TOOTHPASTE INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Hi everyone, some exiting news, October 29^th, is now….toothpaste independence day!!! It’s true, I declared it myself. Basically we were making a target run the other day, which just happened to be the 29^th, to get some face wash.

But of course, we didn’t come out with just face wash, no, we came out with a tutu, 4 or 5 different shampoos, a transforming “as seen on TV” hairbrush (mine), and some new toothpaste. My mom was getting some toothpaste for everyone, when all of the sudden time slowed down; I looked around at everyone, my sisters’ sally and Janey, and my brother Wyatt, and realized, I don’t want to share toothpaste with any of these people! They leave the cap open; they twist from the middle, not squeeze from the bottom, and don’t wash it off afterwards!

It was at that moment that I declared toothpaste independence, and bought my own toothpaste! I chose Colgate, “MaxClean SmartFoam  with whitening”. It “Penetrates Hard to Reach Places for a Rush of Clean”. Exciting, right? 

Southern Pride?

The other day my family was in Virginia, at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home. It was great, Jefferson’s life and home was very interesting, but I was slightly distracted by something that happened while we were there.

There was a family there, with two kids, younger than me. They were wearing dog tags with the confederate flag on them. On the back it said “Loyal to C.S.A”. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing with these two young kids. My mom asked what the flag meant to them, to which they replied, “just southern pride”.  Now, I think that is a pretty horrible answer. 

Why would ANYONE have pride for something that horrible that happened 150 years ago! I don’t care if you are from the south, or are a descendent, we live in 21^st century America, we are not southerners, or northerners, we are American.

Also, what possessed these parents to buy there ten year old boy, and eight year old girl (I asked their ages) Confederate dog tags? Even if you are still bitter about the “Northern Aggression”, why instill it in your children? Maybe I’m overreacting, (I’m not), but I’m going to try to look at this a little bit more critically.

I’m a California Yankee, maybe I’m just not used to the thought of people still being loyal confederates. Maybe I’m just unexposed….NOPE. The thought of that still sickens me. “One nation under God”, apparently some people don’t understand that line from the AMERICAN pledge of allegiance, NOT the northern pledge of allegiance.  

Please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Rubber Band Guns and Fuzzy Socks

My family and I (minus my dad, plus my grandma) were taking a short hike today, and I decided to bring my little rubber band gun, which is basically a little plastic piece of crap.

 Anyway, as we were walking I got bored and began playing secret agent with my rubber band gun, and was lost in my own world, until I became aware of my mom and grandma giggling around me. I immediately realized what a dork I was acting like, and stopped. Only for a short time though, as that game was very fun. 

Before I resumed the game though, I engaged in a conversation with my mom and grandma about my little tendencies to do extremely childish or funny things (One obviously being me running around the woods with a rubber band gun playing spy). I also happen to enjoy a lot of things that most 14 year olds won’t admit liking, like toy plastic soldiers, and fuzzy socks. 

So because I like these things, but am embarrassed to be seen with them, I usually pre pay my mom brother or sister, (depending on the occasion), and have them buy it for me. It’s gotten to the point where I can walk up to them, hand them something and say, “you know the drill”.

With all that being said, I need everyone to know that  I do enjoy manly things…I can’t name any…but I can assure everyone that I do.

Team Ryan

One of the greatest parts of this trip has been meeting locals, and hearing their stories, good or bad.  The past few days we were in Cambridge, Maryland, the childhood home of Harriett Tubman. While there we ate lunch at a Gastropub, called High Spot, after paying the check, we struck up a conversation with one of the waiters working there, and they shared a story that really struck a chord:

A boy named Ryan Summers (the son of the owners of the restaurant where we ate) was struck by lightning in July, while attending a family reunion. His heart immediately stopped beating, and his mother gave him CPR, until the ambulance came to his rescue. He was rushed to the hospital, where they managed to save his life. 

 Afterward he traveled from hospital to clinic to hospital to clinic. He was just recently released from his last hospital to begin therapy. The effect of the lightning strike had much of the same effect as a stroke, he lost memory, and the ability to talk, and accomplish everyday feats.

The story is both tragic and full of hope. It provides a feeling of gratitude, for our own health, and safety of our friends and family.

While we were at the restaurant we noticed that all the staff was wearing “Team Ryan” wristbands, and we inquired whether they were for sale.  When the answer was yes, we immediately bought them. After all, the money went to a great cause. 

I bought ten extra wristbands, and want to share them with those who are truly interested in helping Ryan, and his family.

First ten people to comment on this, share it with friends or family, and visit his website, will receive a “Team Ryan” wristband.

Haircuts

Everyone has that one thing that freaks them out, gives them anxiety, or they are just plain scared of. For some it's the dark, or spiders. For my cousin Charlotte it is getting stuck in one of the small slides at water parks, for my mom it's blood. And all of those make sense, (except for charlottes). 
Well here is my fear:
Bad haircuts. But seriously, I'm terrified of them. 
It all started a few years ago, when I was going to get my haircut. I asked for a 2 inch trim. The hair lady immediately took clipper to my hair. I tried to say stop, but the mix of me being ridiculously shy back then, and her inability to speak English, prevented it from happening. Within ten minutes I had some variation of a bowl cut. As my mother puts it, I "looked like a gay Dutch boy", which defiantly helped my self esteem after the cut.
  Ever since I have been horrified, and to this day I have not a had a haircut without my mother at my side. 
Now, no matter how much anyone is laughing or making fun of me right now, I want everyone to think about the trauma that sort of haircut may have on an eleven year old boy. Pretty sad, I think. 

If anyone else has a random, or slightly stupid traumatizing experience, or fear, please, feel free to comment :D 

Vlogging

I’m pretty proud of myself, as far as blogging goes.

By that I mean I have actually done more than one, (not that they have much substance), but hey, I’ve done it! 

So far it’s going better than my attempt at “vlogging”, or video blogging on Youtube.  Vlogging was defiantly not my thing, I’m pretty awkward in from of a camera, and it’s not hard to tell, if you find my Youtube account. My whole Youtube page is pretty much grey, and it has one video of me, doing this weird crying-laughing-hyperventilating thing for about a minute. Besides that, you have to really try to listenfor any noise, because I decided to try vlogging with my video camera that is attached to my laptop. A stupid idea since the quality on that thing is horrible. 

I also tried making my own radio show… which I am not going to bother trying to explain (it was not good. At all.)

And that’s it. So yes, I consider this blog successful.

If anyone wants to see a REAL vlog, check out my friend Evans Youtube page. It may be one of the most awkward things you ever watch, but I guarantee you will enjoy it.   

Here is Evans Youtube page, and you can also find it under my favorite links. http://www.youtube.com/user/insertmynameofficial

Sharing is Caring (Unless the Cookie is Really Good)

Has anyone ever been in a really stupid argument?

Well I have one that will top it: 

My best friend, Nick, flew out to Washington D.C. for five days to see us, and see D.C..He’s been out for a couple of days now, and we have all been going nonstop at all the museums and monuments, and are all getting a bit delirious. Today at lunch, it took its toll. 

My little sister Janey got a cookie with her kids meal, and decided she did not want to eat it, and raised t above her head and shouted, “WHO WANTS IT!” I, being the cookie lover I am, I said “ME!” first, and got the cookie. Nick was very angry, about not getting the cookie, and was even angrier when I wouldn’t share it; so he took my sister sally’s spray bottle, and started spraying water on me. Eventually stopped when Wyatt gave him his cookie, and so nick was content. Until I grabbed his cookie and stepped on it, then he brought back his old friend the spray bottle; which made me mad. And so we basically hated each other for the next ten minutes, until we got to the international spy museum, a place that heals all souls.

We had another chance to bond a couple hours later, when we got to a frozen yogurt place, which sold “maple bacon donut” flavored frozen yogurt. And it was AMAZING! The best ice cream/yogurt I have ever had. Ever. 

Plus, by that point we were carrying our new laser pointers from the spy museum….it was a good day J.

some sticky information

So, has anyone ever been driving on the highway, or been at a red light and seen some one in another car with their hand out the window, snapping?

 Well, here is  a bit of information for you, they are not snapping, they are flicking a booger. I had this sudden realization  a couple days ago when my mom saw some trucker snapping at the window, we looked for a while and then realized simultaneously what he was doing. And also simultaneously began laughing hysterically. 

That’s it, I just felt the need to write that because, well I don’t know. I like knowing what truckers (and other people that I prefer not to associate with) are actually doing, when they have their hand dangling out  the window.  

So there you are, some sticky and slimy information. I hope you all remember it next time your driving :D