Yesterday the site was down cos the server's were down. I didn't notice until the afternoon and emailed InterXstream to ask them about it and within like 3 minutes I got a response! Holy cow. My old provider wasn't able to provide that great of support. I am so glad I changed...this is so much better and I still have craploads of space. Anyway, I am back today!

Yesterday I went over to Chuck's to help tape three rooms and primed them all. We got them all primed before Matt, Sigrid and her friend Jesse left by 11 or so and Chuck had just started to do the edging for the living room. I would have helped more, and possibly today but he said that the red paint was going on a lot easier than the primer and only needed one coat. Cool. So that opens up my day -- and had already been snatched up by Hilary (for part of it). We are going Target so I can get another one of those awesome cherry flavored diet coke fountain drinks. Then take a walk or something afterward?

Then I gotta come back and write an essay "What martial arts means to me" and practice the second form a few times before I head out to conquer the green belt. I also have to sqeeze in a visit to the post office before then so I can send my Mom a letter/package. Now, when I had volunteered a few hours to help organize their files I saw a few of these essays. I use that term loosely....because they were about a paragraph each written on lined notepaper ripped out. Judge? Me? So, I can't do that because I have this idea that I am better that ripped out notepaper and pencil. I need to write a real essay (even if it be short) printed out via computer.

It reminds me of a time I went to Winnebago Youth Leadership Camp back in the summer of 93. I foolishly decided to run for a royalty title (why? I don't know -- I hadn't realized it was that cliquey then?). When I got there, my application was lost ---whew...so I didnt' have to worry about it. But then an old lady found it! And entered me in anyway. Gah. One of the things I had to do was write a speech about what the Youth Leadership camp means to me or whatever. I wrote out a speech in about a half an hour and sat back and waited. Luckily I was the last to go up and boy was I nervous to do that. The other three speeches went as:

"Hi, my name is Shawna Tree Beard, my indian name is Blah blah blah-shep blah-ga. I am fifeteen years old and go to BRF high school. I like horse back riding, soccer, dancing and kittens. I think the Leadership camp is good."

OOOoooookkkkkayyy. So, I went up and since I had nothing else to say other than my speech, I gave it. I riveted every single one of them with my reasons why the leadership camp should exist, how great it was in fostering community and fighting back the attrition of our culture, painting a bright hope for the Ho Chunk future, blah blah blah. At the end of the speech everyone clapped and looked slightly stunned. Man was I embarassed, but I seemed to have won a slight amount respect (lots of people congratulated me on my speech writing skills) - so that I did not finish last...but second to last (out of four). I also won first place in like four other catergories -- so I was a little glad I didn't get first because then I would looked like a piggy. Although that was the only category that the youth could vote on -- meaning all the elders liked me. :)

Anyway, that is what writing this essay feels like. I don't have to try very hard, but I now I am going to --even if it is not that much harder.