-- seventeen.

mood: Mellowed out.
listening to: Nothing.
reading: Nothing
watching: The time, and The Patriot.
playing: Nothing
eating: Nothing, but I'm hungry.
drinking: I really, really, really, really, really want a Monster.

- - - - - >

For those that have been blatantly unaware, Chris and I have been at our father's house in Oklahoma since late Friday night.
I decided it's time I update.

MARCH 13

School was literally a blow-off day.
We didn't do any work (save for Chris's and my Japanese final exams that finally came into our counselor's mailbox), and most of the day felt like the perfect technique to waste time in my life.
More than half the things that happened aren't worth explaining.

After school, we immediately drove three or four hours to meet my Father. Then we drove four or five more hours with him to his house. We arrived home late at night and went to bed.

MARCH 14

Father had to work, but my stepmother has the weekends off, so she stayed home with Chris, our baby brother, and me.

Since my father's internet connection is superior to my mother's satellite, and I can actually watch videos here without causing a problem, I spent most of the time watching stuff on youtube (material on September 11th, Zeitgeist 9/11, The Grudge 3 trailers, both endings of The Grudge 2, Captain Disillusion, Jeff Dunham).

After Father got home, we waited for my grandmother to arrive. When she did, we did a little late celebration for Chris's birthday. We had chicken for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert. C: Yum.

I also got to webcam with my Kitsune.
Even now, still, I can't describe how happy I was to see him, or... what happened to my heart when I saw my pretty boy... and he is indeed still so, so, so, so pretty.

*chuckles slyly* And then I got on later that evening...

(Can you say, "Censored for your protection?")

MARCH 15

I webcammed with Tyler some more before he and the family went out shopping. :]

When Father got home, he took Chris and me shooting. He brought two of his rifles and Chris brought his own.
Because I'm extremely clumsy, prone to accidents and injury, and I nearly shot a guy's foot off last time due to lack of trigger safety, Father insisted I stick to using his 22 Rimfire. I couldn't have agreed more, after hearing how loud Chris's and his guns were—and seeing how violent their kicks were when they were fired.
I got three bull's eyes on my first round.
I don't shoot for a living. I don't even practice.
Kick. Ass.

MARCH 16

It was a good day, and then... not so much.

MARCH 17

So, this was yesterday.

Father had the day off, so he decided that we would go out and do a few things together—just him, Chris, and me, the way it used to be (the way I like it, admittedly).

We went to Braum's for lunch, like we always do at least once each time we visit. Chris got a chicken sandwich and I got chicken fingers.
Father wondered if we ever put any variety into our food choices. xD
While we ate, the three of us chatted away, had in-depth and meaningful conversations—probably the most intelligent conversations I've had in a long, long, long time. We even caught up a little bit, learned some new things about each other. (I don't know what Chris is doing staring at my female friends' asses when I'm not looking, but I'll be having a stern talk with him about that later, the disrespectful twit...)

Then, Chris and I got ice cream: strawberry for him, chocolate for me.

Me: Ew, you're getting strawberry?
Chris: Yeah. What's wrong with strawberry?
Me: Strawberry is nasty, dude.
Chris: It is not! D: Strawberry is good.
Me: It's disgusting, bro, honestly.
Chris: You've never even tried it.
Me: I have so.
Chris: When?
Me: In elementary school, then again twice in middle school, then again in freshman year.
Chris: ... Try it again.
Me: xD Yeah, no.
Chris: You like strawberry milk!
Me: No, I don't.
Chris: DDD8
Me: I don't like strawberry ice cream. I don't like strawberry milk. Hell, bro, I don't even like strawberries.
Chris: ... There's something wrong with you.
Me: No, I'm just better suited with chocolate.
Chris: Well... chocolate looks like crap. |3
Me: Very nice, very nice. You stay up all night thinking of that one, Mister Originality?
Chris: I got to bed around two.

Afterward, we went to Wal-Mart to do some grocery shopping.
I, however, went looking in the music section, just to see if I'd find anything interesting.
I got a CD from a new band called Thriving Ivory, and after giving it some time, I love it.

Review time:
• The vocalist, Clayton Stroope, could use a bit of work. I don't think he's a horrible singer, but... there are some parts where his singing isn't that great, either. When I first listened to the CD, I thought he sounded as though he were trying to imitate Jag from A Skylit Drive. I found that it just takes some getting used to, though, and now I'm perfectly okay with his voice. :]
• The lyrics... are better than anything I could've come up with, ever. They flow together easily with the music, and they're sweet and inspiring.
• The music itself is just amazing. It all fits perfectly with the lyrics, and some of it has even made me cry because it's so touching. (Then again, I'm a little sensitive.)
• I've found that there's imagery in their songs. It's like... the band uses their lyrics to conjure up half of that imagery, and then they use their music to complete the rest, and then they blend it all together so it turns into something pretty and soothing. (In fact, I think the music blocks out Clayton's voice most of the time.)

The only two songs I don't like are "Overrated" and "Light Up Mississippi". That's it.
My father even likes them, and he's super judgmental when it comes to music.

Later on, my family took to teasing me as we ate dinner.

Father: ... I'm afraid you're going to starve to death before you ever get to finish eating, with those damn braces in your mouth.
Me: I know, right?
Shannon: Honey, she'll be fine. Just takes some getting used to. Trust me.
Father: Well, just be sure you brush really good afterward, okay?
Me: No, I'm going to rebel against you so that I can suffer cavities and bad breath and discoloration.
Father: ... < <
Shannon: She's joking, honey. x3
Father: Yeeeah.
Shannon: The two things you probably won't be able to eat the whole time you have braces are corn on the cob and whole apples.
Me: ... Great. I fucking love apples and now I can't eat them.
Shannon: You can, if you cut them into pieces.
Me: That's no fun, though...
Father: Applesauce!
Chris: *tries to stifle laughter*
Me: Yeah, no. Applesauce is disgusting.
Father: Oh really?
Me: Yeah. Y'know, I don't see the point of applesauce. You've got the whole apple, so why make it into a sauce, honestly?
Chris: ... Maybe for people who have braces LOL.
Me: ...
Father: *takes to laughing his ass off*
Shannon: *stifles giggles* Walked right into that one, Shelby...
Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hate you all and whatnot.

WHY ME?
Ugh... Stupid scrap metal...

MARCH 18

The parentals are at work, so I'm using this time to update. Sitting here with Chris, watching The Patriot. Texting Tyler and waiting for him to come home.

Not much going on.