Well, hello everyone! Mary told me to update, so I am. Did you miss me? Or did you just forget that I'm even here? Oh well, that's life. So it goes.

I've been reading a lot of books lately... Last week I went through Stephen King's Hearts in Atlantis. It's one of his better ones, I think. Not quite as good as The Stand (what is?), but up there. I signed up in English class to do my oral book report on it. Then I found out it's not really a novel but a collection of five interrelated short stories. So I signed up for Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five instead. I read the first sixty pages of that last night, and it is absolutely insane. Woohoo! It's about war and time travel, I think. Very good.

I wanted to go to Hot Springs last Saturday to hear the All-State band, but I couldn't find anyone to go with me. Jamie and Jeremy both wanted to, but naturally their parents wouldn't let them. So Father and I went to Little Rock instead. We ate at Regas Grill (I had prime rib, very good!) and then went over to Breckenridge Village to see O Brother, Where Art Thou?. That was an absolutely hilarious movie. Everyone who lives in the south should be required to see it. "Oh George, not the livestock!"

Um.. umm... I'm on a diet! Which is good! Right before Arts Encounter, I weighed 108 pounds. Man, I was *skinny!* And I didn't even appreciate it! I haven't grown a bit since then, and at the beginning of the school year I was tipping the scales at 135. Now I'm down to 125, but I'd like to lose at least ten more before my brother's wedding. Fat bridesmaids, ugh. But enough about my weight. No one ever wants to hear about that.

I have a test on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Antigone tomorrow. I enjoyed both of them, which means I actually paid attention to what I was reading, which means I should do well. I hope. Yeah.

Jamie and Andrea and I had a spat last Wednesday (Valentine's Day), but we're over it now. Girls suffering from unrequited love tend to get a bit crabby, particularly on February 14. Jonathan liked my card, I think.

Oh Jonathan... What are you waiting for?

Jamie and I are going to a Barenaked Ladies concert on March 17 in Memphis. I'm really excited about that. I love BNL, and I've never been to concert before. They're reputed to put on a really great show. I can't wait! Too bad I still owe Mother $42 for the ticket. Plus $25 for various other things. And my stupid paycheck hasn't come yet. Grrrr. Evil paper.

Oh! I've started practicing my clarinet a bit, and I discovered it's actually fun! Cool, huh? Whee! I lurrrrrv my clarinet! I was going to play "Masquerade" from Phantom of the Opera for Solo & Ensemble, but my band director won't let me. Not because it's too easy (it's the hardest in the book), but because Webber isn't a respected enough composer. So now I'm playing "Nickolodean Rag," which is jazzy and therefore sincopated. (No, I cannot spell.) He picked it out for me after I informed him I did not intend to play one of those dippy songs in the solo books. Ick. Jamie and I are doing a duet as well, "The Hungarian Rhapsody." It's fast and easy and fun!

You know what's really good? Florida style Sunny Delight! It's sweet and tangy! Yum yum! My stupid browser just disconnected itself! But I fixed it.

Well... that's about it. My English teacher told us never to end our presentations that way. But you know what? I'm going to anyway. And that's about it.