Inside the Mind of Bob 

Last Week

Today (Monday the 9th) begins the last full week I'll ever have in high school... (assuming I get my technology credit from English class--I had to write an 8 page argumentative essay... We still haven't seen our grades on them... and if you fail, you need to do it over, FAST.). There's also "Drug and Alcohol" class, which is actually the most fun I have all day... Mr. Sweeney (spelling?) runs it, he's also the baseball coach. He's a real honest guy, a lot of fun, runs an interesting class (though he can't get any help scheduling it, so it's been a joke to most people all year). Sad thing is, if some asshole kids didn't go to it (and come on now... get out of class to go talk about society and behavior and all that good philosophical stuff) and he tries to fail them, it'll start this whole controversy (since you need to pass to graduate), even though they probably SHOULD stay back if they're dumb enough to think it's cool to skip a 'get-out-of-class-free' period. I actually wish it was more often each week (only once or twice as it is)... more interesting than watching movies or playing chess in some of the other classes we're in, or STILL DOING WORK in others--honestly, we already have our class ranks done, I have no finals to do, already took FOUR AP TESTS (Calculus, Spanish, English Language, and American History)... This whole year has been absurd... It's supposed to be the easiest, most fun year of high school, but instead I've only done more work than ever. And now that I've done everything and I'm ready to go hang out with my friends, I have to still do work for a class I've already passed (we even received certificates on awards night giving us English credit at UCONN)... I think it's about time senioritis kicks in and we stop doing work.

And that's about all that's pending before graduation... except my speech, which I'm still working on. I basically used the one I wrote for the English mid-term (was something like 20% of the grade... had to bring it in the day of the test) with some modifications, and other interesting quotes I've picked up here and there. I'd post it... but it's supposed to be 'secret' until graduation (though I'm sure my parents 'accidentally' stumbled upon it on my desktop already... they want me to read it to them too, for practice, but I want to just work on it on my own). It felt really odd sitting in class as Mrs. Pallanti revised my first draft... like that uncomfortable feeling like you screwed something up and someone is looking at you. Not that I don't think it's a good essay, but it doesn't feel comfortable... the whole idea behind the graduation speech is to motivate everyone: get them emotional, happy, excited, nostalgic, etc., but I really don't know how to do it. I feel like just saying in my speech, "Listen everyone, I don't know how to motivate you," and the way my essay is now, it sounds like your run-of-the-mill, heard-it-1,000-times, generic graduation speech. Thinking that, it makes it difficult to say the speech.. since it almost feels like a lie as I try to give people confidence when I've got none of my own.

Anyway, I'll work on it... maybe I'll make a different introduction that says what I really feel. And no, I will not use Mark's idea for my essay -http://wos.blogeasy.com/comment.list.run?blogID=1054784858437

News

Well, I figure I should post more often, so here's the news: Still doing Connecticut Hurricanes Marching Corps, had another day-long practice (like every weekend, except I missed Saturday while helping out with Special Olympics stuff). Almost done with the show... It was officially finished today, but I came in late so I don't know the first half of the first song, and I missed some practices so I don't know the first half of the THIRD song either... not to mention I had to get updated music, so I still don't know all the parts (and I'm missing the music to one of the parade songs entirely, so I kinda just shift around nervously and pretend to play for it). Otherwise, things are going good...assuming I learn the rest of the show soon. Marching is still a lot of fun, and I like the soprano horn too, different sound than the trumpet. Probably need a deeper mouthpiece, since the horn blares if I put too much air into it.

On a side note, I might get scholarship money from the corps; I filled out the application for the "educational" based scholarship (there's merit or educational). I've gotten a lot of scholarships so far, but college is EXPENSIVE, and I could certainly use the extra help.

First Post

Ok, I suppose for starters I should define the name pRimpinbob for everyone, since someone ALWAYS asks eventually (like Strong Bad's typing with boxing gloves or something).

Setting: Marching Band Competition
Girlfriend: "I sent you an airgram today, listen for it!"
(*Note*: airgram written: "Bob, big pimpin'!")
Me: "Ok."
Old Clueless Airgram Announcer Dude: "To Bob: you're a big prim pin!"

And that's the name that stuck....

Though I also was given the nickname Pornstar, since my real name, Bob Lively, sounded rather suggestive...

And I got the nickname "Harvard" early on from a classmate who thought I was exceptionally smart (and he took the liberty to name himself "Yale" as well). Others have started to refer to me as "Tufts" now, since that is the school I'll be attending this September.

...And this concludes this session of the history of Bob's nicknames.