I have never cut myself shaving.

It's incredible. According to my friends, I'm a lucky lady.

   Since I'll be gone all this weekend, it's my duty to post now rather than later. I'm off to Gatlinburg with one of my close friends, and we'll have our own hotel room. What fun could be going down in there? TOO MUCH, I say.

   You know what's not fun? School starting right back up again. In fact, next time I post, school will have already started! Expect a rant on that, by the way. Thankfully, I had a fun summer which will be well wrapped up with Gatlinburg. A nice component of my fun summer was my vocal lessons. I finally finished them yesterday. My coach ran through a little music from "Phantom of the Opera" with me, because she intends on my trying out. Christine, the main character, happens to be a coloratura soprano, meaning she does strange little riff things at the highest part of her register (which far exceeds mine, just so you know).

   We did a little run through of a very well-known song from the musical, called "Think of Me". You know, "Think of meeeee, think of me FOOOONdlyyy wheeeeeen we saaaay GOODbyyyyyye." At the end, there is a few measures very characteristic of a coloratura soprano. To sum it up, I hit a high B flat note. If you want an idea of that, think of the notes that the characters in the cartoons sing to break the glasses. Needless to say, it was absolutely ridiculous. I am alto. Altos get low. So, my soprano moment was exhilarating.

   But let me stop bragging, which, let's be honest, I was enjoying. Just kidding, I'll continue gloating about another subject. Remember that weight I had to lose for the new jeans? Well, it's gone! Quick round of applause and a congratulatory bowl of raspberries. Perhaps with a few slices of cheesecake on the side.

See you Saturday!

I drink at least one glass of orange juice every day.

I've already had mine for today! And yes. We ALWAYS have orange juice in this house. Not that it's ever been a problem.

Wowza! Saturday already. I honestly didn't see that one coming. So far, the norm has been that I think about what to write in my blog all week but when Saturday finally does roll around, I'm empty-handed. Perhaps less so this week, because the primary topic on my mind has been HOMECOMING.

I'd like to say my concerns range from the dance to the dress to being homecoming princess, but truly all my thoughts have been focused on my attire for the occasion. Sadly, my concern for the actual dress is fading and my concerns for my budget are coming more into play. But I think I've picked the dress, and so I'm excited.

Hmm, what else have I been doing. I've started placing videos of songs I've covered on YouTube, along with the other million doing the same. I never expected to stand out, but the lack of comments frustrates me. It's a tad different than on this blog, because I never had the intention of anyone reading this. In contrast, I wish everyone were watching those videos. Did I just say in contrast? It's like I'm writing an essay.

Speaking of essays, it's back-to-school soon. Less than two weeks! I'm not sure how to handle myself - I'm not really looking forward to high school in any way. I'm sure it'll suck from the first day, since I'm not really intent on finishing the summer reading.

Then again, who knows. I could either ace the year or do homework just because I don't like it (my standard routine).

I carry a bag everywhere.

   So much so, in fact, that I'm often referred to as "the one who carries the bag". In turn, all the friends choose to place their belongings in my bag, which is simply uncalled for.

Good things that are happening:
   I bought three pairs of jeans this week.
   As manager of my friends' band, I have FINALLY been enlisted to do something.
   I have redecorated my basement.
   I have eaten way too much ice cream in the past few days.

But everything has a downside, aye? Allow me to explain (or rather, complain).

   It's difficult to complain about the jeans, because they're JEANS IN THIS ECONOMY - but I really do need to slim down on the thighs to fit into them comfortably. However, no one said that jeans of this caliber need be worn even somewhat comfortably.

   On the subject of the band - their name is The Emblem (yes, very very lame) and they declared me their manager in, say, December. I get a call from them for the first time since then just yesterday. At first it seemed like a good conversation - "Hey, how are you?" but I quickly saw what it was becoming when it turned into "Sooo, The Emblem hasn't had any gigs in a while..." So perhaps I have been demoted from manager to gig-master, but I can take it.

   The basement is looking absolutely lovely, although my suggestions tend to get turned down by the parents. Perhaps it's all for the better. By allowing them to design 99% of the room, my 1% is what allows the room to have a little sparkle of personality. I'm constantly asking friends to stop by so they can, unbeknownst to them at the time, admire. I have a plan of action too.

Step 1 - Casually say something along the lines of "Hey, let's go to the basement. We fixed the TV."
Step 2 - My personal favorite. Friend walks in and exclaims, "Oh my god, was it always like this? It looks amazing!"
Step 3 - Blow it off with a little "Oh, you noticed! You like it? Sorry, I forgot to mention it."

   And then we carry on about how I made most of the design choices but the parents added little motifs here and there.

   The ice cream? It's really not allowing me to lose those 10 pounds for the jeans.

I listen to my music as softly as possible.

Whereas some are drawn to blast their music, I'm quite the opposite.

   Confused? Allow me to explain.

   At some point we've all wished that our friends or family came with a guidebook. I, however, wish that I came with a guidebook so people would know exactly how to treat me. Say what you will about there being no spice to life in that aspect, but if you were (or happen to be) a personal friend of mine, you'd consider this the opportunity of a lifetime.

   And so, I've taken it upon myself to write that very guidebook both for others, but especially for myself. It's often said that you learn something new every day. I look at that in a more selfish light - as in, why can't that new tidbit of information I learn everyday be about myself? Be it realizations or discoveries about what makes me tick or my odd habits, I feel it's all worth being documented. That brings me to this blog.

   Others may add that this project is a tad self-absorbed. To that I say, hell yes it is. While I've always had an admiration for those who manage to write blogs of a certain theme, I do not rank myself with them. While the titles of these blog posts will relate to the topic of my own personal instruction manual, I'll take it upon myself to ramble about my mildly engaging life now and again.

   I am a serial blog-maker. Meaning, I'll create a blog every so often, post obsessively in the first month, and then abandon the project altogether. So I will make sure now, as I do with every blogging endeavor that I start, that I will post regularly. Every Saturday seems reasonable, although that may be pushing the limits on my part.

   Stop by every now and again, if you like. I'd be pleased to take you chapter by chapter through your own personal guide to me, with some unnecessary ramblings along the way. It already sounds like quite a journey.