The post that took two weeks to finish.

I have returned from Nashville! Like...a week ago...
Haven't been there in a while. But this time I was traveling on foot with a bunch of other chorus people (and a few from the band, but they kept to themselves for the most part). Too much construction going on! It was a nightmare trying to get around!
I roomed with Sarah Johnson, Carmen, and Libba. The band girls were in the adjacent room and the guys were down the hall. Helen and Mrs. Warren got the cushy room with the couch. Bah.
Our first day there we settled in, ate dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, where we were fascinated by the TV coverage of a college gymnastics event (all male), then met Helen at the Renaissance to pick up our nametags and whatnot so we could go to rehearsal. Hehe, we had some time to kill so we rode the elevator to the top floor. Judson just had to get off, and the doors closed. He called to yell at us on the way down. We're easliy amused.
The women's group was practicing in the sanctuary at the McKendree Methodist Church. Being the aspiring architect, I was being all ADD and staring around at the dome and the stained glass windows whenever I wasn't engaged in singing. Our conductor was a Canadian, which explains all the French songs.
After the first night's rehearsal, we met up with Hicks and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for drinks and dessert. After we'd left, Hicks proudly displayed his prize of the night: a menu to add to his collection of stolen restaurant paraphanalia. Laughter ensued. While we were walking back to the hotel (careful to avoid Printer's Alley, unlike the poor band girls) we ran into a few homeless people handing out flowers they'd picked from various gardens in the area. We were all tired from walking when we got back to the hotel, so we crashed pretty soon.
The next morning we went in search of breakfast and found a little cafe called Maggie's (or something to that tune). It's a lot like Pappy's in Milan, but with breakfast. Quick, cheap, everything you could want for a budget of two bucks. Then to rehearsal! More French, woo! And Greek food for lunch! And more rehearsal!
The women got out more than an hour early, so Libba and I wandered back over to the hotel where we hung out for a little while in Helen and Mrs. Warren's room. It was all giggles and smiles for Helen.
It was during this time that I called my mom regarding a message she'd left that afternoon. Something about an extension of my scholarship and whether she needed to water my violets or not. I asked her if she'd heard anything about the JCM march, but she was still relatively clueless.
Libba and I left around 9 to meet everyone at the Renaissance. On the elevator we met a girl who was in the group from Union that was attending the workshops. "Do you know Brennan?" "Uthe?!"
We were shocked to see Uthe in a short-sleeved shirt and NO TIE. *gasp*
And it was about this time that Libba's bra broke.
Off to Demo's. Tab's on Helen!
There were some jokes made toward Libba about the "Short, party of ten" announcement.
So we all ate really well, and Kevin and Libba decided to follow in the footsteps of dear Hicks, so they smuggled out a menu.
It was at this point that our decision-making skills slipped a little. It was about 10:35 and curfew was at 11. Only we figured that since Helen had just been with us we could go out for ice cream and be a little late. So off we went (WITH Uthe, so it's not like we were unsupervised). Passed a club, made a joke with Uthe since we were the only people old enough to get in, found the ice cream shop and proceeded to bum around. Brandon called Libba's phone a few minutes later. We had four minutes to be in our rooms. Yikes! Carmen, Libba, Judson, Uthe and I sprinted out of there, perplexing Melody, Sarah and Kevin, who were in line getting their orders. We were going pretty fast until Uthe broke off to go back to his hotel, but afterward we were running like a mofo, dodging drunk girls coming out of a parking garage, jaywalking, only not going up the scary alley because we would die.
Through the revolving door, up the elevator, around the corner...STOP! There was Helen, waiting for us like a watchdog. Judson ducked into the little room with the ice machine.
"Do you know what time it is?" We just stood there trying to catch our breath. "11:02..." Libba said.
"Where is Kevin?" Not "Where are the others," just Kevin.
We went back to our room and called the others. Still at the ice cream shop. They started running back, Melody was crying when Sarah and Kevin made her run through the scary alley.
We thought they were dead when they finally got back and Helen pulled them into her room. Initially we thought we could act like nothing happened...she probably wouldn't remember a thing the next morning...but there was one hitch: Mrs. Warren.
But strangely enough, it was her suggestion that saved us from any real punishment.
So much for the call Judson made to Melody's room. "Good morning, Madison. The following students have community service: Lane Norton, Hayne Hazelhurst, Zach Livelli, Melody Dale, Kevin Isbell, Sarah Johnson, Meredith Matheney, Carmen Wagster, Libba Walker, and Judson Wood..."

Cookie Monster making healthy food choices... *sigh* ... What's this world coming to?

Hey guys, guess what? I found out that Phantom is coming out on DVD May 3rd! Yay!
*insert jumping/squealing/yay-rah-ing break here*
And we found out yesterday that Danny Song went to a Spice Girls concert when he lived in Canada. Who knew?
I found three four-leaf (-leaved?) clovers today. Fun. And two of the little mutants were the domestic variety.
Packing for Nashville. Need snacks. Got clothes. Need to clean shoes...
So naturally it was time to blog.
I ramble. Meh...
Party at the Courtyard Marriot!

Nicole saw Spider-man at Best Buy today.

I'm not kidding, either.
Happy Birthday to Jenn (yesterday) and Becca T. (in case I don't remember on the 14th). I'm probably going to be full from the Cajun food and birthday cake until sometime tomorrow afternoon.
Anyway, today I went to the mall looking for a bra. Found nothing at JC Penney in my size, alas, so I had to go to Victoria's Secret. Went in for one thing, came out with six. Typical. But I was gonna need some more skivvies for my long absence this summer. Right. So I'm going to check out and I'm behind some elderly Menonite ladies. Complete with matching homemade dresses, aprons, and those little white caps. I just think it's funny...I know everyone has to buy their undies from somewhere, but these two ladies amidst the butt floss? Hehe...
I'm leaving now. It's almost late-ish.

If I was actually wearing socks, they'd be totally rocked by now.

We really don't do our best work on short notice. Or in the rain, either, once I think about it.
So Friday was Arbor Day. Mm hmm. The madrigal group had to go sing for the Madison/JCM Arbor Day assembly. We found this out Thursday. No time to come up with a fitting tree song.
Friday rolls around and we can see straight away that this was going downhill fast. Lauren was wearing sorts like something stupid, Brandon and Rob were late, Brandon didn't have his chorus shirt, and Jeremy never showed up! Smart Jeremy...
We crossed the line in the cold mist, shivering because we didn't have substantial protective clothing. In the time before this thing began we had enough time to observe how much our parking lot looked like USJ's compared to JCM's. And to notice that some guy was wearing a wooden bow tie. And that those weren't trees, they were shrubs!
Some JCM students finally arrived and the program started with a proclamation about something to do with trees and Arbor Day. Don't ask me what, I was cold and my brain had shut off. Then a girl read a poem about being a tree. But she did it in the Mad Black Woman voice.
We were on after that. We started off okay, but somewhere around the end of verse one Helen started laughing, and when the director starts laughing there's no hope of getting very far. So we stopped and started again. Same thing. I have no idea what was so funny, but it was apparently hilarious. We stopped again. And picked up somewhere in the middle of the song. We made it through without any more mass giggling, but as soon as we finished we tried to run away. But no, we had to stay for the bow tie guy's speech and flag presentation to the principals. Upside-down. Backwards. Upside-down and backwards. And finally upright.
Then we ran away. Quickly. Kevin and Libba looked back and Mrs. Redding was walking behind us, still laughing, even though we all figured we would be crucified by the administration.
And Sarah Johnson is now my hero because she snuck out of school and went home for a necessary purpose.
Nobody could walk past another person from the group for the rest of the day without giggling again.
Fortunately we didn't get into too much trouble in class. Uthe didn't make us do a bunch of theory, but actually sang some pieces from his senior recital and let us play a game at the end of class.
Woo and yay, school let out, and I was looking forward to Beauty and the Beast. Grant and Greg (Cogsworth and Lumierre) were probably the best at interacting with each other and the script. Tiffany did a wonderful job as Belle, and I do not envy Adrianna's costume.
On the theater note, if I had it my way there would be no sound systems, just a properly built theater and actors trained to project well, whether speaking or singing. Plus I think the orchestra would like an orchestra pit, rather than chairs in the corner.
Cross your fingers, I asked Grant if he'd go to Madison's prom with me and I'm supposed to hear back from him soon.

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

Now read it backwards.
For those of you who were conspicuously absent, I visited the rest of my poor amigos who had school today. And the first thing I noticed when I got there (aside from the stares I got from uniform-clad lunchers) was that Dr. Red's office was completely covered in Post-It notes. And I says to myself, I says, "Ahh, April 1."
So I continue down the corridor and I see Eileen, who kindly directs me to the ticket booth where most everyone else is located.
Don't we live in a wonderfully ironic world? Who'dve thunk that the lost videotape would come back to haunt us in such a hilarious manner? Not I. Well, actually it haunted everyone who was pulled out of class. Anyhoo, those involved seemed to be thoroughly amused.
I'm gonna go check on my brushes, then continue painting.
Later!