inspiration

I've been quite inspired recently.

Obviously.

Seeing as I finally got around to posting on here, something must have changed.

Maybe because the school year has started, bringing responsibility and schedule. I don't feel like that is the reason, simply because my Senior year hit me up out of the blue. I knew it was coming, but forgot, kept it at bay.

My summer was perfect. I slept and snoozed and napped and ate and swam and partied and rocked out and laughed and goofed and fooled around and watched television and practically lived at my friend's house. It was just what I needed.

But August came anyway. It does that, doesn't it?

And I was glad. Don't get me wrong. I want change. I like change. I need change. But I was also scared. I mean, who isn't when their Senior year rolls around? Sure I'm excited! I see the opportunities and also the end.

So August was a month of guessing for me. Should I be focused? Colleges? Be lazy or productive? *sigh*

Slowly, THINGS started happening.

My sister left for college. It made me think.

I was cast as the titular character in our drama club's fall play.

I finally began dance classes.

My friend KeKeJ came to visit.

And when THINGS happen to me, I make other THINGS happen. It's a cycle. Laziness leads to more laziness and productivity to more productivity. I may not have appeared to have been particularly productive these last few weeks, but believe me, it's all building up in me. The inspiration. I'm about to let loose.

Take dance, for example. I've been wanting to dance since I saw a clogging troupe at an amusement park when I was four or something. Then, seeing Singin' in the Rain sealed the deal. I wanted to move like that, to become part of a song. For various reasons, I couldn't and didn't. I took a two-month clogging class with my sister, mother, grandmother, and a bunch of other grandmothers a couple of years ago, but that didn't fulfill the need inside me.

This last summer I began an adult ballet class with my mother. It was hard. I almost cried each week because I was so far behind. I didn't know any of the steps, steps which were, I might add, in French; I couldn't even touch my toes. I improved hugely over the summer; how could I not?

Three weeks ago, continuing with ballet, I began jazz and tap. This is a class for 12 - 18 yr olds. I am one of the oldest, but still having a ball. Some of the girls are divas and some don't even try. I just soak up as much information as I can and have as much fun as I can. It helped a lot that the song for our first combination was Hurricane by Panic! at the Disco, one of my favorites.

Since beginning, I have stretched like crazy. Almost every day you can find me in my room, sweating in my Spanx. I went from not being able to touch my toes while sitting down (16 days ago) to touching my face to my knees in the same position (as of today). It's hard, but seeing progress is incredibly encouraging. I will definitely be the most improved in my class.

So how else have I been inspired? Would you believe it if I said the internet? Yes, you probably would, since you're reading my blog and most likely frequent the glorious, if screwed up, place we call the internet.

I see, hear about, learn about, watch, listen to, participate with, laugh at, cry at, think about, and look at interesting people and things on the internet all the time. The people in my fandoms are smart and make good artwork.

It's difficult to explain, but sometimes, the tapestry of life (super original metaphor, I know) is just so beautiful that it blows me away. Strings of my life come together in such an amazing way every now and then, and just... inspire me.

One could ask, "what do Princess Mononoke, jazz shoes, and lions have in common?" and the answer would be ME.

What inspires you?

partees and people and OMG IM GOING TO HAWAII

*walks sheepishly to the computer, turns it on, and sighs*

Sorry guys, I just got so DANG-ED busy all of a sudden! I did stuff every day. Like, I mean, WENT places and did stuff!

Sheesh.

I don't have pix right now because I'm a terrible, lazy human, and like to not live through the lens of a camera when hanging out with people. SIDE NOTE: "people" sounds like "perplle" when I say it because I got stupid rubber bands (which is bubber rands with the first letters switched. you're welcome) in my face for my braces.

So I had prom, which was super fun! My boy Snook took me and we danced and goofed off. It was fun. The after party was carnival-y and had inflatables, so yeah. It (prom and all) wasn't what I expected at all for some reason. I don't even know what I had envisioned, but not that. Maybe me and my friends just can't live up to the elegance and "this is the night of your life" thang.

The week after that I had school, rehearsals, and then went to my friend Katie's play with some people. We went to Sonic afterward and chilled. Literally, we chilled. It was freezing that late at night! She was super good performing as a spoon. Don't judge, they were doing Beauty and the Beast!

The weekend after that I went to a Father-Daughter Banquet with my dad and little sister. That was a lot of fun, as was the bowling after party, though I suck at bowling. I bowled a 64, so that's all that needs to be said. I will say, in a feeble attempt to retain my dignity, this was the worst I have ever done, normally bowling in the 80s or 90s. Oh hey I have pix for me bowling!

See my cute college swag and harem pants? I am a hobo, hipster clown.

psyching up

thur she goes!

look at that form! Yeah-huh!

My excited "I made some pins fall over!!" dance.

happay happay fist pumps!!1!

 So that was bowling. Then the next day Snook and Chris the Goat came over to watch The Three Musketeers. Watch it if you get the chance, it's wonderfully stupid and unrealistic. I'll have you know that I invited one other dude and three girls, but none of them could come so DON'T JUDGE ME.

Then came production week for Seussical. We performed three times today and we're done now and you can't understand me unless you've had post-show depression. It sucks, but in a good way. Also, I'M GOING TO HAWAII TOMORROW AND STAYING FOR TEN DAYS AND ITS GONNA BE ALL BEACHY AND STAUFFFF! So thats good! Moar pix to come. Expect the same type of thing as from my Cali trip: a couple updates, a Gnome post, then an absolute photo dump. Kay cool? Cool.

Oh but I just love my partners in crime in my cast. They are the bees knees. I love theater people because they are crazy, but also weirdly respectful (most of the time) because they know what's it's like to be told to be quiet and not sing so much. We're all so cute together too. In our makeup. Hugging each other and working together to make everything perfect and fun and special. *sigh* already nostalgia.

PEACE OUT BBYS! see ya in Solla Sollew....or the WEST COAST! YEEAAUUHHHH!

- billyBobjoe

PS little sassy person
 (o_o)
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dance, drama, and derping

Y'all, I just need a nap with a billion blankets or a Disney movie...or both. Of course I'm blogging; I have so much homework to do! That's the way it goes.

Remember the surprise I said was coming? It isn't exactly working. I'll try to work on that.

I discovered this beautiful thing called a recumbent bike, that lets me read while working on getting killer legs! It is so wonderful. Speaking of legs, guess what! I've been wanting to take dance lessons for ten years, ever since I saw a clogging exhibition. I haven't been allowed to to various reasons. It cost too much, or we were too busy, or the costumes would be too immodest, or whatever else. My parents are finally signing me for ballet and tap! I know I'm a late bloomer, but I won't let the fact that I'll be in classes with little kids or adults get to me. This will be my motivation to get stronger and eat more. I'm super excited!

I also got the role I wanted in my high school play. I get to be the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical! Have you seen Horton Hears a Who? I'm the evil, purple kangaroo. And I get to belt and be sassy. So that'll be a ton of fun.

My sister is coming home from India soon! I miss her so much, but I'll have to move out of her room. It's been six months.

Spring break, come quickly! I might pull all my hair out before then, and I don't want that to happen. I just keep telling myself that I'm almost finished with my hardest year of school. It's not even as hard as last year, but last year I wasn't practically an invalid!

One of my goals was to get 50 followers on Twitter this year....and I'm already there. So that's good!

One more thing. I made a couple of derpy videos on my sister's iPod touch. They are really funny! Should I create a YouTube channel and post them? The idea is that I'm this weird reporter for The Wild World of Nature, a goofy nature show.

It feels so good to just document things. This isn't a really cute post and doesn't have pictures or anything, but it does keep y'all updated. Actually, this month I've had more views than ever before, so that's encouraging!

~billyBobjoe Squarepants

favorite song right now: Appalachian Wine by Eleventyseven

2013

Blogger is being weird and not letting me upload pictures, which is bad because I almost always have something to show you guys. I have a few topical posts planned and a super exciting surprise anyway!

How about an "I'm excited for 2013" post then? I'm so late too.

*goes to read journal post form Dec. 31* What?? It's not there! Um, for some reason, my computer (BAD computer!) decided that my hopes/goals/wishes for 2013 were not worth saving. I'm sad. I'll wing it. The three catagories are mixed together.

Gaining up to and staying at 110 lbs.

Work out regularly and get some muscle. Increase stamina.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Watch Doctor Who

Finish Jr year with all A's

Turn 17

Get drivers license

Read 100 books

Watch 100 films

Oblivion, Epic, The Great Gatsby, Man of Steel, Lone Ranger, and Despicable Me 2

Get 50 Twitter followers

Get 50 Blog followers

Perform in Seussical the Musical

Visit KeKeJ in California

Read and watch Harry Potter

Dye hair

Getting my braces off

What do you think? Sorry so many have to do with movies! Actually, no I'm not.

More posts when Blogger decides not to be a butt. Also, don't forget about the special surprise that's coming up! It has to do with me, KeKeJ, cheese, and a teddy bear...

bBj

Oh look!

I have a blog! I totally forgot! Actually, I haven't forgotten, because it's been hanging over my shoulder like a raincloud-that-hangs-over-shoulders. Not that I don't want to post, but I didn't have anything to say. Now I do.

Aren't the Olympics amazing? I love watching them. And I mean hey! They're in London.

School (CC) starts next Monday. I'm excited about doing it again, but don't want it to start now! The classes are going to be split up differently, and the people will all be different. I'm not afraid; I rarely am, but am apprehensive. I also need to finish geometry and prep for the PSAT and ACT.

I got a "real" job! I'm working at CFA, and so is my sister and best friend here in AR! My bro has been working there for a while. I'm super excited about having money again. I'm in debt with my parents, aaannnd kinda all of my siblings, soooo.

Take a look at-well, actually don't-at my stats on Goodreads! I am so behind in my reading challenge. I haven't sat down and read since a car ride! I should wake up on time occasionally so I can be productive, but I'm waiting for Fall to do that. Seriously, if I was just a llama, nothing would be this crazy.

I can't do drama this semester. That is, scheduled, curricular drama. The other kind will be prevalent I can already tell.

This is probably my favorite painting, not that I really know much about art. It's the Nighthawks if you didn't know. I want a copy in my room someday.

Speaking of my bucket list, I have so many things on there that I planned for 2012! I saw a CO sunrise, wished on a dandelion, visited Four Corners, went to the Grand Canyon, rode in a double-decker bus, got a job, rode on a rollercoaster, finally visited my friend, rode a massive zipline, got my permit, watched The Avengers, bought a bunch of new books, bought new clothes, went to Disney, watched The Hunger Games, wished on a shooting star, and saw The Dark Knight Rises!

I randomly decided to count how many new movies I had seen this year from my movie list, and I had watched exactly 50! Weird. Now I've seen 51 or 52, but still. Isn't that an amazing mash-up of Batman and the villians? wow.

Well, I'm off to go do mega-important things. I'll probably just eat, but hey, that's important!

I'll try to stick around. Oh look! Krill!

crayons and sharpies

Here's what has been going down in my life! I've been doing geometry. That isn't very fun, but I didn't start on time, so I have to do it through the summer. I hate to be typical, but proofs are annoying.

I also dug a coloring book out of my closet and have been crayoning! It's so relaxing and fun!

Little Women coloring book!

Also, I've been drawing in my journal. I have a nice sketchbook, but I feel like those drawings have to be perfect. Either inspired by a picture in my head or an Owl City song, mostly. I had probably just come home from the BBB cast party when I did the All-American one!








Every time I go outside, I stand on the mailbox. Why? Let me think about it. Uh, because it's fun? Yeah, pretty much.

I'm kind of broke. And I will be after I order my yearbook. I have to get a job, which is on my list of short-term goals. Yes, I have physical lists of short-term goals. It makes me all the more rewarded when I obtain them. I think I will work at Chick-Fil-A this summer after my birthday.

I'm a caveman. Yep. My iPod is dying/dead/won't work and my computer is mega slow. I think I'm going to buy a Kindle Fire. Thoughts?

I've recently done three things on my bucket list: draw all over my shoes, finish a shampoo bottle and conditioner bottle in the same shower, and perform Bye Bye Birdie!

I drew the BBB icon, and my friends in the cast signed them! I wear them all the time. Ironic, because I don't like the shoes themselves at all. 

Weird? Yes. An accomplishment? Yes!

So, yeah! The pictures of mine are MINE, so don't steal! Okay, thanks!
~billyBobjoe

we love you, Conrad!

Oh yes, we do! I just got back from the opening night of Bye Bye Birdie, which was fantomigorical!
I'm exhausted. I'm happy. I can't wait to perform it again and again. I'll be back next year if at all possible!

My mind is full of choreo, leather jackets, pineapples, quick changes, and laughter. You ought to be jealous.

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you, but watch out for tomorrow. It's the Revenge of the Fifth!

~Deborah Sue

PS Avengers assemble! There was no way that I could make it last night, so I'll go see it next weekend. If you spoil it for me, you die... a long, slow, deathly death.

day of jumping

Sorry it's been so long! Well, it's (was) leap day, hence the stupid post title, and I still haven't done anything spectacular. Yesterday is a different story. Yesterday I started a new job, babysitting each week, at 8 in the morning. Had to go to rehearsal at 1 'til 4 after that. Don't get me wrong, it was a great day, but I did come home with sore muscles!
Have you danced for three hours straight? It's a little tough. We had learned the choreography for two songs, but nobody really understood it. They needed polishing, and everyone needed a pep talk, which one of the girls, the one that plays Kim, gave willingly! She should be a football coach.
Anyway, I'm super excited about Bye Bye Birdie! To all IRL friends: You better come see me and scream for me when I take my bows!
I think I have senior-itis. Schools not too hard anymore, but takes forever! The weather is so nice that I don't wanna be anywhere but outside. I'm finally being accepted at Comm. Central and rehearsals. Maybe all of this seems disjointed, but I promise that it's all related! See? The weather's so nice that I don't wanna do school, and school's easier, which lets me focus on friendships and stuff. Whatever.

I watched the new Pride and Prejudice again! I watched it before I read the book, with a girl who didn't like it and pointed out its flaws. I read the book, then watched the 1995 version, with Colin Firth, and loved it! In my mind, that was the only real P&P. But the two are so different. I recently watched the 2005 version again, with a mind to like it, and enjoyed it very much. The whole film is just beautiful; I guess it's the cinematography. I still don't think that Keira Knightley can do Elizabeth justice, but I sure don't mind Matthew Macfadyen! I believe that I will always prefer the old one, because of its extra length and ability, for that reason, to delve deeper into the book, but might be watching the new one more frequently when I don't have 5 (or however many) hours.

So excited! I already have my ticket to the midnight showing!

-billyBobjoe

snow day?

There was much anxiety about the impending ice and blizzard.

Do we have milk and eggs? everyone wondered. (Sarcasm. It rarely snows even in inch here, so when it does, there is much...preparation!)

I woke up this morning at 6:45 and immediately looked out the window. Snow falling. That was a good sign! I crawled back in bed, determined not to go to sleep until The Email was sent declaring the fate of all the students of Comm. Central. I finally got up, worried that I would be disappointed and not have a lunch made in time.

My mother came in and announced the Snow Day! I smiled cheerily, if a bit sleepily, and got back in bed. I slept 'til 8:30, something that I had not done on a Monday the whole school year.

I put on a abnormally cute outfit, which consisted of grey jeans, a red shirt, one of my dad's huge blue sweaters, and a pretty necklace. It was what I was going to wear to Comm, but I wouldn't have been able to stand not wearing it after so much thought had gone into it! Yes, I am strange, and go through little clothing phases like everyone else.

I even studied today. Aren't you proud of me? It felt like I was being handed 24 hours on a silver plate. I never get anything done on Mondays because classes don't count.

I sat around. I lounged around. I drank tea by the fire. I wore two pairs of socks. I read 3/4th of Many Waters by: Madeline L'Engle and finished it.

The clouds got exausted after an inch and stopped. Stopped snowing, that is. They rained and sleeted and drizzled for a while longer. None of the snow stuck, but I wasn't planning on going outside anyway.

That's how snow days go in the South.

~billyBobjoe

Woe is me!

...A gruesome story.
By: KeKeJ
Editing by: Your's truly

Well, we were chatting on teh interwebz the other day. I started getting hyper and saying really funny things, which were probably only funny to us at the time. For instance, I made up this number: Porpskillion. It's a big number. Anyway, she decided that she was going to die from the giggles, and told this haunting tale....

"I (this is her talking) might never get over the giggles, you never know. And it will be all your fault, and you will come cry over my grave, and you will die from depression, but with a repentant heart...

You will say, 'Oh, if only I had never made KeKeJ laugh so much, none of this would have happened. Where did my life go so wrong? I wish I could undo the past... oh woe is me. Alas for sueth! I am troubled!'"

(I jump in, seeing that she fell into a trap and called herself troubled) "You are troubled!"
continuing...'Oh, woe is me, woe is me.'
"What is this? I hear a young merry voice." (referring to my joke about being troubled)

"Child! beware! Never make your friends laugh! It will be their undoing!
"You will be lone and lorn, and brought lower than the grave itself!"

'Oh, woe is me!
"And then you will go moaning and weeping through the streets, and become the terror of the town, with your hair torn, gnashing your teeth, and wailing. And then, once you're dead, a legend will be created about your ghost. Thousands will claim to have felt the touch of your icy fingers, and to hear you weeping on their doorstep. Others will claim to have seen you on the river bank, staring into the tormenting depths...at war with yourself."

" 'oh, woe is me!' they will hear you say. 'Woe, woe, woe unto me.' "

"Old ladies will talk amongst themselves...
'Is not this the very girl whom we used to speak to on occasion, and whom  we treated on an equal footing with ourselves? What has been her undoing? Where did her life go so wrong?'

Every Thursday night, at 2:17 am, you will be seen on the hill of my burial, wondering about, from grave to grave, but ever avoiding the sight of mine. Officers will try to catch you, but you are too nimble for them, even in your old age, darting about through the markers, weaving through the gloom until you make your escape.
None will no where you have gone. Folks will say you fled to France, but no reports have sprung from there. Only in (my city) do they remain, forever more. The story of you, wandering through the river banks, stumbling around the streets, scrambling about the town, wailing,'Beware the fate of me, the Great Undone.'

The End"

Isn't it sad?! I laughed for so long about this! I hope you can understand, as it did require a lot of editing! Please refer to me as the Great Undone and tell this story after I am dead. Thanks.

-Great Undone

Bye Bye Birdie

I know I have mentioned it, but in case you didn't know, I am taking part in a production of Bye Bye Birdie. It is with our homeschool group Cast N Crew, and I have done one play with them in the past. We did Annie the musical last sping, and I am proud to say that two of my sisters got large roles, and I got a bit part. Don't feel sorry for me, I didn't want a singing role.

Now, I can sing, but I was afraid that I would be scared to sing in front of people when the time came.

That was not the case at all. I realized that after the four months of rehearsing, I knew the songs, choreography, and lines backward and forward, so why be scared? The director kept telling everyone to smile and put a lot of energy into the songs, but she never had to tell me! I was absolutely beaming the whole time I was onstage. I couldn't figure out why everyone else was not, I mean, I was having the time of my life! Why in the world are they doing drama if they aren't having fun onstage? Golly. Also, you know all the people that you are performing with, and have spent a lot of time with them by that point. Everyone sees you mess up during rehearsals, so you get that out of your system.

So, I decided that I wanted a singing part in Bye Bye Birdie, which is a play set in the 1950s, one of my favorites time periods, about a rock star. It is a satire on teenage idolization of rock stars, like Elvis. Conrad Birdie, the rock star, is based loosely off of Elvis, and more so off of Conway Twitty, who was one of Elvis' biggest rivals in the early days of their carreers. Elvis was drafted to go into the army, and this play is about Conrad giving one last kiss goodbye to one of his biggest fans before he leaves. It's a publicity stunt that his manager, Albert, who is really the star of the show, comes up with.

The play is hilarious! I find most of the songs very sarcastic, which is fun to do, mostly because we can't act in a sarcastic way, but have to show the audience hwo wrong everything is. For example, one of Conrad Birdie's biggest numbers is called Honestly Sincere, which is grossly funny because he is totally fake!

After much description... I got the part of Debra Sue, who is one of Kim's best friends. Kim is the girl that is chosen to receive Birdie's last kiss. As I see parts of the script, I now know that I am in more scenes that I realized at first, which is pretty cool. We have only had two weeks of rehearsals, which means about four so far.

I'm having a lot of fun, and getting to know new people! Updates will be coming.

By the way, don't watch the movie! It is absolutely nothing like the play at all! Listen/watch parts on YouTube, and you'll see why I can't help but smile!

~Debra Sue

teenagers = drama

Now, I know that all of y'all have dealt with this in the past, but I had to deal with a stinkin' TON of it yesterday.

Mostly, I like my homeschool co-op Comm. Central, but yesterday was awful! A bunch of people were there, which made it louder. Three girls who are normally in the class weren't there last week, which gave me delusions of quiet-ness. And one of the girls knows the new girl from a previous school or something, which means that they can be loud together. Are you catching the sarcasm and annoyance? Good! They're like two strong winds that, when together, form a big, annoying tornado! Yeah, it's bad.

Anyway, I know this is kinda angsty, but what is a blog for if not to express yourself? I'll get over it, because I honestly do like going. *sigh* OK, I feel better!

bBj