The traditional, American way that we all know, and what is called the pen-hold style. This is more of how Asians (not to be racists, but this is what I heard) use their paddle. It requires less of a handle, and often times their paddles are made with short handles.

A major part in being successful in table tennis is ball spin. I found this out a little from my research, and a lot from actually playing. If topspin (spin going forward on the top of the ball) is put on the ball as it is hit, the ball will curve downwards. This is one of the most important spins because it allows for harder, faster hitting of the ball. Also, side spin can be put on the ball to throw off an opponent. From my experience, bottom spin is not very useful. It makes you hit it slower, and seems to help the opponent. At times, I have used it and it has thrown off my opponent, but usually it is a risky maneuver.

Bed time, talk to ya later!

My Essay

Today, I got back two of the three essays that I gave to my group to revise. I felt like I really said some things that was hard for me to say. I talked about how my brother kind of ruined my family for a few years. The only thing more nerve racking than giving this essay out was getting it back and listening to my group talk to me about it. I was not the only person to write a personal essay, thankfully. This helped me decide to write about what I did.


-LITTLE SPOILER ON MY ESSAY-

At first, I was going to write about the peacefulness of a campsite I once camped out at. I loved the place because of the solitary feeling I got when living there. I loved the fog that always rose in the morning, and the sound of crackling fire, and the lake that I could go swimming or canoeing in. I was going to write a story about what happened up there. I started writing when I noticed that nothing much happened out there. I could describe the place until I reached the word count limit, but there would be no point in that essay. So I started to write a fiction story that could have happened. Inspired by the moth essay that my LA class read earlier this year by Annie Dillard, I decided to write about an animal that I saw. It started with me trying to see through the fog to my canoe, which was not very far away. I ended up keeping this sentence, because I thought it was very descriptive, and there was action involved in it. Then a rustling of a bush caught my attention. I looked, hoping to see what was there, forgetting what I was doing before. The animal did not move at first, but then an owl gave its last hoot before going to sleep. This caused the chipmunk (or bunny, I wasn't sure on this) to jump. I would then follow it, but I started to realize that this didn't sound real at all. If I made it more real by not following it, it would be boring. I decided to emit the fiction.

-MEDIUM SIZED SPOILER ON MY ESSAY-

Instead, I decided to go by my dad's advise. He told me to write about something personal. Maybe how I broke up with my girlfriend a couple weeks ago, or something with Chris (my brother). I decided to write about Chris. I did not delete the old paragraph, though. I served as my attention grabbing introduction. This was also a great opportunity to use metaphors, similes, and personification. I used the camping scene as a constant measure of complete peace and quietness. I ended the paragraph by saying it was the best morning that I had had in a long time. I then used the mention of morning to flow into my next paragraph. Though they connected with the topic of morning, they were in heavy contrast. I told about my normal morning (the worst morning of my life). (I just had a good idea, I would relate this to the movie "Office Space", which should be general knowledge, of when the main character says that every day is the worst day of his life). (But, as I reread and try to find a good place to put that connection, I realize that my negative, quick tempered tone would not persist if I added an allusion). Anyways, I contrast the 100% peace with the 0% peace of my home. I contrast my feelings of love and hate. I use examples that tell just how much I am willing to stay away from Chris. I use examples of how I hate him (so it doesn't sound like I'm annoyed by a little 8 year od brother who wants to play with me) and end the essay with the theme that everyone needs a 'happy place', and that this place can help.

-VERY LARGE SPOILER ON MY ESSAY-

One thing that I hope is noticed in my essay, because I feel it is a very good idea, is that I never said Chris's name. This could easily be revised, and the essay would flow more easily(I wouldn't have to say 'my brother' so many times). But I don't not say his name for privacy. I, as mentioned in my essay so many times, don't care about him or what happens to him. I feel no connection to him. Calling him and alcoholic druggie is perfectly acceptable for me, because it is very true, and he could have changed it if he only let my family help him. I didn't use his name so that he wouldn't be considered as human as you and me. He is just the other alcoholic in my family, not my brother. This helps my point that I don't regard him as my brother anymore.

-EH, I TALK ABOUT MY TITLE-

The title to my essay is "A Still Serenity". The word serenity is one used many times in my therapy class. We actually say a serenity prayer. It goes something like this, "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference". Basically, having serenity is what people with alcoholics in their families need. They need serenity to accept that their parents/siblings are alcoholics. They need courage to talk to about it. And they need the wisdom to know what to talk about, or if to talk. Going back over this meaning, I realize that through my examples I have become more wise. I learned that fighting Chris does not work. I then stopped doing that.

I just had an idea. Instead of finding your own happy place, I will talk about serenity. It is a much more positive approach and could serve a greater purpose for the reader. I'll get back on how this works, maybe.

Phanic

Since today is a Sunday, I went to play phanic at two. Today's phanic was different from last weeks for two reasons: It was a nice day, so more people showed up, and we had pictures taken of us.

A photographer from the Torch, the school newspaper, showed up to take pictures for a story they are doing. It is going to be about ultimate (Frisbee), also. If I reslease too much information, they threatened to kill me, so I can't say much more, but if anyone is reading this, be sure to check out that article.

On another subject, there were some pretty cool plays today. The first half, which was played to 3 points, was a close 2-3. the north team (in reference to the goal post they guarded), was ahead 2-1, when the south team came back with a point to even it all out. Soon after this goal, Dan, the south team's main offensive player, came running down, bouncing the ball. There were three players between him and the goal. He got passed the two defenders, but somewhat lost control of the ball. It was just me and him, just in front of the goal. A goal would've been very easy for him, except he hit the ball too far when passing the defenders. I thought I could get to the ball before him, in which case I could have picked it up and chucked it at least half the field away, but he dove for the ball, and swung his racket so that he made a perfect side shot on the goal. This was the end of that half. We all headed down to the south side of the field to take a quick break.

The second half would be to only one point. This was because a bunch the girls playing had to leave soon. We switched sides, but I will continue to refer the team names to the original 'south' and 'north' names. The north team, which I was on, started with the ball. We had a lot of trouble getting very far. The south team, however, got in positions to shoot around five close shots. Our homie (phanic term for goalie) was new to the position, and only luckily blocked most of those shots. I later realized how poorly we were playing defense, because one goal is the half in that game. Eventually, a couple of players on the north team got the ball down field, and the ball got passed to me. I did not catch the ball. The ball instead landed about 5 yards from where I stood, and about 15 yards from the goal. There was a defender standing the same distance from the ball, right beside me, between me and the goal. Since the homie was currently not guarding the goal, I decided to try to beat the defender to the ball, and shoot the ball straight off the ground, like a golf swing. I narrowly beat the defender to the ball, and as I hit the ball, I also hit the racket of the defender. If she had been 4 inches further, she would have blocked the hit. Finally, I made the goal. This tied the game up, and ended the game.

Since the photographer was still there, and we had a great idea last week, three of us decided to stay. The idea was to make some artificial action shots. We ended up not doing this, because it would be hard to effectively make it look real, but instead played some one versus one. Dan and I played against each other, with Ethan playing all time homie (he did that voluntarily, I can assure you). We played half court so that the pictures would be closer up and easier to capture. The photographer never showed us the pictures, so we aren't sure just how good they were. I suppose I can only hope that they look good.

Bad news

It sounds like my dad is very against getting a limo. He was into the idea before, but I guess something must have happened. He hasn't said no, but it's like he's stalling and eventually thinks I will lose interest. But if I get it after all, I'll be sure to blog more about it.