So it begins....

Well,school is officially started here at Sand End. (Get it? Sand End? Haha! I kill myself! Hoho...ha...ahem....) I hardly feel like anything is different, though, because I've been doing Chemistry and Literature throughout the summer, and a number of my other subjects have yet to arrive. Call me a warm frog, but I haven't been able to dive into school with the same kind of enthusiasm as usual. Oh, well. Fortunately, I am now doing a part of Chemistry that I actually enjoy (Nuclear Reactions!), and Calculus has been pretty good. Literature started out great! I loved it! It was my favorite subject! And no, I haven't forgotten the rules of grammar; I am using the past tense on purpose. I think it's a conspiracy: the A Beka program starts out with "Early American Short Stories" - which are FANTASTIC! I even like reading Poe! - then jumps straight into "Early American Sermons."

Gulp.

Actually, the sermons section was not really that bad. I read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" as well as the work of such others as Talmage, Billy Sunday, and James Weldon Johnson. They were both well-written and inspirational. But they just take soooo long to read! At least they do if you want to try to get anything out of them. Which I do.

Actually, I finished reading all the sermons by now, so I don't know why I'm even writing about them. Today I read selections from "A History of Plymouth Plantation," though, which is almost as bad time-consuming per page.

Speaking of school, does anyone remember/know how to do the geometry problem pictured at right? I can always look it up, but I thought I'd just let others do the work. :) (And no, it is not a problem from my next Calculus lesson.)

The leaves on the big maple by our pond are rapidly turning into a gorgeous crimson! Just thought you should know...

In other areas of my life, I spent much of my afternoon translating French! I enjoyed finding out how much I do remember (I took it in 6th grade through 8th grade, I think), as well as how learning Italian has actually improved my understanding of the conjugation of French verbs! Fascinating! If you would like to know WHY I was translating French all afternoon, you'll have to try to get Cara to blog about it. It's HER story. >:) I tried to get her to write about it tonight, but all she could think about was her new hairdo, not her mysterious African letter! So go inundate her with comments here and maybe you'll all have an interesting post to read. Not that her hair isn't interesting, but...

<--- Here is the HQ of the Sand End (hahaha...) Department of Information, Communication, and Academics. *cough* This was before Cara redid her coiffure... *cough*

Finale of the First Act of a Comical Operetta

I sometimes wonder if I have listened to or played The Mikado too many times. The many songs from that classic operetta have been going around in my head for days. But on further inspection of my thoughts, this is all I could recall of the finale of the first act, at least off the top of my head:

With aspect stern and gloomy stride
We come to learn how you decide.
Don’t hesitate your choice to name:
A dreadful fate you’ll suffer all the same;
A dreadful fate you’ll suffer all the same.

To ask you what you mean to do
We punctually appear.

Congratulate me, gentlemen,
I’ve found a volunteer!

The Japanese equivalent of “Here, here, here!”

‘Tis Nanki-Poo!

Hail Nanki-Poo!

I think he’ll do!

Yes, yes, he’ll do.

He gives his life if I’ll Yum-Yum surrender;
Now I adore that girl with passion tender,
And could not yield her with a ready will,
Or her allot
If I did not
Adore myself with passion tend’rer still,
With passion tend’rer still.

Ah, yes, he loves himself
With passion tend’rer still.

Take her: She’s yours!

The threatening cloud has past away!
And brightly shines the dawning day!
What though the night may come too soon…
We’ve yet a month of afternoon!

Then let our songs abound and every tear be dry!
And let none heave any sad or mournful cry!
Then let the throng our joy advance
With laughing song and merry dance;
Then let the throng our joy advance
With laughing song and merry dance;
With laughing song….

With joyous shout—with joyous shout and ringing cheer—
Inaugurate, inaugurate their brief career;
With joyous shout and ringing cheer
Inaugurate career.

As in a month you’ve got to die if Koko tells us true,
‘Twere empty compliment to cry ‘Long life to Nanki-Poo!’
But as one month you have to live as fellow citizen,
This toast in three times three we’ll give:
Long life…
Long life to you; Long life to you.
Long life to you…
Till then.

May all good fortune—all good fortune prosper you;
May you have health, may you have health and riches too;
May you succeed in all you do,
Long life to yooooooou…
Till then.

A day, a week, a month, a year...
[Second verse which I never sing ‘cause I don’t believe in turning pages backward.] ;)

Your revels cease!
Assist me, all of you!

Why, who is this whose evil rains
On our festivites?

I claim my perjured lover: Nanki-Poo!
Oh fool, to shun delights that never cloy!

Go leave thy deadly work undone!

Come back, O shallow fool, come back to joy!

Ah! ‘Tis Katisha: the maid of whom I told you!

No! You shall not go!
These arms shall thus enfold you!
O fool, to leave my hallowed joys.
O blind, that shows no equipoise.
O rash, blablabla,
O base, blablabla.
Give me my place, O rash, O base;
Thy heart unbind, O fool, O blind.
Give me my place, O rash, O base,
Thy heart unbind, O fool, O blind,
Thy heart unbind, Give me, give me my place.

If she’s thy bride, restore her place,
O fool, O blind, O rash, O base!

Pink cheek that rulest where wisdom serves;
Bright eye that covers heroic nerves!
Rose lip that scorneth long-laden years;
Smooth tongue that chasteneth who rightly hears!
Thy doom is nigh, Pink Cheek, Bright Eye!
Thy knell is rung, Rose lip, Smooth Tongue!
Thy doom is nigh, thy knell is rung,
Pink cheek, bright eye, rose lip, smooth tongue,
They doom is nigh! Thy knell, thy knell is rung!

If her tale’s true, thy knell is rung!
Pink cheek, bright eye, rose lip, smooth tongue.

Thy doom is nigh, thy knell is rung,
Thy knell, thy knell, thy knell is rung!

Away, nor prosecute your quest,
From our intentions well expressed,
You cannot turn us.
The state of your connubial views
Toward the person you accuse
Does not concern us…..
For he’s going to marry Yum-Yum!
Your anger pray bury
For all will be merry;
I think you had better succumb,
And join our expressions of glee.
On this subject I pray you’ll be dumb;
You’ll find there are many
Who’ll wed for a penny;
The word for your guidance is “mum.”
There are lots of good fish in the sea.

On this subject we pray you be dumb, dumb dumb,
We think you had better succumb, cumb cumb,
You’ll find there are many who’ll wed for a penny
Who’ll wed for a penny;
There are lots of good fish in the sea,
There are lots of good fish in the sea!
There’s lots of good fish, good fish in the sea,
There’s lots of good fish, good fish in the sea,
In the sea, in the sea, in the sea, in the sea.

The hour of gladness
Is dead and gone;
In silent sadness
I live alone.
The love I cherished
Has fled and gone;
All has perished,
All has perished,
Save love, which never dies,
Which never, never dies.
Oh, faithless one! This insult you shall rue!
In vain for mercy on your knees you’ll sue!
I’ll tear the mask from your disguising…

Now comes the blow…

Prepare yourselves for news surprising…

How foil my foe?

No minstrel he, despite bravado.

Ha! I know!

He is the son of your….

O ni shiku bakiru ni!

In vain you interrupt with this tornado.
He is the son of your…

O ni shiku bakiru ni!

Of your…

O ni shiku bakiru ni!

The son of your…

O ni shiku bakiru ni!

I’ll spoil…

O ni, o ni kiru!

Ye torrents roar,
Ye tempests howl.
Blablablablablablabla…
My vengeance call shall rise triumphant over all!

Away you go, ill-omened owl;
To joy we soar despite your scowl!
The echoes of our festival shall rise triumphant over all!

Prepare for woe, ye haughty lords;
Away I go, Mikado-wards.

Away you go, collect your hordes!
Proclaim your woes in dismal chords!

We do not heed their dismal sound
For joy reigns everywhere around!
We do not heed their dismal sound
For joy reigns everywhere around!
The echoes of our festival
Shall rise triumphant over all!
Our songs shall rise….
Our songs shall rise…
Shall rise triumphant over all!

My wrongs with vengeance shall be crowned!

We do not heed their dismal sound for joy rains every where around!

Side note: I kind of made up the Japanese part, but I think Sir Gilbert did too, so I should be OK. :)

A Quote

Recently spoken by Offspring Y, of "Overheard in the S------d Household" fame, to me (Offspring X; I admit it):

"Why are you taking over my life!?!?!?!?!"

Meaning, of course, that I should return the laptop to him (or her; you never know here)....

Video: Ping Pong

Warning: I stretched out the volley to match the length of the song. If you get bored just skip a bit and you won't miss much. However, if you have any appreciation of music, you WILL watch it all. ;)

Windows Media (.wmv)

Hope you enjoy this!

I've been enjoying a wonderfully peaceful Sabbath at home. So far I have slept in, played Ping Pong with Daddy (he beat me thrice: 21-18, 21-17, and 21-16), ate brunch instead of breakfast, read blogs, and pretty much just enjoyed the quiet. Hope your Sabbath is/was as nice!

Nero e Bianco