Nice and lazy...
So I basically spent my winter break being reaaally lazy so far. Kinda nice sometimes but I'm definitely ready to go back to school and be busy again (and I know that then I'll miss these quiet times again :D).
On Friday night I went to the movies with Gary, his friend Garrett, Randy (he's in my Precalc class) and Randy's friends Alex and... oh man, just can't remember her name. It was a difficult name. Had never heard it before.
We watched Sweeney Todd, the new Tim Burton movie.
GO SEE IT!
It is so awesome... It's a cool story and Tim Burton definitely made a masterpiece out of it. He's amazing.
Basically, the movie is about this barber in London a long time ago who had a beautiful wife and a little baby girl, then the powerful judge of the city fell in love with his wife, banned the barber into a different country or something and takes the wife and the daughter. Years later, the barber comes back to London with the fake name Sweeney Todd to have his revenge... muaaaahaha. Not telling you anything else, you have to go see it. It's scary. And creepy. And partially funny. I LOVE it. It's my new favourite movie.
Today was a lot of fun. After I had come back from church with Sheila (everybody else went to church yesterday for the 4 o'clock mass), we got ready and then we went ice-skating on one of those public ice things. I haven't been ice-skating for more then a decade ^^ so I was figuring out how to do it most of the time but still it was just a lot of fun. Later, we had a hot chocolate there and then we went back home (watching Aquamarine in the car for the 1000000000th time... well, okay, the 3rd).
Tomorrow's New Year's Eve already... that's hard to believe. Another exciting, awesome year with so many important experiences is over. Mostly, I'm looking forward to 2008 though:
I'm gonna be in the school play, have 6 more wonderful months in the US, I'll have another concert with band, we're going to Florida during spring break, I'm gonna have lots and lots of more fun experiences here, after an extremely hard saying Goodbye here I'll meet a lot of people that I miss again, I'm gonna turn 18, I'll hopefully start driver's training and get my licence back in Germany, and who knows what other surprises God will have for me in the upcoming year!
12/30/2007
12/28/2007
Adventskalender
Zur Feier des schoensten Weihnachtsgeschenks ein Eintrag auf Deutsch! :)
Jaaa heute ist doch tatsaechlich der Adventskalender angekommen, den meine Mama schon Ende November abgeschickt hatte. Dass es ein Adventskalender war, wusste ich schon, das hatte ich mir so erraten. Dass es ein ganz besonderer ist, weil so viele Leute daran beteiligt waren, wusste ich auch schon, denn nachdem es schon so aussah, als wenn das Paeckchen verloren gegangen ist und nicht mehr ankommt, hat mir meine Mama ein bisschen was verraten.
DAMIT hatte ich aber ja nun gar nicht gerechnet!! :) Ich war davon ausgegangen, dass wohl hauptsaechlich meine Familie beteiligt ist und Chrissi, weil sie mal meinte, sie wuesste, was in dem Paket ist. Also mache ich den ersten Umschlag auf (da Advent ja nun schon vorbei ist, hab ich das ganze einfach als Weihnachtsgeschenk angesehen und alle auf einmal aufgemacht) und finde eine Karte von meinem Bruder und einen Brief von Guenter und Heike, worueber ich mich sehr gefreut habe. Als ich dann aber den zweiten Brief aufmachte und darin eine Karte von Fri fand, war ich natuerlich erstmal baff - wie hat Mama es geschafft Kontakt mit Fri aufzunehmen?? Sie kennt sie doch kaum, wenn ueberhaupt ^^ (spaeter wurde mir dann klar, dass Chrissi ihre Finger tuechtig mit ihm Spiel hatte :D wie Mama mir dann auch im 24. Brief erklaerte) Ich hab mich also tuechtig gefreut und dann den naechsten Umschlag aufgemacht, in dem ich ein suuupersuesses Foto von Nils und eine Karte von Nicole und Andre fand. Beim Aufmachen des vierten Briefs erkannte ich schon an der Schrift, dass die Karte von Simon kam, bestaetigt von dem "Hey Mary :P"... Wow, ich war echt ueberrascht und hab mich soooo gefreut und es nahm einfach kein Ende ^^
So viel von meiner Familie, meine Oma, Walter und Renate, Jochen, all meine Brueder...
Und dann Sabine, meine Reitlehrerin, und Traute, meine "2. Mama" ;)
Am meisten ueberrascht war ich vermutlich ueber die grosse Teilnahme meiner Freunde :) Da waren natuerlich Chrissi, Swenny und Eileen, Jana, Hoppi, Lisa und Lea, Freddyyyyyy :) und Theis, sogar Jens, Christian und Colja! Uuuuund Christopher!! Mensch, ich stand echt nur noch mit offenem Mund da und hab gelesen und gelesen...
Jetzt hab ich bestimmt irgendwen vergessen ^^ hab das ja alles erst einmal durchgelesen... wer immer es ist, sags mir sofort und du bekommst einen extra eigenen Eintrag :D
Chrissi, danke fuer die Fotos :))) ich hab schon einige Male in letzter Zeit gedacht Mensch, sie sieht schon wieder anders aus bei SchuelerVZ und ich sehs gar nicht wirklich... :) Hab mich sooo doll gefreut :-* Lieb dich so sehr Suesse!
Mensch Swenny :D immer so ein Aufwand... da musst du gleich ein Winterbild aus Finnland anschiffen lassen ^^ :-*
Und die Eileen hat auch wieder so fleissig gebastelt :) Ich find die Karte so suess... wow wie haeng ich die nur alle auf ^^ :-*
Euch dreien auch nochmal ein gaaaaaaaaaaaanz dickes fettes Dankeschoen und 1000000 Kuesse fuer das tolle tolle Weihnachtsgeschenk :) das Foto hat einen Ehrenplatz auf meinem Nachtschrank bekommen ;)
Hoppi, du hast auch sehr schoen gebastelt :) Irgendwie wusste ich allein von der Karte schon von wem sie ist :D
Genauso mit Jana, als ich zuerst das Kleeblatt entdeckt hatte... :)
Lisa und Lea, ich besuche bald endlich die Jackson-er! Ich fahre vom 4. bis 6. Januar dahin, A.J. holt mich sogar ab :)
Fri, deine Karte hat mich daran erinnert, dass ich deinem Daddy ja noch die versprochene Postkarte schicken muss :D Sag ihm ich habs nicht vergessen, die kommt noch ^^
Christopher, das Gitarrespielen hat leider in letzter Zeit ein wenig unter Klavier und der neu errungenen Querfloete fuer die Marching Band gelitten, aber es wird wieder :) Hab jetzt auch suuupercoole original Hard Rock Cafe Plektren aus dem Hard Rock Cafe Chicago!
Freddy, ueber deine Karte musste ich einfach nur ganz breit Grinsen ^^
Jens, fuehl dich geehrt, dir habe ich jetzt extra ein Gaestebuch eingerichtet :D Du hast Recht, man kann zwar Kommentare schreiben, aber das fehlte ein wenig. Also, leg los :P
Colja, ueber deine Karte hab ich Traenen gelacht :D:D:D meine Hostmom haelt mich jezt bestimmt fuer verrueckt... "... in Latein habe ich das Ruder uebernommen und werde sicher dafuer sorgen, dass das Boot mit alle Mann kentert."
Mensch, Mensch, mir fehlen echt die richtigen Worte. Obwohl ich wusste was in dem Paket war, mit sowas unglaublich tollem hatte ich ja nun gar nicht gerechnet :)
Ich bin einfach nur ueberwaeltigt und total geruehrt, Mann Mann, ihr alle habt mich echt fast zum Heulen gebracht ^^ (Colja hats geschafft, allerdings weil ich nicht mehr konnte vor Lachen xD)
Ich hab euch alle sooooo lieb :) und vermiss euch ganz doll... obwohl ich meeeega traurig sein werde, wenn ich alle meine Lieben hier drueben im Juni verlassen muss, werde ich mich aber mindestens genauso meeeega darauf freuen, euch alle wiederzusehen :) Ihr fehlt mir wirklich!!
Jaaa heute ist doch tatsaechlich der Adventskalender angekommen, den meine Mama schon Ende November abgeschickt hatte. Dass es ein Adventskalender war, wusste ich schon, das hatte ich mir so erraten. Dass es ein ganz besonderer ist, weil so viele Leute daran beteiligt waren, wusste ich auch schon, denn nachdem es schon so aussah, als wenn das Paeckchen verloren gegangen ist und nicht mehr ankommt, hat mir meine Mama ein bisschen was verraten.
DAMIT hatte ich aber ja nun gar nicht gerechnet!! :) Ich war davon ausgegangen, dass wohl hauptsaechlich meine Familie beteiligt ist und Chrissi, weil sie mal meinte, sie wuesste, was in dem Paket ist. Also mache ich den ersten Umschlag auf (da Advent ja nun schon vorbei ist, hab ich das ganze einfach als Weihnachtsgeschenk angesehen und alle auf einmal aufgemacht) und finde eine Karte von meinem Bruder und einen Brief von Guenter und Heike, worueber ich mich sehr gefreut habe. Als ich dann aber den zweiten Brief aufmachte und darin eine Karte von Fri fand, war ich natuerlich erstmal baff - wie hat Mama es geschafft Kontakt mit Fri aufzunehmen?? Sie kennt sie doch kaum, wenn ueberhaupt ^^ (spaeter wurde mir dann klar, dass Chrissi ihre Finger tuechtig mit ihm Spiel hatte :D wie Mama mir dann auch im 24. Brief erklaerte) Ich hab mich also tuechtig gefreut und dann den naechsten Umschlag aufgemacht, in dem ich ein suuupersuesses Foto von Nils und eine Karte von Nicole und Andre fand. Beim Aufmachen des vierten Briefs erkannte ich schon an der Schrift, dass die Karte von Simon kam, bestaetigt von dem "Hey Mary :P"... Wow, ich war echt ueberrascht und hab mich soooo gefreut und es nahm einfach kein Ende ^^
So viel von meiner Familie, meine Oma, Walter und Renate, Jochen, all meine Brueder...
Und dann Sabine, meine Reitlehrerin, und Traute, meine "2. Mama" ;)
Am meisten ueberrascht war ich vermutlich ueber die grosse Teilnahme meiner Freunde :) Da waren natuerlich Chrissi, Swenny und Eileen, Jana, Hoppi, Lisa und Lea, Freddyyyyyy :) und Theis, sogar Jens, Christian und Colja! Uuuuund Christopher!! Mensch, ich stand echt nur noch mit offenem Mund da und hab gelesen und gelesen...
Jetzt hab ich bestimmt irgendwen vergessen ^^ hab das ja alles erst einmal durchgelesen... wer immer es ist, sags mir sofort und du bekommst einen extra eigenen Eintrag :D
Chrissi, danke fuer die Fotos :))) ich hab schon einige Male in letzter Zeit gedacht Mensch, sie sieht schon wieder anders aus bei SchuelerVZ und ich sehs gar nicht wirklich... :) Hab mich sooo doll gefreut :-* Lieb dich so sehr Suesse!
Mensch Swenny :D immer so ein Aufwand... da musst du gleich ein Winterbild aus Finnland anschiffen lassen ^^ :-*
Und die Eileen hat auch wieder so fleissig gebastelt :) Ich find die Karte so suess... wow wie haeng ich die nur alle auf ^^ :-*
Euch dreien auch nochmal ein gaaaaaaaaaaaanz dickes fettes Dankeschoen und 1000000 Kuesse fuer das tolle tolle Weihnachtsgeschenk :) das Foto hat einen Ehrenplatz auf meinem Nachtschrank bekommen ;)
Hoppi, du hast auch sehr schoen gebastelt :) Irgendwie wusste ich allein von der Karte schon von wem sie ist :D
Genauso mit Jana, als ich zuerst das Kleeblatt entdeckt hatte... :)
Lisa und Lea, ich besuche bald endlich die Jackson-er! Ich fahre vom 4. bis 6. Januar dahin, A.J. holt mich sogar ab :)
Fri, deine Karte hat mich daran erinnert, dass ich deinem Daddy ja noch die versprochene Postkarte schicken muss :D Sag ihm ich habs nicht vergessen, die kommt noch ^^
Christopher, das Gitarrespielen hat leider in letzter Zeit ein wenig unter Klavier und der neu errungenen Querfloete fuer die Marching Band gelitten, aber es wird wieder :) Hab jetzt auch suuupercoole original Hard Rock Cafe Plektren aus dem Hard Rock Cafe Chicago!
Freddy, ueber deine Karte musste ich einfach nur ganz breit Grinsen ^^
Jens, fuehl dich geehrt, dir habe ich jetzt extra ein Gaestebuch eingerichtet :D Du hast Recht, man kann zwar Kommentare schreiben, aber das fehlte ein wenig. Also, leg los :P
Colja, ueber deine Karte hab ich Traenen gelacht :D:D:D meine Hostmom haelt mich jezt bestimmt fuer verrueckt... "... in Latein habe ich das Ruder uebernommen und werde sicher dafuer sorgen, dass das Boot mit alle Mann kentert."
Mensch, Mensch, mir fehlen echt die richtigen Worte. Obwohl ich wusste was in dem Paket war, mit sowas unglaublich tollem hatte ich ja nun gar nicht gerechnet :)
Ich bin einfach nur ueberwaeltigt und total geruehrt, Mann Mann, ihr alle habt mich echt fast zum Heulen gebracht ^^ (Colja hats geschafft, allerdings weil ich nicht mehr konnte vor Lachen xD)
Ich hab euch alle sooooo lieb :) und vermiss euch ganz doll... obwohl ich meeeega traurig sein werde, wenn ich alle meine Lieben hier drueben im Juni verlassen muss, werde ich mich aber mindestens genauso meeeega darauf freuen, euch alle wiederzusehen :) Ihr fehlt mir wirklich!!
12/25/2007
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays to all of you!
On Sunday, Keith's 16th birthday by the way, we went to church for noon mass and in the early afternoon, we went to Sheila's dad's new house (it's so beautiful, it's kinda in the woods and has this big, stone fireplace) to celebrate with some family. It was very nice, we had veeery yummy food and we already got some presents (I got a Yatzee game and a pair of golden earrings from Grandpa and Grandma and another pair of earrings from Uncle Mike and Aunt... Shelby? Man I'm so bad at names...). Later, we played a form of poker, it was so much fun... I just learned it but in the end, I actually wasn't that bad.
Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, we went to church with Grandma and GG for the 6 o'clock mass where Jacob was singing in the choir. He even had a solo in the Hallelujah part, he was so good! I was really proud of my little brother :)
After church, we all went right to Uncle Bubba's house where we celebrated christmas with Doug's family. The people I had gotten to know at Thanksgiving were there, Grandpa was there and another brother of Doug and his wife whom I hadn't known yet. It was a really nice night, again we had yummy food, I met their cute dog and Courtney and I played with the kitten they had just got 2 days ago. Again, we all got some presents... I got a drawing kit, a drawing pad, graphite pencils and charcoal - from Santa ;) We left late and got home past 11. We kids all got into bed then, of course, so that Santa Claus could come and do his job...
Then, this morning around 8, the little ones came in my room, all excited, "Maria, wake up! It's christmas morning! Santa Claus was here!" It was so cute... So I went downstairs into the living-room, everybody was getting settled, Sheila made coffee, and when we were all there, including Grandma and GG who had stayed over night, we started opening our presents - one at a time.
We had sooooo many present to open - and, oh my God, I got so many!! I'll try to list it, I really hope I don't forget anything... I probably will.
a Michigan State sweater
socks, a pair of fuzzy socks, a scarf, a hat, gloves
AVON body wash, hand lotion and peach body lotion
2 cases of AVON eyeshadow
AVON nail polish dryer spray
an AVON goodie bag with all kinds of foot care stuff in it
AVON birthstone earrings
a purple toothbrush
two bags - an H&M bag that u can flip over, one side is black with red H&M logo and the other is red with a black logo... the 2nd bag is a Michigan bag with all kinds of Michigan stuff on it
an international calling card
cell phone stickers and a cell phone case
a beautiful little snow man ornament that has a picture of Doug and Sheila in it and says "2007 daughter"
flip flops
hair stuff
popcorn
a Michigan pen
CDs from my mom
leg warmers from my mom
selfknitted socks from my mom and a selfknitted cellphone sock from my mom :)
lots of earrings from my mom and from Nicole
a really warm hand warmer thing from my dad and Ulli
a supercute yellow top with a black short sleeve sweater and another striped sweater from Grandma and GG
a sugar cookie scented and really yummy like vanilla smelling candle from Grandma and GG
a book series containing of 3 books from Grandma and GG
Okay, I really hope I didn't forget anything.
Then we had the German pancakes for breakfast (not like I know them, but really yummy!) and cleaned up. Later, Grandpa (Doug's dad) came over. Sometime in the early afternoon, I took a shower and later, I had a really nice conversation with Doug, Sheila and Grandpa about college. Grandpa has those neighbors or something... they're from Germany, and the first time the husband came here was during high school as an exchange student, like me, and then he came back for college, and now he lives there up North with his family. And so we talked about the fact that I'm thinking of maybe doing a semester or 2 over here in college... well, I have those conversations with people a lot and it really makes me think that I gotta get my butt up and get my future planned.
I'll soon be 18, man. Oh my goodness, that's just scary.
On Sunday, Keith's 16th birthday by the way, we went to church for noon mass and in the early afternoon, we went to Sheila's dad's new house (it's so beautiful, it's kinda in the woods and has this big, stone fireplace) to celebrate with some family. It was very nice, we had veeery yummy food and we already got some presents (I got a Yatzee game and a pair of golden earrings from Grandpa and Grandma and another pair of earrings from Uncle Mike and Aunt... Shelby? Man I'm so bad at names...). Later, we played a form of poker, it was so much fun... I just learned it but in the end, I actually wasn't that bad.
Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, we went to church with Grandma and GG for the 6 o'clock mass where Jacob was singing in the choir. He even had a solo in the Hallelujah part, he was so good! I was really proud of my little brother :)
After church, we all went right to Uncle Bubba's house where we celebrated christmas with Doug's family. The people I had gotten to know at Thanksgiving were there, Grandpa was there and another brother of Doug and his wife whom I hadn't known yet. It was a really nice night, again we had yummy food, I met their cute dog and Courtney and I played with the kitten they had just got 2 days ago. Again, we all got some presents... I got a drawing kit, a drawing pad, graphite pencils and charcoal - from Santa ;) We left late and got home past 11. We kids all got into bed then, of course, so that Santa Claus could come and do his job...
Then, this morning around 8, the little ones came in my room, all excited, "Maria, wake up! It's christmas morning! Santa Claus was here!" It was so cute... So I went downstairs into the living-room, everybody was getting settled, Sheila made coffee, and when we were all there, including Grandma and GG who had stayed over night, we started opening our presents - one at a time.
We had sooooo many present to open - and, oh my God, I got so many!! I'll try to list it, I really hope I don't forget anything... I probably will.
a Michigan State sweater
socks, a pair of fuzzy socks, a scarf, a hat, gloves
AVON body wash, hand lotion and peach body lotion
2 cases of AVON eyeshadow
AVON nail polish dryer spray
an AVON goodie bag with all kinds of foot care stuff in it
AVON birthstone earrings
a purple toothbrush
two bags - an H&M bag that u can flip over, one side is black with red H&M logo and the other is red with a black logo... the 2nd bag is a Michigan bag with all kinds of Michigan stuff on it
an international calling card
cell phone stickers and a cell phone case
a beautiful little snow man ornament that has a picture of Doug and Sheila in it and says "2007 daughter"
flip flops
hair stuff
popcorn
a Michigan pen
CDs from my mom
leg warmers from my mom
selfknitted socks from my mom and a selfknitted cellphone sock from my mom :)
lots of earrings from my mom and from Nicole
a really warm hand warmer thing from my dad and Ulli
a supercute yellow top with a black short sleeve sweater and another striped sweater from Grandma and GG
a sugar cookie scented and really yummy like vanilla smelling candle from Grandma and GG
a book series containing of 3 books from Grandma and GG
Okay, I really hope I didn't forget anything.
Then we had the German pancakes for breakfast (not like I know them, but really yummy!) and cleaned up. Later, Grandpa (Doug's dad) came over. Sometime in the early afternoon, I took a shower and later, I had a really nice conversation with Doug, Sheila and Grandpa about college. Grandpa has those neighbors or something... they're from Germany, and the first time the husband came here was during high school as an exchange student, like me, and then he came back for college, and now he lives there up North with his family. And so we talked about the fact that I'm thinking of maybe doing a semester or 2 over here in college... well, I have those conversations with people a lot and it really makes me think that I gotta get my butt up and get my future planned.
I'll soon be 18, man. Oh my goodness, that's just scary.
12/18/2007
Snow Day, Holiday Concert, Last Day of School and Joe Dumar's
All in all, a fun week.
So, on Monday when we had no school because of the snow, all of us kids went to this big sledding hill with Doug. It was so much fun - the hill was really steep on the side we went down and Courtney and I had a sled together so we were even faster... my butt hurt a couple days after that though coz there were some really mean bumps in the ground.
Tuesday was one of my best days ever. Not because we had school again... the snow day was very nice of course ;) ... but it was the day of our holiday concert in which I was going to play with Symphony Band as a flutist and with Jazz Band as the piano player. Since the Symphony Band is split (one half in 5th hour, one half in 6th) we were supposed to have a combined rehearsal in 5th and 6th hour on Monday - which didn't happen because of the snow day. So we had a shorter combined rehearsal on Tuesday in 6th hour. In the beginning of the hour, I had just put my flute together, one of the teacher aids came over to me and told me that Mr Conaton wanted me in the office. So I went there, expecting something about Jazz Band (I was right about that) and when I entered the office, Mr Conatan goes "Maria! I have some music for you!" And I was like "... Music?" "Yes, for tonight!" "Oh..." "You think you can learn it by then?" "I really don't know..." "You know what, why don't you just take this hour to practise in one of the practise rooms and I'll come and help you so then you'll be fine for tonight." "... This hour." "Yes, this hour. What are you doing right know?" "Erm, playing the flute?" "Aaaah right. Well, anyways, just take this hour to practise this." Oookay. This one big American thing: spontaneity. So I did as I was told, practised that piece full of chords (I always hated chords... they make me mess up), didn't get to practise with the whole Symphony Band, went home after school, got home at like, 2.40, ate, packed my stuff and had to be back at the school at 3.30 to pick up my uniform. After that, I went back home (Doug gave me rides all day, I felt bad for kinda surprising him with that), changed into my concert uniform and shortly after that, we had to leave again because I had to be at JAPAC (John Armstrong Perfoming Arts Center, belongs to the Pankow, a building that belongs to L'Anse Creuse and has some of its classes in there, it's about a 15 to 20 minutes drive from L'Anse Creuse I think) at 4.30. At JAPAC, we (meaning the members of Jazz Blue - the Jazz Band I'm in - who had to be there first) set up everything first and then we rehearsed a little - that's when I actually finally got that new piece although it still was far away from perfect. After that, we kinda hung out and watched Jazz White and the Hand Bell Choir rehearse. The concert started at 7 and Jazz Blue were second to perform after the Hand Bell Choir. I was really nervous, but then when we started playing, I just had so much fun that I calmed down and everything went really good, even that piece I had only known for one day. We played "Silent Night", "What a Wonderful World" and "Feliz Navidad". After our perfomance, we had to get right back to the back room were we kept our stuff and were the Symphony Band had already set up for tuning and a last rehearsal before our performance. Then after the intermission, we got out on the stage to perform "Christmas Calypso", "Nimrod" and "Hallelujah Chorus". It was awesome.
After this perfomance which was my last for the night, we kinda just hung out in the lobby of the JAPAC, talking, messing around, having fun and all that. Gary was their, too, to drive his sister home later I guess. The whole night was just amazing. I don't like the uniforms for the girls though - they kinda look like dresses but are actually pants which is comfy and sweat-pants-like but it looks kinda weird. And they make every single girl, no matter how skinny, look pregnant.
Oh, and I also got my christmas gift from Sam on Tuesday :) it was a USA flag and a baseball - so cool! I'm gonna put that up in my room in Germany somewhere.
Wednesday was our last day of school. I had a Chemistry quiz and a Precalc test and because of the concert, I didn't really study for any of those... but I think it still went pretty well. Later that day, I talked to my mom on the phone.
I don't think anything exciting happened on Thursday...
Yesterday, Courtney and I did the rest of our christmas shopping. Sheila gave us a ride to a new mall around here - I love that mall, it's kinda like an outside mall and really pretty. And they have an H&M store, and a Claire's, and a reaaaaally really cool store called Love Clture (yup, without the first u) which has incredibly cute clothes. I didn't buy clothes though because we spent all our time on christmas presents... but next time I need clothes, I'd like to go back there again. Oh, and they also have a Levi's store.
Sheila met us in the mall when she came back from taking Michaela to a birthday party and we finished our shopping. When we went out to the parking lot, we suddenly saw the van moving as if it had been hit by something really hard - and yes, a girl, probably younger than me, had hit Sheila's van. Her dad just arrived on the scene that moment, too and so Sheila and he figured everything out... that girl left a big dent in the van, though.
The car still worked though, and on our way back home we stopped at Walmart for some last christmas gifts and groceries.
After dinner, Courtney and I went to bed right away because last night, we had our Youth Group Lock-in at Joe Dumars, some kind of sports and activities center. I got up at 9pm, and around 9.30, Sheila drove us to Ashley's house (that's where we had that pool/hot tub party in summer where I met Meaghan). Some of Ashley's friends, including Meaghan, were already there. Later, Ashley's mom took us all to Joe Dumars where we were locked in with our Youth Group and a couple other groups from 12 midnight to 5.30am. It was okay, there was a lot to do but unfortunately, Meaghan and I were kinda the only ones our age there. Well, except for the employees maybe. So we just hung out together, talked a lot, spent some time DDRing, kinda non-seriously played volleyball with the others in between, did the minigolf course and played lasertag with the other girls. Oh my god. That is definitely one of the most FUN games ever! We probably have it in Germany but I never noticed it. I thought I'd probably be really bad, and there were some guys playing who were showing off and telling us that they were going to shoot all of us, and then I ended up getting 2nd place ;) hehe... not bad for my first lasertag game ever!
About an hour before the end of the whole thing, when everyone was pretty tired, we found some of the ex-Thecla girls (who had been at Ashley's house earlier) talking to those 3 black guys in the volleyball area, so we joined them and had a pretty funny conversation because Meaghan's sister Sarah was talking a looot because she was so tired and everyone was making fun of her.
Doug picked us up in the morning, we arrived home around 6. I ate something because I was really hungry and then I went to bed and slept until about 1.15 pm.
In the afternoon, we cleaned the house and I helped Sheila with some cooking for the next days (all the christmas celebrations). Later, I wrapped christmas presents with Courtney. Now they're all under the tree already :)
Tonight, we watched Pirates 3 all together. I LOOOOOVE that movie. Although the first 2 are better. But this one's pretty awesome, too.
And nooow I gotta go to bed.
Happy Birthday, Ronja! Hope you had a wonderful 8th birthday :) :-*
So, on Monday when we had no school because of the snow, all of us kids went to this big sledding hill with Doug. It was so much fun - the hill was really steep on the side we went down and Courtney and I had a sled together so we were even faster... my butt hurt a couple days after that though coz there were some really mean bumps in the ground.
Tuesday was one of my best days ever. Not because we had school again... the snow day was very nice of course ;) ... but it was the day of our holiday concert in which I was going to play with Symphony Band as a flutist and with Jazz Band as the piano player. Since the Symphony Band is split (one half in 5th hour, one half in 6th) we were supposed to have a combined rehearsal in 5th and 6th hour on Monday - which didn't happen because of the snow day. So we had a shorter combined rehearsal on Tuesday in 6th hour. In the beginning of the hour, I had just put my flute together, one of the teacher aids came over to me and told me that Mr Conaton wanted me in the office. So I went there, expecting something about Jazz Band (I was right about that) and when I entered the office, Mr Conatan goes "Maria! I have some music for you!" And I was like "... Music?" "Yes, for tonight!" "Oh..." "You think you can learn it by then?" "I really don't know..." "You know what, why don't you just take this hour to practise in one of the practise rooms and I'll come and help you so then you'll be fine for tonight." "... This hour." "Yes, this hour. What are you doing right know?" "Erm, playing the flute?" "Aaaah right. Well, anyways, just take this hour to practise this." Oookay. This one big American thing: spontaneity. So I did as I was told, practised that piece full of chords (I always hated chords... they make me mess up), didn't get to practise with the whole Symphony Band, went home after school, got home at like, 2.40, ate, packed my stuff and had to be back at the school at 3.30 to pick up my uniform. After that, I went back home (Doug gave me rides all day, I felt bad for kinda surprising him with that), changed into my concert uniform and shortly after that, we had to leave again because I had to be at JAPAC (John Armstrong Perfoming Arts Center, belongs to the Pankow, a building that belongs to L'Anse Creuse and has some of its classes in there, it's about a 15 to 20 minutes drive from L'Anse Creuse I think) at 4.30. At JAPAC, we (meaning the members of Jazz Blue - the Jazz Band I'm in - who had to be there first) set up everything first and then we rehearsed a little - that's when I actually finally got that new piece although it still was far away from perfect. After that, we kinda hung out and watched Jazz White and the Hand Bell Choir rehearse. The concert started at 7 and Jazz Blue were second to perform after the Hand Bell Choir. I was really nervous, but then when we started playing, I just had so much fun that I calmed down and everything went really good, even that piece I had only known for one day. We played "Silent Night", "What a Wonderful World" and "Feliz Navidad". After our perfomance, we had to get right back to the back room were we kept our stuff and were the Symphony Band had already set up for tuning and a last rehearsal before our performance. Then after the intermission, we got out on the stage to perform "Christmas Calypso", "Nimrod" and "Hallelujah Chorus". It was awesome.
After this perfomance which was my last for the night, we kinda just hung out in the lobby of the JAPAC, talking, messing around, having fun and all that. Gary was their, too, to drive his sister home later I guess. The whole night was just amazing. I don't like the uniforms for the girls though - they kinda look like dresses but are actually pants which is comfy and sweat-pants-like but it looks kinda weird. And they make every single girl, no matter how skinny, look pregnant.
Oh, and I also got my christmas gift from Sam on Tuesday :) it was a USA flag and a baseball - so cool! I'm gonna put that up in my room in Germany somewhere.
Wednesday was our last day of school. I had a Chemistry quiz and a Precalc test and because of the concert, I didn't really study for any of those... but I think it still went pretty well. Later that day, I talked to my mom on the phone.
I don't think anything exciting happened on Thursday...
Yesterday, Courtney and I did the rest of our christmas shopping. Sheila gave us a ride to a new mall around here - I love that mall, it's kinda like an outside mall and really pretty. And they have an H&M store, and a Claire's, and a reaaaaally really cool store called Love Clture (yup, without the first u) which has incredibly cute clothes. I didn't buy clothes though because we spent all our time on christmas presents... but next time I need clothes, I'd like to go back there again. Oh, and they also have a Levi's store.
Sheila met us in the mall when she came back from taking Michaela to a birthday party and we finished our shopping. When we went out to the parking lot, we suddenly saw the van moving as if it had been hit by something really hard - and yes, a girl, probably younger than me, had hit Sheila's van. Her dad just arrived on the scene that moment, too and so Sheila and he figured everything out... that girl left a big dent in the van, though.
The car still worked though, and on our way back home we stopped at Walmart for some last christmas gifts and groceries.
After dinner, Courtney and I went to bed right away because last night, we had our Youth Group Lock-in at Joe Dumars, some kind of sports and activities center. I got up at 9pm, and around 9.30, Sheila drove us to Ashley's house (that's where we had that pool/hot tub party in summer where I met Meaghan). Some of Ashley's friends, including Meaghan, were already there. Later, Ashley's mom took us all to Joe Dumars where we were locked in with our Youth Group and a couple other groups from 12 midnight to 5.30am. It was okay, there was a lot to do but unfortunately, Meaghan and I were kinda the only ones our age there. Well, except for the employees maybe. So we just hung out together, talked a lot, spent some time DDRing, kinda non-seriously played volleyball with the others in between, did the minigolf course and played lasertag with the other girls. Oh my god. That is definitely one of the most FUN games ever! We probably have it in Germany but I never noticed it. I thought I'd probably be really bad, and there were some guys playing who were showing off and telling us that they were going to shoot all of us, and then I ended up getting 2nd place ;) hehe... not bad for my first lasertag game ever!
About an hour before the end of the whole thing, when everyone was pretty tired, we found some of the ex-Thecla girls (who had been at Ashley's house earlier) talking to those 3 black guys in the volleyball area, so we joined them and had a pretty funny conversation because Meaghan's sister Sarah was talking a looot because she was so tired and everyone was making fun of her.
Doug picked us up in the morning, we arrived home around 6. I ate something because I was really hungry and then I went to bed and slept until about 1.15 pm.
In the afternoon, we cleaned the house and I helped Sheila with some cooking for the next days (all the christmas celebrations). Later, I wrapped christmas presents with Courtney. Now they're all under the tree already :)
Tonight, we watched Pirates 3 all together. I LOOOOOVE that movie. Although the first 2 are better. But this one's pretty awesome, too.
And nooow I gotta go to bed.
Happy Birthday, Ronja! Hope you had a wonderful 8th birthday :) :-*
12/16/2007
SNOW!
We got a loooot today...
So, we knew a snow storm was coming last night, so we went to church yesterday for the 4 o'clock mass (we weren't the only ones with that bright idea, the church was PACKED). And at night, while we were all watching Hairspray together (awesome movie, go watch it as soon as you get it!), it started snowing.
So now, we have a couple inches snow outside, it was snowing most of the day, and then we got the amazing news after dinner - school's cancelled tomorrow! Yay!
So, you guys... have fun in school and at work tomorrow :P
So, we knew a snow storm was coming last night, so we went to church yesterday for the 4 o'clock mass (we weren't the only ones with that bright idea, the church was PACKED). And at night, while we were all watching Hairspray together (awesome movie, go watch it as soon as you get it!), it started snowing.
So now, we have a couple inches snow outside, it was snowing most of the day, and then we got the amazing news after dinner - school's cancelled tomorrow! Yay!
So, you guys... have fun in school and at work tomorrow :P
12/12/2007
I Was Sick.
But I'm well again.
The last two days were pretty unexciting. Monday morning, when I woke up, my throat hurt and I felt kinda dizzy. It got better under the shower but afterwards, I felt even worse. So I took my temperature, realized that 100.2 Fahrenheit doesn't really tell me anything because I'm pretty much still thinking in Celsius and so I waited for Courtney to come down who then told me that the usual body temperature is like 98.6 or something like that, that I had a fever and that I should stay home. I fell asleep on the couch just were I sat and didn't wake up until Sheila woke me up to tell me she was taking the kids to school and wouldn't be home all morning but that I could call her whenever I needed anything.
I somehow managed to make some breakfast and eat it, then I fell back on the couch and slept some more. Later, I watched a movie (Marie Antoinette, it is really good), then I slept some more, then I watched Joyeux Noel (a movie about a true story in World War I where German, French and Scottish soldiers made an armistice over the holidays to celebrate christmas together, it was cool because there were actually German actors like Daniel Bruehl in it and they spoke German most of the time) and slept more. Everytime I got up to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, I couldn't really stay up long because I was so dizzy. At night after dinner, I fell asleep on the couch again and before I went to bed later, Sheila told me I should stay home the next day as well.
I didn't want to, but when I got up on Tuesday morning at 5.10 like usually, I still had problems standing and walking, so I just went back to bed. Again, I spent most of the morning sleeping, in between I watched A Nightmare Before Christmas (amazing movie, but, oh well, it's by Tim Burton so it has to be) and later Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (not that I don't know that one by heart already...)
Wednesday, I was finally ready to go back to school although I still had a headache. The day started pretty awesome: Before 1st hour, I met Keith and Katie by my locker, and Keith told me that I am in the school play! I have a small part as one of the forest Lords, that means I have about 2 or 3 lines maybe but I think I'll be on the stage a couple more times. And Mrs Ethridge is using the Lords and other small roles when she needs crowds. In Precalc I realized that I'd missed a lot in only 2 days and I didn't get what they were doing at all.
On Thursday, I wasn't in my classes again because Mr Bilen, the German teacher, had invited the two other German exchange students, Eileen (I met her for the first time yesterday) and Finja, and me to be in his classes all day to talk to his German students. It was alright, although it got really boring after a while because he gave the same sheet of questions to all of his classes. But there where a lot of fun moments, too.
After school, I went to the first drama read through. It was so much fun! The group, maybe 15 or 20 people, so not many, is just awesome. It's gonna be an amazing time until the play in April. And Keith is in the play, too! I had to skip Jazz Band for that... that made me feel really bad since I had already missed it on Monday and Tuesday but Mr Conaton was okay with it. Thursday night was also pretty cool... While Sheila, Doug and the little ones where at St Thecla for the school's christmas show and Courtney was babysitting, I stayed home to get my Precalc stuff done and after reading it again and just trying the problems, I finally got it. Actually, it's easy. I've just never done it before... but, oh well, now we started the easiest stuff ever, for some reason we're doing the first chapter of the book now. Prime numbers and sequences and stuff like that.
Today wasn't too exciting. I finally went to Jazz Band again, that was fun. I'll have to practise all my flute and piano and whatever else music this weekend a lot.
Our christmas concert is on Tuesday already!!
The last two days were pretty unexciting. Monday morning, when I woke up, my throat hurt and I felt kinda dizzy. It got better under the shower but afterwards, I felt even worse. So I took my temperature, realized that 100.2 Fahrenheit doesn't really tell me anything because I'm pretty much still thinking in Celsius and so I waited for Courtney to come down who then told me that the usual body temperature is like 98.6 or something like that, that I had a fever and that I should stay home. I fell asleep on the couch just were I sat and didn't wake up until Sheila woke me up to tell me she was taking the kids to school and wouldn't be home all morning but that I could call her whenever I needed anything.
I somehow managed to make some breakfast and eat it, then I fell back on the couch and slept some more. Later, I watched a movie (Marie Antoinette, it is really good), then I slept some more, then I watched Joyeux Noel (a movie about a true story in World War I where German, French and Scottish soldiers made an armistice over the holidays to celebrate christmas together, it was cool because there were actually German actors like Daniel Bruehl in it and they spoke German most of the time) and slept more. Everytime I got up to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, I couldn't really stay up long because I was so dizzy. At night after dinner, I fell asleep on the couch again and before I went to bed later, Sheila told me I should stay home the next day as well.
I didn't want to, but when I got up on Tuesday morning at 5.10 like usually, I still had problems standing and walking, so I just went back to bed. Again, I spent most of the morning sleeping, in between I watched A Nightmare Before Christmas (amazing movie, but, oh well, it's by Tim Burton so it has to be) and later Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (not that I don't know that one by heart already...)
Wednesday, I was finally ready to go back to school although I still had a headache. The day started pretty awesome: Before 1st hour, I met Keith and Katie by my locker, and Keith told me that I am in the school play! I have a small part as one of the forest Lords, that means I have about 2 or 3 lines maybe but I think I'll be on the stage a couple more times. And Mrs Ethridge is using the Lords and other small roles when she needs crowds. In Precalc I realized that I'd missed a lot in only 2 days and I didn't get what they were doing at all.
On Thursday, I wasn't in my classes again because Mr Bilen, the German teacher, had invited the two other German exchange students, Eileen (I met her for the first time yesterday) and Finja, and me to be in his classes all day to talk to his German students. It was alright, although it got really boring after a while because he gave the same sheet of questions to all of his classes. But there where a lot of fun moments, too.
After school, I went to the first drama read through. It was so much fun! The group, maybe 15 or 20 people, so not many, is just awesome. It's gonna be an amazing time until the play in April. And Keith is in the play, too! I had to skip Jazz Band for that... that made me feel really bad since I had already missed it on Monday and Tuesday but Mr Conaton was okay with it. Thursday night was also pretty cool... While Sheila, Doug and the little ones where at St Thecla for the school's christmas show and Courtney was babysitting, I stayed home to get my Precalc stuff done and after reading it again and just trying the problems, I finally got it. Actually, it's easy. I've just never done it before... but, oh well, now we started the easiest stuff ever, for some reason we're doing the first chapter of the book now. Prime numbers and sequences and stuff like that.
Today wasn't too exciting. I finally went to Jazz Band again, that was fun. I'll have to practise all my flute and piano and whatever else music this weekend a lot.
Our christmas concert is on Tuesday already!!
12/09/2007
15 Days Til Christmas
And I don't even have all my christmas shopping done yet...
So, what exciting things happened this week?
I got a big package from my aunt and uncle Elvi and Albert filled with the YUMMIEST German chocolate, German gummy candy (Haribo) and Marzipan Kartoffeln. I LOVE those... my mom must have told them! :) Dankeschooooooen, alle und vor allem ich haben sich so sehr gefreut ;) und netterweise moegen die meisten hier Marzipan nicht so gerne, somit hab ich die Marzipan Kartoffeln fuer mich alleine :D
Jazz Band went on, and it's still fun.
Sam, a guy in band - he's not in my band class, he was in battery during marching season - , his name is Sam and I don't really know him since although battery and pit kinda hung out together a lot, I never really talked to him, well, he came up to me between 6th hour and Jazz Band in the band room one day and asked me what I wanted for christmas. I was just like well, I don't know... And he goes "I'm gonna get you something, what's your name?" and he put me down on a list ^^ Later I saw him asking other people for their christmas wishes and he told them this year, he was going to get a christmas present for everyone... oh my god, that's just crazy :D but awesome, in a way... about 2 days later he passed me in the band hallway, calling "I got you a present!"
I got my first B in Precalc, we had a quiz and I got 5 wrong (just stupid mistakes, so it bothers me a little, but, oh well, my grades don't count anyways and I know what I did wrong and won't make those mistakes on the actual test). I didn't lose my seat, though, because Mr Curtis only rearranges the seating chart after tests.
I also tried out for the school play. They are doing "As You Like It", a Shakespeare piece, in April and the try-outs were on Friday. Courtney tried out, too. Since she had cheerleading (a game) after school on Friday, we asked Mrs Ethridge whether we could try out before school. But unfortunately, we had a really stupid sub busdriver Friday morning and so we arrived at the school just in time for first hour. So we went to the auditions after school anyways and explained our situation to Mrs Ethridge. She seemed mad first, probably because we didn't tell her earlier in the day - definitely should have done that - and she said "So what do you want me to do, cancel all this for you guys??" That shocked us a little, but then we just asked her whether we might be able to try out first and that was okay. I hope I'll get a part, it would be so much fun to be in the play. I think we find out about it on Tuesday.
We were done so fast that I still made it to Jazz Band rehearsal in time. After that, I waited for Sheila and we stayed for the first half of Courtney's game. So I got to see my first High School basketball game. It was only a Freshmen game, though.
Yesterday, we made christmas cookies! Grandma Tina came over and she and Sheila got started; Courtney and I were stuck sorting Sheila's recipes first. We got them pretty organized :) After that, we helped with the cookies and made chocolate candy cane cookies.
All those cookies are reaaally yummy ;)
For dinner, a friend of Sheila, I don't know how to spell her name, came over. Later that night, when Grandma and Sheila's friend had left and everyone except me had gone to bed (I had been tired before but suddenly I was totally awake, it was weird because the tea I had had was decaf) I finished watching Step Up on some TV Channel and after that, I started watching Marie Antoinette on Starz OnDemand (some kind of menu were you can choose from a list of movies that you can watch for free), assuming that I'd get tired while watching it, then go to bed and finish it some other time; but the movie turned out to be so good that I didn't fall asleep and actually finished it. It was nice.
Today after dinner, we went to mass at St Claude's because Courtney and I had our Youth Group meeting. It was alright.
Oh, did I tell you that Doug's been gone since Monday morning? He's up North, testing the cars his company builds in the snow and ice up there. I think he'll be back by the middle of next week or something.
Alright, I'm gonna go to bed soon. Good Night!
So, what exciting things happened this week?
I got a big package from my aunt and uncle Elvi and Albert filled with the YUMMIEST German chocolate, German gummy candy (Haribo) and Marzipan Kartoffeln. I LOVE those... my mom must have told them! :) Dankeschooooooen, alle und vor allem ich haben sich so sehr gefreut ;) und netterweise moegen die meisten hier Marzipan nicht so gerne, somit hab ich die Marzipan Kartoffeln fuer mich alleine :D
Jazz Band went on, and it's still fun.
Sam, a guy in band - he's not in my band class, he was in battery during marching season - , his name is Sam and I don't really know him since although battery and pit kinda hung out together a lot, I never really talked to him, well, he came up to me between 6th hour and Jazz Band in the band room one day and asked me what I wanted for christmas. I was just like well, I don't know... And he goes "I'm gonna get you something, what's your name?" and he put me down on a list ^^ Later I saw him asking other people for their christmas wishes and he told them this year, he was going to get a christmas present for everyone... oh my god, that's just crazy :D but awesome, in a way... about 2 days later he passed me in the band hallway, calling "I got you a present!"
I got my first B in Precalc, we had a quiz and I got 5 wrong (just stupid mistakes, so it bothers me a little, but, oh well, my grades don't count anyways and I know what I did wrong and won't make those mistakes on the actual test). I didn't lose my seat, though, because Mr Curtis only rearranges the seating chart after tests.
I also tried out for the school play. They are doing "As You Like It", a Shakespeare piece, in April and the try-outs were on Friday. Courtney tried out, too. Since she had cheerleading (a game) after school on Friday, we asked Mrs Ethridge whether we could try out before school. But unfortunately, we had a really stupid sub busdriver Friday morning and so we arrived at the school just in time for first hour. So we went to the auditions after school anyways and explained our situation to Mrs Ethridge. She seemed mad first, probably because we didn't tell her earlier in the day - definitely should have done that - and she said "So what do you want me to do, cancel all this for you guys??" That shocked us a little, but then we just asked her whether we might be able to try out first and that was okay. I hope I'll get a part, it would be so much fun to be in the play. I think we find out about it on Tuesday.
We were done so fast that I still made it to Jazz Band rehearsal in time. After that, I waited for Sheila and we stayed for the first half of Courtney's game. So I got to see my first High School basketball game. It was only a Freshmen game, though.
Yesterday, we made christmas cookies! Grandma Tina came over and she and Sheila got started; Courtney and I were stuck sorting Sheila's recipes first. We got them pretty organized :) After that, we helped with the cookies and made chocolate candy cane cookies.
All those cookies are reaaally yummy ;)
For dinner, a friend of Sheila, I don't know how to spell her name, came over. Later that night, when Grandma and Sheila's friend had left and everyone except me had gone to bed (I had been tired before but suddenly I was totally awake, it was weird because the tea I had had was decaf) I finished watching Step Up on some TV Channel and after that, I started watching Marie Antoinette on Starz OnDemand (some kind of menu were you can choose from a list of movies that you can watch for free), assuming that I'd get tired while watching it, then go to bed and finish it some other time; but the movie turned out to be so good that I didn't fall asleep and actually finished it. It was nice.
Today after dinner, we went to mass at St Claude's because Courtney and I had our Youth Group meeting. It was alright.
Oh, did I tell you that Doug's been gone since Monday morning? He's up North, testing the cars his company builds in the snow and ice up there. I think he'll be back by the middle of next week or something.
Alright, I'm gonna go to bed soon. Good Night!
12/03/2007
CHICAGO
I was so frickin TIRED!
Okay, so on Friday, I could actually kinda sleep in a little. After I had had breakfast, Yuki from Japan and Liise from Estonia, two other exchange students (Yuki goes to L'Anse Creuse North and Liise goes to Henry Ford II in Macomb) arrived because Sheila was going to take all of us to the bus stop in Ypsilanti. We left around 10 and arrived there a little early, but some other exchange students and two of the chaperones were already there. So we checked in, Sheila left after a while, then the bus arrived and we took off for Chicago.
Most of the exchange students on the trip were German or Asian (the Asian people were from Japan, China, Thailand and South Korea), but there were also some students from Skandinavia (Sweden, Finland and I think even someone from Denmark) and well, Liise as the only Baltic student. Oh, and there were a couple girls and guys from South America... from Chile and Mexico. They were fun, but they spoke Spanish almost all the time which was kinda annoying.
When we arrived in Chicago in the afternoon, we went to the Christkindlmarket first. It's like one of those German christmas markets, it was funny to see that... but everything's way too expensive, exspecially the food (they had German chocolate, marzipan potatoes, gingerbread hearts,...). We also had time to go shopping. I went with Liise and Ai (South Korea I think) but I didn't buy anything because the stores in that area were pretty expensive.
We met back at the bus and went to Navy Pier next. It was so beautiful in the dark because it was decorated for christmas. I love that place. We had dinner at Bubba Gump which is this really cool place that is kinda connected to the movie "Forrest Gump". They had stuff that's in the movie all over the walls and on the tables, they had this metal signs that said "Run, Forrest, run" and if you wanted something, you would flip them around to "Stop, Forrest, stop" and one of the waiters would stop by. We could choose from chicken sticks, chicken salad, veggie pasta, something else that I don't remember and fried shrimp, all of that served with fries, dips and some salad. I got the shrimp, it was really yummy :)
After dinner, we had some free time at Navy Pier and I went shopping for souveniers with Liise. I also found some christmas presents already ;)
Later, the bus picked us up again and we went to the hotel (Springhill Suites by Marriott) which was about a 20 minutes drive away from the city's center.
The hotel was awesome. I shared a room with the two Japanese exchange students Midori and Moyu. We had two huge beds like in the hotel in Washington (I shared one with Moyu) but our room was bigger than the rooms in Washington. We even had a little kitchen area! Of course, we didn't really need any of those extras for only 2 nights, but, oh well, a little luxury is nice. The hotel also had a little pool but I never used it... I don't know, I don't really feel like swimming when it's freezing, raining and snowing outside :D
The next morning, we left at 9 after having breakfast in the hotel lobby (their breakfast was good... it was kind of buffett like, and they had many different things... fruit, cereals, bagels, waffels...).
First, we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was cool to go there again... I remembered the fun time we had in there years ago when I got lost with Lisa. This time though, I didn't get lost ;) since we only had about an hour to walk around in the (huge!) museum on our own, Liise, Soo-Jin, Jinny and I didn't go to far away from the entrance area. In this area, they had a special christmas exhibit: Christmas trees from all over the world! We found the South Korean one for Soo-Jin and Jinny, the Estonian one for Liise and the German one for me and took pictures in front of them. However, the German christmas tree didn't look too German to me...
We also went to some kind of cookie baking show... not because we wanted to see how to make cookies from all over the world but for the free cookies xD (they were good)
Then, we met in the entrance area with the whole group again and we visited the special Star Wars exhibit that's there at the moment. It wasn't as cool as I thought it would be... they had costumes and other stuff from the movies in big glas cubes, but that was pretty much it.
When we left the museum, it had started snowing. When the bus took off, there was already some snow on the ground and it was getting more and more. It was so pretty! We rode around on the campus of the University of Chicago and our tour guide told us some interesting facts about it. That university is amazing... the campus is so beautiful, the houses are built in a rather old style and it is close to the lake as well as to the city's center. The tour guide (she was German, by the way, and her accent was HORRIBLE!) said that it's a very expensive university but that they give scholarships to very bright people. Of course, that made me curious... :P I mean, even if it's that hard to get a scholarship... you can always try! She also told us that the university is a very well protected university. Not only the usual Chicago police cares for the students' safety there, but also a special University of Chicago police. That's because it's so expensive, and the area is so expensive to live in, so the people that live on the campus are rather wealthy.
I don't know if that university has a good engineering departement, though. I'm gonna find out about that.
Next, we went back to the city's center for lunch. The bus dropped us up in an area where there was the Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, a Mc Donald's, a hot dog and other stuff like that place and something called the Rainforest Cafe, so we could choose were to go. Since I didn't want to pay that much money for food but I also didn't feel like going to Mc Donald's, I went to that hot dog place with some people. That place was so cool... inside, it looked like an old, dim street in the West with two big food stands on the side of the street. The tables and chairs were on the "street", and the "food stands" were the counters where you could order your food. Above those foodstands, there was even a facade with windows and clotheslines hanging around. I got some really good spaghetti for lunch, I was hungry since I hadn't really eaten much for breakfast.
After eating, we still had enough time to go over to the Hard Rock Cafe. This place is just sooo cool. Of course, I bought a Hard Rock Cafe shirt (you can't go to a Hard Rock Cafe without buying a shirt!).
When the bus had picked us up again, we went to Michigan Avenue for - shopping! We had a couple hours to experience this amazing shopping street with all it's malls and huge stores - everything from incredibly expensive to rather cheap. Unfortunately, the snow had turned into a slight rain and it was very windy between the skyscrapers, but it was still fun. I got a really cute scarf at H&M (it's creamy white with tiny golden stripes and goes perfectly with my coat), we went to Starbucks for some really good speciality coffee (I had a caramel macchiato), I got 2 pairs of original Levi's pants (we just went into the Levi's store to look at the stuff, I mean, it was incredibly expensive... but then I found those cord pants in a corner and they were on sale - they had dropped the prize from 70$ to 9.90$! So I got a creamy white and a grey pair - 2 pairs of LEVI'S!! jeans for less than 20 bucks... awesome deal I guess!) and I got some more little souveniers at Wallgreens.
Everyone was pretty exhausted from the long day, the weather and the shopping when we got back on the bus around 8 or 8.30. We went back to the hotel and had pizza and salad for dinner which the chaperones had ordered. After dinner, I talked to Midori in our room for a while, then we went down to the lobby to play cardgames and soon, many other exchange students had joined us. It was so much fun, and we played until we had to be in our rooms at midnight.
Unfortunately, Midori and Moyu decided to talk Japanese when we got back to our room, that was kind of stupid because of course, I couldn't understand a word. But around 1, I went to bed anyways.
After breakfast the next morning, we had to leave our hotel rooms and get our luggage on the bus already. Then, we went back to the city to go straight to the Sears Tower. It was still raining a little (sometimes a little more) but that was alright since the bus dropped us off right in front of the tower. Just like 2 years ago, I watched the movie about the construction of the Sears Tower and then went up to the 103rd floor by high speed elevator. It was amazing to be up there again although this time, we didn't have such a good weather... it was really misty and foggy outside. I took a lot of pictures anyways.
When we left the Sears Tower, we headed out for Chinatown. To keep up with our schedule, we only had an hour there so we didn't really see much of it. With Liise, Peggy, Soo-Jin, Jinny and other - I think all Asian - exchange students I went to a Chinese supermarket. They had all kind of Asian food there and I got some Japanese rice crackers. They are really good... kind of sweet and salty and ricy at the same time.
Then, I went to a really cool Chinese restaurant with Liise. It was very modern-looking and bright. Since we weren't hungry yet, but had to get some lunch for the long ride, we got some Chinese food to go (I got some spring rolls... love those). We also met the South American people in there.
On our way back to the bus, we stopped at some little stores - they had really cute, but expensive purses; Chinese looking ones as well as brand name ones - and took pictures of the gate that leads to the old and historical part of Chicago's Chinatown. But then we went back to the bus really quick because this scary homeless guy came over and started talking to us and begging us for money for a bottle of water and he wouldn't leave us alone... fortunately, the bus was parked only one street corner way and so the chaperones helped us to get rid of that guy when we got their. I mean, I did feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for every homeless person, but he really got pushy.
The ride back was ridiculous.
About an hour after we had left Chicago, we hadn't even reached the first bus stop - Paw Paw - yet, our bus broke down (something was wrong with the brakes) and we got stuck in the middle of nowhere at the roadside in Indiana. They told us the bus would either be repaired or there would be a replacement bus in 1 up to 4 hours. It got really hot in the bus after a while without the A/C, then the bus driver told us we could just open the emergeny exits for some fresh air, so after a while, it got really cold, we closed them, and it got hot again...
It took more than 4 hours until the replacement bus finally arrived. I think we were stuck there for over 5 hours actually. At some point, the chaperones decided to order pizza and have it delivered to a gas station we had passed about 1 or 2 miles before we had gotten stuck, and so some of the chaperones took the people who needed to go to the bathroom the worst and walked back to the gasstation with them. When they finally got back with pizza and pop, we had a kinda weird dinner on our stuck bus and then we waited a couple more hours.
When I finally got home 7 hours late (Yuki's hostmom gave me a ride home because that's what we had planned anyways), it was 2 in the morning. I went to bed immediately after setting my alarm and deciding that if I could somehow get up the next morning, I would go to school, and if not, who cares.
I actually was able to get up after about 2.5 hours of sleep, don't ask me how. Sheila was shocked, she said I should stay home ^^ but I had already taken my shower and was getting ready, so it didn't really matter. I made it through the day with coffee, coke and caffeine mints and that was alright. Last night, we decorated our big christmas tree that we got on Thursday... it is so pretty! It's decorated mainly in white and silver.
The prize for ignoring my tired body yesterday was that I overslept today. So did Courtney, and we ended up missing the bus so Sheila had to take us. But we weren't late for first hour, so it was alright.
I'm still uploading the pictures, it's taking forever. If I get that done tonight, I'll put them on here, if not, you'll probably get them tomorrow.
Okay, so on Friday, I could actually kinda sleep in a little. After I had had breakfast, Yuki from Japan and Liise from Estonia, two other exchange students (Yuki goes to L'Anse Creuse North and Liise goes to Henry Ford II in Macomb) arrived because Sheila was going to take all of us to the bus stop in Ypsilanti. We left around 10 and arrived there a little early, but some other exchange students and two of the chaperones were already there. So we checked in, Sheila left after a while, then the bus arrived and we took off for Chicago.
Most of the exchange students on the trip were German or Asian (the Asian people were from Japan, China, Thailand and South Korea), but there were also some students from Skandinavia (Sweden, Finland and I think even someone from Denmark) and well, Liise as the only Baltic student. Oh, and there were a couple girls and guys from South America... from Chile and Mexico. They were fun, but they spoke Spanish almost all the time which was kinda annoying.
When we arrived in Chicago in the afternoon, we went to the Christkindlmarket first. It's like one of those German christmas markets, it was funny to see that... but everything's way too expensive, exspecially the food (they had German chocolate, marzipan potatoes, gingerbread hearts,...). We also had time to go shopping. I went with Liise and Ai (South Korea I think) but I didn't buy anything because the stores in that area were pretty expensive.
We met back at the bus and went to Navy Pier next. It was so beautiful in the dark because it was decorated for christmas. I love that place. We had dinner at Bubba Gump which is this really cool place that is kinda connected to the movie "Forrest Gump". They had stuff that's in the movie all over the walls and on the tables, they had this metal signs that said "Run, Forrest, run" and if you wanted something, you would flip them around to "Stop, Forrest, stop" and one of the waiters would stop by. We could choose from chicken sticks, chicken salad, veggie pasta, something else that I don't remember and fried shrimp, all of that served with fries, dips and some salad. I got the shrimp, it was really yummy :)
After dinner, we had some free time at Navy Pier and I went shopping for souveniers with Liise. I also found some christmas presents already ;)
Later, the bus picked us up again and we went to the hotel (Springhill Suites by Marriott) which was about a 20 minutes drive away from the city's center.
The hotel was awesome. I shared a room with the two Japanese exchange students Midori and Moyu. We had two huge beds like in the hotel in Washington (I shared one with Moyu) but our room was bigger than the rooms in Washington. We even had a little kitchen area! Of course, we didn't really need any of those extras for only 2 nights, but, oh well, a little luxury is nice. The hotel also had a little pool but I never used it... I don't know, I don't really feel like swimming when it's freezing, raining and snowing outside :D
The next morning, we left at 9 after having breakfast in the hotel lobby (their breakfast was good... it was kind of buffett like, and they had many different things... fruit, cereals, bagels, waffels...).
First, we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was cool to go there again... I remembered the fun time we had in there years ago when I got lost with Lisa. This time though, I didn't get lost ;) since we only had about an hour to walk around in the (huge!) museum on our own, Liise, Soo-Jin, Jinny and I didn't go to far away from the entrance area. In this area, they had a special christmas exhibit: Christmas trees from all over the world! We found the South Korean one for Soo-Jin and Jinny, the Estonian one for Liise and the German one for me and took pictures in front of them. However, the German christmas tree didn't look too German to me...
We also went to some kind of cookie baking show... not because we wanted to see how to make cookies from all over the world but for the free cookies xD (they were good)
Then, we met in the entrance area with the whole group again and we visited the special Star Wars exhibit that's there at the moment. It wasn't as cool as I thought it would be... they had costumes and other stuff from the movies in big glas cubes, but that was pretty much it.
When we left the museum, it had started snowing. When the bus took off, there was already some snow on the ground and it was getting more and more. It was so pretty! We rode around on the campus of the University of Chicago and our tour guide told us some interesting facts about it. That university is amazing... the campus is so beautiful, the houses are built in a rather old style and it is close to the lake as well as to the city's center. The tour guide (she was German, by the way, and her accent was HORRIBLE!) said that it's a very expensive university but that they give scholarships to very bright people. Of course, that made me curious... :P I mean, even if it's that hard to get a scholarship... you can always try! She also told us that the university is a very well protected university. Not only the usual Chicago police cares for the students' safety there, but also a special University of Chicago police. That's because it's so expensive, and the area is so expensive to live in, so the people that live on the campus are rather wealthy.
I don't know if that university has a good engineering departement, though. I'm gonna find out about that.
Next, we went back to the city's center for lunch. The bus dropped us up in an area where there was the Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, a Mc Donald's, a hot dog and other stuff like that place and something called the Rainforest Cafe, so we could choose were to go. Since I didn't want to pay that much money for food but I also didn't feel like going to Mc Donald's, I went to that hot dog place with some people. That place was so cool... inside, it looked like an old, dim street in the West with two big food stands on the side of the street. The tables and chairs were on the "street", and the "food stands" were the counters where you could order your food. Above those foodstands, there was even a facade with windows and clotheslines hanging around. I got some really good spaghetti for lunch, I was hungry since I hadn't really eaten much for breakfast.
After eating, we still had enough time to go over to the Hard Rock Cafe. This place is just sooo cool. Of course, I bought a Hard Rock Cafe shirt (you can't go to a Hard Rock Cafe without buying a shirt!).
When the bus had picked us up again, we went to Michigan Avenue for - shopping! We had a couple hours to experience this amazing shopping street with all it's malls and huge stores - everything from incredibly expensive to rather cheap. Unfortunately, the snow had turned into a slight rain and it was very windy between the skyscrapers, but it was still fun. I got a really cute scarf at H&M (it's creamy white with tiny golden stripes and goes perfectly with my coat), we went to Starbucks for some really good speciality coffee (I had a caramel macchiato), I got 2 pairs of original Levi's pants (we just went into the Levi's store to look at the stuff, I mean, it was incredibly expensive... but then I found those cord pants in a corner and they were on sale - they had dropped the prize from 70$ to 9.90$! So I got a creamy white and a grey pair - 2 pairs of LEVI'S!! jeans for less than 20 bucks... awesome deal I guess!) and I got some more little souveniers at Wallgreens.
Everyone was pretty exhausted from the long day, the weather and the shopping when we got back on the bus around 8 or 8.30. We went back to the hotel and had pizza and salad for dinner which the chaperones had ordered. After dinner, I talked to Midori in our room for a while, then we went down to the lobby to play cardgames and soon, many other exchange students had joined us. It was so much fun, and we played until we had to be in our rooms at midnight.
Unfortunately, Midori and Moyu decided to talk Japanese when we got back to our room, that was kind of stupid because of course, I couldn't understand a word. But around 1, I went to bed anyways.
After breakfast the next morning, we had to leave our hotel rooms and get our luggage on the bus already. Then, we went back to the city to go straight to the Sears Tower. It was still raining a little (sometimes a little more) but that was alright since the bus dropped us off right in front of the tower. Just like 2 years ago, I watched the movie about the construction of the Sears Tower and then went up to the 103rd floor by high speed elevator. It was amazing to be up there again although this time, we didn't have such a good weather... it was really misty and foggy outside. I took a lot of pictures anyways.
When we left the Sears Tower, we headed out for Chinatown. To keep up with our schedule, we only had an hour there so we didn't really see much of it. With Liise, Peggy, Soo-Jin, Jinny and other - I think all Asian - exchange students I went to a Chinese supermarket. They had all kind of Asian food there and I got some Japanese rice crackers. They are really good... kind of sweet and salty and ricy at the same time.
Then, I went to a really cool Chinese restaurant with Liise. It was very modern-looking and bright. Since we weren't hungry yet, but had to get some lunch for the long ride, we got some Chinese food to go (I got some spring rolls... love those). We also met the South American people in there.
On our way back to the bus, we stopped at some little stores - they had really cute, but expensive purses; Chinese looking ones as well as brand name ones - and took pictures of the gate that leads to the old and historical part of Chicago's Chinatown. But then we went back to the bus really quick because this scary homeless guy came over and started talking to us and begging us for money for a bottle of water and he wouldn't leave us alone... fortunately, the bus was parked only one street corner way and so the chaperones helped us to get rid of that guy when we got their. I mean, I did feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for every homeless person, but he really got pushy.
The ride back was ridiculous.
About an hour after we had left Chicago, we hadn't even reached the first bus stop - Paw Paw - yet, our bus broke down (something was wrong with the brakes) and we got stuck in the middle of nowhere at the roadside in Indiana. They told us the bus would either be repaired or there would be a replacement bus in 1 up to 4 hours. It got really hot in the bus after a while without the A/C, then the bus driver told us we could just open the emergeny exits for some fresh air, so after a while, it got really cold, we closed them, and it got hot again...
It took more than 4 hours until the replacement bus finally arrived. I think we were stuck there for over 5 hours actually. At some point, the chaperones decided to order pizza and have it delivered to a gas station we had passed about 1 or 2 miles before we had gotten stuck, and so some of the chaperones took the people who needed to go to the bathroom the worst and walked back to the gasstation with them. When they finally got back with pizza and pop, we had a kinda weird dinner on our stuck bus and then we waited a couple more hours.
When I finally got home 7 hours late (Yuki's hostmom gave me a ride home because that's what we had planned anyways), it was 2 in the morning. I went to bed immediately after setting my alarm and deciding that if I could somehow get up the next morning, I would go to school, and if not, who cares.
I actually was able to get up after about 2.5 hours of sleep, don't ask me how. Sheila was shocked, she said I should stay home ^^ but I had already taken my shower and was getting ready, so it didn't really matter. I made it through the day with coffee, coke and caffeine mints and that was alright. Last night, we decorated our big christmas tree that we got on Thursday... it is so pretty! It's decorated mainly in white and silver.
The prize for ignoring my tired body yesterday was that I overslept today. So did Courtney, and we ended up missing the bus so Sheila had to take us. But we weren't late for first hour, so it was alright.
I'm still uploading the pictures, it's taking forever. If I get that done tonight, I'll put them on here, if not, you'll probably get them tomorrow.
11/29/2007
CHICAGO!
Gone for the weekend... :)
Today, I was extremely tired because last night I only slept for about 3 hours for some reason. But, oh well, I made it through the day. Today was my first day of Jazz Band! It was fun, definitely. And I'm in the Jazz Band that Joey und Joe (?) are in :) It's gonna be an awesome time, I know it. I mean, it's band! :D At the moment we're working on Feliz Navidad and Silent Night I believe. In Symphony Band (my 6th hour) we're working on Hallelujah, like I told you, Christmas Calypso and Nimrod (an extreeeemely slow song although we still play it kinda fast).
Today we also got our big christmas tree... oh my God, it is huuuuuuuuuuuge! And it smells really good. Christmas tree-ish.
Later, I'll have to pack my stuff for... CHICAGO! Maaaaan I'm so incredibly excited!!! I looooove this city :D
Soooo no blog entries for the weekend :P
BYE xD
Today, I was extremely tired because last night I only slept for about 3 hours for some reason. But, oh well, I made it through the day. Today was my first day of Jazz Band! It was fun, definitely. And I'm in the Jazz Band that Joey und Joe (?) are in :) It's gonna be an awesome time, I know it. I mean, it's band! :D At the moment we're working on Feliz Navidad and Silent Night I believe. In Symphony Band (my 6th hour) we're working on Hallelujah, like I told you, Christmas Calypso and Nimrod (an extreeeemely slow song although we still play it kinda fast).
Today we also got our big christmas tree... oh my God, it is huuuuuuuuuuuge! And it smells really good. Christmas tree-ish.
Later, I'll have to pack my stuff for... CHICAGO! Maaaaan I'm so incredibly excited!!! I looooove this city :D
Soooo no blog entries for the weekend :P
BYE xD
11/27/2007
Winter
It's soooo cold...
Today I had a US History test that I had totally forgotten about. But, oh well, US History with Mr Tatum is the easiest thing in the world anyways, so it didn't really matter that I hadn't studied. I reviewed a little in the beginning of the hour when he took attendance and I'm pretty sure I got everything right.
The most exciting thing that happened today was probably what happened in Band. When I entered the band room looking for Aubrey, I found her talking to Mr Hilton. He left when I reached her. She looked kind of puzzled, shrugged and said "I guess your playing in here today." ... I soooo wasn't ready xD but whatever... that's what you definitely learn in High School, being spontaneous. So, I pretty much screwed up most of the time because we mainly worked on a song that I had never even played before (Hallelujah, some of you probably know it... "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAllelujah, Hallelujah, Halleluja - HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAllelujah, Hallelujah" and so on). Still, it worked out better than I had thought. And it was fun. After band, when I walked out of the room and past Mr Hilton, he asked me how it was going, and when I told him I was getting into it, he said "Well, you'll just have to fight your way through it!" with this big excited/optimistic smile on his face :D he's just amazing...
After school, my area rep Camille came over. She arrived while Sheila was gone to get the kids (so I was home alone because Doug was still at work and Courtney had cheer practise), we talked for about ten or fifteen minutes, then she told me since there don't seem to be any problems, she doesn't see a point in waiting for Sheila, so she gave me a christmas present (I'm not gonna open it before christmas though, so I don't know what it is yet) and yummy vanilla cupcakes for the whole family and then she left again.
Guess I'm a very uncomplicated exchange student ^^ oh well, I really don't mind.
On Thursday, I'll have Jazz Band after school for the first time. I'm excited for that!
3 days left til... CHICAGO!!!! :)
Today I had a US History test that I had totally forgotten about. But, oh well, US History with Mr Tatum is the easiest thing in the world anyways, so it didn't really matter that I hadn't studied. I reviewed a little in the beginning of the hour when he took attendance and I'm pretty sure I got everything right.
The most exciting thing that happened today was probably what happened in Band. When I entered the band room looking for Aubrey, I found her talking to Mr Hilton. He left when I reached her. She looked kind of puzzled, shrugged and said "I guess your playing in here today." ... I soooo wasn't ready xD but whatever... that's what you definitely learn in High School, being spontaneous. So, I pretty much screwed up most of the time because we mainly worked on a song that I had never even played before (Hallelujah, some of you probably know it... "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAllelujah, Hallelujah, Halleluja - HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAllelujah, Hallelujah" and so on). Still, it worked out better than I had thought. And it was fun. After band, when I walked out of the room and past Mr Hilton, he asked me how it was going, and when I told him I was getting into it, he said "Well, you'll just have to fight your way through it!" with this big excited/optimistic smile on his face :D he's just amazing...
After school, my area rep Camille came over. She arrived while Sheila was gone to get the kids (so I was home alone because Doug was still at work and Courtney had cheer practise), we talked for about ten or fifteen minutes, then she told me since there don't seem to be any problems, she doesn't see a point in waiting for Sheila, so she gave me a christmas present (I'm not gonna open it before christmas though, so I don't know what it is yet) and yummy vanilla cupcakes for the whole family and then she left again.
Guess I'm a very uncomplicated exchange student ^^ oh well, I really don't mind.
On Thursday, I'll have Jazz Band after school for the first time. I'm excited for that!
3 days left til... CHICAGO!!!! :)
11/26/2007
Pictures...
So, here are the pictures from yesterday that I promised this morning:
And here are some pictures from today - it was snowing when I came home from school!!
Oh, and by the way... Tomorrow's gonna be my first day in Jazz Band :) I'm excited!
And here are some pictures from today - it was snowing when I came home from school!!
Oh, and by the way... Tomorrow's gonna be my first day in Jazz Band :) I'm excited!
Michaela's Birthday
She turned 8 yesterday :)
When we had arrived back home after church, we got chores done, then I practised my flute and then, around 3, Grandma Tina, GG (the GreatGrandma ;) GG is her nickname), Uncle Pat (he's Grandma Tina's brother I believe) and Aunt Ann (Grandma Tina's sister) arrived. Later, Doug's Aunt and Uncle (I forgot her name, I think his name was Dave?) came over, too. We had snacks, salad, pizza and "crazy bread". Later, Michaela unwrapped her presents while everyone was watching. Courtney and I had gotten her a Bratz doll. She got another Bratz doll, some fairy books, clothes a Webkinz (some kind of online pet) and some more things. I really enjoyed talking to Uncle Dave. He was stationed in Germany in the 60's. It was interesting to hear how he experienced Germany (he liked it) and he asked me a lot of questions about anything that has to do with Germany. Of course I also talked to the other family members, they are all so nice. Aunt Ann who lives in Washington, D.C. told me I should come visit her some time in spring. That would be so awesome.
Later, we ate Michaela's birthday cake. It was some kind of ice-cream cake that Grandma Tina had made before. It was reaaally yummy :P
I'm gonna post some pictures later, right now I'm at school, sitting bored in my Drafting class and so I don't have my camera with me.
Never take Drafting, it's so pointless.
When we had arrived back home after church, we got chores done, then I practised my flute and then, around 3, Grandma Tina, GG (the GreatGrandma ;) GG is her nickname), Uncle Pat (he's Grandma Tina's brother I believe) and Aunt Ann (Grandma Tina's sister) arrived. Later, Doug's Aunt and Uncle (I forgot her name, I think his name was Dave?) came over, too. We had snacks, salad, pizza and "crazy bread". Later, Michaela unwrapped her presents while everyone was watching. Courtney and I had gotten her a Bratz doll. She got another Bratz doll, some fairy books, clothes a Webkinz (some kind of online pet) and some more things. I really enjoyed talking to Uncle Dave. He was stationed in Germany in the 60's. It was interesting to hear how he experienced Germany (he liked it) and he asked me a lot of questions about anything that has to do with Germany. Of course I also talked to the other family members, they are all so nice. Aunt Ann who lives in Washington, D.C. told me I should come visit her some time in spring. That would be so awesome.
Later, we ate Michaela's birthday cake. It was some kind of ice-cream cake that Grandma Tina had made before. It was reaaally yummy :P
I'm gonna post some pictures later, right now I'm at school, sitting bored in my Drafting class and so I don't have my camera with me.
Never take Drafting, it's so pointless.
11/24/2007
Happy Holidays
I feel all christmas-y now :)
So, Thanksgiving is over... it was really cool, all that yummy food... we had the 2 turkeys, stuffing, casserole, mashed potatoes, salads, pumpkin and apple pie, my cake... it was so much and sooo good. Grandma Tina, Doug's dad and Doug's brother with his wife and his children Cassie (13), Tony (16) and Amanda (18) came over to have Thanksgiving dinner with us. It was really nice. It was cool to hear about Amanda's college life, since I might want to try and do one or two semesters in the US one day, too...
Everybody liked my cake :) it was gone in like, a couple minutes :D
Yesterday and today, we had the left-overs for dinner. Still yummy :)
Today, Sheila and Doug started decorating the house and I think most of the inside is done now. It is so awesome! Doug put a whole winter/christmas village on the cupboards in the kitchen, and Sheila put up a little christmas tree in our little sitting area by the windows with all of Courtney's Santa Bears around it :) and Doug put some lights up by the stairs.
Here are some pictures:
So, Thanksgiving is over... it was really cool, all that yummy food... we had the 2 turkeys, stuffing, casserole, mashed potatoes, salads, pumpkin and apple pie, my cake... it was so much and sooo good. Grandma Tina, Doug's dad and Doug's brother with his wife and his children Cassie (13), Tony (16) and Amanda (18) came over to have Thanksgiving dinner with us. It was really nice. It was cool to hear about Amanda's college life, since I might want to try and do one or two semesters in the US one day, too...
Everybody liked my cake :) it was gone in like, a couple minutes :D
Yesterday and today, we had the left-overs for dinner. Still yummy :)
Today, Sheila and Doug started decorating the house and I think most of the inside is done now. It is so awesome! Doug put a whole winter/christmas village on the cupboards in the kitchen, and Sheila put up a little christmas tree in our little sitting area by the windows with all of Courtney's Santa Bears around it :) and Doug put some lights up by the stairs.
Here are some pictures:
Santa Clause is coming to town :)
11/21/2007
The Day Before Thanksgiving
Cooking, cleaning, getting ready...
So today, I got up around 8.30, took a shower, had breakfast and did my chores. Then I practised my flute, played some games with Michaela, and then Sheila came home from the grocery store and the big preparing could begin :)
While Sheila prepared stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and other yummy stuff, I made my cake. I'm making a Rocher-cake for Thanksgiving. Getting all the ingrediences wasn't easy... they don't have "Sahnesteif" over here! I couldn't imagine that. And they don't have "Vanillezucker" either. I still made it... I used gelatine instead of "Sahnesteif" (yeeea mom I used GELATINE and I MADE it :P) and just plain powdery sugar instead of "Vanillezucker". I did the base and the frosting, and tomorrow I still have to decorate it. It looks good already. And it smells good :)
Then we cleaned a little more, Courtney and I did the blinds of the windows. We'll do the rest of the cleaning tomorrow.
I'm so excited :) Relatives will be coming over, we'll eat all that awesome food (Sheila's gonna make the turkeys tomorrow!!) and it'll just be FUN!
Happy Thanksgiving!
So today, I got up around 8.30, took a shower, had breakfast and did my chores. Then I practised my flute, played some games with Michaela, and then Sheila came home from the grocery store and the big preparing could begin :)
While Sheila prepared stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and other yummy stuff, I made my cake. I'm making a Rocher-cake for Thanksgiving. Getting all the ingrediences wasn't easy... they don't have "Sahnesteif" over here! I couldn't imagine that. And they don't have "Vanillezucker" either. I still made it... I used gelatine instead of "Sahnesteif" (yeeea mom I used GELATINE and I MADE it :P) and just plain powdery sugar instead of "Vanillezucker". I did the base and the frosting, and tomorrow I still have to decorate it. It looks good already. And it smells good :)
Then we cleaned a little more, Courtney and I did the blinds of the windows. We'll do the rest of the cleaning tomorrow.
I'm so excited :) Relatives will be coming over, we'll eat all that awesome food (Sheila's gonna make the turkeys tomorrow!!) and it'll just be FUN!
Happy Thanksgiving!
11/20/2007
11/19/2007
What's New
3 days left until Thanksgiving... :)
So on Thursday, I stayed after school with Amy and Marina to help them with Precalculus stuff. We had our test on Friday. Marina gave me a ride home after that. I really like her, she's so nice! And I love her accent, it sounds so cool.
The weekend was pretty lazy again. I had enough time getting my chores done and I spent a lot of time practising my flute and the piano. It's nice to have some time for that stuff again, but I think I'm ready for some action again now! I can't wait until Mr Kosi splits up the Jazz Band. I really want to become a piano player in one of the Jazz Bands. On Saturday, Courtney and I went shopping with Sheila. We got 2 big turkeys for Thanksgiving and most of the ingredients for the cake I'm gonna make. It'll be a Rocher-cake.
Yesterday in the afternoon, Courtney and I went down into the basement do play DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). That game is SO much fun! I've played it once before that, with Rob, and I sucked ^^ so yesterday we started on the easy stuff. For those in Germany who don't know this game (I think we have it over there but I was never really aware of how much fun it is): You have this kind of dance mat with 4 arrows on it (up, down, right, left) and you stand on it facing the screen. You select one of the songs from the disc and how difficult you want it to be, and then the song starts and you have to step on the arrows shown on the TV screen. We were having so much fun!
Last night, Sheila, Courtney and I went to mass at St. Claud's where we also had our monthly Youth Group meeting. Again, there weren't a lot of teens there but more than last time. I really need to talk to some people and get them going there. It could be so much fun if we were a couple more people. This time, a Freshman girl who's also in L'Anse Creuse band was there, her name's Elizabeth. She looked at me and was like "I think I've seen you before..." but I didn't recognize her at first. But when we went on talking and finally got to the band topic we realized that we're both in band and then I actually remembered her. Man, I knew I was bad at names but I'm usually good at remembering faces... I'm getting old I guess.
Today was alright. I love my first hour because I can talk to Keith and Katie. In Precalc, we got our test back and I stayed in my seat. I really start hating that seat, it's like right in the corner buy that frickin cupboard with that frickin turkey picture on it... and now Gary and that other guy.. dang it... Nick? are gone, they doesn't sit next to me anymore. So that'll make it even more boring. But still Precalc is pretty much my most interesting class because I learn a lot.
Band was just HILARIOUS today. As usually since I got my flute, Aubrey and I were in one of those tiny, weird smelling practise rooms and she taught me how to play the flute. That's always a lot of fun with Kyle (he's learning the baritone, did I tell you that before?) and his "teacher"... erm... whatshisface... Billy?! or something... in the practise room next to us and Brian always walking around being bored... that often ends up in funny situations (Billy - I'm just going to call him that for now - hanging on doors or his face pressed against those little windows in the doors, Brian randomly walking into the room, making some unhelpful comments - "I'm so bored!" - or filming my embouchure :D or, well, just things like that). But today was extraordinarily funny :D okay here's the story:
I was playing and Mr Hilton looked into the room... first thing he said was "Watch your embouchure Maria, it has to be a lot smaller!", then he gave Aubrey some tips on how to teach me that, and then, almost out the door, he said "Oh, but, Maria, you're already actually playing! That's awesome!" ... Thanks! Yea, that's our dear Mr Hilton :P Criticism first, that takes you further... I like that attitude though.
Oh well, but than Aubrey wanted to show me that How-You-Know-Your-Embouchure-Is-Right trick (you kinda try to see you breath on the mouthpiece after playing a long note, and the shape tells you whether your embouchure is right) but it didn't work. So she's like "Oh yea, that works better like, outside, when it's really cold...." Silence... "HOLD ON! It IS really cold outside! LET'S GO OUTSIDE!" and so we went outside, stayed by the door to keep it open (once you're outside, you don't get back into the school... protection of the students and all that stuff), waited until my flute was cold and then I did the embouchure trick. It worked, and I actually got it right like once or twice ^^ and people in the back parking lot were watching us and the guys were coming from inside, all bored looking and wondering what we had so much fun about :P So then, we went back inside. Of course now, our flute were too cold to play them. So, we had to warm them up again and we did that by pressing all keys down and just blowing warm air through them. That reminded me of my first aid course in summer, so I told Aubrey and we both started laughing and then we were telling each other about our first aid courses and we were in tears from laughing :D just sitting there in that tiny little smelling room...it was so hilarious... Took us a while to get back to work xD Oh my god I can still laugh about it...
Well, so my life's still fun over here :) hope everyone else is doing good, as well?
I better go to bed now.
I wonder how Keith did on his Chemistry test, he had to retake it today because he was in New York when we took it. I met him after sixth hour when he went there, he seemed pretty nervous.
Alright, good night! Flute players ROCK :D
So on Thursday, I stayed after school with Amy and Marina to help them with Precalculus stuff. We had our test on Friday. Marina gave me a ride home after that. I really like her, she's so nice! And I love her accent, it sounds so cool.
The weekend was pretty lazy again. I had enough time getting my chores done and I spent a lot of time practising my flute and the piano. It's nice to have some time for that stuff again, but I think I'm ready for some action again now! I can't wait until Mr Kosi splits up the Jazz Band. I really want to become a piano player in one of the Jazz Bands. On Saturday, Courtney and I went shopping with Sheila. We got 2 big turkeys for Thanksgiving and most of the ingredients for the cake I'm gonna make. It'll be a Rocher-cake.
Yesterday in the afternoon, Courtney and I went down into the basement do play DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). That game is SO much fun! I've played it once before that, with Rob, and I sucked ^^ so yesterday we started on the easy stuff. For those in Germany who don't know this game (I think we have it over there but I was never really aware of how much fun it is): You have this kind of dance mat with 4 arrows on it (up, down, right, left) and you stand on it facing the screen. You select one of the songs from the disc and how difficult you want it to be, and then the song starts and you have to step on the arrows shown on the TV screen. We were having so much fun!
Last night, Sheila, Courtney and I went to mass at St. Claud's where we also had our monthly Youth Group meeting. Again, there weren't a lot of teens there but more than last time. I really need to talk to some people and get them going there. It could be so much fun if we were a couple more people. This time, a Freshman girl who's also in L'Anse Creuse band was there, her name's Elizabeth. She looked at me and was like "I think I've seen you before..." but I didn't recognize her at first. But when we went on talking and finally got to the band topic we realized that we're both in band and then I actually remembered her. Man, I knew I was bad at names but I'm usually good at remembering faces... I'm getting old I guess.
Today was alright. I love my first hour because I can talk to Keith and Katie. In Precalc, we got our test back and I stayed in my seat. I really start hating that seat, it's like right in the corner buy that frickin cupboard with that frickin turkey picture on it... and now Gary and that other guy.. dang it... Nick? are gone, they doesn't sit next to me anymore. So that'll make it even more boring. But still Precalc is pretty much my most interesting class because I learn a lot.
Band was just HILARIOUS today. As usually since I got my flute, Aubrey and I were in one of those tiny, weird smelling practise rooms and she taught me how to play the flute. That's always a lot of fun with Kyle (he's learning the baritone, did I tell you that before?) and his "teacher"... erm... whatshisface... Billy?! or something... in the practise room next to us and Brian always walking around being bored... that often ends up in funny situations (Billy - I'm just going to call him that for now - hanging on doors or his face pressed against those little windows in the doors, Brian randomly walking into the room, making some unhelpful comments - "I'm so bored!" - or filming my embouchure :D or, well, just things like that). But today was extraordinarily funny :D okay here's the story:
I was playing and Mr Hilton looked into the room... first thing he said was "Watch your embouchure Maria, it has to be a lot smaller!", then he gave Aubrey some tips on how to teach me that, and then, almost out the door, he said "Oh, but, Maria, you're already actually playing! That's awesome!" ... Thanks! Yea, that's our dear Mr Hilton :P Criticism first, that takes you further... I like that attitude though.
Oh well, but than Aubrey wanted to show me that How-You-Know-Your-Embouchure-Is-Right trick (you kinda try to see you breath on the mouthpiece after playing a long note, and the shape tells you whether your embouchure is right) but it didn't work. So she's like "Oh yea, that works better like, outside, when it's really cold...." Silence... "HOLD ON! It IS really cold outside! LET'S GO OUTSIDE!" and so we went outside, stayed by the door to keep it open (once you're outside, you don't get back into the school... protection of the students and all that stuff), waited until my flute was cold and then I did the embouchure trick. It worked, and I actually got it right like once or twice ^^ and people in the back parking lot were watching us and the guys were coming from inside, all bored looking and wondering what we had so much fun about :P So then, we went back inside. Of course now, our flute were too cold to play them. So, we had to warm them up again and we did that by pressing all keys down and just blowing warm air through them. That reminded me of my first aid course in summer, so I told Aubrey and we both started laughing and then we were telling each other about our first aid courses and we were in tears from laughing :D just sitting there in that tiny little smelling room...it was so hilarious... Took us a while to get back to work xD Oh my god I can still laugh about it...
Well, so my life's still fun over here :) hope everyone else is doing good, as well?
I better go to bed now.
I wonder how Keith did on his Chemistry test, he had to retake it today because he was in New York when we took it. I met him after sixth hour when he went there, he seemed pretty nervous.
Alright, good night! Flute players ROCK :D
11/14/2007
One Week 'til Thanksgiving :)
I'm so excited about that :) (FOOOOD!)
This week has been nice and lazy so far. We had a Chemistry test yesterday and got our score today (97%, yay) and we have a Precalculus test on... Friday I believe. School's pretty easy though, at the moment I hardly have any homework (and if I do, I get it done in school), I don't really have to study for the tests a lot because the whole school system here is just so easy and I understand everything. Drafting isn't as boring anymore because Mr Caldwell put me on one of the computers... and everybody who's working on the computer is doing other things we're not really supposed to do besides that... the guys are playing games, I'm checking my mails and writing mails and every now and then, I go on with my drawing for a while. So I still get my work done. Mr Caldwell doesn't really care most of the time.
Writing Workshop has become less horrible - I actually found someone to talk to in that class! Her name's Marina and she moved here from Russia last year, so we understand each other about getting-involved-problems in a really cool way. She's so nice.
I'm practising the flute during band class everyday, supervised and supported by Aubrey. It's fun to have her as a flute teacher. And I think I am kind of getting better, though I'm still terrible on the flute. But, come on, I don't even have it a week yet!
Yesterday I couldn't take my flute home because it had a leak. Mr Hilton repaired it and now my flute's fine again!
I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving! It's going to be so much fun. The first thing people tell me about Thanksgiving is always that there's tons of good food... sounds good :P And I believe we're hosting Thanksgiving for the whole family, so they'll all come over. I can't wait to get to know them.
After Thanksgiving, on the last weekend of November/first weekend of December, I'll go on a YFU trip to Chicago - I'm soooo excited! I love this city so much, I am so glad I get the chance to go there again!
And theeeen... CHRISTMAS is approaching! :)))
This week has been nice and lazy so far. We had a Chemistry test yesterday and got our score today (97%, yay) and we have a Precalculus test on... Friday I believe. School's pretty easy though, at the moment I hardly have any homework (and if I do, I get it done in school), I don't really have to study for the tests a lot because the whole school system here is just so easy and I understand everything. Drafting isn't as boring anymore because Mr Caldwell put me on one of the computers... and everybody who's working on the computer is doing other things we're not really supposed to do besides that... the guys are playing games, I'm checking my mails and writing mails and every now and then, I go on with my drawing for a while. So I still get my work done. Mr Caldwell doesn't really care most of the time.
Writing Workshop has become less horrible - I actually found someone to talk to in that class! Her name's Marina and she moved here from Russia last year, so we understand each other about getting-involved-problems in a really cool way. She's so nice.
I'm practising the flute during band class everyday, supervised and supported by Aubrey. It's fun to have her as a flute teacher. And I think I am kind of getting better, though I'm still terrible on the flute. But, come on, I don't even have it a week yet!
Yesterday I couldn't take my flute home because it had a leak. Mr Hilton repaired it and now my flute's fine again!
I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving! It's going to be so much fun. The first thing people tell me about Thanksgiving is always that there's tons of good food... sounds good :P And I believe we're hosting Thanksgiving for the whole family, so they'll all come over. I can't wait to get to know them.
After Thanksgiving, on the last weekend of November/first weekend of December, I'll go on a YFU trip to Chicago - I'm soooo excited! I love this city so much, I am so glad I get the chance to go there again!
And theeeen... CHRISTMAS is approaching! :)))
11/11/2007
I Got a Cold
That really sucks...
My nose is still pretty much closed and I think I'm losing my voice. I'm taking nasal spray, some pills that make the nose free and my daily vitamins. Hope that'll help.
What I forgot to tell you about Thursday: We had a bonfire after dinner outside, that was fun :) we roasted marshmallows...
On Friday, I didn't do much. School was okay but I was frickin tired... Friday night after dinner, we had vulcano cakes for dessert - YUMMMMMY! One of the most delicious things ever :) Later, when everyone was in bed/Sheila and Doug watching TV upstairs/Courtney on the computer, I zapped through the TV channels and found the Bourne Identity... really cool movie, never saw the whole thing I believe.
Yesterday, my day was pretty lazy again - and I could sleep in!! That was so awesome... I tried to call Chrissi but couldn't get through because somebody was using the phone, and then I asked Swenny and Rina on ICQ whether she's back home already or still in the hospital and they told me she's still in the hospital, so I called her there :) In the afternoon, we went to church. During mass, we celebrated Father Gary's anniversay and Jacob sang with the school's choir. He looked so cute up there :)
After church, we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I had burritos. Then we went home and Sheila, Michaela, Courtney and I got ready to go to Pankow to watch L'Anse Creuse's school play (Cinderella) there. It was fun, I saw so many people I know on the stage :)
Later, back home, I again found myself alone in front of the TV after a while... it's amazing how many good movies there are actually on almost every night here :) This time, I found Underworld: Evolution - that's like, one of my favourtie movies!
Today will be lazy again... I love weekends like this :) although I miss band... I am going to do my homework, hopefully finally get my handwritten journal updated (really need to do that) and my nails done...
Relaaaaxing :) need to rest so I get rid of my cold...
My nose is still pretty much closed and I think I'm losing my voice. I'm taking nasal spray, some pills that make the nose free and my daily vitamins. Hope that'll help.
What I forgot to tell you about Thursday: We had a bonfire after dinner outside, that was fun :) we roasted marshmallows...
On Friday, I didn't do much. School was okay but I was frickin tired... Friday night after dinner, we had vulcano cakes for dessert - YUMMMMMY! One of the most delicious things ever :) Later, when everyone was in bed/Sheila and Doug watching TV upstairs/Courtney on the computer, I zapped through the TV channels and found the Bourne Identity... really cool movie, never saw the whole thing I believe.
Yesterday, my day was pretty lazy again - and I could sleep in!! That was so awesome... I tried to call Chrissi but couldn't get through because somebody was using the phone, and then I asked Swenny and Rina on ICQ whether she's back home already or still in the hospital and they told me she's still in the hospital, so I called her there :) In the afternoon, we went to church. During mass, we celebrated Father Gary's anniversay and Jacob sang with the school's choir. He looked so cute up there :)
After church, we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I had burritos. Then we went home and Sheila, Michaela, Courtney and I got ready to go to Pankow to watch L'Anse Creuse's school play (Cinderella) there. It was fun, I saw so many people I know on the stage :)
Later, back home, I again found myself alone in front of the TV after a while... it's amazing how many good movies there are actually on almost every night here :) This time, I found Underworld: Evolution - that's like, one of my favourtie movies!
Today will be lazy again... I love weekends like this :) although I miss band... I am going to do my homework, hopefully finally get my handwritten journal updated (really need to do that) and my nails done...
Relaaaaxing :) need to rest so I get rid of my cold...
11/09/2007
First Bandless Weekend
I can sleep in tomorrow...
Some more things I forgot to tell you...
I got my Junior pictures. They are nice but oh well, I never really like school pictures... I mean, who does?? On my pictures, I have this one piece of hair that lies kinda weird on my head... maaaan... whatever...
We had the time change last weekend and in the beginning of the week, that was awesome because for some reason I was more awake than usual but by now, I'm reaaaally really tired.
My throat didn't feel good yesterday, today it's fine but instead, my nose is all icky and feels closed and I sneezed a couple times today. I guess I'm getting a cold... baaaah.
Well, I got to go.
Dinner time!
Some more things I forgot to tell you...
I got my Junior pictures. They are nice but oh well, I never really like school pictures... I mean, who does?? On my pictures, I have this one piece of hair that lies kinda weird on my head... maaaan... whatever...
We had the time change last weekend and in the beginning of the week, that was awesome because for some reason I was more awake than usual but by now, I'm reaaaally really tired.
My throat didn't feel good yesterday, today it's fine but instead, my nose is all icky and feels closed and I sneezed a couple times today. I guess I'm getting a cold... baaaah.
Well, I got to go.
Dinner time!
11/08/2007
Some New Stuff in November
It feels like a new "chapter" or something...
So, the first marking period is over (means we get report cards next week or so), marching season is over, and everything seems to start new. I like it, though... but I do miss marching band a lot.
So on Sunday, Sheila, Courtney and I went to church together and after that, we went on a biiig shopping tour. First Sheila stopped at the Fruit Market, then we went to Sam's Club which is... a store where you can just get ANYTHING from food and household equipment to electronics, clothes, books,... I finally found an international calling card there!!
After that, we went to Meyer's, a huuuuge supermarket. I bet we spent more than an hour in each store, it was a really big shopping day!
When we got home, we helped Doug in the garage first - he built a corner thing for the bikes and tools and stuff like that and we helped him set up the whole frame - and then put all the groceries away.
Monday wasn't really exciting... in band, we watched our performance at the State Finals once again, and we got the stuff the band moms had found in our uniform and raincoat pockets... so now, it was definitely over. It still makes me so sad, I loved that time!
BUT band stuff really goes on for me! On Tuesday, we had our first hour of concert season. I didn't really have anything to play except a symbol and therefore, I wasn't really sure what to think about it but then Mr Kosi called the whole percussion group into the band office and he and Mr Conatan told us that they had too many percussionists and not enough wind instruments and they asked us whether some of us would be interested in learning a wind instrument. So later that hour, I talked to Mr Kosi again and told him I'd really like to learn another instrument, and I told him that I tried to play on trumpets, trombones, clarinets and saxophones before (good old Blaeserklasse times ;) ) and that I can't really handle the mouthpieces for trumpets and trombones and other instruments like that and that I'd prefer to learn a wood wind instrument. He said they'd talk about it and tell me on Wednesday.
On Wednesday though, Mr Kosi wasn't there. Mr Conatan didn't really seem to have much of a plan, he just sent me to look for a clarinet but all I found was empty cases and lonely, single clarinet pieces ^^
So today, I actually got to talk to Mr Kosi again and now he told me they don't really need clarinets but they could use more flutes and whether I wanted to try that. So, I got one of the school flutes and then they sent me in the practise rooms with one of the flute players (daaaaang it what was her name again?? well, she was in the drumline during marching season...) so she'd show me how to put the flute together, how to hold it and how to get a tone out of it. And she showed me my first 5 notes! She said I'm learning fast. I'm really proud that I already played some notes on the flute! I thought I'd never get a tone out of it.
So, now I'm becoming a flute player (an die Deutschen: flute ist nicht einfach nur Floete, sondern hier das Wort fuer Querfloete)! I'm happy, and excited.
Today, I practised about an hour in the afternoon... after that, my arms really hurt ^^ but I'm getting better :)
Come on, LMG flute players, leave me some comments and tips :P
Yesterday, Sheila and I took Courtney to her piano lesson and then we went to Payless, a shoe store similar to Deichmann, where I got the cutest winter boots (blackish/dark brown, with fake fur and tassels - "Bommel") and last night, while Michaela had her dancing lesson, Sheila and I went over to Walmart across the street where I got a winter coat (white, whith more fake fur ^^) and two more pairs of sweatpants (commmmmmfy!).
I'm happy new. Everything all new :)... "Chapter 2" of my exchange year :P well, maybe 3... the first one was probably the getting-used-to chapter before I got involved into anything.
Oh, and I looove the holiday season!
Halloween's just over, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up :)
So, the first marking period is over (means we get report cards next week or so), marching season is over, and everything seems to start new. I like it, though... but I do miss marching band a lot.
So on Sunday, Sheila, Courtney and I went to church together and after that, we went on a biiig shopping tour. First Sheila stopped at the Fruit Market, then we went to Sam's Club which is... a store where you can just get ANYTHING from food and household equipment to electronics, clothes, books,... I finally found an international calling card there!!
After that, we went to Meyer's, a huuuuge supermarket. I bet we spent more than an hour in each store, it was a really big shopping day!
When we got home, we helped Doug in the garage first - he built a corner thing for the bikes and tools and stuff like that and we helped him set up the whole frame - and then put all the groceries away.
Monday wasn't really exciting... in band, we watched our performance at the State Finals once again, and we got the stuff the band moms had found in our uniform and raincoat pockets... so now, it was definitely over. It still makes me so sad, I loved that time!
BUT band stuff really goes on for me! On Tuesday, we had our first hour of concert season. I didn't really have anything to play except a symbol and therefore, I wasn't really sure what to think about it but then Mr Kosi called the whole percussion group into the band office and he and Mr Conatan told us that they had too many percussionists and not enough wind instruments and they asked us whether some of us would be interested in learning a wind instrument. So later that hour, I talked to Mr Kosi again and told him I'd really like to learn another instrument, and I told him that I tried to play on trumpets, trombones, clarinets and saxophones before (good old Blaeserklasse times ;) ) and that I can't really handle the mouthpieces for trumpets and trombones and other instruments like that and that I'd prefer to learn a wood wind instrument. He said they'd talk about it and tell me on Wednesday.
On Wednesday though, Mr Kosi wasn't there. Mr Conatan didn't really seem to have much of a plan, he just sent me to look for a clarinet but all I found was empty cases and lonely, single clarinet pieces ^^
So today, I actually got to talk to Mr Kosi again and now he told me they don't really need clarinets but they could use more flutes and whether I wanted to try that. So, I got one of the school flutes and then they sent me in the practise rooms with one of the flute players (daaaaang it what was her name again?? well, she was in the drumline during marching season...) so she'd show me how to put the flute together, how to hold it and how to get a tone out of it. And she showed me my first 5 notes! She said I'm learning fast. I'm really proud that I already played some notes on the flute! I thought I'd never get a tone out of it.
So, now I'm becoming a flute player (an die Deutschen: flute ist nicht einfach nur Floete, sondern hier das Wort fuer Querfloete)! I'm happy, and excited.
Today, I practised about an hour in the afternoon... after that, my arms really hurt ^^ but I'm getting better :)
Come on, LMG flute players, leave me some comments and tips :P
Yesterday, Sheila and I took Courtney to her piano lesson and then we went to Payless, a shoe store similar to Deichmann, where I got the cutest winter boots (blackish/dark brown, with fake fur and tassels - "Bommel") and last night, while Michaela had her dancing lesson, Sheila and I went over to Walmart across the street where I got a winter coat (white, whith more fake fur ^^) and two more pairs of sweatpants (commmmmmfy!).
I'm happy new. Everything all new :)... "Chapter 2" of my exchange year :P well, maybe 3... the first one was probably the getting-used-to chapter before I got involved into anything.
Oh, and I looove the holiday season!
Halloween's just over, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up :)
11/03/2007
End of Marching Season
Oh my god I'm so sad :(
A really, really, REALLY amazing time is over.
Yesterday, we had our last normal practise. Well, actually it wasn't that normal since it was on a Friday and it was only 2 hours long but it was like, the last practise after which we went home and not to a competition.
Before the practise, there was a march off on the field. Every band member who wants to participate does some basic marching on the field, and the drum majors pick out those who make mistakes until one winner is left. I watched the beginning of it with some of the other pit people but didn't participate (I don't even know the commands). It looked like fun.
The practise was cold again but I really enjoyed it. Even in these few weeks that I've been in the band, even I have noticed how much all of us improved. How the show improved. It's amazing.
Today was the big day - Michigan State Finals!
Our practise at school started at 8am when it was still freeeeezing outside but that was alright. It was such a cool rehearsal. Everyone was focused but we all had fun at the same time, and everyone was hyper and pumped and excited about State Finals! Mr Hilton didn't yell at us once, he even said "Beautiful! Just beautiful!" a couple of times... he's so proud of us.
Around 10 or 10.30 or something, we started loading. When that was done, we ate lunch and got dressed and then, we went on the buses to leave the school for our one last competition this season.
The ride was short and we soon arrived in downtown Detroit.
Since there's not really a place to warm-up directly at the Ford Field stadium, we went to a parking lot a couple blocks away and kind of occupied it for our warm-ups within the sections. I was surprisingly calm but then again I was of course excited... it's hard to describe. I think what I want to say is that I wasn't really as nervous as I thought I'd be.
When the time had finally come, we had to move all our pit stuff to the stadium, across some busy streets... it went well though. Then, the difficult part came - the ramp! To get down to the field, we had to go down a looong car ramp that led into the stadium and at some points, it was really steep! Fortunately, there were many band moms and dads to help us with the pit equipment. The very last minutes before our performance were so awesome... full of tension and excitement. We did our last pit circle for this season - my last pit circle overall - that we always did before performances... we stood in a circle, arms around each other, put our left feet into the circle and somebody, usually Sarah, our section leader, or Laura or James, our instructors, would say something and then we would lower our hands over the nickle in the circle's middle (sometimes a real nickle, if noone had one, it was an imaginay nickle) and said "Nickle!".
Then we had to go out of the field. The 4 minutes we have to set up are always incredibly exciting - you have to set up everything so fast and pray to God that nothing is set up or connected wrong so that it causes trouble during the show. We made it though. Because we're awesome :)
I've never enjoyed playing the show so much. The audience was a lot larger than usual, the stadium was awesome and the energy of the music and the whole show just carries you. And the whole time, you have this thought in the back of your head - I'm playing in the State Finals, in one of Michigan's elite bands (that's what a judge called us last week)... I can be frickin' proud!!
After our performance, we had photos taken in the stands... professional photos of the whole band. Outside the stadium we had section pictures taken... the pit together with the battery. I'm definitely going to order those on the internet as soon as they are available.
We stayed for the awards, of course. We got 4th place and a really really good score. I'm so happy.
Back at the school, we unloaded (for the last time! :'( even that makes me sad...) after we had putten our uniforms back on the hangers... I'll miss this uniform. It made me really proud to wear it. Most people stayed a little after because we had a little "After-Finals-Party", meaning the band parents had made us an awesome food buffet once again and somebody had set up karaoke and guitar hero. Nobody stayed long but it was nice.
I found some more videos of our show on youtube... and I'm actually in them! You can see that the marching part and the pit (the standing people playing the standing instruments) are divided by a black wall. All the way to the right, in front of the wall, you might be able to recognize something like a syntheziser cart (just that black cart thing, looks like a table kind of) with 3 or 4 people standing behind it. I'm on the very left of those 3 or 4 people (the number depends on the show because we moved Tre at some point... but however, I'm always on the left of the synth cart, as seen from the audience's point of view). So here the videos are:
That was one of the best times of my life!!
A really, really, REALLY amazing time is over.
Yesterday, we had our last normal practise. Well, actually it wasn't that normal since it was on a Friday and it was only 2 hours long but it was like, the last practise after which we went home and not to a competition.
Before the practise, there was a march off on the field. Every band member who wants to participate does some basic marching on the field, and the drum majors pick out those who make mistakes until one winner is left. I watched the beginning of it with some of the other pit people but didn't participate (I don't even know the commands). It looked like fun.
The practise was cold again but I really enjoyed it. Even in these few weeks that I've been in the band, even I have noticed how much all of us improved. How the show improved. It's amazing.
Today was the big day - Michigan State Finals!
Our practise at school started at 8am when it was still freeeeezing outside but that was alright. It was such a cool rehearsal. Everyone was focused but we all had fun at the same time, and everyone was hyper and pumped and excited about State Finals! Mr Hilton didn't yell at us once, he even said "Beautiful! Just beautiful!" a couple of times... he's so proud of us.
Around 10 or 10.30 or something, we started loading. When that was done, we ate lunch and got dressed and then, we went on the buses to leave the school for our one last competition this season.
The ride was short and we soon arrived in downtown Detroit.
Since there's not really a place to warm-up directly at the Ford Field stadium, we went to a parking lot a couple blocks away and kind of occupied it for our warm-ups within the sections. I was surprisingly calm but then again I was of course excited... it's hard to describe. I think what I want to say is that I wasn't really as nervous as I thought I'd be.
When the time had finally come, we had to move all our pit stuff to the stadium, across some busy streets... it went well though. Then, the difficult part came - the ramp! To get down to the field, we had to go down a looong car ramp that led into the stadium and at some points, it was really steep! Fortunately, there were many band moms and dads to help us with the pit equipment. The very last minutes before our performance were so awesome... full of tension and excitement. We did our last pit circle for this season - my last pit circle overall - that we always did before performances... we stood in a circle, arms around each other, put our left feet into the circle and somebody, usually Sarah, our section leader, or Laura or James, our instructors, would say something and then we would lower our hands over the nickle in the circle's middle (sometimes a real nickle, if noone had one, it was an imaginay nickle) and said "Nickle!".
Then we had to go out of the field. The 4 minutes we have to set up are always incredibly exciting - you have to set up everything so fast and pray to God that nothing is set up or connected wrong so that it causes trouble during the show. We made it though. Because we're awesome :)
I've never enjoyed playing the show so much. The audience was a lot larger than usual, the stadium was awesome and the energy of the music and the whole show just carries you. And the whole time, you have this thought in the back of your head - I'm playing in the State Finals, in one of Michigan's elite bands (that's what a judge called us last week)... I can be frickin' proud!!
After our performance, we had photos taken in the stands... professional photos of the whole band. Outside the stadium we had section pictures taken... the pit together with the battery. I'm definitely going to order those on the internet as soon as they are available.
We stayed for the awards, of course. We got 4th place and a really really good score. I'm so happy.
Back at the school, we unloaded (for the last time! :'( even that makes me sad...) after we had putten our uniforms back on the hangers... I'll miss this uniform. It made me really proud to wear it. Most people stayed a little after because we had a little "After-Finals-Party", meaning the band parents had made us an awesome food buffet once again and somebody had set up karaoke and guitar hero. Nobody stayed long but it was nice.
I found some more videos of our show on youtube... and I'm actually in them! You can see that the marching part and the pit (the standing people playing the standing instruments) are divided by a black wall. All the way to the right, in front of the wall, you might be able to recognize something like a syntheziser cart (just that black cart thing, looks like a table kind of) with 3 or 4 people standing behind it. I'm on the very left of those 3 or 4 people (the number depends on the show because we moved Tre at some point... but however, I'm always on the left of the synth cart, as seen from the audience's point of view). So here the videos are:
That was one of the best times of my life!!
11/01/2007
Trick or Treat!
What a fun holiday! Why don't we have that in Germany??
So, on Tuesday was my special rehearsal thingy. We went to that dome thing (like these huge tent like things where concerts take place in because of the good sound in there) which was fun but the rehearsal was kind of hard because for the first time since I joined the band, we all screwed up during the ballet. It was just like, everyone suddenly had a different rythm. I think it was because of all the echoes in the dome, that really confuses.
We got home damn late, I was so tired.
Yesterday was Halloween.
Halloween is my new favourite holiday!! It is so much fun...
In Chemistry, we made slime and a photon show (all freaky and scary and halloweenish) with some little experiments. That was pretty cool.
In the afternoon, Courtney's friends Jessa and Chelsea came over. We got dressed, had dinner and then we left for trick or treating - which is awesome! On Halloween night, all the people have candy in their houses (TONS of candy!!) and some of them sit outside their decorated houses around little fire things, some adults even dress up. Then, kids and teens go around all dressed up with their Halloween bags (or, in our case, pillow cases ^^), go up to the houses, say "Trick or treat!" and get candy.
We 4 girls got sooo much candy... after about 2 hours, when we came back, we each had almost a whole pillow case full of candy. The little kids had had success, too - and now we have 3 huge bowls in the kitchen, all full of candy! Yummy!
Today, I had band practise again. It was earlier than usual because there was this banquet thing for the Seniors at school later, so rehearsal was from 2.45 to 5. Although the sun was shining, it got pretty cold outside again.
Tomorrow is my last band practise... that makes me really said. But I'm also soooooooo excited about State Finals on Saturday!!! It's gonna be huge and just amazing and so much fun. I don't want marching season to end though.
Alright, here are some Halloween pictures... the ones I took from myself aren't really good, that was when we came back... Sheila made some before we left, I'll ask her for them and put them on here, they show my whole costume when it was still in a good shape and not all messed up by the wind ^^
So, on Tuesday was my special rehearsal thingy. We went to that dome thing (like these huge tent like things where concerts take place in because of the good sound in there) which was fun but the rehearsal was kind of hard because for the first time since I joined the band, we all screwed up during the ballet. It was just like, everyone suddenly had a different rythm. I think it was because of all the echoes in the dome, that really confuses.
We got home damn late, I was so tired.
Yesterday was Halloween.
Halloween is my new favourite holiday!! It is so much fun...
In Chemistry, we made slime and a photon show (all freaky and scary and halloweenish) with some little experiments. That was pretty cool.
In the afternoon, Courtney's friends Jessa and Chelsea came over. We got dressed, had dinner and then we left for trick or treating - which is awesome! On Halloween night, all the people have candy in their houses (TONS of candy!!) and some of them sit outside their decorated houses around little fire things, some adults even dress up. Then, kids and teens go around all dressed up with their Halloween bags (or, in our case, pillow cases ^^), go up to the houses, say "Trick or treat!" and get candy.
We 4 girls got sooo much candy... after about 2 hours, when we came back, we each had almost a whole pillow case full of candy. The little kids had had success, too - and now we have 3 huge bowls in the kitchen, all full of candy! Yummy!
Today, I had band practise again. It was earlier than usual because there was this banquet thing for the Seniors at school later, so rehearsal was from 2.45 to 5. Although the sun was shining, it got pretty cold outside again.
Tomorrow is my last band practise... that makes me really said. But I'm also soooooooo excited about State Finals on Saturday!!! It's gonna be huge and just amazing and so much fun. I don't want marching season to end though.
Alright, here are some Halloween pictures... the ones I took from myself aren't really good, that was when we came back... Sheila made some before we left, I'll ask her for them and put them on here, they show my whole costume when it was still in a good shape and not all messed up by the wind ^^
|
Good Night!
10/29/2007
Busy I Guess
I know I've been a bad girl and haven't written in a while... :P I apologize...
Well, I can only say "What a week!" again I guess.
On that Sunday that I wrote the last entry, Sheila, Courtney and I went up to Rite Ate later that night to get Halloween costumes for Courtney and me. I got this supercool vampire costum :P (a black dress with a shiny, red neck-thing and a red belt and a red necklace-thingy) and black net tights, vampire make-up, vampire teeth, a black wig (looong and curly...), and a halloween set including a tattoo, bright red nailpolish and amazing red fake eyelashes... they're shiny! :)
Courtney's going to be a vampire, too, but her costume is rather black and pink/purple.
I don't think anything special happened on Monday... and if it did, I don't remember.
On Tuesday, I had band practise like usually. Again, it was really freezing.
Wednesday, we had practice again - yea, last week was really a band week. Wednesday's practice started an hour later though so we had some time to get our homework done.
On Thursday, I hung out with Rob after school. We went to Mc Donald's and did some Precalc stuff together, and he bought me a coffee :) Sheila picked me up when she came back from getting the kids and back home, I already had to get ready for band practice again. This night, I actually wasn't freezing - Rob had given me his awesome, comfy and warm Tony Hawk hoodie so that I'm not that cold during practice :) and it worked! I really smelled like a guy though because of his cologne :P
On Friday, we had a Pep Assembly for the Performing Arts section of our school in 3rd hour. Because the marching band performed during this assembly, we had to be at the band room in the beginning of 2nd hour. We set up our stuff in the gym, the choir and show choir warmed up, we warmed up and then the whole school entered the gym and got seated in the beginning of 3rd hour. I saw Rob - he shouted my name, waved and blew me kisses to get my attention ^^
Our performance went good. We performed standing because the gym is just too small for marching. Well, I don't march anyways so it didn't change anything for me.
After the assembly, things were a little crazy. Since I have A lunch which is after 3rd hour, I and the other A lunch people were dismissed immediately and didn't have to put the stuff back but I still had to get my purse out of the band room and that took me a while. So for us band people, there wasn't much time left for eating... but oh well, it was fun though.
After school, I hung out with Rob again. We went to McDonald's, I got my coffee again :) and we just talked. I walked home later... bad idea, I didn't realize the walk would be that long and at some points I thought I was lost. I made it though, and it wasn't too bad. I need to walk more, anyways... you really don't do that here too often. People couldn't live without their cars here.
Friday night, I went to the movies with Rob. We wanted to watch Saw 4 but since Rob isn't 17 yet, we couldn't get in and so we randomly picked a movie because we didn't know the other movies on the list. So we ended up watching "Dan in Real Life" - that movie's hilarious! I laughed so hard at some points.
Saturday was a full band day again. In the morning, around 9.10, Gary gave me a ride up to L'Anse Creuse North. I have no idea why we practised there but oh well. Gary said he had to go there anyways. He's often giving me rides home from band now. Actually, after all band practices. I like the music he listens to in his car. And he still reminds me so much of A.J.... but I don't think he's as musical as A.J.. He said he can't play the guitar. Well, would've been scary if he was an amazing guitar and piano player, too - I would've felt tricked by someone :D (A.J., come out of your disguise...)
Well, so we practised pretty much all day... fortunately, the pit practised inside first - it was rainy and windy and cold outside. Then we had lunch, and after that we all rehearsed together on the field. It was ridiculous for us synth people - we set the sound stuff up, played 1 or 2 songs, then it started raining again so we had to unplug and cover everything really fast until it stopped and we had to set up again...
After loading, we had dinner, got dressed and departed around 6pm I believe. Well, it was probably later. We had to go back to L'Anse Creuse first because people had forgotten things the day before... that took us some time and so when we arrived at Lakeland Highschool in Huron Valley, we didn't have too much time to unload and warm-up.
I think our show went really good. Of course, there're still mistakes we have to fix but I enjoyed it so much and was so calm and not scared at all this time. I did good, I'm almost satisfied with myself. After our performance, we had to go back to the truck really fast, load really fast and immediately get back to the field for the awards (we had been... I think the second last band to play).
Again, we got second place, and again, we were beaten by Waldlake Central. They're really good, I didn't see their show this time but I saw it on other competitions. They only beat us by a few points, so we're still really really good. And we got an amazing compliment from one of the judges - he said that we're one of the elite bands in the state of Michigan. That really makes me proud... I mean, that I'm actually involved in something huge and amazing like this!
When I got home, it was past 1 and I was so tired.
I didn't really sleep in on Sunday though because I wanted to go to church. I went there with Sheila and Michaela and later we went shopping, kind of spontaneously. Sheila wanted to go to the Flower Factory (kind of like the German Hornbach, but even bigger and you can get even more there... pretty much everything, I'd say) and she said we could look for some warmer clothes for me, too.
I found a lot at DEB again - I just love this store! -:
-grey sweatpants with 2 little strawberries on them (in the US, you HAVE to have sweatpants!)
-a cream-white, warm long-sleeve shirt with such a really cool, wide turtleneck that kind of falls down casually
-a dark grey, short-sleeved kind of knitted shirt with that same kind of turtleneck... it's really warm
-a darkgreenish, warm long-sleeve shirt
-a beige long-sleeve shirt in a 2-layers-look
-a brown, kinda striped long-sleeve shirt with two cute white buttons in the front
-2 tops to wear under things, one black and one beige
I'm happy now :) I love these clothes... and almost all of them were on sale, and additionally the whole store was "buy 1 get 1 half off", AND I still had the giftcard I got from Grandma Tina for my birthday.
Last night, I talked to Christian on the phone for more than an hour... we had to figure out some things but it's alright now :) I'm so happy that we understand each other that well and that we really seem to always think the same.
Today, I was INCREDIBLY tired at school. I slept almost all my 1st hour, I just couldn't help it. It was just review anyways. In my other classes, I found ways to keep me awake... in Precalc, I started writing random things around my notes just to have something to do while Mr Curtis was explaining. It ended up becoming a really weird and crazy notes paper :D It got like lyrics and little drawings all over it, and it says STAY AWAKE all over the paper...
After school, I stayed to do some pumkin carving with the German Club. It was fun, I was in a group with Jeannine (she's in pit, she's such a nice person! I like talking to her) and Kiona (she's also in pit and I love her craziness :) ) and a friend of Kiona. My first carved pumkin ever actually turned out pretty cute :) I like it. Kiona took it home because I walked home and I didn't want to carry a heavy pumkin all the way...
At home, we also carved pumpkins tonight. Every child did a pumpkin and Sheila and Doug helped. I love all the pumpkins :) Grayson did a bat pumpkin, Michaela did a witch pumpkin, Courtney did a skull design that I invented for her :P, I don't know what Jake ended up doing with his pumpkin and I did a pumpkin with many little symbols on it... gravestones, a witch on a broom, a cat, a ghost, a moon, a winter tree, a bat and the words "Happy Halloween". It looks so cool with a candle in it! I'll take pictures of all the pumpkins somewhen this week and put them online... my camera unfortunately was empty when I wanted to photograph the pumpkins.
Chemistry quiz tomorrow and a special band rehearsal in Oakland Valley or something like that... I should go to bed!
Happy Halloween!
Well, I can only say "What a week!" again I guess.
On that Sunday that I wrote the last entry, Sheila, Courtney and I went up to Rite Ate later that night to get Halloween costumes for Courtney and me. I got this supercool vampire costum :P (a black dress with a shiny, red neck-thing and a red belt and a red necklace-thingy) and black net tights, vampire make-up, vampire teeth, a black wig (looong and curly...), and a halloween set including a tattoo, bright red nailpolish and amazing red fake eyelashes... they're shiny! :)
Courtney's going to be a vampire, too, but her costume is rather black and pink/purple.
I don't think anything special happened on Monday... and if it did, I don't remember.
On Tuesday, I had band practise like usually. Again, it was really freezing.
Wednesday, we had practice again - yea, last week was really a band week. Wednesday's practice started an hour later though so we had some time to get our homework done.
On Thursday, I hung out with Rob after school. We went to Mc Donald's and did some Precalc stuff together, and he bought me a coffee :) Sheila picked me up when she came back from getting the kids and back home, I already had to get ready for band practice again. This night, I actually wasn't freezing - Rob had given me his awesome, comfy and warm Tony Hawk hoodie so that I'm not that cold during practice :) and it worked! I really smelled like a guy though because of his cologne :P
On Friday, we had a Pep Assembly for the Performing Arts section of our school in 3rd hour. Because the marching band performed during this assembly, we had to be at the band room in the beginning of 2nd hour. We set up our stuff in the gym, the choir and show choir warmed up, we warmed up and then the whole school entered the gym and got seated in the beginning of 3rd hour. I saw Rob - he shouted my name, waved and blew me kisses to get my attention ^^
Our performance went good. We performed standing because the gym is just too small for marching. Well, I don't march anyways so it didn't change anything for me.
After the assembly, things were a little crazy. Since I have A lunch which is after 3rd hour, I and the other A lunch people were dismissed immediately and didn't have to put the stuff back but I still had to get my purse out of the band room and that took me a while. So for us band people, there wasn't much time left for eating... but oh well, it was fun though.
After school, I hung out with Rob again. We went to McDonald's, I got my coffee again :) and we just talked. I walked home later... bad idea, I didn't realize the walk would be that long and at some points I thought I was lost. I made it though, and it wasn't too bad. I need to walk more, anyways... you really don't do that here too often. People couldn't live without their cars here.
Friday night, I went to the movies with Rob. We wanted to watch Saw 4 but since Rob isn't 17 yet, we couldn't get in and so we randomly picked a movie because we didn't know the other movies on the list. So we ended up watching "Dan in Real Life" - that movie's hilarious! I laughed so hard at some points.
Saturday was a full band day again. In the morning, around 9.10, Gary gave me a ride up to L'Anse Creuse North. I have no idea why we practised there but oh well. Gary said he had to go there anyways. He's often giving me rides home from band now. Actually, after all band practices. I like the music he listens to in his car. And he still reminds me so much of A.J.... but I don't think he's as musical as A.J.. He said he can't play the guitar. Well, would've been scary if he was an amazing guitar and piano player, too - I would've felt tricked by someone :D (A.J., come out of your disguise...)
Well, so we practised pretty much all day... fortunately, the pit practised inside first - it was rainy and windy and cold outside. Then we had lunch, and after that we all rehearsed together on the field. It was ridiculous for us synth people - we set the sound stuff up, played 1 or 2 songs, then it started raining again so we had to unplug and cover everything really fast until it stopped and we had to set up again...
After loading, we had dinner, got dressed and departed around 6pm I believe. Well, it was probably later. We had to go back to L'Anse Creuse first because people had forgotten things the day before... that took us some time and so when we arrived at Lakeland Highschool in Huron Valley, we didn't have too much time to unload and warm-up.
I think our show went really good. Of course, there're still mistakes we have to fix but I enjoyed it so much and was so calm and not scared at all this time. I did good, I'm almost satisfied with myself. After our performance, we had to go back to the truck really fast, load really fast and immediately get back to the field for the awards (we had been... I think the second last band to play).
Again, we got second place, and again, we were beaten by Waldlake Central. They're really good, I didn't see their show this time but I saw it on other competitions. They only beat us by a few points, so we're still really really good. And we got an amazing compliment from one of the judges - he said that we're one of the elite bands in the state of Michigan. That really makes me proud... I mean, that I'm actually involved in something huge and amazing like this!
When I got home, it was past 1 and I was so tired.
I didn't really sleep in on Sunday though because I wanted to go to church. I went there with Sheila and Michaela and later we went shopping, kind of spontaneously. Sheila wanted to go to the Flower Factory (kind of like the German Hornbach, but even bigger and you can get even more there... pretty much everything, I'd say) and she said we could look for some warmer clothes for me, too.
I found a lot at DEB again - I just love this store! -:
-grey sweatpants with 2 little strawberries on them (in the US, you HAVE to have sweatpants!)
-a cream-white, warm long-sleeve shirt with such a really cool, wide turtleneck that kind of falls down casually
-a dark grey, short-sleeved kind of knitted shirt with that same kind of turtleneck... it's really warm
-a darkgreenish, warm long-sleeve shirt
-a beige long-sleeve shirt in a 2-layers-look
-a brown, kinda striped long-sleeve shirt with two cute white buttons in the front
-2 tops to wear under things, one black and one beige
I'm happy now :) I love these clothes... and almost all of them were on sale, and additionally the whole store was "buy 1 get 1 half off", AND I still had the giftcard I got from Grandma Tina for my birthday.
Last night, I talked to Christian on the phone for more than an hour... we had to figure out some things but it's alright now :) I'm so happy that we understand each other that well and that we really seem to always think the same.
Today, I was INCREDIBLY tired at school. I slept almost all my 1st hour, I just couldn't help it. It was just review anyways. In my other classes, I found ways to keep me awake... in Precalc, I started writing random things around my notes just to have something to do while Mr Curtis was explaining. It ended up becoming a really weird and crazy notes paper :D It got like lyrics and little drawings all over it, and it says STAY AWAKE all over the paper...
After school, I stayed to do some pumkin carving with the German Club. It was fun, I was in a group with Jeannine (she's in pit, she's such a nice person! I like talking to her) and Kiona (she's also in pit and I love her craziness :) ) and a friend of Kiona. My first carved pumkin ever actually turned out pretty cute :) I like it. Kiona took it home because I walked home and I didn't want to carry a heavy pumkin all the way...
At home, we also carved pumpkins tonight. Every child did a pumpkin and Sheila and Doug helped. I love all the pumpkins :) Grayson did a bat pumpkin, Michaela did a witch pumpkin, Courtney did a skull design that I invented for her :P, I don't know what Jake ended up doing with his pumpkin and I did a pumpkin with many little symbols on it... gravestones, a witch on a broom, a cat, a ghost, a moon, a winter tree, a bat and the words "Happy Halloween". It looks so cool with a candle in it! I'll take pictures of all the pumpkins somewhen this week and put them online... my camera unfortunately was empty when I wanted to photograph the pumpkins.
Chemistry quiz tomorrow and a special band rehearsal in Oakland Valley or something like that... I should go to bed!
Happy Halloween!
10/21/2007
What a Weekend... How Often Do I Say That??
I was right, I AM tired today...
So, on Friday was the last varsity football game. I had to be at the school at 1 pm and then we practised until 4. It was reaaaally windy outside, it was even kind of scary sometimes. At 4, band kids from the middle school, L'Anse Creuse South which is directly next to L'Anse Creuse, came over because our marching band was supposed to teach them some pregame stuff. At 4.45, we were done with that, got dinner, and then we had to get ready for the game.
During the first half, when the pit warmed up in the parking lot but Tre, Hayden, Jared and I couldn't warm up because our instruments were already at the field, I watched the clock with the guys so we could tell the pit when they had to get to the field. That was kinda boring, and cold.
Our show went good and it was fun :) But it was also kind of sad because they introduced the Senior band members because it was their last football game in high school marching band and that made me think of the fact that it was actually MY last football game in band... that's frickin sad! It was only my 2nd one...
After we had put all our stuff back into the band room, we went to the concession stands and there I met Rob. He bought me a hot chocolate because I was so cold :) That was sooooo awesome, it probably saved my life ^^
When Sheila wanted to come pick me up when we were done, she hit Doug's truck in the driveway so she couldn't come. Fortunately, I found Gary and he gave me a ride home again.
Yesterday, we had two competitions. We had to be at the school for rehearsal at 8am and practised until 10. Then we loaded the trucks, ate, dressed and at 11, we left for the first competition in West Bloomfield. There, we only had a couple of minutes to warm-up, then we ran our show and had to load again immediately. After that, we left for Clarkston.
At Clarkston High School (a HUGE school!) we had a lot of time to practise. And we got some fruit from the band parents. Our perfomance was at 6pm, and after loading after that, we were finally allowed to go and get food at the concession stands and hang out with ppl. I hung out with Keith and Savanna again and again, it was just so much fun.
We had to be back in the stands for the last two bands because the second to last band was L'Anse Creuse North. At 10, the awards were announced. We got second place again, and we got second place in West Bloomfield as well.
I slept on the whole bus ride back to the school. Scott and his dad took me home and I was home past midnight. I was soooo tired.
Today we went to church, I did my chores and my homework.
Time to relax now :)
So, on Friday was the last varsity football game. I had to be at the school at 1 pm and then we practised until 4. It was reaaaally windy outside, it was even kind of scary sometimes. At 4, band kids from the middle school, L'Anse Creuse South which is directly next to L'Anse Creuse, came over because our marching band was supposed to teach them some pregame stuff. At 4.45, we were done with that, got dinner, and then we had to get ready for the game.
During the first half, when the pit warmed up in the parking lot but Tre, Hayden, Jared and I couldn't warm up because our instruments were already at the field, I watched the clock with the guys so we could tell the pit when they had to get to the field. That was kinda boring, and cold.
Our show went good and it was fun :) But it was also kind of sad because they introduced the Senior band members because it was their last football game in high school marching band and that made me think of the fact that it was actually MY last football game in band... that's frickin sad! It was only my 2nd one...
After we had put all our stuff back into the band room, we went to the concession stands and there I met Rob. He bought me a hot chocolate because I was so cold :) That was sooooo awesome, it probably saved my life ^^
When Sheila wanted to come pick me up when we were done, she hit Doug's truck in the driveway so she couldn't come. Fortunately, I found Gary and he gave me a ride home again.
Yesterday, we had two competitions. We had to be at the school for rehearsal at 8am and practised until 10. Then we loaded the trucks, ate, dressed and at 11, we left for the first competition in West Bloomfield. There, we only had a couple of minutes to warm-up, then we ran our show and had to load again immediately. After that, we left for Clarkston.
At Clarkston High School (a HUGE school!) we had a lot of time to practise. And we got some fruit from the band parents. Our perfomance was at 6pm, and after loading after that, we were finally allowed to go and get food at the concession stands and hang out with ppl. I hung out with Keith and Savanna again and again, it was just so much fun.
We had to be back in the stands for the last two bands because the second to last band was L'Anse Creuse North. At 10, the awards were announced. We got second place again, and we got second place in West Bloomfield as well.
I slept on the whole bus ride back to the school. Scott and his dad took me home and I was home past midnight. I was soooo tired.
Today we went to church, I did my chores and my homework.
Time to relax now :)
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