This next one isn't Vermeer (It's "The Procuress" by Dirck van Baburen), but if you look closely you can tell it's same painting as is depicted in the upper right hand corner of "The Concert" above.

Lake Needwood was very pleasant and filled with the Thanksgiving/Chrismas smell of a crisp winter forest. I hadn't gone to Rock Creek Park in a bit, and was surprised to notice that the trees were bare. I went into Rock Creek to gather the temperature vs. depth data with the temperature probe on the yardstick. I was wearing Milla's boots because I was the only one with feet small enough, except maybe Milla. We were trying to find a place with a depth of 60 centimeters, so I had waded into the center of the creek disregarding the water gushing into the boots and soaking my socks. I hadn't realized it would be so cold, or that the current could apply such insistent and constant pressure. I'd always thought the water would flow around me. I came back up and took off my socks and wrung them out and hung them out to dry on a tree branch and let other people do the rest of the data points. It would not prevent Ed and Milla from cuddling on the leafy bank later while I watched the water pour across a line of rocks in little rapids. Something I noticed was, the water never stops moving. (Well duh.) The ripples and the foam, the light and the shadow, is all caused by water rushing away from me, replaced by the same amount of water coming towards me, and yet from a distance, or to someone not paying attention, it looks as still and as clear as glass and as constant as if the water were a solid and unmoving sheet.

Afterwards, we had a lot of free time to just play around. We found that Rob and Dena balanced each other out on the seesaw, me and Alex balanced out Rob and Dena, and me and Alex balanced out each other. I picked up a nice walking stick David had hurled into the field as a javelin. I played on the swings to the creaking of chains. We took a walk around the lake, gleaming under the ashen sky and bare trees like unpolished metal.

Hank, Josh, Puffy (who is no longer puffy) and Alex burst into "Every Sperm is Sacred," a rap version of "I Like Chinese" and the Lumberjack Song on the bus trip, much to the dismay of everyone else. Josh and Puffy had a freestyle rap-off against Xu, and though Xu thinks he won, I think otherwise. I mean, Xu simply can't compete with such quality lines as

"Don't diss my dad at NIST just because he's a genius.
He looks through an electron microscope to find your penis!"

"Xu's sex life is so sad it's like investment banking;
whenever it gets bad he must resort to yanking."

"My dick is so big and so hairy and so long,
There are a alot of hippies who use it as a bong!"

Quality, quality.

Midnight Monday

Yesterday I went with my parents to Stella's house for early Thanksgiving dinner by candlelight. Stella and Jonathan continued being an awesome cooking couple. I'm really glad that for at least the last two years that I can remember, our family has actually been eating turkey and stuffing like a proper Thanksgiving meal. I know it's rather superficial, but I'm still glad that there is now an Asian household capable of cooking a turkey. Dongwoo and Maggie were there, continuing the Thanksgiving tradition of really tasty garlic mashed potatoes, and the nontradition of really sketchy gravy, respectively. It didn't mix well. By the time the gravy boat was empty, there was just this layer of oil. And really buttery, but tasty, succotash. My mom and dad got birthday presents, which were plum blossom perfume and plum wine. I have no idea what was up with the plums, but it was quite pleasant. My dad expounded on the history of corks while everyone else tried to look interested, my mom swapped recipes and we all talked about New York's Chinatown and food quality.

Also, I managed to cut my left index finger with a plastic knife and actually draw blood. By accident, of course. Still painful.

I am reading "Girl In A Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier and was inspired to go looking through Vermeer paintings. These are all the paintings described or alluded to in the book, in chronological order.

The next painting isn't actually in the book, but the painting in the painting is the painting that Griet describes hanging from the Crucifixion Room.

Then I realized that the last one was not Vermeer, but a picture of Harry Potter in drag (link provided by WB. I love ya, Dubs.) The pictures are from The Play What I Wrote, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

I was doing some research about canned foods out of curiosity and came up with this:

An educational French comic.

Senior Skip Day started off with trees in front of the school being festively toilet-papered. It felt immensely festive and like a holiday despite me actually having to come to school. It was my English presentation day, so I couldn't be absent for the whole day. Nick and I tried to escape before fourth period through the back side of the school near the art portables ("Cottages of Learning") but were noticed by a security dude as we were walking down the sidewalk with our conspicuous backpacks, who asked us where we were going. Nick made up something about getting stuff from his car, and security pretended to believe us so that we could save face. That could have been better planned, as pointed out later. For example, we could've stowed our packs somewhere and had a getaway car parked there. Even if we'd been caught:

"Where are you going?"
"To my car."
*drives off*

Cut us some slack!! It's our first time being truants!

Jen later told us that the back is one of the most guarded places in the school. Bah. Nick went to English, and I went to go to Econ, only to find the room empty, devoid of both teacher and any students at all, and with the lights off. As Sarah told me later, they had all gone to Thomas' room to play cards, but I didn't know that, so I went down the English hallway, peeping into various rooms until I finally found where Nick was and joined him. Read Ivanhoe the whole period. Wasn't too bad. We did manage to make it out for an extended lunch with Nick, Jen, Ranwa, Ruchita, Hank, Sarah, Lisa, and Alex (who'd stayed home but courteously showed up just for us). Andrew just couldn't bring himself to do it. We found that Tara Asia wasn't open yet, and went to CalTor, where we found Ben Evans and Pouya.. Lisa told us about how she'd once been given dirty looks on a bus during exams because the driver thought she was a truant, and those of us who saw Harry Potter told everyone about how they'd left a dirty Haiku for Pouya in one of Potbelly's cupboard drawers. Sharon was taking a test at lunch, and joined us later with Josh. By then we'd finished eating, so Josh, who was starving, got some stuff to go while the rest of us, including non-lunched Sharon (apparently she's a chameleon and lives on puffs of air), went to Ben and Jerry's and got hot chocolate, waiting for Josh to catch up. We returned to school a few minutes before 6th, feeling nervously giggly and wondering how we'd get in. The door in the band hall, by which Boucher usually parks herself, was ajar, invitingly open, and we all slunk in, worrying about the beady little eyes of the closed-circuit cameras and making our way to the end of the hallway outside of the band room. I'm sure they noticed us. But Gaffney was subbing, so nobody cared. Mr. Perry discovered us when he returned, but he didn't care either.

This was summed up by Martz actually trying to teach, but passing out Hershey's kisses to make up for it, and a cookies-and-juice party in English, making me really mellow during my presentation and feeling scandalously (for the IB) informal.

Ahhh... Nice day.

Saw Harry Potter with Nick, Sharon, Josh, Alix, Ranwa, and Alex (not Malex) but not Andrew Durfor, who, it turns out, was sick with some sort of stomach virus, as he told me later. Aww! It was really good... a lot better than the first movie. I spent most of the time making comments, which people claimed were loud but I didn't, which probably means it's time for my ear medication. I wish amongst our group we had those Palm Pilot things so I could comment on movies at the theater in peace. Some things in the movie I felt were handled better than in the book, some things were worse. But it all about evens out. Some things were bad in the book originally but the movie brought them to light. I'll make more comments about the movie when we've all seen it..

Then we went to eat at Potbelly's, where Nick acted like he was drunk. It's just the Irishness. Much Josh/Nick gayness abounded. Josh related his hot tub story. Nick and Sharon both imitated each other. Nick told the story of the woman he saw in the men's bathroom at Regal. People discussed who they'd kissed if that "you've had sex with everyone your partner has previously had sex with" thing they tell you in STD class applied to kissing. We speculated what we'd all do on a desert island. Craziness abounds.

I prayed for the first time again in a long time. It was very awkward, and sort of like talking to a wall.

I pray better when I don't intend to pray. Sometimes I'm just lying down and thinking or hurting or crying and my thoughts go upwards and away from me.

Been doing mass blog reading, with the feeling that maybe if I read people's blogs and comment I'll get to know them better. To make more friends, or, more accurately, to turn acquaintances into friends. This is something Nick, who doesn't read my blog because I'm an uninteresting person, doesn't realize about himself when he beats himself up- he is naturally good with people. I am not.

Finished Sims' blog, and it's strange reading a few months of her life in one day. It's very strange.. we are remarkably similiar, but I never got to know her all that well. I have the feeling that maybe if we were in the same grade or if I had made a better effort earlier, we might have ended up best of friends. But as it were.

Que sera sera.

Andrew Durfor has agreed to come watch Harry Potter with us. That makes.. three or so?

If anyone else IMs me about a project or schoolwork tonight, I will shoot him. I don't like having dinner interrupted by academic phone calls, but still. Don't IM me.

Dragon's Heart was the dorkiest thing I've ever been to in a long time. Yes, it is D&D and yes, this was the first meeting. Actually, roughly half of the people there were girls.. I didn't know anyone though, except for Mary, a Generic Brown-Haired Girl From Archaeology, and John Barkmeyer. We also had a bunch of people stop in who thought it was a video gaming club.

Oh, apparently we aren't allowed to bring dice to school because they're "gambling" so we have to use randomized dice programs on our calculators.

Quote of the Day:

"I LIKE LYCANTHROPES!" -chubby boy with glasses.

Finally saw Splendor in the Grass (which I still feel ought to be spelled with a u, like in the poem the title comes from), on the last showing. The house was fairly small because of the pouring rain and because it's the last show, though I thought the last show would've been packed with people because it was their last chance to see the play. It was hard to find people I know, but I found Janis anyhow. Yay! We found Stevie during intermission getting coffee, who greeted Janis with a spontaneous high-pitched squeal (Stevie, not the coffee). Followed by Janis saying, "I like your hair," and Stevie replying, "I like your necklace," which seems to be a uniquely female way of saying, "Nice to see you too." Nonetheless, Janis was a bit apprehensive about mingling with people because she no longer goes to RM and felt like an outsider, but I noted that Stevie was enthusiastic enough about seeing her again, and sure enough, anyone she encountered greeted her with spontaneous high pitched squeals. List for Blackmail: Elissa, Ranwa, Meg, Ruchita, but Not Dena, who didn't squeal.

About the actual play.

It was very good. I've been noticing that KrebPlays are noticably different from BeckerPlays in that KrebPlays have much simpler sets. The lighting was like 90% of the set.. not that that was a bad thing. Yes. Martin and Ruchita can act. People have been saying that Martin is a dark horse actor, but I never thought it was surprising that he can act... he's always done exceptionally in reading plays aloud in English and stuff. I was surprised, though, at Danielle (the girl who plays Ginny)'s amazing acting skillz.. I didn't think she was a Drama type.

*coughnotdorkyenoughcough* ...Joke..

I'm still trying to figure out what Splendor is about. I mean, I know what it's about but not what it's about. It's not a very conventional play in that it has a story. It's more like an "A Year In The Life Of ___" sort or thing. I spent a week trying to figure out what Carousel was about; I'll probably have better luck on this one.

I understand Martin's character except for his random violent outburst that isn't ever explained. And the "Let's kill off random members of his family!" thing. And the fact that seeing his sister in a car with a guy and getting beat up suddenly makes him want to break up with Deanie. Ruchita's character is a bit stranger. So... she tries to kill herself and suddenly hates her parents and feels that she's lost her youth because Bud broke up with her? Okeeeee. Yah, I think she is psycho.

I didn't find the play to be that depressing, actually. Maybe it was because our audience kept laughing in random places.. we started laughing in the dramatic scene when Ruchita is yelling, "TAKE ME!" and getting dragged off stage... that must take a lot of self confidence.

PS: Barry makes for a great preacher.

Weird dreams I've been having, probably due to actually getting enough sleep:

-Me and a bunch of friends are staying at a hotel. Somehow, I discover that I can fly around on a broomstick like Harry Potter because it's a magic broomstick.

-Playing a strange RPG that's some mixture between the old game boy Zelda and Diablo II, and we're looking for like, a "Power Shield/boomerang" or something (Don't ask me how it works.. maybe it's a shield you can throw, like Xena's throwing disc). We find it in a treasure chest after busting through some walls with a mattock ala Final Fantasy Adventure, and we leave the dungeon. There's this cut-scene where me and my other party member are captured by this old villain dude. I throw a spear at him but miss, but while the villain's distracted, the other guy comes from behind and throws a knife at him.. and misses. The villain turns around to take on the other party member but I charge him with my spear, and the other party member grabs the knife and stabs the villain in the forehead in a surprisingly nonviolent way (it's about as gory as Crouching Tiger when the old dude takes a ninja star or something through the head from Jade Fox). We leave for the overworld, where our hot 3D rendered female party member is waiting for us, but the overworld creatures are really tough and she gets killed, and we grieve for her. We go across the overworld without her and take a lot of damage. Meanwhile, I'm looking over the shoulder of the guy who's playing the game (probably my cousin or something) and am like, "Dude, why're you taking so much damage? What armor do you have?" So he brings up the inventory menu and, since he's farther in the game than I am, has oodles of very cool armor. But it sucks relatively because I notice he doesn't know how to lock jewels/runes into the armor sockets. (It's a Diablo II expansion set thing. Don't ask. It's a lot like Final Fantasy VII's materia system, if that helps any). And then I wake up.

-Being mortified as I go to school and the World Lit deadline has spontaneously been moved up to Monday.

-Reading a long lost Tolkien novel which, to my pleasant surprise, is neither as long or as boring as Lord of the Rings.

I didn't realize my subconscious was so dorky.

Did you know that RM has a..Dragon's Heart Gaming Club... what?? I saw the ad in the upper English hallway. It sounds like a D&D club or something. You know it has to be when the ad reads "bring a love for fantasy and adventure" and written in that really campy "medieval" Diablo font.. Either that or Magic.

BTW, speaking of ads, I think that when we're considering what plays to put on, we should come up with plays that have titles that aren't easily turned into obscenities. Sort of how last year there were a bunch of drama posters for the nonexistant plays, "Fags," now we have a bunch of posters promoting, "Splendor in the Ass." I don't know who these people are.. while I was rather offended by the first conversion, this year I sort of admire their ingenuity.

New Fine Lines ads are up with photo-realistic outlines of people I know. It's creepy. I went to Fine Lines yesterday for the first time. Like English class, it seems rather pretentious.

Oh, what a beautiful day. I've never seen the sky so blue in quite a while.

The Fall Concert went quite well. Amazing, CC didn't look as bad in the outfits as I thought we would. I think that everyone, madrigals included, thought their outfits were really bad, but nothing was really that ugly. It was my first choral concert, so that was interesting. Much like Becker was at plays, Frezzo is really spastic...

Madrigals were awesome, but Testostertones were the life of the party. Much to do with Seth quasi-stripping. I think they'd make an awesome boy band, because they're cute and have this thing called... talent.

Went to Music Club, which was just Madrigals rehearsing. Despite my ever-present urges to strangle them, I honestly do respect them wholeheartedly. At risk of sounding like Emma, they're among the few performers I've heard that can stir up (septic waste from) my wells of emotion. There's something in the collective sound of human voices that makes me want to expand beyond myself, and something that in more superstitious times, and still now, made human beings think of God and believe. As Meg brought up, Amazing Grace for the bagpipes does it too (though she never mentioned the God part). I think maybe our generation misses out from not listening to live music anymore.

And Testostertones. Don't forget the Testostertones. I was listening to them, muffled, through the door.

Andrew recanted his statement from last Monday's rehearsal, saying he never once claimed to have played the bagpipes. Jen and I having both heard him say it, we ladies didst protest too much. We finally came to the compromise that he said "yes" to one of my incessant questions without actually knowing what he was giving his affirmation to.