Mersopolis

I made this myself, based on my trio scene from Shakespeare:

"10. In a poll of 720 likely voters, 358 indicate they plan to vote for Candidate A."

- The math book I use to prop up my laptop so the fan can be blown on by my desktop fan.

I'm back from Shakespeare!

We did awesome! Our ensemble (Mad Max-inspired Henry V, traitor scene: Act II, Scene 2) got first place! I got to use the biggest drum. I'm proud to know that I contributed greatly. Our girl who played Henry (Yes, a girl) got a named award/scholarship for her performance. 
Although neither of our duo/trio scenes got an award (including the one I was in: Titus Andronicus, the nurse gets shanked scene: Act IV, Scene 2), two of our three monologues tied for second place!
We had an improv team and, although we didn't get any awards as a whole, one member got a named award that lets him take free classes for
off-the-cuff" comedy for life! I don't know exactly what he did to get it, but it involved Voldemort and looking at him in a different way. I probably could've been a part of the improv team, although I don't remember why I wasn't. He and our female Henry V got the only named awards in our division.
We had a dance team, consisting of one guy and five girls, that was absolutely adorable with their performance inspired one of the Sonnets (91, I think), but didn't get any awards.
There was a tech olympics, but none of our techies got an award. I don't even know what happens in the tech olympics, but I do know that awards are given based on best times for something.
There was a music competition, and for it we had one girl play a song on a cello. I don't know what it was inspired by, but she didn't win any awards.

Our ensemble was so good that it was showcased to a larger crowd before the awards ceremony! Overall, we got third place in our division!

We'll be finding out over next week exactly how we were judged, including scores.

Other notable things: We saw a production of Dracula after we arrived in Cedar City on Thursday night. It was GUD! The special effects were especially nice!
The bookstore on campus at the university hosting the event had a very large supply of replica melee weapons for sale. Most of them were sold. I wanted one, but didn't have the money to get one, even though I had only spent a total of ~$11 the entire trip.
Days before we were to leave, we had some trouble with organizing transportation by bus. We originally planned to get a charter bus. Nearly everyone had paid their share of the fees when we were offered a bus by the school district for much less than what we planned on paying for the charter bus. With the ~$3,000 that was now available, we decided to have a pizza party on the way home on Saturday.
One of the people I was roommates with for the trip was acting particularly odd late at night on Friday. He tried to order something at a convenience store drive-through while on foot, and later went in and tried to buy tobacco (He's 17 and the legal age is 19). I think it had something to do with the medication he was supposed to be taking. 

Overall, this was a great experience and I'm glad I went.

TL;DR: Shakespeare! Big group scene wins 1st place! 3rd place overall in division! My trio scene didn't place... The bookstore sold weapons to teenagers! Pizza!

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My grandpa surprised us with a visit tonight. The living one, not the one that died recently. He'll be staying for almost a month.
It's a shame he arrived now. He was just barely too late to see the Shakespeare Showcase (we all did wonderful), and then I'll be gone to Cedar City tomorrow, so I won't be able to spend time with him.
But, it's still nice to have him visiting.

But, WE LEAVE FOR SHAKESPEARE COMPETITIONS TOMORROW!

Tomorrow, we in the Shakespeare company will showcase our work. The day after, we leave for the competitions. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

In Shadow of Mordor, am I supposed to end up fighting 3-5 captains every time I engage just 1?

That art reminds me of an old cartoonnetwork.com Dexter game.

Just got finished with Homecoming. I officially count that as my first date (The only other thing that could be considered was us meeting up at a star wars movie night at the school, on Thursday.)

I hate to admit that she had to drive, since I have done nothing to even get my permit. Although, to make things less damaging to my gentlemanly pride, when she first arrived, my parents welcomed her in and told her that I was upstairs getting ready, when, in reality, I had gone out back and made my way to the front door, to knock and properly be introduced. We arrived when it started at 8:00. We had fun. The gym was impressively decorated. The tables had pineapples surrounded by frooties as centerpieces (we spent some time with another couple making towers and pictures.) We waltzed, cha-cha'd, and afterwards simply danced and mingled. Afterwards, at about 9:30, we went back to my house for ice cream (we dined at a table cutely set up to look fancy). We would have stayed at the dance longer, but she had to be back at her house by 10:00, which was even more of a shame, since we were hoping, but never got, to see our friend (the one who I first asked out). She told my date that she was going to be wearing some pink Barbie-like high heels and a white dress. After the ice cream, I showed her my For River music box. Then I escorted her to her car and she left. Throughout it all, I made sure to be a gentleman and a proper escort.

I'm happy. I'll post pictures later. Time for some Shadow of Mordor.

Homecoming is TOMORROW NIGHT!

Date: Check.
Tickets: Check.
Transportation: Check.
Corsage: Check.
Suit: I'm leaving now to get one.

Shadow of Mordor get!

My school finally blocked this site. I don't know why they didn't do it sooner.

WELL THEN!

I asked her out. I decided to save the flowers for the actual date night and get her a bag of gumballs instead. She loved the poster. Everybody who saw it loved it.

HOWEVER, someone asked her out first, so she denied my invitation saying that she would have accepted it if she hadn't already been asked out. HOWEVER, she promised to ask me out for the next dance: Masquerade, a girls' choice dance (She was counting on going with me to this one, anyway), and paired me up with another one of our friends, whom I also had my eye on, for Homecoming. Girl1 went with me to ask her, and even helped me make the same invitation to her. She said yes, thankfully. (Although, she didn't take the poster.) We had classes to get to, so we weren't able to discuss details. That'll be tomorrow.

I'm still happy and feeling good.

Tomorrow I will formally invite her to homecoming, which is this Saturday.

Some time after this happened, one of our friends (who happens to be the girl I kissed for Much Ado About Nothing, last year) heard about it and got excited. She wanted to help me do things well, and even offered to drive us to the actual event.

She gave me this idea for asking her out:
Get her a Baymax (from Big Hero 6)-shaped balloon. They were out together one day and saw one. She really wanted one, and brought it up a few times even after that day.
Get her blue flowers. Blue is her favorite color.
The verbal invitation, a mix of revised Baymax quotes: "Hello. I am Devon, you potential homecoming companion. On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that you would go with me to homecoming? Are you satisfied with your invitation?"

I got the balloon, and had the idea of drawing a tux on it, but when I was about 2/3 of the way done, it popped. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have used a sharpie. But, no matter. I was able to finish the tux, repair it with packing tape, and re-inflate it with a bicycle pump. It may not float, but I can get around that by attaching it to a poster with the verbal invitation written on it. Even if it still had helium, it wouldn't float, so floating won't be expected.
I don't yet have the poster or flowers, but those will be taken care of for me by my dear sweet mother.
Along with all of those things, I decided to get her a small bag of blue gumballs. Food is always nice.

I'm feeling good about this. 

I just went out to check out some suits for homecoming. I don't have any pictures, but dang, I look fine in suits.

Mermaid Sushi Chaos.

Sounds like a fish campfire - or perhaps, camp bubble chest - story.

Too much story? Not a big deal. Too much interrupted gameplay, or simply not enough gameplay? That's what gets to me, most of the time.

Today was my grandfather's funeral. I was a pallbearer with my dad, uncles, and cousin. Throughout a lot of it, I was like this: "Sadness detected. Tear duct integrity compromising. Divert auxiliary power to emotion suppression!"
Before and after, I got to talk to many of the relatives that came. That was okay, at least.

Also, I was emailed the cast list for Music Man. I made it as Charlie Cowell, the guy who tries to expose the title character as a fraud. Also, a townsperson.

Gramps died on Tuesday as we were travelling home from California. We're going back on Monday to attend the funeral.

Auditions for Music Man are at my school tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, but with sadness look back at all the work I have to do for other things.

I'm back in Utah for now. Gramps didn't die on us yet, but when he does, we'll be returning to California for the funeral.

The family decided that we will go visit him in California on Saturday. Won't be back until Tuesday, but I will have a laptop with me.

Just received word that my grandpa on my dad's side is on his way out. He's being put in hospice care.

It's not really surprising. Just the past year he's had strokes, double pneumonia, and now a kidney failure.

​I don't agree, but I don't want to start a fight. I'd rather prove that I have control over myself, but if you wouldn't, then I won't force you.

We have morals and standards. Doing the do will only happen if we are married to each other. The minimum time until then is about 5 years.

Also, the Shakespeare Team list was posted. I'm in the ensemble (Act 2, scene 2 of Henry V: https://youtu.be/bM3GNdtArv8?t=1199 ) as a member of the war council. I'm also in a small scene from Titus Andronicus (Act 4, Scene 2) as Demetrius: A crazy, evil guy that stabs people.