Nothing Is Ever Easy

At least not with me.

Yesterday in the car I spent 10 minuets searching for my CD player, only to have Dawn (a girl we're traveling with) point out that it's been on my lap this whole time.

Then someone from the tournament called telling us we didn't make the deadline so we couldn't compete.

Us: "But we got permission to arrive late.... right?"

*phone tag for an hour*

Them: "Oh yeah... never mind. But you have to come in extra early tomorrow."

Us: "Whew! We'll have to get up at 6 tomorrow which will feel like 5 to us, that'll be fun."

About half was through the drive I started to feel sick. Lots of fun in an 8 hours drive.

We got to our hotel and I took a relaxing warm shower.

I'd left my clothes and pajamas on the floor of the bathroom and as I got out of the shower I stepped on my pajamas ... my wet pajamas. It seems I didn't close the curtain far enough on the shower so there was an inch of water on the floor. I wrung my clothes out several times before giving up and leaving them to dry over night. I patched together something to sleep in and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Sort-of.

Between 9 and 10 our time (8 and 9 Midwest time) all off our family called or texted us at one point or another. Just as we would drift off mom's phone ring. We were near the point of sending out a general text. "We are trying to sleep, please leave us alone!"

This morning seemed to go a little better. My clothes weren't dry but my hair behaved (wonder of wonders) and I went to register with renewed confidence.

Registration Lady: "Lydia where are your copyright and title pages? You can compete if you don't have them."

I went weak at the knees. We'd forgotten something we really, really shouldn't have forgotten, and if we didn't fix it we would have come all this way for nothing.

Mom spun into action calling home. At home it was 6:30 in the morning and nobody was answering the phone. We called and it rang and rang and rang. Susie told us later that she was having a dream about a phone that wouldn't stop ringing.

Finally we called sisters and they went over a woke Susie up, then after much trial and error (and Lydia almost fainting) we (somehow) got the pages scanned e-mailed and printed out in less that 15 minuets.

According to the Registration Lady we were good to go, but Mom and I both said we felt like crying from relief.

Me: "Finally I can breathe easy."

Then I got a nose bleed.

A Clarificatioin and Some Random Thoughts.

Clarification: Joe didn't not "hack" my blog. I accidentally left myself signed in.

What can I say? Brothers make life interesting.

Randomness 1: Mom, Luke Joe and I are leaving (ideally) at 9 to go to Ohio for a speech and debate competition. This is regionals and I'm really hoping to qualify for Nationals, but if we don't I'm sure we'll still have an amazingly awesome time.

Randomness 2:We got a video camera so you can go to Joe's Blog: http://southpawinthehouse.blogspot.com for video updates.

Randomness 3: Mom, Susie and I just answered all three of the phones at the same time.

Randomness 4: Speaking of Susie, it's her birthday today! Happy Birthday Dear!

Randomness 5: Another one of my classmates is engaged. That makes 5 (I think). I'm super happy for them, but it's weird. We're all growing up so fast.

Randomness 6: Cowgirl_E is in TX. We made a grand scheme for me to go down there with them.... it sounded lovely but it was not meant to be. *sniff*

Randomness 7: This is my new favorite song from a musical:

Randomness 8: I'll be home Sunday night in time to see the last episode of Little Dorrit (my new favorite mini-series) I love Dickens, but sometimes he drives me bonkers. I have NO IDEA what's going to happen. All I gotta say is Arthur and Amy better end up together or I will be MOST DISPLEASED!

Non-Randomness 1: I promise someday soon this blog will become less random.

So...

I haven't been blogging much in the last 3 weeks... not since I turned 18. Not that I think I'm too old for it now or anything, don't worry. Some of my non-blogging has been due to play practice and performance taking up most of my creative energies. Some because I haven't had much to blog about since the play ended. Mostly it's probably because I have a facebook now so when I want to spout about something I put it on my facebook. But I still miss blogging, I miss getting the brilliant post ideas, the hammering out of the words, the anxious wait for comments, I really just adore it. The writer in me loves the words and the and the freedom to express myself, and the sister in my loves the opportunity to express an entire thought without being interrupted. :-)

I have anything of terrible interest to tell you about but here's an update of my life:

What's happened this week:
After a long search (I've been keeping an eye open since fall)I finally bought a dress for Banquet yesterday. It was agonizing because I found a dress I LOVED but well... I'm too practical to spend $200 on a dress I'd wear once :-( I found another one that I liked a lot but there was one problem: I had vowed to not wear pink, it seemed too typical for me. Guess what color this dress was? Pink guess which dress I bought? You guessed it, the pink one. It's princessy and poufy and all around fun. I'll post pictures after banquet on May 8th.

What happened today (or more appropriate, what failed to happen):
Geometry. Why can I not understand axioms and postulates???? ARRRGHHH! *pulls hair out* I also looked at maybe taking some classes next year at a local tech school. School never ends does it??


What's up for me in the coming weeks:
Next week Joe and I will be in Cincinnati, Ohio for NCFCA Region 6 Regionals competition. If you didn't see our duo before here's the video of it (this was taken a couple of months ago, we're much better now.)

What I've been Reading:
Now that I've actually had time to read I've devoured 2 books for history and 4 for pleasure in the past 2 weeks. For School I read: Journey to Topaz, which was an interesting story about a Japaneses family during WWII it amazed me how honorably they stood up to such
injustice: being imprisoned when innocent of any wrong doing. I'm also reading about the Vietnam War which is very interesting and very sad. For fun I read the first book in the Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events I have a feeling I'm going to become as addicted to them as Becca is. I just finished The Highwayman's Footsteps which was an interesting spin of the poem The Highway Man by Alfred Noyes well written, good story, clean, my only problem was the author's addiction to ending chapters with cliff hangers and foreshadowing. It's wouldn't be so bad except that every single chapter ends that way and there are 60 chapters, usually about 2 pages long. Drove me nuts.


What I've been Learning:
I learned that sometimes God answers right away, even before you had know that you asked. Sometimes when you ask for something and are very specific and lay out your entire little plan for God he smiles and nods and then says politely "No, I know better than you do." Sometimes you wish for something and then you forget about. Of course low and behold months later you get it you wanted and complain to God because of course it's NOT what you thought it was. Then God reminds you in his own ironic way. *sighs* Be careful what you pray for...


What I've Been Thinking About:
How odd being 18 is. I was going to blog about it the other day and Joe said: "You're blogging about that AGAIN??" Have I been obsessing over it? I just thought that this is a pivotal point in my life and I thought my dear blog readers might like to share it with me. I have been 18 for over 3 weeks now. A jam packed 23 days of new experiences, new feelings, new knowledge and a better understanding of God. I guess I've just realized that I can't stop time. The play is over and as far as I know I will never act on the stage again, this is something I just have to hand to God. I do have to Graduate on May 16th and I do have to move on after that and agree with the noble (ha!!) lyrics of High School Musical 3 "High School won't last forever". I have a life waiting for me planed out by God. I need to move into it. I might put my heels down but I'll move slowly and surely.


Fact:
This post is too long.

There's No Place Like Home

Wherever I wander,
Wherever I roam,
I know for certain,
There's no place like home.



Especially when you bring home a shiny 3rd place medal on a ribbon. :-)

WE MADE FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Doodle During Debates

Sunday Evening February 1st 2009

It is a day when America comes together, and also a day when it is ripped apart. Brother against brother, son against father in a fer ice battle of...

cheering for their favorite team?

Yesterday was Superbowl Sunday, a day when America unites in gluing themselves to the TV watching teams play that they usually couldn't care less about. And what was we doing on this All-American day?

"I see a lot of blue and orange."
"Is it animated?"
"I'm pretty sure."
"Incredibles has a lot of orange."
"Mom can you get closer?"

We were on a long stretch on Wisconsin highway the game was at halftime so Joe had taken his headphones out and joined the rest of us in "The Mystery Of What Movie is Playing In The SUV In Front Of Us??"

It was a difficult case. We scoured our brains for animated film names and peeled our eyes for the slightest clue. Finally we threw caution to the wind and mom stealthily sidled up until we were level with the SUV in question. I got a brief glimpse of the 8 inch screen.

"Kung Fu Panda!!!" I yelled triumphantly.

Case Solved.

Mom, Joe, Luke and I are at a speech and debate tournament in Milwaukee for the next three days. I'll try to post some pictures and a brief post everyday, maybe twice a day if you all would like me to. I also plan to work hard, meet lots of talented nice homeschoolers and Joe is hoping to get over the disappointing football game.

Poor Kurt Warner.