I was on the bus this morning, and just as it started up the road next to Independence Hill, I see and hear someone in an import car go zooming past us.  So I chuckle to myself, then turn to Steven and say, "Hmm, sounds like a weed-whacker..."  Steven agreed.

As the bus is going down Van Voorhis Road past Barrington North, I see an ambulance go screaming past, lights flashing and sirens blaring.  So I jokingly say to Steven, "Hmm, looks like the weed-whacker wrecked."  But then Steven said, "He's still in front of us."  So I checked, and there it was.  I wondered about the ambulance for a minute, then decided it didn't involve me, so I put my head back, thought nothing more of it, and dozed off until I got to school.

However, when I walked into the band room, I received the news that Tara had wrecked her car.  I had the general "OMG" reaction that everyone has when they get news of a friend that's been in an accident.  But it wasn't until I got home that I realized just why I had seen that ambulance on the road.  It chilled me how I could joke so crudely about someone wrecking their car and then walk into school only to find that one of my friends had been in an accident.  It's just plain screwed up and I don't know how I'm supposed to react to it.

I think I need some more sleep...

A man wakes up, climbs out of bed, and goes to the window.  Outside is the brilliant blue of Earth’s oceans juxtaposed against the stark blackness of space.  The man is a worker in an orbital shipyard, one of several that have been put into place to fuel mankind’s desire for knowledge of the cosmos.  Each of the three main dry docks is capable of supporting the construction of a vessel that could easily reach the moon or even Mars with a few alterations.

Away from the main construction docks are laboratories and observatories for experimenting in every imaginable subject and viewing the stars without atmospheric interference.  Scientists work in these labs almost non-stop, trying to unlock the mysteries found in complex chemical reactions, organic synthesis, and DNA.  The data obtained in these studies is recorded by myriad computers and compiled into one set of mainframes operating under neural net algorithms that allow the entire system to function like a human brain, searching for patterns, organizing related data, and constantly reworking its own code to run more efficiently.

If the amount of time and money we invest into it is a testament to the growth of our technology, then we have indeed risen from rags to riches; and it will only continue to grow.  As our level of technology has advanced, we have gone from the room-sized ENIAC computing engine to Mac personal computers to palmtop Personal Digital Assistants that are thousands of times more powerful.  With this ability to pack more power into a smaller package and the ever-expanding field of robotics, we will soon be able to launch intelligent robotic explorers to explore the cosmos while we focus on unlocking the mysteries within ourselves: those of the body (DNA) and the mind (consciousness).

Since I was very young, I have always been fascinated by all these things.  I was always fascinated by how an airplane could defy gravity, how a beam of light traveled through air and space, how you could fuse atoms to unleash the power of a thousand suns; always HOW.  In these scattered pieces of HOW, the cogs of the machine, a thinking man could always find a WHY.  Why is this of use?  Why does it behave the way it does?  Why was it created?  These questions have been around since man decided to think for himself.  The answers to those questions have been discovered over the years as technology has advanced, though there are still many more to be found.  I hope to someday find some of those answers myself.

*This is my NASA apprenticeship essay (the initial draft anyways - please excuse syntactical suckage).  Comments are welcome.

I'm still freaking tired.  Last night was the preview show for Copacabana, which actually went over pretty well, considering Mr. Clark rewrote the ending on Friday, had us rehearse half the day on Saturday, and made the rhythm section - no wait, just me - teach the band how to play the finale all over again because the ending had changed completely (damn you Mr. Clark).  Sometimes I wish he'd cut us some slack.  I mean seriously, we ARE the best musicians in the state (7 out of 10 of us are in all-state band; those who weren't just didn't audition).

I was showered with compliments about the musicians after the show, and told how I was a critical component (aka Clark's punching bag), and how awesome we looked and sounded on stage and blah blah blah.  Oy.  I just need some rest.  I also need to go over a few things like fills and comping chords for stuff like Dancin' Fool and Aye Caramba, in the event of a slip-up like Matt Goff forgetting to play the solo last night or if we do instrumental only for a number.

The night before, I had gone to see "Ruthless" at MTC with Katie.  The production was very well executed, but I'll have to say that it was the most schizo thing that I have ever seen.  It's also the first MTC production that I've seen that tops Nunsense in raciness.  That takes talent.

It also takes talent to put off all of your homework for this week until now and still manage to get it done in time for tomorrow.  But I'm not that talented, so I'd better go finish it before I get snuffed...

Monday night I spent 5 hours on calculus and physics homework because I knew I wouldn't have time to do it on Tuesday night (show choir; once again, Clark ran us into the ground because he can be downright bitchy like that).  And as for the gigantic HW assignment, I think Gibson forgets that we have lives.

Today wasn't much better.  I had two tests, one in Calculus and one in Physics, my two hardest classes in the same day.  I'm pretty sure I managed to ace the calculus test because I can actually do calculus.  Physics on the other hand is nothing short of a royal pain in the ass (and then some).  I think everyone except Yonina Hoffman failed that physics test.  Nina Hoffman always beats the living daylights out of everyone else.  It's unbelievable.  Of course, she's the one that scored 1600 on her SATs.  Why should we be surprised?

This week has forced me think about a lot of things that I really don't care for (e.g.: money, college, leaving home, suicide (literal and figurative), and the like).  I really tried to reshuffle my priorities and organize them into something coherent, but that didn't go over quite as well as I would have liked it to.

Several times I have had to push the thought out of my head to enlist with the 249th National Guard Band (our local battalion).  I could easily make it in.  I am in all-state band, I play saxophone, clarinet, and piano, and I'm easily one among the best musicians of the school.  I wouldn't have to worry about college costs anymore.  I wouldn't have to worry about insurance or a lot of money matters, in fact.  Hell, I wouldn't really have to worry about anything.  Basic training can't be all that bad.  The problem is, once I sign on, I can't back out.  I'm stuck with little chance for advancement unless I work many, many, times harder than I really should be working.

National Guard would be the easy way out financially, but that's not what I really want to go into.  As much as I’d like to go into music performance, there are just too many wannabes to overcome out there.  I would most likely be relegated into teaching music (something I really hate) rather than performing it.  Katie wants to teach at a university, but Katie also wants to be a flute major.  I wouldn’t get anywhere as a saxophone major, and I’m not good enough to be a piano major.

Engineering, on the other hand, seems doable.  Everybody wants more engineers.  The field is expanding exponentially.  The success rate is great (provided you can make a passing grade in the physics segments).  But it requires a lot of work, and while I usually don’t mind productive work, I begin to get irritated when it starts cutting into my personal time and getting in the way of the things I love.  That includes music.  I wouldn’t be able to pull a bachelor of engineering degree and bachelor of music degree at the same time.  Taking on engineering seems pretty suicidal in and of itself (considering how much trouble I have with physics).  But I still can’t abandon my music.

Then there’s always the issue of studying.  I can’t stand studying.  I either get it or I don’t.  I’ve noticed that usually, things come to me all at once, in a burst of insight rather than gradually by careful study.  Any study that I do is simply preparing fro when that insight comes.  Unfortunately, it would be nothing short of foolhardy to rely entirely on insight for all of my learning needs.  It works, but I get really frustrated waiting for something to click, and others even more so.  My mom always needles me about how I need to practice piano more.  She doesn’t understand that in 30 minutes on a good day I could do more than 4 hours a day for a week on a bad week.  This is no way to function.  I can’t go to college like that.  Everything there is scheduled and occurs on regular intervals.  I can’t afford to wait for my answers.  But if I don’t, I have to work many times as hard as everyone else to achieve the same level of productivity.  I don’t learn to do things, they come to me.  I need someone to understand that.

But the question remains: can it be understood?

ALL-STATE RESULTS ARE BACK!!!!! :shock:

But that's okay.  The news isn't all bad because

I MADE IT IN BY GOD!!!

I'm second chair tenor sax in all-state band, but apparently, I got there only by default.  I was ranked 3rd in the state (which isn't that bad I guess, but I still wouldn't have made the cut), but the kid that was ranked #2 elected to go to alto, so I got in on tenor.  I guess this is God's way of keeping me humble; my fate was entrusted to fortune and not my own work.  On alto, I was ranked #7 in the state.  I'm surprised I even placed in the top 10.  I even managed to beat out Colin Martin from UHS by a wide margin.  I think that George Washington HS and Morgantown HS owned the saxophone section this time around.

MHS had representatives from pretty much every section.  Allow me to demonstrate:

MHS All State List
Kallie Jecklin - Flute
Rebekah Moore - Flute
Naushin Ahmed - Eb Clarinet*
Andrea Schlunk - Bb Clarinet (Orchestra)
Kristin Reed - Oboe (Orchestra)
Brendan Coleman - Horn
Donna Moore - Trumpet*
Kate O'Donnell - Trumpet
Matt Goff - Alto Saxophone*
Sam Mazza - Alto Saxophone
James Hsiao - Tenor Saxophone
Ben Lauffer - Percussion*
Dylan Stewart - Percussion
*Principle (First-chair for the musically challenged)

(Watch me leave someone out...)

Yes, it was a good day indeed. 8)

This is my essay for my University of Michigan Application.  I 'd forgotten just how it felt to crash-write something like that, so I'm not sure if it's any good or not.  But oh well, here goes nothing:

PROMPT Some writers suggest that by tradition, science is concerned with truth while art is concerned with beauty.  How might these two endeavors be the same?  How might they be irreconcilably different?

In my past experience, two concepts have always been apparent in all that I have observed: form and essence.  Form by its very nature is concerned with the inner workings of the device: how it is put together, how those parts work together to create a working device.  Science by virtue of its own empiricism is the study of form.  With the pursuit of form comes the pursuit of truth, as buried inside the more complex forms are simpler forms which ultimately contain the most basic forms, which we will take as the elementary truth of that object.

Essence, however, is concerned only with why the object or device is put together.  Every creation, be it by God or Man, possesses a purpose.  The purpose does not concern itself with how, only why.  The “Why” makes for a “How.”  Art, in its very manner of expression is a prime example of this.  The medium for art can change, but the same basic essence will still be there.  Ultimately, the common thread between all works of art is the fact that they were designed with a purpose, expressed in the provided medium, and made beautiful by conscious reference as such.

It appears that the two components, form and essence, are diametrically opposed.  Form has structure but no purpose.  Essence has purpose but no structure.  However, in the real world, the two are inseparable components of all things physical and metaphysical.  Take for example, a computer.  If you take the computer apart and analyze each of the components individually, you will discover that they are organized and presented in a form and arranged in a structure.  They are connected in a certain way and trigger in a certain sequence to get something done.  But if you had no idea why it was supposed to do that, what value would it have been to you?  The computer was designed with a purpose in mind (most can multi-task, but for the sake of brevity I will keep it to one: word processing): to allow you to type, organize, and print a report.  Without the circuitry (the form), the purpose cannot be realized.  But without the purpose (the intelligent design that went into the purpose), the circuitry has no meaning.  It becomes junk, useless to the last.

It is often said that truth is beautiful.  But perhaps it is not so much beautiful as elegant.  Everything fits and everything works but it is dead.  It has no soul.  Dreams have soul.  They show visions of magnificent works and endless possibilities but they have no form.  They cannot be executed without a willing architect.  Thus they are locked away in their own realm to die.  In this, both Truth and Beauty– Form and Essence– coexist to form reality as we know it.  The search for Truth (science) and the search for Beauty (art), is therefore one and the same: the search for Life.

Yesterday was all-state band auditions.  :shock:  When I arrived, I expected it to be crowded and to have lots of insanely good players in the warmup room to intimidate my friends and I.  To my surprise, there was only one killer sax player.  The rest of them were pretty mediocre.  The one was Nick, a guy from Robert C. Byrd HS that I met at honor band.  His technique is awesome, but I can't really say the same for his tone.  I was also notified that apparently entire schools had dropped out of the all-state competition, removing some of the competition pressure.

I believe that this year Morgantown High was the school that supplied the most applicants from any single place.  With any luck, we'll be able to take all-state by storm this year.  The saxophone players from Morgantown High were just waiting to kick some ass this year.  My alto audition went well, my tenor audition almost as well, and my bari sax audition mediocre.  Matt Goff is a freaking prodigy so you won't even have to worry about him.  Sam Mazza has a lot of firepower at his disposal, so I think he can take care of himself.  But mulling over it isn't going to do me much good; the only thing I can do now is entrust my fate to God.

Yeah, well, I'm going to go chill; it's been a long day with show choir and all.  Plus, I have to go back tomorrow for 6 hours.  I need to rest.

Chill out

These are sort of resolutions but not really, just a list of things that I really should get back into the habit of doing:

- Photography
- Essay writing
- Short story writing
- Poetry (extensive reading and writing)
- Landscape and still sketches
- Action sketches
- Concept model design
- Stargazing

*List may or may not be added to/deleted from depending on how lazy I am lol :lol:

I'm really quite surprised that I'm even awake right now, considering I was up until about 3 last night.  No big deal, though; I've got one more day and my written homework load is quite light.

I had a little New Year's Eve party at my place with a group of close friends.  It was very nice.  We started off passing photo albums around because Jenn brought her ENTIRE FREAKING ARCHIVE (but hey, that's okay), then set up the projector to watch "The Day After Tomorrow."  It actually wasn't a bad movie; acting was a bit sketchy at times, but the special effects were amazing.  Having Katie there with me helped :D.  Afterwards, Shane and I started Assault on the Control Room in Halo and somehow managed to get stuck on a landing platform a thousand feet above where we were supposed to be :roll:.

We inadvertently played through midnight, but that's all right; we spent a little more time with the girls before sending them home, then tried the mission one last time.  I swear, that's the longest freakin' mission in the game, so we just gave up and talked until around 3 when we just passed out.

Amazingly, it was the first time that break where I had really been able to get together with my friends like that.  But that didn't really matter.  All that matters was that it was a good night.

It’s the morning after and I feel REALLY stiff.  It’s like a hangover, despite the fact that I had consumed nothing in the way of alcohol.  However, it’s a good feeling because it’s attached to a sense of accomplishment.  Yesterday was a long day, but almost everything was eclipsed by the dance.  The only thing really worth saying is that I donated blood that day and I was kind of afraid that I would pass out at Ramada.  But I didn’t, so it’s all good.

The flowers cost me more than dinner did.  But it would have hurt a lot more had I gone to Oliverio’s like we had planned earlier.  Instead, I took Katie to Jenn’s house for dinner.  It was a very nice little setup, spaghetti, salad, home made bread (yum).

The dance itself really didn’t amount to much, so I don't even think I should bother going into vivid detail.  Suffice to say that I spent pretty much the whole night with Katie after the rest of my senior friends bailed.

After we finished, I went to Eat 'n Park with Katie, Chelsea, Virginia, and Noelle.  It was late, so none of us were really with it at all.  The girls did their little Secret Santa thing, and we talked about random stuff the whole night.  Food was good, milkshakes satisfying, and being exhausted, we all slept well that night.  Before I left the restaurant, I kissed Katie goodnight, the right way.  I believe everyone saw that one; and at this point, I don’t care.  I’m good to go. 

This morning I woke up wondering if any of it had really happened.  Then I saw the rose lying on my desk where I had left it the night before.  A smile crossed my face and I knew I had it made.

Looking at the big picture may be the way to go to get things done in the long run, but It gets tedious at times.  If that's all you ever do, you'll probably get depressed and want to kill yourself several times over (I know I have).  So now that it's Friday (Thank the Lord God Almighty), I decided to look back on the little things that happened to be the highlights of my week:

1) I got away with wearing my wingtip shoes with my tuxedo at the Wind Ensemble demo concert at Suncrest Middle School.

2) Class rings came in!  Apparently, I'm the only one with the Excel design (black onyx stone with cubic zirconium inset)

3) I was over at Katie's house for a few hours on Wednesday.  Now that I know what color her dress is, I can figure out what flower to get with the corsage...

4) We caught a ride back to the high school on one of the South Middle School buses after the Jazz Band demo concert.  We cheered for every other kid that got on and totally creeped out the others with silence in between.  On the way back, we sang.  And what did we sing?  THE FIELD SHOW!  I think we scarred them for life...

5) Today in chamber choir, Clark wasn't there, so Barry had the choir sight read through some music.  However, halfway through, he decided to give them the day off, so people just hung out in Mr. Clark's room.  Alex Beldan goes straight for the guitars, of course.  I start playing piano and I happen to fall into the chord progression to Ben Folds' The Luckiest.  Stephanie Lacagnin starts singing along, then Alex joins in with vocals and guitar, and pretty soon, we've got half the choir singing along with us.  We finish the song and everyone starts cheering.  It was awesome.

6) Next week we have 3 days and then the band dance.  What a way to kick off Winter Break!

Chill 8)

I'm still burned out from this weekend, but I'll have to say that it was well worth it.

Friday night, I went to see The Incredibles with Doyle, Kati, Katie, Chelsea, and Kenneth.  I'd have to say that that was by far the best superhero movie I have ever seen.  It's got the perfect balance between action and humor, and throws some interesting family and philosophical issues in there too.  Tack on a rockin' jazz score and you're all set.  I am sooooooo buying the soundtrack when it comes out.

The road trip yesterday wore me out.  I probably would have been pulling my hair out if I didn't have Katie there to talk with.  Sitting in the cold and then marching around on a contaminated field that was under water just 3 weeks ago really didn't make my day, but Katie made up for it :D.  Ironically, I think that was the best show we had ever played.  We had all the energy and excitement we needed and the seniors were pumped and ready to go, rubbing off on everyone else apparently.  Of course, notice how I said it was the best we had ever PLAYED.  Our marching and drill execution will always suck.

When we got back to Morgantown, we had to go straight from school to the Christmas parade, which didn't totally blow considering we were all tired and cold and wanting to go home.  I have finished my last football game with the band and my last MHS Christmas parade EVER.  It's sort of a bittersweet moment; I never have to march in that parade again, but I'm also moving ever closer to the day where I'll have to leave this place, my younger friends (and girlfriend), and my memories behind to start something new.

But hey, things are looking up, so why am I complaining? 8)

Chill.

So, after wading through copious amounts of college applications papers, getting over a fatigue-based hangover from the game last night, and trying desperately to wake up, I was actually able to feel good about myself.

I went to Country Lane Photography to pick up my proofs, which came out very well.  I split the remainder of the afternoon among practicing all-state music on saxophone, practicing for the semester recital on piano, writing college essays, starting my reading record paper for English, and working on the semester project for English; none of which I really managed to get done (let's hear it for multitasking).

Evening came, and I went off to see the MHS Drama production of Three Murders and it's Only Monday.  It was really funny, in a dorky sort of way; an enjoyable performance that was well-executed.  But the highlight of my evening was something else entirely.  Let's just say that I had a date with an angel, Katie Gallagher :D (Yes in the midst of all the political venom-spewing, flak dodging, paper-pushing, and Physics HW, I've managed to pick up a girl).

After the play, I called my dad for an extension, promising to be home by curfew.  I caught a ride with Doyle and we went to Pizza Hut to meet up with Katie, Virginia, Noelle, Chelsea, and Mary.  We ordered pizza and conversed for two hours about random stuff, interspersed with bouts of Mortal Kombat arcade (which Noelle managed to owned everyone at).  After we had finished, we went outside; and while Doyle showed off his ghetto cruiser to the rest of the girls, Katie and I decided to go for a walk...

It was an evening well spent; I haven't had that much fun in a long time.  I certainly hope I'll get to do that again soon.

Chill 8)

Yeah, despite the previous commentary in the last blog, the flak you've seen shot at me, and the nukes I've dropped, I'm REALLY getting sick of politics.  I'll catch the argument later when I've had enough time to get it out of my system and be able to carry on decent conversation without threatening to stab the other person to death with a pencil...

Yeah, I'm frazzled, can ya tell?

Took the SAT1 last weekend, which will be the last one I ever take (Praise God Almighty), and I think I did pretty well.  With any luck at all, I'll be able to break 1500 and then I won't have to worry so much about not meeting the SAT thresholds for the schools I'm applying to.

I also have to haul it on music practice because the Jazz Band has a gig on December 7th that I'm a featured soloist for, All-state Band auditions are coming up in May and I've yet to set up lessons with Angel Negrin, I have a piano recital on Dec 11th, and the Herman Goedes concerto competition is coming up in February. (Whew!)

Fortunately, Veteran's Day is tomorrow, so I have another day to catch up sleep and make up work.  Speaking of sleep, I'm needing that right about now despite my two hour nap earlier this afternoon.

Chill.

The insurgency will not listen to governmental authority or US negotiation pleas.  Peace talks have broken down repeatedly and the insurgency believes that they are invulnerable.  It is time to show them that they are human just like the rest of us, and therefore fallible.

The new Fallujah Plan:

The US military will surround and prepare to assault Fallujah.

Air strikes and artillery bombardment will continue.

A temporary cease-fire will be called.

An ultimatum is to be issued: If the insurgents refuse to lay down their arms and surrender peacefully and unconditionally, then the assembled forces will proceed to enter the city, burn every building to the ground, kill every man, woman, child, and animal, insurgent or civillian, in the city; in other words, wipe Fallujah off the face of the Earth.

Air strikes and artillery begin again.

If the insurgents refuse to surrender, which I suspect they won't, begin the extermination process.

Continue extermination until militants cry for mercy and surrender.

Show them the true nature of warfare and what it does to humanity.  Show them that it's their fault that we can't fix the problems that are cropping up in Iraq.  Show them that they are responsible for deaths of their own people.  Show them that the US cannot repair the damage it did with them in the way. 

And if they still do not see, then show no mercy, for they deserve none if they cannot accept what is presented before them.

James: Let's go for the island so we don't get run over
Doyle: *Puzzled look* But where are the coconuts??

Doyle: Can I pick a fight?

James: If that would have been an island, you would have just smashed all the coconuts...

Rebekah K.: (to Nikita) Here, now you can meet Breanna's sexy Asian boyfriend

Nikita: I've never shaken hands before.
Breanna: There's a first time for everything.

Some random girl: I think she's really scary, like Breanna's boyfriend...
Doyle: YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?!?!

Sam: Wouldn't it be sooo funny if that guy broke his leg??

Kim: Show them your mad Matrix skills!

James: Is it just me, or do we get stupider every time we drop by UHS?

Doyle and Hsiao: STOP!  IT'S HAMMER TIME!!!

Hold me close once more,
That Death’s embrace may not catch me too soon
Once more,
That crimson sunset and dying daylight may find us yet again

One more running shot to take the edge
One more steel-edged strike to feel the pain
One more searing blast to taste the flames
 

Call for sun, call for wind,
That our hearts and sails may always be full
Call for drinks, call for blessings,
That we may not face a fiery end
 

One more blinded jump to feel the rush
One more toast to good times
One more desperate breath ‘fore we plunge into void
 

Feel the pain and know that you live
Let not the cloak of death overtake you

Feel the edge of polished steel
And let the enemy know your wrath

Feel the rush of wind ‘neath your wings

That you may not forget the breath you draw,
Feel the dazzling flash of blazing sunlight,

That you may know the infinite expanse of earth and sea and sky and space
 

One more smile of brilliance to seal our friendship
One more lover’s embrace to see us off
One more kiss for luck and we’re on our way
 

Run for the sunrise,
Drink to the sunset,
Here’s to the night that births the sun!
 

Here’s to all who have truly lived!
That they may feel the blood of life thundering through their veins,
The winds of fortune, and the exalted rays of golden Sun on their faces
 

Just once more…

**Work from late last night, which I'll probably let sit for a few days before revising

Wow, I meant to update 3 days ago, but lately, I haven’t had time to do anything, including eat and sleep :roll:.  It’s sad really.  But here’s a run-down:  Wednesday, I went with Doyle, Shane, Tara, Jenn, and Kati to see “Without a Paddle.”  That movie was freaking hilarious, and yet philosophically meaningful at the same time.  It was a very satisfying way to end the summer.

First day of school was kind of retarded because they sent us to all periods instead of going even-odd like they were supposed to.  But I can’t exactly complain, considering I’m a student and no one listens to the students, even though we are now SENIORS.  Oh well.  Second day was just a normal odd day, which surprisingly, I enjoyed, despite the fact that I have Gibby twice in the same day.  After that, we packed up, prepped the buses and rolled on down to Buchannon for the away game against BUHS.  By the way, we 0WN3D them to the entirety.  The football team smashed them 42-0 and our band kicked the snot out of their band with a better program and better players.  The bus ride down was kinda painful considering I had to deal with Christine bugging me about every little thing, but I made it out alive.  The bus ride back was better, I talked with Jenn the whole time and didn’t let Christine bug me again, so in the end it worked out all right.

As for today, I spent the better part of it sleeping, so there’s really not much to say.

And that’s my wonderful weekend… 8)

Band camp.

The first thing everyone thinks of is a massive amount of work, hot muggy weather, and drill instructors from hell.  In a sense that was correct, but they missed out on the little things that not many people catch.  Matress surfing, hanging out on the front porch and just talking with friends at 1:00 in the morning, duct taping someone to their bed and then beating them with a pillow, playing with the tapioca pudding in the dining hall, marching in the rain, running sectionals with Mr. Goff, goofing off with my fellow section leaders, and the list goes on.

Everyone wants me to describe senior vespers, but it just doesn't work. It's not something to be described, but something to be experienced.  If I described it in words, it would be corny, sappy, and stupid, but in experience, it has substance and spirit.  Everyone seemed to be able to connect better that night, no longer were there vendettas and enemies, only brothers and sisters, lovers and friends.  A lot of things wen through my head that night, and I think some of them, I'll never quite get sorted out, but whatever it was, it felt good.

But now it feels so strange to be back.  Saturday morning I woke up in my own bed in my own room with no drummers banging their drums on the porch, no Ben and Chris jabbering on, no Joe cracking random jokes, and no duct tape on my sleeping bag.  I felt almost lonely that morning, knowing that it was the last time I'd be at camp with my friends, sharing communal living space and just goofing off and having a good time.

It feels good to move on, but in a way it was kind of sad.  Some of the happiest memories of my life came from camp.  I don't think any of us will ever really forget it.