Why my Dad is the Best

I love my dad. He's the best, like literally I don't think I could wish for a better dad. But anyway a few years he gave me a banjo for christmas which was originally my grandpa's(who died before I was born) and at that point I don't think I was really ready to learn a new instrument I was in the midst of learning piano and french horn at the time and that was enough for me.

But now, I really do want to learn how to play it, and so last night I sent him this text:
(which I'm amazed he can text on his iPhone since he has such big fingers)

Me: I played my first chord on the banjo tonight!

And then this is how the conversation unfolded.

Dad: Did you have a toothpick in your mouth? Just to make your dad proud?

Me: haha nope sorry. I don't have any here anyway.

Dad: A banjo always sounds better when you have one! Do you like it better than the guitar?

Me: I'm not sure yet. I have to re-callus my fingers before I decide. (because man did it hurt to play again)

Dad: Well I hope you have fun getting them!

Me: haha oh yeah always a blast!

Dad: I'll love to hear you on next break! Earl Scruggs look out.

Me: Oh yes. I'll be out pickin' him in no time! Although my hands are to small to play some of the chords.

Dad: No way, that neck isn't that big.

Me: Well no, but you need to use 1 finger for 2 strings and then two other fingers and it stretches over 5 frets so it's kind of hard.

Dad: I have full confidence you will get it!

Me: Oh definitel. But in the mean time you should find a nice cello for me to learn! =]

Dad: One thing at a time. When you can keep with Early I'll look for a cello.

Me: It's a deal.

Dad: Love ya sweetie! Now get back to homework. :)

Me: I don't have any! I did all my reading already and that's the only thing I had to do.

Dad: I guess you'll have to settle on practicing those chords.

End conversation.

That's why I love my dad. Some of the things he says just makes me laugh and brightens my day(or night) a little bit. =]

I'll be holding him to that promise. I will never be like Earl Scruggs(because really, who could beat him?) So hopefully one day I will be able to learn the Cello.

I mean for real, do you hear that?! I'm aiming for even half as good as that!




p.s This is a record posting month for me 20! posts! That's crazy. I guess I was just in the writing spirit this month!

Day 04

Day 04- A picture of your night.

Well even though it's 2:50 in the afternoon I can tell you this is what my night will consist of.

Day 03

Castle

Day 03- A picture of the cast of your favorite show.

I have a lot of favorite shows, but I think this one is my favorite.

Day 02

Day 02- A picture of you and the person you've been closest with the longest.

This is my best friend Jake, and although we grew apart a little in high school he's still been my best friend since pre-k.

I think this picture kind of describes us a little and how we act together.

Musical Friday

I've decided that if I meet a guy that has a really nice bass voice or can play the cello I'm pretty much sold.
A good example in this song is at about :49 seconds. =]

Another something new

I'm doing a 30 day photo challenege I found it on facebook and you can find it here.





1. My favorite color is green
2. My passion is Music and photography.
3. The Sound of Music is my favorite movie, after that it's Stick It.
4. I'm super shy, I usually won't intiate a conversation with someone
5. I'm super frugal, I don't spend money on much other than gas.
6. My family is awesome, I'm really close to them.
7. I have good friends but I don't need a lot of friends to be happy.
8. I listen to every genre of music besides rap.
9. I'm messy, but keep it contained. I know where to find everything in my mess
10. I have multiple instruments I'd really like to learn before I die.

Moving Forward

The title of this years drumline show is Moving Forward, from what I saw of it over break I think it'll be a pretty good show. And I think it's a good title, I'm not sure how they came up with the title, but it's true after graduating 27 seniors last year they definitely had to move forward and try to recruit(?) a lot of people this year. And giving credit where credit is due they've done a good job of doing so.

Biggest Pet Peeves.

Good Lord. People apparently don't have many manner's up here, since I've gotten here back in August some of my biggest pet peeve's have come to surface because of what people have done here.
A few of these pet peeves are:

-Using my stuff without asking(common courtesy right?...apparently not)
-Invading my personal space. (seriously, I hate when people stand super close to me)
-Asking me to do you a favor ALL THE TIME, I have no problem helping you out once in a while, but asking me to get something for you all the time does.not.fly.
-Thinking you're always right. -Come on people, no one is ever always right. Get over yourself!
-Thinking you're smarter than me because you can do something I can't. -I know you think you're hot shit because you came in with credit because you did PSEO or some other high school program that gave you credit, just because I didn't doesn't mean I'm not smart.
-Telling me when it's "bedtime"- okay this just applies for my roommate, but excuse me? I think I'm 18 and can decide when I go to bed thank you, and I know it's really just to tell me she's going to bed, but for real it gets old.
-Blaming me for something you did-just don't do it.
-Speaking correct English, and grammatically correct sentences.


Song of the Day- The Man Who Can't Be Moved- The Script

Drumline

Drumline is my love. I love to take pictures of RVPT's practices, and I really wish I could've been in it for longer or had the money to make the 3 hour trek every weekend to be in Brass now. I loved drumline so much when I was in it.

A few more pictures to come.

Season 2010-2011

Musical Tuesday

Now that I've figured out how to add video's I have a few that I am absolutely loving right now.

Michael Buble-Lost

I hate that youtube has taken off the embedding on the offical music video, so it's just pictures.

Rodney Atkins-Invisibly Shaken


Something Corporate-Konstantine

This has been my favorite song for so long. I fell in love with this band in about7th or 8th grade, and then didn't really listen to them for a while and then Junior year I found them again, and this song quickly became my favorite. I'ts like my 9 minutes to get lost in the song. I'm not a fan of LIVE songs on Youtube, but seeing it live is one of the coolest experiences ever.

Music has this affect on me, something about it just allows me to get lost in it.

The Dead of Night

I love staying up late. Anyone who knows me knows that, I'm such a night owl and so NOT a morning person, usually on the weekends I sleep in until anywhere from 10-noon. It just all depends. Last night, as my roommate was sleeping I was out on the floor talking with friends but then 11:30-midnight rolled around and they went to bed, so in turn I got on my computer and was up for another hour until 1. I love the night. It's just so peaceful when you're the only one up and the room is quiet. It's my time to just be alone, sure I'm not really alone but it seems like it. During the day I love hanging out with my friends from the floor, but at night when I'm in my room, not quite ready for bed and I'm just on my computer it's my favorite time of the day.



I guess I just wrote this because later on in life, I just want to know what went through my head when I was 18.



Also another song that I really am into right now is this one:



perhaps one of my favorite routines done this season/possibly ever. I really love the song, and the full version is here:

Something New

I've decided I'm going to try something new. I'm really into music as probably anyone knows, so I've decided to let you in on my taste of music. Lately, it's really been growing, I've gotten away from just the country, now it's more pop, rock, alternative, christian, classical, folk, gospel, jazz, some r&b, and sountracks, and then some celtic/irish sounding music. Really the only music I don't listen to, is rap. I kind of really hate rap, there are a few exceptions to this but usually I refuse to listen to rap.

So at least once a week(sometimes I'll post more than that), I'll post a music video of a song that I really love that week. So here is the first one:

What I've realized...

...People use me a lot.

Maybe use is the wrong name for it but nevertheless, people do something. While I was back home I hung out with some friends, but I wasn't apart of the "group." Junior year, I don't know what I did, but I was kind of outcasted from the only group of friends I had really ever known. And I was pretty upset about it, I wasn't invited to anything really, and then senior year came along and I just stayed away from them. My life was about 100x better when I wasn't talking to them, in hindsight I'm really glad they did outcast me because otherwise I wouldn't have met the people I did senior year. But then when we went off to college I thought that things had changed that people were back to "liking" me but then when I went home for break I realized that nothing had changed. We hung out, but only at big group events, I wasn't apart of the core group that hung out basically every day, like I use to be. I guess it just bothers me, that they did this, and I didn't really do anything to hurt them.

I guess what really bothers me is the fact that even though I know all of these things, I still hang out with them. I let them use me and take advantage, and just keep saying to myself that "oh, next time it'll be different.

Drill Sargent

Wow, this article is ridiculous! I found this on another blog and was kind of horrified when I read this article. I in no way think that Chinese mother's are superior, I know that I would not like being called fat, stupid, or garbage. I don't think it has anything to do with being a "Chinese Mother" and a "Western Mother." Don't you think the self-esteem of your child is a little more important than you being able to "get away with it?" I did not get straight A's in high school, but I also know that my parents were proud of how I did. Me getting a B or even a C(in 3 cases) were okay because they knew that I was trying my best.
I'm also glad that my parents weren't drill sargents and made me practice hours at a time with piano. They let me decide when I wanted to practice and how much, if I didn't want to practice that was fine, but it definitely showed when it came time for my lesson. At the same time they did say "Linnea, you need to practice" but they never stood over me and drilled my songs I was learning.
Nor would my parents (probably) ever dream of calling me garbage, stupid, fatty, or tell me I'm inadequate in any way.
I'm extremely grateful they did let me participate in extracurriculars. extracurriculars were basically my childhood, I grew up with soccer, I loved going to Twins games, and doing other child-like things. Meanwhile, this mother never let her children go to a sleepover?! What is the worst thing they could do? Stay up late? I mean really, they were little it's not like they could go out and smoke drugs or raise hell in town. Or a school play? I was never in one, but I always loved going to them, and thought about joining drama(but frankly, the kids were just a little too weird for me.) My biggest issue is the never watch tv, or play computer games, while it's a bad habit to be in, I'm pretty much addicted to both of these, sure I can blame the fact that I grew up in the "technology age" but ultimately it's my fault I never got out and did other things when I became a teenager.
And the nonsense about how "nothing is fun until your good at it" well let me tell you, I was never super stellar at soccer but I loved it, and probably would've kept playing if I didn't start having injuries all the time. Granted things ARE more fun when your good at them but they can still be plenty fun when you're not.
Also, don't "override my preferences" it sounds like a disaster for a very pissed off teenager and a not very pleased mother/father. I guess I can't say for sure but I'm pretty sure my parents weren't really anxious about my self-esteem, yes they wanted me to have good self-esteem, but if I scored terribly on a test they would scold me and be like "WHY DIDN'T YOU STUDY MORE?" and if I got a bad grade in the class it was my fault and not the curriculum the teachers were teaching.

This lady does make some interesting points, yes the Chinese students have proven that they're "smarter" but are they really? Or is it just mothers like this one who drill there kids and not allow them to have any fun as a child? I do think that she would give up anything(within reason) for her children, as any good parent would do, but what if that thing the child wants to give up is the thing that she is forcing them to do? Then that's her fault, and she's kind of in a pickle.


But really, I think that's one of her only good points in the whole article.


So basically, I guess I'm glad I live in America with an "American" mom. I enjoyed my childhood, and do fully believe that parents need to nurture their kids into decent human beings, I think the "Chinese Mother" method is hurting more than helping her kids, then again it's a different culture I guess.

Sorry to be long-winded.


Also, my lists for 2010/2011 can be found here

The most ridiculous thing ever.

I took this picture in 8th grade, and it is perhaps one of the most ridiculous pictures I've ever taken. But no matter, I love it. SO MUCH. And I think you can see why.

Seriously?

New Years

I spent New Years weekend partying and with my Godparents. I love my godparents. They spoiled me so much, they use to bring me to shows every year for my birthday and christmas.

[I had this really nice paragraph written, but apparently I deleted it and didn't save it.]

And without further ado-

My Best friend Gus and I.

My friend Ross and I, and I kind of cut out Blake.

Tom, Kathy, and me.

Pops and me. =]

I'm working on a post about what 2010 taught me, so that should be coming soon.

And drumline pictures coming soon too.

What 2010 taught me, and what I hope to gain from 2011

Well, as I've been reading other blogs everyone's posting about how their 2010 was so great, and really mine was too. It was an awesome year, and I learned a lot, some of the things I learned were:

-That some people are better left alone(as in, I lost some friends but I'm okay with that)
-I enjoy some other friends more than I gave credit for.
-death sucks. So much.(there will always be those days where you just think about those people and can't stop and then there's always going to be those songs or things that pop up that remind you of them)
-pictures are worth more than a thousand words
-I miss being in Elk River. (there's actually places open past 10pm!)
-Despite it being good to see people, I'm still not "in" the group
-I found Hallelujah Chorus and I think my life has been made(okay, this is really 2011 and a major exaggeratoin but still...)

-College isn't all that it's cracked up to be, it's not the huge party everyone says, but it's still fun
-One person can change your life more than you think
-Things are only as bad as you make them
-Not being "in" the group is okay with me, I really truly have given up caring about not being invited to things.
-College, contrary to popular believe has made most of my friends regress in the "mature" area, meanwhile I feel like I'm really mature.
-Although, I've been told i'm an "old soul"

But through all this:
-I really truly am happy with where I am today. Although junior and senior year of high school were a little rough for me at times I love where it's put me in life.

What I want from 2011:

-To find a good friend to talk to. I have one here in ER but I don't always get to talk to him while up at school.
-To be around more mature people, that don't argue over petty things every day
-To enjoy myself more, sometimes I feel that sometimes I take myself to seriously.
-To take more pictures, I love photography and have been thinking more about minoring in it, but before I do that I just want to get out more and take more photos, or do something different. I'm really into landscapes but you can only have so many landscape pictures before it gets old, maybe I should switch to portraits now?
-Get out and meet people. I'm not much of a people person, I'm perfectly okay with being by myself, but I'm in college now, maybe I should meet new people, eh?


There's more to this list, but this has been like 9 days in the making and I have other things to post now.



Song of the Day- Just the way you are- Bruno Mars

Best Picture of 2010

I love this picture so much. I had it as my profile picture for 8 months, that's how much I love it.

I wanted to post this in my last post, but then decided that it was just too good.

And since it is actually 01/01 Happy New Year!

Song of the Day- Toes-Zac Brown Band

Top 10 moments of 2010!

Well 2010 was a good year to me, there were about 3 big events in my life, but I'd just like to write a post involving my favorite 10 pictures/memories of the year(admittedly, some were from late 2009.)

10.Meeting Max, the German foriegn exchange student that went to my high school senior year.

9. My Senior piano recital, I had taken 10 years of piano lessons and finally I was on top, I was the ending performance and I was awesome(if I do say so myself). I ended up playing 3 pieces and my teacher would always say "it shouldn't be a Linnea show" But secretly I'm pretty sure she loved me and the fact that I played 3 pieces the last two years of lessons.

8.

Something Corporate concert with Morgen, this was only the second concert I've been to, but I can say that I'm not sure any other concert will beat it. It was 3 hours of pure amazing-ness! And this should be much farther up on my list I just have so many good memories.

7.

Going to New Orleans. It was the one of the best trips I've ever been one. One shared with great friends, and great memories.

6.

Holding an Alligator. Okay it's mouth is binded shut, but it was still a very cool experience!

5.

Meeting this group of people, I still talk to these people today, and they were the best mission trip group ever!

4.

Meeting Brandon, it's had a really big impact on me. I knew him through band but hadn't really ever talked to him until New Orleans(and to be honest didn't even know his name until New Orleans)

3.

Going to Prom with Brandon. For being the only prom I went to, my expectatoins were met, plus some. It was the best prom ever, and we worked our Beyonce hips, quite well if I do say so myself.

2.

Graduation. I'm officially done with High school for forever, even though I still go back and visit. This is my best friend(since pre-school) and me at our graduation. Man do I miss going to school with this kid. I actually ran into his parents at Target today though!

1.

Moving to college. I'm not sure if this is really my top moment of 2010, although it was a big deal I just don't know if it was my year topping event. Then again, I'm not sure if I even had one of those. But anyway, this was the first roommate picture we took, so I thought I'd post it. =]