Sunday, August 16, 2015

From the Blue Notebooks, Vol. 4

     The fourth part of my journal entries, scribbled in a spiral-bound blue notebook from Dollar General. As this post is beginning, we'd been back in Beggs for a little less than a month. The Steeleys started attending GBC and I got to know Dylan about this time, had just met Amanda. In a couple months will be the skating trip where I will meet Sam, and the Brad Paisley concert. The Okmulgee homeschool group is starting to break apart as we each go our own ways. The last member of that core was added when Mariah came along during rehearsals for "The Apple".

     Saturday, Halloween 2009
     Hey,
     A long ended on another mixed note. Me & Dad mowed a lot, & got the yard looking okay, but we don't feel great, Courtney might have swine flu, & Minnie got run over. :'( Meowie: infection, Princess: Disappeared, Cheyenne: Disappeared, Daisy: Run over, Minne: ran over, Milo: ran over. Cadillac: Run over. Firefly: worms. Man, I'm nearly crying. I can't finish.

     Monday, 11-2-09 [I hadn't met her yet, but this was Samara's 15th birthday.]
     Hey,
     Me & Madd talked today. That was great. About, well, what we've both wanted to talk about for a year and a half, we were both just too scared to. We're still together. I was awful sick last night, terrible headache, & nausea. What happens you put together a fire, a remodeling project, [from here on, this sentence is referring to Webkinz. It was used for a lot of things by different people - in my case, an improv group formed, with characters gradually shaping themselves.] a pool-playing sports writer, a blackout-prone librarian, a rocker who likes horror movies, a big-mouthed cheerleader, a hotheaded basketball player, a animal lover who loves to read, & a future prison inmate, plus a trouble magnet who plays tennis? Oddly enough, that's part of this script of my life. Would I have planned all this? Heck no! But somehow, it fits perfect. [Back to real life now.] Add a guitar, a skateboarding spiritual mentor person, Missouri summers, American Idol, a baseball fanatic, a halfway nutty Russian, ping pong, friends in Wisconsin, antiques, Facebook and 3 special dogs, it equals out to me, right now. Do I know what's up ahead? No, I don't. Will the road be easy? Probably not. Am I looking forward to the chaos? Yes, I am. :)

     Monday, 11-9-09
     Hey,
     Well. It's been exactly one year that I've been writing this, it's been....eventful, to say the least. Memorable. Monumental. I think I've really grown as a person these last 12 months. What will the next 12 bring? The homeschool co-op hosted a dinner tonight for all the people who serve the church, that went pretty well. George Christie got sick and had to leave the game at halftime[the previous Friday night; George was color commentary guy for KVAZ 91.5. He had cancer, and died sometime the next spring.], so I filled in for him during the 2nd half. I'm glad football season ended, that was a nightmare. 1-9, ugh. We discovered that we're 14 minutes away from the Soukups' neighborhood. So, yeah, today was a good day. I suppose.

     Friday, 11-20-09
     Hey,
     Funny how so much can happen in a week and a half. Maddie's having some tough times, I'm trying to help her w/that. It's a little(TINY) bit hard to, though, since we like, NEVER see each other. Oh, well. Louise's birthday was yesterday. Wednesday went pretty well, school is going okay. Still haven't gotten new strings for my guitar. Started teachign myself harmonica, not going that well. [This happened several times...I still haven't figured out how to play those.] Excited, but worried, about basketball season. We put the Christmas tree up, it's pretty. And very peaceful. What about Christmas trees is it that has me spellbound? And what about them makes me wonder about things like future Christmases, w/kids and a wife, or w/a girlfriend, why do I do that? And what will they be like? And who are they? What are their names? How did I meet her? I could go on for a while... Smokey Kitten died, Maggie May is awfully cute, kind of like Princess. She's a good inside cat. Liesel doesn't like her much. I'll need to take pix of her, since Courtney found the camera. That's a good thing. Oh, & my PS2 games still work, some of them at least. [Not "Wild Wild Racing", which was one of the best video games of all time, but...yeah.] Haven't tested them all yet, or the DVDs. [Most of those were ruined by smoke damage.] In the middle of George Orwell's 1984. Haven't learned any new songs lately. Dusty hasn't been doing much, I've mostly been on Facebook. I don't really want to stop writing, but I guess I should try to get some sleep.

     Sunday, 11-22-09
     Hey,
     It's been a long, stressful weekend. I'll be glad to get back to algebra & biology & logic. Church went all right, I played guitar in backup of Robert's mandolin during Sunday School. Maddie wasn't there, we had to leave quickly, couldn't visit very well w/Dad right behind me, we didn't get a paper today. not much happening with my friends. Trying to be excited about Thanksgiving, I just can't really. No, it's the "What do you want for Christmas?" I don't like. I know what I'd like: my permit, which is earned through the Sea of Re Tape, & time with my pals, Madd specially. That's what's important, not things, but people. Not things you buy, but things you earn. (Although my phone works just fine, a newer model would be nice, though. Or a ping pong table.) Skills, driving, ping pong, relationships, guitar,  tennis, harmonica, that's what makes this mess such a wonderful life. All the trials and pain & stress & joy comes from having to try at it, not knowing it will always be under the tree Xmas morning. And it's not supposed to to be. If it was, it would be all wrong. Why do songs get stuck in your head? Is it some kind of internal guidance system that God has arranged? The right piece at the right time? How does it work? "All these questions I can't answer/and so much work to do..." {From Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton's "When I Get Where I'm Going".] See? It's strang strange. Oh, I got strings for my guitar last night yesterday, JB's going to show me how to restring it. [I got those strings at Southern Cross from Dale, who would later teach me how to play. Annette actually showed me how to restring a guitar.] I can't really practice when Dad's around, because it's never perfect. Yes, that's it. I'm NOT perfect, & I couldn't do everything perfectly. That's probably why "I'm never good enough". But I'll try anyway. Yep, I will try to. Will I ever make it? Probably not.

     10:04 am Tuesday, 12-1-09
     Whew. Long week ahead. Basketball starts tonite, trying to be hopeful. I'm also scared to be hopeful. Afraid things will go wrong. Plan "Ncourage Maddie" backfired, I'm kind of glad though. Think I'm going to stay away, far away, for awhile. Program is Thursday. Kinda nervous about that. NaNa's in the hospital again. Dad thinks they'll amputate her foot.

     Monday, 12-7-09
     Hey,
     The program went really well, I was happily surprised. We adlibbed, not cause time required because of forgetting lines, but because we felt confident of knowing them. Happy Christmas is coming, but scared of another disaster. Maggie is a awfully funny little cat. Interesting to watch lol. [She would help me write articles and do schoolwork by swatting at my pen.] Basketball is going all right so far, boys 0-2, girls 1-1.

     Wednesday, 12-9-09
     Hey,
     Today was mostly a good day. Didn't go into work today, barring disaster, I probably will Friday. Ringing the Salvation army bells with the gang tomorrow, we'll be FREEZING. Oh, well. Got algebra, biology & Omnibus done, didn't get aroudn to logic or writing. Wrote & typed up a article about last night's game. Oh, & I saw Katie last night. We didn't talk for that long, but it was cool just hte same. Dad might have torn his rotator cuff today. Guess I should be getting to sleep, not really sleepy though. Cleaned the family room, rest of the house looks super clean.

     Friday, 12-11-09
     Hey,
     In 45 minutes it'll have been 1 year since the fridge fire. Hard to believe we've survived. God is really great, isn't He? I've learned a lot. A lot. Over this time. Grandma Joy died Thursday, she just....went, like that. Strange. It's good she's in heaven, out of the pain and suffering she was in, but still...there goes the last bit of goodness in Muskogee. Dad's having a really hard time. I sort of think I might start crying, just cause I'm happy we made it this far. East Central's Christmas party was tonight, we went to it, it was kind of nice. Work was pretty good today, it was quiet, not much happened.

     Thursday, 12-17-09
     Hey,
     Today was a good, useful day. Cleaned the family room, office, living room, kitchen, bathroom, vacuumed my room, then cleaned up the woods, the goat pen, the backyard, over by the shed, by the wellhouse, old flower bed, put the wheeled kidcars in the garage, & swept the driveway. Why? Cause Grandpa & Robbie(& maybe Dayla & kids) are coming over 4 Christmas Wednesday. Henryetta had games Monday and Tuesday, & then tomorrow night. Rick might have a job by Sunday, that's good. [Jessica and Amanda's dad; if he would have gotten that they wold have moved to Virginia.] Well, not 4 Jessica or Amanda, or Jed, but still... In Webkinz news, Dusty hasn't gotten in any trouble lately, it was his birthday, I guess, today. Dash has found some good deals. Decided to wait to amil that letter to Maddie, she won't be too happy about it, & I don't want to spoil her holidays. I've had "That Ain't My Truck" running through my head, not sure why. We've kind of taken a Christmas break, I've been practicing guitar, harmonica, tennis & juggling. Dad was mad about Liesel pooping on things, so he put her outside Monday. She disappeared, like we thought she would. I like her, she'll be very, very missed. I think that covers pretty much what's happened this week.

     Wednesday, 12-23-09
     Hey,
     LIESEL CAME BACK! Dad foudn her in a tree Monday afternoon while I was ice skating. Mr. & Mrs. Cox took us, the youth group I mean, over to that rink they have in the wintertime by the BOK Center. It was fun, I was surprised I can skate. Then we went over to the Rusco's & played games & hung out. [I met Samara that night. That was a good thing.] Grandpa & Robbie came over today, Dayla didn't, cause she's real sick, so we'll be going to Westville Sunday instead of Friday. Funny how my pen has a mind of its own when I write in this, I'm nearly needing a new journal. It's kinda nice hosting people. And it was a good visit. It's been a good day. Dusty DID get into a scrape again, though. (Seriously, though, wasn't it about time?) No fault of his. [Webkinz could be kind of like Parks and Rec sometimes...] It's supposed to snow tomorrow. White Christmas? Could be. If not, we'll be going over to Aunt Kim's. If yes, we'll open our stockings here, then go to Aunt Kim's on Saturday. Oh, Josh is in Wisconsin, Jessica in St. Louis, & Rick got the church in Canada. Basketball is going okay for Beggs, Dylan's Jaguars & Henryetta. No games right now, it being Christmas break.

     Tuesday, 12-29-09
     Hey,
     Almost a new year. Realized that when I sent in my article, and I realized that it was the last one of this year. 2 papers, under 3 names, 5 sports, Henryetta is 5-18 in things I've written, 1 article about AI (which starts in 2 weeks :), 1 history article[people explaining what they were doing on 9/11}, 4 coach profiles, 3 schools, 1 radio appearance. Been a good year in writing, I guess. Messed around w/the videocamera, made a short video. Not YouTube quality, but a good first effort, I thought. These cans of Amp and Monster, it's like they're going to fight. [Stop-motion boxing match is what I was going for.] Guitar? Well, it's been a learning year. I can't play anything great, but I can a bunch of stuff okay. Up ahead? No idea. Probably, it'll be more messups, maybe something good, most likely something bad.

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