The Latin Lover

Sleepless in Wilmington

2006-11-24T23:38:00.000-05:00

Everything that could've happened did happen.

Is it too late to talk about this now? It may be so, but the memory is still fresh and frequent in my mind. So much has kept me busy in the past week-and-a-half, but those two days continue to reign my thoughts. I wish I knew how to express how much it meant to me. I want to let you know about every single second, but that'll take forever.

Long Story Short: Death by "Stage- Tuning."

Tuesday Morning, Still in Woodbridge:
Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous or anxious at all. I spent 132 days thinking about this trip, and the excitement wore off a bit. I decided not to go to school today. I was going to leave with early dismissal, but who really thought I'd actually get any work done? I stayed home and packed. I had so much to take with me even though it was only for three days. My uncle picked me up and dropped me off at the train station in Quantico. I boarded the Amtrak train North and made myself comfortable for my first train ride. I still wasn't nervous. I remember thinking, "Hey, no biggie. I'm just going to a concert. This isn't as exciting as I'd thought it'd be." I knew it was wrong to feel this way, but I couldn't help it. I thought nothing would happen, they wouldn't see me, they won't come out to meet the fans, I'm just going to enjoy the sound of these Guys live. No biggie.

Tuesday Afternoon, Arrival:
It didn't seem as long as it sounded. Three hours and thirty minutes flew by thanks to my lovely Ipod Shuffle. I grabbed all of my luggage (Carry-all, Backpack, and Build-a-Bear for Becky) and headed down the steps into the train station in Wilmington, DE. I first saw three pairs of tiny feet and immediately knew it was them. Becky and her three boys, Sam, Luke, and Andrew were waiting for me. It was the first time I've ever met them, and there was no denying that they knew who I was too. I dropped my bags, and Becky gave me the most amazing, welcoming hug. She's just as I imagined. She took a bag, called her adorable sons, and we walked to her van. On the way, she scared me. She told me that about an hour before she came to pick me up, she saw Shannon. The Shannon Brown of The Ten Tenors. He held the door open for her when she was struggling to get into the theatre. She had gone there to arrange for someone to bring the Boys a gift. As he helped her, she said "Thanks, Shannon." She is the best. I would've loved to see the look on his face. This is when I started getting that feeling. I had to stop and ask her, "You mean the Tenors are in this city? Right now? Breathing the same air?" She said, "I know. Can you believe it? In fact, they're only a few blocks away. Let's drive by the theatre." Oh, my heart. As she drove by I was afraid to look out the window and actually spot one of them. Good thing they weren't roaming around outside at that time. I would've screamed so loudly and deafened the poor kids in the van with me.

I felt right at home with the Silvas. I shared Andrew's room. He's the youngest at the age of three. He is so adorable. He talks about the Tenors as much as I do. His most favorite is David, Mr. Freddie Mercury as I call him. Andrew is a little firecracker, and he's so much fun to play with. Luke is a crazy one as well. He loves to joke around and pretend that he doesn't love the Tenors as much as really does. We all know better though. And Sam is the oldest. He's very shy, but I think I got him to open up a bit. He doesn't like to choose favorite, but we both agree that Chendry is awesome. Sam is in third grade and is taking his first year of Latin. Becky let me help him study for his upcoming quiz. The kid's a natural! He's got the first declension and the present active conjugation of "Sum, Esse" memorized off the top of his head. Pretty damn impressive for a third-grader. I couldn't help but teach a couple more things to throw his teacher off. I think he's too shy to show off though.

Tuesday Evening, Getting Ready:
After dinner, Becky advised me to get ready. We were to leave in 20 minutes. I went upstairs, got my black dress out of Andrew's closet, and changed in the bathroom. This is when it hit me. I saw myself in the mirror and realized what was going to happen. I was going to see the Tenors. Giddyness took hold, and I came downstairs only to receive much-appreciated compliments from each member of the family. Way to boost my confidence. Becky and I bid the boys and Peter, her husband, goodbye, and we jumped into the van. We both turned into teenage girls, though I didn't have much of a transformation. We made one stop to Charlot's house. She is a close friend of Becky's. It was to be Becky, Charlot, Charlot's mother, and I attending the Tenors' first concert in Wilmington. A two minute stop and car-switch and we were on our way to the historic DuPont Theatre.

Tuesday Evening, 7:30 PM:
It felt like a movie. There were tons of people all gussied up to see a show in this Victorian theatre, and I was one of them. In fact, I was the youngest of them, and I liked the odds of that. The theatre, which doubled as a huge hotel, was gorgeous. All four of us waited anxiously in the lobby. I swore swore swore that I saw a Tenor run quickly through the lobby and enter the door to the stage/dressing room. I told the ladies with me, and they giggled. Me, I was in a little state of shock. I thought I saw Liam McLachlan, not dressed in a suit and such but in a rather nice leather biker jacket, sprint through the lobby. At that point, I knew that this whole thing was real. I would later see this man and the rest in about 15 minutes.

I was the only one who hadn't been to a TTT concert before so the three of them joked whether they should watch the show or my reaction to the show. I knew I was going to make a fool of myself so I prayed that the Tenors would distract them. I was completely right about the fool part too. Becky had reserved front row center seats for all three shows I were to attend, and I came to hate her for that. As we stepped into the actual seating area I wanted to leave. We were in the back, but it was too close to the stage. Becky led me to the front, and the seats were literally less than three feet from the stage. Do you realize how near this is? I told her that I couldn't handle being too close and that I should go sit in the back. She told me not to worry and that I could hold her hand whenever I felt scared. I was so scared. I actually started tearing up and ranting. It was too much for me, really. I had this image of those Tenors stepping out onto the stage and seeing me. The possibility of this subtle acknowledgement was killing me. While Becky was chatting away with Charlot, I called my Mommy. She was supposed to calm my fears. She basically told me to shut the hell up and enjoy the damn show. Thanks, Mommy. She said it in a very bright and encouraging way, if that counts for anything. I stopped crying because I realized how silly I must've looked, and I sat quietly waiting for the show to begin. In the front row there sat, left to right, Charlot's mother, Charlot, Becky, and I. Next to me there was an empty seat followed by three seats filled with some scantilly-clad young women in their twenties. I was surprised to see such fans, but I later found out that wasn't the case. One of the girls moved over into the seat next to me to make room for someone. A Tenor. The swing, actually, but a Tenor nonetheless. Jason "Shorty" Short was in the front row with me. Tenor sighting #2, and I leaned over to Becky to tell her. She smiled, told me not to panic, and grabbed my camera. She stood at the end of the row to get both of us in the picture whilst not disturbing him. He was chatting to those three girls (now I know why they were there), and we didn't want to bother him. She got the picture and sat back down, and Shorty left. He returned to the back where he chills with the soundman and records the concert.

Only a few more mintures. I began to tremble. I love this feeling. It reminds of me of having a crush. Your heart rate works double-time, and just seeing that guy makes you quiver. It's something that I haven't felt in so long, and I knew that it would come back again tonight. It was great, but terrifying at the same time. I've heard many reviews of TTT concerts, and I had good reason to be afraid. What I feared the most was "Stage-Tuning." In an interview I read about my favorite Tenor, Drew Graham, he mentioned "Stage-Tuning." It is "when we single someone out in the audience and smile at them." They check out girls in the first couple rows and wink and smile to them while singing. They get a great reaction, I'm sure, but I didn't want to find out myself. It would mean certain death or at least throw me into a coma. Becky had been a victim of "Stage-Tuning" before, and she assured me that I was the next to suffer. Oh, how right she was.

The house lights went down, the people with season tickets quickly quieted, and my eyes were glued to the red velvet stage curtains.

To be continued...

Two Words: TENOR SANDWICH

2006-11-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

What can I say? I've died and gone to Tenor Heaven.

Today I skipped school, caught the train from Quantico to Wilmington, and finally saw the Tenors. I kept my cool for most of the day, trying to tell myself that it's no big deal, but once I sat down in that front row I started trembling. I was having a "light-headed, can't stop shaking, is it hot in here or is it just me" breakdown, and I had to call my Mommy to calm me down. I was way too close to the stage. Close enough to reach out and touch them. Poor Becky. I probably broke every bone in her hand since I was gripping it everytime Drew stepped forward.

He saw me. He made eye contact with me, winked at me, and sang to me. And later he became the bread in my Tenor sandwich. I'd love to say more now, but the only way to speed up the time between now and the next concert is to sleep and have sweet Tenor dreams.

Don't expect me home anytime soon.

Thursday Morning

2006-11-09T06:14:00.000-05:00

Finally. I have time to finally update this blog. So much has been going on in the past month, and I've got so much to say but only an hour to say it in seeing as how I have to be at school at 7 Ante Meridiem.

First of all, if you didn't guess already, I got the new Josh Groban CD this past Monday. I had ordered the special Internet-Only Fan Edition (which includes three extra songs and a DVD) on the 15th of October, and it was supposed to arrive on my doorstep on November 7th. However, I got it a day early. I've listened to the entire album at least 30 times now, both at work and at home. I can honestly say that its' amazing. I could go on and on about every single song and every note Josh sings, but that would probably cause you to dislike him even more. I'll just say that Awake is a great accomplishment and a huge step forward for Josh. Speaking NOT as a Grobanite right now, I highly recommend it.

The first exciting part of November has come and now on to the best part of all: The Ten Tenors. There are only 5 days between me and my long-awaited trip. I've been counting for 136 days, since July 1st, and it's surreal to realize that that day is drawing so near. Everything is almost set. I've still to find one more outfit for the last concert, and I'm going to Springfield Mall tomorrow morning to find it. I've also to buy my train tickets and get a new haircut. That'll probably be taken care of on Saturday morning. However, the most important part has been resolved by my wonderful mother. Monday night, when I went to work, my mother finally talked to my father about the concerts. I completely understand how dangerous and risky it is. I'm a young teenage girl travelling to another state alone to visit someone I've never met before. It's just asking for trouble. It's incredibly stupid, but I have this gut feeling that it's safe. My mother, surprisingly, feels the same way. She knows that I have good taste in people, and I would never do anything to put myself in danger like that. She also knows how much I've been working to go to these concerts. It would be devastating to both of us if I weren't able to go. So she talked to my father, they had a HUGE fight, but it's done. I can go. Hearing those words Monday night after work was the biggest relief for me. This dragging weight was lifted off my shoulders. Throughout the past few months I've been dreaming about seeing these guys, but I always had that nagging voice in the back of my head saying that my father'll never let me go. Now I know I can go. I can go. I AM going. This is my new favorite phrase. I am going.

I am also going to Latin Convention on the 19th and 20th. We have a bigger group this year concisting of 24 people. We are all entering art projects, taking many tests, and participating in the Spirit Contest. After the club meeting today I went to order our Convention T-shirts, and I should receive an e-mail with the final design later this afternoon. I'll post it here once I receive it. We're really picking up the pace in this previously dead club, and I'm liking it.

Tempus fugit. I can't recall the last time I went straight home after school. I'm either in Latin with Mr. Carbo, in Art with Mr. Oddi, driving across town to do errands, or helping friends out. I think it's been stressing me out a bit. I hadn't realized until this afternoon. I almost passed out in the hallway on the way to 7th period. It was so weird. I'd never fainted before so this light-headed, about to tip over feeling was new for me. Luckily, I caught myself with the help of my teacher. Maybe it was just from working too hard the night before. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. It's a scary thing.

November has come so quickly, and I can't keep track of myself. Just as a reminder for me, I'll make a little agenda here.

Friday 10th:
Springfield Mall (3rd outfit)
Work at 5 PM
Mosaic

Saturday 11th:
Train Tickets
Haircut
Work at 5PM
Mosaic

Sunday 12th:
English Friar Filming (Teresa and Vick at 10 AM)
Mosaic

Monday 13th:
Mimi's Birthday
English Friar Filming (Billy After School)
Grout Mosaic with Mr. Oddi
Pack for Delaware

Tuesday 14th:
I AM GOING.
Early Dismissal at 11:45 AM
Train leaves at 12:14 PM
Arrive in Wilmington at 3:34 PM
Concert at 7:30 PM

Wednesday 15th:
Concert at 2:00 PM
Concert at 7:30 PM

Thursday 16th:
Back to Virginia in the afternoon

Friday 17th:
Mommy's Birthday
Pick up Convention shirts

Saturday 18th:
Finish all projects

Sunday 19th:
Convention

There are so many papers strewn about my room. I know that if I try to write this down I'll lose it somewhere. Hopefully I won't accidentally lose my computer too. I think that's about it for this morning. Time to go to school.

Oh, one more thing. I think I may have a little crush on someone, and, NO, it's not Mr. Oddi.

Awake

2006-11-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

IT CAME TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!

A New Month

2006-10-02T17:36:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness, it's October. A brand new month. The month before the best month of all.

And since it's the start of a new month, I want to get some things off my chest. There's no point in typing my thoughts in a logical order so I'm just gonna babble off on random topics. Hope you don't mind.

Today
was not a good day. I woke up planning to have a nice, peaceful day to clean and finish that stackload of homework I've to do, and it actually started out that way at first. However, at around one in the afternoon, I got a call from Marisol, a co-worker, begging me to take over her shift tonight at 5. And being the amazingly sympathetic person that I am, I agreed. She has two small children to take care of, and she works two stressful jobs, so I can't say "No" to her. She's so young (only 24), and I don't want her to worry so much. Thus, I decided that I would come home later and pull an all-nighter to finish my schoolwork. No biggie. But work was not good today. I don't want to say it was terrible, but it's the worst day I've had so far. There was a football game on tonight, and apparently everyone in Prince William County is a football fan because we literally only had four tables this night. I'm fine with it being slow, but I was pissed that I could've spent that time doing my homework. I wish that was the only thing bugging me, but, alas, there's more. Let me try and explain.

There's this dishwasher, Kevin. He's a cute kid, 17 years old and such, and we've become friends, or at least I thought so. Anyway, Stephen, a Hispanic cook who harasses everyone, including myself, was really bothering Kevin. Not just verbally, but physically. He's always back there in the kitchen calling me "Amor" and "Bonita," and it annoys me, but he does worst to Kevin. Kevin told me that Stephen constantly tries to touch him and grab his ass, teasing him. And Stephen is not gay. He has a wife and a kid so this really sets me off. Kevin didn't want to tell anyone because they'd laugh at him. I finally saw Stephen touch Kevin yesterday, and I got really mad and told Stephen to cut it out. Apparently, it worked. However, Stephen started spreading rumors that I had a crush on Kevin. Everyone knows, and this gave Kevin the idea that it was true. He's a nice guy, but I just don't like him in that way. Unfortunately, I found out from Francesco, the manager, that Kevin likes me very much, and he even had Francesco asked me out for him tonight. I sadly told Francesco that I only like him as a friend, and soon after, Kevin left work early. Francesco told me he left because of me, and it breaks my heart. I can't stand to make anyone feel that way.

I know it may sound like I'm thinking too much into this, but I'm just not used to it, you know? It probably happens to girls all the time, but just not me. I never get put into these kinds of situations. That's not me. I'm the one people come to to talk about their boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes, and such. I'm not supposed to be the one with the problems. I don't have a boyfriend because I'm not interested in anyone, and I haven't been for the longest time. More importantly, I never allow a guy to think that I like them more than a friend. It's a sort of rule, I guess. As I read this, I realize I am thinking too much into this. I'm just not a happy camper right now.

Let me try and cheer myself up.

Yesterday
was the best day I've had working. Now isn't that funny? I guess today was punishment for having such a good time the night before. There was endless laughter and stupid things passed around last night. All I'll say is that I will never feel the same way about "picnics" and "rashes." I also had some great customers. I met a Father with whom I chatted about Latin with for at least 20 minutes. He told me of the greatest living Latinist, Father Reginaldus Foster. He actually studied from him as a young man. I looked this man up, and he is brilliant. He actually speaks Latin. It's as natural to him as English. He's developed his own ingenius way of learning Latin, and he translates for the Pope himself. He lives in Vatican City, and teaches intense Summer courses for free all over Italy. I'm incredibly interested in possibly studying from him in the near future. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Perhaps Mr. Carbo has heard of him. I'll ask tomorrow.

The other customer I met was this extraordinary gentlemen from Australia. At first, I couldn't tell he was an Aussie because he'd lost his accent, but once I mentioned that I was watching AFL before he and his guest came in, everything let loose. I could not stop talking to this guy. He was so interesting! We even sang a bit too. I know that sounds really weird, but it was a great Australian song, and I couldn't resist. This man has been all over the world, and he had so much to say. We spent an hour and a half talking about American history, and he recommended me to come see some reenactments in Old Town. He and a troupe have been doing war reenactments for many years now, and I'm truly planning to come see a few. Needless to say, I'm smitten with this man, and I hope he comes back soon. He's a great talk, and he even helped me finally pronounce "G'Day" correctly. Look out, Tenors! I'm coming, and I'm bringing some Aussie words with me!

Speaking of Tenors, only 43 more days until I see my loves from Australia. I can't explain how happy I am to see them, but if you ever see me with a random, genuine smile, they're the reason behind it. I just keep thinking how surreal it'll be to actually see these guys in the flesh. To hear their actual voices, not their recorded ones. To see them in front of me, not on any screen. Again, yes, I'm thinking too much into things, but it really means a lot to me that some people would go through so much trouble to make me happy. I'm sure I'll try to explain this Tenor feeling in later posts, so let's switch gears, shall we?

The Grobanator
is back!!!!! It's been three years since his last album, and it's been absolute torture for me, but he's back! The new CD, Awake, will be released on November 7th, and the cover is to die for! See for yourself:

Ga-gorgeous...

There's also been this little video about a fantastic Grobanite who got to meet Josh. To make a long story short, the video reinforces the fact that Josh is the greatest human being in the world.

School
is all right. I've missed many days lately because I've been very ill for about three weeks, and now I've tons of make-up work to do. Good thing about making up schoolwork is that I get to stay after with Mr. Oddi for and hour and a half tomorrow. If you don't recall, Mr. Oddi is my own personal Josh Groban Art Teacher. Best thing about tomorrow is that Mr. Oddi's letting me bring whatever music I want to play during our little after-school stint. Now what type of music shall I bring? Tough question, no?

On that note I'll come to a close. I want to end this with a good thought in mind, and I'm just so tired...

Post Scriptum - Ignore the timestamp please. I typed this at two in the morning and forgot to publish it until now.

Tomorrow

2006-10-01T00:07:00.000-04:00

I will definitely post here tomorrow.

It's been so long, and I've so much to talk about.

Tomorrow, okay?

Actually, today, seeing as how it's just past Midnight. Later today.

It's Been a While

2006-09-13T23:32:00.000-04:00

Almost a fortnight. And a lot has been going on.

School started last Tuesday. It was the ugliest day this year. The weather was beastly. I showed up to school completely soaked and unenthusiastic. Surprisingly, it was an okay day. My new classes and teachers are pretty good, and I almost had a cardiac arrest in 4th period. That class is Art I. Originally I was supposed to switch out of Art I to be Mr. Carbo's T.A., but things changed. I took one step into the class, saw the teacher, and jumped out screaming (on the inside). He looks like JOSH GROBAN!!!!! Well, at least from behind. He's got that curly-hair thing down. Plus, he's a new young teacher so we can have fun with him this year. And I've always liked male teachers better. They're not as uptight and annoying. Anyway, as you may have guessed, I'm crushing a bit on this art teacher, Mr. Oddi. Partly because he's super-cute, and partly beacuse he compliments my art every five minutes. I love it! It's a nice reward for my Senior year.

Let's see, what else is new? Work is good. Fun stuff going on over there. I got the new Tenors CD yesterday. I've listened to the entire album online previously, but it sounds so much better coming from the actual CD. Not to mention that the Guys look really handsome in the inserts. And it's also nice to have the lyrics too. It only reminds me that I'll be seeing the Guys soon. Only 61 more days to go!

I want to keep this post short so I'll just mention something that will make my Senior year worth it. Today we had our first Latin Club meeting. Now back in the day, which was a Wednesday, the Latin Club has been basically nonexistant. We plan to do things, and they never follow through. We rarely had any promising members. It mainly consisted of about three loyal members and the Carbonator. It really sucked it big time. However, with Tyler and I running the club this year, we are determined to turn things around. Mr. Carbo seemed really excited about how anxious we were, and he spread the news to all of his classes. We soon found out today that he did a bang-up job. I walked into Carbo's room ten mintues after the bell rang today, and I expected many ten or so students to show up. The classroom was FULL! And more and more people kept coming in. We quickly ran out of seats, and we had to shove people together in the back of the room. I was so overwhelmed by the turnout. It was like walking into a big surprise party. I was simply ecstatic. The best part of it is that we really have a great group of kids. While Tyler and I welcomed them to the club and discussed our goals, they were so attentive and interested. Most of all, what I love about this group was how respectful they were. Never speaking out of turn or interrupting us while we spoke, and they seemed truly determined to stay in the club and help out. Tyler, Carbo, and I discussed everything we want to accomplish this year: a Homecoming Float, a Roman banquet, Convention, Certamen, the National Latin Exam, and much more. We passed around sign-up sheets for those who want to be involved with any of the activities, and we had such a great response. People are actually as excited as the three of us are. I just can't say how great these kids are. It feels so good to connect the Latin classes like this. And because we want to get everyone acquainted with each other, Tyler and I have planned a picnic next Wednesday. We're going to have lots of food and games for everyone to enjoy, and I hope even more people come.

I really think this year will change the future of the Latin Club, and I hope that we make Mr. Carbo proud. Last year was crappy for him, what with his six tiring classes and club being so cruddy, and I felt that I let him down. However, today I saw Mr. Carbo genuinely happy. I haven't seen him like this in a long time. He looked like a giddy little boy on Christmas morning. And to see him like this makes me want to do what he does. I saw how pleased he was with his kids, and I felt like they were my kids too because they treated me as such, like I was their teacher too. I don't want to think too much into this teaching thing, but it was a really heartwarming experience today, and I can't wait for next Wednesday.

Vale!

What's Going On, Steph?

2006-09-01T01:21:00.000-04:00

I'll tell ya, curious reader.

First, let's start out with the big news: the jay-ohh-bee. That's "job", for you normal people.
Today was my first day of training, and I have to say that I really like it. I learned so much, and I think I got a good handle on things. Basically, I just learned how to take orders (there's a lot to remember), and I shadowed Alberto around. I've known Alberto for years now so it was extremely fun to work with him. He's such a sweet.......jerk, if that makes any sense. We're both nice and sarcastic kids so that makes a great working environment. I met many other employees there too today, and they're so different from the employees at our restaurant. I've already made friends with everyone, and we treat each other like brothers and sisters, constantly picking on each other and helping out one another. I enjoy the feel of the whole place. Not to mention, the food is amazing! Hopefully, training will be over soon so I can make some dough. Gotta save up for those Tenors!

Speaking of Tenors, if you didn't already know, the new Ten Tenors' CD, Here's to the Heroes, will be released in the States on September 12th. Just judging from the short 30 second clips of each song, I know this CD is going to take the Tenors to a whole new level. I know this for sure now because I actually listened to the ENTIRE CD already. And "No," I didn't pre-order it or anything. AOLMusic.com actually allows people to listen to whole CDs of new releases. I know this because last Fall I listened to the entire Il Divo Christmas Album the night before it was released. Well, needless to say, I was shocked and ecstatic to see that AOL decided to post the Tenors' new CD. Shocked because the Tenors aren't in the mainstream of popular music and ecstatic because I get to hear Shannon's lovely, powerful solos. And by golly, his solos are breathtaking. He has major leads in the songs, "We Have All the Time in the World," "Places," and "Tick All the Days Off One by One," and, of course, those are my favorite songs. He voices the lyrics so beautifully, and I can't seem to stop myself from replaying those songs over and over again. I'm also drooling over "Just To See Each Other Again" because Drew is all over that one, and he's my favorite Tenor. However, voicewise, Shannon takes the cake. Also, "Here's to the Heroes" has a special hold on me. I think that every artist/group has at least one inspiring and memorable hit song, and this is theirs. Il Divo has "The Time of Our Lives," the duet with Toni Braxton that is the theme song of the World Cup, and Josh has the ever-popular, "You Raise Me Up." Those songs give me the best feeling in the world, and they never get old.

Anyway, back to the Tenors. Finally, there is one more song that I must talk about: "Who Wants to Live Forever." Now if you know me, you know that I am a HUGE Queen fan. I absolutely hate when bands try to add their own touch to any Queen song. I shun them. Really? Who really thinks they're talented enough to even attempt a Queen record? I must admit, when I first heard that the Tenors did their own version of "Bohemian Rhapsody," I said, "Nuh-uh! Not gonna like it! Sorry, Guys." However, I came to my senses, and I think they give the song its due respect, especially with David Kidd fronting the vocals. I don't think that there is any other man in the world that could bring Freddie Mercury alive to me like David does. He just has that special something in his tone, and with "Who Wants to Live Forever," he brought the Great Pretender back to life again. This song has always been haunting to me, and the Tenors brought that particular longing feel back to it with their rendition. It is simply amazing, and I'd love to hear it perform live. I'd have to personally thank David for his amazing ability too. He's world class stuff, that one.

Overall, this CD is the Tenors at their peak. The album in its entirety sounds like the soundtrack for the greatest epic movie. With tracks composed by the great John Barry and Don Black, how can they go wrong? It'll be tough to top this album, but I look forward to many more releases from the Tenors. They are extremely versatile so they very well may take the next album into a completely different direction, but for right now, this is what they do best, and I'm loving every bit of it.

In other news, I've become infatuated with the 2002 Sci-Fi show, "Firefly." It is possibly one of the most exciting and innovative shows ever created. Now I am definitely NOT a Sci-Fi person, so that's saying something. Every character is so well-developed, and the travels of the crew are never boring. With every episode I watch, I get more angry that it was wrongfully canceled. The show didn't even get to finish airing its first season. However, the creator, Joss Whedon, promised his fans that they would return with a big-screen movie, and he kept that promise. That's how I found out about "Firefly." I saw its movie, Serenity, and I just had to see more. The movie was fantastic, and the show is even better. I highly recommend buying both the movie and the show. It doesn't matter which one you watch first. Just buy it, gorram it! It's shiny.

Let's see, I don't think I've got anything else to ramble on about. I've got to shop for some work clothes tomorrow and then go to work at 4:30 Post Meridiem. I've also got loads of AP work to do before school starts. Latin will be the most difficult for sure, but Mr. Carbo will be nice on me. Oh! Speaking of school, I do have more to rant on. My guidance counselor called me the other day, and it looks like I won't be taking German I this year. It conflicts with Latin so I'll be taking Italian I instead. It'll be useful though. I listen to lots of Italian music, and I work at an Italian restaurant so it's all good. Other than that, I think my classes are set. I've got Latin everyday. YES! And I'm switching from Art I to be Mr. Carbo's Teacher's Aide. He's either going to love seeing me so often during and after school (because I'm VP of the Latin Club) or he's going to be miserable and lose the rest of his hair. Poor Carbo. He knows I love him though.

It's getting late, and I completely missed Conan because of this entry. Oh, well. I did listen to the entire Tenors album twice (going on for a third time) so it's an even trade.

Nacht!

Yes, Yes, Y-E-S!

2006-08-28T18:11:00.000-04:00

I got it! I got the J-O-B!

The interview was today at around 3:30 Post Meridiem. And it went swimmingly. Claudia, the manager, hired me after only five minutes upon arrival, and we spent the next hour and a half going over the menu and just chatting about everything. She's such a cool gal. She seems really funny and easy-going so I know that this job is going to be great. What makes it even better is that two good friends of mine already work there. I was hesitant to work alongside friends, but Claudia says it'll be fine. Apparently, a major reason why I got the job was because I had a great recommendation from the lovely Alberto. He's the best.

I start training on Thursday. I guess I'll be following Claudia around, learning how to take orders and make salads. Sounds easy enough. I've been in a restaurant environment all my life so I think I can get the hang of things easily. The best part about this job is that Armetta's is literally only three minutes away from my house. It's on the same street as my school. Way too convienient, don't ya think? Someone Up There likes me.

Hopefully, I'll do well at this job and be able to fully enjoy "Sleepless in Wilmington."

I Just Feel.......Good.

2006-08-27T15:13:00.000-04:00

Today's such a lovely day.

I love today. I love the atmosphere of it. Thank goodness for such a nice day because this whole Summer has been sort of a drag. I've only been out to one place, Kings Dominion, and that trip didn't turn out so well. I lost my glasses. Lara Croft and her Firefall took 'em. So now I'm stuck with this ugly old pair of glasses I had Freshman year. The happiest moment I had this Summer was finding out that I will finally see my favorite Aussies, The Ten Tenors, this November. And finding out that my friend got me FRONT ROW CENTER seats made it even better. That alone has fueled enough happiness in me for the whole Summer and more. The Tenor Trip and my good friend, Wendy, have made this Summer managable. Thanks, guys!

Yesterday was a really lousy day. The whole family was home, and I love my family very much, but since my parents work so much they're always pissed off. When everyone's home a giant cloud of agitation floats around, and we can't stand each other. My Papi was mad because my Mommy kept bugging him about getting a new exercise machine, but we don't have any room for it. My sister was mad because no one wanted to play her new Naruto game with her. My Mommy was mad at me because I was being a jerk. I was being a jerk because my Mommy wants to spend hundreds of dollars on exercise equipment, but she won't give me any money to buy new clothes for school. It was just a terrible Saturday. However, later on in the day, while my Mommy and I were in the kitchen making dinner and listening to Keith Urban and Josh Turner, someone left a message for me on the home phone. It was Armetta's, a little Italian restaurant behind our house. They have a position open, and they called me to find out if I was still interested in the job. Um.......heck yes!

I've been trying to get a job for about a month and a half now. The day after I got the "Okay" to see the Tenors, I went out to get a job. It's enough that I'm allowed to actually go up to Delaware for a couple days and see my favorite performers, so I took it upon myself to take care of everything else. I estimated that I would need about a thousand dollars for the whole situation known as, "Sleepless in Wilmington." Here are the costs as they appear to me:

Front Row Center Seats for three shows: $180
Fabulous outfits for pictures with the Guys: $500
Round-trip Train Tickets: $80
Cash to buy TTT Merchandise: $200
Other Expenses: $100
Looking my favorite Tenor in the eye and not passing out: Priceless.

I knew no matter how much allowance I get I would never have enough so it's time to start working. Unfortunately, it's so tough for a kid to get a job. I can't get a job because I don't have enough work experience, and I can't get work experience if I don't have a job. That bites. I really want to have the best time this November because this Summer has been crummy. I feel I deserve it for my Senior year. So I've been saving my money, and I got a savings and checking account. I've got $300 saved, but it's not nearly enough. I would buy clothes now, but I've been working out lately (to look good in those pictures, of course), and I don't want to buy awesome clothes that won't fit later. Speaking of working out, I've come to like it. I run at least 1.5 miles on the treadmill everyday, and I do a few sit-ups and push-ups too. I've never been one to be good at running or one to have upper arm strength, but I'm working on it. I have always been really flexible but that doesn't work up a sweat. Darn. Anyway, back to the job thing, I'm getting off track.

After I heard the message, I told my Mommy, and we had one of those "jump-up-and-down-and-squeal" moments. It was a nice ending for a rotten Saturday.

Just a few minutes ago, I called up Armetta's and set up an interview for tomorrow. Wish me luck. I need this for the Tenors, y'all.

I've got nothing left to do today. I'll probably do the dishes, do some laundry, and jump on the treadmill. I really need to start my AP work too. I can't stop procrastinating. At least I don't have AP English work to do. I've decided to take regular English since I want to focus solely on Latin this year. I can't have English confusing me with its English words. It's not Latin! Oh, I just realized how much Latin work I have to do. Great.

So I'm off to make something of this cool, relaxing day. Tschüs!

Don't Dream It's Over

2006-08-20T01:52:00.000-04:00

I've had an epiphany. My dreams suck.

What does the average person dream about? How often do they dream? I randomly sparked a dream conversation with my buddy, Mike, and I have the urge to do some deep "dream-cleaning." While he's off in Snoozeville, having stab-free dreams, I'm sitting here thinking about the one I just had last night. Let's explore that one, shall we?

Unsurprisingly, a couple of random sitcom stars popped into this latest adventure. This time it was Roseanne and Dan Conner. I watch "Roseanne" on a nightly basis so they have full permission to wander through my head. Apparently, they were trying to decide on a new vacation spot for the family. I think they went to a waterpark. It doesn't really matter because truth be told, that took up all of two minutes of this epic dream. I don't want to recall the entire dream, but it mostly consisted of murder and tragedy. The most vivid part of this dream was the murder of a big-time CEO man. He had his throat slit in his office in the middle of the night by a semi-blind serial killer. I know, that sounds really strange. I can say he was semi-blind because the dream was so real. The CEO businessman walked into his office just as this killer destroyed a radio (this radio was broadcasting a warning that there is a killer on the loose). Therefore he didn't hear the businessman enter the room. The businessman didn't know the stranger couldn't see him (the man was looking right at him, but he had a sort of milky film in both eyes) so he tried to escape as quickly as possible. However, this murderer heard the door reopen, and he dashed across the office, grabbed the man from behind, and tore a knife across his throat. A slash of blood ripped across the glass walls of the office, right over this businessman's name. This was the last part of the dream I remember.

What do you think of me right now? For those who don't know me personally, I bet you think I'm some disturbed young girl. But then again, if you do know me, you'd probably think the same thing. Let me set the record straight. I am an incredibly cheerful and optimistic person. I'm very easygoing and friendly. I have many good friends whom I love to make laugh. I enjoy watching old sitcoms, reruns of "Whose Line Is It Anyway," and good episodes of "Saturday Night Live." I listen to all types of music. I like belting out opera arias, pursing my lips and nodding my head to some def rap, and busting out the air guitar for some classic rock. I adore my three parrots and three toy poodles. I love opening the windows on a sunny breezy day and cleaning the house. I painted my room seafoam green and adorned it with lovely pictures of my favorite musicians and famous places. I am an avid collector of Keroppi products. I spend loads of time fraternizing with Forum buddies and learning new things about Germany. I'm not a huge horror movie fan, and I rarely have anything to stress about. I'm perfectly normal, in my opinion. But why do I keep having such dreams? I guess Sweet Dreams aren't made of these. (Two references to 80s 'Dream' songs already! I rock!)

I've had dreams, or rather nightmares, ever since I can remember. My first bad dream involved my vampire parrot infecting my entire family. I had this one when I was about four years old. Seems pretty scary for a kid, but not really. Compared to my dreams of late, that one seems pretty safe. I've had dreams where I've been stabbed, dreams in which I've witnessed many hideous murders, dreams of monsters, ghosts, zombies, curses, killer animals, and even hostile pygmies. You name it. Anything frightening, I've dreamed it ten-times fold. I have dreams every single night, and it's been years since I've had a dreamless slumber. It's almost certain that when I wake up each morning I will have woken up from a nightmare. They don't really affect me or scare the Hell out of me. I just wake up, recall a few parts, and say "Well, that one sucks." However, there have been dreams so terrifying that I wake up in the middle of the night shaking and clutching my blanket. Those dreams make me too afraid to go back to sleep. Luckily, I haven't had one of those for the past year. Still, I don't think it's right for me to be dreaming about such things. I don't think it's fair.

Fortunately, I'm not always bombarded by nightmares. There have been very few okay dreams, though I can only remember a handful. The latest one was about a week ago, I think. It's rather weird and embarassing to say though, but I was glad to have it. This dream puts me back at school in a Latin classroom with a few students. I recognize only one. Weird thing is that he's one of the Ten Tenors. It was Shannon (see post below), and I asked him what level of Latin he was in. He replied, "AP Latin 7," and I was shocked because the highest level is AP Latin 5, which I am currently in. Needless to say, I was enamored with him and demanded that he become my Latin tutor. Now I believe I only had a dream about this Tenor because I spent time talking about him with a German friend of his before I nodded off to sleep. Yet the manner in which he appeared was really weird. Whatever, I was just happy someone didn't die for once. (I'm tempted to throw in a little of Debbie Gibson's "Only in My Dreams," but I can't figure a way of fitting it in.)

However odd that dream was, I wish I had more of them. It's such a drag to be such a happy person when I'm awake and have the most horrifying images when I'm asleep. Luckily, I'm not a crazy person, and I don't think that these dreams are defining something about me.

After all this talk about scary nightmares, I hope I don't sound like a wuss or anything. It's just a normal part of my life, and I'm so used to it that I never really think about them. Although, I do remember a majority of them. Just a heads-up, don't talk to me about dreams if you don't want to hear some dreadful stuff. Just be thankful that I don't talk in my sleep (Possible 80s reference to The Romantics' "Talking in Your Sleep?" I'll take that as a "Yes." Four in one post, that has to be a record!).

Post Scriptum - Anyone else humming "Nessun Dorma" right now?

Dilegua o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All' alba vincerò!
Vincerò! Vincerò!

My Ears Have Something To Say

2006-08-10T02:46:00.000-04:00

What is it about a man's voice that entices my ears so?

I can already tell that this is going to be difficult to explain. Well, there's a reason why I always rant and dote over those singers (Josh Groban, Il Divo, and The Ten Tenors). I know you constantly hear me giggling, "Oh, he's so cute!" and, "I love him!" when I talk about certain singing men, but I hope you know that that actually means very little. Sure, all of those guys are very attractive and have sweet personalities, but it's nothing compared to their voices.

There's just something about a man's voice. I love hearing the male singing voice. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it's deeper, more soothing. Or because its masculinity can be heard through certain words and tones. Perhaps because most men are less expressive than women. Women are much more emotional, and they tend to change tones and emotions as quickly as they blink. I know I do. I think the male voice is not made to change and fluctuate so easily. It's wonderful to me to hear emotion in a man's voice. I think that most men today are so boring and bland. Lots of them are posers and try so hard to be cool, but through music you can easily see through that cloud of ego. There are few men that I have heard such purity and selflessness in their voices. They are simply enchanting. Yes, enchanting. I like that word. It encompasses everything I feel when I listen to them, those baritones and tenors.

Now not all male voices are so enchanting. There are definitely voices I can't stand to hear. Most about every other male artist out there today sucks, for lack of a better word. But those few enchanting voices make everything worthwhile. So few voices are so expressive and masculine simultaneously, and they are incredibly rare to come upon. Specifically, my two favorites voices are, of course, Mr. Josh Groban, and a rather young voice, Mr. Shannon Brown, one of the Ten Tenors. I don't know what I listened to before I heard Josh. I certainly didn't have a favorite singer before him, that's for sure. I remember when I first heard him too. I won't go too much into it, but I remember it literally taking my breath away. That sounds really cliche, I know, but cliches do have much truth to them. His voice is the most original voice I've heard, and it seems almost effortless to him when he sings. He was simply born to sing. Not to be a famous performer, just to sing. That is exactly why Shannon Brown's voice and personality has intrigued me so. I hope I don't offend him, but I see Shannon as a shy fella. From what I've heard, he is very polite and quiet when meeting the fans, rarely saying more than a few words and always quick to leave the crowd. However, on stage he's a completely different person. He's definitely not shy at all, and his voice is just perfect, so full and flawless. With such a combination of pure talent and fiery passion, he's become one of my favorite singers. He just exudes music. Apparently, the boy has so much music in him that he needed more space to express it, and he's become musical director of the Ten Tenors and has many many solos within the group's repertoire. And with all of the compliments and praises that I'm sure he receives daily, you'd expect him to be a total pompous and self-approving jerk. He is, in fact, unusually humble and reserved. Could I ask for anything more in such an artist? One who has an amazing voice and an even more amazing personality. Josh and Shannon have both these aspects, and to me, they have become irresistible because of said things.

I only hope that I don't give off the impression that I only like these singers because I think they're cute or handsome. Don't get me wrong, it's a HUGE plus that these guys are all pretty damn fine, but my ears don't see them. They hear them.

So "Here's to the Heroes," Josh Groban and Shannon Brown.

(Little Silly Stephanie Fact: This post actually took me more than a week to write. I tried my best to express my thoughts on the subject as thoroughly as I could, but I see now that that could never happen. Gah, writing is so difficult!)

Puzzling

2006-08-05T01:11:00.000-04:00

Have you ever finished a jigsaw puzzle?

I have this odd attraction to jigsaw puzzles. When I see a puzzle of a famous landmark or eye-pleasing landscape, I just HAVE to do it. RIGHT NOW! It just clicks in my mind that it needs to be done. The impression that most people have on puzzles is that they are slow, tedious, and boring. They take forever to complete, and they're for little old ladies who think their cats actually like them. Definitely not the case for me though (not only because I don't like cats). When I start a new puzzle, I must finish it as soon as possible. I then glue it to keep its shape and either find a perfect spot for it on my walls or shove it between my mattress to keep it flat and free from dust. It rarely takes me more than a few days to finish a puzzle and display it in all its glory. In fact, I can look around my room and name each puzzle, how many pieces there are, and how long it took to finish. Let's try, shall we?

Time Square Panoramic: 750 pieces, 3 days
Eiffel Tower Panoramic: 750 pieces, 1 day
Taj Mahal: 1000 pieces, 4 days
Statue of Liberty and Capitol Building: 550 pieces, 4 days
Lazio, Rome: 1000 pieces, 4 days
Bavarian Alps: 500 pieces, 1 day
David Beckham: 500 pieces, 2 days

I've got more puzzles hidden somewhere, but those aren't pretty enough to discuss.

Why do I do puzzles, you might ask? My grandmother enjoyed doing puzzles, and she got me doing them when I was very young. However, I forgot all about this joy for many years, but on a recent trip to Thailand, I was bit by the puzzle bug again. Let me explain. In Thailand, people speak Thai. I do not. Ergo I had nothing to do, and no one to speak to (other than my sister, but she's boring). So I found a Harry Potter puzzle and got cracking. Once I finish a puzzle I just have the urge to do another one. It's such an strange feeling that you can't get from doing anything else. When I came back to the States I started doing more puzzles, but one puzzle, one AMAZING puzzle, got me hooked. I somehow found out about "3-D Puzzles." They are the BEST! They aren't the conventional flat puzzles that fall apart easily. 3-D puzzles are foam-supported and look identical to their actual interpretation. My Papi got me my first 3-D Puzzle for Christmas: The 1017 piece Sydney Opera House. It is the most fantastic puzzle, and nothing will ever match its magnificence. I started it Christmas evening and connected the last piece on the morning of December 29th. I stayed up 'til 5 in the Ante Merdiem doting over that puzzle and to finish it put me on such a high.

Cherish its beauty. CHERISH IT!

I know, I know, "Stephanie, you're crazy!" I just can't help myself, and I don't expect any sane person to understand why I do this. I just do.

Just be glad that there aren't any Josh Groban, Ten Tenors, or Il Divo puzzles out there.

The Start of Something Good?

2006-08-02T02:18:00.000-04:00

A Blog.

I used to shudder at the idea of actually having one myself. I always felt that journals were for the weak-minded. The ones who needed a form of keeping their thoughts together as if they were always confused and inconsistent. As if they couldn't keep their mind intact. And online Blogs were a way of letting others read and experience your thoughts, your worries, your troubles, and making them feel sorry for you. To me, these Blogs were for the insecure, attention-hungry teens and adults who never learned to grow up. However, seeing as how I, myself, am writing about Blogs in a Blog right now, my thoughts on that subject have changed.

For Stephanie Lopez, I've decided that Blogs are a release. It's not for me to type down my thoughts and try to make them sensible. It's not for others to read and comment. It's not to inform the latest passerby of my comings and goings. It's just a manner of speaking to myself without looking crazy, and it's also a pretty good way to keep my English skills sharp. Plus, I wouldn't mind a few friends commenting on my thoughts. It's good to get another's opinion sometimes.

With that said, let's see if I like this whole "Blogging" thing. I think I'm liking it already.