Duckyboy

This has been a very eventful weekend. I visited my family in east Tennessee, got to ride a motorcycle for the first time and loooooved it.
Then... Greg, Ashley, and I went to visit Ian.
Ian is a counselor at Boxwell this summer. He works with lots of other males at Boyscout camp. Most of these guys (the counselors) don't see females for extended periods of time. They work at a boyscout camp. So, as a relatively good-looking young woman, when I got onto the camp grounds, the gentlemen were very... very friendly. Particularly this one guy - Duckyboy. When we got there, Ian told us that we could go rappelling down the giant tower they have. This tower is the tallest building in the county.
Anyway, so as soon as I decided to rappel, Duckyboy offers to help me put on my harness. Considering I didn't know how to put it on, since it's not like the ones we use to rock climb, I accepted. He told me his name was Kyle, but everyone calls him Duck.
Why?
My last name is Duckworth.
Oh. Okay. Thanks for the help.
Noo problem.
So I make my way up the fourteen thousand flights of stairs, and Blake (cute, friendly, not overbearing counselor) sets up my rappel and belay ropes. I slowly lean out over ledge so I can begin rappelling. It took me forever the first time. I was frightened. Finally make my way to the bottom of the tower.
...Slowly...and untie the ropes. Duckyboy comes over, takes the metal pieces off my harness and questions whether I'll do it again or not. Insists that I do. Puts the metal pieces back onto my harness. Talks about Texas. Asks which part I'm from. Says something about moving there... I climb back up to the top of the tower. Rappel much more quickly this time. Untie my own ropes. Belay off. Rappel off. Done. Join Ian, Ashley, Greg, Duckyboy, and the other counselors. Duckyboy takes the metal pieces off my harness again. Accidentally touches the one that's scalding hot from the friction. Burns himself. Smooth. Then he begins to try and burn other counselors with it so it's funny and he's showing off instead of just looking like an idiot. Yeah... Like that helped.
Since Ian wants to show Greg, Ash, and I around camp, we leave that area. As we're walking off, Ian says, "Glad ya got to experience Duck hitting on you. I knew he would pounce on you as soon as he saw you." Pounce. What a nice word. Greg and I have been using it in our discussions on MMA. Mixed Martial Arts. Extreme fighting. Pounce - to swoop down suddenly and grasp, as a bird does in seizing its prey. Pounce and prey go together.
So we walk around the camp, go to the trading post, lots of good stuff. As we get back to the parking lot, guess who's in the process of moving his car... Oh wait... His minivan. His deteriorating, dilapidated, 1999, ghetto, pimped out MINIVAN. Yeah! It was Duckyboy. And his music is blaring way loud. Ian says he's glad Duck continues to show off for me. While we walk back to the car, Greg stays behind me so as to protect me from the stare. And then... when we drive off... oh man.....
Um... Just make sure from now on that anytime you stare at something in motion, follow ALL the way through. Follow with the eyes until they can't move any further. Then follow through with the head. Until your neck can't turn anymore. Then follow through with your whole body. And you can easily keep rotating until the object of your gawking is out of sight. Oh, and make sure you're sporting a creepy, stalkerish grin. It totally puts the finishing touch on the stare.

Speaking of finishing touches... Today, Ian texted Ashley with news that Duckyboy wants my number. Lol. Riiiiight. Apparently, Ian told him I have a boyfriend. Greg searched for Duckyboy on facebook. Found him. FRIEND REQUESTED HIM. No joke. I do believe he'll send hate mail. He's mentioned beating him down numerous times. I don't think I actually have to worry about this creepy stalker Duckyboy. It was pretty funny though. Greg and Ash keep bringing it up. They called me Brianna Duckworth. We decided it just doesn't have that ring.

Corny

Summer's funny. Because I have trouble keeping up with what day it is.
Today one of my friends told me she was headed home from camp, and my automatic response was, "Wait, you're not supposed to leave until Friday." Then I realized it actually is Friday.
I've worked out every single day this week. At least once. Two or three times in some cases.
I. Am. Worn. Out.

End of story.
So. I'm'a post my picture and go to sleep.


There are so many corn fields around here. And the sky was pretty. So I took a picture of this little wavy section. Ashley thinks Greg and I are weird for noticing details like this.

Man, I wish I was as funny as Lisa. Her blogs are so funny. Sometimes I feel lame. Now is one of those times. Heh.. Going to bed now. K, bye.

Pulaski Pike

Today is my sister's birthday. She turned 24. On June 24th.
I miss her. I love her.




On a different note, I have another new picture today.

I love it.

:-)
That's why I'm blogging about it.



I love the fire hydrants around here. Hazel Green, Alabama.
Some of them are red. Some of them are yellow.
And some of them, like this gorgeous one, are both!

I saw this thing on the way home from my first deep water workout at the gym this morning, and decided to stop on the side of Pulaski Pike to take some pictures. It's a pretty busy road, but if you know me very well, you might already know that doesn't bother me. I like to make my own plans and decisions, and sometimes, "danger" is no factor. I'd rather get hurt conquering my fears than allow them to run my life.

But anyway, today was a good day. I went and worked out, took this picture (and many others) then came home and mowed. Very productive. I got things accomplished. And my back is actually NOT what's making me tired this time. Amazing. I enjoy this feeling. I'll try to keep it up.
Oh, I also applied for a job. Sports Authority. Woohoo... Hopefully if I get an interview I'll make a better impression than Lisa did at Buckle. But I don't have to worry about whether or not I like to keep up with the latest fashions.

So, yep, that was my day. I had fun writing this blog. Maybe this is why people do it. :]



I love you Shauney. I'm praying for you and Ben.

Blogging Failure

That's me. I am a blogging failure. I've had a blog for months now, and I only have five posts.

People create such beautiful posts. They use beautiful words. They use beautiful formatting. They use beautiful pictures. They have beautiful ideas. They have beautiful everything!

And yeah, I have pictures... but I don't really know how to blog with them.
I'll try it out though.
Here's my picture of the day. I took it in Chattanooga when I went to the aquarium with my family. Including Lisa.

I thought this little "Grille" was cute. I figured it could look pretty cool with an old-fashioned tint. Hopefully I accomplished what I was aiming for.
Personally, I like it.
That's why I'm blogging about it.
:-)

Ashley's brother, Ian, tells me there are tons of beautiful buildings in Chattanooga that he'd love to take pictures of in the sunset. We're gonna go back up there one day in July, and I'm so excited.

Ya know, I'm not even sure what a blog is for. I guess it's to give someone a glimpse of who you are, whether they know you or not, whether they see you everyday or not. To permanently keep a piece of you. A piece of life.
Well, in any case, that's my goal.

And to elaborate on my failurity, I can't for anything seem to make this blog look like I want it to! Two paragraphs are supposed to be beside the picture. It looks like I want it to when I preview it, but when I post it, everything changes. Failure. But, whatever, I'm happy that I actually wrote a new blog.

Crosby

I don't miss it. Actually, I do... I miss what it used to be to me. But it could never be now what it was before I left. I don't really know why. I've changed. Crosby's changed. It's not my home anymore. Do I even have a "home" anymore? I feel like I don't. My life is at school. School is over. My family is scattered. My dad is in Indiana. My mom is in Beaumont. Well, til the beginning of next month. Then she's leaving too. My summer is in Alabama. My heart... I don't really even know where it is anymore. I guess it's hiding, waiting. I don't know what it's waiting for, but I think I'm ready to find out. This year has been pretty lame... Mr. Bird even said so. I've met a few people. I've gone a few places. I've done a few things. But nothing very big. Nothing life changing. Nothing really momentous. I'm ready for a life-defining moment. Something HUGE. I want a story to tell.

Lonely?

Psychoanalyze Yourself:
Don't read ahead, just copy and paste the following into a new bulletin before you read my answers. Then answer the following questions one at a time without looking ahead with the first thought that comes to mind. Then read what each answer means at the end.



1. You are walking in the woods. Who is walking with you?
I'm alone.

2. You are walking in the woods. You see an animal. What kind of animal?
wild cat

3. What interaction takes place between you and the animal?
we stare at each other

4. You walk deeper in the woods. You enter a clearing, and before you is your dream home, how big is it?
just big enough

5. Is your dream house surrounded by a fence?
lol - no way

6. You enter the house. You walk into the dining room and see the dining table. What's there?
crystal glasses and white dishes at each seat with flowers and candles in the middle

7. You exit the house and a cup is on the ground; what kind is it?
one of my crystal glasses from the house

8. What do you do with the cup?
carry it back inside to the sink

9. You walk to the edge of the property where you find yourself standing at a body of water, what is it?
a clear stream flowing over rocks and sand

10. How do you cross that body of water?
I walk across the rocks.



1. The person with whom you are walking in the woods is the most important to you.

2. The size of the animal is representative of your perception of the size of your problems in your life.

3. The severity of the interaction you have with the animal is representative of how you deal with your problems.

4. The size of your dream home is representative of the size of your ambition.

5. A lack of a fence is indicative of an open personality. People are welcome at all times. The presence of a fence indicates a closed personality. You'd prefer people not drop by unannounced.

6. If your answer did NOT include food, flowers, or people, then you are generally unhappy.

7. The durability of the material with the cup is representative of the perceived durability of your relationship.

8. What you did with the cup is representative of your attitude.

9. The size of the body of water is representative of the size of your relationships.

10. The way you cross the water is representative to how easy or hard you expect your life to be.

And So it Ends (And it begins)

Finally. It's over. My freshman year of college has officially been completed. Although it's been challenging, I gotta say, I've absolutely loved it. So many things I've learned. Calculus is not fun. Physics still is. I picked the right major, thank the Lord. I don't want to change it like SO many students do. I know myself pretty well, but I'm always changing and growing. Commuting is not fun. But Dr. Little IS... despite how hard he tries to intimidate the world. I may hate "The Human Situation" but it still managed to become one of my favorite classes. Laughing during every single one of our gatherings probably has something to do with that. The library actually does help me study. School is a lot more fun when I study. Or at least do my homework. I don't enjoy taking tests over things I don't understand. College kids are pretty notorious for all-nighters. I don't like them. I like to sleep. A lot. All the time. It makes life (and school) better. I need support and encouragement even though I always try to take care of myself. Pictures = therapy. Experience is the best teacher there is. Procrastination really isn't as much fun as I used to believe it is. Life is hard, but it's worth it. Teachers usually know more things better than I do. Yet this is NOT an absolute truth. My education is my responsibility, and I don't need to rely on professors to spoonfeed it to me. They usually won't. It is extremely nice though when I find one of those teachers who really and truly cares. They're rare. They're amazing. Maybe they're amazing because they're rare. What difference does something make that EVERYONE has? No, no. It's those unique moments in life that really matter. I don't know if this blog really makes sense. I'm tired. It's been a long day. And it's been an even longer week. But this is what I've been thinking about since realizing I'm done. It suddenly hit me today when I was well over halfway to my house. I'd finished all of my finals, all homework, all essays, my application, and even moving out. And I was going home. I almost stopped driving when the shock, excitement, fear, anxiety, happiness, etc. all overwhelmed me. I'm finished. I'm done. I did it. It's over. I have successfully transitioned into a college kid. I can't express how much I love new beginnings. Now that this first year is past, I have new beginnings right ahead of me. And I am so excited! As a certain singer whom I shall not name would say, I'm at the starting line of the rest of my life, as ready as I've ever been. Life is flying along so fast. We know how that is. Sometimes it's crazy down and I just want to curl up and pretend I don't exist for a little while, but I love the ride I'm on right now. I have so many opportunities at hand. So much to look forward to. So much to look back on. And so much to just relish right now. I feel perfect today.
I didn't get straight As this semester. I didn't get straight As last semester. I know I've improved though. I done so much hard work though - both in subjects I like and subjects I hate. It makes me fairly proud that I can find motivation in either case. This feeling is hopefully something I'll never forget. Working towards this particular achievement is something I can handle. Working until I feel like I've worked. The work isn't really that much fun, but the results are addictive to me. Maybe this will REALLY sink in... like enough to motivate me into better time management and less procrastination and/or apathy. We'll have to see on that one. :-)
So anyway, this is almost pure exhaustion talking, but I just realllllly wanted to capture how I feel today. It's been such a gloriously happy day... since noon. The morning was pretty great, but it was a bit stressful. All the work I did this morning is what made this afternoon so amazing though, so it was worth it. I can hardly believe I'm finally done.

P.S. I cannot wait to see Lisa. She isn't done yet. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. I love ya tomorrow.