Obsessions- It's amazing to me how quickly then can appear and how quickly they can disappear. And when it finally leaves, you really don't notice that it's gone until someone close to you asks you about it. I look back and realize the large number of obsessions I've had over the years, from hot pockets to converse, being a tom boy to what I want to do in the future. It's astounding how quickly a year goes by and how it shapes you into a different person. I mean in 7th grade all I wanted to do was be one of the guys. I dressed like a guy, wearing my clothes 2 sizes too big and then finally cutting my hair short and. I also wanted to go into automotive and wood construction as my major in college. Now 4 years later I plan to major in theater/ directing and possibly pull a double major in technical theater and a minor in creative writing or speech. I know where I'm going to school after Valley and I know what I want to do with my life. I'm dressing more girlish than ever, not Abercrombie preppy, but I guess as some would put, more appropriate for my figure and activities. I look back and I think how easily all that changed. It wasn't 2 years ago where I was sure I was going to Simpson to major in Music and minor in Education. Where I am in life right now, I'm happy with. I hope that it doesn't change for me. I'm happy and I want to stay that way.

~Until Then

Here's a few photos from the valentines dance. It was fun an the decorations were really sweet. PS- Pie at Perkins at 1:30 am is an experience. You should try it some time. I'm not kidding.

Nick and A Martinin
Best Buds
Pretty
Love Forever

HOLY FREAKING CRAP!! THIS IS AMAZING!!! GO VALLEY!! TWO YEARS IN A ROW BABY!!

Okay so I haven't posted in well over a month. Deal with it. Nothing much has happened that was blog worthy. Christmas, great. Thanksgiving, sucked balls. New Years, who knows. I guess this is my 'fuck it' post. Who cares? You didn't write it, and you don't have to keep reading it. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Whine. Whine. Whine. So 2006? Hell of a lot better than 2005 that's for sure. 2007? Who knows. 365 more glorious days to screw myself over in various situations and then somehow manage to wiggle my way out of it with only minor scars, hopefully. So I here I sit, the middle of my junior year with a threatened GPA, cold toes, and a glass full of eggnog. Yea I look back on 2006 with some pretty damn fond memories of what happened. Did some sweet things, met some cool people, did things that I probably shouldn't have. Do I regret it? Not one fucking bit. I chose to do the things that I did, and I don't hold any deep dark twinges in my heart/soul. Wouldn't trade any of it. If you're reading this to find out some deep dark secret, tough luck. But I bet if you dug deep enough in the halls of Valley, you could probably find what you're looking for. It's not that hard, I mean is practically graffitid all over the auditorium. Something happens to people, and they flip. Holy shit, it's the end of the world. There goes their reputation right down the fucking drain, right? Wrong. There's life after high school, believe it or not. Yea I was in the whole 'rep down the drain' boat about 10 months ago, but then I found people who didn't care what I did, said, thought, etc. That helped, a lot. Hmm, maybe that's why I'm neck deep in a 10 month relationship with the best thing that's ever happened to me. Who knows? Screw what I've done, said, thought, etc. I don't care, judge me. I mean how many people actually see beyond the purple hair and high tops? I'll never know. 'It's the real thing that keeps me hanging on.' I'd be surprised if you're still reading this, congrats. Bitch Bitch, Whine Whine.
~Until Then

I truly despise the holiday of Thanksgiving. I have my own reasons, not to ruin anyone else's. I don't think I'll enjoy Thanksgiving, until I have a family of my own. Hooray for not spending Thanksgiving with my family.
~Until Then

Okay so last night was my first real practice for solo mime and improv. I thought I had signed up for solo mime and improv, but apparently I signed up for 3 hours of aerobics an physical training. I'm not kidding, I had a slight sweat when I left both of my events. Gross, yea. But Mr. Clausen is working me to no end. If you look on the drama board, it says "Pichler- Pirate Mime". That's all I'm going to say about it until parents night. It's really amazing, and I've got most of it worked out so far. Just have to tackle the hard stuff next week. Improv was pretty much amazing last night. When I first saw my name on the list, I was disappointed. I really wanted to be in Choral Reading or Musical Theater, but as the day wore on I was pumped for the rehearsal. Last night there were 6 of us, plus 2 directors. The freshmen actually work really hard, and they were really good last night for their first time for IHSSA. I've also noticed, that within those two hours, how I hard I was working on my technique and form. Yea, we didn't do any skit work, but our group activities and character walks really helped. I'm looking forward to this year. Can anyone say All State??
~Until Then

It's done with....Finally!!!
I'm not going to do a whole big post on the Laramie Project, I'm worn out and I'm neck deep in a massive writing assignment. So here are the top 10 things I've learned/experienced by being a part of The Laramie Project
1. It's a lot of work to do a mowhawk
2. It's a lot of work to do a 4th show
3. Some guy recognized me as Buzzard Fishbeck...akward
4. I'm losing my hair...slowly
5. WBC is very unimpressive
6. Parents should never be on Tech...they ruin my words
7. Hauling all of your own costume pieces to school, means you have to haul them all back.
8. Freshmen.
9. Hearing the sound of a full house applause is orgasmic
10. Tech has its benifits
~Until Then

*NOTE: This is one of those life realization posts so yea, okay.
On Tuesday, I went to go pick up my sister from 6th grade. I walked in about 5 minutes before the bell rang, so I sat down on a bench and just sorta looked around at what was familiar and what wasn't in that school. A few minutes later, a group of 1st graders came walking down the hall from Art Class. These small children wandering down the hall behind their teacher carrying their pencil boxes and sketchbooks. They're so small. I can't believe that at one point, we were that small as well. It's bizzare. And to think from that a 1st grader's point, they still have 11 years before they graduate. We have 1. One year! Where did our childhood go? What happened to nap time and staying out of the sweets jar before dinner? Where did they go? It just seems to me that this time has passed us by so fast, we're never going to get it back. Then yesterday I went on a college visit to ISU with Nick. The campus is gorgeous! We got a tour of some of the main halls and then went into one of the residence halls and had a pretty yummy lunch. When we got to ISU, we watched a Power Point about why you should come to ISU and all the benifits and acceptance things there are at ISU. I was blown away. I had always thought that I would never want to go to a State school, simply because they were too large. I didn't want to feel like a number. So I had my heart set on Simpson. More expensive = less crowded. But that power point pretty much convinced me that I wanted to go to ISU and what they had to offer me, was more than anything I could ever hope for in a University. I talked with two teachers there on campus, one in music and one in theater. From about 8th grade, I've always wanted to do something in music, but not major in it. Well music eduaction is only a major, but the lady told me that out of the 900+ students invloved in the music programs, only about 130 were music majors/minors. My passion for music will never die, but I need to persue my love of theater. Before I left the Music Hall, I listened to the State's Men's Choir. It was fantastic!! I've never heard a sound like that! And a guy that I was talking to before class, was a history major. It was very cool. After I left the hall I headed to Pearson Hall to talk with Jane Cox about theater. She then pretty much convinced me that I was definantly coming to ISU. The theater program there is fantastic. They do 9 shows a year and they have a family so you don't feel like a number there. Yay!! And they have exactlly the major I want with a few empahsis in Directing, Acting, and Technical Theater. Then a minor in Performing Arts. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Help others discover the joys of theater. Two years ago, I was sitting there as a freshmen thinking, "Pssht, I've got 4 years left of High School." Now I'm thinking "Man this is what I want to do with my life. This is who I wan't to be. Here's how I make that happen." So whether you're carring a penical box and crayons, 1000 Page text books and binders, or persuing your Major, it's all the same thing. Make the most of what you have, reach for your dreams, and don't let and moment be meaningless.
~Until Then

This is a real word in the German language, you can even ask Frau Marasco. It has something to do with the occupation of a widow's late husband.
Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitatenhauptbetriebswerk-bauunterbeamtengesellschaft.

Lesson Plan
Twelve plus years we spend in school
Only to fall asleep in our texts books
And wake up in a puddle of our own drool.
“Open you books to chapter ten.”
And read through this material
Just so that we can forget it all over again.
“Your homework is to take notes over twenty-two.”
Then write a 70 page paper
On how salt reacts with glue.
But somehow they always seem to forget to mention
That if we don’t turn it in,
We should prepare ourselves for five hours of detention.
As weeks grow by our minds get weary
Staying up until dawn
To study for the killer test in Theory.
Slowly you seem to crash and burn
People seem to notice
But of course there is no where safe to turn.
Thoughts of terror run through your head
Wouldn’t the world be better
If one morning you turned up dead?
Your parents stopped giving you kisses and hugs
So now you must begin
To rely on alcohol and drugs.
One day your teacher wishes to see you ‘after class’
“Oh great”, you think
“God I hate this teacher, he’s such an ass.”
“Something is wrong, what can I do?”
You stand there glaring and thinking
“Shut the hell up, I’ve got no dealings with you.”
But instead you smile say
“It’s just stress, that’s all.”
And then continue on your way.
You reach deep inside and pull out a smile somehow
Your teacher seems satisfied
But perhaps just for now.
You walk a bit drudgingly slow
Far from behind you hear
“I’m always here for you, you know.”
Thinking now how you hate him so
And in the single instant
Hatred in your heart begins to grow.

Home is where the heart is, or so they say
If that saying is true
Then why do you push everyone there, away?
Finally you just can’t seem to take it anymore
So one night you take a rope
And hang it high above the family room floor.
You slip it on and tighten the noose
Breathing very fast
Praying that it doesn’t come loose.
Your heart begins to beat unbearably fast
You stand on a chair
Hoping that the pain doesn’t last.
But as you do so you glance to your right
To notice the family portrait
Sitting so peacefully in the fluorescent light.
Thinking of all the people you’ll hurt
You loosen the rope
And wipe your tears on your shirt.
You sleep hard that evening
And head off to school that next morning
You’re glad to see that for you, there is no grieving.
All through the day you’re undeniably joyful
With friends all around you seem to find
That you’re no longer depressed or doubtful
While sitting in down in period five
You look around you
Thankful to be alive
Once again after class your teacher pulls you aside
Before he says anything
He notices that you’ve already cried.
“Is there anything you must say or do?”
You’ve got one thing to say
“Thank you.”
~Pichler

My best friend in the whole entire world has broken up with her boyfriend of almost 11 months. I love her dearly, but sometimes I really do question her judgement and actions. But then again we as a society do that to everyone whether we want to acknowledge that or not. Alex is a friend dear to my heart, but I don't know what he's going to do. He loved her. I mean he really loved her like no one else before. It's hard to explain, but I think my friend just was never in love with him as he was her. Yes I do know more than what I'm saying, but I'm not saying anything else. No I didn't know that she was going to do this. It came as a complete shock to me when I heard it from Alex. I love them both, but this is rather strange and in a way my heart was broken as well.
~Until Then

Finally, what most of us have been waiting for.

I quit my job at Panera last night. I was so fed up with doing dishes, all the time. Everytime I would walk into work, I wouldn't even have to check the assignment sheet to see where I was scheduled. If there was a gigantic pile of dishes and trays in the back, then I new that I was on dishes, as normal. I was starting to get fed up with Panera. The entire summer I probably averaged 3 days a week at Panera. Out of the summer, I was on cash reg. 4 times. You do the math, that's an ass load of dishes.The last 3 times I went into Panera were unbearable. I teared up the 1st time when I saw I was on dishes, I was just mildly frusterated, the 2nd time I came in I actually shed a few tears because I was angry, the final time I walked into Panera as an associate, I broke down and became red in the face. After doing a trash run, I sat down outside and cryed for 10 minutes. Not becuase I was sad, because I was overly frusterated and mad at my Boss. I then called my dad and asked if I could resign from my job. He said that I had his approval. I then preceeded to tell my manager. I coudl barely expalin to him why I wanted to quit without crying. He told me why I was never on cash reg. It's because somehow my drawer was always off by a few cents the 4 times I worked cash reg. That furiated me! Why can't you tell me that?!?!?! Then just have me focus a little bit more on what I'm doing. He gave me a paper and then I wrote down why I wanted to quit. "While working for Panera, I have always seemed to find self in Back of House doing the multitude of dishes. People who have worked here longer than me have said themselves that they have never done dishes. When I began working for Panera, they said that they were an Equal Oppourtunity employeer. What I've experienced while working for Panera definantly was not equal oppourunity. If I was doing something wrong while working up front, I would have like to have known about it, not just be shut into the back, sent there only to clean up the mess that you've created. That's not how a company should function."
~Until Then

Geschwindigkeitsbeschrankung- German for Speed Limit
~Until Then

Summer Stats!
I've...
..dyed my hair 14 times
..spent 16 hours flying
..spent 57.2 hours road tripping
..consumed 71 bowls of cereal
..spent 25 days on vacation
..purchased 4 new pairs of shoes
..put 2,314 miles on the jeep
..spent 4 hours lost in the woods
..been sick for 17 days combined
..washed 946 dishes at Panera
~Until then

So it's come down to the last say of summer...
..that's kind of hard to believe. I mean about 96 or so days ago we were just finishing up our last day of sophomore fun, (yea right). We're all going to be juniors next year, and for me it looks to be the hardest year ever. This is where is counts. We pretty much have to start getting on the track of what we want to do with the rest of our lives!! We all rigth now might have some idea that we've been tossing around in our heads, but it's time to start finalizing all of the minor details. I'm looking forward to school, I really am. I love being busy with all of the drama activities. Able to wander back into the auditorium (which is still a cancer threat). I love filling my time with things like that. It's who I am. No, I don't know what next year holds for me, but I do know that I'm going to make the most of it. Doesn't that make sense? I mean I watch those people who have like 4 classes and just breeze through the day! How can one do that? I mean why not accept the free education that we have now and make the most of it, as where in 2 years we/our parents will have to chuck out an arm and a leg just so we can make a future for our selves. That's just stupid for people to pass up so many amazing chances for them to discover what they love. I just don't understand people some times. On a slightly different school note, my boyfriend Nick for those of you who know him, he's going tobe a senior. My best friend Elena is in the same boat with McDevitt. All of us find it rather weird that it's their last year at school. I mean you never really think that you'll make it that far. Think about it in 2nd grade, we still had 10 years of school left. 10 years!! That's a a really long time when you're like 8 or 7. It's weird to think about. I know that when he goes off to college next year, I'll still be able to see him and everything, but I won't be able to see him around school during the day. But it's his last year, I want to make everything perfect for him. Just so he look back and say that he had one hell of an amazing senior year. That's why this summer we hung out a lot. I knew that once next summer hits, it'll be a different story. Another reason why I loved this summer better than any other summer. It went by faster but not too fast. But it's almost over with and we've got less than 24 hours to get all of our summer plans done.
~Until Then

My friends really need to stop invading my dreams
Last night, or early this morning, whatever you prefer, I had a multitude of dreams. It started out as a nice day where I was headed to the beach with Elena and Theresa. Not too bad, they're some of my good friends so what the hell why not?? Well anyways we were just chilling when this rather large and rather ugly girl comes up to me and we start to exchange insults. Things then progressivly worse from there. Enter Mary, Thomas, Drew, Kyle M., Jordan, and Thane. All of whom are wearing some rather thick teal green coat that goes down to their knees. They were talking to some one who looked rather important, while this chick named El and I began to fight. They dissapeared. Well what dream wouldn't be complete with out a secret lair?? I some how ended uyp in this large dome shaped room and I was now on a mission, all though I can't remember what happened. I next found out what the 6 of my friends were doing. They had signed up to ride underwater in this large blue nylon thing that looks like one of those childrens play tubes, although about 200 ft long. There was a second shorter are protruding from the right to let air out but not let water back in. They were off and they sunk lower into the water. Well somehow I ended up in the tube next to the mean girl who was also on the journey. I broke her nose in some sort of a slow-mo fight scene. She called me a bitch and so forth. Jordan and Thomas showed up and Thomas began to lecture us on how the color purple doesn't really exist and that we should all stop using our opposable thumbs. (somehow those 2 subject went together) Jordan was just standing there and mimed what Thomas would talk about. Needless to say, it didn't work too well. *Pichler wakes up due to annoying beeping from phone and reads text message* Dream part 2. I am no longer at the beach or in the blue tube, I am now on a giant board of Risk. Ever play the game? Neither had I until yesterday when Nick made me play it. Well if you haven't played it, the objective is simple, invade other countries while protecting your own, and try to gain the most. Normally one plays with small plastic soilders but of course my friends and I had replaced these playing pieces with ourselves. Mary, Thomas, Jordan, Thane, Kyle M., Drew, Amanda, Elena, Theresa, Nick, McDevitt, Big Kyle, Marti and Myself, were now on this giant Risk board in the middle of Downtown Chicago near a subway station. After the 1st roll of the die, all hell breaks loose! Thomas, Nick, and Big Kyle start to duke it out over Russia. Elena and Theresa wrestle of Australia. Drew, Thane, and McDevitt fight to the death in Brazil. Mary, Jordan, Kyle M., and Amanda are blowing the brains out of eachother down in South Africa. But Marti and I just stand on Alaska watching everything, people are loosing limbs and sanity. I roll the die again, but this time everything stops, and once again in slow-mo everyone watched as both die bounce down into the hobo-infested subway/sewer system of Chicago. Everyone stares around in horror. We can't play on with out the die. So we split up into 2 teams. Nick, McDevitt, Marti, Amanda, Thane, Thomas, and Jordan on one team. Elena, Mary, Big Kyle, Kyle M, Drew, Theresa, and Myself on another. Jordan whips out an old school style beat box and breaks it down. We all then head down ths stairs after the die. My team hears the beat box as it slowly fades away into the distance after the other die. But then we hear a large beeping sound and it gets lounder and louder before I realize that's my phone and I wake up only to learn that Nick's train is running late. After that I couldn't fall back asleep. Sorry guys. Maybe someone could write a story or a decent ending.
~Until Then

Complicated Days

On Wednesday I worked at my church's state fair stand for about 10 hours with Nick for volunteer hours. It was so much fun! Talking to all the people that travel from state to state showing their prized bulls and horses. It really shows a bit of a life that few of us here have ever experienced. But one guy in particular really took interest in talking to me. I decided to dye my hair an insane red once again cause I was getting very sick of the blondeish color, well I forgot that my church makes us wear a visor/cap that is about 1 shade away from my hair color. I got a lot of comments on how I dyed my hair to match the state fair cap. Ugh. Not my intention. Oh well. But this guy found it so cool that he deicided to give me the nickname of Big Red. Yes like the gum. But the gum didn't have red hair shooting from the top now did it? Oh well but he was so funny about. He went on that I should make my own crayon color and other random crap. He just really made my long humid day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well the day after the state fair, Nick took me with his parents to go look for a car for him. He ended up getting a 1994 red corsica. I don't like much except for the fact that the car is inside and out some shade of red. Yay!! But if it just gets him around this year, and to school, well then it's a car. He'll get a new one before he goes to college. So he suppost to pick it up sometime today. Well later that night we decided to go make s'mores at Gray's Lake in Des Moines. It's our favorite spot at night. If you ever been down there past sunset, do you know the lights on the bridge? Their different colors and it's just entrancing to look at them as the reflect off the water. Well we brought out bag of coals, s'more sticks, marshmellows, chocolate, grahms, and a lighter. After messing with the grill to get it open we put a hand full of coals in it and try to light it. But the damn lighter took 4 min. just to get a spark out of it. Then the coals woudln't light, so we tryed lighting the bag on fire. Obviously a bag of coals comes in a fire resistant bag. Duh! We then tried to light the coals in the bag see if they would catch. Apparently quick starting coals have an experation date. Who'd a thunk it?? So we decided to eat the smores cold. And of course the humid evening air had practically melted our chocolate. And of course to make matters worse, we chose the one night that an extremly obnoxious guy with an air horn decided to show up drunk with his buddies and he blew the damn thing every 5 minutes. Then surprise surprise, I got sick. What a wonderful day.
~Until Then

~School Schedule~
EB- U.S. History w/ Broderick
Uhm don't know anything about this teacher so yea...

1st- Alg. 2 Trig B w/ Cooley
Heard that I'll love him, so we'll have to see on that

2nd- Chemistry w/ Christansen
Once again, I don't know anything about this teacher

3rd- A Capella w/ Vanderpool
I love Mrs. Vanderpool. She's a wicked sweet teacher!

4th- Radio I w/ Mikels
Hrmm, I also love Mikels! But I can't take Radio II due to crappy schedule issues
B Lunch According to my schdule

5th- Early Brit Lit w/ Schebel
FREAKIN SWEET ASS TEACHER

6th- Creative Writing w/ Schebel
See previous statement

7th- German II w/ Marasco
Sadly this is her last year, bummer. She's a really nice German teacher.

8th- OFF PERIOD!!!

~Until Then