TEH GRADUATED!

So yesterday morning I took the school bus to school to be briefed on graduating, assigned seats, and told all the things we couldn't do/wear.

Then we got our sexy Polyphonic Spree/gospel choir/graduation robes. & our caps & tassles. Plus prom DVD 2K5, copies of the last Abingtonian, etc. Sienna & I went back to her house to watch the prom DVD, which was pretty much the most boring thing of my life. Except for five seconds of me being a sexy dancer and sticking my tongue out at the camera. CLASSIC.

And then I went home and prepared. Practiced my speech in front of a mirror a few times. [Except the only full-length mirror in the house is in my parents' walk-in closet, which is upstairs, and thus wretchedly hot. So I was on the scantily clad side as I rehearsed.] And I recorded it on my laptop and played it back to see if I inadvertently sounded like a valley girl/complete losar. I mostly didn't. Except for the part where I fumbled Morocco. But that didn't happen in the real speech, don't even worry.

And I showered, angsted about what to wear, attempted to blow dry my hair, made up my face, got dressed, etc. Then Abington high school ho, for sign in and bus loading.

Bus ride down Broad wasn't bad. Sat with some cool kids. And then hung out in the basement of the Liacouras Center for a bazillion years, and finally put my dumb gown & hat on. [Tolly cramping my style.]

Then we all marched out and I got to sit on the stage, so everyone could see when I made sure my hat wasn't falling off every five seconds//bent down to put things/get things out from under my seat. There should be a way to differentiate slashes in that last sentence. 'cause the second slash isn't as important as the first slash. You know how when you listing complicated phrases, you use semicolons as supercommas? There should be an equivalent for slashes. Like maybe a double slash or something. In fact, I'll go back and do that. Hold on. Excellent.

Anyway, I sat on the stage as the madrigals & orchestra [or KESS tra] did their music thing. And then Dr. Burt did his monotone talking thing. And then it was Paul Muller, el valedictorian, and then me. And I started to get a little physically nervous as he was talking. You know, stomach being all tension-filled & the like. But when I actually walked up to the podium and started speaking, I wasn't really nervous at all. I feel like I was more nervous when I had to practice in the empty auditorium with just McCuen and the other speakers.

So the non-nervousity was a pleasant surprise. And after I read my speech, in what has been called a "crisp" voice [but not my soap opera voice, which I used, according to Allie Berry, to read my piece about citizenship for the NJHS induction a few years ago]. And everyone cheered, and later, everyone said such nice things, so I'm glad I got to do that.

And then there were the elected speakers, and then the diploma case handing out, which I participated in, by handing stacks of them down the line to the superintendent. And then finally we stage residents got our empty diploma cases, the superintendent said a few words, Dr Burt said a few words, a kid ran across the stage without a shirt and got tackled by security, and then we pretty much peaced out. And even though we were like the last people to walk in, we were the first out, cha-ching!

So I got to talk to some teachers & fellow Graduates [it just needs to be capitalized], and then my family finally found me, and after a million years in the parking garage, we went to the Moshulu for dinner. It was really pleasant, the food was delish, & we got to explore the ship. Teh win.

And finally, circa midnight, we finally left the Captain's table, and travelled home down Broad Street, 'cause I had to pee, but every gas station ever was locked, so after hopping out of the car and running up to tug on about a gazillion different doors [some random black guy driving by called 'gorgeous' out the window on one occasion \m/], I decided it would be faster to just go straight home and hold it.

So I did. And now I'm graduated. Because this morning I returned my cap & gown and received an actual diploma. Don't be jealous.

PS: Due to the dedication of Lin's dad, there are some spesh pics of me available for viewing on la Internetadora. Highlights include me looking possessed, me sitting down when everyone's supposed to be standing up, and me apparently cracking myself up during my own speech. Don't ask, 'cause I don't even know. But apparently something was really amusing. Or maybe I was just being friendly? I guess it's good that I remembered to smile. . .