Hey, sorry I haven't been updating lately, I have been pretty busy.  I seem to have something drumline related every night for at least an hour and a half, and I haven't been getting done usually until 11:00 at night and then I don't get to sleep very early.  That makes me not happy when the alarm goes off.

Last weekend I went home and got my braces off.  The only part that feels weird is that I was so use to the rubber bands in my mouth pulling my jaw closed that I always feel like I forgot to put them in.

I was pretty cranky the weekend before last at drumline camp because we went until midnight and were told he would make it up to us in the morning.  Then, he ended up still having us come in at 8:30 in the morning and held us later in the afternoon of that Monday.  It didn't help that I was already sleep deprived because of drumline and was sick with a cold.

I've come up with a new idea of what I want to be of primary importance when choosing a candidate for office and wanted to get some feedback.  Although I tend to lean Republican, I think that I will start voting not on the issues, such as abortion or the war, but on character and intellect.  I feel that if someone is a truly respectable person with high morals and whom I can trust to be honest, they can't mess up the country too much and they will always be truly working to help the people the best they can.  I think that I would rather disagree with someone and be able to trust and respect them in what they do in public, private, as well as when no one can know what they are doing, than agree with someone on every issue, but not think they were setting a good example, or doing bad things behind the backs of Americans.

Your thoughts???

Hey, I got back last Friday and had Winterline camp Friday evening/night, Saturday all day/night and then Sunday until noon.  That was not really the way I wanted to start back, but it is foreshadowing of things to come.  Just about every weekend I have about the same schedule.  It also cost $750 to pay for travel expenses etc. to be in Winterline, so if anyone has, oh, $500 so I can buy everything I need for the semester, that would be great.  If not, I'll probably just sell sperm, and my body, and then my soul to the devil.  Ask now if you want any discounts.  Supplies are going fast!

Anyway, to further complain, I have a Wind Ensemble sectional one hour each week, 2-3 snare sectionals a week lasting between 1.5 - 2 hours each, a full line sectional lasting about 3-4 hours, and a half hour jazz sectional.  (In addition to a full weekend)  I am only taking 13 hours to try to offset my extracurricular activities, so I have Tuesday and Thursday relatively class free.  If the 3 snare sectionals continue (which I was told would actually be 1/week) Bean (center snare) will meet Matthew the Great Whiner.

Other than that shtuff, I have so far attended my classes (except for a moronic switching of my thinking on a Tuesday class being a Thursday class) and am doing much better than last year at this time when I came back and I was bored and lonely as Ryan Dawson had Pledge week and was gone the whole first week of classes.

It seems like I had more to say, but my mind is blank, no surprise.

HEY!  If you talk to any cool East people, past or present, encourage them (see: force at spoon-point) to sign up for a Xanga site so we can all keep in touch.

Matt

I decided to update the look of my Xanga site because it looked too blah and depressing.  Do you think the 2 different colors for the header and side box are too much?  Anyway, maybe this will also get you guys to read my site when I post.

***  I think homosexuality is the truest form of sexism.

Well, I'm back.  This weekend there was a Winter drumline camp and the guy who stands next to me had the flu really bad and was ralphing in the bathroom whenever we had a break.  I told him to go home because I didn't want to get sick and then Bean (center snare) said "that's really unselfish of you", yes it was sarcasm.  I said "ME being selfish?!?".  Then we had to do something so the subject got dropped.  I thought it was ridiculous that he was saying I was the one being selfish.  It's the equivilent to the smoker complaining about someone wanting who wants to breath clean air.  I remember learning in like 6th grade from my mom that even if you want to push through to stay at school or whatever, it can be rude to everyone else, especially if you are really sick, in case some of you didn't know.

Anyway, I woke up this morning at 4 with the chills and so sore I could barely get up to go to the bathroom and take some tylenol.  The good thing, Bean got sick too.  I slept till 4 in the afternoon and feel a bit better now.

In news that sucks, about a month ago I sent an email to a percussion manufacturer that was sponsoring us last year on how they could improve their website and mallets.  Apparently the email went straight to the president of the company who also sets up sponsorships.  One of our Winterline instructors was talking to this guy about our Winterline show, sponorship, etc. and the guy brought up my email.  DOH!  I got an email sent out to all the drumline members about "some people sending some emails critisizing our SPONSOR" and that he (the writer of the email) wasn't going to mention any names, but that it was completely unacceptable and totally reamed me in the email.  So now I feel like a complete ass for not realizing that it would be bad to criticize someone who is giving us money and free products and so I need to send out some apology letters.

I think the president misconstrued my intent and thought I was saying his website and products were no good, but I was just giving suggestions and even stated several times that I enjoy the company's products and think the company shows commitment to quality.  I definitely feel like an idiot.

Unfortunately after the new year, there will no longer be jokes at the end of each one of my posts due to lack of jokes.  I will still post some, just not after every post.

***  Woe is the holy man who constructs the "Dam of God" without realizing the inverse is not as holy.  (let me know if this is funny or if you need it explained)

FYI - I will be home Tuesday evening through Sunday.  I will be working a little and eating a lot.

Talk to you all later.