I’ve got some exciting news to share.

I went to an audition on Saturday on a complete whim, just to see what would happen. I was still kind of running on a high after Sectionals last week, so I went snooping online to see if I could find anything local to perform in between now and Regionals in March. And I found an opening for a singer in a duet of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” at the Kings’ Island Christmas Spectacular.

I know. It’s probably the corniest thing I could possibly find, but I figured what the hell, so I went.

And I got it.

I’m going to be singing this weekend with a girl named Lacey in one of the shows. I haven’t met her yet, and unfortunately we only get to rehearse together a few hours before the show on Saturday. I’ll have to find someone willing to practice with me later this week.

I think I’m still running on that high from after Sectionals. I’m not nervous at all for this weekend. This will mark my first real performance outside of school in…well, years I guess. I think the last time I did anything like this was two or three summers ago at Six Flags. It was the last time I sang with Coop.

But in a few days I’m going to perform again. It feels good. It feels really good.

December 14, 2010
7:18pm

Made a CD of the accompaniment for the song this afternoon. I’ve been practicing the best I can on my own, but after getting it memorized, there’s not much I can do without a duet partner. Ideally, I need a girl to practice with, since it is a girl singing the counterpart, after all. Sometimes going to school with all guys is a bit hindering.

10:43pm

Duh.

Kurt.

He can hit those notes easily.

It’ll be perfect.

And plus, I’ve kind of wanted to sing with him since I first heard him do “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”.

Perfect.

December 16, 2010
9:03pm

I wish I could do the duet with Kurt. We sound great together. And he was pretty enthusiastic about rehearsing with me.

I bet he’s much better than any girl they could have me sing with.

But Kurt said it himself: they wouldn’t let us do it together. As two…artists.

The world isn’t right sometimes.

December 18, 2010
9:34am

Today’s the day! I’m heading out to rehearsal with Lacey in about a half an hour, and then there are two performances: 3:00 and 8:00. A bunch of the Warbler guys said they would be there, so I’m pretty excited.

The costumes are a bit ridiculous though. I stopped by last night to make sure it fit, and I saw Lacey’s as well.

They’ve got me in a semi-classy suit complete a bright red tie, while Lacey’s in a skimpy little sequined dress with a red ribbon around the middle. Getting us into the Christmas spirit, and all that.

I hope they don’t make us sit through the entire rest of the show. There are others happening all over the place, so I hope once I’m done, I can go see something else, or just meet up with the Warblers and get out of there. Not that I don’t love watching people perform, I’m just not exactly the biggest fan of Christmas.

Decorating the house until the electric bill hits four digits and going to endless streams of family parties aren’t really my thing.

Cooper’s not even coming home this year.

Maybe I’ll just stay at Dalton until New Year’s.

Eh. I have a few days to figure it out.

I should probably get going so I don’t make Lacey wait too long. I can’t imagine she wants to be there anymore than I do.

December 19, 2010
1:49pm

Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong about Lacey.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so peppy and enthusiastic about Christmas before. I don’t think she stopped smiling for a second of the whole time we were there. It was kind of nice, though. She kept me in a good mood.

She’s a sweet girl, really. And she’s got a nice voice. Can’t help but say Kurt was more fun to sing with though. Lacey might be talented and excited to be there, but I think Kurt and I just played off each other a lot easier. Maybe because we’re friends and see each other all the time.

He showed up to the evening show, actually. I only got to see him briefly, but he was there. A few of the other Warblers came to the afternoon performance. Nick, Jeff, Thad, and Trent met me for pizza in between shows. They looked like they enjoyed it at least a little bit.

I’m glad they came to see me. It wasn’t exactly the greatest show of all time, but it was something I feel proud of, and that hasn’t happened until recently.

I’m glad I did this.

And I’m glad my friends could come see me.

Maybe I’ll do more of this stuff next summer or something. I don’t know. I have to sing lead in the Warblers at Regionals before I even think about what come after that. Nationals…who knows?

But I had fun. I think this was good for me.

Now to get through the actual holiday…

December 20, 2010
3:33pm

Tomorrow is the last day of classes at Dalton before we break until New Year’s. I have until noon to decide whether or not I’ll be staying in my room for the two weeks or going home.

I hate family Christmas. It’s just the same thing every year.

Mom and Dad will nag me about what I wear, Gran will ask if I’m planning on getting any taller anytime soon (because it’s completely under my control), Uncle Stan will tell some story about his time in the navy that I’ve heard a hundred times, Aunt Barbara will forget how old I am and start asking about which college I’m going to in the fall, and Grandpa will ask if I have a girlfriend yet and talk up the granddaughter of some friend he’s played poker with for twenty-seven years. He tends to “forget” that I’m gay sometimes. Or all the time. And then Mom will distract everyone with all the details from Cooper’s latest auditions and Dad will start telling corny jokes he read in a chain email from someone at work.

You know, same old, same old.

I’ll probably wind up going home and dealing with it all anyway.

It’s probably better than being by myself for any extended time. I’m getting depressed just thinking about it.

Warbler practice in an hour. Hopefully I’m more cheerful after that.

9:54pm

Kurt just texted me a picture of a fur-lined hooded track suit his old glee club director is giving to his secret Santa, the apparently evil cheerleading coach at McKinley.

He’s brilliant, I swear. That’s the most hideous and yet wonderful thing I’ve ever seen.

Mood lifted a bit.

December 21, 2010
8:42pm

Today wound up being utterly fantastic.

We had a half-day to start winter break and to let anyone moving out of the dorms pack their things and start heading home. A bunch of the Warblers decided to go out for lunch at this little caf� down the road from Dalton. Since I don’t have much to pack and live so close, I went along.

Almost all the guys were there, even Kurt. He’s still kind of hesitant to join in with a lot of group things, but he agreed to go after I told him I was. I guess it’s because I’m his closest friend here. He’ll get better with everyone else though. They’re all nice guys.

Although come to think about it, Kurt’s probably one of my closest friends here too. After him, there’s probably Nick and Jeff, maybe Wes too. It makes me wonder where I rank on their lists. Not that it’s a big deal or anything, just curiosity.

Anyway, we all went out to lunch and hung out for a while before meeting back in the senior commons and just singing along to Christmas songs on the radio for a few hours. Eventually the janitors told us to get out, at which point Kurt came up to my room and helped me pack a few things and bring them down to my car so I could head home.

I’m so glad I have a car to have at school. I’ve only had my license a few months, but it would have driven me crazy to have to wait for one of my parents to pick me up on days like this. Everyone was gone by about 4:00, and neither Mom nor Dad wouldn’t have been able to pick me up until almost 7:00, since they both work closer to home than Dalton.

Kurt probably would have waited with me, though. He’s good like that.

I mean, any of the guys probably would if I had asked, but I don’t think I would have needed to ask Kurt. He offered to help me pack all on his own, actually.

Obviously I decided to go home for the week. I got the obnoxious phone call from Mom late last night asking when I’ll be home, what my schedule is for the week, etc etc. Eventually I just couldn’t say no to her when she started telling me about Gran and Grandpa’s Christmas Eve party. She’s excited about some new pie she’s going to make and can’t wait for me to try it.

So I’m home.

And I’ve already gotten yelled at for being late for dinner.

Home sweet home…

December 23, 2010
3:33pm

Slept until noon two days in a row.

This is truly glorious.

It’s usually great when Mom and Dad are both at work and I have the house to myself, unless I have a lovely note waiting for me on the kitchen table telling me to make sure I bring all the decoration boxes down from the attic by the time they get home.

I didn’t think it was all that bad until I found out there were six different boxes.

But it’s done now.

And hopefully Mom will come home with eggnog. That stuff is delicious. Makes watching my parents rearrange the ornaments I already put on the tree a little bit easier.

Maybe I’ll take a nap before they come home.

And yes, I’m aware that I’ve only been awake for three hours.

11:03pm

Cooper decided last minute that he’s coming home tomorrow.

This will be interesting.

December 24, 2010
12:13am

Don’t get me wrong, I love my brother.

He’s just been in L.A for six months now. And I know things are going to be weird between us. Again.

I need some sleep.

2:56am

Dammit…

12:03pm

Finally got to sleep around 3:30 this morning. My brain wouldn’t shut off until then. I even went down to the basement and played around on the piano for a while to make myself tired. I even tried texting a few people but I guess everyone was asleep.

So nothing really worked.

Cooper’s plane lands in about two hours, so of course Dad already left to pick him up at the airport. He’s thrilled. And Mom was humming stupid Christmas carols all morning in the kitchen. She didn’t bother singing along with me while we were decorating last night, but baking her pies this morning she was all about the Christmas cheer.

I’m sleep deprived.

But I’m fine. Really.

10:36pm

I’ve had two cups of cocoa, four jingle-bell-shaped cookies, and a slice of Mom’s mince pie.

So I’m pretty relaxed compared to earlier.

I missed Cooper. I really did.

He’s excited about L.A and of course has a thousand stories to tell…about his auditions, celebrity sightings on the street, and apparently a midnight phone call from one Kate Hudson. I don’t buy it for a second, but hey…at least he’s enjoying himself, right?

We sang some Nat King Cole Christmas songs and listened to the usual banter.

But now it’s over. And we have to do it all again tomorrow.

I think I hate Christmas.

December 25, 2010
4:30pm

Should I be like one of those little kids who rattles off everything they got for Christmas?

Why not?

Mom and Dad got me a new iPod, which is pretty fantastic, actually, and a new pair of dress shoes. Not too bad. Coop got me, believe it or not, a picture of himself standing under the Hollywood sign that he told me would “remind me of what I have to look up to”. Okay, then.

Gran and Grandpa wrote me a nice little check to help cover some of Dalton’s costs, and apparently talked a bit to Mom and Dad about presents, because they gave me a cover and screen protector for the iPod.

Uncle Stan and Aunt Barbara gave me two of the most bland and ugly sweaters I’ve ever seen, but thankfully they included a gift receipt, so I’ll be making a trip to the Gap sometime soon.

But overall it wasn’t the worst day ever. I’m just hiding in my room for a while until too much time has passed and I have to make my way down for dinner.

I think I’ll set up that iPod.

7:13pm

Apparently Grandpa found a new girl he wants me to date.

Huzzah.

Have I mentioned I hate Christmas?

10:49pm

Just looked at my phone for the first time all day.

Apparently, every hour on the hour, Kurt has been sending me pictures of a silly plastic reindeer wearing different colored Santa hats, sparkly headbands, necklaces, and anything else gaudy and Christmasy you could think of.

I haven’t laughed like that in days.

I think I love Christmas.