You know who you are....

Dear someone,

Being homeschooled in Soda Springs, I don't know very many people. I don't have many friends, and what friends I do have are either false or adults. Adult friends are nice, but its also nice to have someone your own age to confide in, you know?

Now, you're homeschooled too. But you don't have this problem. In Firth its easier. I love going to dances in Firth, because there you always, without fail, introduce me to your friends. You have such a huge circle of friends, and every time I visit you it has grown! I am so happy for you! That is a huge blessing. So, in turn, my circle of friends grows. I always have someone to hang out with in Firth! And they seem to enjoy being with me, too. I have tons of excellent friends that I love in Firth, thanks to you!

I love to visit you. Its not very often we get to see each other, but we always make the most of it. We go shopping, we talk, we make up imaginary worlds outside like children, we film short movies, play music, watch YouTube videos, meet new people, laugh, tell stories, and learn about each other. Being with you is one of the best things I have to look forward to.

I try to be like you. When I see someone on their own at a social gathering I will try to stay with them until they leave me. I try to be friendly like you, someone I would want to hang out with.

So, thank you for being my constant. I have realised there are too many variables in the equations of my life right now. You are truly the one person who I can pour my whole self into and not give me a weird look. Alright, sometimes you do give me weird looks, but they are at least in good humour! You have taught me so much about the world and to look at it differently. Whenever my friends here in Soda (I'm not sure I even have any) turn their backs to me, you always find a way to let me in. I am so glad that we got this close. I remember when you were just that one cousin who sometimes came to Ice Cream Social, but through our letters and phone calls you have become my real best friend. I love you more than words can express. Thank you for being such a great friend.

Love and warm fuzzies,
Liv

Loud and obnoxious? Most definitely. Random? Not so much.

I think...that the word 'random' has lost its meaning for many people. Everyone knows that one super-annoying person that is 'so hyper all the time' and 'so random.' They explode in a rather forced-sounding fit of hysterical laughter, after which they will say something like, "Oh, wow! Sorry, I'm usually really hyper! This is really calm for me! Haha!" or "Sorry, I'm SO RANDOM! HAhahaha!"

And then I want to say, ever so politely, "No. You are not random. True randomness happens without method or chosen decision, and you have obviously decided to explode in this fashion beforehand to make us all think you're 'that random girl.' Just keep telling yourself you're unique."

Yes, I am talking about a particular person...

I went to a cousin's party in Firth. She took me aside and warned me about this girl, Bella*, who was extremely obnoxious and thought everyone was her best friend. You know the type, they think they are just so darling and everyone loves them but in reality everyone wants to make them stay at Lord Voldemort's place for a few hours. My cousin told me Bella was the annoying-violent kind. I have been in this state myself a few times, except I never actually hurt anyone, so I didn't take the warning too seriously. Until I took Bella by the hands and started to try to teach her the swing (which she failed miserably at, by the way). Bella didn't really catch on to what we were supposed to be doing with our arms, so she ended up trying to swing them up and over my head, which resulted in dizziness and bruised arms (I couldn't get away either, she had my wrists locked in a death grip). I tottered away to my cousin and avoided Bella the rest of the night.

What kind of person frustrates YOU the most?

*Name has been changed.

I hate breaking things....

I really hate breaking things. It makes me sad to see something come apart by my hand. And yesterday I broke something really big.

I was trying to park at a Wal-Mart, and I suck at parking. I had pulled a bit too far forward, and so I began to get too close to this rust-coloured XTerra. So, naturally, I braked. Or so I thought. Instead, I shot forward into the XTerra, shattering the taillight and badly denting the bumper.

You know those rocks that form in the pit of your stomach? Yeah...

Mom asked some employees that saw the incident to fetch their manager. When he came out, he paged the store so the owner could come out. He was really weird, I thought. He was quite persistent that we not call the police to make a report. Maybe he gets docked manager points for accidents in his parking lot....Anyway, the owner came out of the store, and when I saw him, I began to cry. I expected him to blow up or something. He was really nice though; he instantly forgave me, he told me that's why they're called 'accidents,' etc. I was so relieved also when the police officer came. He was very kind and since I am so inexperienced (I'm assuming that was the reason) didn't cite me.

Charles (the owner of the XTerra) called his insurance and we exchanged information and all the usual stuff that you do in a fender-bender. The whole time I was just staring at the twisted bumper being depressed and crying.

And when it was all over, we did our shopping.

And that is my exciting event of the week.

Concerning the West End and my last post...

My dad called me a couple of nights ago and said he had looked at the prices for the West End shows. They are a lot cheaper than we had initially thought! Wicked was the cheapest at £20, and the Lion King the most expesnive at only £30!! I can hardly believe it! Wouldn't you think they would be like £100?? Crazy, right?

Now for the best part. Paris actually looks pretty boring. It's mostly just hikes around the city and shopping tours and the like, so Dad and I decided to shave a day off our trip to Paris and go see ALL THREE of the shows we want to see! Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, aaaannd Wicked! I cannot describe in words how excited I am!

True Love

I think I've found it.

The West End of London

Imagine you are standing on the precipice of a bubbling volcano inside of which lives a vicious, kitten-eating Volcano Beast. A man is with you who looks very much in charge, and he has two baby kittens. He asks you, "Now, which one shall I throw in for the Volcano Beast? I'll leave that up to you."

Isn't that the most terrible situation to be in? I'm pretty much in that boat, except I don't have to sacrifice a kitten. I have to choose which musical I want to see when I'm in the West End in July! There are so many different musicals showing then, but most of them are really weird, like Shrek: The Musical, Ghost, or even Priscilla - Queen of the Desert. So I've narrowed my choice down to three: Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. I mean seriously? How do you pick?

I've seen a movie of Les Mis, based on the book, but it wasn't the musical. I've played out of the sheet music book for it, so I know most of the songs, but I know there are a few more that are....inappropriate....My mum told me they use a revolving stage for some parts, to have multiple scenes going simultaneously. Mum told me just to see that one, but there's a scene that I'm positive a West End theatre won't spare the audience from that a smaller production might. And I'm also fairly positive that it will make me Les Uncomfortables.

My dad has never seen Phantom, and I would *love* to see it with him!! All I've seen is the DVD with Gerard Butler as Erik, but it's soooo good! The music is so genius and big and gorgeous and gaudy....but what else can we expect of Andrew Lloyd Webber? Now, if CATS was showing I think I would just have to go crawl into a hole and die. Because CATS has been my all-time favourite musical since I was five, and Phantom my second favourite. But...

I've NEVER seen Wicked. Never heard the soundtrack, except for one song that was played rather obnoxiously in the car by a friend on the way to a party. I liked it, I guess. I know what it's about, and I could always do more research and YouTube-ing. It sounds really sweet, and recently a large group of people from the high school went to see it. They all came home in awe, and I was pretty envious while reading their tweets from within the theatre.

I may have to resort to eenie-meenie.

So what's you're favourite musical?