College and Life!

Oh my... Whiteout fans, you are reading the words of one tired student. My first week of college, while it hasn't been all that complicated, has just been... Long. I'm at school from 7:45 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. Then, I come home and either go right to Karate after a short break, or right into school. ;) That's only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday I am off campus doing work for the next day. ;) I like pretty much all my classes, and am doing fairly well in them, I suppose. My least favorite is math, but it's not actually that bad. My favorite class is English, because my teacher is an absolute hoot. :) Ms. Perry is awesome. Really, truly, she is. ;)

Besides school, a few other things have been happening. This week was homecoming for Rigby, I get to teach Demo Team for the next two weeks and then more after that, and... A few other random things. Each of which I will explain below.

Karate: So Sensei Kai is getting married, and he is also going somewhere else to do work. Which
leaves Demo Team to his second in command, aka, me. Since we have a tournament coming up, I get to work them extra hard, and we are focusing exclusively on katas and sparring alone. Which I don't mind one bit. I just hope that I can do it good enough to Kai's standards. So I worry a bit, but not much. I enjoy Karate more and more each time I go to it. It is so nice to be able to let go of all my school stuff and just focus on the more physical aspect of life. :) Leaving the world outside is so much simpler...

Homecoming: So, as usual, a large amount of attention is lavished upon homecoming. And for good
reason. It's huge! :) I had the immense pleasure of helping out a good friend of mine with her art club booth. It did pretty good. They mostly had me hawking cotton candy, which due to my father's good
training, I was pretty good at. :) I always enjoy the company of this certain family I was working with. They're so nice to me. But, anywho. I had the chance to go and gather a whiteboard from the Art Room with this girl who I was helping out. But I also got the chance to see what was going on in her life. And she, as usual had much to say. Her life is... Not so fun right now. She's stressed on multiple fronts, and she puts on a really brave face. And it works for the most part. But, listening to her, well, it made me realize I wanted to help her more than I had. But I kept that particular desire close to myself. By the time I left, they thanked me profusely. And they told me I was... Well, they
heaped praise on me, which only made me blush. I appreciate it as always. :) Which somewhat leads me to the more... Philosophical thing that has been weighing down on my mind recently.

I am... Going to write something that may sound a bit at first like I am tooting my own horn. I take no pride where it isn't meant to be taken. I am an extremely altruistic person by default. For certain people, I would drop everything I am doing just so I could help them. For other people, even if I may dislike them, I would still help them if they asked. I just like helping people. Truly. Even when they heap what I find could be far too much praise on me. (And then I blush beautifully.) But, what has gone over and over in my mind recently, is... Is there a point where I have done too much? Or, is there a point where I have put other people so far ahead of myself that I don't end up taking care of myself like I should? I ponder this often. I enjoy helping people so much, that I forget all about my own woes, which is a good effect of my altruism. But... I have several people tell me tht at I go so far that I forget about myself. Or, when I need assistance, I don't ask for it. And when it is offered, I brush it off, because I don't want to be bothersome to another person. If I can still hobble about on my own two legs, or somehow survive a situation I will. Just so no one else has to suffer or be bothered by my inability. So the real question I am asking myself constantly is... Am I wrong in what I do and how I am going about this? Do I worry too much about things that are simple? Maybe. But... I am in need of some advice... Some, ah, friendly words if wisdom. (Cause even with my lucky bonus wisdom tooth, making a total of 5, I still feel... Lost. Like I don't know what to do.

My apologies, Whiteout fans, for this... Whatever it is. I ask for your help, only because I don't know where else to go to. Steer clear of avalanches. :)

College, Work and So Much More!

Long time no post, I know, Whiteout fans. And for that I apologize. Things have been quite hectic around here recently. I have done sooooo much, since I've last posted. I got an IPod which Inuse daily for many tasks. Really, I can't imagine life without it right now, like, how did I ever actually do without this tiny wonderful piece of technology to keep me on track? Anywho, so Inbow have this fancy thingamajig. ;) I also have a FB too, but under my actual name. (You didn't think that I use my names for this, did you?) And I have a job. I work at a dorm on BYU-I campus, doing.... Pretty much whatever needs to be done. I am... The handyman's handyman, you could say. It's a chore sometimes, but overall, it is fulfilling, and it pays the bills. Can't complain there. My boss is awesome, and he even puts up with my... Physical limitations, so to speak. He is a friend of the family now, and both my sister and I work for him, so it's never boring. ;)

As to my physical limitations.... While I have destroyed my body over the course of 6 years in Karate and recovered about 97% of the way, it seems that I have a few knee problems. Characteristically I am weak kneed, but recently they have been starting to hurt... A nice throbbing ache. I went to the doctor and he said I'd irritated them somehow. (Three guesses how, and the first two don't count.) So I have to ether get myself a brace or, like I am currently, take some Aleve every morning before work. So, we shall see. I have to go back if it doesn't go away. They took an x-ray, but it showed nothing. So while my knees are swollen, if anythingore is wrong, they'd have to take an MRI to see. I'm not quite sure about it. If something is wrong, I can't tell. I'm conditioned to deal with lots of pain. We shall see....

And, in other news, I start College the 16th of September. I don't know how I feel about it really. I know it's gonna be work. Lots of work. And it scares me a bit. I'm quite nervous. But at the same time, I know somehow, that I'm going to be okay. Everything will work out. Pretty much all of my friends have already started. My friend in Texas is attending college over there, and she seems to be quite busy. ;) (You remember that email we were talking about? Look at our messages on FB. You'll find it quick. ;) I've been waiting in anticipation. :) I wanna hear all about it. ;) ) Another of my friends is in WY at Laramie college. She's not doing too bad either, but she's having a good time. :) (Tired is normal. Especially as a college student. Hang in there. :) )

So yeah. Life is good. Busy, busy, busy. But good. :) Steer clear of avalanches. :)

Concert and a Date

Yes indeedy folks. I went to my first, and hopefully not my last concert. Chris Mann, finalist on the Voice, graced all of Rexburg and the surounding area with his presence yesterday (June 7th) at 7:30. And it WAS a good presence. But before the concert itself, I should tell you about my date. She's a good friend of mine who I cherish dearly. There were only three people I would have taken on that date, and 2 of them don't live here. You do the math. ;) (No. It wasn't an obligation. It was a priviledge. One that I'm sincerely glad that I had.) She's a joy to be with, and she doesn't particularly care if I mess up, though she laughs at me anyway. (And, you know, if anything were to happen that wouldn't be appreciated, she'd kick my butt.) So, I picked her up, and we drove to Rexburg. We parked the car at Britney's dorm, and then walked to the Gardens on BYU campus, where we had a short (but good) "picnic". I made some chicken and pasta salad, and she made dessert, which was a tiny chocolate cake with strawberries and a glaze. It was really good. (Or rather, I had someone make it for me because yesterday, before getting home as late as I did, I was home for a total of 10 minutes.) It was a good little picnic, and then we meandered our way to the auditorium where he was to perform.  We took our seats on the floor of the auditorium, and we waited for him to come out. Sure enough, come out he did, in all of his "Mannly" glory, amidst screams from the audience. (Mostly women.) My date didn't know who he was at first, so she was in for a treat. :) He actually is quite funny, and his singing has only grown better since his time on "The Voice". (At one point he was talking about the Voice, and he's asking the audience about their favorite teams, and he called us all traitors, because we liked Adam or Blake better than Christina. At another point, he called out someone in the audience. "Yeah. I see you. With your cell phone. What's your name?" He's really good with the audience.) He sang all sorts of songs, from Viva la Vida, and In Your Eyes (by Phil Collins), to several songs in Italian (His Voice audition song, Ave Maria, and one other) and a few of his own. He also covered Hallelujah, which was amazing. (The one song from Shrek.) Everything he sung came out beautifully, and I'm really sad that the concert had to end. (I could continue to sing his praises for blog posts on end, but I won't.) But end it did. We were walking out, and any words that came out of my mouth were unintelligible. I was stunned. Which is a feat, but for him, probably not. He's freaking amazing, and anyone who doesn't think so needs to do a little more listening. After we "escaped" the auditorium, we went back to the car, and had the adventure of backing out of Britney's Dorm. Let me tell you, you want a nerve-racking experience, do that. You basically have to pull out of your spot into the incredibly narrow parking lot and back straight out. Not fun. So we went back to her house where I stayed for a few hours. Watching things, listening to her playing piano, and even singing sometimes too. I just enjoyed her company, and that of her brother and his friend. Oh, and her father, who takes any and every opportunity to tease her mercilessly. But for most of the time, it was the both of us and Kenny (Yes. That's his name.) and Kenny's friend. We had a good time. :) Then I had to go, and it felt kind of strange. I wanted to stay a little longer. I like all of them. But, my family would have had a fit. They already were asking what happened to my face, so any longer and I may have incited a riot...

Well, you guys have a good day. If Chris Mann comes to your area, don't miss the chance! And steer clear of avalanches.

ZW

Graduation(s) and Ensuing Conversations...

Yes, Whiteout Fans, your friendly neighborhood Senior is Graduating this week. Today was Seminary Graduation, and Thursday is IDVA Graduation, both of which I shall talk about here. :)

Seminary Graduation was pretty good. Short, but good. I always enjoy sitting next to people I know, listening to people I know, and then walking through aisles of chairs and hitting my shins on each hymnbook as I pass by each chair. (Sarcasm only applied to the last part.) I saw a lot of the people I knew from actual high school, and others that I know from around this area. It was really nice to talk to a few of those people from a few years back. After I recieved my diploma though, it said I'd done 3 years of Seminary instead of the 4 that I actually attended. So I don't actually have it, but I will when they fix the mistake. When I got home, we somehow got into the discussion of girls and how many my brother and I know. Dad and Mom have made it common knowledge that my brother knows many a girl. When I have a stunning total of, *drum roll*, three that I fulfill the same requirements with, all of which live far away... Anywho, yeah. Don't know how it happened, but it was plenty awkward, and all of the family (and now you who read this) know what a strange little duck I am. :)

Now, GRADUATION Graduation, is a different story. Entirely. That's on Thursday. I look forward to it, because I'll not only be done with High School, but I perform at it as well. (Singing. Josh Groban's, "You Raise Me Up". Should be most interesting.) So I'm practicing for that, and getting everything in order. Gonna have to get all my textbooks ready to return at Grad, make sure everything is nice and taken care of, etc. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, really. My family is going to put me to the multiplicity of work that we have on the farm, and I'm just like, "Gah. Make Braeden do it. I'll do his school for him." But, anywho, so yeah.

Have a good time, and steer clear of avalanches.
ZW

Prom!!! Prom, Prom, Prom!

I could sing it out loud... Loudly. I could write a book on it. Might not be a best-seller, but it's good enough. (I may or may not include a chapter in my "novel" which may or may not tell you my experience in code. But I'm writing it here for you anyway.) Prom. Was. Awesome! Or, as my lovely date would say, "Emosewa!" Oh, yes, Whiteout fans, you are reading the words of a thoroughly, THOROUGHLY satisfied young man. (Kudos to the person who orcestrated the entire Prom. You know who you are. You did a more than fantastic job!) My day started out fairly well, and then just got better and better. We left at about 9:30 am and we drove for 4 hours to get to Boise. I met my lovely date just outside a Pier 1 Imports store on the edge of the mall. It was quite interesting to meet her in person. She told me to wait outside, but I decided that I wouldn't, so I went and basically met her at the entrance right before she walked out. Met her small but lovely family, and we all chatted nicely together when we got out to their car. (Ours was parked a mere two spaces away, so Dad and Braeden got to meet them too.) We talked, and talked, and talked some more, and then we finally "blew that popsicle stand", and we went inside the Mall. Boise Towne Square Mall is huge. Really huge. So I had my fun walking and talking, (One of my favorite things.) to one of my absolute favorite people. She's just so... awesome. She put up with my talking, and we had a great time. Then, we went to the Cheesecake Factory right outside the Mall. More walking (a short walk) and talking, but then we sat down to a lovely meal. And more talking. (Are you sensing a theme yet?) I don't mind telling you, THAT was a meal worth the time. The food was good, but the company... the company was the best. She's just a lovely girl, and I wish so much that I had more time with her than I did that day. Words can't really describe it, but she's just so... so awesome. I'm so so glad that she said yes and that we had an emosewa day date. But it didn't stop there, no it continued further. We went back to her "house", and got ready. I almost saw her dress and she kinda shooed me rather quickly out of the trailer so I didn't see it. I got dressed, and then I watched as she exited the trailer, looking, (She might not appreciate this, but I'll say it anyway) drop dead gorgeous. I picked a winner, folks. We then took pictures, courtesy of her parents. In the heels she was wearing, she couldn't walk all that well in gravel, or pretty much most places. So she leaned on me a lot all night, along with indulging all my chivalrous eccentricities, because that's just how I am. But I had to tell her, "Stay right there.", otherwise she'd open her own door. Yes, horrors, I know. Heaven forbid someone open their own door, but you gotta realize how that works with me. I prefer to be chivalrous, and that involves opening doors for the ladies. (Except those who purposely close the door, and then open it themselves because they know it irritates me.) So, while we had a tiny problem finding the place, we eventually did, and then the 5 hour Prom commenced. 5 hours in the presence of a most wonderful girl, who, like me, wanted nothing else than to spend time with the other. We danced, we talked, and we enjoyed each other's company. She even won one of the Court awards. She was a Princess, both in my eyes, and in the eyes of the people at Prom. I knew it was gonna happen, but even when she had to dance with the prince she was assigned, she still didn't want to do it. Apparently, even though I poked her in the stomach like she despises oh so much, she was still entirely focused on me and she wasn't happy about having to dance with another guy. (Unfortunately, when you date a Senior who is only elligible for Prom King and you look THAT gorgeous, it's hard to not be Princess.) So she was forced to dance while I was accosted by the date of the Prom King who... gave me an interesting conversation. Then another one of my friends who carried one of the many cameras talked to me about my date, etc. It was an interesting night, to be sure. But, one that I won't soon forget, not for my entire life. I especially won't forget my date... I don't think I can, even if I tried. When we said goodbye, well, I didn't want to. I wanted it to last longer than it did. Or, maybe I'd get a "Groundhog Day" moment, and relive those 9 hours over and over. Because they were the best nine hours of my life so far, hands down. I have two people to thank for that. One of them who orchestrated the entire Prom, so I owe her a LOT. And the other is my wonderful, beautiful date, who made those nine hours oh so great. They both hold very special places in my heart, and each had their part to play.

Prom. People. Life.

Three thoughts that run through my head every day. Some more than once. Some more than others. I'll explain them for you. Those of you reading this already knowing what I'm talking about, you're getting it again. :)

Prom. Oh boy... I could write a book on this subject alone, and it isn't even until the 11th of May. 9 days... 9 days that couldn't pass fast enough. 9 days that will be horribly boring. 9 days until I get to date a most wonderful girl and meet yet another one, both in person. I'm a darn lucky guy, and I wouldn't be going without my parents, mostly my Dad, who has graciously allowed me to go to Prom. With him as my chauffeur. Lucky me. :) My date is just as excited as I am, maybe even more so. She's one of the only people I could imagine going to ANY Prom with, and I wasn't sure if she'd say yes to me when I asked her. But, to my great hope and joyfulness, she said yes. Thus gracing me with her presence with not one, two, three, or even four hours. Five hours. FIVE hours I get to spend in her company, and she's also just as stoked. She's not letting me out of her sight, she said. (Within reason, hopefully. I mean, I gotta go to the restroom sometime.) I am totally at her mercy and disposal the entire night, though I think instead of using me for something, she'd rather just keep me close by. We get along so well together. :) The other highlight of Prom is the other person I was referring to. I've known her for a while, and I look forward, somewhat anxiously, to meeting her in person. It'll be a party, believe me. I truly believe, without a doubt, that Prom is going to be the best night of my life in my short 17 years on this earth. I truly do.

Now, on to People, which is closely related to Prom. Like I mentioned, I'm going with a most wonderful girl, who had the decency to give me the opportunity, nay, the privilege, to take her to Prom. An honor which I am all too willing to accept. My only worry is that I won't be able to keep up. She's just a real joy to hang out with. Always willing to say something nice, or do something for someone, or spend some time talking even at the cost of her own time. She and I share an uncanny number of interests, and she's a bit of a tomboy, which to me, kind of compliments my "Mama's Boy" nature. The other person, also at Prom, is different, but we all three kinda know each other. I've been given the opportunity, over the year, to talk with her a lot. We are quite similar in some aspects, and I've basically described her before, so I won't describe her again. (See earlier posts.) But, I look forward immensely to meeting her, because it's most likely the only chance I'll have to do so. A meeting which is... double edged, unfortunately.

So, with that said, the last part is life. Life... I can't tell if I hate it or love it sometimes. Right now, I'm too happy to do anything but love it. I mean, I get to go to Prom in Boise! Not in my wildest dreams had I ever thought I'd be able to do that. And yet, I shall in 9 days. As to other news, my finger is jammed, and I'm working on a pile of school that never seems to end. Other than that, totally great. :)

So, I think I've rambled on enough. Until next time, Whiteout fans, and steer clear of avalanches.
ZW

Ah... What a Wonderful Life...

You know, life is pretty good. I must say, that it is very... laborious at times, but there are always those bright spots. :) Like... a certain person perhaps. There are others too, but the one person is just... awesome. She is without a doubt one of the most... amazing people I know. She's like... my other half, you could say. We are sooo similar, it's not even funny. She makes each and every day remarkable. Every time I talk with her, I very nearly radiate joy. She's like... my sunshine.:) It does my heart good to see her when she is truly happy. :) Like right now. She's extremely happy right now, as she is in one of the places that she can be truly happy in. :) And, even though I may not get to talk with her, I just feel happy that she is having such a good time.
As to the other people, my entire Publications class is another source of my happiness. I cannot help but go to that class and be entertained. Out of my entire High School career, it is the singularly most awesome class I have ever had the priviledge, nay the honor, of attending. Everything about it makes me happy. The people, the work, the conversation, all awesome. I'm glad that I get to meet twice a week with all the people that I am able to associate with. If any of you are reading this, you are awesome. :)
In other news, I started writing a "novel", if you can call it that. It's only got  two chapters with part of the third started. Those who have read it think it's awesome. I think that, for my first time writing something fictional, I haven't done too bad of a job. It's.. rough. But it is good. :) It's interesting to write. Everything starts to set something off in my head. Reading other books, watching movies, having conversations, etc. It all seems to make me think of what I could do in my own "novel". I know how writers feel now. At least, in my own small way. I have some very talented friends who have helped me in this process, and I am grateful for them. (One in particular set me on the "path". And to her I am truly thankful. :) )

So, you all have a good time. :) Steer clear of avalanches. Type to you later!
ZW