Because why?

You know when you were little and you'd continually ask your mom or dad questions...mostly that they could not answer...and they would always reply with a "Because," to which you would push the question further by answering, "Because why?" Recently, I have found myself asking these questions. (Well, more often that I usually do!) Questions that have no real answer...known to man that is. Perhaps my curiousity has been heightened by watching the little kids at day care as they discover something new in the world but also from the last book I read (yes, the not-so-interesting one). It was basically a travel journal, and the guy said he knew he'd been traveling solo too long when he started to ask himself these questions. His biggest curiousity was "Why do they call it a grapefruit?" He said something to the idea of this: "If you handed me a grapefruit...something yellow, the size of a cannonbal, and sour...a grape is nowhere near the first thing to come to mind, so why do they call it that?" He's right. Why do they call it a grapefruit? (If anyone can answer that for me, I'd love to be enlightened.) But, of course, gave my overactive imagination the beginning of a spiral that is still continuing. I get why they call an orange an orange because it is in fact orange. And watermelon is mostly water. But what about a cantaloupe? This didn't stop at fruit. Why do they call it toilette water if it smells good? Or, in music, who decided what sounded beautiful in harmony, melody, form, etc.? You stick a few notes together and sound them simultaneously, but who decided if it was pretty or ugly? And how could they decide that before equal temperament? Or how did the internet become what it is? I mean, how did virtually all information get there in order for them to have created this thing we call the web? Sure over time it gets there, but in the beginning, who was the brainiac that got it all there in the first place? Alright, I'll stop making your head swim...it's contagious...and I apologize for starting the spiral in your head!


Wow. I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post. My life: work, work, and more work. That's about it. I haven't even really practiced or anything...by the time I get off work, I'm too tired to do much. No worries, though. (Well, doing my best not to stress myself out!) Everything will be just fine. But forgetting about work for now...thoughts on Hungary: sooo excited!! Yes, occasionally I freak about money and sucking at music there, but all that aside, I am super psyched. (I'm sure that's not new news, though!) My little sister Becca attended Bible camp last week. My friend Sandy's husband is the pastor at a church not too far from here, so he invited her. She had a great time, and I got to do some visiting with Sandy and her mommy-in-law. David (her husband) is going to teach me some self-defense this summer, too. He taught me a little bit before I went off to college, but I unfortunately forgot most of it. Oh, and they have a Hungarian lady that attends their church, so they are going to get us together to chat. Fun! My old theatre director from the community theatre I was involved with in high school came to the fruit stand the other day. It was so crazy to see him...and totally unexpected. I looked up to tell him his total and freaked when I saw who it was. It was good to see him, but it made me realize how much I miss all of those people. That theatre really helped me develop as a musician, performer, and a person. And the people there were my greatest friends in those days. However, dance and that theatre are pretty much the only things I miss from high school. You couldn't pay me to go back to high school. Not even a million dollars! I hated high school. It just wasn't full of very good experiences, and never want to relive that hell! But enough of that. Life is absolutely fabulous, and I love it. :)

Life on Planet Ice Cream

It's ice cream time! Yum! It has been quite stifling around here, although yesterday and today, it's cooled off a bit. Monday we hit 96°F, but it's not the heat that'll kill you...it's the humidity! I promise that come September my posts will become far more intriguing and frequent. For now, there isn't always much holding interest to say. I have begun to drive, though. I got my learner's permit last week and since then have been doing a little here and there. (Scheiße--thanks Katrin!--escaped my mouth a few times!) I won't, however, get my actual license until sometime in the spring after coming back from Europe...would be silly to pay insurance when I won't be using it. It's been going quite well...except Monday when a woodchuck ran in front of me, and with no time to react, I hit it!! Poor woodchuck! I freaked out a little because I felt so bad. :( Other than new experiences in a car, I've been working at the day care, which is actually quite enjoyable (except I don't the lady I worked with yesterday appreciated my sense of humor)...I love kids...I can just only take them for so many hours at a time...certainly not ready for any of my own anytime soon! Also, I start working at a produce stand this afternoon. Two part-time jobs, but they aren't bad...and I'll be very grateful to have the money when Europe time comes! 79 days to go! YAY! I am pretty psyched! I have never done the whole switching planes deal and never taken a train, so it's all a little scary, but it'll be an adventure. And a week in Vienna before starting school! How brilliant! The frustrating part is trying to figure out how to go all the places I want to go on this trip and not without soaking up as much as should be. There are many places I would like to see this time around, but even more do not want to pop in and out just to say I was there...I want to really experience each place. Oh, well, I shall try not to fret too much over it...must leave room for spontaneity! Anyway, back to life at home. I've actually been reading. Book I'm reading now is not very interesting, but it's almost over then onto something more exciting. We just got a wii, so my little sister and I have been goofing off with that. And I've been practicing. Only short amounts for now...work back up some stamina after a month off. And I think I really need to start working hard core on solfege and such to prepare myself for Hungary...and learn a little more Hungarian... I have a feeling the ability to say yes, no, please, thank you, hello, orange juice, water, and wine will only get me so far! Brushing up on some German would prove useful, too.

Day Care: It Gives Me Fever!

Out of nowhere, the other day I found myself thinking of the song "Fever" (not unusual...always a song going thru my head!) made most recently popular by Michael Bublé but also sung by such greats as Peggy Lee and Ella. It's a pretty snappy song. I like it! However, this most recent thought of it was not so pleasant. There was no presence of love giving me fever; children's sneezes did: my part-time job at the day care got me sick!...and after only two days at that! From Tuesday thru Saturday, I was on the couch with a fever of 102°F!! It was ridiculous! I haven't been that sick since the fifth or sixth grade! Sure, I come down with a little headcold a couple times a year, some more severe than others, but I can handle that. This was far more than I bargained for! I survived unscathed from the plagues in dorms and classrooms (and let me tell you...germ heaven sometimes!), but not this. (No, I'm not bitter!) Oh, well. Most is well now. Just left with a bit of stuffiness and limited mobility of the voice. What really breaks my heart, though, is that just before I was brought down by the evil day care plague, I had decided that I was ready to return to my music. I missed it, and it was time. And now, I won't be able to return to it for a little while longer due to recooperation time tables. *Sigh* On the bright side of life, this sickness made me really want it. Singing, that is. Practicing. I have not felt that strongly about a desire to practice while at home in a long while. I knew when I came home, that it was necessary to step away before music became a chore, as it was the rain cloud's shadows were foreboding. This is good, but now I'm aching to do some laughing above that treble staff! haha! Another good thing: I acquired Josh Groban's amazing Awake Live DVD. Ah! It's pretty fabulous! :)