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Friday, October 30, 2009

Playing the Piano While Driving at School in Choir with Primary Kids

I've got quite a bit to talk about, but I'll try to make it quick so you guys don't get bored. Hmmm where to start...okay I know I have a lot of things to talk about but now I can't think or remember when to start... Let's just start on Monday then, I think something cool happened that day. Oh yeah! I got my driving permit. I seriously just sat here thinking for a couple minutes before I remembered that minor detail.

So, I went to the driving place and took the test. I was nervous and was studying like crazy in the car. The test had fifty questions and some of them were kinda stupid and easy like "does marijuana affect your driving?" Nope. I got 84% so I got my permit which made me happy. On the way home, my mom pulled over and had me start driving which totally freaked me out. We circled the neighborhood twice and the whole time I was hyperventilating. At one point I barely got to the speed limit before freaking out and slowing down. It was weird because I would barely touch the gas and it would zoom forward. Mom and I both certainly enjoyed that experience.

Last Wednesday, I had my choir concert. Mom was trying to quickly hem my dress that day before the concert. While ironing it, the iron kinda burned and melted part of my dress so now I've got a nice cool mark on it. Mom wanted me to tell my choir teacher that she didn't like her. We got to the concert a half hour after I was supposed to be there (which was still a half hour before the show) and I was upset about being late. I was going to try to get a solo in scatting in a song called "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy". I really didn't care that I didn't get it. Because I missed the time that my choir was going to practice, I didn't get a chance to sing it. My friends wanted me to do so I was just kinda going with it but it wasn't that big of deal. I calmed down when I got there and my friends, Joye and Megan, came to see us sing so I had them sit with my choir while some of us were talking about how when I'm a famous singer, the burn mark on my dress will be my symbol. The sound system wasn't working so all of the mics didn't work so Ms. Swallow had to yell to be heard and the singers weren't as loud. The sevvies sang first and sounded good for sevvies. Boys choir went next and sounded dandy as well. The girls choir went next and I thought they sounded really good, I was impressed. They messed up on one part in their song though. Ms. Swallow started to bring them but then they got confused and stopped singing. Ms. Swallow didn't want them to feel bad so she just blamed it on herself and apologized to the audience and then had them keep going. The madrigals went next. When they got on, Ms. Swallow started rambling on about district and solo & ensemble stuff for about 7 minutes which was really annoying because we could barely hear her and everyone was getting bored. I felt bad for the madrigals who had to stand up there while she blabbered on and on. Finally she stopped and the madrigals sang. They were really quiet and I thought their songs were boring. I noticed this last year too; the madrigals always sound quiet and sing boring songs. I guess it's a good thing I'm in concert choir. Next we concert choirigans went up and joined the mads and sang our four songs with them: Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy, Hushabye Mountain (from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Saints Bound for Heaven, and Imagine. It all went really well. In Shoo Fly Pie, when the person says "yes, that's me, uh-huh", we had a guy do that in a really girly and high voice and dress up as a woman. It was funny and it was hard to keep a straight face during choir practice. Overall we did a good job.

When I got home I quickly did a persuasive essay on abortion for extra credit in geography but our printer wasn't working so I just emailed it to myself and I was going to print it off in the library the next day. Well, of course the next day the library was closed. I had it first period and I was mad because I was so close to an A- instead of a B+. During lunch, I snuck into the computer lab and quickly printed it out. There were some boys from another class in there so I just pretended to be part of the class. I was able to turn it in and I now have an A-. I took a test in Algebra 2. The first part I think I did really well in, but I think I bombed the second part. I had no idea what I was doing and I really hope I did well because I'm clinging on to a B- right now and I really don't want a C. In choir, we just sat around doing nothing while Ms. Swallow did stuff. Of course the boys had to act stupid so they found water balloons from somewhere and threw them up at the ceiling where they popped and sprayed everyone. I swear the boys in my 4th grade class were better behaved and less stupid, and that's saying something. Seminary was a joy as usual with my "wonderful" "great" boring seminary teacher. He's a good teacher and all, but he's really boring and he says wonderful and great too much. In art me and the other people at my table started singing songs from movies and making all the sevvies stare at us. Because the term ended that day, I don't have school today.

That night I had a piano recital. I played a song called "Concerning Hobbits" from Lord of the Rings which I really love playing. I was nervous, a ton more nervous than I was last time. I was third to last, and when I got up I couldn't stop shaking. My stupid leg wouldn't stop shaking and it was vibrating on the pedal. The whole time I was playing, I could hear the younger kids in the background whispering "look at her leg...look at her foot on the pedal". Yes thank you, I was fully aware of my stupid leg and I was pressing it down really hard on the pedal in the effort to make it stop shaking, but to no avail. I messed up in a couple places on my song and I thought it sounded terrible. I was so upset with myself and I was trying not to roll my eyes and scowl. When I was done, I quickly went to my seat without bowing. I didn't think I gave a good performance, therefore the audience didn't deserve a bow. Amanda went up last and played her song perfectly and smoothly and beautifully. Afterwards, I went to Marjorie's house and had pizza and watched the recordings of us playing the piano. Hannah was scowling at the piano the whole time like she wanted to kill it, Chelsie had a pleasant expression on her face and was smiling during part of it, and Amanda and I looked normal (at least I think I did, my hair was hiding my face). Hannah wore her Egyptian costume and Chelsie was dressed up as an old lady for it. After listening to myself play, I concluded that I didn't sound as bad as I thought and I bowed for Mom and Marjorie. Everyone sounded really good. I have a video down below of me playing the song, sorry the piano is out of tune. I also have the video of the guy who played it on youtube and whom I emailed to get the sheet music (did you notice that I said "whom" instead of "who"? I hope that's right, and I'm proud of myself for attempting good grammar). And yes, some of those pauses are on purpose. I just didn't make them long so that Emma wouldn't turn off the camera. It's not as good as the youtube video but I think it's pretty good still.

Today, I went with Mom to the primary Halloween activity up at the church for Emma. They got to dress up and they had the cutest costumes there. There was a fireman, Woody, Tinkerbell, and Emma was super girl. I was a teenager apparently. I was still in my pajamas, listening to my iPod, and wearing Ashley's flip flop slippers. I haven't worn flip flops out in public for a couple years now. During it, Mom and I left so I could drive around the neighborhood. We went in circles, having me practice right and left turns. She had me do figure eights around the neighborhood to get used to turning. I was getting pretty good and a couple of times accidentally went a little bit over the speed limit!! What would Grandma Carol say? She then had me drive back up to the church which scared me so I kinda floored it when I turned into the church parking lot and made Mom mad. Aw well, we got back in one piece.

Anyway, that's all I have. See ya!




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