I Wanna' Wash My Hands, My Face, My Hair With SNOW!

There are fifteen minutes left on my pineapple upside down cake -- MY p. u. d. c.! I'm SOOO excited! Sadly, I can't try it until to-morrow, because it's for a class :( AND we may not even have school to-morrow! But more on that in a minute.

Do you know how many PIECES there are to a p. u. d. c.?! I gave up counting how many times the recipe told me to get something to-gether and then "set it aside" so I could do something else! And, of course, I managed to get every ingredient on my clothes (where it happily joined my dinner O.o). This has probably been the FUNNEST thing I've ever baked -- let's hope it's also the TASTIEST. I have had my share of baking mishaps :( The Chocolate Chip Cookie Fiasco comes to mind, followed closely by the Sugar Cookie Tragedy. Let us hope the Pineapple Upside Down Flop is NOT added to the list. But, hey, I'm not cooking it with an easy-bake oven, so at least I know it will be done ☺

To-day I actually WENT to school! In Seminary we played some games, watched a movie, and ate pancakes (well, I use the term "we" loosely -- I don't like pancakes anyways, much less when they're a day old and microwaved ... EEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!). Then in math the people who had turned everything in played games and those who had missing assignments theoretically worked on those assignments -- two kids played games. I was not one of them, as I'm sure you could probably guess. In Creative Writing we wrote some really stupid holiday stories (I wrote a letter to Santa Clause asking him for a horse and a swimming pool and a parrot and a monkey and ... some other stuff). Then we had a HUGE snowball fight -- because it snowed ALL day!!!! There was TONS of snow!!!! AND THEN they cancelled school!!!

Uncle Steven and I went Christmas shopping -- I got Renee and Grandma and Grandpa and my mother's presents. There's a family party to-morrow (I'm SO excited!!!!)

They MIGHT cancel school to-morrow, but it hasn't been snowing any more, so I doubt it -- unless it snows to-night. I hope it does! Well, I do and I don't. Firstly, it would be dangerous to travel, and I REALLY want to go to Logan Saturday, and I think school will be fun to-morrow. I mean, it's a half day, and the day before Christmas Brake, I don't think we're going to be doing much more than goofing off. Biger Than Wee Jaque Jaque wants me to ditch out on P.E. to go to Seminary with him -- which I am actually concidering, especially if we watch a movie in P.E.

Okay, so I finished the p. u. d. c. (and took a bath and watched Leave it to Beaver -- the computer went on the fritz so I had time to do lots of things). It turned out great! (The cake, I mean.) Well, I think it did. I snitched a little peice, and it was good, and it looks and smells good -- oh my goodness gracious, I can't wait to eat it!!!

I'll post the recipe and other fun things latrez, but I'm getting tired, and I want to work on the book I'm writing (you know, it's quite amazing to me that any author ever passed school. I ALMOST did my math homework last night, but then I got distracted by a new book idea....).

♥Captain Whitney

When what's left of you gets around to what's left to be gotten, what's left to be gotten won't be worth getting, whatever it is you've got left.

But I guess I ought to leave you with something deep and poinient (though it would rather be a change from my natural habits, I happened to be looking at quotes from "White Christmas" anyhow).

if you're ever under a falling building and someone offers to pick you up and carry you to safety, don't think, don't pause, don't hesitate for a moment, just spit in his eye.

Just kidding -- I really do have a good thought in here somewhere, but I can't find the quote and they're ALL so good!

Judy Haynes: [about Betty] Yesterday, she couldn't sleep. Today, she won't eat. She's in love. Phil Davis: Well if that's love, somebody goofed.

Still looking. While we're looking, how's this? The song that is stuck in one's head year round!

Betty Haynes: Mr. Bones? Mr. Bones? How do you feel, Mr. Bones?

Phil Davis: Rattlin'!

Betty Haynes: Mr. Bones feels rattlin'. Ha ha. That's a good one. Tell a little story, Mr. Bones.

Bob Wallace: A funny little story, Mr. Bones!

Phil Davis: How do you stop an angry dog from biting you on Monday?

Betty Haynes: Why, Mr. Bones, that joke is old. You kill the dog on Sunday!

Phil Davis: That's not how you stop a dog from biting you on Monday!

Betty Haynes: How do you bring a thing about?

Phil Davis: Have the doggy's teeth pulled out!

Betty Haynes: Oh, Mr. Bones, that's terrible!

Phil Davis: Uh-huh.

Betty Haynes, Bob Wallace: Yes, Mr. Bones, that's terrible!

Phil Davis: Uh-huh.

Found it -- might as well post the whole thing while I'm at it:

When I'm worried and I can't sleep

I count my blessing instead of sheep

And I fall asleep, counting my blessings

When my bankroll is gettin' small

I think of when I had none at all

And I fall asleep, counting my blessings

I think about a nursery

And I picture curly heads

And one by one I count them

As they slumber in their beds

If you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.

So if you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

nd you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.

No need to watch "White Christmas" this year -- I just posted the whole thing for you!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

♥CW

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It SNOWED last night! There's TONS of it! (Well, "tons" is relative. There's about three inches, but it's more than there was yesterday.) I am SOOO excited for Christmas! (even though I haven't bought anyone's Christmas present.... O.o) I'm paying two little boys to shovel a quarter of an inch of snow off our driveway -- they were just too cute! They asked if they could shovel it, and the older boy said: "For three dollars." and the younger one said, "Or two." How sweet are they?

I'm all sad -- my Young Women's group is going Christmas Caroling and I stayed home from school sick to-day! And I didn't even fake it this time -- I really do think I've got the flu that's been going around. :( Ah well, no more play practice to drag myself to!

I'm sad the play's over, really I am, but it will be nice to be able to sleep, and not have to worry about running around and curling my hair :) Last night was my worst night (of course, because it was our last performance!). I KNOCKED OVER A TREE!!!! It was during the blackout, so no one knew it was me, but Oberon noticed when he tripped over it during his monologue! I'll miss everyone in the cast -- I mean, I think Oberon and I will still hang out, and I'll see Shawnae and MacKalie (whose name I cannot spell to save my life), but it won't be the same as seeing them six hours a day plus school time!
I think the play went really well -- Wednesday night we improved almost the entire thing (which is interesting with Shakespeare), but every other night we did really well on our lines, save for the occasional mishap. Wednesday was hysterical -- "Demetrious" forgot one of his lines and hesitated for only a split second before saying: "And ... you should not do that!" Really, though, if he'd said "Thou shalt not" it would have been totally Shakespeare! :) Then, during the Rustic's play, the Duke forgot one of his lines, and realized it partway through when he noticed that their play had been cut short, so he doubled back and said his missing line, causing the moon to shout, "AGAIN?!" It was AWESOME!
Besides my knocking over a tree and falling down the stairs (sigh) last night went over really well. My mother ran to the store for us and bought Mr Taylor (our director) a basket full of chocolate, which McKaly (yeah, that doesn't look right either...) gave to him. I wanted to get him a pineapple, but mutti said no.

I recorded Aladdin on my TiVo!!!! I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!!!! Seriously, not only is it my favourite DISNEY movie of all times, I think it's my favourite MOVIE of all times!!!
"That's Sultan Vile Betrayer to you."
It's just a great movie! I watched that and White Christmas to-day -- Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas", can you get better than that? I think not! True, I like the version of it in Holiday Inn better (the background music is less annoying), but so long as he's singing it, I don't care what the background music sounds like! (I may or may not have the slightest obsession with Bing Crosby's voice....)

I cannot believe that, after Friday's Family Christmas party I get to go HOME! I am SOOOOO excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm even going to endure MORE curlers for Sunday (the curlers I got for Midsummer's are AMAZING! I'll have to post pictures sometime.). What are your holiday plans?

Oh, we watched this in Seminary, and it's going around the e-mails. Thought I would share it with you -- remember, Christmas isn't just a time of giving, it's a time of receiving -- of being GRATEFUL for the things you have and the things people give you! Love you all!
http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=1a55f2c4dd&view=att&th=11e3af1a327b0ce8&attid=0.1&disp=vgp&zw

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!
DON'T EAT THE CAT!!!!

♥Captain Whitney

Never fails! You get in the bath and there's a rub at the lamp!

To Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

This is going around through e-mails. Rather than re-sending it, I thought I'd just post it here:

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice!
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something,ask If They Want Fries with that..
4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks.Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions,Switch to Espresso.
5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write 'For Marijuana'
6. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'
7.Skipdown the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get. (I've done this one! On more than one occasion....)
8.Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat,with a serious face.
9 Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'
10. Sing Along At The Opera.
11. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.
12. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.
13. When The Money Comes Out The ATM Scream 'I Won! I Won!'
14 . When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
15. Tell Your Children Over Dinner,'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'
16. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity :Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.

I thought they were kind of funny. Anyways, I've been pretty much falling asleep constantly. I've only got one more night of my play -- it's been WAY fun! And Tina came Friday, which was awesome, even though she was crazy and planned something for Saturday so she had to leave early. I haven't done anything terribly exciting besides doing the play and failing all my classes -- yesterday I slept literally all day (seriously, I woke up at four in the afternoon).

I'm really craving pineapple....

Perhaps one of these days I'll post something worthwhile.... but I wouldn't count on it.

♥Captain Whitney

Normal is relative ... just not my relatives.

Hugs!

My topic of study for the year is Divine Nature and Individual Worth -- which has made it a very nice year, especially since I moved to what feels like a different WORLD and I've been struggling with my self-esteem for a while. Amazing how God knows these things, and knew that I would need these topics!

Anyways, I've thusly been thinking a lot about realizing that we truly are Children of God and, just as importantly, helping those around us to see it as well. For some reason, we think it's really difficult -- mostly because we as humans tend to want to think EVERYTHING is a trillion times harder than it really is.
You know -- you hear a lot about the evils of humanity and how the world is going to the dogs, but I've noticed that, in general, people are nice. I mean, really, they're just nice.

Apparently it's the big Eagle Mountain (though maybe it's all of Utah and I just didn't notice ... maybe it's just High School in general), anyways, it's the big thing to give people hugs. I don't like being touched. At all. It kind of freaks me out, actually. And I very rarely offer hugs, however I do accept them -- and I've been hugged a lot the past few weeks.

In gym this guy hit me with a soccer ball (this guy having longish black hair and wearing nail polish and stuff ... which doesn't really scare me, as my brother wore nail polish and stuff), but, despite appearing to be punkish, after class he sought me out to apologize. I mean, how nice is that?

Anyways, I said, "I think I'll live." and the guy's friend said, "I think she needs a hug.' and the guy said (and he said, and I was like, and then ... sorry, I'm even SOUNDING like a teen-age girl now), but the guy DID say, "I think I need a hug." So then he gave me a hug!

I told my friend, and she didn't believe me. "Guys don't say things like that." was her comment on the matter. But they do, 'cause one did.

At play practice yesterday, Jeremy told me I did a good job and gave me a hug -- isn't that, like, the nicest thing you've ever heard? And Chad said, rather sulkily, "That's Jeremy, always looking for a cheap hug."

"Do YOU need a hug?" I asked him.

"Well...yeah."

So I got TWO hugs for the price of one! ☺

Anyways, all this hugging really makes me feel special. And McKaylie pulled me off yesterday and we had this whole long conversation about guys -- and we laughed and goofed off, and she told me how much she loves me -- and, well, I felt special -- I previously wasn't even sure McKaylie concidered herself friends with me.

So I guess I'm just posting to say how grateful I am for pineapple ... and for the love of all these great people! Tell the people you love that you love them -- even if you just say it light-heartedly, it means a lot. Don't be stinty with your hugs or your kind words. You never know when someone might just be needing a hug.

♥Captain Whitney

Don't worry about what people think of you -- worry about what they think of themselves when they're with you.

Are you a fan of delicious flavor?

What better way to start off the season than with some con-artists and murderers? To-day begins the official countdown to not only Christmas but to the season premier (or maybe season continuation...?) of PSYCH! To-day's was great, and I even spotted the pineapple (true, Shawn held it up for all the world to see, with a big red bow on it and everything, so I suppose it wasn't that impressive).

I am so excited for the Christmas Season! I haven't yet come up with a good wish-list, and I think Santa's ready to start throwing Christmas ornaments at me, as so far all I've said I wanted is notebooks, pens, and Wodehouse. I guess it's time I update my Christmas List (who knew Santa used Amazon?)

Anyone have any exciting plans for Christmas? Maybe it's a bit early to start obsessing, as Thanksgiving Break isn't over yet, but I'm already totally excited!!! I'm planning to host a HUGE snowball fight (assuming, of course, that it actually SNOWS) and drink hot cocoa and maybe read a Jane Austen book.

I think I'm going to decorate my bedroom all Christmasy (is that a word?) -- with Snow Flakes. Hmm... I wonder if anyone has any extra Christmas Lights? That would be a spiffy addition. And maybe I can find a little Christmas tree!!! AHH! I'm excited!

My favourite part of the Christmas season is probably coming in from running around in the cold with friends and getting a big mug of hot chocolate and sitting next to fire reading a good book or talking with my mutti. And I like baking cookies and Christmas caroling and snowball fights and sledding and buying gifts for small children and ... and ... I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!! What's your favourite part?

♥Captain Whitney

I'm not inclined to resign to maturity.

Candy Cane Karaoke Night!

According to Garfield tradition, the fourth Friday in November is Candy Cane Karaoke Night* -- otherwise known as the day we get to start celebrating Christmas!!! Thus the new blog decor, which is actually rather depressing, concidering the fact that there hasn't been so much as a snowflake this season.
Well, I'll keep praying for a White Christmas.


I've been greatly enjoying my holiday -- playing Wii Music, watching movies until three AM with my cousin, making fun of Black Friday shoppers, and compiling a brilliant book with Anit. Fun things. AND there was a new episode of Psych to-night -- we haven't got it yet, but I'm excited! I have a can of pineapple and everything! Oh my goodness gracious -- I can't believe we only have a little over a month until Psych comes back on! I'm, well, psyched!



I cannot believe those Black Friday shoppers -- I stayed up until three last night and slept until eleven and I'm STILL tired -- those crazy BFS's must be dead. But then, they're all loonies anyways.



I really AM tired, and I want to get some good writing done before bed.

HAPPY CANDY CANE KARAOKE NIGHT!!!!

♥Captain Whitney

Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold!

*Garfield comic November 23, 2007

Happy Thansgiving!!!

It's good to be home, if only for a few days. I'm looking forward to all the FOOD to-morrow! I mean, c'mon, my life motto is: I'm just here for the food. Thansgiving is one of my favourite times of year!!!

And, you know, it's not just the food and the chance to ditch out on three days of school (though that does add to it conciderably), but this really is a time to be grateful. And, you know, from where I'm sitting, I can see a lot to be grateful for.
From a free country to vegetables that taste good, from a God who loves us to crayons, from pineapple to horse shampoo, I'm sure we can all come up with something to be grateful for.

And now, moving on for fear of becoming cheesy:

Mario Music rocks socks! And I've only thrown the controllar and shouted at the game a ... few times. My mother and I just played "Jingle Bell Rock" so many times I'm not sure I can ever listen to it again. And the saxaphone part still isn't quite right.

So, I'm home, and really just enjoying being here. Not much to say at the moment, save for:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

and

DON'T EAT THE CAT!!!

Best holiday wishes!

♥Captain Whitney

If you can't think of something to be grateful for, hold your breath until you can.

Poison Mangos

My drama group, as I think I mentioned, went to the musical Once on this Island. I have a really hard time with musicals, as half the time I don't know what the characters are saying, and that really stresses me out, but I still enjoyed it. It's the musical our school is doing in the spring, so I ought to get to know it well. I'm not saying I'm positive I'll get a part, but I am pretty sure I'll at least get into onsomble.

I have this habit, when watching a play or a movie or reading a book, of choosing one character that I really like, either for character reasons or because he's really hot, and obsessing over him for the rest of play. I was rather worried about myself watching this one, because my favourite character was the God of Death, but inquiries led me to discover that everyone else loves him too, if not to the extent that I do.

Seriously, this guy was awesome. There are four Gods in Once on this Island, the Goddess of Earth, the God of Water, the Goddess of Love, and the God of Death (don't ask me what happened to Fire and Air, I don't know). Anyways, the Goddess of Earth has an obsession to mangos similar to Shaun Spencer's obsession with pineapple, and one of the songs goes as follows:

Earth: Mangos!

Water: Juicy mangos!

Love: Love those mangos!

Death: Poison mangos.

E/W/L: Wuh -- NO!

I mean, c'mon, how can you NOT love this guy?

The God of Death and the Goddess of Love have a constant debate going on in this musical, on whether Love or Death is stronger. Love says that, well, love conquers all, and Death says that's all very well, but he can stop the heart like *snap!* that! So that's the basic point of the play, is this continuing argument. It was really enjoyable, and, save for some technical difficulties, the whole thing was done very well. I'm really starting to get nervous about doing it for our school O.o Especially concidering how we're doing at Shakespeare. Ah well, it should be fun, regardless.

Shawnae says I could play the Goddess of Love. I agree, as she has few singing lines, and my singing abilities are ... well ... nill.

Anyways, after the play, we were making our way through the crowd, and we saw the God of Death, and Oberon (my husband, who we now call The Goddess of Death) told me I should go up and tell him I love him. We were arguing about this in a light-hearted way, when one of my friends went up to him and said, "My friend loves you."

Figuring that, hey, it'd already been said, why not tell him who said it, I said, "I DO love you! You were amazing!" he kind of laughed and said, "Thanks." and then we left, Oberon realizing that he really ought not underestimate me.

Anyways, my mother and I are going to go play Wii Music, but I'll post latrez!

♥Captain Whitney

"The mouse's name is cheese?"

"Must be, he always comes when we call it."

BYU and Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cake

Poor BYU.... So much for my Psychic vision. Thomas says he's going to cry for the rest of the evening. I am disappointed, I must say.

Sad sad. Sad.

Well, I HAVE been done something to-day -- my room is clean!!! Hooray! I feel so very productive. I still have a mountain of math homework, not to mention the Geography homework I haven't even looked at yet. And here I am blogging. I am such a failure.

Ah well.

My grandmother made pineapple up-side-down cake, she says because I've been watching Psych. I ought to watch Psych more often.

"Are you a fan of delicious flavor?" Apparently I am, and I don't like cooked fruit. Pineapple up-side-down cake might just be my favourite thing ever now. At least it's up their on the list, above shampoo and unicycles. It is magically delicious (or is that Cocoa Puffs?).

"Sonny is coo-coo. And if Sonny is coo-coo, he must be coo-coo for something."

"Cocoa Puffs?"

"Yes!"

"I always thought they were Coo-Coo Puffs."

"No, Sonny is coo-coo for puffs which are cocoa, and make your milk all brown and chocolaty and delicious."

Who knew maple syrup was so pungent? I spilled it on my carpet (and on my bedclothes, thusly I have been washing them to-day, more on that in a minute) several days ago and my room still smells like IHOP. Which is really grody, I must say. However, I sprayed Fabreeze and hopefully that will help. Oh! I have a story about Febreeze! We got the CUTEST little kitten (we being my "sister" and I and this being a year or two ago), but we got it from a smoking family, and it smelled like cigarette smoke, so we went to the store and bought a bottle of Febreeze and sprayed it down (the kitten, I mean, not the store). It was kind of funny. (By the way, we did check, and it says on the bottle that you CAN use Febreeze on pets. So we were certain, before beginning, that we were not poisoning the small feline.)

I learned something to-day: You ought to wash your sheets BEFORE you was your comforter. Then you can actually make your bed, rather than just trying to find something to do with the comforter while the sheets dry. Oh well, I'm still excited to be sleeping in clean sheets (and not having a maple syrup spot to avoid).

My friend Ash and I were having a very political conversation, which we got started on by talking about how much we hate debating, especially political points (go figure), and I remembered the following poem. Thought I'd post it here:

They first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up.

Kind of made me think of the war in Iraq, and how most Americans don't want us to be involved, despite the fact that we are saving innocent people.

Anyways, my room is clean, now I'm going to go do my math homework and see how Reggie's doing. Toodle-pip!

♥Captain Whitney

"Hello ladies and gentlemen. I will be your narrator. My name is Aurora...Borealis. There are over 400 stars in our galaxy, maybe more. No one knows for sure. Many have said that the universe is even larger than the Indian Ocean. And that is why it is called Infinitum Staroctapusim. Ah, yes, our glorious constellations. There they all are, take a look. Over here we have...one with a guy holding some sort of thing. Over here, our beloved Olympic rings, all seven of them. And here, here's one with a fish. Notice, straight, straight above you: the hammer of Jeff. And over there in the South-north, you'll see Monkey With Rash. The Egyptians used to set their clocks by it. Oh look! There goes an asteroid. Comet. It's what they named that cleaning solution after. I know it may stink when you leave it in the sink, but boy oh boy does it clean!"

Not Cleaning My Bedroom

Okay, REALLY, I should be cleaning my room and doing my homework, as I leave for Logan on Tuesday and I won't have time between then and to-morrow to do it, but I'm easilly distracted, and very easily bored, and there is nothing interesting about cleaning one's bedroom or doing math homework.

To-day I've ... watched Psych and and BEGUN cleaning my room. I stayed in bed until 11:30 to-day.... Which was nice, even though I felt like I ought to be up and doing something. I did finally get up. I have yet to do something.

I was planning my latest What About Prince Charming? book -- which will be Cinderella. However, I'm having trouble actually WRITING it, because Prince Charming is a git and I hate writing about people I don't like. Any advice? See -- he's totally obsessed with duty. The only reason he's throwing the ball is because he must marry. Before the ball, he comes across Cinderella a few times, but he looks down on her because she is nothing but a peasent. Then, of course, he falls in love with her at the ball, and she kind of rolls her eyes at him and won't take him seriously. Despite his love of duty, he finds his love of this peasent girl getting in his way, and he refuses to marry if he can't have her -- which he can't, because she refuses to marry him. Which is all fine and dandy, and means he's going to become this great guy to get this girl to fall in love with him, la-de-da-de-da, but how to I write the BEFORE the ball part? Any suggestions for making him annoying without making him so annoying he isn't fun to read (or write) about?

Once again, I'm rambelling, mostly to avoid being productive. Okay, I'll think clearer once my room is clean and my math done -- besides, who wants to do math homework over Thanksgiving break? Besides, as Agatha Cristie said: The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes.

Cheese is icky, clowns are scary, and I have yet to figure out what coconut rhymes with.

♥Captain Whitney

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

www.thequotegarden.com

Can't Wait for the Holidays!!!

So, my grandmother was quoting my blog to me to-day, and it kind of weirded me out. Then I went to read the comments and realized that there are quite a few people reading, which REALLY weirds me out. And now I feel all obligated to say something clever, which is kind of a fluky thing with me.

Anyways, I've got an exciting week ahead of me!

Monday: I'm going to Once on this Island with my Drama group (after a good three hour play practice...)! I'm WAY psyched! I love it when we go to plays and dinner to-gether, it makes me feel all special. We're doing the musical for school, so I'm really excited to see it. Shawnae says I would play a good Goddess of Love. I think it sounds fun because she has a constant rivalry with the God of Death, and I kind of have a thing for constant rivalries, like Oberon and Titania ☺

Tuesday: I get to ditch out on school (always good) for a Power in You seminar thing for SBO!!!! And my grandma bought me a whole new outfit and everything! With a spiffy hat! HOORAY! (As most of you know, I kind of have a thing for hats). She also bought me a purse, which I'm pretty sure I will lose, not because I don't like it, but because I'm the kind of person who loses purses. You know that woman who's always running back to wherever she was last, saying, "Have you seen my purse?!" Yeah, that's me.

Then I get to go HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Mr. Packard says not to use excessive !'s. I say: PPBTTBPTPB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I'll be home from Tuesday to Sunday! And I'm going to try to talk my mother in-to letting me ditch out on school Monday so I don't have to go home Sunday. We'll see how that goes. Especially since I think my director would literally kick me out of the play if I did that... which might not be such a bad thing.
Okay, I don't mean that, but, seriously, you should see our play practices! Actually, you shouldn't, because ten minutes in you would be banging your head against the wall and twenty minutes in you'd be ready to shoot someone. NOBODY is memorized, everyone's monotoning, and our directors are stressing so bad it's kind of scary. Seriously, I think Mr. Taylor's ulcers have ulcers. Shawnae says she is going to mysteriously disappear from out of the country the night before the performance. Thanksgiving break is going to make us or break us, depending on whether people MEMORIZE their lines or FORGET them. We open in TWO WEEKS!!!

And now I'm going to change the subject, before I make myself sick.

To-day was BYU/UofU rivalry day at my school, which meant we got to wear jeans and our team's colours. The big game's to-morrow, but I'm not worried, I already know who's going to win. See, I had a dream that UofU would win, and then I had a dream that BYU would win. In Seminary we played a Scripture Mastery game and we separated into UofU and BYU teams, and the prior won. So my first dream has been fulfilled. ☺ I guess we'll see how good my dreams are at predicting the future.

Hmm... besides play practice and LOTS of homework, all I've been doing is writing and writing and writing. I've been working on The Story of Reginald Alcott or Where I Went Wrong of late, but I keep being side-tracked by pointless stories with no plot that are actually quite a lot of fun. I'm writing one right now that began with a writing prompt -- the prompt being to write about three completely different characters waking up and describing their morning routines. Not much of a plot, but great for character development. I ended up with a Bounty Hunter named Ambrose Briant who hates his life and sleeps with his sword (that's about all I know so far, except that he'll work for whoever will pay him the most, which I suppose comes from being, you know, a Bounty Hunter), a purple-eyed witch (yes, the eye colour is important ... Ambrose has grey eyes, by the way, not that you care) who ... erm, hires the Bounty Hunter? That's about all I know right now, except that she ends up with BH in the end. Her name's Nerida (which means "rare") Ammelise, and she's pretty cool, I guess. Then I have the blue-eyed Morgan Morgan (whose real name is Wilbur Morgan, but who has a long and complicated and very boring story about how that was a typographical error on his Birth Certificate, even though it wasn't, he just thinks Morgan Morgan is a cooler name). He's the flirt who just bops around doing his own thing. Very strong Yellow personality (I'll post those personality things later so you know what that means ... I'm too lazy to go find them right now). He's also cool -- I mean, c'mon, his name is (or, well, isn't) Morgan Morgan -- can you get cooler than that? (Well, yes, your name could be The Pineapple Guy, but that is a different matter all together).

I'm in a really random mood, AND I'm really tired, which always equals rather pointless BLOG posts. I guess I'll end on a Thanksgiving motif, with a story I wrote for the season (only PARTIALLY based on truth, though the list of things I'm grateful for DEFINITELY is)


I smiled at the scene before me. My mother and Aunt Rachel were gabbing about the wonders of Weight Watcher's Core Plan; grandpa, my elder brother, and my Uncle Ben were talking about hunting, the children were squirming impatiently in their chairs, my father and grandmother were talking about something or other (my dad was probably boring Gam stiff with his latest computer project), and the delicious smell of turkey wafted gently over us. Paper pilgrims and Indians lined the clothed table and candlelight glittered on the china.
It was a normal Thanksgiving scene at Grandma's, and I loved it.
Then Grandma stood -- probably because she was sick of listening to my dad -- and the room went as quiet as a room can when occupied by six boys under the age of ten, 'Before we begin, I'm sure Ella would love to share five things she's grateful for.'
I groaned. Grandma knows I hate having attention drawn to myself, this was her revenge because I wouldn't speak in the program she did before dinner. Well, there was nothing I could do about it. I lumbered to my feet and gazed at the cornucopia, and suddenly I was struck by an idea. Clearing my throat, I said:
'I am so grateful for so many things,' Grandma smiled and nodded encouragingly, 'For one: duckbill platypuses, for giving us a great word to say and a never-fail conversation topic "Why? Why the platypus?"' I could see that Grandma was beginning to regret her rash act, but there was no turning back now, 'I am also grateful for itchy clothes, for reminding us that the sweater Aunt Mable gave us last Christmas is NOT the most horrible thing in the world. I am grateful for wallpaper, it hides cracks in the walls better than paint. I am thankful for duct tape, it hold the world to-gether. And, finally, I am most grateful for my fork. Now let's eat.'
I grinned triumphantly at Grandma and sat back down.

♥Captain Whitney

When all else fails, order pizza.

Starting Over

You know, Sister Paula, knew what she was saying when she talked about the difficulty of expressing spiritual experiences. I feel like I've just gone through a major change and, while things aren't going to get EASY any time soon ("If life were easy, it wouldn't be hard"), I'm going to be okay, and all I can think to say is: PRAYER IS GOOD!!!

But you know, there's a lot of truth in that simple sentance.

Isn't it amazing that the creater of worlds, father of billions, cares what each one of his children has to say and is willing -- not only willing, but eager -- to hear what we have to say? As I prayed to-day I was certain there was someone listening. It felt as though there was someone in the room with me, that I was not alone.

And that is amazing too. We are NOT alone. I don't have to go through ANYTHING by myself. Do you know how grateful I am for that? I think living in Saratoga Springs, away from everyone and everything I'm used to, has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I've realized how important it is to me to be able to call my mother every day -- and sometimes I don't even have anything to say. Sometimes all it is is "I need a new episode of Eureka." But just being able to do that little thing means the world to me. Suddenly I realize how important it is for me to be able to e-mail my dad -- to be able to send stupid cat pictures and quote deep thoughts about sunscreen to each other. I realize how much he helps me through the little, silly things that mean so much (ah, man, I'm crying again....)
And now I realize how much it means to be able to talk to my Father in Heaven at any time. Sometimes it's just little things, like, "I really need to find my planner." Sometimes it's big things like, "Please help my friend in her times of trouble." or "Please let my brother know how much we love him, regardless." Having Him listen means EVERYTHING.

His love is so strong. He sent his SON to die for us, to suffer for us, so that we could have mercy. Without Jesus, there would be no point for us to be here, because we'd never be able to make it back. None of us are good enough without help.

That's all I was praying for: help. Well, and understanding. I don't know why I'm here or what I'm supposed to be doing (though I did figure out that watching every episode of Eureka, Psych, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, AND Leave it to Beaver in one week was not it...), but whatever it is I KNOW I can't do it by myself. But I don't have to. I don't even have to know what it is. Someone else does. And I think He'll let me know when the time is right.

Sometimes I think we take the church for granted. Sometimes we forget how important the gospel is. Sometimes we forget that we have the spirit. We're like the fish who says, "Water? What water? I don't see any water."
Let us not forget! For we would be nowhere without the power of the gospel -- but we can go so far with it.

♥Captain Whitney

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, that for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled, and died. Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me. Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.

One Nation, Under God

As you all know, Senator Obama has now become President Obama. As most of you know, Kenneth, as well as most of the other Republicans, was freaking out a bit about this. I wasn't sure how to feel, but now I know: Calm.

For one thing: We chose the people in the electorial college, the people who represent US. We trusted those people to represent OUR votes. America voted for Obama. I am going to respect his office so long as he does. Does that mean I agree with him? Heck no. But I believe in America.
More importantly: I believe in a higher power. This is NOT One Nation, Under Obamma. It never will be. Even if everything goes crazy, and Obamma turns in-to some sort of Hitler and takes over, we'll be okay. We know these are the last days, and crazy things are going to happen. We've known this was coming.

I HATE politics. I believe that the word expresses it well, poli, in Latin, meaning "many", and "tics", meaning "blood-sucking creatures". I know it's an old joke, but it's true. However, if there is one thing I LOVE, it's my religion. I believe that we are a chosen generation, and I believe that this place that we live in is a great place. And all of those anti-American Americans can go jump in a lake (how's that for Christ-like? Okay, so I'm working on that.) But I cannot abide people who are not willing to stand by their country. We live somewhere where you can SAY what you THINK. Most people can't do that. Our ancestors couldn't do that. WE CAN!

"Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books...Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: 'I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't. I can. And my children will.' Boys want to grow up remembering that."

Do we remember? Are we willing to DO something? Because, you know, this country's bigger than one man. "...this country is bigger than the Taylors, or you, or me, or anything else. Great principles don't get lost once they come to light. They're right here; you just have to see them again!"

So, should we be doing something? Yes! Should we be saying something? Yes! Should we remain "God-fearing, gun-clinging republicans", or whatever Obamma called us, despite the fact that the president doesn't agree with that? Yes!
Should we worry? No!
We don't know how the battle will play out -- but we know who's going to win. All we gotta' do is make sure we are on the right side!

-Captain Whitney

I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too.

God Bless the USA! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RssIN3ustUw&feature=email

Quotations from Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, found at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031679/quotes

Fifteenth Birthday!

Not MY fifteenth birthday, of course, that not being until December (DECEMBER 29, actually ☺). No, it's my friend Apt's Birthday to-morrow! HOORAY!!!!!! Hope your fifteenth year is amazing! Thanks for being a GREAT friend!

You Apt!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

♥Captain Whitney

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

i kan haz cheezburger?

http://lolcats.com/

http://icanhascheeseburger.com/

☺Captain Whitney

I am grateful for laughter -- except for when milk comes out my nose.

Custard and other Deep Thoughts

Hey, look! I was on my aunt's BLOG!

I would rather die than admit what movie we're at, so don't even ask. Oh, my favourite hat is also in the picture! Along with a handful of my favourite people

So I failed to go to school to-day (again). I swear, my director's going to kick me out of the play! He gave us a long lecture yesterday on NOT GETTING SICK. But, honestly, I couldn't get out of bed this morning! I should be well by Monday -- and if not, I'm going to pretend to be.

I fear I'm suffering writer's block. What would be interesting to post? Of late the only interesting things I have done are watch custard and ... er, watch more custard. At the moment of going to press, I am watching "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman".

What is Mr. Rogers' first name? Like, Mr. Rogers from Mr Roger's Neighborhood.

Okay, well, I obviously don't actually have anything to say, so I guess I'll go away.

Captain Whitney

Yesterday is history, to-morrow is a mystery, but to-day is a gift...

...that's why it's called the present!

Pureed Spaghetti

Okay, so absolutely none of you know who Kenneth is, except, well, Kenneth, but all I've been able to think about all day is this charming duo:

and I just had to post.

For those of you who don't know: Kenneth is getting his wisdom teeth pulled to-morrow, which ... well, quite frankly, sucks. I do hope you're one of the fast healers and that you'll be up to coming to school on Monday!

Have fun!

Has anyone else out there (right now I feel like I'm talking to no-one, but, with any luck, Ginny will start reading the BLOG again and I won't feel so lonely....) had their WT pulled?

-Captain Whitney

Live, love, and laugh -- it's all good!

Gee, I'm a Tree

I went back to school to-day! You know, I ought to ditch out on three days more often, it makes you feel really special when you go back. I mean, how could you not feel good when you walk in-to Seminary and the entire class shouts, "FRED'S BACK!!!" (well, I guess if your name wasn't Fred....) Miss Lojik (who's a guy) shouted to me across a rather large hallway, and I was quite surprised that Kenneth didn't give me a hug In fact, at lunch to-day a girl that I new by sight but had never spoken to asked me how I was feeling (turns out she's one of my faeries in the play ... go figure). I don't mean to sound cocky, it just made me feel all warm and fuzzy in-side (like when I put my hand in the microwave!), I wasn't expecting such a reception.

Oh, the play. You probably all know that I am playing the part of the faerie queen Titania in our school's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I missed three rehersals this week and felt like such a terrible person for letting Bottom down, and then to-day he wasn't there ☺ We don't have very good timing, do we? My part is awkward enough, but YOU try reading lines of love with a female teacher Yeah, it was awkward.

Ick ... I have two pages of math homework due to-morrow. (one emoticon just wasn't enough) I rather loathe math, actually. But my mother says I have to prepare for when I homeschool my children and my sons want to be engineers.

...I really hope I raise eleven poets, novelists, and philosophers. Just kidding. If my sons want to be engineers ... well, I guess I'll just go back to the books. But that doesn't mean I have to like it, right?

-Captain Whitney

"The king and queen are deceived. I am but mad when the wind blows nor-nor-east. When the wind blows southerly, I can tell a hen from a handsaw." --Hamlet

Blue Birds and Rambeling

I'm working on a book right now about a fifteen year old girl who gets sent to an orphanage. It's been a lot of fun. The reason I bring this up (well, actually, there is no reason, except that this is a place for be to babble) is that there is a scene in it that takes place in a malt shop. Actually, there are several scenes that take place there, as that's kind of the "teenage hang out" for the orphanage kids. I want this to be a place where deep discussions can happen, and the world can seem simple -- at one point, near the end, the heroine says that "milkshakes can solve all the world's problems, if only for a minute". So I need some help with design. I'm thinking something warm, with lots of wood and mirrors. But, then, I've also considered going the more comfortable, old-fashioned look with tile floors, if you know what I mean. It MUST have a bar. I've been considering doing something like the Blue Bird Cafe in Logan, except without the resteraunt. Do you guys have any input? (Why do I even ask? Ginny's ALWAYS got input ☺)

That resteraunt always makes me think of vegetarian BlueBirds, which makes me think of cats, and the two to-gether make me think of plums, which, by an odd coinsidence, makes me think of the colour pink and a spiffy jacket, which makes me think of Lancelot and a hat.... And thinking about things making me think of things makes me think of enchiladas.
I was watching "Word Girl" yesterday, and she was talking about rambeling. I guess I do have a tendancy to do that, but sometimes I just can't help it. It's the creative flow, you know? So, sorry my BLOG has no point what-so-ever, I guess this is all just free-writing.
If I actually have something to say, I'll post that too.

So ... anyone reading anything of interest? I'm reading the Book of Mormon at the moment of going to press, and I really need to finnish (wait, isn't that a language?) before January.

Okay, I'm really getting a headache from staring at a computer screen so long, so I'm going away.

Cheero!

-Captain Whitney

Narrator: So plan number 365 was for Captain Huggy Face to eat the giant statue made of meat?

Word Girl: Yeah. First time we've had to use that one.

Obscure Jimmy Stewart Movies

I think they're having a Jimmy Stewart merathon on VCM, except they're only playing the dumb ones or the ones no one has ever heard of. But I've been ill, so I've been watching all of them! Hooray!



The Mortal Storm (****) -- an amazing movie about a family escaping from Nazi Germany on skis. It was kind of depressing, as the whole reason it was written was to get the Americans to join the war (so, obviously, the war wasn't over at the time of filming), and it made me cry, but I thought it was BRILLIANT -- and I hate Nazi stories.

Dear Bridgitt (*) -- This one was really, incredibly stupid. Stewart's character was funny, as he played a ditsy poet who "sends his father candies on Mother's Day", but otherwise it was a complete waist of two hours (not that I would have done anything more constructive with those two hours...)

The Naked Spur (***) -- A weird role for Stewart, as he played a gun-waving bounty hunter, but I actually enjoyed this one. It was a Western (as you may have guessed from the title), and it was kind of weird, because for the first half one guy was the star of the show, and then in the second half he just sort of stopped being important and we focused on the other guy. Which was kind of depressing, as I'd rather liked the first hero (who wasn't actually a hero... of course!) Anyways, this one was fun, even though it lacked much of a point.

The Gorgeous Hussy (*) -- Oh, I suppose this one deserves more than one star, but I thought it was really depressing. Jimmy Stewart wasn't an important character, just a friend of the heroine who proposed to her a couple times (he hadn't a chance). In the beginning there were three guys -- one who wanted to marry her, one who flirted with her constantly, and one she was in love with who was at least ten years older than she (if not more). I was kind of rooting for the flirt, but then she actually ended up with him, which made me mad (because that's the kind of logic I have). But it was all good, because they only got one night to-gether and then he DIED. And so then she finally gets engaged to the guy she was actually in love with, but, because of politics, they seperate, so she goes off and marries some other guy to make her uncle happy. And then the guy she was in love with (who, by this point, two hours later, I was madly in love with as well) DIED and they all lived happily ever after. The end. No joke, that was pretty much the entire movie, minus some politics. It was very depressing.



There might have been more. I've been so out of it, I'm surprised I remember that much. So ... those were my fun Jimmy Stewart movies. Tee-hee!

-Captain Whitney

Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.

Starting Yet Again

So here I am, on my 10 billionth BLOG! But my other one kind of, well, died, and I got sick of pestering my mother to fix it (which she didn't, mostly because I would only ever remember to remind her at inopportune moments, like in the car or at two o' clock in the morning), so I decided that starting a new one would be easier ... at least for me. I won't be able to post stories on it, because it isn't password protected (because SO many people out there want to come on and steal my books *rolls eyes*), but if any of you want any of my books I mention, just bug me about it and I'll e-mail it to you.

I'm really not up to anything very interesting -- just writing a lot and pretending to do my homework. I've stayed home from school the past three days due to illness (which is always when I start my BLOGs and the only time I ever actually post on them....) I've watched a lot of custard* and written a bit and watched more custard and slept a bit and watched more custard and cleaned my room and read and "done my homework" and watched still more custard. It has been quite ... boring, actually. But more fun then math class, so I suppose I ought not complain too loud.

Anyways, I suppose I've got a new episode of I Dream of Jeannie, so I'll post later.

-Captain Whitney

Don't eat the cat.

*I realize that my crazy British slang needs to be explained. See, Custard and Jelly rhymes with tele, so, naturally, "Custard" means "Television". It only makes sense.