Looking back on this past year, I am ecstatic. I made it alive! <insert gasping here>

 Last March 17^th, I had a birthday party at my dad’s house. It was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.

 The next month, I started going out with a good friend of mine, Jon. I learned a lot those few months we dated. For instance, dating is dumb and never date anyone you don’t know perfectly well. Or, … just don’t date.

                This past summer, I went to Indiana University’s Summer Music Clinic where I met some really great people. There was my bassoon clan- Dan, Whitney, Jeremy, and Emily. We were crazy. I am sure Mrs. Holt loved us, though. All of our scales and arpeggios, the trombone quartets, the reeds….  Then there were Brandon, Eric, and Logan- We played cards together, ate together, got lost together, sat under the thinking tree together… I miss you guys! There were James, Danny, and Scott- the crazy people with whom we ate breakfast. Starting ones day out laughing is good. You guys were great. All of you. J

                In the middle of July, I went to Chicago with my mom, Anja, Mattheas, and Nora. It was a lot of fun. I LOVE CHICAGO!! I purchased the 7^th Harry Potter book while I on this trip. (At midnight, of course.) And, I read it on the train ride home the next day as I was by myself. (I had to leave before everyone else because the mission trippers where leaving the next morning. Yay!)

                I also went to Pittsburgh with my youth group. So many amazing things happened there so I won’t go into great detail. My van was awesome. We danced the whole way there. There was (Fan-Boy) Andrew, who helped us carry our fans up to the girl’s floor. It is hard to find guys who are as cool as Fan-Boy. There was my discussion group leader, Hannah (Montana). We had some really great conversations that are still affecting my life for the better. There were (Spam) Pam, (Smart) Max, Katie (K-OS), and Devon from Heaven, some of the people in my crew. The rest of my crew was (Marvelous) Matt and (Amiable) Amy (Unlike the others, Matt and Amy are from my youth group.) We had such a great time messing around with Herbie the Shop Vac and painting Aunt Blanche’s house. (Well, I did anyway. ) Peter! He was our crew’s work site staff dude. He came and helped us out with our job. (He also had really deep discussions with me when no one was paying attention. Or in other words, when no one was asking for his painting tips, we were talking.) He is a really good friend of mine and I am happy to say that we are still in touch. There was Jake- the tech savvy, Debussy playing dude. We had an exciting shirt exchange on the last day. I left Pittsburgh with his “i like switchfoot” t-shirt and he with one of my youth group’s mission trip shirts. I still talk to Jake and he is still really cool. Nick, my fellow rain dancer, and I summoned the rain. He is fun. (I should email him.) I learned a lot on the trip, made a lot of friends. It was a really great experience.

                Last August, I said goodbye to a lot of good friends as they went off to college. Shawn and Mark came to my house for a farewell trip to Friday’s (on a Monday). We met up with Dwight and played some hands of Hearts. We levitated and played ERS. It was great fun. J I went to The Beach with Cristin, Momma O, Chad, Tim, Steve, Pip, Ruth, and Mrs. S. We all got sunburnt. It was a lot of fun, trying to play ERS even though it was really windy. I had a lesson with Dr. Zeisler, the assistant bassoon professor at Bowling Green University (Ohio). It went really well. I learned a lot.

                School started in September, as did Oakland Youth Orchestra, Detroit Symphony’s Civic Youth Ensembles, and Oakland Homeschool Music. I got a job a working at The Pita Pit (more commonly known as “The Pit” by me and my family). I loved that job. <insert sigh here> At the end of September, I started talking to Kaitlin. (I have only known her for a few weeks short of six months! <insert a “no way” and gasp>)

                In late September, two of my friends died in a car accident. Later than week (now October), my mom got really sick and went into labor prematurely. Angelika Joy died half an hour later. That Friday, I lost my job. Everything went down hill from there. In November, Anja and Mattheas stayed at a friend’s house for two weeks. Andreas and I stayed at Alex’s house for those same weeks. I commandeered Alex’s bedroom. Those two weeks were the hardest weeks of my life. My walls of protection and reality were torn down in a matter of seconds. I was left out in the open. I had flashbacks and anxiety. It was a living hell. Had it not been for Kaitlin, Peter, Fan-Boy, and James, I don’t know where I would be.

                December was really hard, too. I felt like a little fish in a big pond of even bigger fish. Kaitlin introduced me to a Christian chatroom in early December. (With parental permission) I have been going there ever since. I am now an operator in almost all of the registered rooms. (Apparently, they like me.) In other words, I can yell at people for swearing, flooding, inappropriate conduct, giving out too much information, et cetera. (I have always liked yelling at little kids.. )

                In December, I met Levi, Cherith, Jackie, Timothy, Tim, and Mike. During this time, I also reconnected with some old friends from a few years ago- Jesse and Julia. I have learned a lot from them. I have learned a lot about myself, life, Christianity, and friendship.

                In January, I “re-met” my friend Haley. We had been apart of a play or two back in the day. Now, we are in a few classes together. She is one of my closest friends and I am so glad she is in my life. I love getting together with her to listen to music and read poetry. I love colouring, talking about Christiany and good versus evil with her.

                To sum it up, God has worked wonders in my life. He has put some outstanding people in my life that I hope I am friends with the rest of my life. Before I get to the fun part, I have one more thing to say: God is good. J

where are we?
 what the hell is going on?
 the dust has only just begun to fall
 crop circles in the carpet
 sinking feeling
 
 spin me round again
 and rub my eyes,
 this can't be happening
 when busy streets a mess with people
 would stop to hold their heads - heavy
 
 hide and seek
 trains and sewing machines
 all those years
 they were here first
 
 oily marks appear on walls
 where pleasure moments hung before the takeover,
 the sweeping insensitivity of this still life
 
 hide and seek
 trains and sewing machines (oh, you won't catch me around here)
 blood and tears (hearts)
 they were here first
 
 Mmmm whacha say,
 Mmmm that you only meant well?
 well of course you did
 Mmmm whacha say,
 Mmmm that its all for the best?
 Because it is
 Mmmm whacha say?
 Mmmm that it's just what we need
 you decided this
 whacha say?
 Mmmm what did she say?
 
 ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
 mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut outs
 speak no feeling no i don't believe you
 you don't care a bit, 
 you don't care a bit
 
 (hide and seek)
 ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
 mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut outs
 
 (hide and seek)
 speak no feeling no i don't believe you
 you don't care a bit,
 you don't care a (you don't care a) bit
 
 (hide and seek)
 oh no, you don't care a bit
 oh no, you don't care a bit
 
 (hide and seek)
 oh no, you don't care a bit
 you don't care a bit
 you don't care a bit