oops, I'm 18!

While I was away being busy with school, a power outage, friends, and other really awesome stuff, I forgot to blog on here to let you know that my birthday passed and I am now 18 [sort of]!

I'm going to say I'm 18, I'm going to answer that that is my age if anyone asks, and I'm not going to bring up the fact that I died at 16. Um, whatever. So, anyway, I'm a legal adult now! I can do whatever I want [not really, because of the zombie thing]! I can smoke [but I don't want to]! I can go to an "adult store" [double don't want to]! I am an adult and...

Yeah. Well. Nothing's really changed. =D

new school!

Okay, so I learned that when I get really nervous, I get a serious zombified hitch in my step. As my new friend Laura (a student at my new school in the opera major) tells me, "It's no big deal. You just drag your right foot and walk slow."

[Yes, I have managed to make a friend, perhaps only for the reason that her brother is DB. Hurray for connections, right?]

Anyway, this new school is amazing. They're very friendly to the zombie teen, actually. All the students and faculty are super open-minded. There's no real dress code (more like a shared conscience of how not to go over the top), everyone is really laid-back, and no one bombarded me with annoying questions. Well, okay, a few did, but mostly people were pretty cool.

That didn't stop me from being a walking mass of nerves when I entered on Monday morning. I was wearing one of my new outifts--a long brown skirt, dark brown boots, and a cream-colored peasant (ish) blouse--so that helped my confidence a bit, but I was a mess. It died down, eventually, when I realized no one was going to try to re-kill me.

I love my classes. Besides the normal stuff--science, English (which is pretty much just literature and poetry, a great course), math--I'm taking a course in ethics (which serves as a history credit) and the rest of my classes focus on music. Music Composition (for the exam, we have to compose a song for our instrument), Musical Theory, and of course there's the class in which I simply play violin with the others. So far--and it's only been a couple of days--I could see myself spending the rest of my school days here.

I have made new friends--I mentioned Laura (last name Lomene), and there's also "Frog," real name Zach--he's here for his amazing violin skills as well--and then Criss, a girl who takes pride in the fact that she is in no way girly.

But I have to go, because the bell is about to ring... off to my ethics class!

apparently i'm not very logical. =]

Your result for Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test...

Musical

8% Logical, 14% Spatial, 71% Linguistic, 10% Intrapersonal, 18% Interpersonal, 75% Musical, 14% Bodily-Kinesthetic and 18% Naturalistic!

"This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. Those who have a high level of musical-rhythmic intelligence display greater sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones and music. They normally have good pitch and may even have absolute pitch, and are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. In addition, they will often use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information, and may work best with music playing in the background.

Careers which suit those with this intelligence include instrumentalists, singers, conductors, disc-jockeys, and composers." (Wikipedia)

Take Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test at HelloQuizzy

thoughts on the White Van Thing...

[Note: the first comment here is what started this post, as my friend raised a very good point. Let's explore that, shall we?]

If you've been reading about Tommy Williams and the rest of us un[fortunately]-dead teenagers, you've no doubt been hearing a lot about white vans. They turn up where there are differently biotic teenagers, they've been rolling down the streets ever since kids started coming back to life, and they've raised quite a fuss among people who are sensitive to DB issues. It seems that everyone and their mother has a different theory of who they are: a government program built to protect DBs, a government program established to destroy DBs, normal white vans that have nothing to do with DBs, mysterious people who serve some purpose we aren't yet aware of... it goes on and on.

I've been wondering if it isn't simply paranoia. Think about it--once something is mentioned, you notice it that much more. Tommy Williams mentioned white vans, and all of a sudden they're everywhere. I'm not saying it's not real ("it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you," and so on) but maybe we're taking it a bit too far. The thought that it's paranoia is more my optimism than anything else. A lot of people who aren't prone to paranoid thoughts have been talking about the vans. Part of me just doesn't want to think that someone out there is bent on destroying us, which is the most common explanation out there.

And then Brittany raises another point--can we go crazy? Our hearts have stopped, yes, but does that mean we can't develop little mental glitches? It's an interesting question, one that I have no response for at all. It's left me somewhat bewildered.

Let us know what you think--click the comment button and fire away.

Christmas and other updates

Well, another Christmas has come and gone, and I think this was probably the best holiday ever... read on to find out why.

Dad and I woke up pretty early so that we could help Jack open his presents. The two of them ate cinnamon rolls, a family tradition that I don't miss (I am, or was, allergic to the icing--we found that out the hard way once!), while we all exchanged presents. From Daddy (and Santa--it's imperative that we keep up appearances for Jack), I got an amazing silver charm bracelet and a few books, as well as what seems to be just about half of an entirely new wardrobe with six outfits that can all be changed up nicely. It's weird--he knows what a teenage girl likes more than my mother ever did!

Jack got a lot of little toys, some toy cars and stuff, and tons of Legos. Of course, he mainly builds walls with them. Or lines them up. But if he's happy, we're happy. And he's very happy.

Later, all of us crazy teenage kids went to what is probably the only place in town open on Christmas--the vegan café down the road from my house. We had previously chosen Secret Santa gifts and exchanged those--Mike was my Santa. He said "If it were anyone else I would have gotten a bag of candy," but since I'm me, he went ahead and got a sheet music book, for which I'm very grateful.

Aiden moved here after the Santas were chosen, so he paid for Soy Peppermint-Chocolate-Mocha Twist Milkshakes for everyone. I'm told they taste a lot like the ones at Starbucks. And he also gave me my gift, which shocked and astounded (no jokes here either!). It was a glass replica of a violin. I don't know where he found it, and I don't care, it's just amazing. And when we all went ice skating on the pond, he held my hand. Best gift of all.

oh, by the way

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

That goes for every holiday around this time of year that you can think of. Christians have Christmas, Jews have Chanukah, pagans have Yule, there's Kwanzaa and I know I'm missing something but I can't remember the name of it. Oh well. Fill it in for me, will you?

my apologies. and my concerns, as well.

I'm sorry for my prolonged absence, but I've been really busy. Why, you may ask?

Well.. Elisabeth has sort of got a boyfriend =D

He's a trad, and we've known each other for years, but he just recently moved back here. He was shoveling off our driveway when I came out and asked him if he wanted some cocoa--"because I hear that living people like that sort of thing," har de har har. (I'm a dork, whatever =P) Anyway, he accepted my offer and I brought him some and sat down with him for a while and we talked. Turns out the reason he moved back here is because of school; he'll be attending a college near here when he graduates (he's a senior) and he wants to get used to the area again. Go figure.

So anyway, Aiden (that's his name) and I went to the mall for a while with some friends to hang out and to get him introduced to some of the people, or re-introduced, as the case tended to be. And after a few weeks, we got to talking and... we're sort of dating now. So I guess I lied, he's not really my boyfriend, but it's been a fair few dates and things are going really well. Dad wholly disapproves, which I hear is normal. 

Dad has finally won the fight to get me in public high school. Actually, another lie. It's not a public school, it's a performing arts school. I auditioned (with my trusty violin) and after a week (should it really take that long?) they decided that I can start classes once the year turns. I have my first class on... January fifth; I just checked my calendar. The days run shorter than Aiden's school, which is nice, but... I'm the only DB kid in the entire place. So I'm a little nervous. Someone might try to kill me (again!) or something.

And last [but definitely not least], Jack has had a birthday. He is now nine years old and seems interested in the piano and in Harry Potter. That's what he got for his birthday--I got him a full boxed set of the HP books. Absolutely killed my allowance for like, two months. But that's okay.

Here are my latest concerns and questions, to sum up my life lately:

• I never had a boyfriend when I was alive. It's wonderful, but would I be feeling more if I had a beating heart?
  
• Very embarrassed by this, but I'll tell you: I'm afraid to let Aiden kiss me. He hasn't tried because he's an old-fashionedy type, but kissing a wormburger can't be like kissing a human... well, there goes my self-pity again. Shut it up =]
• Will this school be good at all? I don't remember regular school as well as I should. What I hope is that my music can create some common ground with the other kids. I need to make some friends there.

Let's hope I get over the kissing thing. And that Aiden doesn't find my blog.