h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Poetic Gryphon is dying inwardly. She is going into withdrawl because her friends don't pay attention to her, her teachers tease her, and people she doesn't even know talk about her behind her back. She wants to move to alaska.

And something not helping any of this is the problem of her identity. Who am I, she asks herself, and what was I put here to do? She doesn't know who she is, where she wants to go, what she wants to do. And she cannot find herself. How poetic.

I was smart at my old school. Equal to Max the Genius. Then, when I moved up to this junior high, all of that changed. I AM as smart as him, but nobody thinks that. It's true, but nobody will listen. Maybe I should just shut up, sit down, and stop being smart. Is it worth it? I need a friend, a friend who will listen to me, who has time for me, who will help me get through this.

But nobody cares anymore.

Hey, I've spent some time around Max. He may be good at the staples (math and science, mainly), but he doesn't seem that bright otherwise. Might be wrong there. Speaking as a second person, I think that Mrs. might be getting to you. I don't think your reputation is suffering much, and I haven't really noticed any backstabbing--unless "Wow, Grace Fisher goes through, like, a book a day! How the..." counts. Maybe, just maybe, the "Bookworm" aspect might be pushing you slightly into the same or similar category as Mr. Yu, but that's purely guesswork, as I prefer to judge the books by the covers--"Generic" sci-fi vs. complex fantasy and G.M.? No contest! . I think that you're in there And besides, don't forget there are more people--hence, more competition that's harder for people to track. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it--hey, I'm fairly smart (if a little spacey/silly/deranged/O.O.C.), and I haven't gotten any more than generic (jealous, I hope--they tend to be from people that I don't really like--not that there's any shortage of those, mind you!) smart-person/grade "comments". And that's not from random people, either.

No, don't worry about it. Just your imagination. To check, though, talk to a few people at random (I think it might work best on guys--not sure) and you'll see. If they act just a little cold and aloof, that's a good sign. Keep talking, and listening (I forget that one sometimes ), and try to warm up to them. Sooner or later, you'll get the obligatory "Hey, aren't your grades, like, straight A's?". Then, rant about Chapter 11, Ms. Duff and Mrs Steele. Bask in the light.

Peace out!

S./P.

P.S.:As for friends:
--Bridget pays attention to you
--Adrienne pays attention to you (that evil-big-sister act is really just concealing a big-sisterly soul and, well, an evil heart--the overall impression is just the common denominator)
--I pay attention to you (not an easy effect to accomplish, either. Heck, I even respond to your postings on time, and don't talk to me about the acute learning curve which you appear to have bypassed there)
--Your teachers adore you (Who are you kidding?? Duh!)
--Practically everyone on h2g2 will have plenty of time to chat and listen if you drop 'em a line--heck, just find a username that appears to be always active using the "who's online" tab and look for someone with a big-sister personality based on their nickname & Personal Space intro and post to a new conversation on their page--people will be ready with the kleenex, hot , and ((()))s in no time! We're a community of caring here (the question is, caring what?).

P.P.S.: Don't, repeat, don't aCt (replacement for uppercase is alternating caps and lowercase--House Rules/RuLeZ!) smart. Then thou shalt be dealt a new hand, and wisdom shalt fall upon thee, and thou shalt no longer play with a full deck.

P.P.P.S.: I'm serious about finding help on h2g2. It's a wonderful thing to find out that people who don't even know you care about your mental health, and THaT is one of my favorite things about bulletin boards. Good Samaritans all!

P.P.P.P.S.: Chill out! Don't worry about it--Summer is upon us. Nothing heals like Summer, and you can start over in the Fall, if you want. Relax, and enjoy the last week, if possible. Tennis, too, can heal the wounds of the soul. Nothing like hitting a pompous coach in the s with an overhead traveling at about the speed of the legendary penny flipped over the side of the Empire State Building and the power of a (soon-to-be-extinct) locomotive, a skill which I pride myself upon (actually, my record is two, but by then they had figured me out and found an excuse to rotate me into Lindsay's group. It looks like they forgot, though. Frankly, I can't wait to start practicing again).

P.P.P.P.P.S.: All you need is MIDI files...whomp-whomp-whompwhompwhomp... Maybe the Beatles didn't sing it, but I'm singing it now! MIDIs are a great way to relax and, when added to a scorewriting application, can completely substitute for a social life! Trust me! Google "NoteWorthy Composer" first--it's a basic MIDI-compatible scorewriting program, a little frustrating, but well worthwhile. Then Google "aka.mid", or, failing that, 'aka midi'. Download the file called aka ("Save Target As..."), look around the page (whatever it is--you may want to try a few different Google results. Note that "aka driver" is a They Might Be Giants song--one that I happen to like a lot, and anyone that enjoys TMBG is all right by me) for anything that catches your eye, then try Googling the song you want, perhaps like this: " midi OR .mid download".

Whoops, there's dad, see ya!

Well, I'm feeling better, (if slightly defensive, but hey, I always am) thanks to you. The problem is, Bridget isn't really talking to me. Her conversations include a couple phrases, "yes," "no," and "do you have money/food?." I can't understand it. We used to be best friends, but now we're drifting. It's painful when you've known someone for even just 3 years and relied on them as your only close friend, and then they sort of turn cold.

Also, according to Ali the Crazy and Slightly Demented (don't tell her I called her that--but then, you probably don't talk to her at all,) people do talk about me behind my back. Usually I don't really care, but I was feeling depressed at the moment.

Michael Yu is an idiot. Whenever you show up with a book, he just HAS to see what it's about. He kept reading the web pages I was on over my shoulder at the school library during lunch. And, despite the 'book a day' thing, I am not aspiring to be like him. (Who would want to be known as 'the kid who sticks his/her hand down his/her pants while they read?')

Yeah, I guess Adrienne is my friend, despite the thousands of times she has called me names. But I'm just not that close to her. The evil sister thing isn't exactly endearing, so I think it's a good thing that she has another slightly less prickly side. And hey, it is nice having someone who will give you emotional support when you feel like punching someone, because she often has reasons to feel the same way.

The only reason people think Max is smart is that he gets good scores on Sci and Math tests and homework, uses big words, and acts slightly...umm, hard to find a word for it that isn't too mean. Yes, I may have been slightly shrewd about him right here, but oh well.


And yes, I may have sort of...bypassed you in my thoughts sometimes. I apologize. A lot. Even on your page I apologized. I'm sorry. I was just feeling mad and sad and...you get the idea. And I'm sorry if I was a little...erm... pitying? braggy? whatever. I can't find a word for it. (I'm having problems with that at the moment.)

I like cold weather.

And that was not totally random considering that it is 90-something outside. And hey, it's true.

urghhh. I used to like school. I guess this year I sort of spaced out or something. This school changed me somehow. (I think.) Maybe that's why I love visiting good ol' Forest Hills once in awhile.

As you said, summer heals. I hope for most of our Algebra classes' sake that the Geometry course is easy. (Maybe the book will actually not mess up every third answer--that would be cool.) The problem with me and summer is that I don't like hot weather, and right in the middle of it I start missing school. (Am I weird or what?)

I got a great Pachelbel CD from the public library. It actually doesn't have the famed Pachelbel Canon on it, so I got to listen to some of his other great works, which are really good.


I have to give you credit for responding on time. I'm glad you do, now that I've figured it out. (sorry about that.)

And, I think I'll change my nickname to something happier.

Today looks like a better day.

It's probably worth wondering whether or not Bridget even KnOwS that you feel like that. She might just be depressed. She looks it, frankly. Keep an eye on her. She could just use a little space. Maybe the whole thing will just blow over and you'll be best friends again. Maybe Greenpeace will take over the world, raise Hell and get it over with, and cause everything to be much quieter, if a little warm in the winter months (unless what they say is true and it really did freeze over). Maybe I want a decibel counter (_Muse_ again--Dr. Decibel is !). Anyway, don't jump to conclusions and I'll watch her during the few days that are left. Who knows? Hey, I have to tolerate Matt being the weirdo that he always is (Geeky? Yes. Antisocial? Yes. Vaguely pleasant? No. Don't tell him I sad that, plz.).

(No, I don't.) And, again, I think it might be jealousy regarding reading speeds, predominantly.

Yes, he is.

Yeah, she does have a lot of those, doesn't she? Still, she seems to get along with people okay.

Right on the money. People try to stay on his good side, just in case they need him for study-buddy-type stuff.

Apology rejected, on the basis that you aren't really apologizing for anything that I had noticed previously. Just forget about it !

So do I.

Yes, it is. I'm sitting in it.

Now here I have to dissent. Coming from Hallinan, and, if not having been saved from the Waluga riptides, a Walugan, I can tell you that YoU aRe LuCkY! Waluga is pure whitewashed Hell. Don't make me talk about it--I have a friend there. If you ever see a "Jenny Love", say hi from me.

Hey--I can play a very simple pachelbel's canon on piano (but then again, who can't?)

Thank you.

Good for you.

I agree.

Raising Hell since I fell off the legendary Turnip Truck nine months ago...Semiquaver

Well, I sort of figured out my problems with Bridget. It's good that we're friendly again, because she is the only friend I have who lives remotely near me.

Don't worry about me talking to Matt-I dont. I can't say he's my favorite person either.

My 4.0 is down the drain. But then again, so is yours. I feel really sorry. But if you get A's in everything else, you'll probably end up with a 3.5 at least.

100 degrees today. Record high for July 6. The paper only predicted 96, and the weather map of the US said "nice" in the Oregon area.

The public library has tons and tons of classical CDs, you should check it out.

I saw a very good 'Calvin and Hobbes' comic that went with my "Idiodicy" journal. Calvin is talking about how he's a child progeny, and he says 'people think it's fun to be a genius, but they don't know how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.' Relevant, no?

My 4.0 isn't, and hasn't been for a while. This is j.p. humiliating the grades I'm getting. Oh well--summer's the important thing, after all!

Mat just let me copy my student folder onto his 128mb memory stick--I have no problems with him anymore, needless to say.

Ok, I will. As soon as I go to the library....
Need to get out of the house....

Calvin & Hobbes. VeRy relevant in most cases. A fount of wisdom, as I am discovering more and more.

Two more hours of school--can you make it? It seems like the of school will never evaporate, and then, suddenly....

BTW, I had to tell my (sort of) evil cello teacher that I'm trying violin over the summer today. She took it better than I thought. That's that over with, anyway.



P/S

Speaking of math, my dad heard about my B and decided to get me 'Middle and High school Math' computer game. FUNFUNFUN...NOT. I just hope I get into geometry. I cannot imagine reapeating algebra-that would be cruel and unusual punishment.

Must bug mom to run down to blockbuster and get more Monty Python. Perhaps not a fount of wisdom, but they're good for a laugh.

Glad that your teacher took it so well. My piano teacher is heartbroken whenever a student quits, and I want to spare her 60+ yr old heart from that.

Peace out, rock on, blahblahblah, bye.
(those are the last words of Ali for every conversation. I've been around her too long.)

That's not very nice of them at all. In fact, that's downright insulting, and you should be outraged. Probably are, too--if so, taking a good yell at the nearest parental unit should be a therapeutic (if not particularly bright) way to relieve your feelings. I'll vouch for the incompetence of the notable Duff if need be. I'm in the same boat, so being outraged on your behalf would be very easy. Except that I forgot (no quotation marks around "forgot", actually!) my math grade, so I have longer to wait for the wrath. At least it's a game, and not a six-week study course or something like that.... Ick....

Thanks for your support RE violin. I have been listening to near-equal amounts of cello and violin , as supported by the Public Library and your brilliant mind (see below).

And now for something completely different...the shadow of school has evaporated in the summer sun. There is one word, one word only, to describe how I feel: Finally! Summer is here!!!

Your suggestion RE the LO library and their classical CDs was spot on--I think I managed to put a serious dent in their collection, despite its volume. Wow-eee is that a lot of Mozart! Besides the traditional checking out of the h2g2 (the Douglas Adams book, not this site) audiobook (plus a new recording of The Salmon of Doubt, his final, posthumous work, and the second audiobook out of the five-book Hitch-hiker's trilogy--yes, you read that right), I grabbed, in summary (you may want to get a pillow and sleeping bag before reading):
--Joshua Bell does Gershwin (violin meets Gershwin--best of both worlds)
--A CD from Midori's fantastic "Encore!" series, with works by Kreistler, Paganini, Sarasate, Shostakovich, Dvorak, Elgar----Bartok, and more...
--Ravel grab bag, including Bolero (which I've been trying to find for free as an mp3 online for weeks)
--Elgar--String Quartet in E minor, Piano Quintet in A minor (what's Elgar's obsession with minor keys, by the way? Must be Norweigan)
--Pictures
--Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor (op. 64), which I have been trying to get free for weeks, too
--Men are from GM, Women are from Ford, Car Talk calls about couples and cars, and, finally,
--The Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Executive Version!), the liner notes of which contains the unforgettable press quote, "I laughed until I stopped," attributed to Rauf Denktash.

TAotSotTotFoMPatHG (!) also has an ingredients list (for the original record version):
Plastic, benzine, Terry Jones, untreated poly-saturates, Eric Idle, varnish, artificial colouring, Graham Chapman, vinyl, poly-vinyl, Terry Gilliam, dextro-hypernozane, oil derivates, hole, John Cleese, cardboard, one joke, list of ingredients, Michael Palin, wine, beer, gin and tonic.

It also contains Douglas Adams, John Young, Bee Duffell, and Connie Booth.

Good stuff, that.

Also got the Canterbury Tales and a first for me-- an Eric Flint novel. His light, humorous voice gives a unique edge to the more serious fantasy fare that is his basic plot. In short, great summer reading.

Our family is packing up and moving out for a wedding a week from now . Worst...timing...ever.... Still, must look on the bright side. Oh, wait...Mom's trying to ensure that there isn't one...oh well.

Except for that little down note, I'm doing ok. You?

Enjoying newfound summer freedom...
P./S.

the thing with the math cd has been forgotten by my parents--luckily for me. However, when I got bored to death and had run out of my limited 'computer time' I had to play my little brothers "Cluefinders: 3rd grade adventures" for him. My parents are constantly worrying over the fact that my report card has not arrived yet (OH MY GOODNESS WHAT IS WRONG UP AT THAT SCHOOL IS THERE SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT TELLING US GRACE etc, etc.) By the way, my math game isn't a game. The computer just lectures you.

Speaking of dents in the collection, I must have 25 or 30 books and 20 or so CDs out. I'm trying to read too much, because it makes me feel smarter.

Just went to Barnes&Noble and spent an hour there. Coincidence, is it not, that I bought all five books of the Hitch-hikers trilogy? I've only gotten to page 8, and I love it already. Who knew that science fiction could be this hilarious?

The car talk cd sounds funny...I really like that radio show.

real fun, weddings...not. (unless you are a little 4 yr old girl and get to be a bridesmaid at your aunts wedding, which seems like the most fun in the world.) But I'm not 4 anymore.

Have you heard of the monty python song, "Always look on the bright side of life?" Heres one of the verses:


"For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow."

and another:

"Life's a piece of
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you."

wise words from an unwise crowd...or at least a rather ridiculous one.

Just got an excellent Dvorak cd. He did some really beautiful music.

Summer isn't so bad, though I am still having problems figuring out what to do with it. However, there is one distinct advantage: I am not coming home and doing hours of mindless stuff.

I have joined one of the weirdest bands in existence. We play anything and everything, and our ensemble of instruments includes

-piano (3 of 4 play it well)
-guitar (1 of 4 play at all)
-vocals (2 1/2 out of 4)
-harp (1 out of 4)
-flute (1 out of 4)
-clarinet (1 out of 4)
and finally...
Percussion (1 of 4, guess who it is)

It's me, Bridget, Sylvia, and Hannah Johnson. The nice thing is that they all like classical music, so we play a lot of it, even stuff that Hannah and I compose. (she does melody, I help her with chords.)
It may seem like another group of people forming some dumb garage band, but it's more than that...I don't know what else to say. Anyway, I must go, considering my computer time is running dangerously low. (1 hr 30 mins a weekend day, no comp or tv friday, and 1 hr on wkdays. Stupid system for summer, don't you think?)

Have a good one! (one what? oh well...I always have been bad at closing posts/letters...)

Forgot? I'm so happy for you!

I need to read some more. I really do. I'm going to that elder cousin's wedding (duration 1 week) starting tomorrow--I should be able to get a little reading done.

ThANK YoU! I've been trying to get "off-liners" to read H2G2 for what seems like centuries...and yes, they are wonderful, aren't they? There's an excerpt by Douglas Adams (from Last Chance to See, a personal favorite) about kakapos in Muse...people requested an article about his life and death and they (the editors, that is) said that that was the closest thing that loyal fans would get. I love LC2S, but I think I'm going to complain anyway... Look for (besides The Salmon of Doubt, his posthumous unfinished novel, published with articles taken from the nested subfolders of his hard drive...he may be a wonderful person, but he's a stinkin' Mc user!) "The Meaning of Liff" & "The Deeper Meaning of Liff" (both with John Lloyd, I think). It's impossible to find, but working together...

Oh, and one more thing: Don't diss Sci-Fi! Yes, 98% is crap, but the remaining 2% is wonderful. Keep an open mind--star wars, men in black...

By the way, H2G2 has been realized as:
-A radio series on BBC (the original version, still marvelous and still at the Library, though often checked out)
-A tv miniseries (not the best version, but still worth looking for)
-Numerous audiobooks (...)
-A computer game (this was a groundbreaking game. If you only choose one text adventure to get lost in, this is It. Find it for free, and download without hesitation. Then, try asking the game anything you can think of. This ranks with the books and radio series, BTW.)
-A bath towel (no !)
-h2g2.com (self-exp.)
-A movie (the rights are sold, work has started, and the main creative director, DNA himself, is dead--it's not done, needless to say )

Hmm...did I miss anything?

Have you tried Terry Pratchett, by the way? I can lend you any of the 25+ novels in the Discworld series. It's hilarious fantasy, combined with the best characters in fiction and a good dollop of philosophy thrown in...guaranteed to broaden your horizons whether you're a Harvard grad or a ten-year-old. Plus, he writes about two books a year, so you've always got new material, and Death is a featured character, to some degree, in EvERY BoOK . It's awesome stuff.


The complete lyrics to "That's Death", from the game "Discworld 2: Mortality Bytes":

There's a place you're always welcome,
That's as nice as it can be,
Everyone can get in,
'Cause it's absolutely free!

That's Death!
No need to take a breath,
Just lie around all day,
With not a single bill to pay...Hooray!

That's Death!
No more sicknesses or flu,
If you've lived beyond your means,
You can die beyond them too! Boo-Hoo!

Well, the greatest and the finest,
Have already died,
Why not simply join them-
On the other side?

That's Death!
Say farewell to all your bills,
Rip up all your wills,
And pop your final pills...Amen!

That's Death!
It's a tete-a-tete with Fate,
If you're not feeling great,
Then it's the best way to lose weight, mate!

Nothing here to hurt you,
No one's here to nag,
Come die with me,
If your life should drag!

That's Death!
Chorus: (That's Death!)
For the wealthy and well bred,
All of them are here,
And they're all completely dead!
(So dead!)

That's Death!
(That's Death!)
No more headaches, no more pain,
Of the millions who've died,
No one came back to complain!
(Ah-Ah!)

You can't take it with you,
You can't keep what you've got,
So why not just lie back,
And simply rot!
(Death, Death)
Just simply rot!
(Death, Death)
It's so cool it's hot!
(Death, Death)

Whispered: And that's Death!

Yeah. I have no life. Anyway, the fun is in the style. You can easily find the mp3 on Google.

Monty Python: Delighting and bewildering audiences who thought that they were in for an animal show since the Beatles broke up! Yeah, they rock.


Oof...I envy you--you've got some friends who actually take out instruments during the summer. Matt and Philip have probably already ditched their violas in their closets...too bad, because I wanted to try a viola duet. I tried to get a string quartet together from orchestra, but none of the sevvies were interested and the eighthies would have probably killed me with a glance. Doesn't matter...I'll work out some solo stuff and go kill myself (whoa, where did that come from??? I scare me...)

If you need a beginning violin who already will know the theory and fingering down pat...I suppose you could give me a call. I'm not very competent at piano (I blame it on my first teacher--If you ever run into a "Pat Hand", be sure to use a nuke to shake hands. Stupid waste of time, that). I'll be perfectly willing to, uh, watch, too. Anything to get me out of the house and listening to live music, really.

My "computer time" is officially defined as "when Mom the evil manages to make up a chore that I haven't done yet", unless she leaves the house (like right now, for instance). Still...1 hour? In SuMMeR?
Wow...

My bedroom has reached the point where you cannot even see the floor (I am not kidding. No, really, I am NOT kidding). This is acceptable because I am in fact moving downstairs. This is good news, by the way. Updates later.

Today I had to act out Johnny Appleseed for a movie that my piano teacher Matt is making, entitled, "An Unnatural History of Stumps". I had to pretend to be in conversation with a battery-operated albino beaver (it was sewn onto an RC car. I never got to see if it worked, but I don't really care). Got about twenty minutes of footage for the intro and conclusion. The movie is supposed to ask the question, "what would have happened if a tree were instead a stump at a few key points in history". I.e., George Washington can't find a tree to chop down, kills his sister instead (sounds more like the "George W." we know...). Not particularly fun. More to the point, however, he brought his new dog, Eartha. God, what a great dog! She's the color of rich earth, and about four months old. Docile and calm right up until you take the leash off and start running...having a dog literally at your heels when you're running is an experience to be reckoned with. === She has a brother, and I think that Mom might be recovered enough from Stella's death to get a new dog by the end of summer. This is SO cool...

Anyway, you have a good one too, whatever "it" is (I have a feeling that "root canal" is not what you're looking for, here )

P./S.

BTW, have you seen Elfwood? It's the only decent fantasy art site on the 'net, and some of the stuff is plain genius (I just tried about 576,000,000,000 combinations of the letters g, e, i, n, u, s, and a to figure out how genius is spelled, Ironic, no?). The moderator descriptions are gems, too. The URL, and [for the moderator descriptions]: http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/[feature/picks/info.html]

There's even a fairly intense (though short) rant on gryphons, and lots of Discworld talk (including, terrifyingly, "Heather A. Wright plans to kidnap Terry Pratchett and lock him in her closet....". Please, Heather, learn to share....).

You give me cool sites, I give you cool sites. This one is a hand puppet movie theater (yes I know it sounds weird) where a person uses hand puppets and displays their dialogue to form parodies of famous movies. (Harry potter, star wars, and Lord of the rings included.) I found the Harry potter ones the funniest, though all of them are quite long.

http://jerrythefrogproductions.com/MovieTheatre.html

From the 22-28 I am at Band Camp (no computers there.) And afterwards, I'm being trucked off to the beach for a week. Hopefully dad brings his laptop (which has OK internet.)

Root canal is definetely not a 'good one.' Neither is a gum graft, which my mom might have to get. (some skin from roof of mouth taken off and put in place of some very worn down gums. I pity her.)

Oh, and I have found that "accidentaly" hitting Roger/Mike somewhere with a tennis ball is quite theraputic (spelling?) And they think it was an accident. I heard via my mom that you were signed up for what I am doing tennis-wise this wk. You're lucky you're not doing it. Almost every kid is under age 11, and most about 8 or 9. They really suck, too. Some of them don't even know how to serve or do overheads correctly. With the coaches teaching them, it's pretty boring for the people who are better. (me)

Enjoy the wedding! (just kidding. I know it's hard.)

-The Poetic Gryphon-

P.S. Report cards are not mailed until Fri. the 20 or so. Mom called the school.

The trip: OMG. Where to begin...
Firstly, I didn't realize that the wedding was about 15% of the whole (not that it was that bad, actually--pretty short, really). First stop was Chicago--OMG Mark II. Saw Symphony Hall--couldn't actually go in, but they have a great gift shop. I found a great CD--a live, performance recording of Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing the Brahms Double Concerto for Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra in A Minor, and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor (my favorite classical piece of all time). I'm listening right now, and I can say confidently that Brahms+Mendelssohn+Yo-Yo Ma+Perlman+the Chicago Symphony Orchestra-poor recording quality=.

Oh, time up--I'll post back in an hour or two--I'm earning time by the half hour, here...

All right...

Went to the Chicago Art Institute--great place, really good modern/contemporary section. And, of course, there's "Nighthawks", Van Gogh's definitive "Bedroom", and so on.

Anyway, the wedding came next. Low-key. Then, we got a rental car--a black Saab Convertible, mind you--beautiful car, just the kind of thing that you aren't supposed to get at rental car places, except maybe at Christmas--and headed out into the wild blue yonder to go touring the houses of some of Mom's old friends, including a great old boss of hers, who gave me Bill Gates' brilliant sooth-sayer-sucker-upper () "The Road Ahead" because she saw me picking it up and flipping through it. Mom's friends are wonderful. She has an instinct for people that, sadly, has not translated well into parenting. To summarize: I think I could move to Michigan if it meant that I could only see my Mom occasionally. To summarize the summary: I think that my mom's friends are much more interesting than she is. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem (sort of summarizes everything, doesn't it?)

Incidentally, I fell in technolove with an Apple IIe (complete with original Applesoft programming manuals, all of the original (and refreshingly witty) documentation, two 5-in. disk drives which whirr and clank just the way they should, and the original nearly unused green-phosphor monitor--If you've never seen fresh green-phosphor text, you're missing out) that was being held hostage at the house of Susan "Buzz-Buzz", a piano teacher who Mom has kept in contact with for probably 20 years or more. I spent as many hours as I could learning and writing in Applesoft Basic before we had to leave. Quick grammar lesson: Her MIDI setup is cool. She's cooler. Her IIe is coolest. This marks the beginning of a full-blown obsession with retro computing on my part. She said that she'd leave the IIe to me in her will. Yeah. Right.

Mom is the worst control freak I've ever met. She's even worse on trips, making the whole experience pretty much unbearable. She lightened up in Chicago, so I had an awesome time there. If not for her, I would have had a really great time all-round. Moms--Ignore them or loathe them, you can't like them. Or maybe I'm just feeling stressed out and cynical.

Cool site! I need to look around more--limited time now, though. Thanx!

Oh, your aim's better than mine then. I haven't hit Roger yet, although I have plans...
I'm going to a tennis camp in Eugene. A friend of mine from there is going, too. She has a sister with a mental illness (trust me, it's on the tip of my tongue. Really). Not sure on dates/times--I'll get back to you.

Tomorrow-Sunday I'm @ SunRiver watching my dad play tennis in a tournament, so plan on posts being a couple days late.

!

"Looks like an idiot, talks like an idiot, but don't let that fool you...he really is an idiot", also trying out "Semitameter" and "Pentaquaver",...S/P

Dad just installed DSL down here and internet is speedy, so here's the lowdown on my week:

Band camp was super cool. And there were so many people there who are at least classical-literate (even if they don't listen to much.) Food good, dorm/cabin sucked (only 5 showers and 3 toilets between 30+ people), dormroom-people ok, counselors pretty good. The music we played was great except for 'under the sea' from Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid." We played Lord of the Rings (same arrangement, better musicians,) a circus march called 'Big 4,' which wasn't great, a piece called 'ancient air and dance' by a guy who totally writes for percussion (and writes really creepy, mysterious, beautiful music,) and a piece called 'By Loch and Mountain,' which had a beautiful baritone solo and a very challenging orchestral bells part. Our performance was really good. I ordered a copy of the CD.

I met so many people who are weird and strange and really fun to be around. I think you would have enjoyed it, except that you would be called a traitor because you play a string instrument.

We rehearsed for 5 1/2 hours each day, including one hour of jazz band or choir and one hour of sectionals. The wind & brass players had a bad time of it because after 3 days their mouths were really really tired. I got into the second highest jazz band on my piano playing skills, so I didn't have to sing "splish splash I was takin' a bath..." with the choir.

When we weren't rehearsing, eating, or sleeping, we had break/rec time. During rec I was usually playing Egyptian Rat Screw, a card game also called Egyptian War and Egyptian Rat Slap, with Brett and Tom, two really weird guys, and Jackie, Sonya and Abbie, three really weird girls. We even played during the dance because they were playing really stupid songs. Plus, we were all addicted.

Chicago sounds really cool.

I didn't really look around for that site, Bridget did.

I'm playing tennis in a rookie tournament on the 11/12th (not sure which day.) I hope I do okay. Oh, and I didn't exactly mean to hit Roger, my aim isn't that great, but it just happened.

I feel sad for some reason. Must be some weird growing up thing, because I can't think of why.

Mom had the gum graft, by the way. Your mom sound like she has cool friends. Mine does too, and she has a really cool sister.

I need sleep. I might take a nap, it's really peaceful down here...(I am at our beach house.)

G'night, G'day, G'bye, or whatever.

------------The Poetic Gryphon

I am now trying to categorize each subject using smileys. It's experimental, so let me know how it seems to be working.

DSL? Lucky. Qwest keeps sending us messages saying that DSL is "now available in your area!", but it's always a false alarm. Liars. I hate Qwest.

Glad you had fun at band camp. It sounds like a ball...and I'm pretty sure I've played Egyptian Rat Screw as Egyptian War before.... Anyway, I don't think I can technically be called "someone who plays a string instrument", because I'm between clo. and vln. Wait, let me grab my cello and have a last practice.
(3:30 PM)
-->(4:30 PM)Well, that was fun. You know how Tchaikovsky's "Trepak" is supposed to be played in 1 min. or less? Right here: thirty seconds (I exaggerate, perhaps, but not much). Not well, but very fast. Our orchestra (LOJ), if you remember, got :59, while Waluga got about 1:01. We rock. "Two Grenadiers" got loud, but very fun: the French have a better anthem than we do, after all. All in all, I think I play better when out from under the specter of Mrs. Reed.

Really? Same arrangement for LOTR? That's kind of unbelievable, considering that the Orchestra got the same one, too (different key, as nobody uses Bb in Orchestral music).

A quote from "Newsweek":
'"There is no money over there. There's no leadership--pretty much like California."
-Potential California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, on his upcoming trip to Iraq to screen "Terminator 3" for U.S. troops.'
He's a much cleverer guy than you might think--good news for the mass media covering his political candidacy.

Utne, in an article about BBC reporter Greg Palast (subtitle: "One of America's hardest-hitting reporters works for British media"), says that, "...Florida Governor Jeb Bush ordered the purging of 91,000 registered voters from the state's rolls for supposed felony convictions before the election. Palast discovered that the people purged were mostly black, mostly Democrats, and overwhelmingly innocent--more than 90% of them had never been convicted of a felony, or there voting rights had been restored by the courts." I suddenly feel very alone, and wish to God (not really, I'm an Atheist, but it's awfully convenient...) that more people felt like thinking once in a while, especially the mass media....
==0
My mom heard about the tournament, and I guess now I'm going too. Should be fun. See you there!
==0
My dad had the 'flu, which is not good when you're trying to play tennis. Every time he looked up, he couldn't see, he said. He (and partner John Cuzack) came back up from about 9-3 in the tiebreaker to win, somehow. Absolutely amazing match. Go, dad!
BTW, did you see the match between Agassi (http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/bios/ms/atpa092.html) and El Aynaoui (http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/bios/ms/atpe121.html)? Quite intense...

I need sleep, too, but I can't be bothered to. I haven't really been able to sleep well for several months (define "well" differently, and you can say seven or eight years, but never mind). Must be stress. Deep breaths, now....

To close, listen to this verbatim "Newsweek" quote from Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, on the reason why he didn't vote for Congress's recent tax cuts:
"I don't need Bush's tax cut. I have never worked a ing day in my life."

Semiquaver/Pentameter...now at h2g2-only e-mail adress "[email protected]"

I am now trying to categorize each subject using smileys. It's experimental, so let me know how it seems to be working.

DSL? Lucky. Qwest keeps sending us messages saying that DSL is "now available in your area!", but it's always a false alarm. Liars. I hate Qwest.

Glad you had fun at band camp. It sounds like a ball...and I'm pretty sure I've played Egyptian Rat Screw as Egyptian War before.... Anyway, I don't think I can technically be called "someone who plays a string instrument", because I'm between clo. and vln. Wait, let me grab my cello and have a last practice.
(3:30 PM)
-->(4:30 PM)Well, that was fun. You know how Tchaikovsky's "Trepak" is supposed to be played in 1 min. or less? Right here: thirty seconds (I exaggerate, perhaps, but not much). Not well, but very fast. Our orchestra (LOJ), if you remember, got :59, while Waluga got about 1:01. We rock. "Two Grenadiers" got loud, but very fun: the French have a better anthem than we do, after all. All in all, I think I play better when out from under the specter of Mrs. Reed.

Really? Same arrangement for LOTR? That's kind of unbelievable, considering that the Orchestra got the same one, too (different key, as nobody uses Bb in Orchestral music).

A quote from "Newsweek":
'"There is no money over there. There's no leadership--pretty much like California."
-Potential California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, on his upcoming trip to Iraq to screen "Terminator 3" for U.S. troops.'
He's a much cleverer guy than you might think--good news for the mass media covering his political candidacy.

Utne, in an article about BBC reporter Greg Palast (subtitle: "One of America's hardest-hitting reporters works for British media"), says that, "...Florida Governor Jeb Bush ordered the purging of 91,000 registered voters from the state's rolls for supposed felony convictions before the election. Palast discovered that the people purged were mostly black, mostly Democrats, and overwhelmingly innocent--more than 90% of them had never been convicted of a felony, or there voting rights had been restored by the courts." I suddenly feel very alone, and wish to God (not really, I'm an Atheist, but it's awfully convenient...) that more people felt like thinking once in a while, especially the mass media....

My mom heard about the tournament, and I guess now I'm going too. Should be fun. See you there!

My dad had the 'flu, which is not good when you're trying to play tennis. Every time he looked up, he couldn't see, he said. He (and partner John Cuzack) came back up from about 9-3 in the tiebreaker to win, somehow. Absolutely amazing match. Go, dad!
BTW, did you see the match between Agassi (http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/bios/ms/atpa092.html) and El Aynaoui (http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/bios/ms/atpe121.html)? Quite intense...

I need sleep, too, but I can't be bothered to. I haven't really been able to sleep well for several months (define "well" differently, and you can say seven or eight years, but never mind). Must be stress. Deep breaths, now....

To close, listen to this verbatim "Newsweek" quote from Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, on the reason why he didn't vote for Congress's recent tax cuts:
"I don't need Bush's tax cut. I have never worked a ing day in my life."

Semiquaver/Pentameter...now at h2g2-only e-mail adress "[email protected]"

I posted twice....

Sites:

-->www.freespeechcoalition.com
(Read the news--note the Gay Pride event cancellation at the department of justice (DOJ Pride) by none other than Attourney General John Ashcroft....)

-->www.citizenlunchbox.com/famous/cats-A-D.html
(an index of famous cats, and other subjects relating to fame and cats. Actual quote from the "cats of famous people" segment:
NAME: Andy
OWNER: Sen. Ken Myer (FL)
NOTES: Record-holder for longest non-lethal fall: 16 stories (the cat, not the senator)

No mention is made of previous attempts to set this record, but it can be assured that all that failed in their first attempt became immediately discouraged with the sport. )

Give your bro a slap from me....
"lookin' through a glass onion...."--P./S.

Just rereading the previous few posts, and I said that Last Chance to See was "...a personal favorite." What I meant was...of DoUgLaS AdAmS'.

!S./P.