The sky was brown today. No, I haven't gotten my colors mixed up, it was brown. It rained. We had to stop soccer practice (not that I really object). The green of the trees and the grass were more vivid than I have seen in a long time, and the grayish black of the asphalt was blacker than ever, and the headlights of the oncoming cars were brighter than a full moon. The video room was disgustingly smelly when we went in there for soccer. Like mildew mixed with fermented sweat. That's actually what it probably was. But I really have nothing to say right now, so perhaps later I will write something of interest.

Happy Halloween everyone!!! It's technically Nov. 1st, but who really cares. I should be working on my extended essay abstract right now, but I decided I need a break from thinking, so I will just ramble now. Soccer tryouts were okay today, but again kind of boring, but of course everything is boring if it doesn't involve smelly gloves and a metal frame with a net attached to it, but that's besides the point, everything else is just work. I was with a group of girls that really isn't any good at 5v2, which is a great game if you do it right. They would kind of kick the ball and it would go spinning of somewhere to the far reaches of the soccer field and everyone would have to run after it and then Stone came over and got on our case about the ball going all over the place. Then we did some Brazilians and then some 1v1 and then we went home...without doing sprints ::hallelujah::. I am tired nonetheless. I was up till 1 last night cause of my extended essay, and now I am up equally late tonight for the same reason. That and I have a calculus test tomorrow that I really need to study for.

Today in History class Chris was singing some of the music for Valjean and I was about to melt. I sang Cosette and Eponine for him when he got to those parts. He sounded immeasurably better then I did, but I really loved listening to him anyway. He has this smooth voice that just makes you melt when you hear it (as long as it's not full of cuss words all over the place). Anyway, I think he sounds better than the Broadway guy, but it may have something to do with the fact that I know Chris personally. He is definately the one person from the Senior class that is most likely to get an Oscar/Grammy/Tony.

You know what...I never said anything about homecoming. Well, it was fun. I'm glad I went. Everyone said my dress was pretty. I thought the earrings I was wearing was overkill though. But Matt said I looked fine, so I don't really care. But you know who looked fine, Matt. He was wearing this three piece suit that looked like something Gene Kelly would wear. He looked totally classy. It is at those moments that you remember why you had that Middle School crush in the first place. Whoever he marries is going to be one lucky girl, cause he's really nice when he wants to be...and he's really hot when he wants to be too. The after party was fun too. I got pushed in the pool...well, sort of, I jumped in while fleeing from AJ and Amy (they made such a cute couple!). And speaking of AJ and Amy...there is this huge joke about them that is totally funny just because of how obsurd it is and it is only magnified by how easy it is to make Amy mad about it. And AJ has no idea he's even involved in the whole thing (other than on the teasing side with me). It's the funniest thing. I won't tell you about it though, cause that would potentially make Amy really really mad, and that just wouldn't be cool...at all. Anyway, I'm going bye-bye now, my EE Abstract is calling my name.

Okay, so it's been a while since I had the time to do this, or was even on the computer even if I had the time to do this. I should probably say lack of time since that is when I usually post something. Yes, well, enough of that. You may be wondering what kind of drudgery brings me to my keyboard this time? Another ToK Paper perhaps? English maybe? History? No my dear friends and faithfull readers, it is none of these. This time I sit here writing a paper that is not affiliated with any "class" so to speak. I'm writing my extended essay. Uh huh, the long one that I've been complaining about for EVER!!! I have discovered that the process of editing isn't nearly as difficult as I though it would be. I have read through it 6 or 7 times and I have continually found mistakes. My biggest problem is that I am generally long winded and should be cutting a lot of stuff that I write. My dad read it and he said it needs a lot of cleaning up, but other than that it's really interesting. I am so glad I picked something that I'm interested in, cause if I didn't life would totally suck.

On the topic of sucking, soccer try-outs started this week. This is the only thing I really hate about soccer, all the crap we have to do to get on the team in the first place. Monday was okay, but rather boring, cause I didn't really have much to do since that is the day when Stone (my coach) checks out the newbys and sees what they are made of. I took the 2 freshmen trying our for MY POSITION off and we did some warm-ups and then had Monica (and the rest of the returning varsity team) take some shots. That was actually kind of fun, except for the whole ball traveling at 100mph straight for my head, but that doesn't matter, it's my job after all. Tuesday was much much much (much times infinity) worse, cause that was the day of our traditional 30 minute run. It sucked, and more importantly I sucked. I ran (more like walk-jogged) 2 miles, which is really really bad. Anyway, I got over it, cause today was even harder. Today was keeper try-outs. You might be thinking, "what's so hard about that? You stand in a 6 yard box and block balls!" On the surface, yes, that is what I do. When you add in the factor of jumping up and down, and up and down, etc. it get's a little more complicated. Then add the jumping and catching, and then it's even more complicated. I was, still am, extremely exhausted. My neck hurts too. I landed kind of hard and my head bounced. Have you ever felt like your brain just kind of rattled in your head and hit your skull? That's what it felt like. As it turns out there really is nothing wrong with my head, just the muscles in my neck that are horribly sore.

Right now I am listening to a reproduction of Orson Welles' "The War of the Worlds." It's kind of scary, slightly corny, but good nonetheless. I love the radio. I don't know why they don't keep making radio theater. I would listen to it, and I would love it too. Adventures in Odyssey is so wonderful (if you don't know what that is go to www.whitsend.org and you'll find out). Anyway, I have to get back to my essay. Bye.

This morning I was surprisingly happy. This morning I realized I had Acting 1 First period. This morning the wonderful reality of the end of ToK hit me. This morning I was happy. Then I remembered. It wouldn't last, and why was this? I had work to do. I have a crap-load of work waiting on my desk when I get home, a 4000 word essay right on top, not to mention the homework I was supposed to do over the long (and yet unrestful, if that's a word) weekend. Life sucks, then you die. But in all reality, it does, unless you've got a little variable that they call Christ, then that's a different story. I read the first chapter of John today for my Bible study, I think it was the first time I had a good QT in a few months. I should have been doing my English homework, but I figured I needed to spend some time with God too, so I blew it off like I had been doing for the last 6 hours and spent some time with God. I had heard it all before, so there wasn't anything really new, but this time it just seemed more interesting, I don't know why. It's like hearing a favorite story from when you were a kid again, and the familiarity is comforting. Alright, it's not quite like that, but sort of. I was more eager to read it, it wasn't a drag like it feels like so much of the time. Anyway, enough about that.

On a totally different note. I have been listening to Les Mis far to much over the last week, but what can I say...I love it. I love how sad it is, how these characters are searching for a reason why they are there. Cosette want's to know where she came from, Eponine (my favorite) wants to know why Marius won't love her, Marius (later on) wants to know why he's the only one of his friends to survive. They are all looking for answers. Kind of like real people. Except my quest for knowledge is not nearly so practical. I have no mystery to my life, other than why the heck I'm in IB. Anyway, I love the pain they feel, cause I can identify with it, Eponine especially. Unwanted, unloved (not that I am a victim of either, but it sure feels like it sometimes), wishing desperately that someone (Marius mostly) would love her, and hold her, and be there for her. It took death to get her there. She died for him, so that he could be with someone else. That's love. I don't know if I would have done what she did. That's why I love her character...she sacrificed herself for him and Cosette.
Anyway, I need to work on history now. Until we meet again.

The world has officially come to an end!!! University actually won a football game!! What do you know. And they (or should I say we) won it resoundingly. I just feel sorry for the TCHS football team, cause well, they are totally going to get chewed out. Oh yeah, the score? UHS 38, TCHS 8. Haha. Anyway, enough about HS football, since I really think it's a dumb sport that gets way too much attention. What about the real athletes that play the whole game without stopping? Like soccer for example. Forty-five minutes non-stop. Yes there are lulls in the game, but we don't right out stop! Football players are such wusses. There was a 5th Quarter party at Chick-Fil-A afterwards and it was okay. I got to talk with one of the girls that went to my middle school that I hadn't seen in a while and it was pretty cool. It seems that she's a techie in Drama like I am/was (since I am now a cast member). UHS drama is so much better though. We push ourselves a lot more than Timber Creek. They do "Grease," we do "Les Miserables" (uh huh, the one that's still on Broadway...uh huh, that one that got all those Tony Awards...and if it was a movie, I'm sure it would get a few Oscars too...oh yeah, and Chris, who plays Valjean, has to hit that insanenly high note). And we have a fly. I wish we had a trap door though. I think we could make one...but we would have to blow up a whole crap load of concrete to put it in which would cost a lot of money that we don't have, especially after Les Mis. But it's such a wonderful musical. I love it already. The cast and Thespian/Drama club are going to see Les Mis on tour and I am sooooooo excited. It's wonderful.

Yesterday was a wonderful day, even though it started out kind of crappy. First period I forgot my books which we were supposed to turn in, so Mr. Boyte got all up in my face about it. We turned in our papers, and that was a little confusing cause we had a bunch of stuff we had to staple to it. Then I found out that we had a quiz the next period which I hadn't studied for. But then my day suddenly became brighter when I realized that ToK was over with for THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!! Yes, I'm done with ToK. Now I have only to laugh at the people who have it next term, cause well, their life gets to suck now. Ah huh, suck. More work, more thinking, more Extended Essay (Insert maniocal laugh). I can't spell, but oh well. The quiz second was okay, but I didn't do so hot. Then Third I had to do a scene and I forgot half of my lines, but Mrs. Douglass didn't really mind cause I had to memorize a NOVEL!! Not literally of course, but oh my goodness. I had at least 4 times the number of lines as Desiree. ::Ugh:: Chris gave me my lines when I needed them though, so I was okay. My costume was kind of cute, but I didn't really like it. I had a skirt on with a white blouse and a grey sweater draped over it all, and it was kind of cute, but I was wearing black adidas sandals cause I don't have any nicer shoes. But it was all good I guess, better than going bare foot. The scenes as a whole were really good though. The group that went last week was AMAZING!!! They condensed a little one act into like 10 minutes and they had lights and sound effects and everything. It was pretty cool. Creepy, but cool. I can't believe that was only yesterday. I guess since so much stuff has happened in the last 24 hours. I went shopping for my homecoming dress for the last time. I didn't by one ready made, but my mom and I went to JoAnne's Fabrics and got a pattern and all of the cloth. There were these two gay guys and I was rather repulsed cause they were like hugging and kissing each other and I was like ::ewwww::! What they do is their business, but do they really have to do it in front of me? The first tip of was that they were in the cloth for special occasion section. What self respecting (straight) guy would be caught dead there (without their mother)? Oooo. Guess what Monday is....SENIOR SKIP DAY!!! Yay. The most wonderful institution in the history of all school, right next to Christmas break, spring break and summer vacations. And I get to skip!! Yay-boh. My world still sucks, but at least there are some things to make it better. But what ticks me off a lot is when underclassmen skip on senior skip day. What is up with that? It's a senior privilege, like getting out of school 5 minutes earlier, or parking in the senior parking lot. And speaking of which...what's up with Juniors in the senior lot? I think the school needs to crack down on that. I parking in the senior lot last year, but that's only cause the office lady gave me a senior sticker. if she hadn't i wouldn't have parked there. Anyway, I really wish they would check stickers more often. But why am I complaning? At least i can drive a car. It was so weird going over to Estonia and there being so little traffic and teenagers not being able to drive. Rush hour in Tallinn was like a normal day on Colonial Dr. I was wondering what the Estonians would think if they saw Orlando at 5:30. It's crazy! I really miss Estonia, even though I was there for such a short time, or maybe it's because I was there for such a short time that I miss it. Maybe it's a paradox. I'm still thinking like I'm in ToK. Oh well, I guess that was the point. It's kind of interesting how ToK just kind of bled into everything else. We would talk about something in ToK and it would pop up in English or History, or even Calculus some times. It was actually pretty cool. I guess I will miss that class in some ways, but I'm sure I won't miss the work. I'll miss Mr. Boyte's stories though, cause he is really funny when he want's to be. He told us this story about his mother's teacup poodle and how she got so attached to it and then it died and she had a wake for it then she got a parrot then it died and she had it stuffed and hung from the ceiling. Then he told us this story about her miniture stallions, but that is really long, and I don't have the time to get into it. But it was funny. Very funny.

But alas and alack, though I wish I could continue writing, I have to get up at 4:45 tomorrow so I can go to FSU to see the campus, plus I'm kind of running out of things to say...so vaya con dios.

Okay, so I finished my ToK essay and all the editing. So it's ready to go. I usually would refer to my previous blog of the night at this point, however, I can't see it cause my computer (or the website) is being a pain and not showing it to me (grrr). So anyway, I think the last time I checked I was going off on the injustices of IB and how bad it sucks. But what else is new, right? Oh yeah, shopping for a dress. For all the guys out there...you have it easy, I promise. It's like this. You go to one store, you find a really nice dress that you really really like. Yeah, too expensive. Same scenario at a different store...yeah, don't have your size. There's always something going wrong. I've been to two malls and countless stores (8 actually), didn't have anything. So I went to Wal-Mart today to look through catelogs of dress patterns so my mother and I could make my dress (or should I say my mother, because if I did something with the dress other than wear it, it would probably end up looking like a molting bird or some other animal). Anyway, I get home, and my mom is like, that's gonna cost around $100 JUST FOR THE MATERIAL!!! It's CLOTH! How expensive can it be? Some people really make a killing on Prom/Homecoming. And what's the whole thing with not being cosure to wear the same dress to Prom/Homecoming? I think it's just something made up by the fashion people to make you spend more money per year. School dances are such a pain. And for a few hours of sweating on a dance floor to a bad DJ (at least that's what I've heard, having never been to one myself). Blah. Anyway, I still have a crap load of music to listen to for my scene tomorrow and a costume to prepare, and a bunch of other stuff to do too. Parting is such sweet sorrow that I will say goodnight till it be morrow (or whenever I get around to writing again).

Ah yes, back at the computer for the enth time this week, but this time it is again for ToK, and the writting of a long essay. If you're not aquainted with ToK you must think that we have a battle ax (or axe, whichever you prefer) of a teacher who makes us write endless words about knowledge, in which case you would be only partially correct. Mr. Boyte is a battle ax(e), but he doesn't give us 1000 words to write a week. I am in fact only editing my essay from last week, cause well, it gets sent off to some place called Carthage, Wales and gets read by some British guy (several actually), and is graded on it's merits and more likely, flaws (it is after all my paper). So the essay that is right now on my word processor can determine whether or not I graduate with the IB diploma. That's a wonderful thought isn't it. This particular 1200-something words could determine whether or not I have wasted the last 4 years of my life in IB or not. This isn't making me feel any better. Drat. Oh well, life's not perfect.

On a different note, I am really tired of school. It's just starting to wear on me. I need a very long vacation. (WARNING: FIERCE DIATRIBE ON THE INJUSTICES OF IB AND THE EXTENDED ESSAY IMMINENT!!!) As it happens, a long vacation is just around the corner, some 16 hours around the corner...yes, that few. However, my "vacation" won't be one. Next Friday I have to turn in the most important paper I have ever written in my WHOLE LIFE in to Mr. Boyte. Friday the 25 is a cursed day. Yes, that is the day my Extended Essay is due to Mr. Boyte. Which is why my "vacation" is really a non-vacation. I have to turn in a 4000 (yeah, you read that right, a four followed by three zeros, four thousand) word essay, which is even more important than the aforementioned ToK essay. Why? Because if I receive an ELEMENTARY on this essay I have absolutely NO CHANCE OF GRADUATING w/ and IB Diploma. Shoot me now please!!! On top of this essay I also have to visit FSU Friday. That means I get to spend 8 wonderful hours in the car with my parents listening to "Les Miserables" and Norah Jones (Les Mis and Norah are volentary, and I don't mind doing that) and working on homework (aren't vacations supposed to be relaxing?) or reading...or listening to them talk...about my life...and about how I'm going nowhere with it or some other bright and cheery topic. Ugh. I repeat. I hate school. And just wait till I get started on school dances, or more specifically, the search for a size 16-18 homecoming dress.

More to come....