7-21-07:

Matt is not homeless. And that is my own ukulele, thanks.

7-20-07:

A suprise marching band.

7-6-07:

My favorite local artist, Postmodern Nobody (aka PoMoNoBo or Brandon), has always amazed me by his ability to suceed with every medium. Tonight I heard him sing for the first time and it was fantastic. Hobo cabaret. Tons of excited people dancing around and singing about trashcan punch and mamaw's grave.

Plus I hadn't planned on going. I was just walking by and he spotted me and asked me to come in.

6-27-07:

It has been so long! I would update you on my entire life and how I'm simplifying it and feeling wonderful but that's not what this blog is for (maybe I should make another?). I suppose I'll just tell you about this photograph.

Pictured is my new and dear friend Matt. We met in a rather odd circumstance where we had both been told about the other the day before. And then we continued on to spend the entire day together playing in the fountains and we went to a show the next day and I really just like him a whole lot. If I could force somebody to be my best friend - it would be him. But things don't work out that way, I guess.

4-10-07:

Just a couple of guys who were breakdancing in the street. But you don't really see street-performers around her much anymore.

4-6-07:

Yet another first Friday. This gallery that we visited was better than it had ever been. The man had done watercolors of photographs depicting his life in Knoxville. He clearly rode the bus often and lived in the student housing by our school. He had lots of interesting archtectural elements and projector that slid words all around the room. I enjoyed it very very much.

4-3-07:

Day two of painting the rock! The actual "art" was added and I think it looks decent. It is no Donatello. But it is indeed cheerful and it celebrates diversity as planned. I enjoyed when everyone took off their shoes and people played guitar. It was just a lovely day and a good time to do this.

4-2-07:

Our school has an official giant rock. Anybody may paint it with anything they want upon signing up for the rock. Today the GSA took their first trip outside to paint the rock with images to promote tolerance and celebrate diversity. All we did today was paint the rock white. And Emily and Karen got on top of the rock and painted a giant pink triangle. You see, the top of the rock is the only place where we can place things related to being gay. Since nobody will see it.

4-1-07:

Gracia is gone now. Gooooodbyyeeee, Gracia.

3-31-07:

Science Olympiad state competition day. They won, of course. I got to see old friends including the little kid pictured here. This is not a stunning photograph. But he is painfully cute. He is also very sarcastic and does not wear underwear with his pajamas.

3-30-07:

The next few entries aren't accurate as far as dates go. However, Gracia came in today. Hardly ever see this woman so it was quite pleasurable. We played legos. And ate pizza. And "made memories". Yeeeessss.

3-23-07

And after today it all goes back to how it was. Heres to life being meaningless. And to how beautiful it is.

3-22-07:

I really just can't believe it! Structures like this are just in the middle of streets and locals hardly even notice. Everything here is a sight. Even just the street signs and shop windows. It is all so surreal and unlike anything here. Also. The most beautiful thing that I saw here was an old man in a red toboggan feeding pigeons that I didn't even know were in Italy. He smiled at me. I think it was refreshing to see a local actually stop and appriceate their town. I don't really know how. But it was the most beautiful think that I'd ever seen in my life, actually. It's a shame that you can't see the photograph on here.

3-21-07:

Today is the day that I actually learned to fully appriceate sculpture. Prior to today I couldn't tell you which bust was beautiful and which was okay. Now I do believe that Donatello is my favorite artist.

3-20-07:

There is so much diversity here in nearly everything. But most notably in the people. Americans and Italians are minorities here! Most all walls are covered in graffiti but the languages are of all sorts. I enjoy sitting on the plaza stairs and just watching people walk by.

3-19-07:

We continue to see beautiful art and I continue to be most taken by the city itself. I wish that I was not too lazy to photograph the photos I had developed. There are several beautiful shots that really capture all of the open-air markets we visited today. I really can't explain what this city is making me feel. It is simply wonderful.

3-18-07:

Of course I knew that Italy would be beautiful and of course I knew that I would love it. But I love it even more than I knew possible. It is beautiful. It is full of character. It's an ancient city but it isn't behind velvet ropes. It's as real as can be. Poverty and wealth are juxtaposed on every street corner. The shops in my picture? They're attached to the bridge by sticks. They are filled with the most expensive jewelry for sale.

3-15-07:

I am off to Italy. Have a good week.

3-14-07:

I made new friends with an old friend today. It was quite exceptional.

3-13-07:

Puppet show presentation due tomorrow. Too busy thinking about life. The picture is for my powerpoint. I don't know. Too much work. Too much confusion. I can't wait for spring break. I'm going to Italy. I'll post daily pictures from there when I get back, of course. I may just hold off on any pictures until then. Judging by the last three entries - I'm not much up for this.

3-12-07:

Hahaha.

2-6-07:

So obviously I like walking. But I have been taking very short walks because I'm nervous and I know that my mother probably wouldn't approve of me going out alone. But I have at last gotten brave enough. I walked a long way today. I walked for two hours. I felt good and fresh and I listened to Matty Pop Chart the whole time. I also got a smoothie and looked at tadpoles. I think I'll do this on Mondays and Fridays. Academic team will have to wait. I wish Carrie would stop asking me why I don't just quit academic team. I loove academic team! I just also happen to like other things to and I have to prioritize.

2-6-07:

I reallyreally like both of these people. But for reasons that I am not rude enough to say. However, they are veryvery nice. Especially Andrew in the brown. He may be the nicest person that I know. Today there was a long curling stratgy planning session with games and videos. I played Tac-Tic-Tee. I played a magnetic curling game. And a styrofoam one. It was goood. Except for the chips that I thought were doritos and turned out to be peach flavored. Can you believe that?! Peach!

2-5-07:

Normally I would curl on Sundays. That's why I've never gotten photos - too busy playing! But tonight was my team's night off but I expected to substitute for someone..Didn't happen. So I cheered on games and took photos. I also practiced for about an hour. Ohhhhh the practice. This is the most I've hurt from curling in a long time and I didn't even play. But hopefully I improved my game. I've been curling for years and I did such complex things that I kept falling over!

2-4-07:

What a pretty sky there was! And I hear that later on was an eclipse. I wouldn't know because we were supersuper busy but.. we are fiiiinalllly moved in to our new house. It is lovely but I could not be more sick of moving boxes and climbing stairs and everything. And this is something. So I am putting an end to this. Did you know that I've been alive for 3 presidents and not justs two? I just figured that out.

2-3-07:

First Friday again! There was a neat installation piece that looked like a refugee camp. We all sat under in and discussed art in general for quite a bit. The gravel got in my shoes and I was happy. The sky did beautiful things later on and people were just beautiful as always. My favorite days ever are always First Fridays and Conrad/Miriam Wednesdays. Also. I ate a cupcake slid down a steep wooden slide. At the basement gallery there was a band filling the room with brightly colored balloons. I thought "this is like low budget The Flaming Lips..." as they started playing The Flaming Lips overhead. OH! I talked in my sleep again this morning. My mother set my money on my bookshelf and told me so. I laughed and she asked why it was funny. I said, "Because they're legs!" or maybe I said, "Because it's a leg!". Either way.. she was confused and I got upset that she didn't understand me. I remember this vaguely.

3-1-07:

Look! It's me. And Miriam. Looking disgusted with one another. That has very little to do with today. Today I did a silllly parentorientation. And it rained. I couldn't get home very happily in the storm so I borrowed an inflatable sun from the art room and held it over my head while I walked home. That was really enjoyable.

2-28-07:

The Scholars Bowl episode that I watched our team do months ago was on today. We won. But I knew that we would because we were there. And, yes, I took photographs. And, yes, Meredith is hard to see when she consults with the team. I don't know how she does that. Maybe someday I won't be an alternate.

7-27-07:

I went walking with Annaaa. We got smoothies. Oh. I can not tell you how good the peanut power plus smoothie tastes. But I can tell you that it is veeeery good and leave the rest up to you. I went barefoot. Which I always do, of course. But I hadn't in a while. Now my feet are blistered and bloody. It's funny because I can barely feel it when I'm walking. I am a trooper, I suppose. Also - today I read my clock wrong and thus showed up for school an hour late despite the fact that I live 20 seconds away. I had no idea that I was late until I got into the school. Good job, Madeline. You're a pro.

12-26-07:

Tonight was the Ghost Mice show! And it was as wonderful as expected. They play on small venues with no microphones or amplification. They sing about eating frenchfries in the rain and wanting to be bumblebees. They play violins and playskool pianos. And it draws in a lot of the coolest people that I've ever met. I bought tons and tons of plan-it-x CDs after for less than 30 dollars. Ohhh. And the first man who played was really really the strangest thing that I'd ever heard. He sat on the floor with tons and tons and tons of electronic stuff plugged into an amp. The entire room buzzed and made strange sounds. Then he played this electric/computery guitar thing with a violin bow. He sang into what looked like a desklamp with no bulb and it made him echo. It was just a lot of singing/shouting into that. Very loudly. About trains. Allll about trains and street life. And there was a red clip-on thing clipped to his hat that had three tiny red LEDs on it. Every now and then he turned that on. It was a really really weird experience. Shiloh and I agreee that it was not like being on Earth and felt like we were honestly dying. Noah said that he could handle beat with no melody and melody with no beat. However, he has no tolerance more no beat AND no melody. If you see me - ask me to imitate it for you. Aaaaaanyway.. it was SUCH a good night. I got home reallyreally late. Ghost Mice is how music should be.

2-23-07:

So I'm pretty sure that the sole point of me exisiting today was to be excited about next week. All I did was feed the cats which isn't my usual job. I went to the basement with their food and was kind of impressed with what a huge mess they made. Well done, cats. Mission accomplished. But next week! Sunday is curling and maybe Ian's birthday. And monday is the Ghostmice show. And I want to go on a jog at some point but I know my mother doesn't approve of my going on the biketrail alone. It will be my secret. Just like my superduper lovely project that I started today. It is so lovely that I can't tell you about it. Tomorrow will be nothing but excitement. Like today. Except I'll have to get a ride to the show. But I am a pro at ride-bumming. It is my superpower.

2-22-07:

I took a plastic cow from Conrad yesterday. He is a very nice cow and I played with him all day at school and home. Andrew thought it was lovely and Shiloh thought it was funny. I think something kindof inbetween. Best cow I own.

2-22-07:

As is typical of Wednesdays - I spent the night with Conrad and Miriam. After-school we walked the biketrail to get some eats and then had a picnic of sorts. There was lots of elaborate chewing and food being stuffed into Conrad's mouth by Miriam. I had a muffin. We went to church. We played chutes and ladders. Miriam ate chocolate chips at night and I had snowcream. I am satisfied. As usual.

2-20-07:

I liked that walk a few days ago so much. This morning it felt so lovely and the rain was very light so I walked by the railroad tracks for a good while before beginning school. There was a lot of constructiona as usual and that kindof ruined everything. Men were shouting at each other and I wished that I had music to make them quiet. Still - it made school seem much more pleasing.

2-19-07:


I do not have a good story to tell about today, so I will talk about a month or two ago. It was veryvery cold outside that Wednesday that I stayed with Conrad and Miriam. We bundled up in lots and lots of his old clothes and sat outside by the fire. Conrad's brother was in town and he talked about his volunteer work. Conrad's mother gave me lots of advice about my future and we discussed astrology. That night we drank chaii out of mugs and listened to Madeline Adams sing all night. Of course, neither Miriam nor I wanted to wake up the next morning but it was still the happiest that I can remember being. It was like we were all one big family. Even though we weren't that big and weren't a family. I often wonder if they remember the night as fondly as I do. But I don't ask.

2-18-07:

This is my goodgood friend Dennis. We spent a large portion of time together and he was doubtlessly the best person with me today. He picked me up at 5:30 am and we were together through dinner. He's fairly.. insane. But he's also intelligent and mild-mannered at times. I never get to see him anymore because he goes to a different highschool and I just wish there were more people like him at West. Or anybody like him. Wonderful kid.

2-17-07:

Science Olympiad was my life for three years. The people. The competitions. The atmosphere. I can't think of anything more appealing. Even now that I'm no longer at Bearden Middle School I still love some of the people (all of the people - though I didn't know some of them until today). I went to their regional competition today which is always a sweep. I watched the B team's mission possible device fail unexpectedly. I watched Tor's balloon lauch glider sail for minutes. I watched the kids stress about single questions on tests and the shortest kids I've ever seen eat nearly 10 ice cream cones in a college cafeteria. I remember being the same way. And loving it more than any other moment in the world. Now I get my kicks watching them love the experiences. And bonding with old friends who will soon be watching as highschoolers themselves. And I honestly can't think of a better future for them to look forward to. I took lots of wonderful photos today. But this one - a classic - is really what it's all about. The rush of knocking out the competition with your vast knowledge of tower-building, oceanography, mapping, and aquifers.

2-16-07:

There was no school. However, very little happened because I was forced to pack my room at last and it is clearly very cold outside. I did, however, find some notebook paper and some lost pencils. Worth it? Oh well. No updates for awhile - four updates on Tuesday. I'm out of here.

2-15-07:

After-school I sat indian-style by a tree for about an hour just thinking. There was a mentally retarded kid shouting under a tree and nobody else around. I just thought about him and me and everything for that hour. And then I walked for an hour. I don't usually just.. go. But I did. I can't really explain it. I was just feeling different that ever so I wanted to walk. The biketrail is within feet of the school so I walked and walked and walked. I saw beautiful stray cats that looked like foxes. I watched bugs by the water. I shattered ice on the trail. I saw a man who knew my name but I did not really recognize. It was cold but I had a fur hat on. And the walk definitely satisfied my need. I believe that I will start walking every morning and every after-school.

2-14-07:

Valentines day! I spent the day (and night) with Conrad. We walked the biketrail to the unitarianchurch and were about two hours early. We ate chips, played chutes and ladders (for an hour with great amounts of fun) and then I watched Conrad torture the Barbie doll. That night he dropped a glass bottle on my foot and it hurt. Also - Miriam found some salad dressing that was solid. Obviously - it was probably the best valentines day.. ever.

2-13-07:

For those who are unaware - my school recently formed a GSA (gay-straight alliance). It really did define my day when I remembered that there was a meeting. All day long I had been overwhelmed with how inconsiderate and rude people are. Even the most intelligent people that I know will judge people. Entire classes of mine will alienate somebody because they are new to publicschooling and are socially awkward. People have flaws - and if it's a flaw that is beyond our control (like homosexuality) it should neverever be held against the person. But people do it all of the time without even realizing it. Everybody, that is, except the GSA. Everybody there has overcome their differences and couldn't be more excited about supporting the differences of others. It is the only place in the school where I don't feel completly exasperated by the cruelty of the student body. Football players and gothics come together for one hour every other Tuesday... if just to care and understand.

2-12-07:

I didn't have many options as far as photos go today. My camera charger is on loan and the camera was very close to dying. So I snapped a shot and turned the camera off. Anyway. I am increasingly fond of Ian (the male), Ellis (the bored redhead), and Hannah (the one not matching in a very Madelinesque way). It was a lovely after-school experience all-together today so I suppose this is appropriate. I went for a walk with my friend Justin and came back. Everyone was gone by then but I appriceate them while they're still around. I didn't wear shoes down the biketrail and my feet are lovely and blistery now. Also - Ellis started the knitting club! Hooray - knitting. I never go.. but I should. Like I said - I have no real story for this photo.. because I didn't really plan it.

2-11-07:

Today I really debated over what to do. I could do my speech on patriotism. I could do my science review. Or I could enjoy myself and do the homework later. I decided that today I would meet our hermitcrab. We've had hermitcrabs as long as I can remember. But for several years we just didn't have any. One day I came home and saw a new cage. I don't know why - but I just kindof assumed that the new hermitcrab died. However, I looked in the cage today and, magic!, it was in there. He took a lot of coaxing to come out and everytime I moved he hid. But eventually we made friends. He really needs a name. Ideas?

2-10-07: You may well notice that my blogs are gone. That is because I'm finally doing something that I've always wanted to do. I am taking a photo every single day of my life to represent that day or something like that. Just one. I will be posting all of them here though not daily because we all know that I don't have computer access daily. Anyway..

Today I was left home alone. For honestly the entire day. Early in the morning until late at night. I am very used to this and can have riots of fun all alone. Because I am riots of fun. But today was very lazy and odd. The entire house is out of shape. We are moving, you see. And my dad is always at the other house painting and whatall. So our house has essentially been ignored since new years. The garbage hasn't been taken out. Food hasn't been purchased. Even our family blackboard hasn't been changed. It's starting to get really old and sad around here. I want to move soon.