9/21/10 Scarredy Cat

    So its been awhile, I know. I have been so busy ever sense school started. There is always something going on after school. Its either work, or band, or something else. I have been so busy that I haven't even seen life go by. I try to grab as much time with my friends as I can, but surprisingly I haven't hung out with one of my good good friends yet, well sense summer. Which is sad, I know last friday three of them all hung out but I wasn't invited. Maybe they thought I was working. I did get to hang out with other people though.
   Like last weekend after work I went to Weary Rd after work with three school friends. Weary Rd is supposedly a haunted road near Stoughton. It is very creepy. But nothing really happened except a black cat kept running in front of the car and we saw a dead raccoon next to the deadly bridge ( the raccoon is supposedly a special thing idk). I still screamed alot and was very scarred. This went until 12am. I have been staying up that late alot lately when hanging out with people. The night seems to be more fun for us teenagers. Yah know?
   Also I met this German foreign exchanged student. His name is David, he is so nice. We started really talking for the first time after jazz band ( yes I did make it into jazz band) anyways we were talking on our way home, which was in the same direction. We stopped at a corner where we go our separate ways and ended up talking for two more hours. Then we practiced after school one day, a little later we went for a bike ride. After the bike ride we practiced our saxes outside while dinner was being made. He asked if I wanted to do an improv war; this is when you go back and forth of what ever improv comes to your head. The first few times I was quite and unsure, then out of know where this new sound came out of my sax, it was jazzy and loud, and gave me chills. I think after that moment playing the sax has changed for me. I don't know how to explain it but its just different. After dinner I got him his first slushy; he loved it. We walked all around town just talking and talking and talking. He even took some pictures of the two of us. He loves photography and taking hardcore photos. Two things that he did was make night look like day and make us able to appear in a photo twice. We probably walked around Stoughton 3 times that night, until he had to go at around midnight and so did I. Today I went with him to St.Vinnies to pick out a homecoming shirt for the annual homecoming dance. My friend Becca likes him and asked him to go. I think it is so sweet that their going together. Though this is his first school dance and the dancing is a little grimy I believe he will do ok.

One of the picture David and I took. As you see it looks like day
at 10 at night and we are in the picture twice. Kase! 

    This sunday David wanted to go to a Jazz Jam thing in Madison. I had no idea really what it was but he asked if I go with him. If it wasn't for him I would have probably been too chicken to go. My dad drove us there. I had no idea what to expect but what I did see what not what I expected. The place was located in the middle of a coffee shop. There was a piano, a drum set, a amped up base, and a amp for a base guitar or regular guitar. They were all jamming out, so David, my dad, and I got a coffee and sat down. After a bit a guy started talking and told the audience what was going on. Apparently we sign up for the piece that we were to jam out to ( our was called cjam blues) and when our name was called we play the head of the piece then improv in front of a coffee house full of people. I was so nerves and had no idea what I was doing. When I improved I played some wrong notes ( notes that were not in the blues scale) and ended too early. Then we went for another round with a extra song we knew, I got a little better but was sill iffy. The third song was a song that the only other high schooler that was there other than David and I, knew and we didn't know the head but we knew the scale so we just improved from that. David is great at playing the sax, he can really get a solo going, I hope his greatness rubs onto my playing in the future. The whole experience was so amazing and I can't wait to try again and get better at improv.
     I think just facing my fears is going to make me a stronger person. I was scared to go to Weary Rd but I did it. I screamed a few times but I lived and still had a fun time. I was even more scarred when I stood up and played in front a random people at a coffee house but I think that made me a better player. I was also scarred when I went on my first real big roller coaster when I was in NY this summer and I ended up loving that. Its like punching through and glass window, you come out with a few cuts but at least your anger is gone.
     Talk to you next time, whenever that may be.
                    ~Nat