Changes

Everyone undergoes changes in their lives. Most of them that are noticeable involve getting taller, moving, and the sorrowful deaths of a family member.

However, some of the worst changes can be related to people who have siblings. The separation between two people that know each other so well hurts (this is typically worse in twins/multiples). As everyone knows, big changes occur around the time that someone turns 18 years old, whether it be you, a friend, or a family member. 18 is "The Big Year".

At 18, a lot of people end up moving out of their family's house and going to college, going to work, and even going off to travel. It's a really big change on every end, with parents dealing with their kids finally going off on their own, the person them self leaving their family for something else, friends having to find new ones, and the possible younger sibling losing the older, guiding brother or sister, or both.

You see, this is what's going to be happening to me between now and sort-of-late September of this year. With my brother and sister leaving to different places, I'll be the only one remaining in the house during most of the day, as my parents will be working. Sure, quite a few people - including some who have undergone this before - would say "PARTY!" or something, but it actually hurts sometimes.
My brother and sister have been big influences on my life ever since I was born. Them leaving hasn't ever seemed like such a big deal, but sometimes when we're walking home from The Funhouse after Teen Night on a Friday or Saturday, I've started to think, "This won't be happening much longer", which is the reality. They're both going off to better places, and some day I hope to do the same, but right now it's just a little saddening.

When you lose a friend, it hurts. A best friend hurts even more. But when it comes to a family member who you won't see for a while, it hurts a lot. If you have a sibling and you fight with them every so often, stop fighting, and cherish that they're with you then, because they might not be there later.




My family might just disown me for posting this. But I'll beat 'em to it



~The Blue Rabbit

Standings

Oh, by the way, MM.

The Blue Rabbit: 25 ( Now 26! =P)

Bwana: 16

MM: 17

You've surpassed Bwana, but you're a mile behind me.

Also, curiousity has struck me. What does "MM" stand for?

Face it, the Hare did beat the Tortoise,

~The Blue Hare (Rabbit)

Back Home

Some people are nostalgic. Some people aren't. Some people can't say they are or aren't because they don't know what it means. For the latter:

Nostalgia

1. A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.

2. The condition of being homesick; homesickness.

Now, I am one of the former. Yeah, I constantly check up on what's going on back 'home'. I came from North Carolina all the way here almost 4 years ago. But, still, I check up on my old home once in a while.

I'm sure a lot of you are aware of what's going on the in Southernish part of the US right now, whether it concerns you or not. For those who aren't aware, there's been massive storms which have been producing multiple devastating tornadoes.

But, us here in the northwest don't really have to fear tornadoes, as we're technically on "uneven ground". You see, tornadoes havve to stay stable (Kinda funny, right?), and thus be on close-to-even ground to maintain themselves. So, we need not worry about such devastating wind masses. However, towards the middle-southeastern United States, it's always a big possibility and concern.

Now, you may wonder why I'm saying all of this. I came from Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC (White dot w/ red on map below).

Also, my grandparents on my dad's side live in (Guess what?!) Grantham, Wayne County, NC (White dot w/ blue on map below).

Now, National Geographic had a story with their recent article that featured a page depicting ravaged Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC (White dot w/ green on map below).

Within Forsyth County, there have been relatively few tornadoes (maybe 10-20), so not much to talk about, but still there have been more than usual.

In Wayne County, the area where my grandparents live, there have been over 40 tornadoes, which is extremely rare for them.

And Fayetteville...well, they've been ravaged (as I said before), hence why NG decided to pick them for the shot, I think.

Yeah, NC's going through a rough period right now, and another storm is close by (far left of map), but it's luckily only going to scrape the top of the state. (Whew!)

This has been your one-time-only weather report (possibly),

~The Blue Rabbit

Yakima? Is that IT?

Life is life.  Interesting how simple it can be.  Frustrating that it seldom is.
We want it simple when it's busy.  We want more of it when we compare.
It's never to busy, or too much, when we compete with the neighbors or co-workers.
Life really gets complicated when we debate service and service trips.
We compare.  To previous excursions.  To times when our life changed.
We want our students and children to go if they are going to work hard.
Last year OCS students went to Costa Rica.  Did they play or work?
When you do both be careful.  If play is fun the trip's value is questioned.
If work was fun then something is wrong.  Is this the way America thinks?
Is this the way we think?  Is this the way Christians think?  No question.
We met Shirley on Tuesday morning.  Her yard a mess-No fun will happen.
Words in my mind:  Hopeless.  Why.  To hard.  Will she keep it clean.
Oh!  Will this be deemed worthy by the folks back home?  I have an idea.
Why not take the folks back home?  Watch Sierra chop wood.  For two days.
Watch Kelly, Corrina, and Effie stack wood and clean the yard.  Marissa
picking up dirt piles, and sharing her positive smile.
Whoa Danny with the wild lawn mower-wait, where is Danny?  Kaylee attends
to the wounded. Graye chops and supplies me with snacks.  Will lunch come?
Liam lays tar paper, and does whatever is asked of him. Julia chops, prunes,
and climbs ladders.  Alex chops, sheds it, tends the fire.
Grant, Melia, Herb, and Doug, move broken appliances, wood, and unload
garbage. Sean is glued to the axe.  Brynna scrubs the yard and runs into flying wood.
Jonathan builds a shed.  Tom loves his chainsaw.  Dawn and Carmen cater food. 
The rain pours on the lunch.  Soaked and tasty.  Ron gathers the group. 
Near Preston we stand.  Ron prays.  The Meaning Of Life.
Thursday.  Finally finished.  We pile into cars and Doug says, "Shouldn't we
go and tell Shirley goodbye?  I'm in the car and I'm not getting out.  Doug runs to the house
and tells Shirley goodbye-for all of us!  May I never question the validity of service trips,
particularly the ones I don't plan or in which I don't participate.

I've got it!  You and I could organize a service trip.  We could come down
from the bleachers and plan the perfect trip.

We would come back with tons of pictures and stories of all work and no play.
Maybe we could go to an exotic place like Yakima.  Yakima?  Is that It?

MM

Tuesday

It's Tuesday of Spring Break.  I'm out working in the yard-until I came in to do this blog.  That doesn't happen very often-the working part.
Actually, yard stuff doesn't appeal to me.  The purpose seems to be an attempt to impress other people.  After working in your yard, you wait, you hope, to hear someone say, "Wow, your yard is looking really nice."
So, my question is, what then?  However, someone fires back with, "Your yard is an indication of your faithfulness to the tasks and duties given to us by God!"  No it isn't!  Make people do better than that.  Make people tell the truth.  How about:
1) I want to sell my house so I'm fixing up the yard.
2) There's nothing on TV and I don't want to sit around and visit with anyone.
3) I'm trying to keep up with the neighbor and all the yard work he does.
4) I want to impress people.  I want people to say nice things about me and my yard.

Well, I must admit, there are many, many people who work in their yard because they love working in their yard.  Not me.  A few months ago someone told me that my yard was looking nice.  I felt great.  When I went in and told Judy, she simply said, "Well, that could be because it looked so bad for so long."  That's what friends are for-telling you the truth.

Well, back to the yard.  Going to kill some weeds.  On Orcas you have to sneak around when you kill weeds, or you'll get yelled at by the weed police, or accused of being from California.

I Love This Island!

MM

How Sad

How sad that The Blue Rabbit and Bwana are losing ground to MM.  It seems the relentless urge to push slows during a vacation.  Spring Break offers a slight let down in the pushing.  However, since we're counting blogs now, I will not let up.

MM

High School Service Trip 2010/11

A few highlight photos, courtesy of The Blue Rabbit and Mr. Claus!

So The Blue Rabbit Wants To Compete

Poor Blue Rabbit (BR).  He's counting blogs.  Take more pictures BR!  Take more pictures!  I'm afraid you're in trouble.  I'm out to surpass you.  And the Effie picture and poem.  Does she know we love her work?  Did you tell her BR that we love her work?  And that pose!  It scared me a little-I mean she's looking like this tough woman and that she's tired of treating me nice and all that.  Ykes!  Sierra, did you post the Blog on prayer?  I didn't see it.  And the Bob Nutt pictures.  He's so handsome with those bottles.  Oh, Oh, BR-who took those pictures?  Ya, I know, Brad Slavens took those pictures.  So watch out BR because the Right Fielder (RF) is coming to catch you.

Oh, by the way, isn't it nice no one reads this but you, Sierra, and me (or is it I at the end of that sentence?)  And OK, you need to know I love your articles.  You're ahead of me, but I love your articles (and pictures).  So, I know I've said this before, but thanks for making this class fun.  Just think, if you take this class again next year you'll get an "A" and boost your GPA.  We'll call it Blog II, or the BR and Bwana Blog, or BBB class.
We won't tell anyone-oh that's right no one reads this Blog-that way we won't get in trouble.
So until the next Blog, BR you're alright! 

MM

Japan's Aftermath

April 7, 2011 at 11:32:41 p.m. another earthquake hit Japan's east coast, the islands of Honshu,Yamagata, and Sendai. Magnitude at 7.1, the earthquake caused many blackouts in various areas of Japan as well as tsunami warnings on the northeast coast. Some injuries were reported but no deaths have been confirmed. As for the Fukushima Daichii, no other damage has been inflicted on the reactors that did and didn't blow up. Even though the reactors didn't cause any excess damage to the power plant, officials had to evacuate authorized personnel immediately. To stop any possible explosions, Reactor No. 1 is being pumped with nitrogen to reduce the risk of hydrogen igniting.

-A hotel in Oshu after the 7.1 earthquake

A hotel in the Iwate prefecture that evacuated after the 7.4 earthquake in Yamagata

Let us pray that no more earthquakes will ravage the Asian country of Japan.

-Bwana

Smoking Demonstration (Pics)

Oh boy does that look disgusting...



Seriously gross right there...




Totally grossed out,

~The Blue Rabbit