June has also proven itself to be a time of strengthening friendships. I've found myself growing closer to some people than I would have expected. I've also found myself finding new potential friendships amongst my future classmates in college. More than anything, I've found myself struggling with how to describe the aforementioned experiences without coming across as effeminate.
Image is something I have worried about quite in my life, to an extent that I am now realizing may have been excessive. This is something that I have been pleasantly surprised to find has changed. As I go into the summer before my first year of college I have not worried much at all about how people will perceive me. Instead, I've found myself focusing almost exclusively on the academic and personal ramifications of the decisions I will be making, and how they will affect my future. If I can say one thing about high school, I suppose it would be that it has taught me that the social circles we run in can be laughably obscure and that the only thing we have control over truly is the kind of people we associate with. I can honestly say that I am quite content with my circle of friends, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Alright, onto a plane of discussion that is hopefully more ripe for sarcasm...
Two days ago my mother and brother left for California, on a trip to visit friends and family. I stayed behind, in order to continue working. The end result is that I have the house to myself, along with the car, and a significant amount of food. While this may strike you as the essentials for any teenager, I have found myself quite baffled at the lack of something I can now attribute solely to the presence of my family. The human element, though quite imperceptible while in abundance, has, in its absence, left my house in a slightly disoriented state. Everything is quiet. The house seems at least twice as large as it usually does. And while I have not spent much time here over the past two days, due to work, I can't help but expect my mother or brother to burst through the door at any point, home from work or school. I can't say that I'm not enjoying my time alone. It has given me room to decompress, and push the envelope of my independence. It just feels strange not having people to live with.
I'd like to clarify the previous statement. There is another occupant in my house besides myself. Loyal readers of my blog, you should know her well by know: that's right, its Killer, my loyal canine and occasional pal. She is steadfast and noble, holding the house securely until I arrive in the evening from work at which point she demands to be taken out, played with, petted, and sung to. That is, unless there is a thunderstorm afoot, in which case her usual stoic and attentive demeanor is reduced to a shivering, whimpering pile of fur curled at my feet. Quite pathetic.
However, nothing helps you get through bad weather like a good movie. Being a man, I opted for something that would inspire feelings of testosterone and male initiative. I opted for City of Angels, everyone's favorite epic romance from 1998. I wish I could tell you I was joking right now, but the truth is I love that movie. I usually end up watching it only once a year, and I guess I filled my quota for 2008 (along with my quota for crying during the climax).
If you've never seen City of Angels go rent it right now. Watch it by yourself, and comment in reply to this thread with your thoughts. I think you'll agree with me that is really quite fantastic.
In addition to watching sad romance movies, there is one other thing I like to do when I'm feeling lonely or disjointed: music. If you don't know, I play both guitar and piano and sing when no one else is around. Music is a very important part of my life, up there with waffles and the battery life of my laptop. I play mostly acoustic guitar because it fits the kind of music I listen to, and I can play it by myself with minimal fuss or cables/amps. However, today I went to a local Guitar Center with my dad. In the process of explaining to him how guitars work, I stumbled across a used Epiphone Les Paul. Anyone who knows anything about guitars knows that the Les Paul is a model of electric guitar made by Gibson. It is quite possibly the most renowned model of guitar along with the Fender Stratocaster. Epiphone makes extremely good replicas of Gibson guitars, because they are a subsidiary of Gibson.
The guitar was a little worse for wear. Some of the frets had been sanded for a rough finish. There were some nicks and scratches on the back, and one of the pickups seemed suspiciously loose. However, for the price, I couldn't ask for anything better. It was coated in a beautiful cherry sunburst varnish and seemed to glow from the rack. I picked it up and it felt simply amazing. After plugging it in and playing with the tuning I decided I was going to buy it and share it with my mom (who is lacking a good guitar at the moment). After bringing it home, cleaning it, re-tuning it, and adjusting the action, I couldn't be happier. The guitar has an awesome, clean tone that comes across great even on my tiny amp. It's perfect for the same riffs I'd play on my acoustic, and also more aggressive chord patterns. All in all, I'd say buying a guitar is a good way to end any day, and it hardly put a dent in my wallet. The picture is of my new Les Paul along with my keyboard and speaker set up. I'm planning on taking all of this to college with me. Needless to say, I'm investing in a few locks.
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