Vintage Amanda

http://dog-luver714.xanga.com/

hahaha.

the blog I regularly updated in 6th and seventh grade. Not as regularly in 8th.. and some freshman year...

It's funny to look back and read all of the entries.

Buckle your seatbelts. Amanda is going to rant again.

OH OH OH

so I was reading some of my old blog posts, you know counting how many grammatical errors I have and becoming to lazy to actually change them. When I came across me talking about how the new season of the secret life of the american teenager was coming on the next Monday. So I decided I would take the time now to rant about that show.

Yes I did watch the first episode of the new season.

No I will not be watching the next one, or the one after that, or the one after that if the show keeps going in this direction.

And here's why:

The show is not at all about all of the things teenagers deal with in life anymore. Not it's basically just about sex now. So why don't they just title it "the secret life of the american teenagers who have sex". Because that's basically what it is. I especially hated the direction they took Grace's character.

The truth of the matter is that, guess what ABC family, not all teenagers in America struggle with sex. And sex is not the "big talk of the school". You don't walk down the hallways and hear people talking about "well I'm ready for it" or "I'm on the pill now".

Not to say that sex isn't there at all. Yes, it is A struggle for American teenagers. But it's not the one and only struggle of American teenagers.

And call me naive but I don't think every single person in our school is having sex. I mean I'm not having sex. So that's one less person than everyone. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

This show is just turning into a failure. And it's about to crash and burn if it doesn't get pulled back together.

Especially after the first episode they gave us to the new season.

At the end of each episode they always say stuff like "100 percent preventable" yadda yadda. But it's like the show is condoning it.

And I know ABC family can't possibly be running out of things teens struggle with.

They haven't even begun to tackle say drugs, or drinking, or even worse drinking and driving. And I'd say that that ranks right up there with sex.

And what about suicide? That's a pretty big one now-a-days.

What about even less dramatic stuff, I mean I realize that this is hollywood we're talking about and hollywood has to make everything dramatic and intense, but I'd say getting into college or getting a scholarship now is a big stresser lately.

So correct me if I'm wrong on this theory.

I'm just tired of it all I guess.

But on a lighter note, I did read take two and thought it was a pretty good book. It just makes me want to read the next book more. And I did watch "Make it or break it" and thought that the show is off to a good start.

Ok, I'm stepping off of my soap box now.

just some thoughts

I had an incredible friend in the past year, who taught me so much and I don't think she even knows it.

She had a huge influence on me and made me realize that there was a difference in just talking the talk and living what you talk out.

Because she lived it out.

And I probably will never see her again.

And it's not because she died, but because she moved back to where she used to live.

One year.

It just doesn't seem long enough.

And I'm extremely sad.

Because I never got to tell her goodbye in person.

I didn't know that on the last day of officer work days when we were all extremely giddy and awestruck with the tornado that touched down across the street, to worry about actually saying goodbye to each other.

That that would be the last time I would probably ever see her in person.

This is sad news.

I only had a weeks warning.

And that week shouldn't even count.

Because she went out of town that week.

So I basically only had a days warning.

I just wished I could have told her all of this in person.

I wish we could be better friends.

I still remember, in fact I don't think I'll ever forget, the night we ate at macaronni grill together.

And we shared our "secrets" to each other.

"Secrets" I don't really tell everyone.

And she told me some of her "secrets".

And I knew that then.

Yes right then as I was eating pasta.

That it was a start to a great friendship.

But God didn't have that in his big plan for her and I, I suppose.

It never really worked out like what I had all planned out in my head.

And we never really became the "best buddies".

Which makes me sad.

Because I think we could've become better friends.

And now it's too late.

:(

But I suppose there is good that comes of this,

And there are lessons to be learned.

Guys, don't take your:

friends

parents

pets

teachers

circumstances

for granted.

Because not every day is a guaranteed right.

And not every circumstance is guaranteed to come out the way you had planned.

In the words of a very wise man:

"live every day like it was your last. But prepare and build for the future like you had thousands of days left"

I like that quote..

So friends,

Please learn from me.

Don't put yourself through the same thing.

Love ya'

--- Amanda

Procrastination

My parents are just now realizing I'm a really bad procrastinator....

But that's ok because I always get it done.. Just not in the most timely of matters some times (meaning like maybe finishing at 11 or midnight. I mean I'm not THAT extreme am I?)

I think the important thing is that I always manage to finish it for it's deadline, and that's all that matters right?

(I'm of course referencing video making montage things)

Inspiration

I love getting sudden huge bursts of inspiration that you know just had to of come from God.

You know when your sitting there and your at a complete loss of what your doing with say your life, or your career, or for me just my whole interest in video making.

And you know it just came from God because then it just quickly all begins working together..

Boom Boom Boom.

And you honestly just feel amazing, because I don't know, it just feels right. It feels like this is what you are meant to be doing.. and it just all works out and you've gained a whole new perspective on your true intentions and motives..

And beyond that I don't really know how to explain the feeling any further.

Amanda: A history

I've just had a sudden burst of inspiration to blog about my history and more specifically how I got into video making. 

So here we go, buckle your seatbelts.. And we're off!!

I guess you could say my video making started when I was just a nerdy little girl who wanted her bed time changed. Which for a normal kid, protesting a change in bed time is usually normal.. But I was never a normal kid. I was always the kid who announced when she was going to bed, always early than any planned bed time that my parents or any baby sitter would force on me, I would announce that I was tired and that was that. No one ever had to force me to go to bed, I think when I was this age I was even caught saying that I would never ever be one of those people who enjoyed staying up late. (haha, though here I am.. ten years later writing a blog post at 11:00 funny how things change.)

But I don't know what it was, when I was 10 years old I decided that a 9:00 "bed time" just would not work for me any longer. Now my parents are not altogether strict by any stretch of the imagination. So simply asking my parents if they would move my bedtime up 30 minutes would suffice just fine. But no, I had to show my nerdyness. And what would any other child do when they want there bed time changed but make a power point presentation. Or at least, I suppose that was my thought process at the time. 

I remember spending a long time on this power point presentation, and I distinctly remember giving the presentation to my parents. I think I even added music, pictures, transitions... The whole nine yards.

They laughed, and yes, the raised my bed time. 

But no, that was not the end of that. In the same year I had been endlessly begging for a dog. My parents excuse when I would begin begging was always that "we didn't have a fence". So then I changed my begging tactics and began begging for a fence. My Christmas wish list that year in fact was:

1) A fence

2) A dog to put in the fence

3) DDR

Yes, I was quite a well-rounded child. 

So began my dog obsession. I made yet another power point presentation, with well thought out arguments and points on why they should allow me to have a dog. 

This time the presentation didn't work out quite as well as I planned it to. I didn't end up with a dog, only a compromise that come the end of my fifth grade year they would allow me to start volunteering at the humane society-- which is a complete other story in its own self because probably six months before this time I was terrified of dogs.

After becoming quite obsessed with dogs I decided I wanted to make a dog picture slideshow, using the only computer program I knew how to use that might remotely work for the purpose I had in mind- Microsoft Powerpoint. 

When my dad saw what I was working on he showed me another program that was "really cool, and would work a lot better for what I was trying to do." Which was Windows Movie Maker. 

If anyone of you have ever used Windows Movie Maker, you know how much of a pain it can be. It freezes whenever it feels like it, and it just likes to mess with your mind and your projects.

So my first video was a big web of frustration to be honest, because Movie Maker would just randomly crash, or it would manipulate my pictures and make them very short. 

I finished this video, which was a slideshow of dog pictures set to the song 'you've got a friend in me' from Toy Story, oh about 5 times. But each time I would open the video after I finished it Movie maker would make each clip's length very short. And after about the sixth time I had enough and to this day that video remains unfinished.

After this video making experience I had a bit of a reprieve in actual video making. And about the only techie thing I did was hit the space bar during worship at church for the big screens. I grew to be extremely proud of my job. My dad and I would sit up there, and he would click for the pastor's sermon and help me if I got lost, and I would click for the songs. 

And then we moved to Florida and I lost my "space bar clicking for songs job" because someone already had that position filled. 

The first year I lived in Florida was the year I discovered youtube. It was like a whole new world was being opened to me. More specifically I discovered the youtube account JKLproductions. I watched their videos constantly each time a new one came out. And then when I visited my best friend from where I used to live I introduced her to JKLproductions and we thought "hey, why don't we do what they are doing. It would be fun!" 

So we did, and we started a youtube account called LLAMAmovies. We would film random silly skits or ideas that we came up with, and then I would sit there and edit them using WMV. And when I went back home to Florida I introduced my friends to the idea. And we made another youtube account called SHARKSmovies. 

From there I started making  montage type videos that weren't altogether that spectacular. But I guess my dad saw something in the making and showed our youth pastor, and he became interested and had me making various videos. And then I became more and more interested in videos and I got a Mac desktop for christmas and starting using imovie (with by the way is SOO much better than movie maker). And then my movie making got better and I was asked to make a DNOW promo along with my SHARKS friends.. So we did.. And then I made a camp video which OB used.. And then I decided to just randomly take it upon myself to make a video for each day of VBS.. And then it just kind of exploded (my video making that is). I was asked to help edit a big moms in touch promotional video, the previous video maker person who was hired to make youth videos was replaced by me.. And now I just get requested a lot to make a lot of videos.. And it's just REALLY AWESOME. 

I think I'm really interested in doing more video making in the future.. I may even end up doing this as my career.. That is, if that's what God wants me to do. 

Who knows, the sky is the limit.

Why hello there friends

I wish I could just post a video here of me being random crazy.. and my weird sadness that I feel for no apparent reason.. 

And no one would see it but you and I.. 

Because no one cares to come over to this neck of the internet and watch and read whatever is on my mind.. 

If people did start to care I might be even a little concerned.. They would get to know a whole new layer of me that I don't share with a lot of people.. I think if I did share this layer with everyone I know, they may be a little overwhelmed.. 

I mean.. this is like my diary..

I mean, I know some stuff would be typical.. because I'm just a teenage girl.. I'm not some COMPLETE alien.. 

But some of me isn't typical..

and wow, this has just turned into a long useless ramble.. 

I almost even went into how much of a habitual creature I was.. but some friends on facebook distracted me.. You better be glad :). 

I think I will go now.. 

I feel bad for saying it.. but today was almost a waste of a day.. What was the point of it? 

A much needed update.

So I haven’t written a blog post in what, a bajillion years? Ok well, in two weeks would be the precise time. But who needs or cares about precision anyway?

I am currently sitting on our back porch deck thing with my dad and Maggie (the dog, duh). It is way to hot and humid for any sane person to desire sitting out here, but it’s the only quiet place. We have family at our house… And Justin, the smallest of the cousins that are here, had been coming in and out of my room to share pictures he had drawn of me being hit in the face with a pie, or overall him just being silly.

I figured I would write this blog going from semi-carefree and laid back, and I would then segway into “serious” stuff.

This past weekend (Sunday and Monday) my family went to the beach in Destin, everyone except for Daniel that is because he had to work, and that was loads of fun. We obviously went to the beach, but we also went to the discount mall :).

And then guess what, I also got a car :D.

It’s a royal blue 2005 ford escape. It’s pretty awesome. My parents surprised me with it when I got home from camp. And then on Monday morning it wouldn’t start. :/. But no worries, the battery just died and so we replaced it this morning. All is swell now.

Yesterday we went to see UP in 3D. And I have decided that never again will I opt for the 3D version of a movie. I mean, yes, the glasses were very snazzy and all.. But I don’t know what about it triggered this, but I just felt so sick during the movie. And I obtained this HORRIBLE headache during the movie.. which lasted the rest of the afternoon and night.

But it was a really good movie, it tackled a lot of deep hard issues for a cartoon though, haha.

And yes, like the true rebel I am (HAH! Yeah, whatever), I did NOT recycle my 3D glasses, I kept than. So :-p. TAKE THAT!

Now I’m going to segway into last week, which was camp.

Camp was really amazing this year. I’m not sure exactly what made this year different, other than the obvious fact that our church was running it, but camp just felt Different in a good way. I had never felt this way with any other camp. I’ve run through my head many different possible reasons for this. Maybe it’s because I’ve matured and it’s my age and outlook on life now.. But I just felt different.. closer… I don’t know exactly how to describe it.

But one thing that I had been thinking about a lot before camp was my life (wow, really Amanda?) And more specificily the whole “I’m halfway done with highschool” syndrome. I kept on thinking “what have I done with it? What do I have to show for it?”

I felt that it was time for me to make a difference in band and more specifically my section. I just didn’t know HOW to make this said difference.. I still don’t know exactly but I just have a better understanding that however God will be in full control.

It was kind of weird/cool. Because on the first night I told Janice that I wanted to talk to her about something later because I didn’t know quite how to put together my thoughts and I knew she could help me string them together. And that very night, after I said this to Janice, the message was on EXACTLY what I had been thinking. About having the power in Christ to change the world and your school basically. And making an impact.

I could go on for ages about camp, but I’m not going to…

There was one other thing, I still need to follow up on it as well.

I sort of pushed/convinced/ordered someone to go to camp this year. Haha, I thought that if one person could make an impact, that certainly to people could make a bigger impact. And I sure had no clue what I was doing. And in the process of convincing them to go.. I sort of went into my long schpeel about everything that I had been thinking. But I didn’t want to freak this person out… And I just ended up terribly confusing them.. But they went.. And on the second night they re-dedicated their life to Christ.. and I was sooooo excited for them… I just need to follow up on what I sort of got into with them before camp.. because they asked me what I meant on the way to camp and I told them that I couldn’t explain it to them then (because it was that night that I was going to talk to Janice) but that I would explain it to them later, that I was fairly certain they would be able to understand it better after camp.. But I have yet to follow-up and actually have the conversation with them..

So when I do, I’ll let you know…

 

Well the sun is going down now.. so I’m going to end this one..

I promise to make more frequent updates.

Time to count fireflies.

-Amanda

WOOT WOOT I just remembered that the next Karen Kingsbury book comes out next week, along with the movie My Sisters Keeper, and the new show on ABC family.. and another season of secret life (which I’m not sure if I’m going to watch the new season or not.. The commercials worry me a little bit..)

Full recount of the past week

So I realize that while yes I did post a blog entry twice last week.. I never really talked about what was going on in my days... And my days were pretty eventful.

So I bring you this, a full recount of my week.. starting on:

Monday:

This was when I posted my first blog this week.. And I actually did talk about what happened that day. I dusted the tops of the band lockers... and inside of them.. and mopped the floors.

But what I didn't say is that I want to seriously hurt whoever picked out the locker area's tiles. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

"hmm.. yes... let's get the tiles that no matter how extensively you mop them.. They always get dirty!! Yes. I'll buy them now!"

*smack*. But that's pretty much all I have to add for Monday.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday all officers were required to wear Lincoln-esque shirts... You know so that freshman could clearly see who were officers and such.

And because I was wearing my lincoln band shirt.. Both at the gas station and at the place I ate lunch I was brought into a conversation with the cashier and manager on how I was in band... So that was quite interesting..

Tuesday (man I completely lost my train of thought.. because I got up and did something) was the day that I posted the other blog. (I think that's where I was going... but I want to go back a little)

So. Seeing as there was only one french horn freshman Mr. Kelly (our band director) made me go help the trumpet players because they only had one person helping them.

Now let me get one thing straight: Mellophones are A LOT heavier than trumpets..

And since I was the model.. I had to be precise of how I was giving the example.. And there were times were the person would just kind of forget I was there... While I was standing at attention.. I was probably only called to "at ease" twice that whole hour.. And I was sore.

But it's ok. Becuase after that I went to lunch with my family. And then went back and designed our band shirts.. and messed around the rest of the afternoon with no shoes on (refer to wipe out story on last blog entry). I was getting kind of frustrated because I was EXHAUSTED and my ride was messing around doing nothing in particular and I wanted to go home badly. But it all worked out because since we were one of the last people there the drumline section mom lady gave us posicles (yummy).

So that was tuesday.

Hah, Wednesday:

Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday.. You stupid day.

Wednesday was the day I only had literally five minutes to get ready and be out the door.. Because I didn't know I was being picked up at 8:05 and I had set my alarm to wake me up at 8:00.. no joke..

But at least on Wednesday Emily let me use her trumpet to model with :).

Wednesday my ride left me at lunch time... And I was stranded at school in the pouring rain until he came back and dropped me off at McDonalds... Where I was again stranded because Janice didn't know which McDonalds I was talking about..

She found me though.. And I forever owe my life to her because she's the BOMB.

and then we watched Nancy Drew.. I went home feeling AWFUL. I had a horrible headache.. took some tyenol.. slept for about 30 minutes.. and then woke up feeling worse.. and then I went to church.. So that was Wednesday

Thursday:

HAHAHAHAHAHA... thursday...

So, to start.. The weather man person forecasted us to have an 80 percent chance of rain.

But it hadn't rained so far and we went outside hoping to get things done. We got done with what we needed to accomplish outside.. and the weather was still holding up... in fact it was actually kind of sunny (the talk of the weather is important.. it's not just ramblings.. you'll see). So Mr. Kelly broke us off into sections to prepare our freshman for the *insert dramatic music* "Freshman drill down". (Which is kind of like simon says except more intense). We were all helping them with last minute preparations (Our freshman Emily was a sure fire to win By the way.). When it started raining.. So we went under the awning until Mr. Kelly told us to go inside and start our music sectionals.. with the hopes that it would let up later and we could do the drill down. So we all go to our separate rooms where I proceeded to be lazy and sit in the rolly chair and just roll all over the empty room and look at the emergency plan sheet thing.. because it was basically the only thing in the room. Katie then called me a retarded because I would never need to know what to do if a tornado hit.

We then went to full music rehersal and Mr. Kelly turned on the show from my freshman year because we played Rhapsody in Blue that year.. and we're also sort of playing it this year.. Near the end of the show, the power goes out. And when the power goes out in the band room.. IT'S SCARY.. about a minute later, the emergency lights came on.. And we just went on practicing our music thinking nothing of it.. About 30 minutes later the power came back on and we just kept playing..

At the end of rehersal someone in pit raises their hands.. saying:

"Um, I have a statement Mr. Kelly. The reason the power just went out is because A tornado just hit Apalachee elementary school" (Apalachee elementary school is literally right across from our parking lot.)

At first I thought she was kidding.. until I went outside.. To see for myself.. And a tornado really did hit the school.. In my dads words "the evidence is indisputable".

The weather services never saw any tornadic formations on their radars.. But they later classified it as an F zero. Which is winds around 70 mph.

Which is extremely weird and creepy.. Because there we were sitting in the band room.. probably about.. oh 300 yards away.. Completely oblivious that anything was going on..

That tornado was so close...

I took some pictures of the damage.. But I'm to lazy to post them now.. I'll post them later I suppose...

And today is Friday.. So that was my week.. In a nutshell..

I leave for camp in three days!!!!

-Amanda

I'm incredibly Happy

I'm incredibly happy right now, though the happy rush has slowly faded back to my body yelling at me

"I'm exhausted!! Let me lay down!!! I want to sleep!!!"

But no body, I will not let your negative aches bring down my happiness.

So lately if you haven't noticed by the negative state of my blog entries, I was going through a bit of a rough patch in life.

And now that I look back at this rough patch, I see that the rough patch was worthwile and that it was all in good purpose. I learned a lot, and I feel that I also learned how to depend on God a whole lot more.

But I'm not going to lie and say "now that I look back at that rough patch, I was such a wimp I can't believe I let it grab me. It wasn't that rough."

It was still rough, even from this side of the fence.

But I'm out of that rough patch and moving on ahead..

Please reader of this blog. (or me in the future.. though I hope I have learned my lesson once).

I'm going to try to give you worth wile advice.

I know that it may be all incredible fun skipping down your newly mopped/waxed school hallways in just your socks. And cutting tight corners..

Until you completely wipe out and land on your bottom. And then it's not so fun.

I now have a scraped up knee... And a bruise that hurts REALLY bad... on my butt... so it's like you can't sit down properly.. because it hurts...

HAH! so.. I'm not saying not to skip down hallways. I love skipping.. It's all in good fun.. But maybe you should wear shoes.. I'm just saying..

In other news it's really weird being an "upperclassmen" now.. I was just starting to really feel like a sophmore and now I'm a Junior!? WHAT!?

I still FEEL like a freshman.. I still FEEL like we should be marching Overture to Candide..

But I'm not... Half of my high school "career" is already over.. And what have I done with it?!

So I helped work on rejuvinating our band shirts.. I'll keep you updated.. I don't want to say to much right now.. Because it's not all set in stone or anything.. It's kind of subjective at this point..

But it's pretty coolio. In my opinion...

FINE!

I'm going to go to bed.. But I really want to watch the Nanny again... And it comes on at 11... Why can't it come on at 10?!

I really like the show "The Nanny"

OH OH OH

and they're making a new season of Gilmore Girls.. Which should be really cool, because I completely HATED the ending to what we thought would be the entire existence of the whole show.. And it's coming on ABC... instead of CW... If I understand correct.. which is cool...

lalalalalalalala

ok, that's all.. I should go to sleep..

K BYE!

-amanda

BAH!!! I'm a sheep!!!

BAHHHH..

I'm so exhausted that I'm turning delirious.

My eyelids are drooping shut as if they weighed 100 pounds.

If I could just close my eyes for one little second...

NO! must not close eyes, must write this blog entry!

I was just told by my mom that my dog was ready for bed, and that I should be too.

BUT NO. I can't be ready to go to bed, I must type.

TYPE LIKE A FIEND AMANDA!

ok.

So the reason that I'm forcing out this blog entry is because I feel like I have completely abandoned this poor blog.

But that's completely untrue. Because the last time you think I posted was May 26th (if you want to count that as a decent blog. I think it's a semi-decent blog. It accurately showed what I was feeling at that time.).. But looks can be decieving because I did write a blog entry since then.. you just can't see it. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

ok, enough of that.

So school is now over, and Officer work days have begun for band.

I have succesfully STILL forgotten to bring my math book to school.. but hopefully I will remember that tomorrow when I am still deliriously tired begging for energy!!!

Today my job was to clean the lockers.

Simple enough task you think. BUT IT'S NOT!!!!

We probably literally "had the dirtiest job" hehe.

But we had our advantages.. I mean it's not every day you get to climb on top of the band lockers :).

But seriously it was incredibly dusty. I don't know how to describe how dusty. But not an inch of me is exaggerating.

There was probably at LEAST an inch layer of dust. Plus the huge dust bunnies begging to take over the world that is our band room.

We sort of disturbed the presence of this small army and foiled their plans.. But in doing so, dust was now collectively everywhere in the band room. It was like there was a haze of dust in the band room that you could clearly see. It was disgusting.

Sneezes all around.

And then three of us got to clean inside of the band lockers. ( woo-hoo *sarcastic*)

We've decided that there should be some new rules:

-NO STICKERS.

I know I know, stickers are fun and all. They can be all colorful and add pizaz. But they have never tried to get off the sticker residue clearly!!!

-NO DRINKS IN LOCKERS (or modified as: you spill it, you clean it up.)

ewww, there were several lockers where it was just completely covered in a layer of brown

stickie stuff... that was fun to clean...

But that's really all I have to say. I mean it wasn't THAT awful...

It's not like I was dealing with annoying people or people who just made me want to SCREAM!!! .. there was a fair share of that going around.. just not around us...

"grumble grumble grumble"

I find it hard to deal with people like that.. I just want to smack them and say "SHUT UP.. Suck it up or leave.. We don't need your negativity"

But I realize that sometimes I get into the grumbling mood..

I now give you (that is anyone now reading this blog) full permission to smack me (please don't leave a bruise).. If I get into one of these moods...

BUT (yes there are strings attached) You have to have read this and say the word "tyranasaurus rex!!"

SO HA!

That is pretty much it...

I made good grades on my exams... and la-de-da........

Next week is camp!! I'm so excited!!