Say no to phones

I hate technology.
I really really dislike it.
Well I like computers and such, but phones.... nope.
Phones hate me.
My first phone fell in the toilet because it just decided to vibrate off my counter and into the open hole.
Second phone thought it would be really cool to mysteriously get a cracked screen and die.
Third phone slipped out of my back pocket and fell into the toilet, in Indiana, and on Christmas Eve.
The phone I have, or used to have, slips out of my pocket, yet again, and falls into the school toilet. Surprisingly, it worked, but just yesterday, while I was on my way into a building, my phone falls to the cement where it took its' last breath of life.
I am now phoneless.
Honestly, I should just stay like this because I don't know what to do anymore. No matter how careful I am or what I try to do, phones just don't wanna work with me.
I am going to Verizon today to get a new phone.
Once this one falls in a toilet, hits the ground of death, or shuts down, I'll let you know.

Get to the Point

So I was sitting at my computer the other day, and I was staring at my computer screen. Let me make this more clear... I was sitting at my computer and was staring at a blank Microsoft office paper trying to figure out what in the world I was doing.
One of the worst things in the world that I absolutely hate is trying to figure out an outline for writing a paper. I have never been good at it, and I usually don't do it because it makes me all flustered. Your probably thinking I'm stupid or whatever, but trying to begin a paper is so hard for me. I'm a math girl. You get an equation, use the method, and get the write answer. Easy as 1, 2, 3. With writing, there are a billion million zillion different ways to write and a billion million zillion different things to write about. This isn't really that bad though because it gives you a freedom and way to let you write whatever, but it takes me forever to write things because of it. I'm a perfectionist and I want things to be done perfectly and fast, but with writing it's not always like that.
First of all, you need to really understand what you are writing about. Well that is sort of common sense. It's impossible to write a whole paper if you don't even know what you are talking about. It is THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING EVER. Right now I am writing, well trying to write, a paper arguing about the insanity plea and how I think it isn't a valid form of defense. I spent all of yesterday going back and forth on what I am even getting at in my paper. Is it good or bad? Should I write that I think the defense has changed over time? Why am I sitting here freaking out??
Basically, I need to get to the point when I write. I need to really understand what I am saying and I need to make sure my reader doesn't fall asleep half way through the paper.
I really need to get going on it.

Show Choirs Around the World

I haven't talked much about all the different show choirs there are in the United States (don't know if there are any in China..?) so I think I should give a little background on the ones I know.

Okay, so basically show choir is a national thing that most states have a variety of different ones included in them. Our city alone has about five, so you can probably guess that there are aloooot more in just one state. Throughout my years as a show choir member, I've only seen groups from as far as, well probably, Minnesota, so I haven't seen much. When we do see the Minnesota groups, though, some of them are REALLY good.

One Minnesota group in particular is Totino Grace; probably the best show choir I've ever seen live. We saw them at one of our competitions we were at and I almost fainted with aweness (?). The dances they did were just spectacular! All these different things going on at the same time, and to top it off, they could sing. I don't mean sing, I mean SING. As soon as their mouths open, you heard this sound like the angels from heaven were singing. Ugh it was so good!!!!

Although Totino is amazing and quite possibly impossible to beat, we rarely compete against them so they aren't technically our main competition. If I had to pick a group that is our "main rival", it'd have to be Urbandale.

I'm not for sure how long we have been competing against them, but I do know that for years and years, its been us... and them... till the end! The quality of their show is almost exactly like ours, and they even have the same choreographer as us. When we go to our competitions, and they are there competing as well, the day ends up with us and them having scores with only a couple points difference. Basically, they are really good and we all become extra happy if we ever actually beat them.

And it all begins...

Last night marks my first night of the new season at the one and only... Parlor City (NOT Tastee Freeze). Since they closed last fall, I sort of drifted away from the flow of making cones, working the scary freeze machine, and trying to fry the yummy cheddar nuggets without burning myself. I was so nervous walking into the place... the whole night was just so different!
For starters, basically the whole back of the store was all new. We got rid of our old fryer machine and got this new and improved one. With the old one you had to put the measured amount of food into this slot, type in the timed amount, and drop the food in. When the timer went off, the food would fall onto whichever side you dropped it in on, and then ya scooped it up and BAM ready. NOW, all you have to do is put the measured amount of food into the basket, push a button, it drops in and when its done, you put the food in the bag and your ready! I love it. Everything else, the machines and utensils, are the same, but the owners put in new steel counters. They are pretty cool! Easy to clean too.
Anyways, the night went actually really well. I came in and immediately started making ice cream cones for the people up front, and helping drive thru with their orders. I had kept thinking that it would take me a while to remember how to make an actual ice cream cone or how to blend a malt without it splattering all over me, but it clicked just like that. I was my usual working self in less than a minute. To top it off, the conversations with my worker friends was VERY interesting. So much was talked about and spilled throughout the whole night that I never had a moment where I felt "bored". Work has always had its' dull moments when I worked, but that night was just the best.
I don't work until tomorrow, but I am trying to get out of it because I have my first tennis practice and I do NOT want to miss that.

Home Sweet Home

About two weeks ago, we hosted our very own show choir competition... it was one hell of a day! Everyone had their own little job: host a middle school/ high school group; be a judge assistant; or even run around the school and flip the signs up so that the sign says what group is performing at the time. There wasn't one person who didn't have something to do, but that was why the day ran so well; my job, being a the host of Johnston Middle School, went especially well.

Waking up around 6 am wasn't a joy, but I got my dress on (we had to look nice, it sucked) and got there a little early so I could get some amazing breakfast that we had. Eventually I met up with Dan, the other man (haha) I was hosting with, and he told me some bad news. He found out that our group was going to be an HOUR LATE. I had gotten up early and even showed up earlier than I was suppose to for my group to show up late. ASGJFGKJDFGKJA. No matter the little problem, we ended up having time to fix up some of our decorations we put up, and we were extra calm and ready when they finally showed up.

Hosting is a pretty easy job, if you really think about it. Your group comes in on a bus, like ours, or members gradually come in from car rides by parents. When they do arrive, you give them a stamp, palm up, and send them to the room. When everyone has arrived, you go up to the room and talk to the director about the simple rules to apply to:

1. No eating or drinking in the room (water is an exception)

2. No changing in the room (dressing rooms are in bathrooms or the two rooms on main floor, don't remember numbers)

3. And some others I don't really remember...

Luckily, our director AND group were really respectful of these rules, and the day with my group was kind of fun. They hadn't won their division, so with that they packed up and got out of the room before you could say SUPERCALI...FRAG..LISTICES.PEE whatever. We cleaned up and I was free! But no, I really wasn't, because Happiness had to perform after the day round (not competing), around 5ish.

Eventually, we performed, and I left the school very, very soon after.

The following school day, our director told us how good we did and how wonderful the day went. Nothing major went on and most importantly, no one complained about our attitudes or actions because we were VERY RESPECTFUL.

I'd give the day five thumbs up.

Great River

It has always been the competition that Happiness claims; the one that we always get crowned grand champion at, well at least for the past six years. This year, with how we had been scoring and how much harder the competion was, things were looking different. We hadn't thought, no matter how lucky the place may be, that we would even place in the top three after getting fourth at our last one. But, the magical day somehow caught a hold of us.

Another early morning for the showchoir "gangs" as we stumbled onto the bus around 8ish. Luckily, Happiness didn't have to perform until 5:45 so we had alllllll day to relax and gain energy for our performance. The bus arrived sooner than later, and we all huddled into the big gym area with the rest of the groups.

The day went by quite slowly, as we sat around for an hour or two, walking around aimlessly, being bored. Protege performed around noonish and of course, they were amazing. My friends and I stayed in the auditorium to watch other groups; some who were outstanding... and others who I had to keep from laughing from (not to be mean or anything).

It grew closer and closer, everyone was starting to feel it. I, for one, don't actually get that feeling of "Oh, my god we're gonna perform!! Aghhasognj;adjognak;jfg!!" right when we start getting ready.

No.

It is when we link arms with our partner, and walk in single file to our warm up room. Our supporters, well family, come and cheer us on and the sensations burst inside of me. I officially become pumped.

The performance went by like a blur; they always do. Afterwards, I never know how I feel. Whenever we do kind of bad, I think we do normal and whenever we do completely amazing, I feel like it is still normal. It isn't until I see all the hugs and joyious smiles that I know we did an amazingly wonderful job; I saw that all over after our performance.

Critique was pretty good, as well, actually way better than good. The guy was in love with us! He talked and talked and talked about how wonderful he thought we were, and to top it off, he told us he thought we were in first place for the day round. For how crappy our year had been going, I just wanted to go up to the man and give him a huge hug; I loved everything!

We eventually calmed down and ran to the awards, still in our costumes due to time, and listened for who made finals.

Protege had one the prep division, again, so we hoped we could get up there right along with them. Then came the random drawing of the six finalists for the finals round, and we had to go second! Everyone was freaking out because we had just performed and now, all worn out, we had to go right back up there and give a second, ten times better, show. While getting ready, our director informed us that we were second in the day round... SECOND. Only 16 points behind first which sounds like alot, but is really only a couple of points per judge. No matter the circumstances, we all got ready again and performed what people said was THE best show we had ever done.

Waiting... waiting... waiting and then finally, awards arrived. I was super tired and worn out, but became all hyped as we all held hands and waited for our outcome. Sixth place... fifth place... fourth place... third place... breath held... second place Happiness! We didn't care, it was second place; second place! The group that won had been amazing, and the group that got third was almost exactly like them and we BEAT THEM.

It was a day to remember, and with the results, our group has started to gain more confidence; confidence that we had been lacking for the whole year.

Jefferson is this weekend, and with how we performed at this place, I know we can claim the gold without a doubt.