A Clandestine Plan for Survival...

Ah, the party was great! I did a lot of talking this time...not as much sports. Considering I haven't played any basketball very much at all, I didn't really feel like wearing myself out and getting all sweaty. But through all the fun, I realized I really needed an escape plan. Provided I didn't get any sleep I would be tired the next morning. I had drama practice to get through from like 11 in the mooring to 5 in the afternoon. I needed a plan to get me through the next day; so I came up with this...

First the necessities...

1. I really needed to get some caffeine at some point in time.
2. Can't have donuts in the morning, that doesn't help the rest of the day.
3. Milk works well
4. I need at least an hour of sleep
5. I need more then just caffeine, but some sugar later
6. I can't stop moving!
6. Caffeine takes while to take effect on me.
7. ...I knew there were more but I can't think of them yet...

Ok, so with that info I formed the strategy. I was given a Red Bull that night by a great person...(without him, it wouldn't have been possible) so the caffeine was taken care of. In the morning they would certainly have cereal so there is my milk, however I had to make sure not to have anything TOO sugary because that would defeat the whole purpose of not eating donuts...

So after the eating the cereal, I would lay kinda low so I would get tired. I needed every ounce of sleep on the way back from Indy to stay awake so I needed to make myself real tired. I also have a really hard time sleeping in the car, so I needed to make myself as sleepy as possible. Then right as soon as we were about to leave I would drink the red bull. Now this was the risky part. Caffeine, like I said, doesn't effect me very fast, so if I drank it before we left for Indy I could still get sleep in the van. Then I would be able to sleep all the way to Indy without a problem and even maybe sleep on the way to my house. Now once, I was at my house I would keep moving until drama practice. I was going to be there a long time, and I needed a way to keep the adrenaline stimulation. So I thought well, if I am going to be there over lunch time, someone is going out to Lunch. And lunch is ALWAYS a fast food restaurant, so I can easily get a frosty, or mcflurry or whatever. Then by the time the red bull caffeine effect wears out, I'll still have some sugar to carry me the rest of the way. And then when I get home and eat, I will then stop moving and fall right to sleep at 8 and sleep till 8 the next morning.

I tell you it was the most perfect plan ever!! And get this, IT WORKED!! I had cereal, laid low, drank the red bull, slept all the way to Lafayette real soundly too, I stayed active at home, went to drama, my suspicion was correct and we went to McDonald, had a mcflurry, stayed active till we got home (after eating at wendy's in the evening) and then got home, and went to sleep promptly at 8! I slept then all the way without disturbance till 8 this morning! It was right on! I need to do more of those...

Anger Management...

How do you vent your anger?

1. Yelling
2. Throwing things
3. Shutting yourself in your room
4. Making faces
5. Pushing people
6. Kicking

Whenever I get angry I immediately start to throw things. Be it, a math book, paper, pencil, eraser, light bulb...I am still, however, waiting for the day when I will chuck a fork in the wall...

Party Time!!

Yes, down in Indy, I am partying tonight! A bunch of teens from our church denomination are getting together in some oversized school building to go crazy for a night and coming back tomorrow morning. It'll be interesting to note my mental situation tomorrow at drama practice...Oh well, it'll be worth it! Some food, games, hanging out, group hysterics, you name it, it's gonna happen! Well, I hope the rest of you have a great friday night! I will...

Pacers!

Outta nowhere! Pacers weren't expected to do anything, but what do you know...Their leading the series with the nets 2 to 1! And they have officially stolen the home court advantage from the nets. O'Neal and AJ were on fire tonight!! Double double, both of 'em. The pacers are well on their way to a little fun in this tourney. Even with their dull start they are starting to pick things up a notch. This tourney is getting interesting...

For those of you who look at the above paragraph as if it was a different language...well, hang on, I'll post something else tomorrow...

A little driving fun at Purdue...

If you have ever driven at a large campus, you will know exactly what I am talking about! It's the type of place where random people decide that the cool thing of the moment is walking in front of your car which happens to be traveling at 30 mph. Or the place where on gameday Saturday morning, guys with big fuzzy hats and yellow and black faces think that biking in the middle of the road in traffic after a good plastering at the "where else bar" is so tight. You get the idea. In fact, on the way to bible study, I was driving (ha, yes, ME driving...) in the middle of campus and got stopped at a light. In front of me was a large beat up van. All of a sudden out of nowhere a guy with a skateboard comes running out in the middle of the road and chucks a skateboard in the passenger side window and hangs on the side of the van talking with the driver. When the light turned green, the van starts pulling out in the intersection with the guy hanging on the side. As the van gained speed the guy dives in the van through the window with his legs flying around in the air. It was so randomly hysterical I forgot to get moving myself! You get to see some priceless stuff at Purdue. I tell you, there are some pretty interesting privileges to living right on the edge of campus...or consequences...succeeds in making life interesting...

Yo

This is totally random, but you should watch my Big Fat Greek Wedding.
So long, from your ever watchful,
~Merlin~

Ok, if you start seeing posts like this on your blog, you know that either...

1. Your siblings have figured out your username and password
2. A computer geek has taken over blogger
3. MOAB has succeeded at ruining blogger
4. You've been around Josh Bright too much...
5. Your team members are going crazy...
6. Your computer has a strange virus
7. Or your in a blogging tournament and you really needed another post and you couldn't find out anything else to say

Actually my brother wrote the above statements, so the 1st choice is my case here...sort of. But considering a blogging tournament is in the works, expect anything...i actually enjoyed my big fat greek wedding. Anyone else? well talk to you all later...

More tournaments...

Ha! You think you had enough of the last tournament, well you’re wrong! I am right in the middle of another one. The first one just gave us seeds and numbers, so this tournament is by elimination, much like the road to the final four. Just, with a slightly smaller number of bloggers...not quite 64...I enjoy the tournaments though. They get you posting, and you have to find a way to post everyday to stay alive. It's not easy to find something really interesting to post about everyday. Apparently I just advanced to the elite 8! So we'll see how long that lasts...

This last weekend held quite the excitement for me. It started of course with the "day to remember" on Thursday. Then I found myself at a high ropes course on Friday at a campground west of Indy (twin lakes) that lasted from morning to late afternoon. Then I crashed CC's pizza with our youth group that night and went bowling to finish it all off. On Saturday I dragged myself to the church workday and thoroughly enjoyed myself, especially when I ended up at a friend’s house directly afterwards to have dinner. I had a cram packed full weekend with a lot of fun, however downsides to cram packed full weekends is that they tend to make Monday mornings a little more...tedious...oh well, so what was your weekend like?

A night to remember...(that just sounds way too overused...)

Ok, anyway, besides the overused title, tonight was a night to remember! We had our annual "share the fun" contest for 4-H. Our club sort of ruled the contest, with 12 acts. Only two were from another club. I participated in two events. I played my newest composition on the piano and I participated in a group skit about pirates. Both the skit and my piano piece won first so I am advancing to the regional competition. But some one else shocked everyone. I don't how many of you know Daniel Carr, but if you do, you would know that he is an amazing pianist, but also has a speech impairment. But tonight he proved something to everyone. He got up on stage, and gave a humorous interpretation speech. I know he has worked hard to conquer his speech problem and last tonight he did it...He won first place in the non musical act, and is advancing to the regionals! I have never seen anyone with the guts that he's got. I know how hard he was worked to speak well, and to carry on conversations with people. Now, he has finally won a competition giving a speech!! I know what this guy has gone through and I think it's the coolest thing that he finally proved to people that he can get up on stage and give a speech without stuttering!! Anyway, it was a glorious night having audience appreciation of my music and winning in a skit, but best of all, finally being able to see Daniel succeed in speech!

Purdue

I am getting a tour of Purdue tomorrow...(even though I know too much about it already!) but it kinda reminds me that my high school years are coming to a close, and the college roller coaster is about to begin. Even though I have another year to sort things out, I still feel that high school is ending too fast. In some ways I should because "technically" I am graduating a year early, but besides that, it does seem a bit too fast. Looking back, these four years of high school have been great. I have met a TON of new people, joined a bunch of groups, made a lot of new friends, played some sports, and much more. These past four years have been a wonderful time. Now, college looms in front of me...haha, well not really, it'll be much more enjoyable once I figure out what to do!

Enough of that...on Thursday I have a performance competition thing for 4-H. I am performing one of my new compositions, so that should be exciting! And I am in some crazy skit where I'll be playing music from the Pirates of the Caribbean. I really need to get that sound track! Well, I guess I better get practicing...Have great day!

Guys in the kitchen...

"Guys can't cook!" "Guys don't even need to know how to cook!"
I don't know who said those lines but I haven't heard anything more false about cooking! Really, guys need to know how to cook and guys CAN cook. I rather enjoy kicking the women out of the kitchen and making something up...and when your sister asks you to make her birthday dinner, you know at least the stuff you dream up is edible! What started me off with cooking is an old recipe for pancakes. My grandma first taught me how to make Norwegian pancakes. Norwegian pancakes are some of the best pancakes out there! Now these pancakes aren't your normal 6" across things, these are very flat, and cover the whole frying pan, so it takes some considerable practice to flip them without breaking! So, with much patience, endurance, mistakes, and victories...I succeeded in forming my first pancake, (this was when I was around like 9). Ever since that introduction to cooking, it's been downhill from there. I started to make different things such as dessert's, steaks and meat dishes, casseroles etc. My favorite kind of food is Italian, so I just got a really fancy Italian cookbook for Christmas (yeah, it came to that, getting cookbooks for Christmas!!). A friend of mine enjoys cooking as well, so recently we have started cooking more or less fancy Italian meals once in a while for our families. One time we made, Chunky Gourmet Lasagna, a side of mozzarella sticks and a Mint chocolate dessert. Wow, that was a good dinner! Now I don't even need a cookbook to make things or spice things up anymore. I feel comfortable in the kitchen...
Another thing which keeps me going are my experiences with restaurants. Whenever I go to restaurants I most always get slightly disappointed with the quality of the food, like it's always slightly artificial. Except for pizza of course! But everything else, it seems artificial somehow. But when I cook, it's all from scratch and homemade, so there's no artificial taste at all, and that's what really fueled my desire to make my own food. So guys really need to know how to cook. Talk about essential skills...So...who else cooks?

Real Chocolate!

Imagine a chocolate candy that melts in your mouth and tastes so good, you are living in another world when you eat it. It drags you away from reality and all you could see, smell, feel, is the chocolate...
Alright, so with that image in your head you can know get the idea of what I experienced when I bit into one of the chocolates my brother brought back from Germany. Adam waited till today to show them to us, and I can tell you right now, I haven't eaten real chocolate until today! That stuff was so good, it destroyed any other idea of what chocolate was like! I had a hazelnut chocolate egg, and I haven't tasted any dessert that was better!
However...there is a downside to authentic German chocolate, and that happens to be, that, everything is in German! So, it takes more then a quick glance to figure out what the flavors are, and what's in it. Some are more obvious then others such as, "Haselnuss-nougat" which is definitely Hazelnut. But others are little more...well, vague. Such as "Marc De Champagne". Well, since I am a little more adventurous in nature, I decided to try it. I figured it may be flavored with some sort of champagne type of spice or something but nothing really major or anything. So I ate the "Marc De Champagne egg". At first it tasted fine and I thought it was really good, but then all of a sudden a taste hit me and almost knocked me over. It was the most powerfully, shockingly strong taste ever! I nearly fell over, and it was the strangest taste I have ever tasted, chocolate and this...other stuff! After I had finished it I as talking to my dad about it and he noted that my breath smelled like alcohol...I though he was joking and so my mom comes in says, "Andrew! your breath smells like alcohol!!" So that seemed to explain the powerful strange taste. So I figured if I got drunk, well, it was off of chocolate! But really, imagine chocolate and alcohol! kinda weird...lol! So I have officially been introduced to Alcohol! With chocolate of all things! Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight...who knows?

If this isn't a busy day I don't know what is...

Wow, yesterday was so busy! It started with my sister dragging me out of bed at 6 in the morning to play monopoly ( I think the monopoly tournament did something to her...) and then right after that we took off to the home school co-op and I had classes for 3 hours or so. And then I had to practice some music with some people. Right after practicing, I went home to eat lunch and do some research on certain music for a graduation I am playing for. I barely squeezed in that before we left for my piano lessons. We rushed home directly only to find that some friends were waiting on our front door, and then I remembered that I was supposed to practice a skit that we were forming for a 4-H talent night thing. So I started practicing with them and more people started coming for this skit thing, until about 6 cars were parked by our house. It seriously looked like I was having a party!! And we almost were...so when they left I had to rush and get my stuff together for a session in 22' rifle at the range. So as soon as I got all that ready and grabbed some food off the counter my dad showed up and drove me to the range. I was kinda getting tired then...But I had a good shoot. I had the spinners going crazy, so it was a good night for me. When I finally got back home, it was 10 o'clock in the evening. Talk about a non-stop day!! I only have those like, once or twice a week...and that's plenty!

Juggling!!

Hey, does anyone here know how to juggle? I remember getting a juggling set with 3 balls and I worked on it for a long time when I was a little kid. And I kept reading all these books that said, "it's not as hard as it looks" and "if you keep practicing then you'll be able to impress your friends in no time!" and stuff like that. Well, after a LONG time of practicing, (I don't know, like 6 months or so) all I could do was juggle 2 balls, and that was it! Nothing real interesting...and I was really frustrated. I was like, "3 balls is IMPOSSIBLE!! and so I kinda put off the project of learning how to juggle for a couple years...ok how about 8 or so! A couple years ago I pulled out the juggling balls, and found out that it wasn't quite as hard to juggle 3 balls. I could keep them in the air for almost 5 seconds now!! I was thrilled. I thought I would be horrible, but absence from the sport kinda helped me I guess...anyway, I put them away and now...I can actually juggle!! After about 10 years or so, I can juggle!! I grabbed my juggling balls and found that I could juggle. Yes, it's as simple as that, wait 10 years and you'll be able to juggle! No really, I just pulled them out and after a couple tries I kept the balls up there for 30 seconds or so. I can do some tricks with them too. So, if you want to learn how to juggle...um, well, I don't really now how to help you, because, I don't know how I learned either!! maybe if you wait 10 years you'll be able to juggle, or maybe that's just me...

The finish line for the contest draws near...

The contest ends tonight at midnight, so if you were ever to comment, now is the time!! It has been an enjoyable journey. Never thought I could post so many days, you just run out of things to talk about after a while! Really, sometimes I would sit, staring at the computer screen for at least 30 minutes before I came up with anything really interesting to talk about. In fact I didn't even expect to make it to the top 10 let alone the top 2! And I couldn't have done it without all you commenters out there! Thanks a lot, it means more to me, not just because you have helped me to challenge some...leaders...but it gives me some contact with people I don't normally see, and it is much appreciated! I hope to match it with comments of my own. A big thanks to Nathan, he put a lot of work into it, and I think if it weren't for Nathan, there wouldn't be much of a blog contest! I really enjoyed it, and if you know Nathan, check out the contest sometime, it's well worth the effort! So how about a little feedback, if you were in the contest, what did you think? What about the comment system? I liked the idea of having points for comments, however, having posting points in there was vital. I even like the idea of having interesting post points. But that's for a future contest, but all in all, I enjoyed the contest a lot, and I hope all you other competitors had as much fun as I did...well, have a great night...

Some music...

Did anyone else really like the music from the Pirates of the Caribbean? I did, and actually, I am playing some of the music for a 4-H competition thing. I'm on the piano and a friend on a fife, it sounds really good, especially with some random people swordfighting in the background...but I really like the music from that movie, it's quite addicting...

I am still wrestling with the idea of music. I really want to do something with it, but I am not sure if pursuing it in college is smart. I love music, but whether I should make it my life or not...It's a tough question. If you love math...well, that's easy, some engineering major. Like to teach? Well, you go learn how to teach people. Like science? You go experimenting with any of the vast sciences at your door. But when your torn between music, the arts, and science and math...well, it gets crazy!! But I know one thing, music will be a big part of my life no matter what I do...

A little roofing...

A friend of mine got a roofing job a couple weeks ago, and he hired me to help him out. I really needed some breaks from school anyway, and a little roofing never hurt anybody, so I decided to take up the challenge and do a little roofing. It's quite interesting...once you have found out that, even though the boards creak like a hundred year old rocking chair, you aren't falling through! Sometimes you wonder though...but all in all, it's a good way to get your mind off of something. Besides I enjoy some manual labor. Who wouldn't after spending you time since Christmas sitting behind a desk and flipping pages and twirling your fingers! Anyway, back to buisiness; roofing is divided into a couple steps,

1. Tearing off the old shingles
2. Laying tar paper
3. Attaching the drip edge
4. Laying shingles.

It's that easy...seriously, you can now go re-roof your house! Well, I suppose you might need a little experience...but you can get the hang of it easy enough. Anybody done any roofing? It's pretty fun, you get to have some excuses to making loud noises in the middle of the day, which is always fun. And, it's some practical knowledge...you could save some hoards of money! Well, the next best thing is sleep, (where have I heard that?) so maybe I should consider that more carefully...

Champion!!!

Florida is your national champion!! wow, I didn't expect that one...I was hoping for a big ten team! Well, that shattered pretty fast! Then it was the Zags! Well, that didn't last. Then George Mason! But...well, they didn't quite make it. Finally, it came to UCLA. But...they didn't pull it out either. In fact, they almost got blown out! Actually, to be completely honest, the DID get blown out!! Who would've thought, Florida and UCLA. But then again, that's the beauty of the NCAA collegiate showdown. Anything goes. So did ANYONE have a team in the final four? I know I didn't. All my predictions floated away at the sweet 16. I want to know if anyone actually predicted a couple teams. As I said earlier, if there was a year for upsets, this would be the year. And what do you know, a totally unpredictable final four and even more championship. With a Cinderella team of a rank almost unheard of!! What a way to end a basketball season! A very enjoyable men's basketball tournament and an NBA tournament getting ready to start turning heads. But, that...is for a different post...

Thunderstorms!!

Ahh, I LOVE thunderstorms!!! Hearing the thunder and everything, and the wind and rain, you sense a feeling of power, and you realize that it's all God's doing...but anyway, my dad and my sister were coming home yesterday from Indy and a storm with unmatched fury descended on the highway. You know, where the windshield wipers are on super fast and you still can't see a thing, and your going like 2 miles an hour...just like that!! That's when it gets most interesting. Living in Indiana has been good, because with weather like this, if you predict thunderstorms, you get them, and if you don't predict them...well...you get them anyway!! We lost half of our tree once in a thunderstorm...not just any tree but an ash tree that you can't get your arms around...it almost landed on our neighbors car...which...would have complicated things...but thankfully it wasn't long enough! The rest of the tree is leaning real awkward right now...if it were to come down, it would go through my window and take out my bed...which is a most comforting thought when it's windy and I am trying to go to sleep!! But it hasn't split......yet....
Anyone had any battles with thunderstorms? Did you win? I normally lose...but well, maybe that's just me...

MONOPOLY!!!

Wow, a whole morning of monopoly!! We had 7 tables with 6 contestants each! A LOT of serious monopoly games for a grand prize of 100$ at Dick's Sporting goods! 100 dollars! That's as much as the radio stations advertise for their game shows!! And our tournament is a 100 times easier to win!! I didn't advance to the final round, but, I did good enough to get a new monopoly board! A woppin 3230 dollars! The final rounds were brutal though. The guy who got the most money in the first round (12,000$) got massacred in the final round. There was no mercy! And since all the big powerhouses (well sort of) got one table, the winner was quite unexpected. But all in all, it was a lot of fun. Monopoly tournaments aren't as bad as you would think...

George Mason and Florida!!! Florida is winning right now, but look out, George Mason, isn't going out of this one without a battle...I am rooting with George Mason along with 90% of all Americans watching this one. I mean, unless your a die hard Florida fan, you're rooting for George Mason!! This is what the NCAA is all about! Rooting for the Cinderella team when your team fails! Well, I am going back to the game...enjoy the tourney...(well, for those who follow it!!)