Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Mmh. Life.

So I went to another tournament.
I'm really not in my grove this season - it's kind of frustrating, but I kind of know what I need to work on and I kind of just need to. I don't know, it's been hard because I'm more tired than I normally am at tournaments so I haven't been giving it my all and it's been showing. But I think the North-end IE judges are on crack or something this year because their judging is BS. I really really REALLY miss south-end judging and tournaments. They focus a lot more on technique and the technical stuff as opposed to just "ooo, this piece made me feel good! I give it first!" which is basically the extent of North-end judging. It's annoying. But oh well, right? At least in congress there's Spani so I know what I need to work on. It's hard being the only congress person in our entire school - it's an event that REALLY PAYS to have other people, and Dawna spends lots of time doing LD since Ali and Laura do it, so I kind of have to figure out congress on my own. Oh well! All the more drive for me to prove that just because I am from a smaller school does NOT mean I can't be competitive! I'm going to Nats in congress this year! I WILL!
Other than that...
I have a week of school left, and I can't eat or drink all morning because I'm going in for an ultrasound this afternoon down at Childrens. Have to make sure my speen won't explode. Which it won't. But that's beside the point. Doctors don't take risks. I've never been to childrens before...
Any "drama" is pretty much passed now, and I'm living a fairly comfortable life right now marveling at the cute boy on the computer two away from me who is also in my english class. Name's Trevor. Thought it was Collin at first. That would have been really....ironic?

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Updates of a general nature

Well, so I went to another tournament.

It was snohomish, the 7 and 8th. And it was fun, mostly. I finally know how they determine stuff in the base system in congress now, so I am really going to pour my energy into getting fewer, better, ranks (I went 5,7,7,7 which is fine but not enough for a trophy since we were only on base two.) Also, it was disappointing in DI since there were only 8 of us and I went 3,4,2. My friend Sam (he's awesome :) ) got 1st, which he totally deserved, but I was disappointed in my performance and annoyed that the judges gave me such low scores without saying WHY. I hate that. But so I'm going to be working hard on that, and it kind of was ironic because the only thing I wasn't trying in I trophied in. Open Impromptu had like 40some odd entries and I just went to my rounds and gave my lil speeches and I got to finals with straight ones. SO WEIRD! So I'm in finals right, with like 6 other competitors (although the great thing about open impromptu finals is that lots of people come to watch since you're supposedly so good.) It was fun to walk into the room and have like 20 people there or whatever watch. It was probably more, I don't remember. I gave my speech last, got last (or at least didn't medal, they don't rank past 3rd) and got a tacky little medal and ribon. So my impromptu this season has gone 1,1,1 1,1,1,5. Amazing! hahaha, wow. Who would have thought this year I'd be aceing my sla cker event? Oh well, take what I can get, right? :)
Arlington's in a week and a half, and I'm supposed to be doing HI but I think I'll wait and see if cho's going for imp - if he isn't I'll do that since it would be freaking amazing if I got 1st (and a state bid) in FRIKIN impromptu! I'd say impromptu is the hardest state bid, followed by extemp. But that's just me.
It was also fun to see people I hadn't seen since Vegas, and hopefully they'll be doing more judging this year. My parliamentarian, Brandi Spani, is amazing, she went to nats my freshman year (we were in the same congress room, it was my first time, and I remember congratulating her after she qualed and she saying I was going to be an amazing congressman.) and she's been my parliamentarian the past two years at snohomish. I really like her, and she gives me helpful tips and stuff that the judges won't tell me since it's not diplomatic. (for example "you need to dumb down your speeches because the other senators can't figure out what you're talking about.") And she's SUPER no-nonsense, which is really helpful, and yeah, she's cool. Plus my friend Colin (yes, that Colin) has offered to coach me in Congress and Impromptu (and pufo for that pack Ali and Erika and I made) so it should be good.

But I'm really hungry right now and I'm at school and my bus doesn't come for a while and I'm really tired and weak because I'm so tired and hungry and I could go do some chemistry but I feel rather like a sack of potatoes. Maybe I'll just do the reading and not the problems. :) I like that idea.
Unfortunately my biology class next year starts at 8:30, and I was really hoping I'd get to sleep in, but fortunately it's only 3 days a week so I guess I'll still get to sleep in a little. Horray.

I have found that saying I discovered "Social Life, Good Grades, Adequate Sleep. Pick two - Welcome to College!" to be disturbingly accurate. (my response? Less socializing, more sleeping. :) ) And now I think I've wandered into the field of babbling incoherently and rambling past any hope of structure or organization. Give my love to you all and I hope to see each of you soon.