Top Ten Things I Learned In Shakespeare

1.)    Shakespeare is understandable

-          I now don’t cringe at the thought of having to read what Shakespeare has been writing. This class has given me a better understanding of how to interpret his language.

2.)    Jacob has a really good girl voice

-          Although I can’t remember what play we were reading when Jacob spoke like a girl, I can remember that it was really good. Never have a I heard such a high pitched, squeaky girl voice like that before come from a guy, except for Garrett’s, but his was a bit deeper.

3.)    Shakespeare was a pervert

-          No explanation needed.

4.)    Recitations can be fun

-          Recitations can be fun as long as costumes from the 80’s and Justin Beiber are involved. The fear of speaking a language from the 16^th century is still there, but it’s a little less nerve wracking with a friend (Lindi) and props so the attention is not directed only upon you.

5.)    Cooking

-          I learned that no matter how hard I try, I still have no cooking ability. My semester project has only made me more aware that I will probably never get married because I don’t have any skill in the kitchen.

6.)    Blogging is a challenge

-          There was one time this semester when I achieved a 50/50 on a blog, and that was probably one of the best days ever.

7.)    Sojin Josephson is an over achiever

-          No explanation needed.

8.)    Dance Parties

-          Dance parties are awesome, because that is the only class we have ever done a dance party in. However, it would be more fun if everyone participated.

9.)    Comedies are way better than tragedies

-          MSND was such a good play because there was a lot of laughing and tricks. Unlike Othello and Hamlet which were both not that funny and were also kind of creepy.

     10.) English can be fun
                  -    My least favorite school topic, English, turned out being one of my favorite classes and it will
                       be greatly missed next semester.

Top 10 list for Christmas

1.) A Car- I think that I need a new car because my dad takes mine and I have to drive my sisters. It sucks. So if I had a car of my own, I wouldn't have to drive my sisters car and all would be good.
2.) Sweaters- I really like sweaters. If I had more sweaters, it would add to my sweater collection and make
for a great sweater season.
3.) Perfume from Victoria's Secret- It smells really good, there are like 8 different scents in one bottle.
4.) Gift Cards for Pants- I'm pretty sure that all my pants shrink in the washer and it really bothers  me when my pants don't touch the ground.
5.) Shoes- More shoes for my collection.
6.) Sex & The City Season 6- With the final season, I will have the complete collection of the greatest show
ever.
7.) Camera- I would like a camera because I only have pictures that my friends take. My parents have a camera, but they never let me use it. A camera of my own would be nice.
8.) A new cell phone- Blackberry's are stupid, meaning that I need a less stupid phone.
9.) A North Face Jacket- I need a jacket that is light and can be used when it is not cold enough for a
Letterman's jacket.
10.) An I-Pad- Those things are so cool! My uncle has one and he let me use it and I was instantly hooked.
I really want one.

To Be, Or Not To Be.

     To live, or to die? That is the question. Is it more noble to let my mind suffer from the misfortunes being thrown at me? Or to take action and do something about them, to make them stop. Death compared with sleep. If i don't sleep anymore and just die, all my pain and suffering will end. This might be a good option for me, to end all my pain. But to sleep there is a chance of dreaming, there is the catch. For when your dead you don't dream. When you die respect is given for those whose life has been lost. All the hardships in life that make life seem so long. Who can handle the whips and scorns of time. The wrongs made by oppressors, the proud mans humiliation, the laws delay. The arrogant officials, the scorn that those who are unworthy that take credit for their patient praise. When he who is quiet makes way with an unsheathed dagger? Who would these burdens bare, under a tiresome life. But the horrible thing about after death is the unknown area where once you go, you never come back. This area makes us live with the problems we have rather than to give us others we haven't had before. Being alive make us all cowards and the complexion of one resolved action of those with a pale thought and enterprise with great moment and insides of flowers. Because of consideration things go wrong and lose all plans of action.

Thanksgiving Break 2011

     Over Thanksgiving break I had many different experiences. I experienced Black Friday for the first time, went Christmas tree hunting, and almost began to hate hot tubs. For Thanksgiving dinner, we went over to the McCullough’s house, which was awesome since they always have really good food. I got a call from a friend and they informed me that they were going to go Black Friday shopping and wanted to know if I wanted to go. Obviously I was all for that because I love shopping, and I had never experienced Black Friday before. I spent the next hour trying to convince my mom to let me go. I had to ruin all the plans I had for the next day to build, breakdown, and preview a movie that wasn’t even that good. It also didn’t help that there were people there who were telling her not to let me go. Once I convinced her, I got out of there as fast as I could before she could change her mind. Never before have I seen so many people in Wal-Mart at one time. There were lines all over the place. It was a good thing that we were all wearing the same jacket or I definitely would have gotten lost. The main thing we went there to get was a game, and since the group was so impatient we left and went to Target which didn’t open for another 2 hours and there was already a line forever long. They then proceeded to complain that they were really hungry, so we went to I-Hop. At that time, the smell of food made me nauseous, so I spent a majority of the time outside walking around in a circle and kicking a stick. I don’t recommend doing that because the people who saw me probably thought I was crazy; I received some of the weirdest looks. By the time I get back inside, they tell me that they pawned me off with a group of girls who were sitting behind us. I was kind of offended. We went back to Wal-Mart and then waited in the wrong line for a game that was full price, not even on sale. The next destination was the mall. The line there was so long, and I’m pretty sure that there was a fight about to break loose. I ended up going home with my mom, because she didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to go home with a bunch of guys at 1 in the morning. I had to spend the next hour and a half with her and my sister, I was about ready to freak out, they were driving me CRAZY! We got home at 2:30 in the morning, and as much as I wanted to sleep in, I definitely didn't get to.
     The next day I literally woke up and went to the movie theater to hold up my part of the deal. I was somewhat terrified about being in there alone because a friend once told me that there is a little Chinese boy that haunts it, and I totally believe him. Eventually my mom showed up and she helped me, but then I had to be there for a free movie, and to preview the next movie since I have a history of ruining the movies when I build them.  And as it turns out I did ruin it. I put two different types of film together, which only caused problems for my mother. Later that night I went hot tubing, it was a pretty good time. So then the next night I went hot tubing again. It didn’t end so well that time. Somehow I ended up on their bathroom floor, because I passed out. I had Lindi take me home and I don't really remember how we got to town so fast, because Lindi claims that she was driving the speed limit.
     On Sunday I spent the morning with my class, Christmas tree hunting. That was way more fun than I thought it would be. I didn’t really do much though because I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t trust me with a chainsaw, and I’m not exactly strong enough to drag a tree by myself. I left early with my dad and brother because I had homework to do, but I brought home the wrong book, so that homework didn't actually happen. I never found out how the rest of Christmas tree hunting went, although I did hear that there was a snowball fight that I gladly missed out on. These three events made this Thanksgiving break an okay one. Things could have gone better, but then again they could have been worse.            

Worst Winter Ever.

My junior year of high school was probably the worst year yet. Things were going good for a while until snow started to fall. It was all downhill from there. In exactly one season I had massive car issues, almost didn’t get a date to prom, and wanted to drop out of school to work at Costco. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was on my way home from Kristyns house after losing for the first time in Monopoly and it was super dark and the roads were really icy. I got to my turnoff and I was going about 5 miles per hour, and I hit a patch of ice and I slid right into the guardrail. I broke a light on my car and to make it worse Chace Walker saw the whole thing.

A few months later a few friends and I were going to go prom dress shopping. I was leaving Brooke’s house to go home and get ready, and everything was going just great, we were right on schedule. I leave my house and head to town and all of the sudden my check engine light comes on and my car starts shaking. I call my dad and he tells me to come home so I do and he looks at my car and says “Your car is out of oil”. We then argued about the light that is supposed to come on when you need to check your oil and how my car doesn’t have one. I didn’t know I was supposed to check my oil every month or so. No one told me that. I later convinced my dad to let me take his truck to Billings and he caved, but while in Billings someone hit his truck and I had no idea. He called me the next day and said when he got to Bozeman his tail light was out, like literally hanging out of the truck.

Around the same time I was asked to prom, and I said no. I have said no to people before and someone else still asked me, but that year’s prom was sketch. I almost didn’t go. I had a dress ordered and everything. I was fully prepared to send it back the day after I got it. I’m pretty sure that my friends had to force the guy who asked me to ask me. Then he kept giving me these rules I had to follow or else he wouldn’t go with me. The rules consisted of no talking, let him do whatever he wants, he makes all the decisions, and I couldn’t really be there at all. It was so stressful!

Not only was I dealing with extreme car troubles and an almost non-existent prom, I was also dealing with school work. The two worst classes I have ever taken are Frontier Literature and A.P. Statistics. The problem about Frontier Lit. was that I didn’t care about stupid cowboys or Indians. And for some reason that’s all the class was about. Ms. Nathe said she would try to get us out of the class room once every week. We went on a field trip one time. The only good thing that came from that class was crazy bean. Stats. was a fun class, basically because all we talked about was birth control. But there were bad parts to it also. For instance, on one of the probability quizzes I got an 18 percent without the curve, but with the curve I got a 36 percent. That did not treat my grade well. The A.P. test rolled around and it turns out the whole thing was probability! I had no idea what I was doing at all on the test. I didn’t even test out either. I spent the whole year learning statistics and I didn’t even pass the stupid test.

After all of these events happened I was ready to drop out of school and work at Costco. My dad worked at Costco once and from what I heard they had great benefits. I went home and told my mom about my genius plan to work at Costco and she told me that they probably wouldn’t hire a high school drop-out. Right then and there she crushed my hopes and dreams. Now I need a back-up plan for my back-up plan.   

Halloween Horros

     I hate Halloween. This specific holiday is probably my second least favorite, after Valentines Day of course for obvious reasons. Sometimes I think that people purposely try to scare me because they know I will freak out. Every single Halloween has been somewhat disappointing or extremely frightful. I have tons of Halloween horror stories but just one that really takes the cake.
     I remember this occasion like it was yesterday. I was in the eighth grade and we had no plans for night activities. I figured we would go trick-or-treating or steal candy from little kids. Instead the group decides to watch scary movies at Rubys house. I despise scary movies, they actually make me physically sick, and I start shaking. But, I refused to go spend Halloween alone at home with my parents. I didn’t want to feel like a loser.
     We arrive at Rubys and just hang out in her kitchen eating candy and drinking pop and choosing movies. I obviously would much rather watch a happy movie than a scary movie, so I suggest a movie and they shut me down saying, “It’s Halloween! We have to watch a scary movie!” After they yelled at me I stopped talking, it was clear that my opinion did not matter in this situation.

     Eventually they agree on one of the Saw movies. I was TERRIFIED! For some reason I see these serial killer movies and then just automatically assume that it is going to happen to me. I was actually sitting in her living room facing the opposite wall of the television playing games on my cell phone. I can still hear the screams and picture the scenes of people being brutally tortured in my mind.

     Rubys sister, Rachel, decided to play a cruel joke on us. She just so happened to have a Saw mask, so she put it on and slammed on the window. I’m pretty sure we all screamed. It was not a funny joke.

     Awhile later, Lindi, Kristyn, and I leave to go to one of their older friends houses. As we are walking along I kept looking behind me, terrified that some crazy guy on a tricycle was going to abduct me and make me play a horrible game until I die. They then get the bright idea to go to the scary house in town for some candy. These people go all out. I mean there are dummies hanging in the trees, fog machines, weird noises, and screams of innocent children along with people who look like dummies, but are actually real. I decide to stay behind because after hearing parts of Saw I was too scared. I wait by the house owner’s car on the sidewalk and Lindi and Kristyn walk up and we start talking. All of the sudden a chain saw starts. I turn around and there is a guy with a mask and a chainsaw directly behind me.

      We all scream bloody murder and book it to our next destination. About a block later we start walking, we are laughing thinking “Wow that was scary.” Next thing we know the chainsaw starts again and the guy starts chasing us! We scream AGAIN and run all the way to the house we were going to.

       Once we arrived at their friend’s house we told them the story. They laughed at us. It is pretty safe to say that was the worst Halloween of my life. Now every time someone wants to watch a scary movie I go into another room, even if it is in my own house. Sometimes it can be pretty awkward. Halloweens like this are the exact reason why I hate this holiday.  

Theater Experience

               “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to this year’s tryout for The Princess and the Frog! Today you will go through an extensive tryout process that is both physically and mentally demanding” said the play director. I assumed he was the one in charge, mainly because he was the one doing all the talking. As he went on he talked about how we would have to introduce ourselves the way actors and actresses did with feeling and emotion.

                “Okay” said the director, “Now I want you guys to line up around the gym according to your size. Then I will give you the next set of directions” The gym became insanely crazy. There were people everywhere, it was like we were playing bumper cars, but without the cars, and they just got to watch us run into each other. I think it was a plot for their own personal amusement.

We finally got situated after a little bit of help from the director and his minions. I personally don’t see why they don’t just line you up in alphabetical order, it’s a way faster and easier process than having children ages six through thirteen running around in a tiny area. 

“Now we will have you introduce yourselves, be sure to include you grade and age. The first time around we will have you introduce yourselves with an insane amount of enthusiasm.” And with that the tryout procedure began, starting with the little kindergartners all the way up to the big bad eighth graders. My turn rolled around and I tried my hardest to impress them so I could be in the play. “My name is Shelby Arant” I said with enormous amounts of excitement “I’m in the eighth grade and I am 13 years old!” I figured yelling it with a smile would do the trick. I was feeling pretty confident with myself. For the next part of the tryout we had to go around saying which part we wanted in the play if we knew. Most of the people knew, but there were a few that didn’t.

“Thank you students. That is the end of the tryout procedure. Give us just a few minutes to make our decisions and we will let you know.” Most of the students were feeling pretty confident with their tryout; it wasn’t often that someone got rejected from the Missoula Children’s Theater plays program. The director and his minions came out once again and had us all sit in the middle of the gym. They then began to call out the names of the students who made the play. “Thank you to all who tried out” said the director.

As it turns out my name wasn’t chosen. Of course I was humiliated because I was trying out to be a stage hand. I mean who doesn’t get chosen to be a stage hand! I am sure they could have used all the help they could get with scenes, and keeping control of the little children. That was the first and last time I ever called my mother after school and told her I was going to try out for a Missoula Children’s Theater play. I always thought it would be fun to participate in one, but I never got the chance. So I guess I just have to assume that it sucks and is a horrible time to make myself feel better. The theater has been forever ruined for me and that’s all thanks to the Missoula Children’s Theater.