Kenowa Hills was the world's smallest forensics tournament. I think Conference was larger.

But the good news about having such a small tournament? It left room for my pathetic piece to earn a tie for third place! So I have a trophy! Woo hoo! ~dances~

The team did quite well overall. Anthony got third in Impromptu (out of three...but who cares?), Adam got 2nd (out of...several) in prose, April got third (of four?) in Oratory. Jake got fourth of fifth :-( I was so sure he'd do better. But anyway, we had enough people place that we took home a team trophy! Woo hoo!

We got home really, really early. Since it was such a small tournament, all of the events had only one section, except for poetry and DI Open. I don't know about DI, but poetry had nine people in it. Huge, for this tournament. Anyway, when you have multiple sections, you're supposed to have an elimination round but...having a final round for two events, making everyone wait around for about 45 minutes just wouldn't be nice. So they got rid of the final round and we were back home by 4:15.

The food at Kenowa was crap, so I wanted to go out for food before coming home. I was Jake's ride today, so I took him to Burger King. We got food, got a nice table in the corner (well, okay, not nice. Jake was near a window so IT STARTED TO FREAKING SNOW) and sat.

And sat.

And sat.

When I finally decided to check the time, I figured two hours had passed, putting the time at 6:30.

It was 7:14. Two hours and fourty-five minutes. And yet we sat around for another hour. Almost four hours at Burger King, lol. It was hilarious. Jake and I had some serious bonding time. It was almost frightening; I told him stuff that I have told few/no other people. But then we had lots of fun conversations too. Figuring out who was playing on the radio, becoming the foremost authorities on various people's sexual orientations, and shaking our heads at Dan's ten minute long joke. Just wait until Monday, all of ya', and see what you miss when you don't go to forensic tournaments.

Hung out a lot with Grand Rapids people today, both City and Christian. Played Egyptian Rat Screw with the GR Christian people. Very fun. Hung out with Dan a lot (we're alternating between loving and hating eachother, lol. I get into a lot of relationships like that. Is that healthy?). Got invited to Kelly's (a girl from GR City that Jake always hangs out with and thus I've gotten to know a little 'cause I'm always with Jake) birthday party on Monday, as well as being part of a production of Rocky Horror Show this summer and I listened to some of her RHS Broadway Cast album (Daphne Rubin Vega of RENT OBC fame is Magenta!!! OMG, I need this album now). And we're going to hunt down when the hell RENT is coming to the area. April heard about it, but neglected to find out when and where exactly it's coming, and Kelly's having the same issue. I should really head over to the show's site. But that would require effort, wouldn't it?

Jake and I had our requisite sing along in the halls. What are we going to do when forensics is over?!

Had some amusing critiques this week. On Tuesday, all the judges hated my song. They felt I should do something classical since I refer to composers like Beethoven and Chopin instead of my cutting of Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera. Today, everyone loved it. And I was complimented on the passion and enthusiasm I had for my piece ~shakes head in amusement~. I am a good actor.

I also had my piece memorized by today, so yea for that. I stumbled ocassionally, but I managed to remember that love is, indeed, a man. Usually with a mustache.

I need to update my little book reviews page thing I have on here. I need to put up a review for BOY MEETS BOY. I wrote up my review card on it but...I've yet to decide whether it should be nominated or not. 'Cause, like I told Jake, I cut books featuring gay characters so much slack. I will read almost anything if there's a gay character. And if the book is about gay teenagers, it can practically do no wrong (and before Nicole jumps on this as proof for her anti-EMPRESS campaign, I want to make it clear that I loved Empress before I developed a bias, so that is a legitimately wonderful book ;-). But I can recognize that if Paul and Noah had been Paula and Noah, I would have thrown down the book in disgust, saying that it was completely unrealistic. But having had my own small taste of happiness and rejection, I can see how realistic some of the stuff I used to think was crap is, and I can empathize with a same-sex couple much easier than with a hetero-couple. But still...the town was too perfect. And yet, I think the reason the paper-thin plot works so well is the cast of characters is so crazy that it turns all the old stereotypes on their heads. I just don't know if that's enough to save it. It'll probably be a fight for BBYA, as I'm sure everyone's knee-jerk reaction will be to NOMINATE IT. NOMINATE IT NOW. 'Cause it's an awesome book just to read for fun.

Read FLIP SIDE today after the meet. It was the world's fastest read. I had 150 pages done in under an hour. It was just over so fast and when I reached the last page and looked at the time, I was like..."Where did the story go?" It's one of those books that leaves you feeling kind of empty at the end. It promised so much and then hit me with a HUGE Moral Of The Story at the end. You know, accept everyone, no matter how different they are. The stuff that after school specials are made of. OMG. This would be the perfect after-school special. Absolutely perfect.

Books that leave me feel empty are the world's worst books. I'd rather hate a book than be apathetic about it. 'Cause if I hate a book I can at least have good arguments about it. About the only strong feeling I have about THE FLIP SIDE is the stupid moral. Morals do not belong in YA literature anymore. Teenagers of the 21st century are way too jaded to waste their time on crap like that. Give me GEOGRAPHY CLUB and EMPRESS any day. They both teach lessons, but without the great didactic hammer of FLIP SIDE.

But now I have no books left to read this weekend. I only took those two, figuring that with a meet, I wouldn't have any time to read. But I didn't expect to fall so in love with BOY MEETS BOY that I'd read almost all of it at work, and then finish it at Jake's house last night, lol. I think that's a record, even for me. But I needed something to distract me. And I think watching Angela have an almostbreakdown is a bizarre form of entertainment for some people ;-)

In sad news, I opened up my e-mail and found out that apparently my friend Jo's husband died in a car accident on Thursday night. I probably got an e-mail that night, but it would have been sent to the account that I don't check very often. I'm in shock. I never really met the guy, but he has a quote on our 'Mattress' memorable moments packet. For those who don't know her by name, Jo was the lady-in-waiting in green who giggled/snorted a lot. We all love Jo with a passion. I have no idea what else to say. I need to go check that other e-mail.

And in bizarre news...Ms. Forner took a sudden interest in the GSA today. She called Jake and I over at lunch and had us explain a bit about the GSA to her. She then gave us the e-mail of GR City's GSA VP (of course, we happen to already be friends with this guy, but I, at least, hadn't realized he was the VP of their GSA. Maybe Jake did, but I'm left out of the loop on these things). So we're gonna see about coordination with them as well on Day of Silence. It's gonna be this huge movement throughout West Michigan! Woo hoo!

Okay, I think I'm about out of things to say now. Other than I GOT THIRD PLACE!!! When I haven't had my piece for a week. Can we say hostile takeover of the poetry world? ~evil grin~ However, I think that everyone (except the Holland girls) was in a situation like mine, where they were pretty new to the category, since I saw maybe two other polished pieces.

I have a third of a Broadcasting trophy.

--Angela

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