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
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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
(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 :)
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.
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.
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