Music.

The piano's world encompasses glass-nerved virtuosi and stomping barrel-housers in fedoras; it is a world of pasture and storm, of perfumed smoke, of liquid mathematics.
-Kenneth Miller

Ah, yes, piano. How lovely it is to play! And my fingers barely forgot the movements. Hurrah for muscle memory! After all, I haven't played very much in the past six months. >.<

I never knew...

Gah! I want to be a nerd fighter! I think this is one of my callings in life... you know, besides the other one.

Woe is me! Only two weeks!

First of all, I would like to apologize to my faithful reader. I haven't posted in quite a while, which is an awful thing, because I've been on Myspace almost constantly since I got back from Shasta. That leads me to question my former stance as an anti-myspacist. What am I now that I have essentially turned to the dark side? A lukewarm-not-really-anti-myspacist? I feel as if my world has turned upside down... *tear tear*

In other news, much has happened this summer! I will present events in list form, since there is simply too much to write about.

The moment school got out...

I was happy to be rid of that stifling place, but I was sad that my high school years are coming to a close.

Then there was the Road Trip, not to be confused with the First Road Trip. This one went to North Dakota via Colorado. My butt was unhappy, to say the least, but I was pretty lethargic the entire time, so it worked out. I got a lot of reading done, too.


And I visited Morgan, whom I hadn't seen in many years! Okay, so maybe three years doesn't count as "many", but 3 years out of 17 is 18 percent of my life, which is a large chunk.



I also visited family in North Dakota, "where the West begins". There was much singing, and playing of instruments, and a bit of shopping, plus competitiveness when we went go-kart racing. (My car was the best the first round!)


I also went to Girls State. That was like three weeks squished into one. A little too productive for my tastes during the summer, but what a bonding experience.



Shasta was really the highlight of my summer, though. All of the singing and swimming and general merry-making, combined with lack of sleep was almost overwhelming. And then Friday night happened, and bam! Everything changed. God does crazy stuff at camp.

So now I'm back to my schedule of doing nothing, although I have to go get my pictures developed today. I just discovered The Brothers 2.0, otherwise known as John and Hank Green. Quite funny.

Beef.

Photograph courtesy of Joseph Fickle. Doodling courtesy of me!

A story.

Not very long ago in a place not so far away, there once was a regal ruler named Queen Kelstiki. She lived in the Tiki Tower, overlooking the rolling hills of California. She was a wonderful ruler. With the loyal Ted and mischievous Ni as her principle advisors, Queen Kelstiki made sure that her subjects were well-taken care of. Queen Kelstiki had one problem that made life very difficult. She absolutely could not wake up in the morning.
Queen Kelstiki tried everything in order to get out of bed on time. She made the beep on her radio extremely loud. She tuned the radio to an annoying AM station that would go off in the morning. However, nothing she tried made her ready to face the day.
"What shall I do?" Queen Kelstiki asked Ted and Ni. Ted looked at her blankly, and Ni let out a nondescript "mrreow" and went slinking to his royal apartment. Maybe they weren't so much help after all.
One day out of pure frustration, Queen Kelstiki went out to the Fort de Faul. She talked to herself, venting her anger at her inability to be responsible in this one thing. Unbeknownst to her, there were fairies in the flower bushes surrounding the fort. Fortunately for Queen Kelstiki, these fairies were of the helpful variety, and they twittered excitedly about how they could help the distraught queen.
The next morning, Queen Kelstiki felt warm and cozy in her huge, four-poster bed. After a little while, the warm and cozy aspect turned into hot and uncomfortable. She rolled out of bed and blinked her eyes several times in an attempt to maintain consciousness. As her vision became less blurry, she realized that she was not alone in the Tiki Tower.
"Gah!" she yelled, startled by the fairy fluttering three feet from her face.
"Hi!" said the fairy cheerily. Queen Kelstiki squinted a bit and the little form in front of her.
"Princess Honeydew!" Queen Kelstiki exclaimed, excitement giving her new energy.
"Why yes, that is me," Princess Honeydew replied. She was a plump, cherubic fairy with curly, brown hair and Queen Kelstiki was so excited because Princess Honeydew was her beloved niece, the daughter of Queen Kelstiki's sister the Tinkle Fairy, whom she hadn't seen in many months.
"I come bearing gifts!" Princess Honeydew said enthusiastically. Queen Kelstiki waited expectantly. When nothing happened, Princess Honeydew cleared her throat and repeated, "I come bearing GIFTS!"
At that moment, several fairies came out of their hiding places around the room. They all did a little jig, spirit fingers and all. Then, they pointed at Princess Honeydew, who produced a beautiful box. Holding it out to Queen Kelstiki, she prompted her to open it. Queen Kelstiki leaned over from her seat on the edge of her bed and carefully lifted the lid. Bells tinkled lightly as she peered into the box. Inside on a luscious cushion was a lavender bottle of Princess perfume. Queen Kelstiki gasped with delight.
"Yay!" she squealed. Jumping out of bed, Queen Kelstiki sprayed the air with the delightful fragrance and pranced through the mist. She could have sworn that the air sparkled with the stuff. The most amazing part was that she did not even feel tired anymore.
"Auntie, this perfume is to help you wake up in the morning," Princess Honeydew explained, "My friends who live in the flowers near Fort de Faul told me all about it, and Mommy thought that my namesake perfume would be a great help."
"Thank you so much, Princess Honeydew!" Queen Kelstiki said enthusiastically.
"You're welcome!" said the little fairy princess, before giving her auntie a quick kiss and then flying out the window.
From that day on, Queen Kelstiki did not have such a difficult time waking up in the morning. All of her subjects decided to create a holiday in honor of the momentous change, and they all lived happily ever after, or at least close to it.

Prom!

Prom was yesterday! It was lots of fun (or at least I thought so). I had a sparkly dress, and there was a chocolate fountain and a carousel! What more can I say?

Ni's adventure

Poor Ni. He just didn't understand the concept of gravity.

Press Release: Ni's Response
There have been allegations that I, Ni, was attempting to slide down the banister. I would like to assure my public that that was not the case. In fact, I have suspicions that the video was not even of me, despite the people in the background saying my name. My sources say that the voices were added after the original video was taken. I am worried that this video is just the first in an awful smear campaign against me. Rest assured that I am not that clumsy.

Only 11 more days...

...until spring break!!

Not like I'm counting or anything.

I even figured everything out mathematically, given that my assumptions are correct. ;)

school = fun - (boring + homework)

spring break = opposite of school

SO...

1 / (fun - (boring + homework)) = spring break

Which can be rewritten as:

spring break = (fun + (fun - no homework))

"no homework" is equal to zero.

Therefore, spring break will be fun! Except for this:

spring break = April

April = IB Math Studies test

IB Math Studies test = hours of studying

But...

(hours of studying / Mr. Huynh) = (Mr. Huynh / hours of studying)

So I guess everything just evens out.

Endless love...

Likes to live life unpredictably
Has never-ending devotion
Outnumbers the grains of sand on the beach...

All hail pi.

Here are a few of the digits for good measure.

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286 208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481 117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233 786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006 606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146 951941511609433057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548074462379962749 567351885752724891227938183011949129833673362440656643086021394946395224737190 702179860943702770539217176293176752384674818467669405132000568127145263560827 785771342757789609173637178721468440901224953430146549585371050792279689258923 542019956112129021960864034418159813629774771309960518707211349999998372978049 951059731732816096318595024459455346908302642522308253344685035261931188171010

And if you didn't get it YET, today is 3.14.2007 and the time is 1:59. Meep!

Win!ter formal...

...was fun! Despite the NASTY dancing and the NASTY people doing all of that...suggestive... bleh. It's so upsetting it makes me inarticulate.

However, I did not partake in the said NASTY activities, but rather danced with my friends. Hmph. And I ate cheesecake.

What more can one say about a dance? Maybe an interviewer might help.

(By the way... I found that picture on yahoo. I was totally dressed like that. Stylin.)

Interested Person: Did you dance? An anonymous source informed us that you did not "dance" at "dances" until the very end of eighth grade.

Me: Embarassment... but yes, I did dance.

Interested Person: With whom?

Me: With every boy in the room. Just kidding! Hahahaha.... he... anyways. I danced with my friends, because they're more fun, and it's much more comfortable.

Interested Person: Did anything odd happen?

Me: Well, I kept feeling slightly claustrophobic due to the density of the crowd.

Interested Person: Hm. This conversation is boring me.

Me: Psh. Thanks a lot.

Interested Person: Let's get into juicier stuff. Hmm... We know! Did you witness any dramatic displays?

Me:Nope.

Interested Person: Didn't anything exciting happen?!
Me: My shoes were gorgeous.

No-longer-interested Person: Ookay, well then, we're never talking again...

Me: It's not my fault that I don't get into dramatic arguments, or have star-crossed romantic flings! Gosh.

Really-uninterested-person: Hey, is that a popular, stupid, dog-carrying celebrity over there? I could make a fortune off of paparazzi pictures! Mwahaha!

Me: *shakes head* Whatever.

Much love for the Beatles.

Wannabe.

Auditions for the NEW and Improved Kelsey:

Applicant A -

Zoos: Hi, I'm Jesus.
Royal We: So, why are you interested in replacing Kelsey?

Zoos: Well, I really like her headband. It's SnAzZy. Plus her glasses are purple and awesome!! I mean, who wouldn't want to be her?!


Applicant B -

Patrick: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick and I think that I am qualified to replace Kelsey because today I won the "Patrick Award" and I received an official-looking trophy that completely validates my extreme superiority, er, I mean, my statement of qualification.

Royal We: We see. Hypothetically speaking, what would you do, as Kelsey, if you were asked out by a boy?

Patrick: Uhh... I don't really know. I've never been in that kind of situation before...

Royal We: So are you saying that your being male will get in the way of your effectiveness?

Patrick: Gah!! NOOOOO.

Applicant C -

Peter: Hi. I'm Peter. I don't really want to take over Kelsey's job as Kelsey. I just wanted to try on her glasses.

Royal We: We see. Well, just as a matter of course, may we ask you an interview question?

Peter: Sure.

Royal We: Would you be willing to tweeze your eyebrows? This is an important task that Kelsey takes very seriously.

Peter: Ahem, I like my eyebrows just the way they are. Puh.


Applicant D -

Kelsey2.0: Hi! I'm Kelsey2.0! I'm newer, faster, smarter, and downright cuter! I have tons of new capabilities such as, but not limited to, better hair! Quicker reflexes! More perky happiness!Resistance to most cold-related diseases! And I am fluent in Esperanto!

Royal We: We're a little scared.

Kelsey2.0: I even have a better sense of humor! And you must admit, my resemblance is uncanny!

Royal We: That is a very convincing argument. So far, the other applicants have been... the wrong gender. We don't find that acceptable at QueenKelstiki, Inc. So, without further ado, we would like to present...

Kelsey2.0! Available wherever the original Kelsey can be found!

What a waste.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was absolutely awful! Not only was it lacking in humor, but it was also badly constructed of various sea-related myths, with too many storylines. Also, why the heck was the crew of the Flying Dutchman weird human-sea animal hybrid-things?! What does that have to do with ANYTHING?

The story of the Flying Dutchman in actuality is rather interesting (and the opera is wonderful) but what kind of freak takes out their heart, survives, and keeps it in a chest, buried on some random island? Not even a pirate would do something so maniacal and stupid. Plus, the giant squid scenes were LAME. All you get to see are the tentacles, and every time the animal strikes, it's exactly the same as before.

Seriously. The screenwriter could have done such a better job with this movie. They completely wasted the wonderfully hilarious work done by the first Pirates movie on this second-rate roll of film. I hope the third one redeems this abomination.

Finished ranting.

P.S. I liked Commadore Norrington's part. What a sneaky, desperate man. Truly commendable. ;)

*Singing* Walking in a winter wonderlaaaaand...

Winter time in California can only be felt as it should be in the mountains. Hence, the wonderfulness of winter camp! Ah, the snow, so white and sparkly. Words cannot do justice to thy shimmering beauty! But with that comes the inevitable, the awful and downright uncomfortable cold. The shivering and chattering that I endured! And to think that I was born in the Midwest. What would all those people think of me now?

Kelsey: GAh! It's so cold! *shivers uncontrollably*

Midwesterner: What a nice, warm, winter day! It's so refreshing to have the sun out! And it's a balmy 35 degrees!

Kelsey: *gasps* W-w-w-what are you talking about? I can't feel my toes! DO YOU KNOW HOW WRONG THAT IS?!?!?!

Midwesterner: Silly you! I haven't felt my toes since late November. You get used to it.

Just in case you were wondering, camp was the most fun weekend I've had in quite a while. We (as in my dear friends from small group/church and I) went off-roading, trudged through white, fluffy snow, played Clue, went on a ropes course, and danced like no tomorrow at the "Blast From the Past" parrrrty. Why can't prom be like that? Almost everyone dressed in crazy outfits reminiscent of eras long (or not so long) past and danced and sang along to songs like "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." and "Sweet Child O' Mine".

*Sigh of satisfaction* How lovely!

January 9, 2007 9:48 pm, Kelsey's Desk

Laina and me. Hm. It's time for bed...

I have that Monkees song "Daydream Believer" stuck in my head.

The Way I See It #192

Many people lack a spiritual belief system and fill that void with obsessions about celebrities. The celebrities are raised to the rank of gods, and these earthly gods will always fail the expectations the masses have set for them. The cycle runs thusly: adoration turns to obsession, obsession turns to disappointment, and from disappointment it is just a short emotional jump to contempt.

- Donna Phillips, freelance writer

Courtesy of Mr. J. Fickle

Oh to be a chipmunk...

I got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. I feel like there's this whole part of me missing... Actually, four parts of me. My body is making up for the loss by making my cheeks quite large and puffy. How kind.

Happy Blog-versary to me!

That's right! My blog-versary is today, making it one year old. Ah, how things have changed since that first post! I mean, nowadays Earth has been invaded by aliens, we all teleport, school is no longer boring...

Hm. That must've been something I dreamed last night.

In reality, nothing has changed very much, although I'd like to say I've grown as a person by expressing myself through this 21st century medium. *stifles giggles*

Thank you, to my infrequent and few readers! It is for you that I write! Well, not really, but you can go on thinking that.

Until next time, aufwiedersehen.

Well, if you MUST complain...

This is the Birmingham Complaints Choir, a group of people who responded to an advertisement and came up with a decidely artistic response to the unpleasant aspects of life in general. So, if you must complain, sing a song and improve someone else's day. :)

*Sings* I want my money back... My job's like a cul-de-sac...

Fishing = slow.

Yesterday I went fishing with my fairy godmother. We drove out to a small pond, sat down, and cast our lines into the water. Six hours later, I had pulled up an old boot, a lava lamp, two soggy origami cranes, three typewriter keys, and a scuba mask.

"Fishing sucks," I said, disappointed with my lack of fish.

"Perhaps it does dear, but do you know what the lesson from this experience is?" asked my fairy godmother.

"Umm..."

"The lesson is this: people do not care about the environment and throw their trash anywhere they please, including in this pond, thus killing the fish and ruining our outing!"

I stared at her with wide eyes. I'd never seen her so angry in my life.

"Oh, and one more thing," said my fairy godmother, "Sometimes, there just aren't enough fish in the pond. That's when you've got to remember that there's a whole sea out there."

"How long does it take to get to the pier from here?" I asked. "I want to go fishing there."

"About an hour," she replied.

"Well, I'll just have to start fishing late," I said.