rain, rain, pasta, pasta

Rain is wonderful when it falls in moderation, in my opinion. I love nothing better than to sit outside on the front porch, watching a rainshower. I do not, however, enjoy thunderstorms. This probably stems from the fact that in elementary school, we watched this video about tornadoes called 'terrible tuesday' like, 5 times that I can recall...and that's some scary crap for a 1st grader, which just continues to scar as one ages. Anyways, if the wind blows too hard or doesn't stay in 1 direction, or if a storm pops up too fast, I'm normally the first one on the computer, checking the weather channel site for severe weather watches and warnings. Oh, the picture isn't a lightning strike, it's a car coming down the road...do you honestly think that I would've been out there if it was striking that close?
Anyways, it was raining today (but this picture is from a few days ago), and I had a very zen-like calming moment sitting outside and watching it make puddles on the ground. Until the wind started and the swing got wet. Oh well, can't have it all.

It's also important to mention that I really like pasta. I don't know why it's important that I mention that, but oh well. That's what you get for reading a blog belonging to a persont as random as I. Mom's diet food is about to get raided, because the Michelena's stuff has pasta...although, after I make it, I may decide that no pasta is better than diet food pasta.
(Side note: My favorite pasta dish is the Parmesan Chicken Pasta at Ruby Tuedays. I've eaten it so much that everyone, from my boyfriend, my aunt wendy, and the waitress we get all the time, is surprised when I choose something else. If you want to make me happy, get me the parmesan chicken pasta.)

Oh, inserting picture to, how shall we say, illustrate the current mood....

It's the end of the semester and I'm moving the week after finals...I'm feeling a bit of stress, if you couldn't tell!

words from ellie

elliezswtcvvnbmmmkutuu8u89uur88u8hy7ut77urehiuhidyyter

I believe that this is ellie for 'i'm driving my sister nuts, so we're going to bed now...'

camera love

If you know me, you know that my camera is rarely far away from me. I was the editor of Waycross College's newspaper, and learned to have it handy because 'you never know what's going to happen that will make a great story'. I always I actually don't have it with me now, and it's bothering me. Anyways, I thought that i would allow a peak into my brain today with some of the 1000+++ pictures I've taken since i got the camera for christmas.

This is my dear friend Mandi...who is also going to be my roommate soon. I have a thing for the pictures of people when half their face is covered by a book; I think it makes them look intelligent. Mandi, however, was laughing about it...

At grandma's house...i liked the way the sun was coming through the sliding glass door...I actually think i had turned in the computer chair while waiting on something to load and noticed it.

This is my oversized puppy, Biscuit. I've been told that he looks a lot like Marley from the movie Marley and me. He's not that much trouble (but a close second). I think he was trying to jump on me (he's a big baby and thinks he's a lap dog)

It was awfully cloudy one day (during a semester break), and I wanted to see if it was raining close by yet. This is one of many that I took that day. I was standing in front of my house, almost on the road, and noticed the rain coming in. Again, it's an obsession with rain and clouds.

One of my favorites of me and Seth. This is sitting next to my bed on the window sill. It actually gets mushy-er than this, but I'll spare the reader from the torment.

This is Jake. He sings with the Swingin' Medallions. I think it's a rule that if you live in GA, SC, North FL, and parts of NC, you have to see them. Actually, I'd like to make it a rule so my friends would understand my obsession. I looked at their schedule and realized that while living in savannah, I'd be close enough to catch almost 5 concerts in less than a semester. Seth says I'm a fangirl (but if you live in the above-mentioned places, you should check them out). Actually, I should probably just devote an entire blog entry to my love of all things medallion. Oh, why I like this picture: I caught him mid-dance move. I love pictures that are captured while someone is doing something.

anyways, I'm going to stop with my fangirly-ness now, and probably get back to work. I actually get off in about 30 minutes, so I'm getting ready for lunch!
Oh, upcoming thing I'm going to try to do: Take pictures of the many people I adore at WC, kind of as a 'farewell to the past life' post. I may have to divide it into multiple posts...there are a lot of people that I love here.

-Whitney

Yogurt diet

Ellie has been on a diet of mostly yogurt....not because i'm not willing to cook more, that's just what she's wanted. she's eaten it 4 times since mom's been gone and asked for it both times that she didn't end up eating it.

She did, however, have ramen noodles for lunch.
With this yogurt kick, I'm going to have to buy some more...dad forgot this time.

Anyways, Ellie is currently splitting time between her teaset (yes, mom, i caved...it's a beauty and the beast one), spongebob, asking nick where filipe is, and playing in the box the grill came in.

Whew!

And What I'm contemplating

So, I'm currently in the middle of reading a book called "Julie & Julia", which I bought for the soul purpose of seeing if it would be better than the movie that's coming out this summer. If you don't know the story, Julie Powell (author of the book) spends a year going through the recipes in Julia Child's book 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. This has me thinking: Maybe I can do something like this? I don't think I could do Julia Child, just because I'm not terribly fond of French food. So, what chef has recipes that I could spend a year following? Here's the list so far:


1. Paula Dean: My tastebuds would be more accustomed to a PD dish...but I'd die prematurely of heart disease.
2. Rachel Ray: 1/2 the world has done something of her's for an extended period
3. Bobby Flay: here's the question with that: Do I want to grill almost everything for a year (or add cilantro to everything for a year)?
4. Morimoto: 1st, I can't spell his first name...second, I don't think he has a cookbook
5. Cat Cora: We may be able to work with something here...although no one ever challenges her on Iron Chef (well, since i've been watching)...but she's southern and her accent is genuine
6. Guy (whose last name I can't say): we may also be somewhere with him...everything i've seen him make looks like something I would try
7. Michael Symon: I've liked what I've seen him do as well...and i love his voice
8. Gordon Ramsey: my boyfriend watches Gordon Ramsey religiously, so this has to be an option

anyways, that's what I've come up with so far...oh, I can't figure out if next week is the finale of the next food network star or not, but if it is, i'll probably have an opinion about it, so stay tuned!

New life conclusion...

I'm to a new conclusion about life.
I'm not having children until I'm at least 28...possibly 30.
And I'll never be able to function as a single parent.

How I learned this:
Mom and JT (mother and little sister, in case some random person is reading) left for their mission trip to South Africa yesterday. Dad had to work today, and my brothers aren't 'stirrable' until at least 10 am on most mornings. This leaves Whitney (me) to get Ellie dressed. She's normally very good when it's just me and her...but factor in the pizza at 10 last night and not getting in bed until 10:45, and you've got problems.
She ate her breakfast (affectionately referred to as 'yogret' in EllieSpeak) and remained distracted with SpongeBob until I reminded her (nicely like mom said to) that she was supposed to be getting dressed. SO...we got the dress on, then looked for the braces (she has Spina bifida, fyi), found the braces, looked for the long socks, found them, put the socks and braces on, put on the 'sparkly shoes' (these shoes are the silver cousins to Dorothy's ruby red slippers), and proceeded to finish the getting ready. Did I mention that Ellie operates on Ellie time, much in the same way that I operate on Whitney time? This is why we're seldom on time if I'm having to take her anywhere with me.
Anyways, I like to be to Sunday School no later than 9:30am, mostly to finish studying, do some praying, etc (I'm normally there by 925). We pulled up at 9:47 (it starts at 945) and still had to walk Ellie to Sunday School...
Which is where Seth came to the rescue. He beat me to church (which is also rare), so I called him and asked him to take my keys and stuff in the church (purse is currently in the washer, had to clean ants out of it) so I could take E to her class. At the rate she's walking (she's normally fairly fast), it seems like it's one of her 'stop and smell the flowers' kind of days. We finally made it to the children's wing and our song director asked how it was going since mom left.
"I'm not having children until I'm at least 28....and I'll never be able to function as a single parent!"
(FYI: my aunt bobbie said that my declaration of childlessness until I was that age was her word of praise for the day. At least it made someone happy.

anyways, Ellie and work tomorrow, the tuesday just class and she stays with daddy. Oh, the fun never ceases.

Regardless, she blesses my socks off!

Whitney

Living for the moment

Due to the current title of my blog (that I'm not sure why I created...), I feel it's time to address why I'm living for the moment.

There comes a point in everyone's life....well, that start off is completely cliche, now ain't it?
We're in the south, and I prefer to tell it like I see it.

So as I see it now, there's a lot that's going to change for me within the next few months. I'll be moving off to Savannah, sort of 'skydiving' from the nest, so to speak. I'm having to journey to make new friends, meet different people, find my way around a new campus, make new connections...
And it all comes with my wacked out sense of humor...i could do stand up if i thought fast 24/7.

So, currently, I'm just enjoying the mostly unlimited time I have left with my awesome family, absolutely amazing boyfriend, and wonderfully quirky (somewhat) friends.

Welcome to this crazy thing called my life...hope you enjoy



inserting picture of amazing boyfriend along with myself...
thought i'd go ahead and prove his existence.