One of the best days of the year today - the end of daylight savings. Why? Because it has 25 hours in it. Will I take advantage of that? Nah. Bye

People who play piano cannot play Happy Birthday. I don’t know if this is a wide spread problem, but it certainly is within our theatre community. That’s why, whenever it is someones birthday, either someone who learnt piano from their uncle one afternoon will hop on and give it a bash, or the group will sing accapella. But, this problem is soon going to be completely solved. During a break at rehearsal today, just before we sang happy birthday, I was given the chance to actually work out how to play it, and I wrote down the notation onto a piece of paper. And what an arrangement it is - melody line and chords. Both dramatic yet playful. So I took it to the photocopier, blew it up 150%, and we are going to get it laminated and stuck under the keyboard of the piano, within handy reach for all the pianists at the theatre. Sadly, that’s my lifetime contribution to the arts.

I finally had a chance to sit down and watch a movie tonight! I went out with my brother to rent Blade Runner, because I need a copy for school (it is a major text for the HSC), and I found a copy, but my brother wanted to rent an x-box game, and the store that Blade Runner did not rent out games. So we went to another store, which had games, but alas, did not have Blade Runner (and of course, Blade Runner is out of print over here). Anyway, I settled for “State and Main” which is somewhat educationally connected also (because the writer/director is David Mamet, the writer of Speed-The-Plow, one of our HSC Drama texts). And it was wonderful. I couldn’t help but pick up on all the ‘Mametisms’ within the film, but I enjoyed Patti LuPone not trying her hand at an abysmal British accent, ala Sweeney Todd. But I think Sarah Jessica Parker handled the Mamet dialogue with the most ‘truth’, which is something Mamet is very fond of. Times like these I am very grateful for my education, because I can draw out a lot more from a film than a lot of other people can.

That’ll be it, Charlie. Bye

Well, I didn’t go to school today, because I only had one class - business studies, and I don’t think it would have been extremely productive.

Today the first of Ty’s Tanties went out. Let me explain. Our careers adviser has set up a thing where at 3pm every day he sends out a newsletter to everyone’s email addresses about any information he may have come across during the day, and if nothing has arisen, he makes up stuff like ‘i’m going to a careers advisers meeting’. Thrilling stuff. Anyway, yesterday he was around trying to get us all to sign up, and just the way he described it, it sounded very self indulgent. So, king of self indulgence, I decided to set up a parody newsletter, if you will, called “Ty’s Tanties” and sent out an email to my school friends. Suprisingly, some people actually signed up. So when I got my first alert from Babs, I decided to put out my first tantie. Shocking, isn’t it.

Anyway, I should get back to reading this book. Bye

So thats it - all half yearlies are now over! I wasn’t very happy with how I went today in the english composing task. My links back to the module statement could have been better, but I think I linked to the stimulus in a satisfactorily manner.

I am not sure if I am going to school tommorow, because the cross country (running) sports carnival is on, and that starts after third period. That means I only have one class, Business Studies and the rest of the day I would be doing nothing, whereas I could be at home doing something more productive. Sure, I *won’t* do anything more productive, but hey, it’ll be more comfortable. Actually, there is a school book that I must read. It’s actually an english novel that I am quite enjoying - “Brave New World” by Huxley. While reading it, I can’t help but imagine the whole thing as a really facinating film. As Ethan suggested, it would be great with british actors and a french team of director, dir. of photography and production designer.

Okay, the only results I have gotten back so far is 80% for my maths exam, which I am quite happy with, and so is our teacher, suprisingly. Okay, parents want to use the phone. The joys of dialup. Bye

Yay! My exams are over (kind of…)! Well, you see I still have one exam, an extention english composition task due to do on wednesday, but composition tasks are creative writing and require very little study.

Here’s a positive note. At the start of this year, I put up a few sheets of paper which act as a calendar for this term. I’m not onto the third sheet, symbolising the 9th week of term. It’s really great to look back and see all the work I have done this term, and think about how far back each of the assessment tasks that I have done have seemed. For example, the English Oral task seems like months ago, but it was only 1 month ago. So yes. I could go through and give you a blow by blow description of each and every exam I have had and all the preparation, and as thrilling as that would be for you all, I think i’ll restrain myself.

For my troubles, I have tomorrow off school (still another day of official exams on, but I just don’t have any), thus I think I will try to work a little on my major work, clean up this shmelly room and probably potter. Oh, how I miss pottering. It’s one of my favourite past times. I can potter from room to room with ease, never actually seeming an outcast, but never exhibiting any sense of direction or purpose. I excel at pottering. Bye