Monday, December 26, 2011

Run Down of Vacay So Far...

I suppose I'd better update my blog, since it's been awhile since last post. Right now I'm kicking it coastie style while I live up my last week of vacation. My Aunt Chanelle and Uncle Kioki have generously extended their hospitality to me while I'm on "the coast" to visit my friends and family.

Wow. What to say? These past two weeks have been nothing short of heaven for me. I came down to Kirkland with my Aunt Paula on December 14th, and have been living the good life ever since.

On the 16th I went to a party, which turned out to be pretty fun despite my previous ideas. Cousin Keliana and I burned up the dance floor with our mad moves, and Akela did pretty good too, I must say. The musicians played a lot of hits from the past three decades.

From the 17th to the 19th Keliana, Akela and I house-sat for some friends of my Aunt Chanelle. It was an excuse to stay up far too late and watch all the old Disney hits.

Monday, the 19th, the girls and I went for a shopping spree and I dropped some money for much-needed new clothing. We stopped at 'Everything Party' and they both bought these awesome masks, which, after my suggestion, they promptly wore as we walked to Payless two blocks away. A mixed reaction from the passing cars had us- and our viewers- laughing quite hard.

One day last week Akela's brother Kioni came over and all of us had a jam session- me with my electric, Akela and hers, and Kioni on his uke. They're far better musicians than me, but it was still pretty dang fun, I'll say.

Went to a great get-together last night at a beautiful home sitting right against Lake Washington. I met some new friends, played charades, got mercilessly beat at it, and then sat on the edge of the dock for a while. It really was fun.

This morning I woke at 7, ran to Starbucks with Aunt Chanelle, and then worked on my writing for a while.



So this is what I've been doing to keep busy! I guess its more of chronological time-line than anything else, but I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be heading back home to Tonasket in a week's time, but I hope to do more fun, blog-worthy stuff this week. Hopefully I'll get up the nerve to post a big, fat post to make up for all these wimpy ones.

Au Revoir!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

In Honor of Jude; Chapter One

1

“Sydney, I swear, if you take one more picture I’m going to throw that stupid camera out the window!” Jude Connor told his twin sister in an exasperated tone, as she lowered the silver Canon she was holding. The blinding flash was a slow and yet lethal weapon that would temporarily blind him with every snapshot she took. This would lead to the impending car crash, the hour-long lecture from his uncle on responsibility, and finally the confiscation of his car keys and beloved Ford F250.

Sydney gave her usual smirk-and-eye-roll response. “Sorry,” she said, though the tone of her voice implied she was anything but. Her brother rolled his eyes as well, unable to help the small grin twitching at his mouth.

He wasn’t really mad. It was kind of hard to be mad at her.

Jude eyed his sister while there was a pause in traffic, watching as she went through all of the photos on her camera. What a devil, he thought.

The twins were slowly inching their way down 175th street on their way to the Woodinville theater. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper and the blaring of car horns was almost constant. Jude- who was always calm and composed- didn’t care for complaining when nothing could be done. He used this opportunity to take a quick sip of his Mountain Dew, and then shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he remembered how fast Mountain Dew travels to ones bladder. Anxiously, he peered over the cars in traffic, praying the red light would soon become green. Pretty soon here everything was going to be yellow.

“I don’t suppose you could make this go any faster?” she said, reading his mind. This was not unusual. Because they spent nearly all their time with each other, the twins had developed an almost telepathic ability with each other. Despite the question, though, Sydney didn’t really care about being stuck in traffic. There was not a day when she didn’t enjoy spending time with her brother, even if it just meant kicking it in a mile-long traffic jam.

“Yeah, right.” He answered her, taking another drink of his soda, and then warily setting it down as he realized what he’d done. “I’m not God.”

“Oh, really? I thought that’s what you said last week when we were playing Mario Kart,” she teased, reaching for his beverage and inserting the straw between her lips. He would have taken it back, but it would probably have meant the bumper of the blue Prius in front of them. Instead he rolled his eyes.

“That,” he eyed her seriously, “is totally and completely different.”

She cracked a grin while he punched the stereo’s power button and the screen lit up. “What do you want?” Jude asked her.

Sydney gave a radiant smile. “Skinny Love,” she answered. Not that she really had to, of course, since her answer had been obvious even before he asked the question. Sydney was obsessed with Bon Iver, and had been ever since she’d heard his song on the radio in fifth grade. He fumbled with the controls a few moments until the music was playing softly out of the speakers, and Sydney leaned her head against the window, enjoying the combination of silence and music.

Come on skinny love just last the year

Pour a little salt, we were never here

My my my, my my my, my my

Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer


....

The Connor kids were identical twins of sixteen years of age; meaning that sixteen years ago two unfortunate babies were born into a chaotic marriage that neither mother nor father wanted. James Connor was a full-time stock broker from Connecticut. Melanie Penn had been a substitute school teacher from downtown Bothell.

If you had asked the former Miss Penn what drew her to the tall, dark-haired man, chances were she would say something about his ‘intuitive’ stare and his ‘peaceful’ aura. She’d always been kind of a hippie nut. (He would’ve mumbled something about her looking sexy in that red dress and nothing more.)

When they met in a club in downtown Las Vegas, it was- ta da! Love at first sight! The kind of stuff you only read about in fairy-tale books…. Or was it?

Their wedding was rather small, just three close friends who had accompanied James on his trip (and who were also extremely drunk). Their vows were slurred, but their marriage was official.

They woke the next morning with pounding heads and 25 cent rings on their fingers. It took less than an hour to realize that the ‘fateful night’ they’d shared was nothing more than a few too many shots of vodka. By noon, their marriage was annulled. They exchanged a tart goodbye and never saw each other again.

Precisely nine months later Melanie-Penn Connor had her kids.

.......


As they reached the turn in for Woodinville Theater, Jude swerved into the parking lot, eager to get out of the snail traffic. By some unspoken law of bad luck it was packed. Trying to find a spot to park would be harder than solving a Rubik’s Cube.

“I think there’s a space over there,” Sydney suggested helpfully with a rightwards nod, sitting up straighter in the passenger’s seat as the car slowly made its way through the parking lot.

Jude followed her gaze and saw the single open spot among dozens of other filled spaces. He smiled and steered the car towards it, meanwhile reaching for his drink again. Somehow it seemed much emptier than before. Just as he took the last sip, which was probably mostly saliva and melted ice, there was a slight flash and a clicking sound from the passenger seat. He glared at Sydney, who was again holding her camera.

She grinned innocently. No, I swear. They’ll accept this one into Us Weekly.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Along with the other fifteen photos you’ve taken so far?”

“Idiotic Teen Driver Endangers Sibling!” Sydney predicted the headline with mock severity. “A Sip of Soda Turns to Tragedy at Woodinville Theater!”

“Shut up,” He grinned, and slid into the parking space.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Tonasket Fever

It's hard not to love Tonasket in early Autumn- I swear its something straight out of a fairytale. 60-70 degrees, sun's shining, and there's a slight gentle breeze. Its times like this when I realize why my mom is so in love with this town. When I realize I might just be, too.
School has started and I'm officially a freshman. Kinda scary, when you think about it. We're two weeks into school and I already have the goal to be valedictorian, which just goes to show you how much of an over-achiever I am. What's even better is the fact that I started writing my speech. If that's not being pro-active- tell me, what is?
Our house has been taken over by flies, which love to land on our faces and arms and computer screens while we work. Luckily, today we recieved our custom fly-swatter-tennis-racket-gizmos, as I've christened them. You just press a button, hit a fly and then viola! Fried flies, anyone?
Gabe and Sky have spent the past twenty minutes trying these out. They're leaping around the house like ninjas, slapping their flyzappers on every surface possible and scoring each other for how loud the snap was. Its times like this that I wonder what my life would be like in a house of girls... and then I picture it and I thank Jehovah I don't have sisters!
Jesse has been sick for the past few days with fever, and he's taken to walking around the house wrapped in his blanket like a giant slug. It's kinda funny, actually.
Well, that's it for now! Thanks for reading!

Monday, September 12, 2011

The Fight Begins

Well, I'm finally doing it.
I'm finally reaching for my dream-- the thing I've wanted since I was a little girl. Close family members might recall that little girl with waist-long braids stapling sheets of printer paper together and drawing a story with crayons. They remember me thrusting my 'books' into their faces with the demand to 'read it'. They remember enduring my poor spelling and shapeless words. All my friends wanted to be princesses or artists or movie stars when they grew up. I wanted to write books, simple as that.

I can recall walking into a Barnes And Nobles, holding my dad's hand and wondering if one day any of the books would have my name on the front cover. How I used to daydream that some day girls would imitate my characters. You might think it an odd fantasy for a seven-year-old, but I honest-to-goodness wanted that above all else. I still have those daydreams, albeit with a little more grown-up detail now. I picture book signings and Newbury awards... but until this last Friday I had never really taken a direct step towards my dream.

I was just growing more and more frustrated for the past few weeks. I'm being pushed towards my 15th birthday and I still haven't left my mark on the world yet. So I did a quick but desperate google search; "How do I publish a book?!"

Well, fortunately for me google has never let me down. Up popped a list of links that led to different 'how to' sites. I got busy reading articles, poring through web pages like some word-hungry freak. And, I must admit, I knew a lot less about the publishing process than I had thought. But I wasn't disheartened. Instead, I got to work looking up agent lists. After I had compiled a list of names, I wrote my query letter. And then- viola! All I had to do was click 'send'.

I think after that moment, after that final click of the mouse that signified my first real attempt to follow my dream, I just kind of sat back in my chair and let out a sigh of relief. I thought 'I did it. I finally started my dream.' And thats when the crazy smile spread over my face.

I know book publishing isn't exactly a cake-walk. I know I will get rejection emails- lots and lots of them. But you know what? I don't care. Because I know that even if I have to try my hardest and keep sending and searching for the rest of my life-- I'll be happy. I'll feel accomplished. And I also know that someday (hopefully someday soon), an agent will click on my email and say 'this is it, this is exaclty the kind of project I'm looking for'.

And when that day comes; trust me. I'll be ready for it.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Consider Yourself Updated

Hey everyone!

Sorry about my last (brief) post. I didn't provide very many details on the awesome times going on here. But I can tell you that they haven't ended.
Today I went out in service from 9 to 1, and spent an hour or so at Tammy's while Kota got his haircut. They were watching 'A Cinderella Story' to pass time. Gah. Let me just say, not my cup of tea. The 'cheesy-romance-guy-really-seems-too-perfect' type. I like movies where the male lead is rough around the edges, rides a Harley, and has dark mysterious battle scars from his former 'bad-boy' life. This one had too-perfect hair and was just too mushy. He recites POETRY for gosh sakes. POETRY! What kind of self-respecting dude quotes 19th century french poets? None that I would kiss, that's for dang sure.
ANYWAY, not trying to rant. Me and the girls have spent a lot of time swimming over the past week, which is why I'm sporting a tan much darker than usual. With that, and the loss of eleven pounds (yes, eleven!) I think I'm looking pretty damn good! Pretty soon here I'll be sliding into those size sixes, yesiree bob!
We went to a congregation picnic the day before last, and I'll admit to gorging on the buffet a little TOO eagerly. Monday I fasted until dinner, though, and this morning I was down another TWO pounds! I lost another one in the five minute dance session that followed. Anyhoo, the picnic was a lot of fun. Lots of socialization and even some good photos. We got a group shot of everyone there! But I'm too impatient to post it.
So that's about it. Thanks for reading!




Dueces! Y

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Keeping Busy

A quick post from your favorite blog author, just to tell you that my cousins came to town! Yep, that's right. My last shout out must have worked, 'cos they appeared at our door that very same day. Since then, we've been keeping busy. Wednesday we went to Lake Osoyoos and pigged out on chips. Thursday we leapt off the cliffs at Blue Lake and swam with wolf spiders (yikes!). Friday we went to Tonasket Pool and tried to look pretty for the lifeguards. And today we're going to Winthrop for Ice Cream and some mini-golf! Yes, we're having lots of fun in Tonasket. Now I gotta go! There's fun to be had!

Dueces! Y

Monday, July 25, 2011

9 Pounds and Counting!

Hey all! I just thought I'd update my blog to let you all know that I've lost a grand total of 9 pounds on my summer diet so far!
(Cue raging applause)
Its really inspiring to have already shed some unwanted pound-age even in just a couple weeks. In addition, I've noticed that lately my size 8 jeans have been getting baggier and baggier. I keep hoping someone will make a comment, like "Great googly moogily, Cheyenne! Those pants are so baggy on you! You need to transfer into a size 0 immediately!"
....But, yeah. So far, no one has really said that yet. BUT THEY WILL! I'm almost kind-of sure of it. Sort of.

Well, anyway. Besides dieting and the district convention, my summer has been tragically uneventful. Luckily, my cousins might be sojourning here in August. I haven't seen them in a couple months, so that will be a welcome change for me. All of my Tonasket friends are eagerly anticipating their visit as well, so I think I'd better make this blog post a shout out to Keliana and Akela. Get down here, girlies!

Recently I discovered a new singer to add to my ever-growing list of favorite music artists. Don't bother with a drum roll-- there's no time. Its Joe Brooks! Look up his song 'Superman' on www.playlist.com, or YouTube, or where ever else you might find it. I gaurantee you, you won't be disappointed. Unless your music of choice is like Metallica or something, because then you will be disappointed. Really disappointed. Joe Brooks kind of reminds me of Jack Johnson or maybe Jason Mraz. As I've ranted to my cousin with drool dripping from my mouth, his voice is like a soft-serve ice cream cone.

Thursday I surprised everyone by setting up the irrigation system in our yard all by myself! Knowing me, and my unenthusiastic response to yard work, this is definitely significant. Not sure if its blog-worthy, but I'm adding it anyway because I really do have a lack of things to blog about :)

And that's really all the news I have for you guys! I could ramble on and on about my chipping toenail polish and how I'm listening to 'Kids' by MGMT-- but I think I'd better put a lid on it while I'm ahead! So for now, I guess I'm out!


Deuces!! Y

Thursday, July 14, 2011

An Inspired Change

Well, the adventure began.
Today at 7:30 a.m. (a truly ungodly hour, you must imagine), the Raineys dragged ourselves out of deep slumber and loaded our packed duffels into the Suburban to embark on a not-so-perilous 218 mile journey to Kenniwick WA. I for one was filled with the kind of anticipation that precedes every special occasion; and you could definitely say this three-day assembly is important. Especially in my case.
We caravaned with a number of families; including the Kammeyers, the Dickeys and of course Paula & Raine (who dutifully transported Grandma Rainey). We stopped briefly at around 11:30 for a Safeway meal, and then gunned it to the Tri-Cities where the real fun began!
That is, of course, if you and I share the same definition of fun. Which is going to Barnes & Nobles to sip a caramel frappacino while you scan the selection in the Teen Fiction section.
Ever since I fully decided that I was going to write teen fiction, I've been doing my homework by reading the 'classics', so-to-speak. Or, at least the ones I consider to be classic. By the time I finished my drink and had sucked every bit of whipped cream out of the cup, I was troubled by having to decide between two choices- 'I'm Not Her' and 'The Black Sheep'. They both looked good for different reasons. 'I'm Not Her' looked moving and heartbreaking, but 'The Black Sheep' struck me as the type of read that would have me laughing out loud. In the end, I caved and bought the latter, succumbing to my weakness for anything that will make me giggle. And boy, am I glad I did.
The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout was interesting from page one. I haven't finished yet, (I'm on page 207). The main character is Kendra Bishop, daughter of two workaholic bankers who make Kendra's life a living rule book. She writes to the work-in-progress TV show The Black Sheep (which is much like WifeSwap, where you switch families with the other contestant), begging to get away from it all but never expects it when they end up at her door a month later!
So now she has to switch lives with Maya Mulligan and her family of earth-loving 'freaks'. At first arrival, Kendra is less than happy. Only, maybe things aren't so bad. Because then she grows attatched to the family and their passion for saving sea otters. She meets Mitch and soon finds herself growing more and more attached to him.
You know, reading this book made me think about the things I can do to help animals. I sat and thought, What can I do personally to make statement? So after thinking about it I'm pretty sure I want to become a vegetarian.
I'm not completely sure, and I want to make sure and fully think it through to avoid a brash decision. Still, I'm fairly certain this is something I want to do. And I don't know if it will be for a month, or a year, or even my entire life. But either way, I will commit to it and I will give it my all, just like the Mulligans do in The Black Sheep. I want to become a Black Sheep, just like Kendra does.

For now, this is your favorite author signing off.

Chey :)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

False Dogma

It has been said that ‘the apple never falls far from the tree’. Well, no offense to the author of said quote, but I could beg to differ. Because in my experience, the apple couldn’t have fallen further.
My Dad is one of those ‘jolly’ souls. You know the type. Wakes up every morning at about the crack of dawn and brews himself a full pot of coffee. If I could picture him in a comic book (which I try to avoid for the most part), I can definitely see him as the flamboyant hero. The one that talks with the booming, loud voice. The one with one curly lock of hair plastered to his forehead. Only that part of the image is ironic I suppose, since my father is bald.
He favors clean cotton T-shirts and actually enjoys sweeping. As another respectable (although slightly annoying) trait, he’s just about always in a pleasant mood. So, sounds like a nice guy, right? So now riddle me this:
Jesse is my older brother by a year. Jesse is the boy who wouldn’t be in the comic book at all- he’s on the next shelf in the manga graphic novels titled ‘Gothic Sports’. He’s the boy dressed head-to-toe in black who’s constantly glaring at the world.
My dad answers your every question with the longest, most detailed explanation he can possibly give, up to the point that you just kind of tune out and start nodding. Because all you really wanted was a ‘yes,’ or a ‘no’, and now somehow you’re contemplating wormholes and the origin of ancient French words. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a simple conversation with Jesse goes something like this.
“What do you want for dinner?”
(Shrugs)
“Do you have a preference?”
“…Not really.”
“Not really? Does that mean you have something that you might want?”
(Shrugs)
“Is there a particular meal you have in mind?”
“…Food.”
“What kind of food?”
“…Good food.”

And so on and so forth. See, this is just one of the many father-son contrasts that confuse me! And, boy, I’m barely getting started here. I have another reason why the apple-tree thing is completely and totally wrong.
Debates are a common occurrence in the Rainey household. We will argue over pretty much anything, so long as it’s pointless and we’re sure the other person is wrong. Was it a Bengal Tiger trapped in their hotel bathroom in The Hangover, or was it Siberian? The answer isn’t important, argues Gabriel. Buts it’s important for a million reasons, says Dakota.
My Dad is a stubborn person, but he is one of those sensible people who is humble enough to admit he is wrong, and actually tries to see your point. He refuses to let debates get heated enough where there is actual animosity lurking between the two fighters.
Jesse probably challenges everything that comes out of someone’s mouth. It wasn’t a Siberian tiger or a Bengal tiger. It was a Llama. The answer isn’t irrelevant or important- it’s just stupid. And when there’s no answer to be determined completely, the answer is always that ‘Jesse is awesome and always right’. Jesse is the only one out of Dad’s children that I think actually riles my father up. He’s is the epitome of stubborn. The personification of a challenge. And I think their favorite thing to do is contrast each other.
So maybe that’s the answer to my question. The thing that’s been bothering me for the longest time: Why are they so different? The answer is simply that Jesse inherited my father’s stubbornness and deliberately tries to be exactly the opposite of him. I suppose in that way, he’s just a chip off the old block.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Conquering the Steel Beast

Weakness is being anything less than original.
I know several of my friends, who- unlike me- do not live by these words. They are the ones who gleefully enthuse about their love of those gangly four-legged beasts we call horses. Don't get me wrong- horses are beautiful and intelligent like all of Jehovah's creation- but to conform to the norm and call them my favorite animal? I say NAY.
But I do love one type of horse. My dad owns one. Its black, slender, sleek and fast. When I ride it, I feel powerful. The only flaw in this horse is the fact that is quite gassy. We call it... 'Vee Tee Ex' ☺
When my dad replenished his motorcycle liscense last summer and bought a beast, I was beside myself with joy. The first thing we did was jump on and head for Loomis. I had limited experience on bikes, and had only been on one a few months previous with Nita. But, let me tell you, I absolutely loved it. There's just something about motorcycles that makes you feel strong, y'know? It makes you feel fearless and wild. I was quickly addicted to the adventure.
Well, that was last summer. We had to store ol' VTX for the winter so it didn't get ruined. I was missing the steel beast when suddenly It appeared again this week in our driveway. Over the winter, I'd been trying to work on my 'biker image' so to speak. One thing every biker girl should own is a pair of some seriously awesome boots. And, thanks to my wonderful aunt Chanelle, I am owner to a pair of scuffed up leather biker boots. It makes a girl proud.
Sadly, my daddy has yet to let me ride on the bike yet. He is working a lot. But every time I look out at the Steel Horse, arrayed in all its shining glory, I eagerly look forward to feeling that wind, experiencing that high. It also makes me look forward to the day when I'll have my own steel horse. That day in mind, bikers ready yourselves. I'm going to own that road fearlessly, so you better watch yourselves.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Pining Away

I like reading. It's always been a favored pastime, whether in the bath, enduring long car trips, or just putting off homework (which is usually the case). When I open up a book, I find myself becoming the main character. It's nice to get away to a different, more exciting life for while sometimes.
For the past couple days I've been reading the 'Poseur' series. 'Poseur' is a series about 4 girls who start up a fashion line in school, make friends with each other, and endure their junior year together. There's Melissa Moon- who is an egotistical, ambitious, glamorous diva, Petra Greene, an eco-friendly hippie who's blessed with gorgeous looks. Charlotte Beverwil- a petite french girl who's refined, calm appearance barely covers the sassy, bold inside. And Janie Farrish, the timid, low esteemed girl who's never been in the popular crowd.
I've just finished book #3 today, and I started #4, but stopped when the tragic parting of gorgeous surfer Evan Beverwil and Janie Farrish. Yes, I admit, I have caught the age-old malady of 'Falling-in-love-with-the-male-lead' itis. You have no idea the amount of pain one goes through when the break-ups happen. If only you could see me... clutching the book with the vehemence of a crazy person, making sob sounds and digging my head into Philipe (my new, nearly five foot tall teddy bear).
But anyhow, I try to direct my thoughts in other directions so I don't become depressed. Ack, it took me three hours to feel even slightly better after I set down the book.

But, on less pathetic matters....

I deleted my Facebook account!
Yes, this was a pat-on-the-back accomplishment for me, having been one of those obsessive-compulsive status updater's. But I mean, how was I to know that you weren't supposed to inform everyone the details of your lunch, the amount of time it took you to clean your room, or the brand of laundry detergent I use? Nevertheless, I'm glad to be rid of the distraction. It will be amazing to finally learn guitar this summer.
I hope my parents have bought their ear plugs- Cuz I'm about to get STRUMMIN'!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

An Effort to Carpe` Diem

Tonasket life. Slow and tortoise like... as always. As of recently I've made several attempts to liven up the less-than-exciting atmosphere that always takes place in the spring time, when its still too cold to go swimming, but its not anywhere near cold enough for snow. This is typically the time when my parents get the idea for us kids to do something 'mind enriching'. This usually leads to the deprivation of our electronic media, followed by the eager suggestion for us to go outside and 'do something'.
"It's such a beautiful day," My mom remarks. "You kids should really go out and play".
Cue the awkward glance exchange and the chorus of protests.
We did, however, manage to find a pastime that was suitably enriching. On hotter days we usually make a trip down to the Tonasket Skate Park, where we show up armed with bikes, scooters, and skateboards. Only having recently earned the status of skateboard owner, I've been trying to conquer the four-wheeled beast- only to fail as of yet.
There's a rather large (in my eyes, at least) decline in the skate park where I've got to learn to ride down.
"Just stand straight and ride," Jesse says like I'm being overly cautious. In my minds eye, I can't picture any way that this turns out without pain. As I make my best effort to emulate Tony Hawk, my greatest suspicions are confirmed and I land right on my bum.

In another attempt to bring excitement to the Rainey household, I hosted a sleepover for a few of my closest friends. Among them, my cousins from the coast- Keliana and Akela. Before the other guests arrived, Nanner and I filled up an entire pack of water balloons and sneakily hid them in the yard. Visions of surprised faces entered my mind, and I smugly grinned to myself.
When the girls arrived we all gravitated towards the trampoline. About halfway through a game of 'Dead Man' (where some argued the game should be called 'Dead Woman', due to the circumstances) I excused myself to the bathroom and took a fat water balloon from the bucket. Trudging back to the trampoline, I watched them gleefully play,and I was ever more ready to surprise them with the WMD's I'd devoted more than an hour to. However, when I threw the first one, the unsuspecting victim (who happened to be Raine) was not met with a watery fate, as I'd hoped. Instead, the alleged weapon smacked her right in the kisser and bounced innocently to the ground before deciding to break harmlessly on the ground. A red welt appeared on my cousin's pale cheek, and instead of gleefully cackling I was apologizing sincerely while she resisted the urge to sock me in the face.
Since my tries at fun turned out to be failures, I pretty much gave up the idea that I could do anything fun without hurting someone. But when I learned we'd be playing tennis at Friday school, it sounded like a welcome break from gray monotony. Armed with a tennis racket, I pushed away my past conclusions and tried to have a positive outlook on the afternoon.
I should have known something would go wrong. For reasons that are beyond me, halfway through a game with one of my classmates, I suddenly had the urge to try hurdling the tennis net.
My attempt was sucess, and this emboldened me. I felt powerful. Minutes later, when I was playing tennis with Connor and Adam, a few of my guy friends, I decided to demonstrate my bunny-like agility. I waited for an insult to be slung my way in the ocnstant back-and-forth banter, and then I took off towards the net.
Seconds later I cradled my heel, wincing in pain and trying to laugh it off with them.
Which is why I'm now sporting an ACE bandange and limping around on crutches till the sprain heels.
Maybe I inherited my mom's clumsiness, or maybe I'm just plain unlucky, but I've found that if I want to do anything that sounds remotely fun to me, something has to pay.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

My Songs of This Month

Hey, Soul Sister by Train
Jesse's Girl- Glee Cast
Animal- Neon Trees
Alice- Avril Lavign
If This Were a Movie- Taylor Swift
Gives You Hell- All American Rejects
I'm Yours (remix)- Jason Mraz
Holiday- Green Day
Rhythm of Love- Plain White Ts
Fergalicious- Fergie
Already Gone- Kellie Clarkson
Pour Some Sugar on Me- Def Leppard
Untouchable- Taylor Swift

Ketchup!

A family of tomatoes was walking along, when the little girl tomato fell behind. The mom turned around and shouted "KETCHUP!"
(cue laughter)

Hey! It's been a while since I really blogged, so I must 'ketchup' (har har). We got back from our Las Vegas trip this Sunday. It was great! We went through Idaho, into Montana, down through Wyoming, into Colorado, over into New Mexico, over to Arizona (grand canyon), up into Nevada (Sin City) and back through Oregon then back to Washington. All in two weeks! I was ready to get out of the car. The funny thing is that next week I have another trip to go on, so I'll be climbing back into the car anyway.
I spent this morning catching up on homework (urghhh). Raine went to Comi-con (is that how its spelled?) and brought me a roller derby poster! I used it to add to the ever growing number of posters and whatnot on my wall.
On Tuesday I woke up with a high fever. Whoppee. I guess that was Tonasket saying 'Welcome Home.' Its gone today, though, thank gosh. I just got out of my PJ's for the first time in two days a couple hours ago.
So that's whats been happening to me. Riveting, simply riveting. ;)

Friday, March 4, 2011

The Ending of the Beginning, and Vice Versa

Does anyone ever expect to be glad when vacations over? My guess is no.
But, for some reason, I am. Sure, these past two weeks have been amazing! Tons of great food, lots of good times, and plenty of pictures to document our trip. But honestly? I'm ready to go home. Take a bath in my own bathroom. Sleep in my own room. Smell something other than cigarettes and overpriced perfume.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Electrifying (Ee-Lek-Truh-Fy-Ing)

Okay, that was seriously awesome. Not to brag, but it was SERIOUSLY. AWESOME.

Sorry, let me explain.

Today we had to present our MAD (make a difference) video about the great pacific garbage patch (and yadda, yadda, yadda). I was FREAKING OUT inside because I had to do most of the talking but I ended up sucking it up and putting on my big girl pants. Or skinny jeans. Whatevs.

When we got to the school everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was in the gym where we were giving our presentation. My heart was beating so fast and so hard that I could hardly talk right. They were quiet while I gave my presentation, and then we showed our video.

If I hadn't messed around with the end of the video and put in 'I like Tacos' I think my presentation would have flopped. But I did. and everyone laughed and applauded. When I asked questions they were all like 'What kind of tacos do you like?'

Yes, It was electrifying! I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Chomp

And so it begins. This morning I started on the Raw Food diet. I hope I can stay on it for at least a couple months until summer. I want to have real (not invisible) abs. Okay, so I don't need to have them bulging or anything, but it would be nice if they were actually there. I just want to be teeny.
The diet involves only fruits, veggies, and nuts. I know, sounds harsh right? But there's tons of things you can do with raw food. They even have recipe books. Ever heard of Raw Chocolate Pie? Delicious. Raw pumpkin pie? Even better. Zucchini Spaghetti? Don't even get me started. They have endless recipes, and the best part is there's no calorie limit or meal limit or anything. You can eat all freakin day if you want to and its still fine.
In addition to the diet (i'm munching on baby carrots as I type) everyone in my family got a gym membership, so I'll be going there around three times a week to tone up. I want to work on arms, abs, and legs. That is most important.
Another awesome thing about the diet is that it makes you have AWESOME SKIN (something so precious in a teenagers life) and really vivid eye color, plus your hair grows all healthy and soft. So I'm definitely looking forward to the benefits of this diet. And I will stick to it, because I'm stubborn.
By this summer I will look AMAZING.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

As Good as it Gets

I guess the whole point of an online blog is to share your feelings, thoughts, daily activites... yadda, yadda, yadda. Only; what if your life isn't exactly eventful?
You want to know what I did today? It wasn't that interesting. (Well, okay maybe there was an incident in the kitchen when Dakota caught the pancake on fire but, whatever, that happens like every day). So you may read this but really, its not interesting at all. Not in the slightest. Nope.


I am currently: blogging
I am wearing: A T-shirt that used to be my dad's. And my PJ pants. Which were purchased in the Male section of Wal-Mart in Wenatchee.
I am eating: Food for thought. Do people even read my blog? Do they care?
I am drinking: Nothing. I am thirsty
I am listening to: My computer. It sounds like space ship
I am looking forward to: Four o clock. Raine comes over then.
I am not looking forward to: Math class tomorrow morning
I need to: Do more homework.

As you can see; I have nothing of interest to blog about. So you may make me feel guilty for not blogging, but the point is that I have nothing-- NOTHING-- to blog about! AHHH!

Now that I'm done having a nervous breakdown, please enjoy this image




Thursday, January 27, 2011

Conquest!

Today is the day.
Indeed it is THE day- the day I will finally defeat both Aunt Paula, Jesse, AND Raine in Age of Empires. My strategy is quite simple. Only, I don't have one. That's how simple it is. But, alas, I'm determined to beat them. So instead of being crushed by seige rams in the first five minutes of the game, I can proudly declare (holding my fist in the air, of course) "VICTORY IS MINE!!! I LAUGH IN YOUR FACE, AMATURE AOE OPPONENTS! HA! HA! HA!"
And then, of course, I'll drink coffee with an enigmatic smirk on my face. Ha.

VICTORY SHALL BE MINE!!! FINALLY!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Girl's Job

(Please note. Some of my descriptions may be exaggerations of the truth in order to capture attention of the reader. To make that statement clearer- the guys bathroom in our house is not nearly as horrific as I made it sound. Please refrain from reading the following if you are young, elderly, or if you have just eaten.)

In the world of feminism, you have your girly-girls and your tomboys. I like to think that I'm somewhere in the gray- meaning I can play football with the guys but still be recognized as a semi-attractive female being. As of yesterday, I'm learning that I lack some of the skills that most girls have naturally. Let me elaborate.
2 p.m. I'm bored- and tired of my gross, chipped toenails. They were last painted at Shelby's house about a week ago and they were starting to look nasty. I really only wanted to remove the paint, that's all. It's certainly not rocket science- at least not to most. But there was one teeny issue- the polish remover was in the other house in the guys bathroom (it used to be the family bathroom and let's just say I haven't used polish remover in a lonnng time). No biggie- even though I wasn't particularly looking forward to trekking into the guys house. It scares me a little. I like to think that I'm not bothered by gross guy stench and mess, but it sounds about as appealing as hanging out in the woods with a bunch of those creepy red-cloaked monsters from 'The Village'. (Gee, thanks, M N Shamalan. You've ruined camping for me FOREVER!). So anyways, I put on my shoes and headed over. The other house was actually pretty clean-- but when I looked at the door to the bathroom I couldn't help but think of all those horror movies. What was lurking behind there? Sludge? Severed limbs? I expected the worse.
The light was dim and it reeked of body odor. The walls told tales of a recent crime scene- mysterious spatters of red in one spot or another. A thick layer of grime coated the sink. I inhaled deeply before entering- savoring my breath. Gingerly I moved around bottles and containers on the shelf. No polish remover. I opened the med cabinet and thoroughly searched it. Still nothing. But I did find red nail polish. A thought occurred to me. Why did I have to remove the old polish? Why not just paint over the old?
That is why ten minutes later I was safely back in my room, unscrewing the cap to the polish. Other girls made it look so easy (painting toenails, that is). But I found that as I tried to oh-so-carefully paint, the brush wouldn't agree with me. It got all over my big toe.
Cursing, I tried to wipe away the excess polish. Nothing was working. I was merely smearing it all over my foot and I was getting it on my hands too. By the time I was finally finished the toes on my left foot looked so awful that I wished I'd have never touched them.
Sigh. I guess I'm just more of a tomboy.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Looking Forward

Listening to 'King of Anything' by Sarah Barallies. It's songs like these that make me wonder how I could ever be sad. Every time I hear it, it makes me smile for some reason. Any bad mood? *poof!* gone! Did you know it takes more face muscles to frown than smile? I have made a personal resolve to continue to be happy and make others happy. Because being sad sucks!


Who cares if you disagree? You are not me. Who made you king of anything? :)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Dandruff Falling From the Sky

So. It's supposed to snow like a foot tonight. Supposed. To. But is it going to? I'm tired of bogus weather predictions. They're a major bummer. And I don't like bummers. They're like cold buckets of water on happy days. So, as nasty as my description of snow is (see title of this post) I DO hope it snows. I mean, how awesome would it be to make snowmen at the skate park down town. I'll tell you the answer to that question. VERY AWESOME.
Science fair is coming up again. I asked Carol if I could do the same project as last year (Does music affect your heart rate?). She said no. Big surprise there. The problem is, the only science fair projects I'm interested in doing involve music. So why not? I mean, I didn't even get to show my science project last year because I went to Seattle the same week they gave their presentation. It's majorly lame that I can't re-do a very fun project. I even asked Carol if her answer would change in the case that I wrote an essay providing sufficient reasons why I should be able to do said science fair project (in those fancy terms, too) and she STILL said no. Psh. Teachers.
So now I sit here, disappointed and defeated, and feeling fat from all those darn Saltine crackers I ate (with butter.) And I wonder what not-so-fun project I'll be stuck with. Anyway. I guess I'll blog more LATER. For now, I just simply say; BE GONE!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Excuuuse me for Being a Pessimest

Oh, Ma. Why do you always have to sound so optimistic in your blogs?? It makes all the REST of us seem like the grim reaper.
This will be a quick post, used to inform you that it is not me who has been lazily leaving my clothes all over my bedroom and failing to throw out my garbage once I'm finished with it. It is not me who has been carelessly shoving things into my drawer. Not me who hasn't made my bed, but, in fact, left it rumpled. Not me who hasn't swept, hasn't done laundry, hasn't washed my mirror, hasn't dusted. All of the aforementioned was done by my evil twin. Not Raine, but the other one. The one NO ONE knows about. And if you refuse to put the blame on her then fine, I'll take it all. At least my bookshelf is organized. So while you FORCIBLY ACCUSE ME OF HEINOUS ACTS OF SLOB-LIKE BEHAVIOR, I'll just kick my skateboard out of the way and try to make my way across the room. Eck, someone should really clean up after her.