SQUEEEEE!!!! Watch this adorable video before continuing. I squirmed with glee when I watched it.

So... Sunday. A lot happened on Sunday. In the morning, I went to the venue of my first kimono-clad tsugaru-shamisen performance. We didn't go on stage until one in the afternoon but we had to be there at eleven for practice and changing. I can wear a kimono on my own, so I went dressed but the four other ladies took forever to change. We had almost no time to practice. Which was a more than little unfortunate. I screwed up badly once, but after that, things went smoothly. I had to lead a harmony and didn't screw it up like I assumed I would. I will post pictures later.

In the evening, we went to the renovated house of some distant relatives. It is big and clean and they bought all sorts of extravagant accessories to match: a GIGANTIC flat screen TV that is in a room that it probably wouldn't fit into if it were put against a different wall (excessive and bad for the eyes) and a ridiculous digital camera. Ridiculous as in $1,000+ lens, $7,000+ body, and $300+ flash, purchased primarily for family snap shots. (What the fuck?!) Here's the kicker. When I asked him if I could take some photos with it, he said that I could borrow it any time and that he was thinking of getting a different one because it is "too heavy."

It's best to think of these things before you buy a camera that's worth more than a used car. I suppose when you're incredibly well endowed, it's less of an issue but... come on.

So now I have a more-than-decent camera to take photos of my portfolio with. I'm planning on setting up a time after school with my art teacher to set up some studio lights, line up my work and take photos to my heart's content. All but one of the colleges I'm applying to accept digital portfolios (on CDs/DVDs) and maybe I can find a way to make slides from a digital original for the one college that doesn't.

I might reconsider the Art Institute of Boston as an option. Just so I can apply to one more college. Ho ho...

Papá! Be prepared to gather tax information at the beginning of 2007 for my FAFSA application. Just being sure to give you fair warning.