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Currently listening to: 99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger

Hello to all!

This year at ACSTC Argonaut was indeed hell, but I made it through the 6 weeks I was there. Bagpipes are indeed a difficult instrument to master, but I've finally got the hang of playing with two tenor drones. The staff on G-Coy were excellent as they always are, and I got to see my old friends again each with a special place in my heart. My good fortune was endless this year as well. Instead of staying in barracks N-42 (Or, as our barracks has taken to calling it, the s**t-Pit), I stayed in N-28, the cleanest barracks on the company. However, though the barracks was smaller, we had to have the highest standards. Nothing was to not be uniform. Boots were to be polished or blackened, combination locks were to be on Zero, and beds had to be tight enough to bounce quarters on.

All in all, it was fun.

The things that made camp hell for me, though, was the food they served us up there. Actually, I don't even think it was food; I think it was crap disguised as food. Also, for some reason or another, I had continuous emotional breakdowns. I would lie awake while everyone else slept, crying. I refused to eat the next day and I was always by myself. What caused it, I'm not sure. We never went to the mall either because the bus drivers were jackasses and always cancelled on us at the last minute.

The Arcade at the canteen had improved, as well. Area 51 and Steel Talons had remained as they do every year. If it were me I would have removed Steel Talons and kept Time Crisis 2 there. Other games included Tekken 3, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Simpsons Bowling and Soul Edge. The movie list and game console list hadn't improved, to my dissapointment, scratch one X-Box 360.

Final Parade was the same as it was every year. The difference is, I actually piped in the playing band.

Here was our playing order:

4/4: Scotland the Brave, Rowantree
2/4: Mairi's Wedding, Barren Rocks of Aden
4/4: Cabar Feidh (Pronounced Cabre Fé)
Mass Band: Scotland the Brave.

What dissapoints me about this is that I wasn't a member of the playing band. I know this sounds like a contradictive statement, but it isn't. The Playing Band wears Highland Kit (I.E, Kilt, Oxfords, Glengarries and such). I was wearing my CFs. Also, they did a Display (Which is actually a demo, I would assume.) every year. I wasn't there when they did it. However, I'm pretty sure they played "The Rose o' Kelvengrove", which is a very nice piece, in my opinion. This is the piece that would more than likely be played at my funeral, if not Cabar Feidh, Hellbound Train or What a Wonderful World (<---Not a Pipe piece).

While at camp I have recently developped a flair for the card game, "Magic, the Gathering". I enjoyed it so much I stole a deck that was left out in the open and brought it home with me. The person I got it from has no idea...yet.

When I got back I went straight to bed. The next morning I found out that my mom and dad had bought me "Finding Forrester", a DVD about "Jamal Wallace (Played by Actor Rob Brown), a talented 16-year-old basketball player in New York City whose secret passion is writing. William Forrester (Played by Sean Connery) is a reclusive Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who never gave the world a second novel. After an accidental meeting, Forrester becomes Jamal's unlikely mentor, prviding guidance to help develop the young man's exceptional skills. Soon, Forrester's harsh view of the world begins to change as both men learn lessons from each other about life - and the importance of friendship." ((<---Taken from the back of the DVD case.)) I watched it on the computer downstairs and I agree with the critics:

"Funny and Touching! Connery Triumphs." -Pete Travers, Rolling stone.

"Two Thumbs Up!" Ebert and Roeper and the Movies.

"Sean Connery in a career-crowning performance. Newcomer Rob Brown excels. A beautifully spun story." Richard Roeper, Ebert and Roeper and the Movies.

Like many things, good ones must come to an end. As does this entry. I leave you with a word of wisdom from a good friend of mine at camp:

"When one door of happiness closes, another one opens. However we sometimes stare at the one door that just closed, we don't realize the one door that just opened." - Matt Snodgrass.

You're The Man Now, Dog!
Matt the masterofshadows.