Today we went to Six Flags, but not for very long. :/ The Batwing shut down just before we got on it, and then after that it rained - and then after that, Katie and Mom declaired they were already exhausted, so we left. Still, it was a pretty good theme park experience at $5 a pop...
Rides-wise, I got to go on the Joker coaster and Superman. Superman was quite good - long enough to make up for its lack of uniqueness - quite good, in general. The Joker coaster was bizzare - it was kind of like a really big knot of a coaster, very loopy but pretty fun. The free food was more questionable... the burgers looked like... um... I'm not sure... although the chicken tenders were alright. I don't think this park has really caught up with Busch Gardens or even King's Dominion in terms of cleanliness (despite every trashcan and employee being adorned with 'please throw away your trash - our family comes here, too') and there were flies, wasps, and flies that look like wasps all over the park, especially in the food area. By the end of the day, I found out where the free ice cream was, so I risked one. Um... it was a really short day. We got up at 8, but we were back home by 4. After I got home me, katie, and dad split a can of anchovies over crackers with swiss - which is like, the best threesome ever, btw - and then I became an idiot and decided to risk even MORE dairy and had some fudge we got from the park.
And then I got sick. Because I am an idiot.
Of course, I recovered by NOW... *coughcough*
I haven't done any of my GEMS interviews... I didn't get to... I didn't even bring it to the park... >: I should have. But bah humbug. I can suffer a single zero in GEMS, for goodness sake.
Although math maybe not so much. I forgot about - I should do that now, probably.
Um...

I bought, like, more yarn yesterday. Crocheting is like... a serious expense. But I think I've hit the mark where I have so much yarn that if I have any temptation to buy anymore, I will be reminded of the fact that I have enough at home to make a Cruella Deville looking coat... or something. D: I have plenty of yarn, is my point. In many colors, textures, and varieties. And I am very happy with my latest buys. For reallies.  That's it. That's it! D8!!!

P.S. The newly released Luna pics were awesome, so I mades me an icon.
 

Today had its good points and its bad points.
English was fine, but felt relatively unproductive as usual.
Physics was alright, as I'm sure it never goes below that with Pennline... but it wasn't any different than usual.
CoGo was okay... I found out there was a homework assignment I'm not even totally sure I actually even got, but I don't know if I got counted off for it or not.
Latin was alright, too. I feel like I managed to be fairly productive considering Gus, The Permanantly-Paid Jukebox. I'd say, "human", but if I've ever met a space alien before it really, really has to be this guy.
Nippon Club was alright. It was 'male dominant,' which was totally weird. (Only three girls there - way odd!) We did skits that were very silly but very fun.

I checked out the photo stuff, but after talking with my mom I guess I have to stay after school tomorrow. :/ I asked about whether I was allowed to wear the tux instead of the drape for my photo... to be allowed to you have to get a letter from a parent, the principal, and the head of the yearbook committee for it to be allowed. Of course, you can figure which one of those letters is the unattainable one. Right. My mom.
Of course my dad probably would, except my mom wouldn't let me and she's in charge.
Ughh. Of course, you guys know the thing that bothers me isn't the fact that I have to get this photo wearing the drape so much as my mother's strong devotion to typical gender roles versus my adamant belief in androgyny/gender equality. :/ I mean... Ugh! I wish it wasn't an issue at all. Something as simple as what you wear in a senior photograph is a rediculous thing for people to fume over so greatly. And you know the reason why they have to have a procedure is because people have a big freak out over stupid things like that? Really.
But... "The world isn't beautiful, therefore it is."
Michael got to come over to my house to hang out. Which was awesome. After a little bit of lolling over the Pheonix Wright game he was playing we decided to pull out The Orange Box and Go at the same time. He basically did a teaching game with me (which I lost) while playing Team Fortress 2. At some points we would mess with the others by playing silly music instead of talking through the microphone. The best responses were when I played Kelly's "Let me borrow that top" and the guy on the other side was like, "OH GOD. Please. Don't play this song. D:<", and when I put on Lemon Demon's "The Ultimate Showdown" and (different guy) tried singing along, pathetically out of beat (he was like 4 seconds behind). I made lasagna that was actually pretty good.
But the best part was when my dad came downstairs. Interrupted us. And asked Michael if he would help him with his math homework. XDDD Yeah, of the two, I'm totally more like my dad. XDDD (Funny we even have the same go-to for the same problem XD)
But yeahh. Overall, mostly good... besides my mother's momliness, as usual.

...really good! Or at least it has been so far!
English was good. I got the introduction to my essay typed up. It took a while for me to start but once I did I felt like what I typed was strong, which was good.
Earth Science was... well 'fun', but we really didn't do much. I was just kind of dreamy and spaced. As we left Mr. Conrad complimented me on my hat XD So I guess, really, wearing a fancy hat IS allowed at school, so long as you aren't wearing it on your head.
Math was... well, totally drudgerous as usual but I got through it. :/ Twas mkay.

Theenn... GEMS. Hahaha, another big GEMS class! I don't know why; there's something about this that just gets me pumped! I guess when I have seminar more often I have more hits more often.

Today was college essays. The first guy didn't even write his, and I was second, so I had to present mine first.
Mine was to the prompt, "In 150-300 words, tell us what inspires you." So... I wrote a poem. It was totally embarrassing to read. But when the others critiqued it - they all thought it was really good! Even Mr. Rischard said, "That was really good. And I mean, it's rare for me to say that. I mean, it's really rare that I say that." And so I was all happy. 8D Any fathom of embarassment and unconfidence in myself left me entirely, and I was in a frabjous mood the rest of seminar. All of the input, and the interpretations I got from it were really good - so, I don't think I'll touch it. I think I'll actually send this one in with my application. I don't want my parents to read it though. They make all my bliss miserable, even when they're happy - because they go embarrassing as hell and s***. But anyway...

Then, the next one was... Matt, I think. His prompt was something like, "If you met a literary figure...". The opening was really strong, with the story of this guy, and then the second part was all tell and little show and it was kind of weak. A lot of us gave in input, and I tried to give advice as to what he should do rather than tell him 'what he's doing wrong'. (You guys know I don't like doing that! I don't believe in that!) I gave him the recommendation if the second part was more show than tell again, maybe he could write in the form of a memoir or a journal. "You're having a good day today, huh?" Mr. Rischard asked me. I nodded quietly. "It's the fancy hat." Fancy hats help.And then Mr. Rischard gave it to him really straight - he was totally frank. He was really frank to all of us. But I felt good the whole time that... Mine was good. I was me in the first draft. I needed no revision. That's great. I don't like to revise me. To change me, sure, but revise, no way! I'm trying to think of how I'll present my essay - maybe I'll put it in a cool font and decorate the border. I am applying to art college, after all.

After Matt was... who??? I want to say Sandra, but maybe I'm skipping someone? Maybe not! Or... Mr. Rischard was talking about debt. He said, "Everyone has the college that's the best for them. But, I think, and this is just me, that if you can go to the college best for you but you'll be in debt - don't go. Find somewhere else. To be in debt is to be enslaved."
But, I think, and I thought this there, too, that I don't agree with him there. That's not... no, I don't believe in that. Debt is like a wall. Most people freak out, they worry, as this wall grows quietly beside them, but at first it's not too bad - it might trip you up a little, but it's okay. Then one day it's grown so tall and so long, you can't go around it - you're trapped, I think. This is what happens to most people.
But, I don't think this should be a problem for me, even if I'm drowning in debt someday, even if this wall becomes a monolith - and I'll tell you why. Because. I'm not going to flounder around behind this wall. I'm not going to be scared, behind it, trying to climb over it or run along the side trying to find the end. Knowing myself... I wouldn't mind the wall so much. New room. I should mount things on it. We need shelves. Shouldn't I paint it? Murals are nice. Outside I like the look of graffiti on concrete monoliths just like this one, so why not a little bit of that? Maybe, some pictures on it. The shelves should be full of books and pens and brushes. What about paint? Gotta keep it somewhere. Maybe some good potted plants. Maybe straight in the ground. Let the ivy climb the wall...
And maybe someday I'll realise I need a book at the top of this monolith, I'll climb up and up the ladder, til I find it, near the top, but then, you'll see, maybe, these old stones on the top... all this weathering down, out in the weather... grab a thick volume... it isn't hard to knock them down... one by one... bit by bit... slowly.

But then, yes, Sandra. Sandra wrote hers on... Who's his name? And The Little Prince. It was a strange essay, and Taylor said, "It was like looking at it all through wax paper." Her point changed so drastically. She reads the book, she gives it up, and then, she goes back, only to decide she doesn't need it. I got distracted near the end - she mentioned the sky - and I, I had mentioned the sky before - so I looked out the window. I got a little stuck in the sky for a little bit, there. But it was a strong basis, and I know Sandra - I think well enough, at least, that I know she'll do well, she'll come back, have revised it, and it'll be really strong. I think I said something... Sandra nodded... "You're really having a good day today, huh?" Mr. Richard asked me. I nodded. "It's the fancy hat."

Then finally was Phillip. Phillip the cellist, Phillip. His essay was - so - textbook. So not "Phillipine" as Mr. Rischard said. It was really not. And so the lot of us, I thinked, tried to explain to him how his passion sounded - how he sounded to us - how Phillip was and how he should right it. Phillip said that he wanted to, "eat, sleep, and breathe cello" and Taylor said it sounded cliche. I said, "If that's what you're going to do, then do it! For real." "You have an aura when you've got your cello." Lawr said, and I heartly agreed. "It's like...  I don't know... sort of like a good apple ipod commercial... you're just surround with colors that are sound." I mean, we're not friends, but I think you'd have to be blind, and, more importantly deaf to not understand that Phillip is not just passionate about the cello, he is a cellist, and he might as well be married to the instrument. The guy really loves his craft.
I think I tried to explain how he could imager..ify... his... um, essay thing. How to describe the immersion. "I think I was talking about my wanting to be immersed in art college and Michael said he could imagine me jumping into a pool of green paint." And everyone was like, "Michael -----" and I'm like, "Yeah, that one - you're surround it by it. Swimming in it. Immersed for real."
"You really are having a good day today, huh, aren't you?" Mr. Richard said to me a final time. "It's the fancy hat." I said, gesturing to the thing on my back. "I'm telling you."

So today was a very good GEMS. And a bit of an ego boost. The whole day was an ego boost... but then, I was wearing an outfit that was 'me'... so I felt good to begin with... and people only said good things of it to me, so... Yeah...

Then I got home. Turns out both my mom and Eliza are sick, now, so they were both home. It's a good thing I listened to L'Arc on the bus - I really wanted to listen to L'Arc after that one. The rest of my day might not be so great, but, mehh. School was good. Frabjous.