In Love (Scenes) With a Gay Guy

Theatre is going marvelously. We're now holding practices at Buckham Alley, where the play will be held, and I must say I adore the place. Wednesday we painted the set burgundy and went over the dramatic & romantic scenes. The place is right in the ghetto-- homeless people sneak in and sleep in our dressing room & rats live in the props. But other than that, the place is lovely! *Claps excitedly* My gaspingly romantic scene with Jerry has become even more-so. I was delighted when he decided we should go off on our own and practice our scene repeatedly. Toward the end of the scene, when we're dancing, we (as our characters) say:BARRYMORE: You know, Lillian, there is another question that many ask. A question regarding certain activities and their practice in the next world.LILLIAN: You mean activities of a physical nature.BARRYMORE: Aren't you curious?LILLIAN: Surprise me.Jerry suggested that Barrymore should really surprise Lillian by goin' in for a fervent kiss there. I was very fond of this idea, but Lori wishes for him to spin me into his arms in a hot, tango-like move. *Shrugs* Which is still fine with me, of course. *Runs outside to screech excitedly like a 13-year-old at a Justin Timberlake concert or other such nonsense* I feel that we should dance to "Let's Make a Night (To Remember)" by Bryan Adams, but no. There will be romantic '40s music... possibly a song called "Dream Dancing" by an old fellow named Ray Anthony and his orchestra. *Waves to Grandpa in thanks*

Obviously, I've had a crush on Jerry for a while. Wednesday night, he managed to change that. After theatre, I rode with him to J.W.'s for karaoke. Lovable theatre members Meg and Ben met us there, as did Jerry's pals, Amanda and Kristi. Meg & I were a bit worried that it's a 21 and older bar, but we had no trouble. As soon as I got there, I signed up to sing "Lucky One" by Amy Grant. I immediately regretted this when Jerry and Kristi got up and sang "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge. They we incredible! As loud as the music was, I'm sure my heart could be heard thudding like crazy. Jerry was better than Ewan freaking McGregor. Just look, here's a mini-video I taped of them singing "Come What May". Then DJ man announced, "Now here's Holly with 'Lucky One'!" And there I was. On stage with my braided pig-tails and total lack of singing talent. Afterwards, Meg told me, "You looked so adorably innocent... I loved it, dahling!" A while later, Jerry sang "Your Song" Moulin Rouge-style & I believe that's when I melted into a puddle of a warm butter-like substance on my chair. *Gestures helplessly to link* Just watch the man sing "Your Song". I don't have a crush on Jerry. *Guiltily smacks self on forehead* I'm head over pink tennis shoes in love with the guy! Oh, the warm, endless hugs he gives... Those gorgeous eyes (sometimes pine green with specks of brilliant gold, sometimes the exact opposite). The way he's so sweet, hilarious and irresistibly adorble. His voice... speaking and singing. But then there's also the way he tells me, "I need a boyfriend, Holly," and tirelessly continues his search for his perfect guy, while I've already found mine... and he's gay. Sigh. Oh man, I still can't get over the fact that I stayed out till 3:30 A.M. at a bar with fun people who think it's cute that I dislike the idea of drinking and smoking. I especially heart Meg, with her snazzy faux-fur coats, always amazingly creative displays of eyeshadow on her lids, and adorable way of speaking. She says things like, "I enjoy that coat" and proclaims her undying love for random objects and people at will. *Squeezes her*I must go now, to begin writing a play based on tonight's theatre adventures, which I'll tell you all about in my next entry. Did you all check out the wonderful caricature Zach did of me, on my front page? If not, CHECK IT OUT! *Hugs*

<3,>

How Fencing Can Be Hot

I was pretty dang excited at theatre the other night when Jerry asked me to go karaoke-ing with him. I'd always wanted to try karaoke (despite the fact that I completely lack musical talent), but this would have taken place at a bar in an extremely dangerous part of town. So naturally, I called up my best friend and begged her to come with me. Sarah said she'd go with me under two conditions, 1. she could bring Matt and 2. she wouldn't have to sing. None of us minded that this was a gay bar, but what bothered me was the "bar in a dangerous area at 11 P.M." part. Before 11:00 rolled around, I had wussed out, called Jerry and asked him if we could hang out in a non-bar atmosphere in the daytime where I wouldn't be afraid to step outside of my car. *Rolls up into a ball and cowers* Being an extreme wimp sucks sometimes. Jerry and I met up with Sarah and Matt at Pizza Hut Wednesday evening before theatre. Over the course of our pineapple dessert pizza, Sarah and I decided to play "Guess Jerry's Age." She guessed 19 and I guessed 20. "Way off!" he told us. "I'm 30." *Clunk, clunk* went our jaws as they hit the table. He doesn't look or act 30-years-old at all. Whoa. We stayed and talked about everything from Jerry's and my histories in theatre to Sarah & Matt's upcoming baby (Kaitlin Marie, they've decided to name her) to how hellish high school was. Then we went to the mall to get some frozen cappuccinos, and for once in my life, I was actually late to theatre. Dun dun dun! Sarah and Matt thought Jerry was almost as amazingly awesome as I think he is. But not quite, of course. After all, they haven't seen him play John Barrymore yet. And until they see that, they haven't lived.

I realize you're all sick to death of hearing about theatre, so I think I'll talk about it a little more! I seem to have become rather attached to the regal German accent I use when I'm Lillian, so I use it everywhere I go, which greatly annoys Zach. I also have a tendency to buy my character gifts. I bought Lillian this huge "diamond" ring and ritzy faux-fur jacket. Not only do I love playing my part, I love watching everyone else (especially Jerry and Kyle [Barrymore & Andrew]) act. Their fencing scene is brilliantly cool, and I'm sure it's extremely wrong that I find that scene hot. *Grins guiltily* They just keep jumping all over the stage and Jerry's got that deep voice of his that I think is so ridiculously sexy and... sigh. I have a problem, don't I?Mom and Mike are back together for the moment. After staying at my grandparents' house for a few days, Mom went back to work and realized that she really missed Mike. Mom asked me how I felt about the situation. I thought about it and we were both surprised to realize how much I want their marriage to work. They're good together, they just have an awful lot of bumps in their relationship. She went back home that night, but she's laying down some serious rules, and now I'm just hoping everything works out for the best.

<3,>

The Dramatic Entry

Sigh. Double sigh. Sigh, sigh, sigh. For the past couple of weeks, I've been coming to theatre and wistfully watching the sweet scenes between Kyle's and Jessie's characters (Andrew and Deirdre), but I've also been teasing them about how they haven't yet added their makeout scenes to their rehearsals. Of course, this is mainly due to the fact that Jessie's boyfriend is furious about her having to kiss Kyle & having Jerry kiss her neck in this play, and Jessie's very distraught about her dude being so mad. But I was totally unaware of this predicament when I was laughing about the total lack of lip-locking between Kyle & Jessie. But Kyle, at least, managed to get his revenge on me last night. Lori finally directed the Lillian/Barrymore scene toward the end of the play that Jerry and I hadn't practiced together yet. Before Lori gave us stage directions, I had no idea that this scene was supposed to be so... "Danielle Steel book" intimate. But it's like... all romantic and intense. Here's how it goes, basically:(The ghost of Barrymore is shocked when Lillian enters and can see him. At first, he doesn't remember her & she's rather extremely irritated by this. But then he remembers... really remembers, and holds his hand out to her. Lillian's still pissed at this "vomanizer" but she takes his hand, and they reminsce about that night when they stole champagne from a party, came back to his apartment, and made love. They passionately embrace and are almost kissing when...)Kyle suddenly decides to imitate porn music. Loudly. Non-acting members of the class decide this is the funniest thing ever. *Is slightly ashamed* I guess I had that coming... When we got back in the swing of things, Jerry had to twirl me into his arms in a stunningly romantic gesture that I managed to ruin, take after take, but actually did it pretty well in the end. But then Jerry and I had to attempt slow-dancing while reading our scripts around each other's necks. *Makes a note to memorize lines ASAP*In other news, I went with Sarah and Matt to the ultrasound last week and am thrilled to announce that they're having a GIRL, they're having a girl! Matt was sort of dissapointed, while Sarah was more tickled than I've ever seen her. I'm so excited, I almost want to get a job, make a few trips to Babies "R" Us and buy 2 years-worth of girlie clothes, teddy bears, and other baby-worthy merchandise. But Sarah has a lot against the color pink, and I don't have time for a job. *Pouts for a bit*

Well, it looks like Mom's marriage to Mike isn't going to last much longer. He's full of promises he can't keep, and she just can't take it anymore. Mom and I stayed at my grandparents' house last night, and Mike keeps calling and... she can't talk to him. It's so heartbreaking to see my mum go through this for a third time. She's the absolute best person in the world, and it's terribly sad that she has to keep going through this crap with guys. To change the subject once again (though not completely), I wish I had a guy in my life. I know it seems like such a weird time to wish for this, what with Mom & Mike's problems, and hearing about boyfriends who are jealous of the other girls kissing guys in our play (nope, it's not just Jessie's boyfriend that's mad). But watching Sarah & Matt and seeing Moulin Rouge-romantic couples everywhere I go, and having this super-close scene with Jerry... really makes me wish I had a guy of my own. And it's scary that I seem to know who the guy is that I want. It hit me tonight when I was watching everyone act out a scene from I Hate Hamlet. Of course, I can never have this guy, what with him being gay and all. Maybe if I could just have a guy that's exactly like him in every single way except that he's not gay. He's so awesome, though... I hardly ever whine about this sort of thing, folks, but I had to get this out. Once again, sigh. When did drama become so... dramatic? Later, everybody.

<3,>

A Lesson in Tough German Elegance

It was a chaotic Wednesday night two weeks ago at Mott College. The stuffy air in the hallway was thick with tension as theatre students practiced lines in small groups, all from little yellow books titled I Hate Hamlet. Lori would call groups in, one at a time, and every group seemed to want to be the first to audition. I liked how we were able to audition in groups, rather than stand up there in front of Lori and her clipboard alone. After finding out that Lillian (the chick I wanted to play) was supposed to speak in a deep German accent, I got more than a little freaked out, as I'd auditioned for the part with a smoker's voice. As I practiced with various groups in the hallway, I decided I'd like to try out for the part of the phony, suck-up real estate agent, Felicia too. But when Lori asked me to sit out in the audience, I felt my stomach drop-- only Nick, Frankie, Meg and I were sitting out there, while everyone else still got to rehearse and try out some more. This didn't look good at all. Meg and I decided that if we didn't get parts (and we really wanted parts now), we should at least get candy or something for trying so hard. Miraculously, Lori let six of us stay an hour later than usual and audtion our arses off. She told us the cast list would be posted the next day.So Thursday, I went back to the college and checked for a cast list no less than five times. It was never there! I was so anxious, I felt continually sick all day long. I couldn't even eat! And when I can't eat, it's time to call an ambulance and pump my stomach because I must be frickin' sick. I didn't sleep much that night, and I couldn't get to school fast enough Friday morning to see if the cast list was there yet, for the love of Almighty God, before I ripped all my hair out and shipped myself off to the nut house. It was there and I was in the play! I got the part of Lillian, and my kiddo Shawna's going to play Lillian on the alternate days! *Does the ultimate happy dance, which happens to be a combination of the Macarana, the twist, the Monkey and an odd-looking version of jumping jacks* I was so thrilled, I wanted to conjure a patronus or make amends with my arch-nemesis or something. But I don't really have an arch-nemesis, and I can never get the fake wand I bought at K-Mart to do any sort of magic. *Shakes it half-heartedly, then tosses it over shoulder bitterly* So instead, I went to lunch at the lovely, deliciously elegant Italian wonder, Ruggeros, with Sarah. I was all giddy to see that Sarah's tummy is all paunchy, and you just know there's a tiny dude or chick growing in there. I'm excited because I'm going with Sar-bear to her ultrasound tomorrow afternoon and we'll see if she's got a guy bun or a girl bun in the oven. Fun will be had by all.

Currently, I am in my P.J.s and ready to go to sleep, after two long nights of theatre in a row. Not that I did any work tonight... it was more like, Cast B did a ton of acting while Cast A (that's us!) sat around and watched/supervised them. I'm very excited that Cast A looks like this:Andrew Rally: Kyle John Barrymore: Jerry Deirdre McDavey: Jessie Lillian Troy: Holly (that's me! Hoo hoo) Felicia Dantine: Meg Gary Peter Lefkowitz: Justin

Monica and I played with Nick's baby, Jay, a lot. He's a hilarious little guy whose hobbies include drooling all over the place, snoring while he's awake, and staring at random people in complete awe. I heart Jay. *Pats his fluffy, cotton-like hair* I'm having a lot of trouble with this whole German accent thing that my character requires me to have. Lillian's supposed to be this elegant, 80-year-old chain-smoker who speaks in a very deep, tough-sounding German accent. Everyone kind of fears and respects her, but she also has to be extremely likable. *Blinks* It is very hard to do, and my throat hurts so bad after doing the Lillian voice, but it's fun to hack my words out while talking about the torrid love affair I once had with The Famous John Barrymore. Bow chicka-wow-wow. Oh yes... I am the chick.

<3, Holly

Hyperventalation Ensues

Theatre is different this year in the fact that Lori will no longer be just handing out parts and saying, "Okay, get memorizing." This time we'll have to actually try out for parts. Lori has decided we'll be doing I Hate Hamlet, a play in which there are only 6 parts. However, we're to have the play over a course of 4 nights in November, so Lori's going to try this thing called "double casting." That means, two people will play the same part, but on different nights. *Shrugs* But that still means that only about 12 of us will get parts, out of about 22 people who almost all want to act. So crap. The play goes like this: Andy Rally's a TV actor whose girlfriend, Deirdre, thinks he's hot stuff... but she still refuses to have sex with him, or anyone, much to his dismay. When Andy's show gets canceled, TV producer Gary decides to cast him as Hamlet in Shakespeare in the Park, but he... well, isn't a very good actor. So his real estate agent Felicia, his talent agent Lillian & his girlfriend Dierdre, have a seance to bring back the ghost of famous Hamlet actor, John Barrymore (Drew Barrymore's great-great grandpa) to coach Andy so he can play Hamlet well. Sounds good, no?

Wednesday was Script Reading Day in theatre, so we all gathered ourselves into groups of six containing 3 girls and 3 dudes, so that we could read the play together for the first time. In our group, the likable & easily amused Danny played Andy, shy & quiet girl Ashley was Deirdre, good ol' Kyle played Barrymore, cutie-pie Monica was Felicia, the walking pick-up line Ben played Gary, and I was Lillian. I have to say it went quite well, except that Danny seems to be very near-illiterate and Ashley doesn't seem able to say the word "sex" or make out with anyone on stage, as her part requires. Kyle kept helping Danny pronounce words & Ben asked Ashley who turned on the sensors. During this reading, I decided that I very much want to try out for the part of Lillian. She's all old & won't quit smoking... She has hilarious lines, and although Leah will probably also want her part (and may be better at it, seeing as she is a chain-smoker & I'd never touch a cigarette with a 10-foot pole), I REALLY want to be Lillian. I can do a smoker's voice quite well though & perhaps Leah and I can both do the part. I'm not very excited about competing with Leah, as she's my kiddo, but... sigh. I know one thing-- I don't want to do technical work or makeup or directing or... anything other than acting, so over the next week, you can watch me hyperventalate. *Fishes through purse for inhaler* Look, Nick & his wife had their baby and he brought him to class! His name is Jay and Leah seemed to go even more nuts for him than I did.

Mom and I went to Great Lakes Crossing yesterday to look for the I Hate Hamlet script in their bookstores, since Lori didn't make enough copies for everyone, and I must practice before trying out. But they didn't have the script there, or at Borders, or at the Borders here in Flint, or anywhere else. While at the mall, we were bumped into by many foreign people who apparently felt the need to yell things back and forth across the mall to each other in Yugoslavian. In other, completely off-topic news, OH NO, JOHN RITTER DIED! I loved that guy! I had just recently started watching Three's Company reruns and 8 Simple Rules was my favorite show! I watched a special about his life, and Mom and I thought it was quite neat that, when asked what he would do if he wasn't an actor, he replied that he wouldn't want to do anything but act, as that's what I always say... *Hugs for Angel-version of John Ritter as well as his family, friends & cast-mates*

Holly

Improvisational Humping and Daria Is Neat

Name: Holly
Nicknames: Wanda
Age: 19
Height: 5' 7"
Hair Color: Brown with some fabulously fake blonde highlights
Eye Color: Blue-ish green
Born in: Flint.
Education: Edjamawha? Oh right, my schoolin'. High school ran into my sleeping schedule, so it was pushed aside and replaced by a G. (good) E. (enough) D. (diploma). And now there's college, and I make my own schedule now, so my classes are in the PM nowadays.
Fav. Hobbies: Teaching my dog to talk (she's up to three words and no, they're not "bark, woof and arf"!), reading nerd stories (fan fiction), and acting (like a dork).
Fav. Singers, Groups & Musicians: Amy Grant, Lifehouse, "Weird Al" Yankovic and Michael W. Smith. And Evanescence is fairly awesome as well.
Fav. Movie: The HPs and Orange County, Moulin Rouge.
Fav. Books: The Harry Potter series, courtesy o' J.K. Rowling, the Kissed By An Angel series by Elizabeth Chandler and This Lullabye by Sarah Dessen.
Fav. Animal: Kitties, dogs, horses, they're all good.
Favourite Place you'd want to Visit: Besides Vegas for the 40th time? How 'bout Platform 9 & 3/4? *Grins nerdily*
Fav. Color: Tickle Me Pink (for you weirdos who weren't brought up with Crayola, light pink).
Fav. School Subjects: Theatre an' English.
If you were a character on the Cast of Friends, who would you be?: The guest character who doesn't like any of the normal characters, and brings her friends Daria and Johnny Bravo to make the show better.
If you were a Flower, you would be a...: Holly plant. I'm poisonous yet festive!
If you were a tree, you would be a...: Peach tree. Mmm, peaches...

As pertains to Harry Potter:
House: Gryffindor. I used to think I'd be in Hufflepuff since I tend to be all optimistic and I tend to be a bit of a doormat, but I don't like doing work like the 'puffs and folks tell me you've got to be brave to be a theatre major.
Favorite Book: Good ol' book 3, Prisoner of Azkaban.
Favorite Character(s): Hermione Granger. That kid's great, sticking up for the House Elves and always looking out for her kiddos, Harry and Ron. *Fondly ruffles her hair, making it a bit bushier*
Wand: 12", Holly (*grins*) and Veela hair, springy, good for Charms.
Pet: (Pets, actually) Chyna the Talking Dog, Daria the Escape Artist Cat and Amy "Scratch Attack" Cat.
Hi kids! What's new? What's new with me is that school has started, which, of course, means that theatre has started! *Bursts into relieved tears* Oh-ho, I'm so freaking glad! *Sputters and sobs* Do you have any idea how much I've missed that class? To me, the word theatre is synonymous with the term complete and utter happiness. The good news is that Leah and Kyle (theatre just wouldn't be theatre without them), Nick, Shawna, Sudie and Monica (from 1st semester) have all returned! The bad news is that Don, the dude who gets my vote for Hottest Theatre Kid and everyone's vote for Most Likely to Win an Acadamy Award, has graduated. *Goes pale* I'm just sick about it. Plus, we lost a ton of other fun actors... like, 12. So that sucks. We haven't done a whole heck of a lot yet, but we did some pantomiming which consisted of the whole class losing their friends' dog, and ruining folks' hair colors. We also got to play my all-time favorite theatre game, Bus Stop, where you must get the person "waiting for the bus" out of their seat by doing some quick-thinking improv. I got a new guy, Justin, out of his seat by walking up and saying, "BEEP BEEP! I'm the bus, get in!" but then stealing his seat when he got up and exclaiming, "Ha ha! I'm not a bus, I'm just a person who wanted your seat!" Then Kyle decided to get me out of my seat by walking up to me and pretending to hump me. After about 5 seconds of this, I looked at my watch and asked him when the bus would arrive, but he pointed out that, has this happened in real life, I would have been long gone. I had to agree, and admitted defeat. *Hangs head*
I recently decided to re-read some of the Daria fan fiction I used to read obsessively a few years ago, and realized that I can't just abandon this awesome stuff just because I now read Harry Potter fan fic. That would just be wrong, as this stuff is great, and I'd forgotten just how great it is. I used to bloody love the show Daria, but it was the fan fic I was REALLY addicted to... specifically a cluster of Daria fan fiction written by a writing goddess who called herself Invisigoth Gypsy. The fics always managed to cheer me up and make my day a zillion times brighter, and I think you should all read her stuff if you ever get the chance. The whole series is focused around Daria and Trent, and how they were both too scared to admit they liked each other, so it was extremely cute, and it's one of my favorite sources of entertainment. Plus, there was no Tom (the boyfriend Daria eventually had)! Hurray for Trent and not for Tom. Now, move toward the link... that's it, closer... closer... The IVG Shipper Continuum

<3, Holly :-D

Of Best Friends and Baby-Sized Miracles

I don't exactly remember the precise moment when I met my best friend, Sarah. In fact, the first year I knew her, we weren't close at all. We ate lunch together with a number of our old friends, most of whom I can't even name now, even though I'd known a few of them almost my whole life. When set Sarah apart from those other friends was that she really seemed to care what happened to me, as she proved over the next five years. When my dad made me get my teacher's signatures on my assignment sheet, Sarah made sure I got those signatures so I wouldn't get in trouble. When I was struggling with restless leg syndrome, she didn't freak out and keep the heck away from me, she stayed with me and kept my mind off it. When I was too sick to pay attention in driver's ed, she took notes for the both of us and kept me from failing. And if she didn't have enough money to buy me a birthday present, she made me beautiful pillows, which I love more than anything she could have bought... except, perhaps, for this bloody awesome theatre ring she got me for my open house. *Pats it and snaps picture*
I thought Sarah was so cool, I set her up with my brother, one of my other best friends. For 3 years, Zach and I hung out with Sarah all day, every day. I had a blast with them, despite their constant "make out then break up" ritual. When Sarah and Zach had the mother of all breakups, it looked like I was going to have to choose between them, and I was alternately devastated and hysterical for weeks. I loved them both way too much to pick a favorite. I decided I couldn't, and would never choose one of them over the other, though I'm ashamed to say I haven't made time to hang out with Sarah since I started college, and I've missed her so much.
A couple weeks ago, I went to Sarah's diary and saw that she had rather huge news-- she's pregnant! I had to read the entry four times before it really sunk in. My best friend is pregnant. This is huge! At first, I way too worried to be happy. I kept thinking, Is her dad angry? Is she okay with this? Matt had better stay with her and be good to she and the baby... But as I read the entry over and over, I realized everything will be okay. She and Matt are really excited and they're both working; they'll be able to get their own place soon! When I finally actually realized that my best pal was going to be a mom, I became really thrilled too. A new mini-miracle kid... this is going to be so awesome! My worries immediately turned to excited plans-- What gifts am I going to spoil this kid with? What decorations will we put up at the baby shower? I'd better start shopping for this kid now, only nine months to go...
Of course, I'm going to do everything I can for Sarah, Matt and the baby... after all, look at all the great things Sarah's done for me. *Raises bottle of root beer* To best friends and miracles!

In other news, my dad surprised me with the gift that keeps on giving... or at least, it keeps taking... taking pictures! He said it was a late open house present, so that's fun. And not only does this digital camera take pictures, it also takes minute-and-a-half-long videos! So my camera is super neat, as opposed to just plain neat. This means that there will be lots of pics and videos of Sarah's baby (uh... you know, when she has the baby) and you online folk will be able to see part of my next play! Oh, aren't you just in fits of rapture? *Grins cheekily*
<3,>

Annual Crap Hits the Fan Day

Once or twice a year, a time comes along when my dad and I have to have a big fight about something. The most common Fighting Subjects are (A. my grades (B. anything school-related and (C. my grades. But this year, my grades weren't so bad, so the subject of the fight yesterday had to be the not so commonly fought about (D. money. For my open house last month, I got roughly $700. Now, a month later, I have about $80. Sure, I suppose I spent that a little fast, but I feel that I bought things I've been needing for quite a while with that money (hilarious fluffy pink steering wheel cover and adorable stuffed mermaid not included). Plus, that money was kind of mine to spend, right? Not the way Dad sees it. Apparently, I should have saved all my cash so I could pay for my own books when the school year starts in the fall. Of course, I could have done that, but seeing as Dad's always payed for my books, how would I have known to save my money to buy my own this year? So, a good part of yesterday evening was spent with Dad engaging in his yelling routine, and me in my habitual crying.
When that was done, Dad decided to interregate me about my brother, Zach, and his girlfriend, Christina, and what they do day and night. *Rolls eyes* The high points of this argument were when I pointed out that I'm not my brother's keeper, Dad insisted that I should know where they are and what they're doing at all times, and I talked Dad out of kicking Zach out of the house by suggesting that Dad make sure Christina has gone home before Dad goes to bed. The overall argument ended with Dad insisting that I get a job immediately to get back the money I blew. So, starting tomorrow, I'll be out job hunting, once again. *Throws a small, contained tantrum*
Last week, Dad, Zach, Christina and I all decided that next Tuesday, we should head over to Cedar Point. The reason for this is, Zach insists that he can't make it to Vegas this August, like we've been planning all year because Vegas Vacation time conflicts with Christina's Birthday time. Of course, I could still go to Vegas with Dad (he almost has to go because the Vegas trip this year happens to also be a business trip for him), and it would be just the two of us, but what am I going to do while Dad's in meetings? And what if he wants to do some gambling, as he always does? It's not exactly safe to wander around Las Vegas by myself, methinks. And so, I'm out of the Vegas trip I look forward to all year long. Hopefully, we'll still be able to do this Cedar Point thing Tuesday.
Okay, I believe I'm done whining for the moment. It's just making me more irritable, and I'm supposed to be an optimist, for God's sake! I think I'll fill out a nice, happy survey... one I'll steal from Ashley. *Nods decidedly*

What do you eat late at night?: Life cereal almost overflowing with Silk vanilla soy milk or peanut butter and jelly dunked in a mug of Silk vanilla soy milk. I'm a bit of an oddball, I suppose...
Your completely irrational fear?: Bugs. I have nightmares about them, I get uncontrollable shivers when I'm around them, I can't sleep in my bed if I've spotted one anywhere near the vacinity of my room. And it doesn't matter what kind of bug it is, I freaked out over a roley-poley that I spotted trying to roley-pole its scary arse underneath the couch today. I realize I could squash it, but I'd probably have a heart attack if I came within two feet of it.
What do you carry with you at all times?: Lemme check my purse... Okay, I always carry my wallet, sunglasses, cell phone, a mini-Kleenex package, dental floss, gum, my sparkly pink makeup bag, my sparkly pink mini-fan, and a picture of my mom and I.
What do you miss most about being little? Hanging out with just Zach all the time. I don't remember the time it was just me and him, but I really, really miss those days. We used to hang out in the back yard playing Calvin Ball (the game from Calvin and Hobbes) and then we'd come in and play Matchboxes on Atari and eat peanut butter & jelly sandwiches dunked in milk. *Sighs in a reminiscent manner*

What was the last song you were listening to? "Family Tree" by Darryl Worley. Hee, I just love that song with the little kids laughing at the beginning and end and the whole thing about the "hand me down clothes... and hand me down shoes, we got the big bellied momma, here we go again blues." Adorable!
If I were a __, I'd be -
sin: Obsession... what with all the obsessing I do, you know.
scent: Pumpkin, since I'm always eating stuffed pumpkin shells... I'm bound to smell like a pumpkin!
body part: A stomach. Woo hoo, all the food comes straight to me!
Well! That brightened my mood up considerably! Hurray, hurray!
--Holly :-D

Hired and Fired

Highlights of the past few weeks of Holly's life:

*My brief employment at Ziggy's Ice Cream
*Having my open house at church
*The purchase of the new Harry Potter book
*Attending Sarah's open house
*Grandma Z.'s 3-way bypass

*Glances nervously at date of last diary update* Holy guacamole, has it really been that long? Well, I s'pose I'd best get 'round to updating then, hadn't I? Let's see, where shall I begin? I guess I'll start with Ziggy's...
I'd been wanting to work at an ice cream place for quite a while, so when my aunt Barb got me an interview with a friend of hers who just happens to be the owner of Ziggy's Ice Cream, I jumped at the chance. I got the job immediately, and started working, but only for a couple of hours a day, while I was in training. I practiced swirling soft serve ice cream into cones (they all tilted unsteadily to the side), mixed up various kids of flurries (I always seemed to punch a hole in the bottom of the cup), and got zapped horribly on the blended fruit machine. Customers yelled at me, my co-workers snapped at me, and I went home crying more than once. I can't say that I wasn't surprised when my boss called me and told me I was just too slow for that kind of job. And so, I am, once again, unemployed. *Sigh*
Two Saturdays ago was my open house, which turned out peachily, thanks to my awesome mom and grandparents. We had lots of fun decorating the church with colorful Japenese lanterns, picture-laden poster boards, and Mom's beautiful giant paper flowers (I "entertained" my mom by continually singing "Paaaaaper flowers!", a lovely part of Evanescence's song, "Imaginary"). I created my only real decorative contribution: a concoction of pastel jelly beans in champagne glasses. *Beams proudly* I stole that idea from a magazine! *Nods happily* The open house that followed the decorating party was quite wonderful as well, as I played my Open House Mix CDs and greeted lots of folks, some of whom I never thought I'd see in the same room together *COUGHmyparentsCOUGH*.
In honor of the release of the new book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I purchased a new outfit, including a blue tank top that Harry and Hermione have been ironed onto. I sat up all night reading the last few chapters of the Goblet of Fire so the ending would be fresh in my mind the next day. As an open house present, Mom had reserved me a copy of the book, so at 7:30 the next morning, I drove my poor tired Mom to Target to get the book. When I spotted it on an end cap, I squealed and ran to the cash register where a Daria-type rang up my book, eyeing my Harry/Hermione shirt and huge grin with obvious distaste. The book was wonderful, although I admit to hysterical crying toward the end... and that's after peeking ahead!
My grandma Z. went into the hospital for a 3-way-bypass this past Friday. My dad, grandpa, aunt Barb, and cousin Lindsay were all with her right before she went into surgery, so I think that put her mind at ease about it, a bit. As soon as they'd wheeled Grandma away, Lindsay broke into sobs, just like she does every New Year's Eve when Grandma and Grandpa leave for their winter Florida trip. We stayed in the Family Waiting Area where a loud, huge, annoying family took up nearly the whole room before a nurse came in to tell us that Grandma was going to be okay. And she should be home tomorrow! Hoo-ray!
--Holly :-D

Fun With the Play and Reconstructing the House

Oh... my... goodness. You've got to be bloddy kidding me! FOD WORKS AGAIN?! It's a freaking MIRACLE! Praise the LORD! Well... I wrote this entry in April (yes, April), and I s'pose I'll finally get to post it here! Here 'tis...
________________________________________________________

It was raining lightly as I lugged two blue cotton-encased pillows and my sequen-covered "Hollywood" tote bag into school. As I flip-flopped my way to the auditorium, nurses-in-training, gothic folk and various college professors looked at me like I'd grown a second head. My mom had thrown my hair up into a teased massacre that looked as though I had been on my way to the prom, but got caught in a tornado on the way. I was sporting my sparkly "DIVA" tank top with a bright orange button-down shirt draped over it, and peach-colored plaid capris covered my pale legs. My many accessories looked like they had been chosen by a a kindergartener who was playing dress-up, and didn't know how to match colors up yet. My theatre kiddos and I (some dressed in prom dresses, others in mideival wear, and the rest still in their every-day getups) gathered furniture from the teachers' lounge together for the set of Wanda's Visit. Lori's husband and kids, with the help of Don, Kyle and James, had built a "bed" onto the edge of the stage the previous day, so Lori now made the "bed" while Shaunna set the "table" and Leah decorated the coffee table with magazines.
Soon enough, we all crowded into the green room (uh...teachers' lounge) and it was time for everyone to get into costume and report to either Algie, Leah or me for stage makeup. This was a rather difficult task, as the guys tried to talk their way out of having their blush done, and most of the girls despised all forms of lipstick. It was very chaotic in the teachers' lounge due to the fact that Rachel, Steve and Kyle kept shouting their lines across the room to each other. Karen was frantic to find some hairpray to prevent the inevitable static cling her prom dress created when it came into contact with her panty hose. The mood drastically changed from hectic to peaceful at 7:45 as we all joined hands and stood in a circle while Lori gave us a pep talk. Kyle and Algie's hands felt sweaty, and I was relieved that they must have been as nervous as I was. Although the smell of hair products and lip gloss was strong in the air, I could make out Don's wonderfully tropical scent, and it was very comforting. It was very quiet when Kyle suddenly burst into "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", the song his crazy character sings in his play, "Funeral Parlor", and we all joined in singing, though no one knew all the words. It was all very lovely and emotional, like the candlelit service at church on Christmas Eve. *Tear*

Leah and Kyle being cute.

The cast of Actor's Nightmare (James, Don, Sudie, Jennifer, and Karen)
Before we knew it, it was 8:00, and I waited backstage while Shaunna and Nick started off our play, Wanda's Visit. Shaunna's lines had a breathy quality to them since she was trying hard to keep from hyperventalating, but it really went with her character. I wasn't nervous at all as Don played the sound of a doorbell, and I threw my arms around Nick and cried, "JIM! JIM! Oh, Jim, Jim, Jim!" The audience was packed, unlike last time, and they were awesome--they gasped and laughed in all the right places, and Zach laughed the loudest during the backrub scene when I exclaimed, "OH YES, IT'S POSITIVELY ORGASMIC!"

Everyone did a great job in all 6 plays, and Scene 6 was a total hit with the audience. Zach brought a gaggle of friends, both sets of my grandparents were there, as well as my dad, Mom and Mike, and even some people from last semester's theatre class! Monica, Jim & his wife were there, as well as Regina, her daughter and her brand new baby boy! I held him and marveled at how adorable his tiny hands and feet were. My grandparents Z. gave me a sweet card and $10, and so did my dad & Zach. My grandparents Shoup got me a gorgeous diamond necklace to match my ring! Then we all tried to go bowling, but the stupid thug at the bowling ally wouldn't let us bring our Tim Horton's inside, so I hugged all my theatre pals goodbye until next fall. *Is sad, yet happy*

My dad has completely made over his bedroom. It's a beautiful shade of light blue, and he ripped up his carpet to reveal a lovely hardwood floor. I re-organized the bookshelf yesterday, and 'tis extremely pretty, if I do say so myself. *Beams proudly* We still need to re-paint every room in the house, but we're going to do my room next! Hoo-ray! I was going to try for an under-water kind of theme, but I've since changed my mind, and have decided to create a Hollywood-theme. You know, my bedroom shall now be a glamorous dressing room, since I'm an actress and all.. *Takes a bow, though she's done nothing with it yet* Love you all!

4 Days Until Scene 6

That's right, kids (um... kids who are over the age of 13), you should all come and see our cluster of plays, Scene 6 in the Mott Memorial auditorium on Wednesday, April 30. We've been working really hard on it, and almost everyone has their lines memorized. "Now all we have to do is have fun with it," is what Lori told us on Thursday... which is what I've been doing all along. I mean, come on, how can you not have fun with a script like this?
Wanda (me): (crying) And then my second husband gave me herpes! And every time the first one would call to threaten my life, it would trigger an outbreak! Herpes is often set off by emotional turmoil, you know.
Jim (Nick): Oh yes... I've... read that...
Wanda:And then I thought, to hell with men! Maybe I should become a lesbian! And I tried that, but I just wasn't attracted to women, so that didn't work out, did it?
Ah yes, fun will be had by all!
This past Wednesday, Nick brought his adorable doll of a 3-year-old daughter, Martiza, to class, since his wife is in the hospital. Algie held her on her lap in the auditorium while we put on Wanda's Visit. We have this scene toward the end of the play where we're at a restaurant and I start choking, so Nick tries to give me the heimlech maneuver, but fails miserably, so Shawna pushes him out of the way and gives me the heimlech the right way. But when Shawna pushed Nick, his daughter started crying! I didn't know what had happened, and I thought she was crying because she thought I was really choking, so I said, "Oh, sweetie, I'm okay! See?" Kyle laughed and said, "She's upset 'cause her dad got hurt! She doesn't care if you're choking!" Oh. It took quite a while for Nick to calm poor Martiza down, but when he did, we went back to the play, the part where Don and Kyle (playing a couple of thugs) drag me back stage while I scream, "AAAAAH, HELP ME, JIM! IT'S THE KINGPIN!" and guess what happened? Martiza giggled for about ten minutes at my expense. *Snorts* That kid...
Well... I would tell you all about how I can't get enough of staring at Don throughout his play, Actor's Nightmare, but I don't want to bore everyone. So instead, here's something even more boring! A SURVEY!
10 musical artists you can't live without
1. Lifehouse
2. Amy Grant
3. Michael W. Smith
4. Darren Hayes
5. "Weird Al" Yankovic
6. Avril Lavigne
7. Michelle Branch
8. Jennifer Love Hewitt
9. Shania Twain
10. Kelly Clarkson
9 movies you could watch forever
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Moulin Rouge
4. Orange County
5. Newsies
6. The Wedding Singer
7. Mr. Deeds
8. Loser
9. Anastasia
8 books to keep your mind, for lack of a better word, smart*
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
5. Kissed by an Angel (The Power of Love) by Elizabeth Chandler
6. Kissed by an Angel (Soulmates) by Elizabeth Chandler
7. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (No, I'm not kidding!)
8. Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul Journal by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Kimberly Kirberger.
7 dreamy boys/girls (whatever your preference)
1. Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky, General Hospital; Jesse, Tuck Everlasting)
2. Brian Gaskill (Rafe, Port Charles)
3. Don Morisette (George, Actor's Nightmare; Jesse Aaron, The Elvis Monolouges)
4. Nick Lachey (98 Degrees)
5. Jon Arbuckle (Garfield)
6. Nitz (Undergrads)
7. Trent Lane (Daria)
6 inanimate objects you couldn't live without
1. The computer
2. My Daria watch
3. My CDs
4. Vegetarian food
5. My pillow-top bed
6. The Harry Potter books
5 TV shows that aren't dumb
1. Daria
2. Clone High, USA
3. Undergrads
4. The Critic
5. The Simpsons

4 songs with meaning to you
1. "Ask Me"--Amy Grant
2. "Simon"--Lifehouse
3. "This is Your Time"--Michael W. Smith
4. "Have You Forgotten?"--Darryl Worley
3 articles of clothing you wear all the time
1. Jeans
2. Amy Grant concert tees
3. Las Vegas casino tees
2 best friends
1. Mom
2. Sarah
1 random fact about you 1. I broke my ankles last year while trying to catch my cat, Daria.

The Trouble With Wanda's Visit

1. Current Clothes: Black tank top that says "DIVA" in glittering letters with an orange button-down shirt over it, jeans, pink & red "X O X O" toe socks and flip-flops. It's my Wanda wear, except I'll have some bright pink capris instead of my jeans for the play...
2. Current Mood: Worried and annoyingly forgetful.
3. Current Music: "If You're Not the One"--Daniel Bedinfield. *Sighs wistfully* These are some good lyrics.
4. Current Taste: Grapes.
5. Current Hair: All ratted up and thrown up into a glittery, dissarayed mess. It's the Wanda do.
6. Current Smell: Cancun perfume.
7. Current thing I ought to be doing: Going over my lines repeatedly until there's no possible chance they can get out of my head.
8. Current Desktop Picture: A homemade mass of Harry/Hermione pictures.
9. Current CD in CD Player: "Holly's Car Tunes."
10. Current dvd in dvd player: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
11. Current Color Of Toenails: Irridescent blue & purple.
12. Current Refreshment: Vanilla soy milk.
13. Current Worry: *Through gritted teeth* Must get lines memorized... but... can't. *Seethes*

I can't believe this. I went through my play, Wanda's Visit, approximately 5 million times before I went to theatre tonight. When I got there, I watched the incredibly hilarious play that Don stars in, Actor's Nightmare. In the play, Don's character, George, is an accountant who mistakenly wanders onto the set of four different plays, and all the actors think he's the main character of every play. He, of course, doesn't know any lines, but he has to make them up throughout all four plays while the other actors get more and more impatient with him, the poor guy. When everyone finished with Actor's Nightmare, it was time for Wanda's Visit. Nick, Shawna and I got on stage and started going through the play... but I kept either forgetting my lines, or getting them all mixed up. And it didn't help that Lori stopped me every two seconds to inform me that I wasn't hanging all over Nick nearly enough. I called "Line!" so many times that I felt like Don's character. *Groans in frustration*
I wished Leah were there. She wasn't there yesterday either, so Kyle called Leah on her cell. Kyle told us exactly how the conversation went:
Kyle: Leah, where are you?
Leah: (raspy-voiced) ...Who the hell is this?
Kyle: (sarcastic) I'm your stalker, geez. It's Kyle! Jason's freaking out because you're the only other person in his play, so he has nothing to do but complain.
Leah: I have bronchitis! Tell Jason to stop being so gay and blow one!
Kyle: I'll tell him your exact words.
Leah: Good!
Even when she's sick, she's hilariously honest! Oh, that Leah... I know she couldn't be, but I really wished she were there. I always do good when Leah's there because she cheers me on and gives me confidence. *Sigh* Hopefully, she'll be better by next week. It's a lot funnier when she's offensive to Jason's face.

I know everyone's sick of hearing about the fan fiction *cough* SMUT *cough* I read, but... you've just got to see this one! In T.G.I.F. by babygrrl, Harry's got a date at a nightclub with Chrissy, a young, giggly witch with extremely big... eyes. But would he rather go home with Chrissy, or that liberated witch in the hot red dress? Guess who that might be? Hermione? Dun dun dun! This story is hot. babygrrl should get paid millions of Galleons every time she does one of these little masterpieces. *Nods fervently*
Yesterday, I was at the Olive Garden with Mom and her friend, Julie. We had a lovely dinner, but when I got to my car, I couldn't find my keys anywhere. Mom and Julie had already driven off, so I went back inside to search for my keys in the restaurant. They weren't there. I tried to call my mom, but the volume on her cell phone was turned all the way down. Finally, she called my cell and asked where the heck I was. She came back to get me and take me to theatre, and that's when she noticed my keys in the ignition of my car... but the car was locked. *Rolls eyes* I couldn't believe it. So at 10 P.M., when theatre got out, Zach came into class with an extra pair of keys and three friends. Lori was all mad that I had all those extra people there, distracting the actors, but what could I do? I feel so irresponsible this week. *Sighs*
Love you kids!
--Holly 8-X

I'm Over Here, Under This Pile of Fan Fiction

Um... yeah, I've been neglecting my diary for way too long, folks. I mean, sure, it deserved it, after treating me the way it's been, not letting me post or leave notes. But I don't know how long it's been working... or even if it is now... *crosses fingers and knocks on wood, waking up everyone in the household* The good people over at portkey.org & restrictedsecion.org (grr baby, very grr!) have been keeping me in constant supply of unbelievably brilliant fan fic. I seem to be addicted to Harry/Hermione smut. Oh, but who could read The Red Dress by Libbie without saying something along the lines of "Absolutely!" and reading it repeatedly?

So, I have been licensed to wreak havoc on the pot-hole-filled streets of Michigan for almost two weeks now! My dad kind of forced me to take my freaking driving test before my family members/chauffeurs all teamed up to beat the crap out of me. I was a tad nervous during my driver's test, and I think I screwed up on something about 5 times due to my anxiety, but I guess the Test-Givin' Chick took pity on me & passed me anyway. *Holds up license proudly, grinning* I look like my face is coated in grease in this picture! *Continues nodding & smiling greasefully* My car is all Holly-ed out. It has Powerpuff Girls floormats (courtesy of Zach), a Ralph Wiggum antenna topper (courtesy of Zach), a rockin', arse-kickin' CD player (courtesy of Dad), and a few layers of dog hair on the seats (courtesy of Chyna).
Theatre has been hecticly hilarious, as has always been the case with the class that I adore way more than any class should be adored. Jason the Hawaiian shirt-wearing weirdo has gotten himself a girlfriend, Leah & Kyle still have crushes on each other and don't know it, Don continues to hold his title of Hottest, Sweetest, Most Talented Guy With a Girlfriend Holly Has Ever Met, and Nick, Shawna & I are trying our darndest to get our freaking lines memorized.


Monica and Larry putting stage makeup on Don... as if he isn't hot enough already
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is out on DVD today, and I've so totally had fun pausing it on the Harry/Hermione hand-caressing in the Hospital Wing scene!

1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Built onto the side of one of my favorite Las Vegas casinos like the Mirage, the Rio, or the Luxor. Or hey, maybe the Excalibur so I could feel like I was living at Hogwarts!
2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? My orange Lucy and Snoopy--"Happiness is a Warm Puppy" T-shirt. *Hugs own doggie, Chyna* It's so true!
3. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? Eyes... although lips are a close second.
4. WHAT'S THE LAST CD/DVD THAT YOU BOUGHT? Chicago soundtrack/Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
5. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? Shopping in Vegas and taking a spin on all my favorite rides at Disney World (the teacups & the Kali Rapids), Universal Studios and Cedar Point.
6. WHERE'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? My old high schools.
7. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED? Shoulders and neck, aw yeah!
8. WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG MIND OR STRONG BODY? Strong mind, o' course... but the latter probably couldn't hurt.
9. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING? Think, "It's only morning? Okay, I'm going back to sleep." *Insert loud snores here*
10. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? The 'fridge, all the way!
11. WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? Animal cruety, because my furry friends (and reptilian) can't speak up for themselves.
12. IF YOU COULD PLAY ANY INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? That living bass guitar from my favorite Harry Potter fan fiction, "Blush" by Granger.
13. FAVORITE COLORS? Tickle Me Pink and Jungle Green.
14. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? How 'bout an adorable little VW Bug, eh?
15. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTERLIFE? Indeed. There'll be lots of decorative sugar cookies, fluffy blankets and neat shoes. *Nods wistfully*
16. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by the talented Joanne Kathleen Rowling, even though it doesn't really seem like a children's book to me. So, that being said, I'm extrememly fond of The Lorax by good ol' Dr. Suess.
17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?Winter.
18. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE? Vacuuming.
19. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? The ability to Apparate. You know, be in one place, and then suddenly be in another. That'd be swell as all getout.
20. IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT? I don't, but I do have this scar that's shaped like a division sign on my neck. *Points* See? It gives the impression that I like math, though, so that's not fun.
21. CAN YOU JUGGLE? I highly doubt it. *Attempts to juggle with the phone, a waterbottle and a library book on Abraham Lincoln, resulting in a broken phone* Nope, I can't.
22. WHO IS THE ONE PERSON YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO? Jesus. That's be neat-o.
23. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY? Why, it's Christmas Day!
24. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? I... don't know, I'll have to check that out later.
25. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? Neither, thanks, I'm a veggie kid. Well, actually, I'm a starch kid.
Holly :-D

*Gasp* A Serious Entry? From Holly?!

Hey everybody! Is FOD actually going to let me post this? That would really be somethin', wouldn't it? I wrote bunches of entries and saved them all in Wordpad while FOD was being mean and not allowing me to post. *Grumbles* I might post those entires later, but right now I'd like to say what I think about the War on Terrorism. Over the past few days, I've been repeatedly shocked to hear some people say that they don't think much of George W. Bush, and that they think we (U.S.A.) are just being bullies for no reason. Well, I don't understand those folks' reasoning. I don't like war either, but I'm afraid it's necessary right now. My mom introduced me to a song by Darryl Worley, and I wholeheartedly agree with the lyrics, so I thought I'd post them here.
Have You Forgotten?
By Darryl Worley
I hear people saying we don't need this war
I say there're some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground?
We didn't get to keep them by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start preaching
Let me ask you this, my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away?
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside, going through a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger, that's what experts say
If it was up to me, I'd show it every day
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
After 9/11, man, I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away?
Have your forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside, going through a living hell
And we vowed to get the ones behind Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten
All the people killed
Yes, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost
And those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry 'bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Remember to keep our soldiers in your prayers. *Hugs for everyone*

--Holly

A Day in the Life of Little Holly

I know I've written in here before about my School Days book that consists of surveys that I filled out from age 4-18, but I thought I'd share more of the contents of that book with you neat-o FOD kids!
Pre-School Days


What I like least about going to school is: Leaving my mom and toys behind & getting up.
What I like most about going to school is: Seeing my teacher & friends.
When I grow up, I would like to be: A teacher.
On Halloween, I dressed up as: Peter Pan at school, for trick or treating & a party at home. I was a ballerina dinosaur when I went to Crossroads Villiage.
On my birthday: I had a Little Mermaid/unicorn party, cakes & a flower pinata. The Tooth Fairy came: 2 times And I got: My Little Ponies & money!
Pets I had or wished I had: I wish I had a white kitten with a pink ribbon! Zach and I had fish for a while this year.
Things I like to do with my mom are: Bake, sew, read & shop.
Things I like to do with my dad are: Swim, ride bikes & play Frisbee.
At school, I learned: To write, sing songs, make a sachet for my mom & my numbers and letters.
These are a few of my favorite things...
Toys: Ribbons, ponies & rats.
TV show Full House, Alvin & the Chipmunks and Muppet Babies.
Ice cream: Superman and vanilla.
Game: Super Mario Bros.
Cookie: Chocolate chip.
Dolls: The Little Mermaid & P.J. Sparkles.
Movie:The Little Mermaid.
Restaurant: Chuck E. Cheese.

Monday was full of hilariousness. Bobby brought his game, Taboo over, and Zach, Tracey and I spent a good portion of the night playing it. The object of the game is to try and get your team mate to guess a word. I was on Bobby's team & he kept coming up with all these crazy-arsed descriptions of the words. When he was trying to get me to say the word "tea", his description was, "You know, it's that stuff inside the thing... with the thing hanging out of it, you know?" *Snorts* Then he would get frustrated because I just laughed at his descriptions, and hardly guessed any of the words. It was very humorous, although not nearly as humorous as when Zach got his hair highlighted last night. I actually think the change looks really sweet, but it was funny as all getout watching him suffer through the highlighting process.
My mom is such a neat kiddo. She and I headed over to Target to purchase birthday presents for me so she can give them to me at my party with her side of the family this Saturday. I picked out my own presents at my request, so on Saturday, I know I'll be receiving the following things: 2 blank shirts to iron computer transfers onto, the awesome board game Mad Gab, a wonferfully cushy & plush stuffed fish, and some fish-print toe socks. Plus she got me some surprises! *Hugs and pie and things for Mom*
Yesterday, a big chunk of us (Mom, Mike, Grandma, Grandpa, Zach, Tracey, and I) all went to see Chicago. Wow. All those folks weren't kidding when they said it's the best thing since sliced bread! I tell ya what, I cracked up when all those chicks sang about how they "didn't kill" their husbands. "And then he ran into my knife... 10 times!" *Falls out of chair laughing*
--Holly :-D

Try Pie, Try

'Ey folks! I-- *pauses to cough, hack and blow nose* --I've had a cold for the last four days... which means, I had the cold Friday, on my birthday. Ugh. Somehow, though, I still managed to have a decent B-day. Zach made me a hilarious birthday card that only cool people would get, seeing as only uncool people don't watch the internet cartoon, Weebl and Bob *Nods enthusiastically, pointing at link*

Oh yes, and Z also got me some Powerpuff Girls floormats for my car! Eeeee! *Momentarily contains glee in tupperware bowl* After I recieved my gift from Z-bear, he, Tracey and I went to meet Dad at Ruggero's for my Birthday Pizza Special and some sort of delectable cookie die pie. *Drools* Mmmm, pie...
Tracey got me a book that I immediately became addicted to called If Only It Were True by Marc Levy. It's about Lauren, a girl who's been in an irreversable coma for six months, yet the "ghost" of her (even though she's not dead) can hang out at her old appartment with the guy who lives there now. Arthur, the dude who lives there, is the only person who can hear, see and feel Lauren. He falls in love with this "ghost" of a girl whom he's never really met, but he's got to talk her doctors and mother out of taking Lauren off life support, or the "ghost" Lauren he's in love with can no longer be with him. *Sniffs, not from the cold* It's awesome, everyone must read it immediately!
Guess what else I found to read? This series of amazingly hilarious, sweet, tear-jerker, edge-of-your-computer-seat Harry/Hermione fics! They're called The Hermione Stories by Mena Baines, and I highly reccomend them to everyone! Oooh, especially "Hermione and the Muggles"... but you do have to read the whole series!
Oh dude, I forgot to mention, my dad gave me a bunch of candy and a card saying he's going to take me to pick out my car stereo as soon as I get my license! Woo hoo! Anyway, Saturday, Zach, Dad and I went to the Olive Garden with my Aunt Barb, Unlce Don, cousin Lindsay and Lindsay's boyfriend, Trevor. The evening started out very grumpily, as it was a freezing day, the Olive Garden was packed so full that we had an hour wait ahead of us, and my cousin, Jenny, was on a ski trip with her boyfriend. However, once everyone had eaten and Dad, Zach and Trevor had told plenty of dirty jokes, the evening turned out to be a lot of fun. I ordered some tirimisu, and everyone thought I was an attention hog, since I told the waitress it was my birthday. The waitress yelled, "HEY, EVERYBODY! IT'S HOLLY'S 19TH BIRTHDAY! LET'S ALL SING TO HER!" and then the entire restaurant sang to me! I thought it was jolly good fun, but my family just looked at me like an alien had recently crawled out of my stomach. *Shrugs* Oh well.
Say, guess what? In theatre practice Wednesday, Lori informed us that we'll be doing 4 small plays for our performance this semester! In my play, Wanda's Visit, I play Wana, a derranged yet hilarious nutcase who's a little too vocal about her genital herpes, and Nick & Shawna play Jim & Marsha, the poor couple with whom Wanda will be staying with. *Grins and gives a thumbs-up*
--Holly :-D

Ask Holly

*Looks up from delightful new book* Oh, hello! Guess what I did yesterday? I went to Border's with Zach and Tracey, intending to buy a book that did not have "Harry Potter" in the title. I failed this task miserably, as I immediately spotted a book that's roughly the size of Hogwarts, a History called, Wizarding World Press' Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter (Analysis of Books 1-4) by Galadriel Waters and assisted by Professor Astre Withrandir. I'm sure I looked like a dork, gasping and doing a double-take of the book, then picking it up and exclaiming happily over it to Zach, but I didn't care. I bought the book with my birthday check from the grandparents Z., and started reading it the second I got home. It's awesome! These folks completely analyze every last aspect of the 4 HP books, and they even predict what will happen in the 5th book! It's wonderful, and I highly reccomend it to all you other "HP Sleuths" (as the books calls us) out there!




*Beams, admiring new car decoration* Anyway, I wrote this entry yesterday, then somehow deleted it, and so I'm going to give it another try. I seem to get asked the same 3 questions very often, so I thought I'd answer them here, on my diary. *Cracks knuckles in preparation* Here we go...
1. Say, Holly, why do you love Harry Potter so freaking much? Well kids, J.K. Rowling is, without a doubt, the best writer of her time, and I don't think anyone could so much as skim through her books without becomming completely immersed in them. The exciting and, more often than not, dangerous escapades of Harry and his friends, Hermione and Ron, are so awe-inspiring that I pity the fool who doesn't love the Harry Potter books.
2. How come you're a vegetarian? When I was 7 years old, my mom became a vegetarian because she's very health-conscious, plus she was becomming aware of the horrible abuse animals are put through before they're put to death and molded into sausage patties. When I learned what was going on in those slaughter houses, I proclaimed that I could no longer eat anything that once had a face, either. However, I haven't been very good about the health thing... I still eat a ridiculous amount of carbs.
3. O...kay, why is it that most of the TV shows and movies you watch are animated? I mean, aren't cartoons for kids? Nope! In fact, cartoons such as Daria, The Simpsons, Clone High and all the shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim are intended for adults. But that doesn't mean I don't like cartoons like The Little Mermaid, Anastasia and The Prince of Egypt too. *Shrugs* They're good, clean fun, and I don't know why some folks seem to think that those movies are childish.
Allllllrighty, time to get back to my new book! *Hugs for all*
--Holly :-D
P.S. Woo hoo, FOD is working right again!

Madlib Charades

5 good things to touch

1. My kitties' fur. Daria's fur is all punked up and soft, and Amy's is puffy and fluffy. *Hugs fur babies*

2. My dog, Chyna's fur. It's not nearly as soft as kitty fur, but the fact that Chyna appreciates being pet much more than Daria and Amy do, I love petting her.

3. My computer keyboard. Clicking away on these keys makes most of my stress go away.

4. Those nifty watersnakes you can buy at joke shops and the Rainforest Cafe. Hee, you never know when it's going to slip out of your hands! Fun, fun, fun.

5. Play-Dough. Is there anything more fun to touch than that?


Five things you'd buy with $1,000

1. Perfume that I am not allergic to. *Glares at Cancun perfume*

2. A nice, working stereo for my mom.

3. A treadmill. This whole "do stupid dance moves I learned when I was still in dance class" workout routine I've recently picked up is not nearly as fun as walking on a treadmill.

4. Lots of Peta merchandise for both Mom and myself.

5. A professional painter person to paint my room in blue and green tones for me.


5 things you've owned over the past ten years

1. Jodie, my luffly blue and purple teddy bear.

2. All of the very talented Miss Amy Grant's CDs.

3. A ventriliquist dummy that I quickly began to fear, before handing it over to the folks at Goodwill.

4. The Sims... and numerous Sims expansion packs.

5. My AIDS awareness bracelet.


5 Cravings

1. Olive Garden breadsticks and angel hair with marinara (not to mention their awesome peach iced tea.

2. To be able to hang out with Zach, Sarah and Bobby like I used to do every single weekend.




3. A trip to Vegas--and Disney World and Cedar Point, while we're at it--with all my theatre kiddos, friends from elsewhere, and family members!

4. To have some puppies and/or kitties here at Dad's house.

5. Lots of money so I could give it to my mom, and then perhaps she wouldn't have to work anymore.


5 current songs

1. "Avenue of the Stars"--Jennifer Love Hewitt

2. "I'm Still Here"--Johnny Rzeznik

3. "Free"--Faith Hill

4. "What a Way to Wanna Be"--Shania Twain

5. "How Long"--Lifehouse


5 Current Thoughts

1. My birthday is so totally happening in 8 days!*Throws confetti everywhere*

2. Wow... I hope to one day find a guy as good as Don.

3. Cramps are 0 fun.

4. I just joined "Kindred Spirits", the best dang Harry/Hermione fan site anywhere!

5. I've got to get started on my research paper for English (on the historical figures that the Clone High characters are clones of). This is going to be sooper fun!


5 Most Wanted Items

1. Pretty new aqua-colored sources of light for my room @ Dad's.

2. A good part in the upcoming play.

3. Some iron-on transfers so I can make numerous Harry Potter shirts & hoodies.

4. The Anastasia DVD.

5. $5,000,000,000 to give to Mom.


Hi kids! How are things? Things are going just swimmingly for me, thank you... if you ignore the fact that for the past few days, I've had a sty on the inside of my freaking eyelid! Can you saw, "YEEEEEE-OUUUUUUCH"? But I'm better now...

Theatre is still the proud owner of my Best Class Ever award. The antics of my nutty fellow classmates this past Wednesday were over-the-top hilarious! *Chortles* We played a wonferfully creative version of Charades that can only be compared to Mad Libs. One member of the class would go outside the auditorium while those of us still inside thought up a noun, an adjective and a verb. Our first Charades character was played by Jason, who portrayed a "Gay, Romping Squirrel"... which wasn't too much of a stretch for him. *Snorts* Then the person who'd waited outside would have to guess what the heck Jason was doing. *Puts Hollarious Stamp of Approval on theatre kids' foreheads.


--Holly :-D

Fun With Talking Inanimate Objects

Goodmorrow, kind sirs and gentle ladies! 'Tis Valentine's Day, and I've nothing better to do than sit on the computer and read Harry/Hermione fan fiction. Although I feel a little like those Star Wars nerds, I must admit that I've thoroughly enjoyed my fan fic-packed day. Just look at this exerpt from MsScribe's "Hush":
"Harry awakens to the sound of something jumping around on the floor. Thud... bonk. "Crookshanks?" he whispers, sitting up to look for the cat he and Ron had adopted ever since Hermione's disappearance. She needs me, don't you understand? There is no time for sleep. I can't imagine what she's doing without me-- Something clinks, and then scuffs up against his bedpost. He reaches for his glasses, blinking twice as he sees Hogwarts, a History, the book he had asked the Grangers if he could keep. It wiggles and falls flat again. We need to go to her. I've waited so long-- "Do you know where Hermione is?" Then the book trembles and its pages open to the section on the forbidden forest. She has been collected.
Muahahahahaha! Oh, do I love this stuff! See, the deal is that this "Collector" guy (well, "Collector" thing) has added Hermione to his collection at his house in the Forbidden Forest. He took her voice away, but now she can have conversations with inanimate objects without moving her lips. Everything can suddenly talk... except for her! *Evil laughter continues, but is cut off when the computer monitor clears its throat pointedly* I'm such a dork.

Mom made some Valentine's brownies for me to take to theatre Wednesday like the sweetheart she is, and everyone enjoyed them muchly... especially Leah, who spent most of the night eating the majority of them. *Grins* You'd never know a girl with a waist that tiny would have such a huge appetite! Of course, she's usually seen with plenty of Metabolife. The class was a blast, as usual. Don and Karen were hilarious as they played a married couple fighting over Don's winning lottery ticket, Shawna and Jennifer was hysterical when they played sisters bickering about whose waistline was smaller, Nick and Jason were awesome as roomates fighting over the volume of Jason's stereo while Nick was trying to watch The Cosby Show, and Leah and Kyle were highly amusing when Kyle came back from vacation to discover that Leah had let all his prized tropical fish die. However, it was awfully sad to find out that Larry could no longer afford theatre practice, and had to drop the class. *Cries and curses Farmer Jack for not paying him enough*
GUESS WHAT, FOLKS? Zach and I worked very hard for 3 days to put together the new song that's on the main page of my diary, called "Holly's Variety-licious Mix"! So, if you have some time, please listen to the song! *Hugs*
--Holly :-D

Evil, Threat-Bearing Valentine Cookies

I had such an awesome night in theatre practice Wednesday! First, we went around the circle we always start the class in, and talked about what had happened in our week. I swear, theatre people have the coolest lives! Wednesday, I found out that James and Frankie are practically famous! Those two have actually been in movies. I had to ask them, "What are you doing in Flint, MI at Mott Community College's theatre class?" Turns out, their families are here. *Shrugs* So that's sweet!
When Kyle clapped his hands together and exclaimed, "Let's get ready to pantomime!" Lori pleasantly surprised us all by announcing that we'd actually be doing improv. I was thrilled to find out that we were even doing my favorite kind of improv, which can be compared to (or even called a rip-off of) Whose Line is It Anyway?.
During improv, everybody came up with some really great stuff. Kyle played a plastic surgeon who accidentally gave Shawna breast implants, Ivory and I decided to polka for beer (even though I don't drink), Kim O.D.ed on drugs while being Don's cab driver to the movie made up of previews he was seeing with James and Steve, then Shawna confessed in a whisper, from the floor, that she sees dead people.
Toward the end of the class, my partner, Frankie had to leave, as did Rachael's partner, April, so us two kids hung out. As Rachael examined the pictures on my notebook, she voiced the fact that she also feels Daria is best thing to ever happen to television viewers. It was also quite a breath of fresh air (no pun intended) to find out that Rachael is a non-smoker! Don't get me wrong, I think Leah, Kyle and Larry are some of the spiffiest kids on the block, but smokers like them and asthmatics like myself don't always mix. Personally, the only thing I might light with fire and inhale is a scented candle, not a cigarette. So I find that Rachael's definitely a near chickeroo.
This week's essay topic for English was… *echo effect* DESCRIBE SOMEONE YOU KNOW… *end echo effect*. My essay was a very sappily descriptive tribute to my mom and best buddy, Wendy G. Killbreath, called "Living With an Angel." My teacher had us get together in groups of four and beta-read each other's papers. I was in a group with two kids I went to high school with and one with which I didn't. Terrence and Trish told me they were shocked at how extroverted I seem to be when, at Carman-Ainsworth, I was the shyest kid they knew. They said they could definitely tell I'm all about theatre now. Ooh, and they also mentioned that they very much like my paper and they, too, think my mom sounds marvelously angelic! *Proudly holds up essay*
Yesterday, I went to the Grandparents' house with Mom, Mike, Zach and our luffly dog, Chyna, to make Valentine cookies for Mom's work friends. Well… actually, Grandpa, Zach and Mike all sat in the living room and watched The Best of Adam Sandler while Grandma, Mom and I made the cookies. I happily sat at the table, making an intricate icing drawing on the first cookie that was passed to me. Everyone was thrilled with my yummy-looking masterpiece, and I was very pleased with my work. But then Grandma took another batch of heart-shaped dough out of the oven, and I realized we had about 5,608 more cookies to decorate. From that point on, the Holly-painted cookies looked a lot more like glittery sprinkles thrown onto frosting than edible works of art. After a while, Zach came out to the kitchen to see how the cookies were coming (in other words, to see if he could eat any) and decided he would "help" us decorate the cookies. Seeing that Mom's cookies had love messages on them, Zach decided to make some that said such things as "DIE", "I HATE YOU", and "THIS WAS ON THE FLOOR". He got about four of them done before Mom noticed and scraped the frosting off. *Thumbs up*

Honk If Your Keyboard Has a Horn

*Honks keyboad, giggling like mad* ALRIGHT! Everything's comin' out Holly! Dude, Zach got a Dell, so he's never going to bug me about how I'm hogging the computer in the living room again, I'm passing all of my classes with flying colors, my birthday's coming up on Feb. 28th, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be out in June, and I have plenty of hilarious internet bumper stickers to amuse me until then!

Theatre practice was wildly amusing to me this past Wednesday, as is usually the case. We had to do pantomiming with a partner. My partner, April, and I sucked at this, but some people were hilarious! Don, who never fails to crack me up (and swoon while we're on the subject of him), "posed nude" while his parner, Shawna "painted" him, Kyle and Jennifer "performed" open-heart surgery on a conscious patient, and Leah "killed" her poor "husband", Steve. Our next project was to interview a partner (mine was Frankie) and then act out the surveys we gave each other for the class. For my survey, I played a hooker who was being interrogated by a cop (Frankie). When he asked me, "Where would you most like to go in the world?" I replied, in a Brooklyn accent, "Besides a cheap motel with you, sweet cheeks? Vegas, baby!" It was bloody brilliant fun.
I finally got my arse around to taking the written potion of my driving test last week, and I passed! So I shall be taking the driving potion of that test in 30 days, and then I'm going to see if I can talk my dad into letting me paint my car pink, although I highly doubt this will happen. I was watching this little 5 minute special on MTV a while ago, and the guy hosting the show kindly gave me the instructions on how to create my own seat-covers for my car. I shall print out some iron-on transfer Harry Potter pics, iron those suckahs onto pillow cases, then place the pillow cases over the seats in my car. Then the Harry Potter mobile shall be born at last! Muahahahaha!
*Evil laughter dies down* Speaking of MTV, they sure do have a gnarley new cartoon, don't they? They've got this show, Clone High, where these teenage clones of famous historical figures attend a high school aptly named Clone High. The main character is Abe Lincoln, whose best friends are Joan of Arc and Ghandi, who proudly proclaims, "Hey, man, Ghandi's anti-violence, not anti-comedy." I like him. He's silly. Abe is into Cleopatra, but she's usually going out with JFK. Little does Abe know, his pal, Joan is into him. *Evil laughter proceeds* 'Tis a wonderful show, and I highly reccomend it to all you other couch potato kids out there! *Thumbs up*

Boy, does my room ever look like crap. But don't worry, it won't for long! You see, my room is going to be undergoing some major construction over the next few days--*mumbles* or weeks, and I'm going to do a luffly under-the-sea theme. Indeed, I shall have to ask the good folks at Home Depot how I can blend sea green and blue together to make it appear as though my room is underwater, but I'm sure it'll be fun once I figure it out. Hoo-ray! Oh hey, guess what I did last week? I went to Hicks portrait studio so that a series of photos could be taken of me. It's a good thing I did this since the last professional picture taken of me was probably done in like... 9th grade. So, till next time, good fight and goodnight!
--Holly :-D

The Case of the Overflowing Theatre Class

Hey, folks! Good Lord in Heaven, do I ever miss you FOD folks! I don't know what the deal was with FOD being down for so long. Then, when FOD finally worked again, my dad was always around, so I couldn't get on the computer! This whole being grounded from the computer business is nothing short of hellish! I miss you kids, I miss my Sims and I miss the fan fiction versions of my favorite Harry Potter characters! *Throws a temper tantrum for five minutes before realizing she is now on the computer and there's nothing to complain about*

Over the past week, I attended all of my classes for this brand-spankin' new semester, and I must say they're downright smashing! My computers class is so easy, it's boring. The teacher's like, "This is called a mouse!" It's just sad. But at least it'll be an easy A! Although my English Composition class is three hours long, it's still fine and dandy like sour candy, as we get to write all sorts of lovely stories! And there's nothing I enjoy more than making up stories... just ask my dad! Heh... bada-bing! *Clears throat* Anyhoo, we partnered up in English on Monday, and my partner was an Arab girl named Robob who just moved here from Cairo, Egypt and didn't speak much English. But she was very friendly, nevertheless! In that class, I also met a new pal named Waylan, a really enthusiastic 39-year-old dood who sings Gospel music and seems really excited about every aspect of life. I swear, that guy's got the most contagious smile! He's lotsa fun. *Hugs for Waylan*

My Tuesday/Thursday math class is also 3 hours, and it definitely seems like it. *Yawns to get point across* However, I plan to make the most of the class, and am determined to get an A. *Excitedly holds up helpful calculator/secret weapon that does fractions and things* Wednesday night was theatre practice, and I was sooper thrilled that most of my old theatre pals have returned for theatre practice level 2. Leah, Kyle, Don, Larry, Jason and Nick are all back, but Morgain, Regina, Chris, Pat and Monica are no longer theatre folks. Apparently, Morgain and Larry had a very angry breakup, and they now very much dislike each other. *Cries*

We were all surprised beyond belief when it turned out that we have like, 25 people in theatre this semester! Our new people include a hilarious middle-aged guy named Steve who has MS, and is in a motorized wheelchair and a beautiful and happily engaged 19-year-old named Karen who is a missionary-in-training. Those two really stick out in my mind, but we have a bunch more people besides them like Rachael, Jenna, Frankie, Algie, Sudie, Ivory, Kim and a lot more folks whose names I don't remember. This time, we're going to have a much bigger play! Leah, Kyle and I are all determined to do Clue. *Nods decidedly*

--Holly :-D

SuperHoll Sunday

Hey kids! I've heard this day referred to as Superbowl Sunday by many people, but I like to think of it as Holly Gets on the Computer For 4 Hours Because She's Ungrounded From it Since She's Pulling a Hermione This Semester and is Doing Very Well in Her Classes Day. It has a nice ring to it, but I think folks will still call today Superbowl Sunday, as the name of my day might be too hard to remember for some. I have something against football (and all sports that are not Quidditch), and so I'm spending today online while my dad is at Mario's. Mario's is my dad's favorite restaurant because he knows all the waitresses and customers there. It's almost like Dad has moved into Mario's, seeing as he's been there for like, 7 hours a day for the past week. *Shrugs* But he always seems to be in a good mood now! *Bows to folks at Mario's & gives them Harry Potter fan art for putting Dad into happy-mode for me*
Dr. Veliz (she's the best doctor in the entire world for those of you who haven't heard) has ordered my mom to take two weeks off of work because she's fatigued, and is getting so stressed out that her Lupus has flared up and she's been really sick. Dr. Veliz, my grandparents, Zach and I have all advised Mom to just lie back now and let Mike take care of all the money problems he caused. That's right! We're forcing him into employment! He's going to be making a magazine for the county, and we shall all poke him with pointy sticks and things until he makes some money. Speaking of Mike, last night, he decided to dazzle us all with his brilliance by informing us that "sh*t" and "f*ck" are not swear words. *Blinks* I think I got dumber just being in the room while he was talking about this/offending my grandparents. *Pokes him with stick*
Dood, I'm afraid of my math teacher. He'll do a problem on the board, then he'll just turn and stare at me for like, 10 seconds before going onto the next problem. *Cowers* I don't know why he does that and I'm freaked out! *Sobs* Moving onto a much more amusing topic, we had to partner up with someonewe didn't know very well in theatre this week, and interview them. My partner was this guy, Frankie, who told me he enjoys swing dancing, makin' love to his girlfriend in his dance studio and smoking weed. We have a drug addict in our innocent little theatre class! *Shakes head* It's a shame, but perhaps we'll be able to talk him out of being a druggie by the semester's end. Oh hey, and onto another subject! I finally got to exchange Christmas gifts w/ Sarah and Samantha! Sarah got me a luffly little Harry Potter post-owl & HP stickers, and Samantha got me an adorable winter-scene jelly candle. Hurray!
*Gasps in excitement* GUESS WHAT? HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX IS COMING OUT JUNE 21ST! I'm happier than the donkey from Shrek when he embarked on his mission to save the princess with his ogre pal. Geeeeeeee!

Old Gang Sign

Hellooooo, everybody! How was your New Year's? Mine was simply mahvelous! Well... for the most part, anyway. Although, I had to wonder, as I watched the countdown to 2003 on the Cartoon Network, why do they always sing that song, "Old Gang Sign" on New Year's Eve? It just doesn't seem fitting to me. *Grins stupidly*
And now to abruptly change the subject! Folks, I'm grounded from the computer once again. On the morning of New Year's Eve, my dad announced that he had my report card in his hands. I was pretty mad that he had opened my mail, of course. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure it'd be difficult to mistake the name "Holly" for the name "Ken" on a piece of mail. But whatever anger I was feeling toward Dad was nothing compared to the familiar feeling of dread in my stomach.
Dad informed me that I'd failed my distance learning classes and my intro to theatre class. He asked me what was up with that, and I explained that I'd tried my best to keep up with the classes, but it was just too much for me to handle. Dad didn't really yell at me that much, but I ended up crying anyway because I was extremely dissapointed that I'd failed my intro to theatre class, despite how many notes I'd taken and how I tried to make sense of the crazy diagrams of theatre in anient Greece. However, I know I didn't try hard enough, and so I'm going to devote as much time as Hollyly possible to school this coming semester. I know I can do it. I mean, just look at my grades in theatre practice and career exploration. I got 100% in theatre and 90% in CE. I'm going to do awesome in all of my classes. As much as he upsets me sometimes, I really, honestly want to make my dad proud. And, of course, the rest of my family. And most importantly, myself.
This past year has been one of the best yet, and in honor of 2002, here's... *drum roll*...a survey!
~Appearances~
clothing item/outfit of the year: Red Mirage, Las Vegas shirt and jeans.
hairstyle of the year: French braids.
jewelry of the year: Amethyst (birthstone) ring.
car of the year: VW Bug convertible.
hottie of the year: Dave Loisel, the vegetarian boi whom I have a crush on.
~Daily life~
food of the year: Mom's homeade stuffed pumpkin shells, all the way!
class of the year: Theatre practice, the greatest, most incredible, awesome class anywhere, of all time!
appliance of the year: My friend, Ed, the computer. *Hugs him and lovingly cleans his screen with Windex*
recreational activity of the year: Acting, pantomime and improv.
means of communication of the year: Face-to-face.
most despised means of communication: The phone.
~Sentimental~
gift of the year: Daria--Is It College Yet? DVD.
vacation of the year: Las Vegas, summer of 2002.
holiday of the year: Christmas, o' course!
achievement/s of the year: I've taken a class that I absolutely love, and has helped me figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life, as well as made awesome new friends during, and has majorly improved my self esteem. Plus, I've been in my first play, The Elvis Monolouges! And I've gotten my G.E.D., of course!
memorable moment/s of the year: Pantomiming and doing improv in theatre, getting ready for and acting in the play, going out with the theatre folks, mistakenly wandering onto the roof of the Flamingo Hilton with Zach in Vegas, breaking my ankle in two places and spraining the other while chasing my cat, Daria, becomming dehydrated and being hospitalized for a day, helping Mom and Mike move into their new house, visiting Mike in the hospital and Samantha's birthday party.
insight of the year: "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."--Albus Dumbledore.
miracle/blessing of the year: Mike surviving after being deathly sick with hepatitis and chronic fatigue, and me getting my G.E.D.
~Personal~
embarrassing moment of the year: When that hot doctor took my cast off after having it on for two months, and saw all that gross leg hair.
body part of the year: Eyes.
heartbreak of the year: When Sarah wrote in her online diary about how she'd cheated on Zach with numerous guys. For the next couple of months, I constantly felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.
health issue of the year: In January, when I got the flu, and puked for 10 hours straight, then had to be rushed to the hospital because I was so dehydrated.
fetish of the year: ...Harry Potter merchandise?
phobia of the year: Spiders.
crush of the year: Dave.
~People/social~
old friend of the year: Sarah, despite everything that happened. She's still a great friend.
new friend of the year: All my theatre friends, especially Leah, Kyle and Don.
relative of the year: Mom, who was there for/with me during all the tough times I had this year, and all of the good times.
internet buddy of the year: Lucy, who's been an awesome online pal since 2000!
enemy of the year: Osoma Bin Laden.
reformed enemy of the year: Shakira.
~Entertainment~
musician/singer of the year: Amy Grant.
band or group of the year: Lifehouse
album of the year: Avril Lavigne--Let Go
movie of the year: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
biggest waste of nine bucks and two hours: The Good Girl and Abandon
actor of the year: Brian Gaskill (Rafe, Port Charles)
actress of the year: Erin Hershey (Alison, Port Charles)
all-around celebrity of the year: J.K. Rowling.
televsion show/series of the year: Port Charles
television channel of the year: Cartoon Network.
website of the year: freeopendiary.com and fanfiction.net.
book of the year: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
magazine of the year: Animal Times
--Holly :-D