Update #33: 3 weeks, Thric3 updated

Me oh my has it been a while! I'm struggling to sort out all the things that have happened in the past epoch.


...A lot.


The end.

Have a nice summer.


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Artist's Touch: more often claimed than the Midas Touch, but no less beautiful (usually). An evening of ensemble music involving dozens of MAA students: clarinet ensemble, brass ensemble, percussion ensemble, flute ensemble, didgeridoo ensemble (no, but that would have been WAY cool), and piano duets up the kazoo.


Back up.

Thursday. I've just decided to stick around for the weekend rather than go on a camping trip, due to the new stack of choral accompaniments and other responsibilities the Tata truck dumped on me. I let the music teacher know that I'd be staying, and she enthusiastically recruited me for the percussion ensemble. Hooray! However, the percussionists had not ensembled themselves. At all. Not even a little bit. "Under the Sea" sounded more akin to the "Jaws" soundtrack; Sebastian had Flounder by the gills and was shaking him violently.

Thursday afternoon was spent attempting to bring everyone together. Attempting. Every other ensemble (the Coke bottle ensemble was particularly boisterous) was also practicing, and percussion
instruments are not easily relocated to quiet, sunny, peaceful pastures. No. They instead remain in echoey, fluorescent-lit, musically chaotic halls. Frustrated, I finally spun the marimba to face the group and yelled measure numbers at the top of my lungs. Playing the marimba while screaming and counting is a multi-task I have yet to master. Maybe it's practice for parenthood...


Forward! to Saturday night.

Sebastian and Flounder are friends again. "Under the Sea" sounded like a Disney film - filled with rainbows and butterflies - and students rejoiced in their performances gone well. The evening was capped off with an astounding piano duet by Mrs. Salibio and junior Inah. WOW. The Midas Touch,
I think.
I'm not biased at all.

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International Night. I've never been able to claim internationality(?) as an American before, but we claimed our heritage with toe-tappin' gusto. Yeeeeehaw!

The United States of America is a pretty big place. Only Wisconsin is home. Massachusetts is nice, but people there are different. Same with New Mexico. Same with Idaho. But you can't encompass all of the good ol' U S of A in one fifteen minute presentation, so Tennessee bluegrass it was. Americans whipped out "Rocky Top", "This Land is Your Land", and - wait for it - "Boot Scootin' Boogie". That's right. Jessica Stotz, white northerner, danced. In public.

Close your eyes... no, wait; don't. Nightmares.
Imagine: a dozen Americans, some with rhythm and most without, in two rows doing a line dance including the "Leather Strap" and the "Tush Push". Yes. The Tush Push. I pushed my tush and scooted my boot, and looked quite ridiculous doing it. But I had enough fun that the documentation of this momentous occasion made its way to YouTube.

After the Americans kicked off the show (with a snakeskin boot, of course), countries from Zambia and Zimbabwe to the Philippines exhibited national dances, skits, songs, and dress. And the food! Oh,
the food. I took a little bit of everything and sat down to tackle my mountain of delightful morsels. Fifteen minutes later, my stomach bursting and my ice cream sundae (USA) melting, I still couldn't see
the bottom of my plate. Oofta. Leftovers!


So concludes weekend 1.

Weekend 2!
Friday night brought grades K-8, their wits, and their voices together for the Elementary Vespers. This event earned update email entry clearance because I got to accompany a handful of the dozen songs the students sang. Woohoo! Not flawless, but fun. And I got to watch my boy crush, Xander, sing words just a split second after they were supposed to be sung. Reminded me of someone I knew not so long ago...

Sabbath: Restful. Beautiful. Happy.

Sunday: Juniors and Seniors left for a banquet off-campus, and underclassmen had class parties to kill time. As a sophomore sponsor, I was asked to plan a photo/video scavenger hunt (by my own suggestion). Reactions before the event: "WHO thought of this?" "WHY are we running around for a party?" "WHAT is this?"
Oh boy.
Sophomores. The fruit fly kids (refer to Update 31). The class that never seems to "have psych" (yet another Maxwellism) for anything. I was a little nervous.
But lo and behold, the 14-15 year olds actually ENJOYED themselves! No food, no movie, no chocolate, no music; I s'pose being forced to film a high speed chase between humans and Thomson's gazelles will do that for ya.

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We've caught up to the present: Miss Jessica is in her room after a SUNNY day (first in a long while) of library supervision, piano, data entry, piano, library, piano, basketball stats with senior Winta, piano, and dancing with senior Joy. Eight days until the Spring Concert (!), 20 days until my parents and youngest sister arrive (!!!), and 24 days until graduation and the arrival of my aunt, uncle, and oldest sister (!!!). Time is FLYING.

I'm still looking for ways to abduct students legally and cheaply. I can't quite bear the thought of leaving them... Any leads? Let me know. Seriously.