How’s it going? November 5, 2009

I desperately would like to make a long, interesting (to me at least) entry about anything, but I am far to busy. Tomorrow I have a Civics exam (view my ‘Dignity’ entry for how I feel about that class) and a math test later in the day. I had an EQAO literacy test yesterday morning and then I went on a student’s council feild trip yesterday afternoon. I can barely comprehend the mathematics I am trying so desperately hard to learn for tomorrow’s test. On top of that, we’re applying math to chemistry in science class (!) and in vocals class I am rocking out. I’m becoming more and more social each day (which was my new school-year resolution) and my classmates in vocals are helping to get my friend (who, until I ask her what she would like her name to be in this blog, shall remain nameless) to feel comfortable singing with everyone. Which is great, and she was singing today when we had a class in the auditorium today. I love our school’s auditorium. I don’t know when it was last updated, but it must have been sometime in the seventies, more or less. I hope they don’t update it for a long time. I want to go back there at my high school reunion and be glad that one of the things I love most about the school hadn’t changed. (My other favourite thing about the school is the secret door in the prop room that’s hidden behind old shelves and costumes.)

Sorry. Rambling again.

Anyway, I’m trying to write my novel now, so I’ve gotto go.

I tried putting this playlist on the blog earlier, but it just won’t work, so I’m giving you a link to a list of some songs I like.

Click here for tunes.

Dignity. October 25, 2009

You’d think that a human being would be able to try their best without being critisized and proclaimed a failure.

Sometimes I feel like a teacher I know is the type of person that picks away at a person’s flaws until there is nothing left to degrade you. Then, when they have nothing left to complain about, they create it. They object to what little power you have left in you.

It’s like being held up like a pinata and beaten to the ground. Instead of taking the candy and rejoicing about it, they beat it too. They beat it into little bits until there is absolutely nothing left of you.

They are too lazy to come up with their own questions for you, so they assign you twenty questions out of the textbook. When you don’t finish them, they call you a typical lazy teenager.

They are always disappointed with the star pupil and not-so-subtly hint that everyone else is stupid.

They hold every person up to impossible standards. Metaphorically, you are expected to pole-jump over a bar raised halfway to the moon.

These people cannot possibly be satisfied.

I am satisfied in the fact that I won’t end up like that.

I’m going to try my best to work with this teacher, since they won’t be a main character in my life for very long, and if I do end up failing this course, at least I’ll have tried my stinkin’ best.

If I fail doing my very best, at least I will still have my dignity.

Besides, giving up would guarantee failure.

And I, Alex Violet, don’t want to give up. It’s against my philosophy.

Off to try my best,

Alex Violet.

Audrey Hepburn October 24, 2009

This is who I am being for Halloween.

Today my Brother, my Mother, and my Grampa were Halloween-costume shopping. It just seems like they’re the sort of people who’re into store-bought, ready-made costumes.

I, however, am not.

Halloween is a wonderful creative oppourtunity, and myself, being an incredibly and elaborately creative person, absolutely cannot turn down this oppourtunity.

I mean, I’m not sewing a costume or anything, since it would take too long (I have a surprisingly short attention span. It’s why I’ve not yet finished writing any of the 927094209 novels I’ve begun writing over the past five years.), especially without my mother’s sewing machine (goodness knows where that is) or any knowledge of how to use it.

So, being me, once I begun to outgrow store-bought, ready-made children’s costumes, I started to span my ideas farther from the average person’s ready-made costume.
Some of my ideas included a hippie, a drama queen, Hannah Freaking Montana, and whatever I was last year. I understand that Hannah Freaking Montana is not exactly original, but this was when I was 12 or so, (I turn 15 this December) and I had grown out of most store-bought, ready-made Hannah Freaking Montana costumes. [For the record, I do not mean offence by referring to Hannah Freaking Montana as such. It's just that 'Hannah Montana' is not so scary for Halloween, but 'Freaking' in the middle adds fright! It does too.]

I was planning on centering my costume around the above photograph, as to my knowledge, it’s the most-seen photograph of Audrey, and I figure most people would probably recognize my costume if I dressed like this. Also, I could probably arrange a costume from this more easily than the others.

This is because I already have pretty jumbo-normous sunglasses, I might have gloves in my costume box somewhere, I could refer to YouTube tutorials for hairstyling advice, I could come up with some shoes (ballerina flats, either my gold ones or my black ones), and all I need is the dress. My mother says she might have it in her closet somewhere.

Also, I was thinking maybe a trenchcoat would help and keep me warm. My mother says she’s pretty sure one of us has one. That’s fine if we don’t though, since I have a powder-blue jacket that could pass.

So, in case I don’t write again until after Halloween,

Have a good Halloween.

Truly and sincerely,

Alex Violet.

P. S. None of these photos are owned by me. I googled all of these pictures. I did not actually , ever in my life, photograph Audrey. I was born a year after she died. So how could I have photographed her?

My Personality today. October 20, 2009

View Full MyPersonality.org Profile

0 50 100	%
Openness	90%
Conscientiousness	49%
Extraversion	71%
Agreeableness	75%
Neuroticism	24%

Singing/Vocals Class. October 16, 2009

Our early report cards have recently been sent in the mail and I recieved mine yesterday.

The math teacher gave me all E’s (which is odd because I’m not so sure I’m doing that Excellently)

The science teacher gave me all G’s (I think I’m doing FAR better in science than math, but I honestly wouldn’t know because we have not had any assignments in which we’ve recieved marks for. Science is just more interesting to me.)

The civics teacher left it blank (? I don’t know but she said without all those homework assignments I never handed in, I am currently standing at an 88% in the class, which is also tied for the highest mark in the class. The class average is 59%)

And in vocals I had all S’s (for ’satisfactory’. I find this extraordinarily insulting, considering how brave I’ve been!)

Anywho, I have been given singing parts for these three songs:

[Come Together - The Beatles]

I’m supposed to sing backup for the last three (out of four) verses for this song.

Today the other backup singers were away because they had some sort of sports tournament. So it was only me and the lead singer, and I think she was a little surprised that I remembered what parts I was supposed to sing.
You see, last time I kept loosing my spot and singing the wrong parts because I’d forgotten about the last-three-verses thing and, plus, we were sharing one sheet of lyrics among 4 of us. (One lead singer, 3 backups) They’d turned the music stand so I could not see.

Anyway, the teacher had one girl print out copies for all of us, so I had my own to look at. It gave me a little more isolation and confidence for some reason, knowing I could not at all do worse than I had the last time. So that confidence must’ve shown and I feel proud and honest in saying that I am getting better. Better with confidence, I mean. I know I’m a good singer.

[Where it's at - Beck]

I only get to sing “Where it’s at/ I’ve got 2 turntables and a microphone” which is great with me, since it’s all I know. Plus, I’m not at all fond of rap.

[Notion - Kings of Leon]

I only sing “Don’t rock it”. Or is it ‘Don’t lock it’? (‘Don’t knock it’?) I don’t know, nobody gave me any lyrics. I’ll figure it out eventually.

These are songs on the list I wanted to sing:

[Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen]

Because I love Queen, (in 8th grade, my class went to the Queen Musical on a school trip, and it was AWESOMAZING.) and the song sounds really cool and it’s fun to sing!

[All these things - The Killers]

Because I do have soul, and I am not a soldier.
This song makes me feel empowered!

[I will survive - Cake]

I tried for a solo on this one, but started spacing out before the chorus and never finished the song.
Whatever. I was still brave, and I bet that if I could try for it one more time, I’d get it! But the girl with the solo now deserves it. So maybe I’ll try next year if I take vocals again and this song’s on the list.

These are some other songs on the list I wouldn’t have minded singing:

[Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder/The Red Hot Chilli Peppers]

[Times like these - the Foo Fighters]

[Wake up - Arcade Fire]

This song was in the “Where the Wild Things are” trailer!

[Spiderwebs - No Doubt]

These are a couple of songs that weren’t on the list that I wanted to sing:

[Don't stop believin' - Journey]

[Old School - Hedley]

[No sleep tonight - The Faders]

[Somebody to Love - Queen]

[Runaway - Avril Lavigne]

Anyway, sorry if I’m boring you, but thanks for reading this far.

Nothing overly-philosophical today, I guess. I have some more philosophical stuff about vocals class, but it would involve talking about one of my friends and it’s rather personal and I do not have her permission to write about her yet, and I still have to verify her code name with her.

(Listening to Lillix)

Your blogger/singer,

Alex Violet!

How do they do it? October 10, 2009

This song is by a girl named Valerie: toiltpprprdctns on YouTube. It’s incredibly catchy and a good happy-dance song.

WARNING: This is going to be one of those really long and thought-provoking entries that I go off rambling quite a bit in. My English teacher last year said I should learn to centre my thoughts a bit better. So click ‘more’ if you’re really up for reading it all.

This is what’s up. October 8, 2009

I really love this song.

Heather Hunter is an incredible singer with a powerful (but not overpowering) voice. I discovered her on YouTube today.

Anywho; things are good with me. I’m pretty much booked this week, but that’s fine. It makes me feel useful.

I was selling t-shirts at lunch today for the student’s council and it’s alright. The most exciting thing about that is that I bought one and we’re running out of sizes.

Then yesterday, I missed most of my classes to help out with the pep rally. I worked at the canteen. We were giving out free hot dogs but everything else (water, chips, chocolate, etc.) was a dollar. So I had no problem with math.
Anyway, we only got 2 bottles of ketchup. For 400 hot dogs…
So, knowing most of the people from my school, when it got emptey, a few people got all anger-management about it and started banging it against the table and giving me rabid-looking expressions. I don’t know how I kept my composure at the time, but I must say, it was pretty hilarious, now looking back on it.

These are more songs I love: October 4, 2009

Slow Club- Thinking Drinking Sinking Feeling

Slow Club- Me and You

I love this band.

Alex Violet.

What a wonderful day in early October… October 3, 2009

I really love this song, it makes me feel content and optimistic. It is the very epitome of the way today is.

The leaves around here are turning colours and it’s getting breezy (sp?) out.

It’s the sort of … orchard day.

The day you want to ride on one of those platforms with the straw that’s towed by a pickup truck. You want to ride that through a forest and sigh with happiness as you admire the beautiful warm colours of the leaves on the trees which create a canopy of shade onto the dirt road. Sunlight peeks out from holes in the canopy and envelopes you with warmth. You want to wear your most comfortable jeans and a cozy sweater. You want to have some apple cider and apple pie and sit by an old wood stove. Some s’mores and a purring cat beside you wouldn’t hurt either.

Gosh, today is so inspiring.

I’m thinking I should put more videos and pictures into my blog. It’d make it more pleasing to the eyes.

- JOKE OF THE DAY -

Today my Grandpa took my brother, mother, and I to the Pizza Hut. There are trees surrounding its parking lot and when we were inside, a fifteen-minute long thunderstorm occured.

When we got to the car to leave, (pun not intended) and the storm had pulled the leaves off the trees and blanketed the car with leaves.

I wanted to remember today, so I said “I’m going to take a leaf on top of the car and then put it in my journal.”

But my brother thought I said “I’m going to take a leak on top of the car and then put it in my journal.”

Sincerely,

Alex Violet.

Stagefright. September 30, 2009

So many very notable things have happened to me so far in grade 10. I’ve faced a lot of fears so far and October is tomorrow. (Speaking of October- I believe that I’ll be Audrey Hepburn for Halloween.)

But I’ve also been struggling with unusually terrifying stagefright.

I am, actually, used to stagefright, but not quite to this degree, you see. (Oh my goodness, I just rhymed. )

In vocals class, we are required to sing. We aren’t required to sing solos, but we get the oppourtunity and I know that I have a talent, so I wanted to try it out. But when I am nervous, it affects my voice.

So when I got in front of the microphone, I started off alright but sort of off-key. (At least from what I could hear of my voice, but it may just be my being self-concious.) I didn’t feel so empowered because my vocals class is full of kids from all different grades, and so many of them had been in this class last year, the year before, and for even some they’d been in it the year before that.

So you see, I felt like I was trying to sing in front of so many professionals, people who knew how to sing and knew a good voice or a bad voice when they heard it. They knew all the notes and how to read sheet music, etc. They’d be able to easily tell if my voice was spot-on or if I was way off. It felt like the standards were too high, and I got scared.

I paused a little into the first verse of “I will survive” partly because I didn’t understand the lyrics in the verse. (The chorus I like though.) And I like to understand what I am singing. If I understand it, I can really put my heart and soul into singing the song.

So I started hyperventalating a little bit and my eyes started watering and my heart was pounding in my ears. I couldn’t speak, let alone sing.

I didn’t get to sing the chorus because I practically ran back to my chair and it’s a good thing I had my water-bottle.

This reminds me of my fear of heights.

Back in eighth grade my school took the grades 7 and 8 classes to one of those places that has:

Rock climbing.

Mosquitoes.

Canoeing.

Mosquitoes.

Low ropes.

Mosquitoes.

And high ropes. (With the zipline and everything.)

Anyway, the high ropes was a problem for me because, as I said, I’m afraid of heights.

I had to climb up a ladder, then up a wooden telephone-pole thing, and from there, (forty feet up in the air!) I had to walk accross a wood balance beam to a small plank where I’d be attatched to a zipline and slide down. To the ground. Then they’d get a ladder and unattach me to the zipline and I’d walk down from the ladder. And I’d feel great about facing my fear.

Which I did, and it was great. Life-changing, even.

Except it took me at least an hour and/or a half to get through the course when it took everyone else somewhere around ten-fifteen minutes. But I got a lot of cheers when I finally stepped off the platform/plank. It felt great, and I’m really glad I faced that fear.

It was one of the highlights of my Grade 8 year.

And the weekend before last, I went on a camping trip with the student’s council, and we went through the same course. This time, I did it WAY faster, in maybe only half or less than the time I had the last time.

Afterwards, I told a couple of the other kids how scared I’d been the last time and how long it took me to just get up the ladder. (Okay, maybe I might’ve exaggerated a bit, but I wouldn’t actually know, seeing as this was a couple years ago (! has it been that long already?) and not everything’s crystal clear.)

They were all impressed, and I was even mentioned in the school paper.

They spelled my name wrong, but still.

(And for those of you who don’t already know, mispellings irritate me more than they should, WAY more than they should, and the one thing that irritates me more than that, is when people mispell my name. It REALLY is not that hard to remember!!!)

SO, my point is, that I was hysterical with my heart pounding in my ears then, too, and if I could do that, then I can do this.

The moral of my latest novel that I hope to finish is that LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE. It’ll all be okay in the long run. You’ve just got to always stay strong, and believe it.

“DON’T STOP BELIEVING!”
LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE!!!

Brave and sincerely,
Alexandra Violet.