Something Action - Packed

Hello again, dear readers. A little catching up for you.

In a galaxy far, far away, there was a high school band. This band featured a star flutist named Lern Dern.  Lern Dern was so magnificent, they had to chair everybody to see just how un-majestic they were in comparison. Anyhoo, it is chairing day, and Lern is there. Lern appears very nervous, with shaky hands and sweaty palms and everything.  The Evil Stand - In Band Director (our usual director had heart surgery. Dios mio.) cruelly calls on Lern Dern to play first, knowing she'd be too nervous to play anything comprehensible. However, all of this is a façade. Lern Dern has trained long and hard to become a fledi (flute Jedi) and is only using her nervousness to deceive Mr. Evil Stand-In Director into false confidence. He smiles, revealing his metallic brass teeth, and the blood of woodwind before Lern Dern. Bracing herself for a battle of epic proportions, Lern inhaled a low deep breath. Long silence stretched around the room, suffocating like a cobra. However, the dreaded Silence And General Awkwardness of chairing was no match for Lern Dern. Inaudibly pressing the keys,  Lern Dern's flute transformed into a glowing lightsaber. In one fluid motion, a perfectly tuned high note slices through the dreaded Silence And General Awkwardness of chairing.  Mr. Evil Stand- In Band Director cancelled. Suddenly, the flute part from the Star Spangled Banner emerges from behind the stand-in director.  Of course he had something up his sleeves too, thought Lern Dern. Normally, the flute part from the Start Spangled Banner would be a small inconvenience for a trained fledi, but battling it solo... Lern Dern had to ace this chairing.  Making a fierce face, she expertly controlled her emberachure, dining valuable blows into the monster. More angered than hurt, the beast roared louder than a plane engine. With quick slices from expert fingering, the behemoth was on its last legs. Realizing what she had to do, Lern threw her flute into the wiry teeth of the stand-in director.  She then desperately sprinted to safety with the surviving members of the flute section.  The beast, seeing the bright glow of the flute lightsaber, charged at the evil director,  finishing them both off in a spectacular explosion.

So the flutes chaired. I went first.  And I'm pretty sure I did pretty well.

Terribleness

So we meet again, dear readers. It's been some time, hasn't it? High school is a little bit more time-consuming than planned.

Pictured: my life expectancy.

Apologies for my extended absence. There's a couple things I'll talk about later that'll cover why, but I think you committed readers out there are due an apology nevertheless. I'm super uber sorry for being a doo-doo head and not posting in forever.

...lest you need reminding...

Here's a little insight into how I make a post: I can usually just sit at a computer for a few hours and knock out whatever's on my mind. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, this has had to change a little bit. I have to plan ahead (*wipes tears away*). This post had a draft. No, I'm not kidding. I sat on the couch with a notebook while Jeopardy was on, listened to some music, and planned what I am writing (typing?).

I'd like to thank my family...

Anyway, I have a burning need to share some stuff about high school with you. Particularly, terribleness There's a great big terribleness  all over high school that I keep on seeing everywhere.It's not really what you're probably thinking it is. All that bullcrap they feed to you about 'high school is whatever you want it to be' is sorta getting to me. I don't intend to sound judgemental or anything, but if you expect yourself to have a terrible 4 years, it pretty much happens like that. However, if you set high expectations for yourself, nobody is stopping you. High school is supposed to be big imposed soial hierarchy with your stereotypical jocks and cheerleaders at the top, and freaks n' geeks at the bottom, but it isn't. It's the first time since a while back where things are changing. People want to be outgoing. People are courageous, willing to branch out. But anyway. Back to terribleness (terocity?). People are shutting themselves down more too. It's bittersweet. That group of kids who look at high school like a bowl of cold mashed potatoes don't understand that this is very real. If you expect high school to be something, it will be. If you are terrible, you expect high school to be terribleness, and it will be. You have to believe that something, anything, great will happen.

Terrible worms blossom into terrible butterflies.

I've set some high expectations for high school, and I hope everyone else has too. Having an optimistic attitude is key to enjoying high school.  Heck, being positive is the only way to skate by sometimes. Having a good outlook is really the only way to have a pleasant 4 years.

Anyhoo, that's the first 'actually-drafted-and-proofread' post of Makin' A Blog. I would especially like feedback about this whole shebang, if you could. That's all.

Hello again, dear readers! I was recently reading my friends' blogs, and it kinda made me think. I really only post on here when something interesting happens, which can sometimes leave huge gaps between posts.

Pictured: the blog.

Anyhoo, I feel like maybe if I share things I like then you might like them too. Then, I don't have to leave the house, and you get to see more posts. 

This has been your daily dose of adorable.

So let's start with something small, I suppose.

Something small. *snerk*

One of my hobbies is collecting out-of-place, out-of-date, and just-plain-weird advertisements. Some of the most amusing entertainment you can have is collaging magazines with friends. I collect tabloids especially for their ads. Tabloids are just above creepy Russian websites selling bear venison and body parts and just below the international teddy bear alliance's website in ads. They don't have ads you wouldn't show to your grandmother, but they're not the usual 'buy product x just cuz' ads. I am a connoisseur of all types of ads, like your creepy baby dolls-

-and products targeted at the entirely incorrect audience-

-and the kids movie themed, miraculously somehow licensed figurines-

-and the "free" jewelry-



-proof of your unhealthy Elvis obsession-



-and proof of your unhealthy cat obsession.

Hm. Bye.

Back from vacation at last!

Hello again dear readers! I just got back from a four day vacation in Ludington.

Pictured: Ludington.

It was a nice trip. I'm a little tired from kinda doing everything. I took a crapton of pictures with my phone camera (yes, the phone from my earlier rant post).  Even if the phone itself is not my favorite, it was nice to have a portable camera to take places to take pictures.

There were lots of good places to take pictures.

So I guess my photo dump did come together after all. Hm.

First Day

The first day in Ludington started kinda early, because if you want to get on Lake Michigan on your first day you almost have to leave that early. Maybe it seemed so early because of my screwed up sleep schedule, maybe it really was just early.

Early early early.

So the drive over was a couple hours long, and while the scenery was interesting, it was repetitive. I didn't get many pictures of the rundown industry towns. I'm sure you're just heartbroken.

Haha I didn't take this picture so it still doesn't count!

My older brother drove the entire way, under the watchful eye of my grandpa. We got there and set up the trailer at the Mason County Campground, which is a-not-so-long drive from Lake Michigan. And it had some pretty nice nature.

Nature! Trees! Dirt!

Here's a picture actually inside the camper

Pale, pale legs.

After lunch (hamburgers courtesy of grandma)  all of us went down to the beach-

Da beach.

-which is of course on the eastern side of Lake Michigan. While scavenging for a parking place, we found this gem.




 It was eighty-something the day we arrived, and while we walked down to the water the sand burnt our feet. The water was really cold after crossing the small desert between the sidewalk and the beach. And surprisingly sandy.

I have a lot of pictures of the water.

After heading back to the trailer we were going to have a campfire, but due to the dry conditions we were told not to. So instead we had a nice time lounging around, because this is a vacation gosh darnit, and it better feel like it.

Second Day



We had actually walked out on the pier the first day, but on the second day we were intent on getting wet. It was a good thing too, because the waves were really strong. White caps crashed over the side of the cement walkway and caught unprepared intruders in their silent undertow. Like a total idiot, I forgot my swimsuit at home, so I got soaking wet in my yoga pants and pajama shirt. I looked (and felt) a little out of my element. We tried to stay walking on the side of the pier, but after struggling against the waves about halfway to the lighthouse, my older brother and I thought it was probably safer not to.

These are the waves from the first day. They were a bit more intense the next day.

After nearly getting pulled into the lake (now nicknamed the Specific Ocean by yours truly) we went and actually swam in it. Although it was a little frigid, we were not the only people to come down to the beach and float like really dumb buoys. It was also the day of the Great War of the Specific Ocean, which amounted to the older sibling(s) slapping the younger sibling(s) with brightly colored pool noodles. We also found this really inspiring boardwalk-



-which felt too precious to be tread upon, but tread on we did, because the sand was molten again. At sunset, my older brother and I tried to find a good view...



... which I kinda nailed. We actually found a better spot that didn't have so many wires and stuff (this is by a Consumers Energy station thing) but the sun had gone down and my phone was dead by then. There was a cute doggy there though, which sorta made up for it. Some views aren't meant for pictures, I guess.

Third Day

It began with the loud drumming of rain on the metal roof. At midnight. The last day we spent wholly on the lake, and we got rained out. Ethan and grandma went out to the beach to see whether the waves were insane, which they were. We got a really  big thunderstorm that passed right over us. The storm ended just before sunset, and it left everything in a really weird yellow haze. There were also some really odd clouds.



Fourth Day

The last day of the vacation. Most of this was the drive in the truck-



-and a quick stop at my grandma's house to leave the trailer and pet the kittens behind the barn before riding the rest of the way home in just the truck. Now I'm writing this article and sleeping off my sunburn in my own room. Goodbye, dear readers. Sleep off your sunburns, always knowing in the back of your mind that I am always watching. Because I am a blog ghost that haunts you over the internet. I am too tired to be writing this. Someone stop me please.

Hello again, dear readers! I have updateitis, which is a condition where one wishes to upload an update to their blog, but their access to their father's laptop is limited. This condition can be a result of grounding, laziness, or their dad's computer being dead for two whole days. It is a little ironic that when I actually have something to post about, I don't have the means to do so. The absence of my dad's computer also broke that streak I had going on. A post every day would be nice. Easing into a daily post would be good for me. At least then I would get something remarkable done with my summer.

Ah, summer. At last, my time to do... absolutely nothing.

Yesterday, in a very summer-ey fashion, my great aunt, my little brother, and myself went blackberry picking. The guy who lives across the street from my great grandmother's house, Gary, is having an anniversary celebration and his son, Greg, is in town to celebrate. Greg invited my great aunt over to pick blackberries, seeing as they won't be in season for much longer. 

Pictured above: grossness.

Greg has wild blackberries, which means they are slightly smaller than the ones from the grocery store. It also means walking around a patch of prickers for a couple of hours.

Pictured  above: a blackberry. Not pictured: tremendous amounts of pain

I really didn't mind the thorns after a while, but you do have to wear long sleeves and jeans so you won't get pricked too much. It was also kinda sweaty and hot as as a result of the full body armor, but eating twice as many berries as I saved made up for that.

A representation of Lauren yesterday.

The whole time we were picking berries, chickens ran under the branches and clucked at everybody. They're kinda cute. I didn't really recognize the sound a chicken makes, and I got a little scared because clucking branches are a natural thing to be afraid of. The exact number of chickens running around people's feet is yet to be determined, but there must've been at least three, maybe four or five. I now have an intense need for pet chickens. 

For example, these colorful silkie chickens.
 I would dye one blue and name him Sanic, and blast this crime against humanity.

I picked a full coffee can of blackberries, most of which are still in our fridge.

*sad trombone noises*

After picking berries for a couple hours, we went and pet the goats beside the blackberry patch. Goats are like cats. They love food and being pet, although one goat hid behind the shed thingy in the habitat and stared forlornly at us while we fed the other two grass.

I'll just have to eat the grass already on this side of the fence. *sad face*

 While we were screwing around Greg's house, Ethan picked up four feathers. He even gave me one. I don't know what bird it's from, but they have chickens, geese, and peacocks, so it could be any of them. I think it's from a goose though. I've been pantomiming calligraphy all day with it.

Dearest Margaret, I write to you from battle. I wonder if oneself can continue in such ridiculous dialogue.

Anyhoo, it was pretty fun. I learned about my affinity for anything with two eyes and a brain. The animals were by far my favorite part of the outing. I want every one of them to come live with me. Especially the silkie chickens. Especially them.

Now it just looks like an old woman.

Hello, dear readers! It's Lauren again, here with more stuff.

"What stuff?", you ask. Lauren smiles menacingly and laughs as her eyes roll back in her head
 and the area where she is sitting erupts in flame.

Fear not, slightly crisped readers! I've been on an art binge lately, and I'd just love to show you the stuff I made! First we have the circle owl, also known as a pain to make.

As the flames around you subside, a photo of an owl descends from the sky. Quaint.

Next, the modified version of the picture above.

As you inspect the photograph, it also bursts into flame,
 and a very similair  photograph falls from above. Odd.

Lastly, a completely unrelated image my little brother commissioned from me. It's supposed to be his Terrarria world.

The picture of space in all 3 of these images was from here, and the first picture was from here. I really should make a habit of sourcing my images from now on. Hm.

Pictures!

Hello again, dear readers! Another post, on the same night no less! It's not a particularly large post, but I really wanted to update you on my hair situation.

What's wrong with your hair? Also what's wrong with mine? It's like Donald Trump's toupee, but worse.

Listen and I will tell you, terrible hair man. My mom and I died my hair indigo. It isn't the first time I've died my hair. We used the rest of the dye we had (pink and blue). So I sorta wanted to show you how it looked.

 First, a cartoon representation.

 Next, a painstakingly edited photo, because showing you my hair without showing you my face is rather difficult. And it looks cool too.

I am purple-radiating ghost Lauren! Fear my luscious blue hair!

And next, because it doesn't quite fit in a photo dump seeing as it isn't really a photograph, we have a quaint geometrical landscape. Pretty colors, oh so pretty...

Anyhoo, that was all. G'night.