Day 17: The Prodigal Son Returns: The Journey Back to Jersey

Today is my day at Putney.

It’s to say that I’m leaving, but it must happen.

Although I didn’t have to do AM Barn today I chose to finish of the week with them.

I was able to say goodbye to all my cows and calves.

Then I went back to my dorm and slept.

I awoke a few hours later and got all my things together and brought out.

I then packed up my guitar gear then headed toward brunch.

There I said goodbye to many of the students.

Then Kat Brown found me and soon after we left Putney and headed for Green Field.

There in Green Field we met up with Pablo and his Mom and thus started our journey back to Jersey.

Along the way there the traffic picked up, and we even had a flat.

It took a total of about 7 hours to get back. However, it was fun.

We talked on various topics and used my 3-string to make a song out of our misfortunes.

It was a good road trip.

BYE PUTNEY THANKS FOR MEMORIES

Thanks to: Ann-Marie and Kat Brown

The entire student body

My Keep dorm: my roommates and Dorm Parents

The AM barn crew

The Two-day exchange band with Isaiah, Francesco, and Shames

The Asian Persuasion band with Juno  

All my teachers: Lou, Kat, James and Lorne

Dalton for waking me up every day for AM barn

Carriel, Romi, and Zoey for looking after me when I first got there and being my first friends

Last, all you guys back home giving all the support to my blog.

Special thanks to:

Dr. Lanang

Fr. Al

Fr. Ed

And thus ends this New Chapter, However…

My story doesn’t start here nor will it end either.

Till we meet again…

    -Dakota Gibbs

Day 16: Chapter 5: Putney Social

 

Today Is my last Day of Classes. Yes, there is still classes on Saturday.

I only had English 10 and Comp. Religions.

In English we all got into groups and made reading guides for their last book: Things Fall Apart. I just went on sparknotes and helped with the questions.

However there is one last creative writing paper that is due next saturday. I will actually write it and email it to them, and continue with that art of class for a bit.  We may even skype a bit when they are analyzing my paper.

Its going to be a fairy tale  and philosophy story, the character’s name comes from everyon’s name in my class.

AFTER CLASSES

After lunch on Saturdays there are no more classes and you are allowed to do whatever you want.

I later spent some time with the same senior girls again in their dorm. Repeating history.

Then I went back to my dorm and got ready for the social tonight.

After I got my clothes ready, took a shower, then put the clothes on; all that is left is find a pair of shades.

After 20 minutes of trying to find anyone who can lend their shades, Someone in my dorm lent me his Ray Bans!

Then I went off to cabin to meet up with my date and our group.

There in cabin we wait for the other couple to arrive, then when they came we headed toward dinner.

During dinner we just had fun and played around a lot. We doodled all over the table took crazy pictures, and played bingo.

We didn’t win, however the meal of the night was steak, so for me that was a win!

We even played dice a bit. I blow on my dice then asked for my date to do the same. I rolled and got double 5. I won on top of that!

Later we hit the dance floor!

There was a live band and everything. I dance with my date a few times then we split  off and danced with others as well.

That night i danced with several other girls. It was all swing tunes and dancing, however, they played Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.

The girl I danced with during that song was also a huge classic rock fan and we both fangirled over it while we danced.

At the end of the night I walked back down to my dorm and looked at the stars again, funny that same night we had a movie night and we picked out Star Wars episode I.

It was an awesome night but i better get some sleep my last day of AM barn is tomorrow.

Day 15: The Last Friday

Today In AM was the worst! I got sawdust in my eyes and it was extremely irritating. It almost took me the entire time just to get it out. However i was able to get it out, luckily.

CLASSES

This was my last Chemistry class, and we started electronic chemistry. Oxidation and Reduction.

We worked on Balancing and thanks to D-lang I need my periodic table so well that i never had to look at one or figure out the charges and names of Elements and Polyatomics. Along with that i was the only one who knew all seven diatomic elements.

My Chemistry teacher said that she even wanted to meet D-lang because I did so well.  

EARLY GOODBYE

During I assembly I kind of took it over and formally thanked the entire school for this experience because this would be my last time to address the entire school.

I also gave out a few shout outs to nearly all the people who help make my time there a great one.

I rallied them a bit, but it was awesome.

SWING DANCING?

During assembly we all learned how to swing dance because of the swing social this saturday.

It was pretty Fun actually. We were taught proper dance etiquette, along with a few swing dances. I dance with three people while learning because we switched partners every new dance.  

AFTER CLASSES

At Frisbee we just practice a lot of drills, and in the end they let me keep one of their frisbees.

Since all my evenings and afternoons activities are done, I actually had time for my self. What did I do with that time? My favorite thing in the world of course: SLEEP.

My roommate woke me up for dinner.

At dinner I was asked to social. I said yes, because why not, might as well have some fun before I leave.

After dinner i went to the jam room and played a bit with Rolan, keyboardist,  and Isaiah, bassist.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Then I went down back to my dorm and made myself some spicy noodles, and the Student dorm head gave me some of his really great tasting tea. Then I streamed my Favorite Disney Movie, Lion King.

It was a great night.

Day 14: Be Aware When Jamming with Dakota

Today was to first time I was late to barn. Dalton, the guy who wakes me up, had a day off from AM Barn and gave to task of waking me up to Henry. Henry did, however, my body said “lol no” and  I KOed. Then I got up, looked at the time, realized I was late and run to barn!

When I finally arrived to barn, I kind of creeped in, and stood in the middle acting non suspicious. n the first five seconds, my barn head already found me. Luckily she just smiled and said nothing.

I thought I got off scotch free, However at the end of barm as I was leaving, Sofi, my barn head, just said “Hey, Dakota, don’t be late next time, it doesn’t matter but yea get here on time.” I was so close.

CLASSES

Today in Comp. Religions There were more Catholicism, and we worked on the story of the Good Samaritan, and the teacher and another student got into a stupid argument, but it exacerbated, to the point of yelling.

I was apparently in the middle of the war zone. I decided to not get involved so I walked over to other half the room with the senior girls and sat with them. (this is a small class of just four senior girls and one sophomore guy plus me)

I decide to go i different route and make memes of them. As they argued we just laughing our butts off on the other side of the room. I was also making lots of puns.

AFTER CLASSES

Today was last wilderness skills activity. And in “celebration of me leaving” Mike our instructor baked us fresh cookies. While he was making cookies we were building shelters, out of anything we find in the woods.

My two man group just used sticks. It was a sticky situation.

AH OH!

Hey, D-lang I got some bad news...sorry but the mac you gave me actually broke down out of nowhere. I took it to the tech office(they are gods in repairing Macs) and they couldn’t figure it out. They might have to call in back-up.

Luckily in the meantime they leant me another Mac, while hey see what they can do with the old one.

The was no Jazz tonight sadly because there was an orchestra playing several of Beethoven pieces. They were actually pretty good, but i can’t handle a full on 2+ hour concert of that stuff. So me and the TwoDay Exchange Band went into the jam room(the jazz room) and just jammed out instead.

We actually got lots of progress done, and we did a sick awesome cover of Hey Joe, that people started to come in just to listen.

I was jamming so hard that it really got really physical. I began thrashing, jumping, dance and guitar tricks, all while either playing or soloing. I then used my Wah pedal at he end to finish off an insane solo. My glasses flew off my face; didn’t even stop at all, then I kind of unstraped my guitar while playing and jammed on it like a cello, and lifted up and continued playing with one hand.

Then we ended, I dropped my guitar and started banging and running into the walls while just yelling, so that I didn’t smash my guitar. Thats how much i went in.   

They said it was just awesome and the drummer said it looked satanic.

Day 13: Whose Line is It?

Each day I thought getting up for AM Barn would get easier. I was wrong, horribly wrong. However i pushed through it and continued my work.

CLASSES

Today in Chemistry we had a base/acid pH level lab. We made a base solution, then added an indicator. Then we added an unknown acid to basic solution, to figure out the concentration through tritration.  

In the end our data was all constant and our calculations proved to be correct. I say it was a quite successful lab considering my group had a slow start.

AFTER CLASSES

Right after class, I had another lesson wit Draa. We worked more and theory applying it to soloing and to the scales I already know, allowing me to really thicken my sound and use that fretboard. I learnt how to use two keys in extension to key that I’m playing.

Since today was a half day I decided to some fun, so I watched Lion King, my favorite Disney movie.  

Then for mainly the rest of the day I just watched Whose Line is it AnyWay? I just laughed my head off all day. Everyone wondered what I was watching. When I told them what i was watching they had no clue. I just told them it’s like the best improv of all time.

They were all like to each other “he’s been laughing for like 3 hours.” But they’re wrong I’ve been laughing for more than that.

I ended the night playing on my 3-string guitar like instrument. I’m slowly on my way to mastering it!

Day 12: Out of the Comfort Zone, Now!

Today was harder to get to AM Barn. But I got there. There was a newborn Calf so I go to clean its pen, full of blood and a huge placenta. It was a bit gross but being with the calf was worth it.

CLASSES

Today in Music Intensive me and the other student was giving a small performance of what we were working on thus for in the term.

I’m actually in the same dorm with this guy, Isaiah, as well as my side project Putney Band, Two-Day Exchange. He plays many instruments like guitar, bass, piano, etc.

In my Putney Band he plays bass, and sometimes guitar. However in music intensive he is working on his piano skills, mainly to read music and sight-read. Both of which is very hard, speaking from experience.

As great as a musician as he is it is still very hard for him to sight read especially in time, but he did all right and was able to do it.

Then came my turn.

First I showed them what I worked on with Draa, the scales and what not. Then I plugged in my phone and played along with the cover song I learnt while in this class.

Lastly I preformed my song, which I somewhat finished.

I preformed it and sang the lyrics, along with the disclaimer that I can’t sing. However they didn’t mind.

Isaiah really liked the chords I used, and James, the Music Director, liked it as well, his only criticism was that the rhythm sometimes gets messed up, and he says it’s probably because you’re singing and play. He was right, too.

AFTER CLASS

I Ultimate Frisbee again, we did another scrimmage and used different strategies to get us ready to the tournament tomorrow. I’m going however, chose not to go because I have guitar lessons at the same time as well as let someone else who wants t play and can play, be able to play.

DINNER

Tonight we had lamb, and to those who me, lamb is my favorite type of meat. For the first time here I actually went up for seconds at dinner. Boy, do I love me some lamb!

JAZZ COMBO

We jammed out tonight again, we focused on the song we worked on last week, then a song we worked on way earlier last week as well.

The Teacher gave me a mike and asked me to sing the lyrics/melody of the song. I did of course, and even did little jazz like intros to each soloist.

Our Teacher even scatted along with us.

Luckily, for the first time I was able to sleep before 11/12 PM.

DAY 11: Chapter 4: Week Two Let’s Go!

Today on my way to AM Barn I was finally able to see the sun rise through the mountains. It was a beautiful sight to see. The layer of milky rows of cloud atop of a rich trans-orange peeking through the spaces between maintains.

Today’s music intensive was very productive, was able to write a song (with lyrics) and work on some of the things Draa, the guitar teacher, thought me.

AFTER CLASS

After classes I had wilderness skills again. We went out on the trails then into the woods to where the class had made fire rings before and destroy each one and leave no trace.

But before we destroyed them, each team gave reasons why they chose that spot to make it as well as why did they make theirs in the way that they did, as in using on big flat rock to old the fire instead of using the ground, etc.

I was able to head back to my dorm and catch some sleep and wake up in time for dinner.

After dinner I jammed with Juno again as well as get some time in with my Putney Band, The Two-Day Exchange.

We’re going to play Friday and we’re going to play a three song set which includes King for a Day by Green Day and Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix.

SONGWRITTING

This is my last songwriting session here at Putney, and I want to show them that I got something done.

I worked on and developed the lyric for the song I made earlier in music intensive. I played the chords to another person I have AM barn with as well as song writing. She loved it. Then I went off and wrote down the lyrics.

At the end we all met again and I preformed what I had so far for the teacher. He actually quite enjoyed it.

Later that night ion dorm jobs after I finished cleaning to common room; we had a special dorm snack treat.

It was Mini ice scream sandwiches, the good kind too. A great way to end the night.