Word Play

When it rains, it floods.

2006-09-28T11:08:00.000-06:00

Often I've heard the saying that "when it rains, it pours." This week is a testament to that old prophecy of troubles showering down all at once.

I'm not lucky when it comes to vehicles. I got into a wreck... and for the first time it was my fault. I was driving home in 6 o'clock traffic and I looked over my shoulder to see if I could change lanes and when I turned back around, the car in front of me had come to a stop. I slammed on my brakes, but it was too late. For that one second before I crashed, I knew it was coming and everything really did seem to slow down for just that second. Then, with a sound of crumpling metal, the car came to an abrupt stop. I'm not really hurt, other than a sore neck.. and the woman in front of me wasn't injured either. Her car didn't seem to have too much damage, but you never know. I always tend to underestimate the cost of damage to my vehicle.

I don't think dying in a crash would be the most terrible way to die. It is so sudden, so abrupt that you don't even have time to think. Some people say that they see their lives flash before their eyes when they die, but I don't believe it if they die in a car crash. It is too rushed, too sudden. My mind wasn't even on life or death... it was only on trying to press the brakes down as hard as possible.

I wrote down my information for the woman I crashed into and we're going to try to pay her directly rather than go through insurance. If my insurance jumps up too high, I don't know if I'll ever be able to drive again.

One of the more interesting parts of this little story was the drive HOME from the wreck. I didn't want to wait until the police came, for my own selfish reasons. I can't deal with a ticket. I can't. My nerves are shot. Anyways, the front end of my car scarily resembled an accordian and as I drove down the busy road, I could feel every set of eyes following me. I had to sit on one of my feet and crane my neck just to see over the hood of the car. Unsafe, yes... but it couldn't really get any worse.

It was just the icing on the cake after a bad school day. Every school has policies that make no sense, including mine. In order to make sure students make it to class on time, the school has begun a lock-out policty, stating that right when the bell rings, the teacher will lock the door and anyone not in the classroom will have to go down to the office and get a slip letting them go to class and assigning them detention. Well, lucky me, between 1st and 2nd period I have to travel from the third floor out to the trailers. Right when I stepped onto the platform, the bell rung and I thought I was safe, I was practically there. When I reached the top of the platform, the door hadn't even shut after the last person had stepped into the room, but my teacher refused to let me enter.

I went to the office, waited 15 minutes to get my slip, and luckily only got a warning since it was my first time. I don't DO detention. I looked over the slip and it looks pretty photocopiable to me. I'm going to photocopy it and next time I'll have nothing to worry about. I don't LIKE to cheat... but some situations as lame as this one calls for it.

Oh.. and I told you that the troubles just keep coming right? Well yesterday my mom had to drive me to my vocal lessons which are about 30 minutes from home because, well, accordion cars aren't very highway safe. I got out of my lesson and waited for her for about ten minutes. When I called her.. she somehow ended up lost and confused 45 minutes away near the airport. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? So I sat there and finally an hour after my lessons, my ride arrived. The other bad thing? I was supposed to babysit at 6... and mom didn't even pick me up up until 5:55 and we had a 30 minute drive. I called the family i was babysitting for and they were fine with it.. but i'm not. I was stressed and I felt SO irresponsible.

The one thing I don't want is for adults to consider me an irresponsible teenager. I work hard to try to appear mature and professional. Lately, it hasn't seemed so.

I took school off today. I couldn't keep going. I didn't get home until 11 last night and i still had 2 hours of homework left and I just couldn't do it.
This is what I like to call a nervous breakdown.

I'm getting a massage in a few hours. My neck and shoulders are killing me.
Lets hope this rain lets up and there is some sun.
If anything else happens... i don't know if I can handle it.

Shattered

2006-08-31T19:21:00.000-06:00

I don't understand vandalism.

Actually, more accurately, it scares the hell out of me when I'm the target of vandalism.

Gather 'round children, because it's our favorite time of day... STORY TIME:

Yesterday morning, I was running a bit late for school (I'm so lethargic in the mornings that it takes me hours to look decent.. or even alive) so I rushed out to my car which is parked on the street because there is no room in my driveway... and we don't have a garage. Who doesn't have a garage? Thats the real question. Well as I threw my books in the passenger seat, I noticed that my windshield didn't look quite right. Actually... it looked quite shattered. Veins of glass trailed from a single spot, where my car was obviously attacked.

I was shaken, to say the least. Who would do this to my car? Not many people know me here, no one has a reason to hurt me or my property. Maybe I have a stalker who is watching me right now, ready to pounce on me and drag me to his lair where I will never see the light of day. These thoughts crossed my mind, of course, but I decided to take a chance and run back inside the house. It isn't a good impression to be late on the third day of school so I figured I had better find some way to get to that institution of higher learning. I woke up my mom and she agreed to drive me.

As we went down the street, I noticed that every other car parked along it had windows resembling mine-- fractured and cracked to the point where you couldn't see through it. I must say that this gave me some peace of mind. My stalker theory flew out the window, it was just ignorant kids with a baseball bat and too much time on thier hands.

So my car is still sitting outside, still undrivable. Luckily the window repair man comes tomorrow. The downside? Hurricane Ernesto is rolling in, bringing in inches upon inches of rainfall.
Cracked windows=leaks.
Leaks=ruined apolstery.
And insurance won't pay for anything under $500. My window was $250... which is money I certainly don't have. This is when I call upon my dear parents for help. Sometimes I'm glad to be a minor just for that reason.

So if you see any wild stalkers carrying around baseball bats, let me know. I want to make him pay for his actions.

~whitney~
P.S. I'm experiencing my first hurricane. Idaho didn't have weather. this is crazy! The thunder is so loud!

Racy in Red

2006-08-20T11:33:00.000-06:00

We have great news. I've always been proud of being a redhead, and I just found another reason to be.

Last night i was watching WRAL news when an interesting story was mentioned:

Brunettes may turn heads and the fair-haired may be in demand, but it seems the racy redheads are the real deal when it comes to having an active … um … social life —

A study done by Hamburg sex researcher Dr. Werner Habermehl says that of all the ladies out there, redheads have the most sex, The Daily Mail reports.

Habermehl looked at the sex lives of hundreds of German women and then compared them by hair color to come to his carnal carrot-topped conclusion.

"The sex lives of women with red hair were clearly more active than those with other hair color, with more partners and having sex more often than the average. The research shows that the fiery redhead certainly lives up to her reputation," Habermehl said.

Of course, I was sitting next to my father at the time, so the entire report was rather uncomfortable to say the least.

I'm not sure this is a one-hair-color-fits-all situation though. Because thus far my red hair has not helped me much in the guy department.

perhaps my "racy red head" side will come out someday... or perhaps with my luck, I'll be the one red head who grows into an old maid, lagging behind all of the brunettes and blondes in lust and love.

The Killer Kujo Wasp

2006-08-14T10:27:00.000-06:00

I have a new book proposal for Steven King, based on my own real life experiences. I'd advise all Southerners to keep their doors closed and preferably deadbolted against this savage beast. A wasp with the wingspan of a small bird, or maybe even a small plane, ended up in my house this morning. Its buzz sounded eerily like a lawnmower, loud and deadly.

I heard screams coming from the living room and as I ran in, I saw my mother, armed only with InStyle Magazine chasing the giant around the room. She sprang towards it, her wild animal instincts kicking into gear, but missed, instead knocking down the blinds. The wasp veered around, ready to strike and kill her when, in a last desperate attempt, she attacked it and managed to hit it. The wasp fell to the ground and mom pounced on it, hitting it about 15 times with the magazine.

At this point we figured it was dead. I know that flies die after one hit, why wouldn't a giant killer wasp? So my brother and I decided to document this momentous event and grabbed the tape measure and took a picture. The bee was roughly three terrifying inches long. As we took the picture, we saw the insect twitch a few times but, logically, I thought they were just its last spasms.

Mom walked in a few minutes later to pick up the dead carcass.. and once more, screams echoed throughout the house (undoubtedly heard throughout the neighborhood). I ran back into the room.. and there was the wasp, back on its feet, plotting its revenge. Like Kujo, it just wouldn't die! It walked around, as we stood there and panicked and then we attacked it with a large coffee table book. We stomped on it for a good ten minutes, to insure it was dead. When we removed the book, he was still twitching, so we attacked again.

Finally, after 15 minutes of brutal force, we figured the demonic wasp must be dead, so we got a wad of tissue and picked it up. It was still twitching, so we flushed it down the toilet. I just hope wasps can't swim.

It is probably still alive, forging its way through the sewer system, ready to attack its next victim.

So, in closing, Mr. King, please take my suggestion for your next novel. I really do feel it would be a best seller.

~whitney~

Pig-Pickins

2006-08-13T13:41:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a lazy day and I refuse to leave this house. I don't want to see anyone, I don't want to talk to anyone, I just want to veg. I'm not even in a bad mood, I just feel it is important to have some "me" time.

I've spent the day reading, going on a power walk, and catching up on my internet life. I go through computer fazes. Sometimes I LIVE on the computer, 24/7, emailing, IMing, blogging etc... and then I'll go weeks where I barely check my email.

Southern life revolves around pigs. More accurately, Pork Barbeque. And they take their barbeque seriously. There is currently a debate RAGING in North Carolina over which type of barbeque should be adopted as the official State barbeque (what?!). Our choices are Western NC Pork Barbeque, basted in red sauce and ketchup, or Eastern NC Barbeque, pulled pork and vinegar. I've sided with the Eastern NC barbeque, simply because that's all my family has ever known. Since barbeque wasn't too big in Idaho, my father SHIPPED IT IN.

Now most people have never had the opportunity to attend a pig-pickin'. These events are solely based around cooking a full dead pig on a large grill and getting enough people to eat it all. The pig is probably the scariest thing you've ever seen, laying there dead on the grill, and I personally was scarred as a small child when my dad decided to throw the only pig-pickin' in the history of Idaho.

Last night, we went to a family event in Greensboro, a city about an hour away from Raleigh. Little family reunions are always great... unless you don't know ANY of your extended family members. I suffered through numerous "oooh.. you've grown up so much, last time I saw you, you were just an infant..." or, better yet, "Wow, you look so much like your daddy." umm.. thanks. Excuse me while I go kill myself.

We've got my cousin's wedding next month and I'm not sure how I'll get out of that. I'm not sure I like the idea of being so close to so many relatives.

~whitney~

Migraine.

2006-08-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

Every sound peirces in my ears and the light from the computer is blinding. Each nerve in my brain is pulsing, mimicking my heart beat. I've knocked back four Advil Liqui-gels in the past hour but this migraine won't go away.

I had plans. I was going to spend my evening going for a nice power walk up to Whole Foods to grab some dinner then I would promptly walk home (its 5 miles, so its a VERY good walk) and lay on the couch in front of the tv. Well I've accomplished a small section of my plan, I have managed to lie around a bit. As for the walk? Well there's always tomorrow... or the next day.

In colonial times, doctors suspected that migraines were caused by demons who entered your head. The only cure was to drill a hole into your skull in order to release the spirits. Of course this drill was probably also used to drill into other heads and was certainly unwashed, as are the doctor's hands. I'm increasingly glad that I live in the 21st century where advil has replaced drills... seeing as I'd probably have ten holes drilled in my head by this time and I'd either be a dribbling lunatic or already buried six feet under the earth.

Oh modern medicine, how I love thee. Excuse me while I go raid the medicine cabinet for some Lunesta or another similar drug that will put me in the fast lane to a deep slumber. I can see how prescription drugs are Americans' secret addiction.

Hi mom. hi dad.

2006-08-06T18:24:00.000-06:00

I have two additional readers that have failed to leave comments that I feel deserve some recognition. Their names?
Meet mom and dad.

I've heard that blogs can get you in trouble with your boss and I guess in my case my bosses are my dear parents. Every teenager goes through the parents snooping through their journal, I guess it makes it all the easier when my journal is posted on the world wide web for all to see.

So now that I know about this breach of privacy, mom and dad feel free to leave a few comments and let me know how you feel about my thoughts. Perhaps in the future I should learn to type wisely. Details about my life should not be posted on the internet. I should begin to censor my blogs.

I just wanted to say thanks mom and dad for reading my blog and let me know when you drop by. I'd love to hear your opinions.

~whitney~

P.S. A word of advice to other bloggers: If you ever lie to mom and pop, make sure not to post the truth anywhere on the internet. the end.

Racial Issues in the South

2006-08-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

Race is still an issue in the south.

In the lawbooks, blacks and whites are completely equal. There are black politicians and black newscasters but although schools and public areas are no longer segregated by law, people tend to flock towards "their own kind."

I've never lived anywhere with ethnic diversity. My high school in Idaho had um... four African Americans. Yes, four. In February, Black History Month, our newspaper did an article in which all four blacks were interviewed. I've moved from a 99% white community to a place where blacks and whites are nearly equal in number.

I'm not racist. I really am not, but to tell the truth, I've never been exposed to different races. The funny thing is, I've attended parties brimming with 200-300 people, and none of them have been black. The white kids DO consider themselves superior to blacks. It is nearly unspoken yet apparent through their actions. White kids hang out with white kids and black kids hang out with black kids. Anything else is a social taboo.

Here is a REAL conversation that I overheard the other day amongst a couple of high school boys:
"So-and-so made out with a black guy."
"Oh my god, that is disgusting."
"You better hope he was good because no white guy will ever touch her again."
"I know I won't, she's been contaminated."

What? WHAT?! That is absolutely despicable. I moved here thinking that America had changed since the Civil War, since the Civil Rights Movement... and it has, but we are still far from social equality.

Yesterday I was at a laser tag zone and I was talking with this black girl and we really got along. We had similar interests and I definitely wouldn't mind befriending her. Yet I'm terrified of developing a reputation before I even step into my new high school.

I know its unlikely, but I'd love to see the social situation change. I want to be able to befriend whoever I'd like without committing social suicide.

Who knew that the south was so steeped in tradition that blacks and whites still lead separate lives, rarely mixing. What do I do? I can't sit back and just avoid all people with skin pigment. That is morally unethical.

this is a new world. Change is necessary yet the south is adament about keeping their "way of life".

~whitney~

Late trucks, and the Non-Party Kid

2006-07-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

FINALLY!!

After weeks upon weeks of this laptop denyin me access to my dear blog, a miracle has occurred... and here I am!

These past few weeks have been busy to say the least. I trekked five days across country and it is a miracle how much it hurts just to sit and drive a car. My shoulders were KILLING me. Not just the slight shoulder pain that you can shrug off (get it? shrug? okay... not funny, i know) but more of a ten-thousand-knives-are-lodged-in-my-back kind of pain. When we finally got to Raleigh, ALL of the hotel rooms were full (okay, there was a room at the Motel 8... but i said HOTELS and I would rather stay in my room rather than be infested by bed bugs in a seedy motel). We tried to call our family members but no one would answer. I think they were screening our calls because no one wants surprise overnight guests even if they're family. Finally there was a cancellation at the Radisson and i got a good night's sleep.

Unpacking may be the only thing worse than packing. I hate it. I still have boxes lying around my room. And to make things worse, our stuff didnt fit on one truck! The other truck is supposed to arrive today (almost two weeks after the first one) and... it happens to have the majority of my clothing on board. I've been rewearing clothes for the past two weeks, and the little fashionista part of brain is screaming in reworn clothing pain.

I've met people in Raleigh via the internet. No, none of them are pedophiles, i found their names on myspace. Yes, that is probably the dorkiest way to meet people, but it worked quite well.

The problem is... these are probably not the kids I want to be hanging out with. I've been spending my nights bouncing from party to party. Since I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, and I'm more of a mixed drinks kind of girl (man, i'm high maitenance!) the parties pretty much suck. Everyone sits around getting high. At the high school parties, everyone already knows each other so I feel really left out. College parties are a bit more fun. But I'm not a partier. I've done this for a week and I'm already bored out of my mind. I need to find new friends. Ones that have more in their brains than what to wear that evening and what guy to make out with.

I thought I would have liked to be popular... but it isn't nearly as fun as I expected.

gah... i've got to go, this damned lap top is running out of batteries.

but I must say, it is great to be back.
~whitney~

Anxiety and Bad Goodbyes.

2006-07-13T05:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I attempted to post a blog but I was rejected. I guess that Blogger.com, whom I felt was my dear friend, decided to give me the silent treatment and shut me out. I was hurt. Luckily today Blogger seems to be back in his usual mood and has deemed me eligible to enter the realms of blogdom once more.

The moving truck rolls in at the bright and early hour of 7 AM tomorrow morning and by that time, we need to be all packed up. There is just so much to do. It isn't that I've procrastinated, I just underestimated the amount of time needed to pack up the numerous knick-knacks and odds and ends. I'm overwhelmed and I dread what lies ahead of me today, which might be why I woke up so early. It is only 5:35 AM, an ungodly hour when even the sun is sleeping. Why am I awake?
This happened to me the other morning as well.
Anxiety?

Within the last two days, I have added 1,536 songs to my IPOD. This is very important because I will be spending five days driving my mother's car across the nation and it helps to have a bit of music. It will be my one source of entertainment in a drive that can only be described as a living hell.

I've realized that I'm terrible at saying goodbye. This week has been a nonstop parade of goodbyes and none of them seem final. Other people will cry, and I'll just hug them and laugh and say "I'll be coming to visit" and things of that sort. We promise to write eachother, but I highly doubt that many of my friends are capable of writing a sincere letter. The majority of my friends are there merely for the fun times, but once you need someone to rely on... well, don't count on it. They also go by the mantra "Out of sight, out of mind." Seeing as I'll be 3000 miles away, I figure I'd fit into the out of mind category.

Although I hate to even mention it, this might be my last post for a while. my computer is being packed up today and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find a computer on my cross-country expedition.

Perhaps I can borrow my dad's laptop before mom and I drive out on Saturday.
There is so much going on in my life. My blogs tend to be more interesting when everything is going at a slower pace.

Question of the day:
What was your biggest move and were you happy with your choice or did you end up regretting it?

I'm going to attempt to go back to sleep so I don't transform into the devil when it is time to pack.

~whitney~

Going-Away Parties

2006-07-10T10:03:00.000-06:00

My going-away party was a success! You have no idea how much that relieved me. The days leading up to the party, I was antisocial and didn't hang out with anyone. I had this intense fear that because of my introverted ways, no one would come to the party. I always feel that if I'm not AT every event, being outgoing and active, then no one will remember me and I'll fall away into obscurity.

Luckily, my fears were not confirmed. About 25-35 people attended the party and we had a nice time. We swam, made human knots (just like elementary school haha), watched Jaws on a projector while we swam... it was enjoyable!

My friend Susan offered to bake a cake, and I took up her offer because I didn't even want to worry about dessert. She never baked one. That was the one disappointment of the evening.

It still doesn't feel like I've said goodbye. I'm down to six days in Idaho and I just want to be in Raleigh already. I'm in this time of limbo and unrest. Most of my belongings are already packed away and I hate living out of a suitcase. Its time to go.

Last night I attended a neighborhood going away party for my family. It would have sucked other than the fact that my next-door neighbor slipped me five margaritas.... so actually, I was doing quite nicely.

Baby bird sort of flew away yesterday. He hopped out of his nest and when I put him back up there, he hopped out again. He could fly about 10 feet at a time and.... I had to just let my baby go. There was nothing more I could do. I have this terrible feeling that a magpie or crow is going to eat him. Poor baby.

Question of the day:
Have you ever thrown a party? Was it a success? (if you thrown multiple parties, share some stories.. don't be shy!)

~whitney~

I am now a mother bird.

2006-07-07T11:12:00.000-06:00

I have a new goal for my final eight days in Idaho.

Mission: Save motherless baby bird.

So two days ago, I was packing boxes when I heard a dull thud near my window. I looked outside and there was a bird, on her back, struggling for breath. I went outside and kneeled beside it, but it wouldn't move. Within ten minutes it was dead and there was nothing I could do but pick it up (with gloves of course, I don't plan on contracting bird flu any time soon) and giving her the proper bird burial.... via trash can.

With the mama bird deceased, its one remaining baby (the other two got eaten by...something) sat in its nest, hungry and squealing. Every time I went outside, all i could hear was its pitiful call for help, or more accurately, a call for food. Yesterday evening I gave in. I couldn't let that poor baby starve to death. Against the advice of the majority of websites I checked, I decided to feed the chicklet.

Well, I don't have any worms on hand and the idea of regurgitating insects to the bird didn't sound too appetizing, so I used what I had. Armed with bits of smashed banana and a pair of tweezers, I climbed a ladder to the nest and fed the chick some banana. He was so hungry, I don't think he cared much what he ate.

This morning I fed him again. I doubt bananas are quite good for birds, but he survived the night and thats positive, right? He almost looks ready to fly and I believe within a week, his feathers will be grown out enough to allow him to do so. I don't know if he will though, without a mother bird to push him out of the nest.

So, I guess I've taken on the role of mother bird.
I really hope this baby of mine doesn't die.

Question of the Day:
Have you ever interfered with nature in order to help?

~whitney~

Introvert

2006-07-05T13:20:00.000-06:00

My life revolves around packing... and I hate it.

I started packing immediately when I woke up this morning, around 9:45 and I finished packing exactly 17 minutes ago at 1.

Every day my house looks more and more empty. The problem with packing up in a larger home is that there is more packing to be done. Unfortunate but necessary.

Its funny. I'm down to ten days left in Idaho and I have no desire to do anything with my friends. I'm to the point where I just want to be out of here and done with this. I hate to say it, but I don't think I'm going to miss my friends all that much. I guess it just goes to show that we weren't too close in the first place.

Tonight I think I'm going to the midnight premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm going to force myself to go simply because I already bought the ticket. I'll have fun once I get there, I just have to make myself get out of the house.

I don't think I'm reclusive but I get in moods for long periods of time where I just don't want to use the ENERGY necessary to use when I'm with my friends.

Question of the Day:
Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?

usually I'm outgoing and extroverted... right now I just feel like staying to myself.

~whitney~

Mom-Rock and Invites

2006-07-03T13:04:00.000-06:00

I have to be reading something when I eat. I don't really care WHAT it is... as long as I'm reading.

So last night, I was eating a bowl of cereal and I grabbed the closest magazine, GQ. As I'm sitting there reading the Gentleman's Quarterly, I came across an interesting article. The article was titled Mom-Rock.

Mothers of past generations stuck to listening to the music that they listened to as teens. Modern day moms, on the other hand, are listening to modern day music.

The top "mom-rock" artists? James Blunt, Teddy Geiger, Daniel Powter, and John Mayer.
My mother has all of these CDs.

Now is it strange that my mother and I enjoy the same type of music? My mom always thought she was strange. She felt slightly like a pedophile while purchasing 17-year-old Teddy Geiger's CD. But no. She is perfectly normal. In fact, she is the all-American mom just for listening to this music.

I just found it odd.

On other subjects, here is a picture of an invite to my Going-Away Party:

I spent two hours delivering these yesterday before realizing that we didn't even put a date for the party on them. Needless to say, we felt pretty stupid.

IF we can get in touch with everyone to tell them when the party is, I think it will be a pretty nice one.

We are having a huge picnic at a nearby park and then coming back to my house to go swimming and watch JAWS on the projector screen. Hopefully it goes well.

After a couple nights of good sleep, i'm getting out of my little depression. Thanks for the kind comments though!

Question of the Day:
What is the stupidest thing you've ever done? wow... thats a broad one. Go at it, kids.

~whitney~

why am i so depressed?

2006-07-01T23:21:00.000-06:00

I'm thoroughly depressed this evening
and I can't figure out why.

I'm on the verge of tears.

I'm going to go to sleep. Maybe that will help.
Please, let this help.

CAR CRASH

2006-06-30T19:20:00.000-06:00

So.. I hope everyone's day was quite dandy. Lets see, what happened here? Oh, yes, my car is officially gone forever. forever.

I was driving to my friend Susan's house with Montanna in the passenger seat. We were right outside of her house when the truck in front of us stopped. We thought that he was also turning into Susan's driveway but no, that was not his plan. He started reversing and I tried to reverse also, but just not fast enough.

Montanna and I had a little interesting dialogue seconds before the crash:
"He's reversing."
"I don't think he sees us."
"I can't reverse fast enough"
"We're going to crash."
We were very calm about the whole situation.

Luckily it didn't hurt us at all... but the car on the other hand? I can't explain it in words, you can have a look instead:

That third picture is the guy that crashed into us. We were fortunate because he was really nice and funny and agreed to take these highly dramatic pictures with us.

Question of the Day:
Have you been in a wreck? Describe your horror story.

So yes, my last few weeks in Idaho are to be spent without a car.
I'm already going through car withdrawels.

~whitney~

Parties and Paste

2006-06-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the many replies I got on the abortion blog. It was interesting to see different perspectives. It is so controversial that I don't believe we will come to a conclusion for years to come. I think one of the main problems is that many people are coming from a scientific standpoint while many others are coming from a biblical standpoint, and there are many occasions in which those two groups don't agree.

I'm down to 16 days left living in Idaho and I've spent the last few days hanging out with friends and eating. That seems like all we've done. Just eat, eat, eat, eat. I'm up to 123 pounds again, which is still pretty skinny on my 5'7" frame... but I'm picky and it isn't what I want. I just need to promise myself that today I will eat healthily and in small amounts. The problem is that it is a lot easier to say that right now when I'm not tempted with a peice of cake.

I'm considering throwing a going-away party but part of me doesn't want to plan it. It seems slightly sad and depressing to throw your own going-away party. Nonetheless, if no one else steps up to the plate, I'll probably end up doing it, simply because I want to see all of my friends one last time and that is the only way I can think of doing it. 16 days isn't a very long time. Really. And we haven't even begun to pack.

So Question of the Day:If you were throwing THE party of the year (aka, a going away party) what would it entail? Be creative! I need you guys!

Here is a slightly disturbing, but hilarious video for you all to enjoy.

Abortion

2006-06-27T13:15:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the issue currently discussed and argued in America that bothers me most is that of abortion. I know it is a touchy subject, but what are blogs for if I'm not allowed to share my opinion here?

The two sides of the debate, Pro-life and Pro-choice, are affecting American politics and testing American morals and ethics. If we take away the right for women to choose, we are taking away their freedom. America is the land of the free... if they can take away our choice in this matter, what is next?

South Dakota has taken the lead in the pro-life stance by banning abortion in all cases. The Washington post reports that:

"The measure, which passed the state Senate 23 to 12, makes it a felony for doctors to perform any abortion, except to save the life of a pregnant woman. The proposal still must be signed by Gov. Mike Rounds (R), who opposes abortion.

The bill was designed to challenge the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe vs. Wade, which in 1973 recognized a right of women to terminate pregnancies. Its sponsors want to force a reexamination of the ruling by the court, which now includes two justices appointed by President Bush."

With a TOTAL ban on abortion, women who were raped would have to have the child, according to the law.

If abortion is illegalized in our nation, there are loopholes, but many of them are unsafe. Women will once more resort to "back-alley abortions" which will have no health or sanitary standards and may result in unnecessary deaths. According to Wikipedia: "the World Health Organization estimates that 19 million unsafe abortions occur around the world annually and that 68,000 of these result in the death of the woman."

I want to point out that I do not think that abortions should be taken lightly. Abortion is NOT a form of birth control. Nor do I believe in late-term abortions.

Women have the right to choose whether or not they are ready and willing to care for a child.
Does our Republican President and his board have the power to take away our rights? Luckily, not many people are behind President Bush at this moment.

This post was meant to be much longer, and I might add to it when I have the chance, but for now I must leave.

Question of the Day:
What is your stance on abortion? Please back it up if necessary.

~whitney~

Ghost Towns and Down Days

2006-06-26T15:34:00.000-06:00

Beleive it or not, there are some plus sides to living in Idaho. I can't think of many at the moment, but there has to be some.
Just kidding, Idaho really does have positive qualities. It has a beautiful landscape with mountains and lakes, and.... *drumroll* ghost towns!!

John and I went to explore Idaho City today. During the 1800s, 300 million dollars in gold were found there, more than the 49ers found down in California! It was a pretty interesting place.

We walked about a mile (well, two miles because we got lost a couple times) to the cemetary. It was interesting to see the headstones dating back to the 1840s. The highlight of the day was when we watched a cowboy play, complete with dynamite and robberies! We had a nice little chat with the 9th and 10th fastest sharpshooters in the nation, as well as the second fastest female sharpshooter in the world and next weekend they're teaching me to shoot.

it was exciting, to say the least.

Now on to other subjects. I've been a little on the depressed side today, though I'm not quite sure why. All I want to do is eat and sleep. Not a good cycle. I hate being depressed. I hate how mean I am to my family when I don't feel well. I hate spending my entire day sleeping. But I don't know how to snap out of it at all.
Vicious.

Michelle is coming over, and maybe she can cheer me up, because I'm incapable of doing it alone.

Question of the Day:
If you were to do something outside your comfort zone and completely uncharacteristic, do you feel that that would change other peoples views of you or would they be able to tell that you were trying something new?

~whitney~

Concerts and Balloons

2006-06-25T10:34:00.000-06:00

I attended a concert full of great indie music the other night... and I have the overwhelming urge to share the musical wealth with you.

First up was Barefoot Backstage, a little local band made up of four teens from my school, Eagle High. Well usually high school bands.. sorry to break it to you... suck. Barefoot Backstage is a breath of fresh air, not filled with teen angst but rather with folksy lyrics in the style of Jack Johnson.

Next in the lineup was Drew Danburry. An amazing man hailing from Utah, he has to be at least 6'5" tall and can dance like no other. View his picture... just over to the left. You just can't beat mountain man beards.

Personally, my favorite performance of the night was Aubrey Debauchery simply because she has a lilting, angelic voice.. but her lyrics. Ha. Probably the most sexual lyrics I've ever heard, and you just don't expect it from her. I talked with her after her performance and she is one of the coolest people I know.

The last performance was Seve vs. Evan, synthesizer electronica heaven. It isn't quite as fun to listen to at home as at the concert just because at home you can't dance like you can at a concert. We danced throughout their entire set.. probably nearing forty-five minutes of jumping up and down (barefoot, of course, because its so much more fun). My body actually hurt the next day from our intense dance session.

I spent the night with some kids, but of course sleeping is over-rated. Instead we made chocolate chip pancakes at 2 AM.

This weekend was the Boise Air Balloon Festival... so we decided to go see them launch..... at 6 AM. Did you know you need a lisence to fly an air balloon? I guess that is logical, but I never see companies advertising hot air balloon lessons. There were hundreds of balloons dotting the sky and it was quite breathtaking, though quite early.

Question of the Day:
What was the best concert you've ever attended?

It has been a wonderful weekend but now I must leave you to pursue another adventure. Hope to see comments from all of you!
~whitney~

Scientology

2006-06-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

John referred me to a scientology website last night. It is, perhaps, the most ridiculous belief system I have ever encountered.

Now I'm sure it is a bit over dramatized, but I looked it up and the most prominent Scientologists DO believe in Xenu and Thetons.
Really? How can 55,000 Americans and countless others believe the religious teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer who created the church in 1952?

Another funny little quote I came across on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology:

For instance, Hubbard's 1958 book Have You Lived Before This Life documents past lives described by individual Scientologists during auditing sessions. These included memories of being "deceived into a love affair with a robot decked out as a beautiful red-haired girl", being run over by a Martian bishop driving a steamroller, being transformed into an intergalactic walrus that perished after falling out of a flying saucer, and being "a very happy being who strayed to the planet Nostra 23,064,000,000 years ago".

I believe our friend Mr. Hubbard was a little off his rocker. But... I am wondering if I could enter the world of scientology claiming I was the red-haired robot and create a name for myself amongst the many famous stars who believe in Scientology.

Just to keep this fair, wikipedia also stated:

Scientologists argue that published accounts of the Xenu story and other colorful teachings are presented out of context for the purpose of ridiculing their religion. Journalists and critics of Scientology counter that Xenu is part of a much wider Scientology belief in past lives on other planets, some of which has been public knowledge for decades.

So here is our question of the day:
Which system of belief do you find most ridiculous... and which do you find most accurate?

Interesting stuff. Very interesting.

~whitney~

P.S. go see Nacho Libre, pointless yet very entertaining.

P.P.S. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are Scientologists and tried to uphold the teachings by having a silent birth.
I'm sorry... but when I have a child, it certainly will not be silent.

Redheads Shouldn't Be in the Sun... Ever

2006-06-22T10:34:00.000-06:00

The problem with being an Irish red-head is that it is impossible to be out in the sun for more than 5 minutes without frying like an egg on the sidewalk (and yes, it is possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk, i've done it). Regardless of whether I wear sunscreen (spf 50, of course) I will still end up beet red. It isn't cute, it isn't comfortable, and after the burn goes away, I'm still a ghostly white.

I've decided that I'm an albino... with normal colored eyes and hair. I've never met anyone lighter than me. I use self-tanner and I'm still whiter than all of my friends.

Now there are some upsides to being unbelievably pale:
A. I glow in the dark at night, so if I were to get lost, it wouldn't be difficult for people to find me.
B. I can resemble a porcelain doll, which is cool... I guess.

I must say there are more downsides than upsides. The largest being that I will probably have skin cancer sometime in my life. My dad, from whom I inherited my coloring, had skin cancer at the age of 20. That leaves some scary odds for me.

Paleness makes bruises stand out and last longer. I know its weird, but I have two bruises that have been there for 2 years. One I got during spring break 2004 when I decided that it would be fun to jump from lawnchair to lawnchair by a pool. Brilliant, I know. The one hitch in this plan, was that a couple of the loungechairs were wet, and I slipped through the slats, bruising my shin pretty terribly. I'm not sure it will ever go away.

The other bruise... wow, I have a lot of embarrassing stories. I was acting in the play Les Miserables in January 2004 and we were rehearsing with new black ramps on the black stage. Well... I kind of forgot about the ramps and as I turned to run off stage, I fell right over one of them and had to be carried offstage. fun.

Aloe Vera is my new best friend. Maybe I should just lock myself inside and never go into the sun again. Did you know that some people are allergic to the sun and can only go outside at night?

So thats all i really have to complain about today.

Love your crisp, lobster-like friend,
~whitney~

The Lakehouse and the Future

2006-06-21T08:18:00.000-06:00

I went to see the Lakehouse last night. According to http://rottentomatos.com its freshness rating was only 33%. Now I'm not a movie snob who always believes the critics, but often they're correct.

I actually had an enjoyable evening. The Lakehouse is a huge chick-flick. Romantic, smothered in cheesy moments, that whole deal. I don't think I would have enjoyed it had I not been with my friend Michelle, the biggest romanticist I know.

The movie centered around two people who found out that they lived two years apart. It is never explained why they could communicate regardless of time. that bothered me. Also, they changed moments in history but I believe that if you change one moment in your past, your entire future would also change.

On that note, I was sitting at a stoplight the other day and a thought crossed my mind. What if I chose to go left instead of right? Would I come across a different series of events? Each tiny decision we make determines our future and who we are as individuals. Some people choose the left, while others choose the right. Everyday we face the unknown and we could change our life's course just by the choices we make and the situations we end up in.

So Question of the Day:
Is our personality based upon experiences and relationships in our lives or are we predestined, born to have a certain type of personality?

I'm off to go boating! Oh the joys of summer!
~whitney~

Strange Ramblings

2006-06-20T09:33:00.000-06:00

My little salad escapade didn't quite turn out as planned.
Just a word of advice- don't attempt to take short cuts when making a new recipe. Canned chicken and cooked chicken breast are not even remotely similar in taste. Canned chicken tastes EXACTLY like canned tuna... and if you aren't much of a tuna fan, it doesn't create a very tasty salad.

In other news, THE NORTH CAROLINA HURRICANES WON THE STANLEY CUP! Seeing as I'm moving to Raleigh, North Carolina in less than a month, this is an important event. I watched the game on tv last night, and it was absolutely amazing. It was a 3 to 1 game against the Edmonton oilers and a blast to watch. I kind of wish that I was in Raleigh right now to experience the excitement... but I doubt it would be as much fun if I didn't know anyone there.

I'm considering joining the girl's hockey league when I move there. I almost joined the Boise Blades girl's hockey this year, but the rink is just so far from my house that it would suck far too much time out of my life. We'll see, we'll see. Its difficult to balance hockey, all Advanced Placement classes, and have some semblance of a social life. I just have to set my priorities straight.

I'm not sure how much I'm going to miss Boise.
I'm not sure how much I'll like Raleigh.
There are just so many uncertainties right now and dwelling on them won't help with anything. I'll just have to live day-to-day once I get there.

I didn't sleep well last night. I had a series of strange dreams that I don't really remember now, I just know that they were quite crazy. I went to bed late, and woke up early. I hate nights like that. I guess I could go back to sleep now, but i've never been good at napping.

My little personal space heater is on. Its June. Why am I always so cold? My hands are ALWAYS freezing, and my nails are often a pale shade of blue. cute.
Maybe I'm dying of some strange disease and I don't even know it! How depressing.

Here is my question of the day, lets see if you can answer it:
How, in your opinion, should happiness be measured?

I'm hoping to start including a question every day... just to have a little um.. audience participation. We could make it the Word Play Game Show! okay, thats going a bit far. Maybe it will just keep you coming back... because, you know, thats my true goal.

Well this post has been all over the place. From salads to hockey to game shows. Maybe its time I stop writing before things really get out of control.

Shalom!
~whitney~

Heavenly Salad

2006-06-19T11:44:00.000-06:00

I usually don't post twice in the same day... but I think ya'll will survive.

I've become obsessed with a salad.
That could have been one of the strangest sentences I've ever written.

This obsession started exactly a year ago today. I went to the Lord & Taylor in New York City and purchased the Waldorf Salad. Thus began the love affair. I was unable to return to Lord & Taylor during that trip, so I made it my mission to go this time and get the recipe.

So the cafe is basically a little hole in the wall, terribly decorated, but with excellent food. I went there my first full day during this trip to New York and once more ate the salad from heaven. I asked the waitress for the recipe, she went and asked the cook.... and they refused to give it to me.

What?! GIVE ME THE SALAD RECIPE

so Saturday afternoon, I returned to Lord & Taylor on Fifth Avenue and once more ordered the Waldorf. I made a mental note of each ingredient included: apples, turkey, mayonnaise, craisins, raisins, lettuce, mango sauce. Okay.. we know the ingredients... so how much of each?

I'm determined to make this salad tonight. I'm going grocery shopping in a few minutes and this salad WILL be good. I'm determined. Do you know how sad it is that I have just written an entire post over a salad? its worth it. I swear it is.
I could live off of it.
I already live off of salad... but this salad, this salad is meant for the gods.
yeah... i'm a health-nut loser. In a nutshell.

I'll let you know if it turns out, and produce a recipe so you all can make it and understand what I'm talking about. Because I'm sure at this point, it seems as if I've gone off the deep end of the pool (i.e. crazy)

~whitney~

Acts of Generosity

2006-06-19T09:55:00.000-06:00

I have renewed faith in human kindness.

Around 11:30 at night on Saturday, I was walking back to the hotel from the Times Square Deli and Bakery after I picked up some drinks, muffins, etc for the next morning. I'm allowed to roam New York alone as long as I have my cell phone and I am gone for only a short amount of time. Anyways, my pants had very shallow pockets, and at some point, about $10 fell out of my pocket.

"Excuse me, miss, you dropped some money." I heard a low voice behind me and turned around. There was a homeless man sitting on the stoop of a hotel, pointing to the dropped money. He helped me pick up the money and I gave him a dollar.... though now I sincerely wish I had given him more.

He needed that money, but he didn't steal it. He was kind enough to tell me that I dropped it and helped me pick it up. I feel guilty now that I didn't just give him all of it. I don't need it. He does. Once I got back to the hotel, I was tempted to go out looking for him, to give him more, but I couldn't remember really what he looked like, and it was doubtful I'd find him again.

Isn't it amazing that someone who doesn't even have a home would stop to help a girl who obviously had money and didn't need these ten extra dollars? I think the majority of wealthy men wouldn't have told me that I dropped the money, but would have taken it for themselves.

I hope that from this, I can also learn to be this kind. I need to get my head out of the clouds and see which people are genuine and which are fake. I think that the majority of people I currently know are not of a genuine nature and maybe its good that I'm moving. I can start over and choose people who are kind and generous, regardless of their "popularity status".

I'm now home from New York and I had a marvelous time. The flight back was absolutely hideous (turbulence, delays, everything...ugh) but we made it back. Over the next few days I will share various stories about my adventures but the story above is what really stuck out in my mind.

Dirty, living on the streets, this man had true morals.
People can be kind and helpful, regardless of their situations.
Lets hope I keep this experience in mind and learn from it.

~whitney~

James Dean Lived Here

2006-06-14T08:02:00.000-06:00

We have good news! I have the opportunity to continue to update my blog while I'm in New York due to excellent internet access in my hotel room.

As the plane was landing in New York last night, I looked out the window and endless lights stretched out before me. As I was sitting there, on sensory overload because of the many lights, I began to think about the many people who live in each of those lit up apartments. Its an odd thing to know that as you sit safe and sound, there is probably, somewhere in this huge city of millions, someone being born, someone being raped, someone being murdered. Someone is having the best day of thier life and someone is dying on the streets... all while I'm just sitting here. Mothers, brothers, fathers, friends, the city holds so many people, each with a different story. It is mindblowing, really.

My hotel room has so much history. James Dean, THE James Dean, lived in my room from 1950 to 1953. I'm surrounded by pictures of his life, the original teen angst story. The rebel without a cause. Did you know that he got more fan mail in the three months after his death than any living celebrity has ever gotten? I look out the window to the bustling street eight stories down and I know that fifty years ago, he stood in this same spot. What a place.

Well I have to go get ready for the day. Please leave some comments, I really appreciate them (they make me feel special)

A cartoon to end the blog:

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

~whitney~
P.S. John, I may not be able to mention you every post, seeing as there is just so much to say about New York, but know that though you may not be in my blogs..... you aren't forgotten. haha. cheesy.

Planes, Trains, and a Trip to New York City

2006-06-13T09:30:00.000-06:00

In two hours I leave to board a plane and travel an additional six hours to New York City. I am a TERRIBLE overpacker. My suitcase is filled to the brim. I've packed three pairs of jeans, four pairs of shorts, four skirts, and one dress. Yes, the trip is only five days long and I have, at the very least, twelve outfits. Yet you never know how the weather will be. At least I'll always be prepared.

So John and I talked on the phone for about two hours last night and he is transfixed by the idea that I do, in fact, eat the crusts off my pizza. Now this seems trivial doesn't it? No, no it isn't. Before he got to know me, he thought that I'd be one of those people who left the crust behind. (yes, he did think about this) Now here is my question. What does it MEAN if you eat the crusts as opposed to not eating them? Wouldn't leaving them behind be wasteful and impractical? Well John and Glen (we did a three way call.. to see if the mighty Glen knew the answer) didn't have a set answer for me. They said that it showed aspects of someone's personality, but that it was more of a feeling and couldn't be explained. Yes, its true, we really did spend around thirty minutes discussing crusts. Weird? yes.

Sometimes I wish that people still traveled by train. Many a movie began with the protagonist stepping off a train in a foreign location. I guess the modern day equivalent is the airport, but that just seems less romantic. Old movies, though not realistic, are often the greatest love stories I can think of.

This was meant to be a lengthy post, but I'm still packing things last minute so it isn't as long as I first hoped. I am hoping that there is an internet cafe close to my hotel in NYC and I'll be able to post a blog or two, but no promises there.

I'm off to explore a world full of museums, stores, Broadway shows, great food, hobos (NYC has plenty), subways, taxis, and bustling business men and women. Leave comments and I'll be sure to get back to you when I return, if not before.

"Hope for the Best. Expect the worst. Life is a play. We're unrehearsed." - Mel Brooks
~whitney~

P.S. Here is a second quote, simply because it made me laugh, though I don't know why. I don't even agree with this. My strong feminist side says no... but I often play the fool anyways. It IS the world we live in.

"That's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

P.P.S. I hate dumbing myself down. I should stop. But I've also been called intimidating multiple times so I think I dumb myself down to appear more approachable. It isn't working. The end. really.

Manicures are Materialistic

2006-06-12T08:59:00.001-06:00

So I got my first manicure yesterday. Simply for the sake of a picture within my blog, I will let you all see:

I think they turned out quite pretty.. although the pictures seem a bit scary mainly because of the spider-like shadows.

Anyways... after I got my nails done, I realized that I am a very high-maitenance sixteen-year-old. I already live FAR beyond my means (I DO pay for the majority of my things) and this spells trouble in later years. If I'm already shelling out hundreds of dollars on designer purses, nails, hair, etc... how am I ever going to pay for college? it is a real threat.

I'm beginning to hate how materialistic I've become, but I don't see how to stop. It is a viscious cycle because, in order to be "in style", you need a lot of money and time yet all of it is worth it when people notice you.

When I look good, I get compliments. Simple as that.

I had two strangers tell me yesterday that I should model.
John can voucher that strangers come up to me and say i'm pretty.

I know this post makes me look really stuck up... but it isn't meant to do that. I'm trying to come to terms with myself. When I write my thoughts down, it makes me pro-active and perhaps I'll be able to change my materialistic ways.

I know I shouldn't rely on other people's opinions of me to feel good about myself, and I don't TOTALLY rely on their opinions.. but it is nice to know that you're pretty. It is nice to know that my work pays off.

I live like young Hollywood, minus the fame. And why? WHY?

I'm not sure I can answer that question at this time in my life, but I'm trying, I really am.

When I move, I have the opportunity to reinvent myself. Who do I want to become?

Well, today is filled with packing for my trip, perhaps a phone call with John? (that was fun last night), a five mile walk, and I need to get my hair trimmed. What an exciting life.

~whitney~

New Layout

2006-06-11T17:06:00.000-06:00

Well I'm just here to point out the new layout and I'm wondering if you think its an improvement or not?

Thanks dearly,
~whitney~

Accepting Boredom

2006-06-11T10:12:00.000-06:00

.
So between yesterday and today, according to my scale, I lost five pounds. Wow.
umm.. do I believe that?
I guess I should. Nevertheless, it makes me quite happy. Going at this rate, I should be 115 tomorrow!

Well as I was serving my sentence of being grounded, I came across a passage in "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" and figured I'd share it with you.

Make Peace With Boredom

"I thought the title of this strategy might get your attention! No one likes to be bored, and we live in a time when boredom is often seen as completely unacceptable. Most people can't stand it--even for a moment. Something has to be going on, or turned on, or being planned. There must be some type of stimulus going on every waking moment. We're spending time with someone else on the phone or on the Internet, or we're watching television...

Unfortunately, the only way out of this frenetic maze is to see it as a trap. There is nothing wrong with computers or cell phones, or television or beepers, or game machines or fax machines, or any of the rest of it. Yet if you are dependent on ongoing stimulation, you actually set yourself up to be bored a great deal of the time. Think about it for a moment. What happens to most people you know when there is nothing going on? Anxiety, boredom, or some degree of lack of satisfaction? But the conclusion most people come to is taht the solution is to be sure you never, ever, have nothing going on.

I'm not bashing or blaming technology. I'm only suggesting that when you decide that it's okay if something isn't going on all the time, you train your mind to be more easily satisfied, which always translates into happiness and joy. Very quickly, you'll learn to feel more peaceful. When you're peaceful, you can have fun on a computer, at an amusement park, or while you're all alone, sitting on a bench. You'll be free.

Practice having a little space in between activities. If you can learn to sit still with nothing going on, even for a few minutes at a time, you'll be way ahead of the game. You'll not only become happier, but you'll actually enjoy the things you already spend time doing much more. Youll feel a sense of relief, as if you're off the hook."

I've been forced to slow down the last couple of days. For the last 6 months or so, I've been going, and going, and going (ha.. makes me think of the energizer bunny) and I have refused to slow down. I fell into a depression earlier this year due to some cruel actions of former friends and my version of therapy was to always have something to do so that I wouldn't think about it. This is the first weekend that I have had time. I've caught up on reading, one of my favorite activities that fell to the side, I've begun writing frequently, as you all have observed. And I must say, it has been quite nice.

I need to further become accustomed to peace and solitude without destructive thoughts. Yesterday morning, I was in a TERRIBLE mood. One of the worst moods I'd been in for a long time. I hated myself, and hate is a strong word. I forced myself to get out for my walk and my mood immediately did a 180 degree flip and I was almost manically happy for the remainder of the afternoon. Does this have something to do with boredom? Or maybe I'm just bipolar. Either could be the case. ha.

So, my question to you, Can you be happy with yourself and your environment even when there are no stimuli, nothing to take your mind off of situations?

I'm trying to decide if I truly love myself, or if I've tricked myself into hiding my insecurities not only from the world, but also from myself. This week has left me a lot of time to think.

I needed this.

~whitney~

P.S. JOHN<--- I had to say your name simply because you've been mentioned in all 5 previous posts. keep up the streak!

The Normal Plan

2006-06-10T09:35:00.000-06:00

I've come to the conclusion that unless I completely set my mind to it, I'm not going to end up in amazing shape. For the last month or so, I've exercised half-heartedly, which keeps me somewhat toned, but doesn't make a world of difference. So, now that I've come to this realization, all it takes is actually doing it.

Here is the plan:
walk 5 miles today
do 50 crunches
25 butterflies
1 mile elliptical
yoga

Food wise:
I'm only going to eat breakfast if I'm hungry (which, luckily, I'm not right now)
eat only fruits, yogurts, cereals, and rice
under 1500 calories.

I can do that.

Now, for more entertaining subjects. I got a book called "The Devil in Details," an autobiography about a girl with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is always nice to read a book about someone more unusual than yourself. It sounds terrible, but by reading about other's misfortunes, I get the feeling that I'm comparatively normal, and that makes me happy.

But who decides what is truly normal? (uh oh, here comes the philosophical question of the day) Really though, there is this standard that we are supposed to live up to. A normal person dresses a certain way, eats three meals a day, talks a certain way.... etc. Normal people enjoy the same activities, the same thoughts... so is normalcy just robbing us of our originality? Probably, if you read this blog, you'd realize that I'm not quite the normal 16-year-old, though I may appear to be on the outside. Its just a thought that I've been mulling over in my mind and felt like sharing. Strange, strange world.

Back to the "getting in amazing shape plan." Why do I even want to? Just to live up to these above-and-beyond normalcy dreams I guess. But what? Do I think I'll make more friends just because I'm skinnier and more in shape? No... but yes.
I think I have a phobia of becoming fat.
scary.

I leave for New York City on Tuesday and I haven't even really thought about it. It is just at a wierd time. Everything is so busy with us moving that it seems such a strange time to go on vacation. We're seeing two Broadway shows, Spamalot and Avenue Q... so I'm quite excited for both of those.

I guess that is about all for the moment. I've gotten the idea to promote my blog and see if I can reel in some other readers, not just John. (I love you John, but sometimes you've just got to branch out.)

Off for my walk!
~whitney~

Teens will be Teens

2006-06-09T16:58:00.000-06:00

Where to start? The problem with missing a few days of posting, is that I have so much to say, yet I don't want to post a four-page blog. So I either need to condense the series of events that have occurred within the last few days to a few paragraphs, or omit some of these events, which I feel is unfair to my readers (which currently is only... John.)

So we have left psuedo-summer and the real, tangible summer is now in full swing. Wednesday night, in order to celebrate the end of the school year, I went to a bonfire at Joel's house. We spent an exciting evening dancing around the fire, laying on Joel's roof, playing badminton, and basically just having a great time. There was some slight tension between myself and a former friend of mine, but nothing that couldn't be worked out by staying at separate ends of Joel's yard at all times.
After the party was when I started making mistakes.

One of my closest friends, Michelle Mankins, and I decided that we were going to sneak out and meet up around 1:30 AM. Well... we've done this multiple times before, but always when we're spending the night together, which I guess gives us good luck. We got a group of people that would be willing to go and said we'd call each other. Fast forward 2 hours: Michelle calls me and decides against sneaking out on account of her being tired. Of course, I can't settle for that.

I settled in for an IM session with a couple people and after a while, John asked if I'd like to go swinging at the elementary school. Never one to pass up an offer, I agreed. So I threw on some clothes and headed out. Now you always get this exhilarating feeling while sneaking out, but this time I also had a bit of doubt. Too bad I didn't pay attention to that. Well I turned on my car, and left.

about 5 miles down the road, my phone started ringing. I looked at the screen, and one word, HOME, glared at me. My heart immediately fell into my stomach, and I had the urge to throw the phone out the window, but I knew that wouldn't help with anything... so I answered. My father was on the other end.

to make a long story short (too late for that), I immediately went home, my dad said he was very disappointed in me, and that he would decide in the morning what to do with me. Of course, I didn't tell him I was going out to spend time with John, I decided that Michelle was probably a safer bet. Luckily I'm quite the liar when the situation calls for it, and I stuck with my story and my parents will never know otherwise.

I am now grounded until next Tuesday when my family leaves for New York City and I will not be able to hang out with anyone until June 18th.

this means that my time for hanging out with Idahoans before I move to Raleigh is down to a little less than 4 weeks. Ouch.

I figure that while I'm serving my sentence, I'll have some nice time to read, watch movies, and reflect. I watched Walk The Line yesterday and was quite impressed. Today I took a visit to Barnes and Nobles and picked up some summer reading material, so that will be nice.

I've decided that sometime in my adult life I will write an autobiography. In it, I will outline all my little quirky adventures since childhood and it will, of course, become an international best-seller and shoot me into stardom.
I'm glad i'm a perpetually optomistic person. hah.

Oh, you must visit http://www.zachbraff.com for it is amazing and Zach Braff is my hero.

I guess that is about all for today. I'm trying to devise an evil scheme in order to see people. Thus far, I've been able to visit Michelle at work because I convinced my mom to go eat there. Tomorrow is the Eagle Fun Days parade and I'm hoping to "accidently" run into a couple people there and be able to spend some time with them... we'll see, we'll see.

I'm out to... well I guess exercise since I have nothing better to do. This will be a great opportunity to get back in shape. Which I need to do. Badly.

Remember: "No damn man kills me and lives!" <--- words to live by.
~whitney~

psuedo-summer

2006-06-06T16:37:00.000-06:00

So summer hasn't officially arrived yet, but it is so close that I can't help but slip into my summer habits, i.e. staying up late, staying out late any night of the week, refusing to eat a meal at home, swimming, pretending to tan (oh the joys of being a red head)... the list goes on.

School is still in, but with these ridiculously short days, we are stuck in a psuedo-summer trap. We go out, have fun, and forget that we have to take tests worth 10% of our grades the following morning. Oh well, I am far past the point of caring. At all.

Monday, I went to the mall with John, but you can only wander through Boise's one mall for so long. After that I suggested going to Pearl, a ghost town about 30 minutes outside of Boise. We hopped in the car and headed in what I hoped was the general direction. We made it to Pearl Road... but after about 30 minutes of driving on the bumpy dirt road, we realized that we probably took a wrong turn somewhere. We backtracked and took a series of other paths. We had a bird sighting.... not just any bird, a monster bird that could feed an army. So.. of course, since we are so very intelligent, we got out of the car and ran after it. Gigantic birds are faster than John and I... so we didn't win that war. After about another hour of driving, we stopped the car, climbed a hill, and John promptly fell DOWN the hill. It was cute. really. haha.
Eventually we made it home, and on Thursday we are going on an all-day trek to the ghost-town of Yellowjacket. Even if we don't make it (hopefully we will) I think we'll have another grand adventure.

Today, I went to a vegetarian hippie's house for lunch and watched a musical. Hmm.. that was different. Fun, none-the-less. She did give me a magnet from her fridge which makes me smile. It is a picture of Bush, under which it says "Say it with me, People, Nu-Cue-Lar." Aren't you glad our country is run by such a superior mind?

I only had to work (okay.. so not really work, but watch a 7 year old after school) for 15 minutes today. I'm home. I'm never home. I don't know what to do with myself.

Perhaps tomorrow will hold another exciting adventure. We shall see.

Ninja Lessons and a Demonic Media Industry

2006-06-04T15:55:00.000-06:00

I'm going to preface this post by telling you that I am sleep deprived, so many of the things I talk about may be:
A. severely confusing
B. Very Strange
C. Unintelligent
D. All of the above

I spent an enjoyable weekend with one of my close friends, Michelle Mankins and we had a series of adventures. Just a quick overview: We walked the greenbelt, ate dinner inside a car turned dinner table at Trailer Park Cuisine, danced at the top of a parking building, had a couple refreshing girl talks, snuck out and went to Walmart at 2 AM, followed that by swinging at the elementary school. Oh wait.. the list goes on. This morning we went out to breakfast, then came back and excercised for a good hour or so and she, being a black belt in martial arts, taught me some sweet ninja skills. It was a pretty great weekend, I must say.

I find it funny how the media influences every aspect of our lives. How we're supposed to act, how we're supposed to feel, how we're supposed to dress, how we're supposed to look... what makes us rely so heavily upon decisions passed down from executives in Hollywood? Every day we are bombarded with images of air brushed models and ads portraying what is "cool". Actresses, formerly doing quite well at a normal weight, seem to have become smaller and smaller each year. These girls are setting the example for society. It is expected that the skinnier you are, the more desirable you are. It is impossible to ignore the signals the media is showering us with. I've fallen into the trap before and ended up in the hospital because of it. These media icons are not role models though they are the epitome of what America truly is. Many people that cannot answer an easy question regarding political offices, such as "Who is our Secretary of State" could easily answer "Who starred in such-and-such movie?" Each decade, we care less and less about the state of our country and more and more about the entertainment industry.

I guess I just am trying to be happy with myself. I don't want these pressures to have the perfect body, flawless skin, perfect hair, straight teeth... the pressures to be like the entertainment icons are weighing down on me. I don't want to feel like I have to "live up" to such a shallow image... yet I do.

Another topic on my mind: Eagle is a naive, stuck-up school with few redeeming qualities. The students fit into just a handful of categories, jerks, bitches, nerds, rich kids (yeah.. most of them), mormons, and of course, everyone is white. There are very few people I would even consider having a relationship any more meaningful than the occasional hello in the hallway. Michelle and I had a lengthy conversation last night over the pettyness of our peers and how there are few people to befriend and even fewer to date. Ideally, I would love to have a no-strings attached relationship for the remainder of my time in Idaho. There would be no pressure, no grand expectations, just a fun summer fling. The downside to this whole idea is that there aren't many guys at Eagle that I would want to have ANYTHING to do with, and I don't know many kids from other schools. So I guess I'm stuck. In the words of Michelle: "Screw that. its your final summer here, have some fun with any random guy, it doesn't matter anymore."
umm... sorry Michelle, but I don't think I'm much like that.

I guess that is about all that the ideas that are running rampant in my mind at the moment. This blog is getting a little too personal a little too fast.

~whitney~

The Beginning

2006-06-03T16:20:00.000-06:00

Directed to this website by John Sosoka, I've decided that it is time I begin my own blogging journey. I've been a long time fan of Zach Braff's blog.. as well as a handful of others but I've never taken the time to sit down and write my own.

Summer is exactly three school days away and perhaps this is the perfect time for me to begin writing down my perspective of the world. I can't promise that my blogs will always be enlightening or humorous, though hopefully they will be at times, I will simply be putting my thoughts to paper. More accurately, I will be putting my thoughts to computer because technically speaking, I will not be writing anything down on paper while composing a blog.

This morning we had a moving sale. In July my family is packing up and moving to the other side of the country from Boise, Idaho to Raleigh, North Carolina. As I sat out in my driveway, watching people come and go, taking my own personal items away with them, I realized that I may be getting myself in over my head.

Earlier this year my parents had talked about moving and even put the house on the market, but we all agreed that if the house didn't sell by June, we would just stay in Idaho. This spring, I had my first taste of bitter high school drama, and I didn't enjoy it a bit. The majority of my friends turned their backs on me and I was left alone. I fell into a depression and my parents decided that we should go ahead and move. So I guess, in a sense, I am the reason we are moving. I was excited. I wanted to leave immediately. I don't think I realized at the time that i am also leaving everything and everyone I ever knew. I've lived here since I was four... I don't remember life outside of Idaho.

I'm jumping into a new world. New culture, new people, new styles, new school.. new everything. I'm not sure I'm ready to now. But I guess I will go and make the most of it. Hopefully it will be an improvement upon my life here... even though I'm finally starting to get things back in order.

I think it is funny how the majority of teenagers, myself often included, tend to think they are more important and grown up than they really are. I know I'm still growing emotionally, mentally... I know I have flaws. What gives teenagers the idea that they are invincible?

So, in closing, I hope I will have the resolve to write in this blog often. Hopefully you, my large and adoring fan base, hah, will tune in frequently.

Peace, love, and hairspray
~whitney~