Update

I took a week off. I spent the entire time sleeping and reading superfluous books that didn't benefit my mind in any grand way. Now I am back and ready to get some things done.

I started private piano lessons, and I enjoy my teacher very much. She is not only interesting in the performing side but also takes the theory and musicology side seriously. She has me listening to pieces and researching the history of them. The piece she has me working on right now is the second movement of Moonlight Sonata. My timing is off, but so far my notes are right. I am determined to accomplish this piece.

Violin is going well too. Working extremely hard, and I am on a new minuet. I am told my bowing technique is getting better, but it is always a little hard to determine one's own progress.

Over all I feel I must work even harder at my music to catch up for not having the opportunity to play when I was younger.

Besides music, I have working hard on essays for various competitions, and preparing for my SATs, because all the colleges and universities I want to transfer to require excellency. :D

I'm also figuring out where I would like to volunteer. There are some really interesting places that I think I would like to donate my time to.

On a less serious note, my birthday is fast approaching and I am told I will probably get the camera I want for it. I am rather excited.

I Don't Like

1. That I recommend wonderful music to people that I later hold great contempt for. Wonderful music becomes a part of people, and the people I greatly dislike don't deserve to have such things be a part of them.

2. Why most of the modern books (not classics) on sale are Romance novels. These are superfluous to me.

3. That every time I walk by the new candy shop the song "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent starts playing in my head.

4. The name 50 cent, it should be "50 cents." "50," implies that there is more than one, and therefore it is PLURAL not SINGULAR.

5. That almost every time I'm having an intellectual conversation I end using the word "awesome," or "that's cool," to express my enthusiasm for the particular topic of discussion. I've never even like the word "cool"....... I do like the word "awesome." Unfortunately.

6. The amount of STUPID vampire books. Apparently, in these modern times, vampires go academies, sparkle in the sunlight, and fall in love with humans. Pretty soon they'll stop drinking blood. What would Bram Stoker say?

7. Every pianist seems to specialize in Beethoven.

8. That I can't understand most text messages I receive. People aren't using abbreviations anymore, they are creating their own idiotic language.

9. The poetry of today.... at least most of it. I don't understand the motive behind most modern poets. I don't know what their trying to communicate, therefore their work has no meaning to me.

Thoughts On Fiction/Updates On LIfe

I believe that fiction is really truth--if written well. I have often learned more from reading a fictional book than from reading a one full of facts. Fiction was the first to expose me the hard truth that people can be evil, or that they can be of low integrity. I have also seen, through fiction, what heights people can rise to. There are endless lessons to learn from reading a book of fiction; fiction is a kind of guide book to life. Facts are things that have happened, or are true, but through fiction we can observe why these things might happen.

Besides contemplating the benefits of fiction, I have been busy with many other things. Yesterday I created an outline for my documentary, and starting reading a non-fictional (yes I know, THE IRONY) book called "The Life of the Intellectual," it is an old book, beautifully written, that must be read by every intellectual. I will post more on this work once I have read more of it. I assure you, there will be much to say.

I also went to violin lessons today, I started a new Bach minuet (very happy that I am making progress), and I signed up for private piano lessons (so I will continue to make progress on the piano).

Today I still have a lot to get done. Must do some preparation for two essay competitions, go grocery shopping, practice piano, read, write, and compose a few letters... oh, and grocery shopping. I would also like to take a nap, but my mind, once again, won't stop going, so I must persist with the rest of the goals for today.

Finals= Over, Life= Still Busy

Finals officially ended on Monday night. I went straight from my English final to my piano final (I was still contemplating Ayn Rand while performing my Bach minuet). So glad finals are over, and that I have a break from school. I really do believe I needed one; I was starting to write essays in my dreams (none of which helped me with my schoolwork though, they were mostly compare and contrasts on fruit of all things). And I feel as I am having a "finals" hangover. Is such a thing possible? Thinking powers are low, I am physically exhausted, and want to sit in the bookstore all day reading superfluous things. I don't feel as I am free yet, I don't feel as if any restrictions have been lifted. Maybe this is because I have a lot I have to accomplish over the summer. I am still glad to be away from the classroom for a little bit. However, I miss my teachers, and I will probably want to be back in the class room within three weeks.

Now, I am focusing more on my piano and violin. Oh, and there are essay competitions to be attended to, and some photography to have fun with. Did I mention how much I missed my creative writing? Lots of things to do still, but I get to create my schedule, and there will be no test anxiety! I will not conduct myself by the judgment of others, I am the only one to judge my work.

Some Relief

I am honestly ready for finals to be over. I'm tired of writing essays on overplayed topics. I'm tired of "playing ball," so to speak (funny that "so to speak," is used after a colloquial term to show that your using a colloquial phrase, but it's a colloquial phrase itself). But the good news is I seem to making steady progress on these essays, and I will finish them in time with perfection.

Bad news is coffee and chocolate are failing.... my usual conduits for revitalization. Feeling a little better tonight though. Being extra careful about what I eat (no meat at all, no processed chemically food, and of course no wheat), seems to finally be helping some.

Piano piece is coming along nicely. The only thing I have to worry about is getting nervous when playing in front of my fellow students. Something I seem to have no control over, even if my mind is calm my hands start shaking, and if my hands are calm my mind goes blank. I am determined to move pass this. Perhaps try to do some other performances?

Oh, and I need to start looking for private piano teacher. Excited! This summer will be the ultimate summer of improvement. Great things will happen.

Tomorrow morning is violin lessons. Super happy about this, as it is a very nice way to start the day. :D

Busy Schedule, Busy Mind

First off, I have finished my first final. Math= demolished. I finished the test an hour early, and so did the problems again, and then figured out different ways to do them.... and then figured out different ways to prove them. I still left early... happy and relieved! My professor could have designed the test so that everyone would fail.

A funny thing that happened, is I finally talked to this other student who I had noticed the whole semester. He was quiet throughout the whole semester, but was always taking notes or working out problems that the teacher had put up on the board. Turns out he is a very smart 16 year old that can carry on a conversation than most people, which I didn't totally expect. It's nice to talk to intelligent people. :)

I'm about ready for this semester to be over. I will miss my teachers a lot (who else is going to listen to my, as my sister calls it,"geek talk"?), but I'm so physically exhausted. I'll still be busy with all my essay competitions and music lessons when the finals are finally over, but I'll probably have more time to focus on the needs of my body, instead of just the needs of my brain.

Much more going on, but just too tired to write it.

Waking Up... Still?

My thoughts this morning:

What is that? Oh it's my cat. Why is she meowing at me? Oh she has a sock, which she presents as a gift... of many. I am surrounded by socks. Where on earth did all these socks come from? I thought I kept them in drawers. All of my drawers are closed! My cat is magic.

Fall back to sleep. Dog (Charlie) starts whining. Wants out to pee.

Damn it. Maybe if I just ignore it... no, that's a bad idea. Charlie will pee on floor, then I'll have to get up AND clean up pee. Should just get up now.

I get up and let Charlie out. A few minutes later I let her back in.

What is that smell? What is that? That isn't normal. That smell is on Charlie. This is not good. Charlie apparently made friends with a skunk this morning... or many.

And so that has been my morning. My animals presented me with many uh, "situations," before I even had a chance to properly prepare myself for the day. However, I have managed to get a lot of violin practice in. Violin practice really forces you to wake up--coordination! So I feel that I am almost ready to begin the other "chores" of the day.

I have to clean some more. Have a guest coming over later, and thanks to Charlie I now have to figure out how to get rid of that smell. Not to mention the socks, which have migrated all over the house. All over! And of course there are the essays that I must attend to. And piano. Would like to at least get an hour of piano in.

Playlist:

1. Variations On a Noel by Dupre

(Pleasant, fascinating... wakes me up intellectually.)

2. Cantata, BWV 21 by Bach

(Same as above, but makes me feel more creative--perfect for essays.)

3. Waltz #2 In A Flat, Op. 34/1, "Valse Brillante" by Chopin

(Inspired? Yes. Determined to practice now? Of course.)

4. Etude #12 In C Minor, Op. 10/12, CT 25, "Revolutionary" by Chopin

(Not only am I inspired and determined, but now I am also highly energized. I bet you are too.)