January 1, 2002
Last night was the dinner dance. I must say that I didn't want to go at all. Before we left, Aoibh got her leg cast off (actually, way before we left.). She should have been happy, but she was even more angry than usual. She stormed about the house shouting profanity (Mom and Da weren't home). She even kicked over a chair, and nearly burned her solo dress, but I pulled it away from her, and hid mine.
Turns out that after she got back, her boy friend Todd called to break up with her. Well, I hated him anyway. He was Gothic (not that there is anything wrong with Gothic stuff), but he believed he was a 'Lord of the Night', so I used to call him Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance, and it always made him happy (which scared the bloody daylights out of me), but it always ticked Aoibh off.
Anywho, he was a real Nick off of 'Family Ties', except no purple belt, and not once once of niceness in him.
But that's besides the point. Anywho, so Aoibh was in a bloody rampage yesterday, and when Mom and Da came home, she was grounded immediately (upon seeing my solo and her solo crammed in my closet, and me locked in my room, fearing for my life.
Well, I was rather depressed when I arrived with my family; Gran-Da and Grandmother Connelly, Mom, Da, Aoibh, Fi and Seámus.
We sat down and received lovely gifts, like a t-shirt, and a beautiful medallion with a box that opens to reveal the solo dancers (the picture featured on the magazine cover).
I sat with my family, and the grumbling Aoibh (who refused to eat, saying it would "tangle up my essence" - how overly dramatic and ridiculious.) in the dark for quite some time. I would rather have been in my poodle socks and solo dress with my hair in a wig and a crown on top. Of course I got to in the Parade of Champions, but that's another story.
Well, I sat and sat, feeling utterly sorry for myself, and wishing I was dead and gone, when out of nowhere (particularly since it's dark and hard to see) Reese came up to me with her friend Meg (an awfully nice girl!) who had been on a trip to Europe. We chatted for a bit, but then it was time for the awards, and I groaned to myself that I didn't want to get up there.
They went last to first (unusual), so I was third to get up there.
Andrea looked at me about three times while holding the trophie. I smiled only a couple times, for bowing and for the picture, but I'm sure I looked idiotic, which I figured was why Andrea was looking at me.
After the awards, we changed into our solo dresses (which I would have been delighted to wear for the rest of the night) and lined up for the Parade of Champions. It was quite fun, I'll admit. I danced so incredibly well. I'm sure that if I had danced like that during the WebOireachtas Sets, that I would have placed higher, but I don't mind my placing.
After that, we bowed, and I got my wishbook (somehow it got lost in the shuffle, and mine wasn't rescued) I read over the entries, and skimmed down looking for my family's, but I skimmed too far, and came across Andrea's. I figured it would be some stuck up entry about how she won and was so grateful and yadda yadda yadda, but I saw my name. Inside, I was freaked, but I read on:
A win at the WebOireachtas does not equal one Reese and One Cáitlín. I’m sorry it took me so long to realise that, and I hope you can forgive me. – Andrea
I almost had to get out the Kleenex, but then I remembered we didn't have any, and I held back my emotions. Then Reese and I went to find her. I still told her I was going to quit. Andrea got a horrified look on her face, and told me not to (a lot, actually - there was a five minute discussion on that). After that, she apologized, and we finally forgave her. We hugged, and a photographer caught it on film. We posed again.
When midnight struck, I didn't even watch the ball drop. I was too busy thinking to myself what wonderful friends I have.
Cheesy enough for you?
Afterwards, we all posed for a group picture. Reese was really really happy when she left that night. She won't tell what happened yet, but I have my ideas.
January 2, 2001
The January Webfeis is already here! I have been practicing for a while.
Aoibh is still sulking about her break-up. I want to kick her, but I'm not supposed to.
I'd like to go spy on this old house that's tucked back waaay into the forest, but Mom won't let me go out there yet. Aoibh, Mom and Da are going out to dinner for Aoibh's Oireachtas next weekend, and I'm hoping to invite some people over and explore.
I'm getting my stitches out in two weeks, which makes me very excited. I'm very tired of my bandage.
Class starts again this weekend! We've been on break. School starts again, too. NOT fun.
Guess what?! Reese has been approached by Mr. John Cumbrae of the Cumbrae Academy! The most prestigious Irish dance academy! She's going to talk with him this weekend! How exciting for Reese!
January 5, 2001
The last of my 103821938752 relatives left today, but so did Fi and Seámus, which was kinda sad, because it made Aoibh and I the babies, and Aoibh was treated accordingly! Which is even worse if you're eighteen.
Guess whose birthday it is? And guess who's not getting a ding dang thing? ME!
It's nearly five, and no suprise party, no presents - I know I know. This is the ol' "they forgot my birthday", but it's nearly true! My birthday was YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that my stitches are out (yes, I got them out yesterday - happy birthday to me!), I'm going to hit up Mom for a party. It's only fair.
Ooh, thunder! Rain rain rain! I love the rain.
Okay, plans:
I am going out to the old shack out in the woods and I'm going to fix it up a bit. I'd like sleepover (see if Mom agrees to that! HA!) out in the shack. When I was ten I had one out there with Aubrey and my other friend Rosette, and we had a terribly frightening night! But it was so much fun!
Maybe I should say something about the shack. It's actually an old old cottage. There is an attic that I have been attempting to get into for the past million years, because once we saw something up there. There are tattered "curtain" type rags on one of the windows, and an old fire place, that is cracked and not usable. There is a well in the back, that Aubrey and I figured it was a faery well (that's how we titled it), and we planted a flower garden around it once. The flowers are all dead now, but it was fun when we did it the first time. There are three rooms in the cottage. I've been into two (not including the attic). The third room is locked with an old style lock, and even when we pried it off, something was blocking the doorway, so it wouldn't open (as the door opened in).
It's my absolute favorite place, and I must say I love it, thought Old Lady Ludwig told me it was haunted. Please.
She said that a hundred years ago, twin girls lived with her mother. They were about fourteen, and one night, their mother went mad, locked her daughters in the attic, and then threw herself out the attic window into their pond, where she drowned. Her daughers, Fiona and Jennica, were found a year later, "rotten to the bone, but their hair and blue satin ribbon ribbons still intact." That's what Mrs. Ludwig says. She's a real looney, if you ask me. She lives alone and doesn't get enough visitors.
Now that I have my plan, I must tell Mom. I think I shall invite Meg (she's really nice, and doesn't have as many friends because she just got back from Europe), Reese, Andrea, and a new friend of mine named Maire, who I just met as well.
None of them know about the cottage! I'll go ask now - YES! I can! Of course!
Now to call them. All I'll mention is that we're going to be sleeping in a place that sleep is hard to find :) I like to be overly dramatic and mysterious sometimes.
January 20, 2002
My birthday pary was two and some odd weeks ago. It was quite a hoot of a party! First of all, we were all inside the old cottage. I was sort of afraid, but since I had been in the cottage so many times before, I really didn't have much to worry about. I exchanged lovely horror stories about it, when suddenly I heard a noise from upstairs. We immediately jumped up and we joked about how the door has been locked, and how funny it would be if it opened. Guess what?
It opened.
We hurried up the stairs. I was so afraid that bolts of nervous energy were coming out of me, and I just ran. We split up and looked around. A few minutes later I heard Reese scream, and I turned around. There were two frightening ghosts. We screamed and ran downstairs. As I left I thought I heard someone laugh.
That's when Meg saw the duffle bag. It was filled with make-up and costumes. We knew who it was. It was Sarah and Aoibh.
Immediately Andrea and I devised a plan to get back at them. We were to play dead. As soon as we got our costumes on, we ran outside and threw things on the roof. As soon as we got word that our sisters were coming back down, we immediately ran inside.
I guess our costumes were scary, because they both shot out of there after screaming and crying like babies.
We stayed up nearly all night chatting about that incident. It's going down in Monaghan History!
January 28, 2002
Entered the January Webfeis, Aoibh nearly killed herself (on accident), Mom almost got lost, and Da disappeared. Some of the many aspects of the January Webfeis.
Time to elaborate.
First Aoibh. She was rather bored, and had Soft Spikes in her hair, as she has a feis today. Anyway, she happened to be standing around near the stage, when suddenly, a dancer (not sure who or what school, was to busy laughing) kicked really high, slipped, and landed on Aoibh. It was altogether hilarious, but of course I felt horribly for the dancer (not so much for Aoibh, though...). Anyway, when Aoibh got up, she looked ready to kill everyone in the room. It was competely silent. No one spoke, the musician STOPPED PLAYING, the Adjudicators turned around, and all the dances in the competition were frozen with looks of horror on their faces. It was altogether quite a sight. We took pictures.
Second, Mom. She was supposed to go to my solo dress maker to discuss random dress things, but instead, she apparently took a wrong turn inside the Webfeis building (not in a car, silly) and became lost in a part of the building she'd never been in before. Mom ended up coming back out through the doors by our stage with a look of pure annoyance written all over it. She stopped, gained her composure, and left to the dress maker's shop.
Lastly, with Mom gone, all I had was Da and Aoibh. When my competitions were over, and we were going to go home (after long chats with Reese, Andrea, Meg, and Maire about the goings on at my party), I went about with Aoibh to look for Da, but he was no where to be found. It took about a half hour of determined searching, and nearly calling out a seach and rescue team, for us to find him, eating snacks and chatting with vendors.
Altogether, one of the strangest Webfeiseanna yet.
