I've been away from home for most of my summer so far. Right after graduation, I went to the Odyssey of the Mind world finals in Maryland. OM is a very hard-to-explain organization, but if you're in the mood for some reading, you can check out this article I wrote for my school newspaper! [link]

So yes, that was definitely an interesting experience. Our performance went perfectly, and giving it in front of a really crowded room was such a thrill. We went to Washington DC for a day, did WAY too much walking and were all exhausted by the end of the day, but now I can say I've been to the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and more! And I did lots of this: [link] PIN TRADING! Sorry, strange but strong obsession of mine. XD I have sooo many pins that I've been collecting for almost ten years now. I'll have to take a picture of them all and explain more about that sometime.

After world finals, I was home for a few days... but then I was whisked off to drum major camp! It consisted of a few long days of hard work, but it was enjoyable at the same time. Being around a bunch of dedicated band nerds was great. XD Those are my kind of people! The atmosphere there was very friendly. I loved it.

The head drum major and I actually made it to the finals round in the "conducting challenge," which I was really happy about. There were some really serious, extremely precise teams there, so once we got into the finals we didn't place... But just making it there was a big accomplishment. Especially since I still feel like such a n00b at this business, and I have a tendency to be really hard on myself and imagine that I'm doing everything wrong.

The head drum major is the tallest person in our band, and I, the assistant, am the shortest. People thought that was cute. It causes me problems, though, because when I'm conducting with him, I make an unconscious effort to try and make myself look taller, so I stretch my arms out really far, and apparently that makes me look like a zombie.
That's my biggest problem. I didn't realize this until the camp was almost over though, and I'm sure I can fix it easily. It doesn't happen when I'm conducting alone.

After drum major camp, I was really looking forward to relaxing at home for a while. But while I was there, my mom called me and said "HAY, as soon as you get back, we're going to Houston for a few days!"

And so, this past weekend I went to Houston. We didn't do too much while there, but we saw an improv show, which was fun, and went to this boardwalk, where I rode the most rickety, violent wooden roller coaster I have ever been on- my head shook around so much that I thought it was going to come off, and though I survived it, I had a headache for some time afterwards. But the highlight was seeing the broadway musical Sweeney Todd on tour. Holy crap, it was AWESOME. I love musicals. What was cool about this one, was that the actors/actresses were their own orchestra. When they weren't singing (and even sometimes when they were), they were playing the violin, cello, trumpet, and more- Mrs. Lovett even played the tuba, which was funny

Before seeing it, I watched the movie for the first time as well, since I never got the chance to see it while it was in theaters. I loved it... very Tim Burton, of course. But in retrospect, I can say that the movie was very faithful to the original musical, bringing it to life and adding tons of stylization and some dramatic impact (the very end comes to mind) which just couldn't be done on the stage. But still, there's just something about live entertainment which I find so amazing and enjoyable. So, while the movie was certainly great, the live show had the bigger effect on me.

But now I'm back home, and soon I'll be starting summer school! Oh yay, speech! I can hardly wait to throw away my summer hours sitting boredly in a classroom, just like I did for health last year! I'm used to giving speeches for AcDec, so it shouldn't be too bad. And hopefully I'll come away with some kind of new knowledge or tips, so it will be more beneficial than health. All I got out of that class was the memory of watching a video which included a talking condom.

I'm also going to be taking driving school twice a week in the evenings. That's right, I'm totally a slacker when it comes to driving, and I haven't learned yet. Shameful, eh? I should have learned last summer, but I was lazy and waited, and then all this year I've been too busy with various things. But force me into a classroom, and I'll learn, goshdarnit!

To be honest, though, I'm anxious about driving. You'd think it was simple... I mean, it seems just about anyone can, and does, learn to do it. But it seems complex to me, and I'm terrified of running into other cars, or over animals! I'm sure I'll get the hang of it, but it just scares me now.

Anyway... art stuff. I'm way overdue for my fourth-anniversary timeline. I'll get to that soon. Also, expect some non-fanart coming your way!

And I haven't given up on Aww Nuts, I just haven't been home to work on it... so, more of that will come. Eventually.

Thanks for reading!
-Fluffy

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