rehearsal of doom...

I've never liked body microphones. The first time I wore one was in "CATS". That mic pack was one that you taped to your cheek.

I found out today that I have to wear a mic for "Seasons of Love". Only it's a weird mic. It's called: a hair mic. You clip it to your hair in two places, at the base of your hair line and at the back of your scalp. Then you tape it to your neck. Then you put it into a bag around your waist or, in some cases, in a pouch near your chest.

The problem with a hair mic is that it's very obvious. I mean, it kind of looks like a piece of fluff of peanut butter or gum stuck in your hair right above your forehead. SO, you have to hide it somehow. Since it was just tech rehearsal we weren't too concerned about hiding the mics right then, but we had to think about it for the performances. I wonder how I'm going to fix my hair over it...

The tech rehearsal was long, but not super long for me because my specialty number was at the very beginning of the program. As soon as I was done I left. When I got home I was feeling really down. I was frustrated with the rehearsal, I was nervous about upcoming tests, AND my costumes still weren't done. My mom had had a ton of math homework so she couldn't help me, and I don't know how to sew that sort of stuff. We called a lady in my ward, and she agreed to help but then her husband called back an hour later to tell us that she'd come down really sick.

I didn't know what to do. I pulled out the neighborhood directory and looked up people who I know can sew. I found Sister Baird's number, who helped with my skirt before. I called her and asked if she could help me hem the skirt and fix the length of the bodice, and she said she'd help me.

Goodness gracious, she did help me!! Plus her husband showed my dad how they'd done the kitchen, and I've decided that I want a kitchen like they have when I grow up. Talk about counters!! You can never have too much counterspace, I think.

So it's been working out again. :)

sunday...

Today is Sunday. Nothing happened except that I slept. Oh, and:

• Drank orange juice
• Cough syrup every 4 hours
• Ibuprofen every 6-8 hours
• Ate/drank chicken broth
• Read
• Facebook

Tomorrow is Monday. *sigh* I am not ready for it yet.

rest day...

Today was tech rehearsal. It wasn't mandatory for any students in choir, but it was extra credit if you went. I was planning on going, but I haven't been getting any better. In fact, I've been getting worse. My voice is nearly gone now, and it just hurts all over. Today I just stayed in bed and slept or read books.

I'm so glad it's the weekend. Hopefully this will all work out and I'll be able to perform.

Speaking of working out, I need to get my costumes finished. The purple dress my grandma sewed together is too long in the torso, and the blue skirt that Sister Baird did is too long and comes to my ankles. See? Short.

specialty numbers...

Today we had a rehearsal overlap problem. The rehearsal for "America" and the rehearsal for specialty numbers were scheduled at the same time. It was interesting. The first thing that was practiced was the song "Seasons of Love". I can't be in that number because I have a really quick costume change, from preshow to "Grease". I sat and watched for a long time, and then it was time for the specialy numbers to practice.

"Grease" is first on the program after the opening choir number. We finally got everything set on the stage and all of the spacing worked out. Finally. It was kind of frustrating because a couple of people didn't want to be moved or consistently said that they couldn't move two feet fast enough (which they really could, because they did it three times). But it did get worked out, and I think it's going to go all right for the concert. I can't believe it's a week from today all ready.

"America" was scheduled to practice in the foyer of the auditorium during the same time as the specialty numbers, so that was a bit of a problem. Jeremiah wasn't particularly happy with that because there were five people in "Grease" and "America", and then there were boys in specialty numbers right after "Grease". So...it was interesting. I couldn't even dance full out for either number, and I couldn't sing very well because I've still been really sick. Ugh.

Let's hope this works out.

slightly frustrating...

1. People not paying attention during rehearsals, therefore wasting valuable time
2. Rehearsal overlaps
3. Techie-performer clashes (luckily I don't have to worry about it because I'm friends with pretty much every single techie [Thespian Troupe 3490 for the win!!] but still...it's annoying when two groups of friends don't like each other at all [West Side Story, anyone?])
4. The short girls and boys in the "Amereeca" dance being stuck on the back row while the tall girls and boys get put on the front row (most of whom can't even dance as well as the short people)
5. Singers who stand still with no movement whatsoever and the song dies
6. People not showing up to rehearsals that they really did know about but "forgot"
7. Getting sick and getting steadily worse with the concert one week away
8. Being half an hour late to rehearsal because of mentioned illness
9. People not taking costumes seriously
10. Costume that took so much time and so much effort being too long in the torso (short!!)

Among other things. And now I'm going to bed because I really am sick and it's stupid. But at least I'm smiling because:

1. Tiana is an amazing friend
2. Jordan is an amazing friend
3. Paul is an amazing friend and gives really, really good massages. He is my new headache medicine.
4. Lots and lots of people have come up to me to tell me that I'm a good dancer
5. I have a soft, soft, soft bed
6. Mrs. Davis said that I'm doing fantastic on the samba and that she's very pleased with how quickly I've caught up then moved ahead
7. Brad (BYU Young Ballroom Dance Team member) being my partner for the test next Tuesday in Ballroom
8. Kevin agreeing to be my math tutor
9. Andrew's outrageously HIDEOUS colorful shirt with ridiculous patterns all over it that he's wearing for the show because "it's flamboyant and colorful and that's what they wanted for the Sharks" while yelling out "Lawn-da-ree (laundry), ah ha ha!!" during "Amereeca" when we sing about having washing machines. It totally made my day.
10. Being able to sleep in tomorrow despite afternoon rehearsals because there's no school!!

So yeah. Frustrated, but still happy.

UBSCT testing = sleeping in!! wait...

This week is UBSCT testing (Utah Basic Skills Competency Test). It's for sophomores, and you have to pass it to graduate. This means yes, there are occasionally some juniors and seniors involved. I took it my junior year for the first time because 1) I had no idea it was going on, 2) I didn't even go to MVHS most of the time (I was at the alternative high school to catch up on work that I'd missed after getting sick at the start of second term), and 3) I was taking classes at the college that were during the same time as the test.

Anyways, usually people not taking the test get to stay home from school until 10:00 am. People generally go to breakfast or sleep in. No sleeping in for A Cappella students. Yesterday and today were the morning rehearsals for "Seasons of Love". 7:45 am - 10:00 am. Also costume checks for all people involved. Mine are mostly done; one is too long and the other one is...too long. SHORT.

It's been crazy. Loud, boring, crazy, and tiring. It's also been fun, for the most part. I've just been very tired, and kind of really sick. My voice is leaving!! Not a good thing at all. And I'm worried about a lot of stuff, and I'm pretty sure my friend(s) isn't/aren't going to come see the show even though he/they told me that he/they would. *sigh* Oh, well!! I'm finding out that I have a LOT more friends that I thought I did, and they're all pretty wonderful.

Good night, now. :)

forgot to mention...

I forgot!! Last week I had a job interview at the public library, where I volunteered this summer (and hope to start doing again as soon as the concert and choir tour are over). It went...fine. Not as well as I'd hoped, because there were four majorly important adults interviewing me (a couple of whom [who? of who? of whom? whom?] I know and have known me for years, or I found out have known me for years and I didn't know that they did...) and I was terrified. Then some of the questions one of them asked me really threw me off. Not to mention the face she made after I answered. Ugh...it was frightening and really dinged my all ready nonexistent self-confidence. I am just not confident enough to get a job. It's really frustrating.

Anyways, Louise (the one I found out has been watching me for several years) called me today to tell me that they'd chosen a different applicant for the position, BUT...she "was very impressed by your interview and thought you did very well, so I wanted to let you know that several library page positions will be opening up later this week and they'll be posted online. Just in case you're interested."

Um...how can I not be excited about that? Louise is the director of the Human Relations department, the Publicity department, and the Public Events department. She's kind of important, and she liked me!! So that was a definite plus to the day, and kind of to my life.

I have some things to remember when times get tough again. I'm still badgered with depressing thoughts (if depression had innings I'd be at the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded and two outs, coming up to bat with a sledgehammer and a cannon for the pitcher...it's been really bad) but now I have some things to combat them with that are fresh in my mind. I'm crossing my fingers that it will get better. Not to mention I'm somehow having words float around in my head like mad and all I have to do is reach out, grab them, and place them in the correct order on paper.

I'm very confused by all of this. Three weeks of utter darkness and there's suddenly all this light. It's so weird.

i've misplaced january...

It's gone all ready? Where the heck was I? Seriously, when morning announcements came on at school today I was very confused. At least I wasn't the only one; several other seniors were looking around saying, "What? February? When did that happen?"

Oh, today. Weird. Time doesn't seem to take so very long anymore, except on days where I only have two classes and can't wait for study hall to get over so I can go home (having four classes one day and two the other make for very long A-days). I feel like it should still be three weeks before Christmas.

I was very glad that it was a short day today (Mondays are early out days; school ends an hour earlier than normal), and that it was a B-day so I only had two classes. This meant that I could possibly be able to sneak my transcript into the UVU Admissions Office to try and finish up applying for the scholarship I've been working on. I was terrified of doing it (essay question had five parts, one of which was "why are you valuable to the community" or something like it and my first thought: I have no value! *panic and close browser window then go cry for two hours then fall asleep*). I learned something: fear can cause procrastination. Wonderful. :P

Anyways, the point of the story is that they accepted my transcript because the deadline didn't become effective until 5:00 pm, when the office closed. I got mine in at 10:30. Hallelujah!! I was so excited and relieved that I actually skipped down the walk, making several older college students look over their shoulders at me and raise their eyebrows. Then I decided to check the time left on the parking meter where the car parked next to me was. It said 00:00 minutes...so I decided to pay for another 40 minutes for them because I was so ecstatic and happy and just...what's a synonym for relieved?

That was when I started to get tired. I mean REALLY tired. I came home, fed myself and my dog, and decided to lie down for twenty minutes or so. Five hours later I woke up. And the weird thing is this: I've been awake for only six hours after that "nap" and I'm exhausted. Maybe it's because I know what's in store for tomorrow. Ugh. Busy day. But I'm excited for it, too, or at least telling myself that I am. We shall see.