15. Camera!

(I'm getting ahead of the game by writing a post early, for once)
Last week, I got one of the greatest gifts I'll ever receive: a Canon t50.

It wasn't even a gift, really. My grandmother and I were talking about the website etsy, and how you can sell anything on it. I mentioned all the old cameras and how many times I'd almost bought one, and then she told me about the one she had in her basement. She'd been meaning to get rid of it for months. So she gave it to me!
I'm so excited. I've never spent that much time taking pictures, but I've always wanted to. Now, I've got this amazing camera to do whatever I want with.

This picture of a Canon t50 looks like it was taken with a Canon t50
(this is not my Canon t50)
(I haven't figured out how to take a picture of the camera using
the camera)

It's pretty old. It was distributed for six years, from 1983 to 1989. In the bag we found an old ticket to Disney World from 1989, which was pretty neat. It's weird to think that so many of the old family photos I look at were taken with this same camera.
Even though it's old, it isn't totally obsolete. It takes 35mm film, which you can still buy and have developed in stores. Though it's pretty expensive to keep up with. The film itself doesn't cost much, $7.99 for three rolls (24 exposures per roll), but the development really kills (my wallet).
First of all, Target doesn't even develop film anymore, which is really annoying. They sell the film, and they have photo service in their stores, but it's only digital! I'd planned to drop my film off before I go to work and pick it up on my break. But that doesn't work.
So, over the weekend I went to Walgreens. They don't have their rates posted anywhere that you can see, and I didn't want to talk to the guy more than necessary, so I didn't ask. I just got the 1-hour photo, since that's what they have advertised everywhere. He didn't charge me until I came back, and it was sixteen dollars for two rolls of film! I think if you order it for a longer period of time, like a day or so, it'll cost less, so I'm going to try that next time. I'm also asking Walmart and CVS their rates, because it really annoys me how expensive this all is.
It may seem not worth it to take these pictures if they'll cost so much, but I disagree. Everyone has one thing they spend a lot on every week (usually it's coffee or food), and mine can be film.
Hopefully I stick with this hobby. I generally get really excited about some craft, spend a ton of money,  and then never touch it again. But this one is different, since I'm actually preserving memories. It actually has rewards, even if they aren't monetary.
I brought the camera to school last week, and here are some of my favorite pictures: [they'll be updated once I can get home and scan them]

The history of the glorious Canon t50

14. Work, Work, Work

I really like my job. I probably won't be saying that in a few weeks.
But, for now at least, it's an enjoyable place to be. There's always something to do, and while that can get tiresome, I'd rather be busy than standing idle.

Hotdog!

The Grand Opening was this weekend, where we really got to see what working at Five Below was like. (Actually, we had a "soft opening" the night before, in which we were open but we didn't announce it to anyone. I got to work that night as well.) And the company really goes all out for Grand Openings. We had balloons--hundreds of small ones and one enormous one on the roof--and a 5 cent hotdog vendor. I actually got to have one on my break, and it was great

A Five Below Store! (not my store)

The first day of the Grand Opening, Friday, I was a "greeter." That basically means I hang around the entrance and offer everyone a basket and flyer. I didn't like being a greeter. It feels like you're just hassling people, and I hate being a bother. But it wasn't horrible. Some people had to organize raffles or trivia contests.
The next day I was on register. This sounds lame, but I love being on register. You always know exactly what you're supposed to be doing, unlike greeter or any other job. All you do is process transactions. And, especially on days like opening weekend, you're always busy. It was an easy job for me, and I barely made a mistake after the first hour or so.
I like working. It passes the time and I make money out of it.
The one thing I'm worried about, though, is that I might be fired. That's a big thing to be worried about. Saturday, the last day I worked, the schedule for this week wasn't up yet. So yesterday I texted my friend asking for it, because she worked on Sunday. She told me that about ten people got fired after opening weekend, and that I wasn't on the schedule. That's definitely cause to be concerned. I just got a job, and I already might be fired.
I'm confused, though. I honestly thought I did well. One of my managers even told me I worked great on the register, interacting with people well and not making too many mistakes. So I don't know why I might be unemployed (again).
I'm going to the store after school today to ask for the schedule and see what they say. Hopefully it's a mix-up.

Update: Not to be super depressing, but it wasn't a mistake. Apparently, just after grand opening, they had to cut back a whole lot on their spending, so they let go of ten or so people. I think they just needed extra help for the opening, and were planning to let us go the whole time. So I can now officially say that I hate Five Below.

Want my job? Here's an application link!
Register training! Be prepared when you apply! (this isn't the kind of register we have but it's better than nothing)

13. Employment!

Finally, I'm actually a wage-earner again.
I've made way too big a deal of this, first of all. It's my fault I haven't had a job since September; I haven't applied anywhere. But, I finally got up the nerve to do it and applied to Five Below a few weeks ago.
It was the first place I've applied to since last year. And I got the job. It was way easier than I expected. They had a job fair one weekend, since the store's new and doesn't have any employees yet. I just walked in, filled out an application, and they interviewed me on the spot. I guess that's what happens at job fairs.
A week later, they called back saying I was hired. Even though it sounds like a pretty lame job, I don't care. Money's money. And, it's not too hard. I had orientation last week, and it's no different from any retail job. It's actually better than some, because I won't have to constantly fold shirts at Abercrombie or something.
I get a discount, which all my friends think is hilarious. Nothing in the store is over five dollars, and they feel the need to give me a discount? For me, nothing in the store is over four dollars.
I'm really happy about having a job (I'm sure that'll change in a few weeks). I finally have a source of income again, and it's not too difficult. I start work tomorrow!

The logo

Buy some stuff!

12. Wake Up & Be Awesome

March 17th, I got to go to a concert.
It was so exciting. I haven't been to a show since last November, and I've had these tickets for weeks.
The show was called the Wake Up & Be Awesome tour, and it was The Summer Set's first headlining tour. It was in the downstairs room of the Middle East in Cambridge. Not the best venue, but it doesn't really matter. I bought the tickets for my friend's 17th birthday, so the show was a special occasion of sorts.

The Middle East

As I've said, the headliner was The Summer Set. Two other guests were Go Radio and We Are the In Crowd, and the opener was For the Foxes.
Besides the obvious excitement over a headliner, I was most looking forward to seeing For the Foxes. I've loved them since I found one of their songs, The Revolution, on a compilation I bought last year at Warped Tour. They didn't disappoint.
Though they aren't well known (yet) and only have one EP released (so far), they're fantastic. Their music is some weird mixture of catchy pop and old school rock, with a slightly beachy feel to it. They only played six songs, but they still managed to capture the crowd. I've never seen a group of kids so interested in an opener they'd never seen before.
After For the Foxes came Go Radio. I'd bought their second album, Close the Distance, in preparation for the show, but I didn't really like it. They were just okay in my eyes, but they seemed to have a huge number of fans in the crowd. A lot of kids could sing along to the songs.
We Are the In Crowd came up next. They have a female singer, which isn't very common, and she's great on stage. Like, really great. I'd seen them at Warped Tour, so I already knew their stuff, and they were really good.
Last, of course, came The Summer Set. I was so excited. I'd never seen them live and I've been a fan of them for years now. They opened with a new song called F*** You Over, which was absolutely fantastic. It's super catchy, but not in an annoying way (at least, I think so). After that, they started in on another one of my favorites, and older one called Young. I was all set for a great set.
Until, I found myself panicking. It was weird. I just felt really sick and off and weird, all of the sudden. I ran to the bathroom, and we ended up leaving the show a few minutes later because I was sick. I'd thought I was only dehydrated or something, but my friends and parents think I had an anxiety attack. I might be claustrophobic.
It was a great concert. I feel really bad that we had to leave before The Summer Set really started, because they're my friend's favorite and it was her birthday present. But, thankfully, she's an amazing friend and didn't mind. All the bands will be at Warped Tour this year, so hopefully I'll get to see them then.
I got to buy some cool stuff, though. I didn't have a job at the time, so I'd saved the very last of my money for this show. And of course I spent it all. I don't even think I can help it at this point. I got a super soft sweatshirt, guitar pick necklace, and a Spring Sampler CD from For the Foxes, and a t-shirt and pre-order CD from The Summer Set. Apparently the pre-order comes with a phone call from the band, which is super exciting but also super creepy. I have no idea what I'll say.
I had a great time, even though it ended early.

The Tour Poster

Check 'em out!
For the Foxes
Go Radio
We Are the In Crowd
The Summer Set

11. What Did I Tell You?

A while ago (more like a week or two ago) I posted descriptions of all the possible mental disorders I might have, and the first I listed was Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). As it turns out, I actually DO have ADD. I told people, and they never believed me.
People aren't usually diagnosed with ADD this late in life, because it's usually pretty obvious in young children. Boys will be particularly physical, running around and hitting people, and girls will talk a lot. Both boys and girls, though, generally have poor grades because they can't pay attention. Because I've had good grades all my life, no one's suspected me of having ADD.
But the whole good grades thing was just because I'm pretty smart (not to sound overly-conceited). In elementary and middle school, I didn't have to pay attention to understand things, so my grades weren't affected. Now, though, I'm taking extremely difficult classes. And these classes require concentration and focus. I can't do that particularly well, and my grades are just starting to show it now. That's why it took so long for anyone--including myself--to realize that I actually have a disorder, and I'm not just lazy.
So, now I know about my problem/disorder/whatever you want to call it. Hopefully, now I'll be able to focus more and fail fewer classes (Calculus, you defeat me).

Here's a humorous and relevant cartoon about ADD:

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Once again, I'm giving you guys information on ADD. You must be experts by now:

This source is a little more official than Wikipedia

10. That Doesn't Exist Yet?

Some problems are so ordinary, so easily fixable, it's a surprising solutions haven't been invented yet. Here are some simple solutions to even simpler problems, that for some reason have been forgotten in the minds of the great inventors of today.

The Perfect Jar

Double-Sided Jar
You know when you're at the end of a jar of peanut butter, and there's enough left for at least one sandwich, but you can't get the knife all the way to the bottom? Well, here's a ridiculously easy solution. We create jars with lids on both ends. That way, once you can't reach anymore from one direction, you can just flip it over and get the rest! Genius, right?

Prescription 3-D Glasses

These could be 3-D glasses, or
prescription 3-D glasses. Who knows?

Not everyone faces this issue, but I personally can attest to the inconvenience of 3-D movies. I already wear glasses, and then I have to put another pair on to watch the show! It's horribly annoying. Now here we have another chance for life-improvement. They make prescription sunglasses, for people with bad vision who want to shade their eyes. Well, why can't we do the same with 3-D glasses? You could have a pair designed specifically to your prescription, and bring them with you whenever you see a 3-D movie. It sure beats the annoyance of squinting through the whole movie, or the awkwardness of wearing two pairs of glasses.

Boring, non-motorized hammock

Self-Rocking Hammock
Hammocks are great. Have you ever met someone who doesn't like swinging in a nice hammock? I doubt you have. The only difficulty, though, is that you need someone else to push it for you. Sure, you could get some momentum going when you first lay down and try to move and keep it going, but we all know that doesn't really work. So why not make a hammock that rocks itself? They've already invented one for babies; why not for adults? It'd be a really simple process really, just taking the motorized pieces you'd use in an oscillating fan, reinforce them so they're strong enough to hold the weight of a couple people, and strap it to a piece of fabric. Viola! The perfect, self-swinging seat for anyone who wants it.

Commercial Alert
One of the most annoying things in our privileged, first world country, is commercials. Don't you just hate tuning into a channel and seeing nothing but an ad for Pajama Jeans? Wouldn't it be so much easier to know which channels are playing commercials and which the actual program? This is the beauty of Commercial Alert, a program that should have hit stores as soon as TV Guides came out. With Commercial Alert, the guide on your television screen would tell you what each channel was on, commercial or program. It's perfect for when you're flipping between two shows, or just don't want to watch any pesky adverts. In short, this invention is genius, and I think I'll patent it pretty soon.

If you want to learn about the evolution of 3-D movies, click here. Or, if you're riveted by hammocks' influence on society, the History channel (website) has a fascinating article.

9. Upcoming Concerts

It's a new year now, and new year means new tours! The thing I'm most excited about for 2013 is a whole new 365 days for bands to put on shows.
So far, I already have tickets for three concerts, which is surprisingly fortunate, since we're only two weeks into the year.
The first is the Wake Up and Be Awesome Tour. Cool name, right? It's The Summer Set's first headlining tour, supported by We are the In Crowd, Go Radio, For the Foxes, and some yet-to-be-announced special guest. I'm really excited for this show. All of the bands are relatively unpopular in the pop-punk "scene," so it'll probably be a smaller, more intimate setting. I've loved The Summer Set for a while now, and I'm so happy to be able to see them in their first headliner. We are the In Crowd I saw at Warped Tour last year, so I know they're good. I don't know much about Go Radio except that their lead singer was once a member of Mayday Parade. I bought they're most recent album, and it's pretty good. The last band, For the Foxes, is pretty unknown, I think. But they're one of my favorite bands of all time. They've only released one EP that I can find and a couple of singles so far, since they only formed in 2008. They don't really do a lot of touring because they're still starting out and trying to write their first album, so I'm so excited that they're going on a tour that I really want to see. The show's on St. Patrick's Day.

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The second show is right here in Lowell, which makes it that much more amazing. Honestly, it's one of the best tours I've ever heard of, called the Spring Fever Tour. All Time Low is co-headlining with Pierce the Veil, with special guests Mayday Parade and You Me at Six. Each of these bands is more than popular enough to headline their own tour, and yet they've all decided to play together. I've already described how much I love All Time Low and Pierce the Veil, and I really, really love Mayday Parade and You Me at Six as well. Mayday Parade was one of the first "punk" bands I'd ever listened to. I've seen them twice in concert before, and they're fantastic, if a bit more serious than other bands I've seen. You Me at Six I don't know as well, but I know they're great. They're a punk-rock band from England, and sold out Wembley Stadium a few months ago, which apparently is a big deal. I have their second album, and I'm buying their third tonight. The show's on April 26th at the Tsongas, so all I'll have to do is walk across the street!

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 The last show I've got planned (so far) this year is the Vans Warped Tour. My friend bought us tickets a couple weeks ago, so we're already set to go. They're announcing new bands every week, but there's already enough we like for it to be worth us going. Tonight Alive is set to be on it, and I've already mentioned my absolute adoration for them. For the Foxes, The Summer Set, and Go Radio will all be on it, so I'll get to see them again. And, one of my favorite bands that hasn't really been active in the past year will be there: Anarbor. Obviously, the festival is six months away, so there's plenty of time for more bands to be announced, but I'm already extremely happy with who I'll be able to see.

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These are the things I'm most excited for in 2013.