Whitney & Whitney

Energetic Sunday 6am Post

2011-11-13T05:37:00.001-08:00

I have been horrible at blogging lately. Part of this is due to lack of time, and yet part of it is still due to not having anything exciting to write about.

I hit my five-month mark at Harris Research and am still really enjoying what I'm doing.

I moved (again!) into an apartment with my friend, Ember, and couldn't be happier. I was done with living alone again, despite only having lived in my last place for two and a half months... that's all the time I needed to learn what I needed to learn in that chapter of my life... I'm convinced. Our new place is at the Falls at Riverwoods, and we love it! It is a brand new, beautiful apartment and I am loving having the master bedroom and my big-kid queen-size bed up here.

Oh and did I mention I have the best roommate ever? Ember rocks. She is so fun to be around and I just love hanging out with her. I couldn't ask for a better roommate.

Probably the best news of the century-- I have started getting B12 shots, and I think I've actually found something that will help my energy level! After being told that I will always struggle with Chronic Fatigue by several doctors, I had become very discouraged. After having mono for 10 months (dropping out of school twice and moving home), dealing with anemia off and on for the last six-ish years (iron infusions in the hospital every four weeks for a period of time), and after being so. painfully. tired! for what seems like a lifetime, I just may have gotten back into the groove of having a normal amount of energy. Let me just tell you, I love having enough energy to go to the gym AFTER a full day of work!

Well, there isn't much else to report, for now. I am confident that I will return to blogging and keep writing and reading and staying more in-touch with my closest friends. :)

Scars

2011-08-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

Photo one: right after cast was taken off

Photo two: today.

Why did this happen?

Me

2011-08-05T21:17:00.001-07:00

I'm having way too much fun with the apps on my camera phone.

Number 2. A friend (or two) that I've been close with for a long time.

2011-07-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

My first friend ever, since I was... well, a wee baby, was Amanda. This may have been in part because of our moms' close friendship (that exists to this day as well) or because Amanda and I are naturally drawn to each others intense, creative, exhilarating auras (Gouberwalky-- need I remind any of you?). Either way, I still consider her one of my greatest and best friends, despite having lived in separate states for the last ten years.

This picture is from my visit to her in Rexburg last November:

And of course we have Brynn (otherwise known as "Chunk"-- which is a nickname we gave each other in high school and it has stuck ever so adhesively to this day). Brynn and I were in the same acting class when I was a sophomore in Utah (right after we'd moved from Denver), and became closer when we were in the same acting group called "Productions" a year later (yes, we were both in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). She is hilarious, incredibly smart, and can ALWAYS make me laugh. See photos below.

I have some good, good friends.

Number 1. Myself and fifteen facts.

2011-07-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

1. I hate sudden, loud noises, but decided last night that I can handle a good fireworks show.

2. I wear Versace "Bright Crystal" perfume every day.

3. I love summer and warm weather, but I hate being hot. I love a good pool day where I can cool off in the water when I need to :)

4. I have lived in five states and two countries.

5. My family is the single most important thing to me in the world.

6. One of my top three biggest fears has always been natural disasters, but I have felt two earthquakes and it was pretty cool (because they were not devastatingly scary or big on any scale).

7. I like to switch hair colors a lot when I'm feeling like I need a change.

8. I've never been four-wheeling.

9. I love fashion.

10. I am a water snob. I almost refuse to drink it unless it has been bottled or been through a water filter.

11. I played the viola and the cello in part of elementary school and middle school.

12. I'm not a sportsy person, but I like going to Aggie (USU) basketball games.

13. I eat a bagel just about every day.

14. I hate sleeping in.

15. I love, LOVE Twix!

Chloe Eve

2011-06-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

My dear niece, Chloe Eve, was born on Sunday, June 5th into a beautiful family! Lindsay and Jason are such wonderful people and amazing parents, and they already have the sweetest, cutest Hunter and Abby. I'm so happy for them.

Here We GOOO

2011-06-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

I got a job at Harris Research last week: Account Manager in the Chem Dry Corporate department. I'm excited. I start next week, so I will be moving back to Logan in the next 5 or 6 days.

It's going to be a long 5 or 6 days... I am house-sitting with my pup, Scout, for my parents who are in Oregon for most of the summer. It's sure quiet around here, and I can only imagine how quiet it will get when it becomes dark...

(Terrified.)

(Though I needn't be; Look who is here to keep me safe and guarded!)

Latest Online Obsession:

2011-06-05T15:39:00.002-07:00

PINTEREST!

fb Badge, idk?

2011-06-05T15:39:00.001-07:00

Whitney McPhie

Create Your Badge

Back to blonde, back to Utah... again.

2011-05-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

This may come as no surprise to some of you, but I am back in Utah. How many times have I left Utah (moving out of state) and come back? At least four times.

Well, not much to say here. It's hard when things don't go your way. It's hard when the job doesn't turn out to be what you had been told it would be. Moving can be hard. Breakups are hard. Moving back to Utah in a twenty-hour car ride with the person you just broke up with is hard (to say the least).

But I am back home until I figure out what I'm going to do. Stay in SLC with Scout? Logan? Save money and move back to California? All possibilities. I could go back to school in the Fall. I could take that teaching (piano) job in the Bay Area and actually do what I LOVE. So, let's just say: Though it feels like my life has little stability at times,

DOORS HAVE OPENED. not shut. <3

Texas

2011-04-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, the twenty-hour drive to Midland, Texas wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Maybe it was the company, or maybe the drive really isn't that bad-- though from what I'd heard about it before Derek and I did it, I'm assuming it was the company. Derek was a champ being stuck in the car with me, listening to my music, me singing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the top of my lungs... it made for some good times.

It's been a process, but we're getting settled. I'm living with Shea, a long time friend of Derek's sister, and she is awesome and hilarious. We have a one-bedroom apartment on the third floor-- lots of stairs, but the apartment is really nice. Probably the nicest I've lived in since I moved out of my parents' house six years ago (!).

I manage to stay busy with lots to do on my checklist, but the job is pretty relaxed; I work when I want... I kind of just do my own thing. I've learned about myself over the last few years that I do best in jobs where my manager/supervisor's expectations of me are extremely clear and laid out for me, and that I dislike it any other way. But this has been a little bit of both, and I'm handling it well. I like working for Vivint.

The only downside so far is not having the apartment's pool open yet-- it is rapidly approaching 100 degrees (99 yesterday) and quite sunny. But no pool for me yet, thus we have a bored Whitney on Saturdays while everyone is out working from about 9am-9pm. Once Derek's sister gets here we should be able to go do some fun things.

No pictures for this post, sorry! I don't even have the internet at my place yet, so I am at the business center in the clubhouse. Hopefully we'll get that worked out soon, or maybe an iPhone will have to be in order...

:)

Did I really?...

2011-04-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

...Just make the decision to move to Texas for the summer?

You know, it may have been appealing, but I couldn't have made that decision to go if it hadn't been for THIS GUY:

But what about this?

More to come.

Random March Photo Update

2011-03-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

A few pictures for fun:

Derek and I, of course

This one's from my birthday. I just love this guy.

St. Patty's Day! & My mini-tribute to Sports Academy (Kenny, Natalie, Me, Lukas, Nicole)

(Notice the blue in my hair... you can't see it too well but it looks cool!)

Twenty-three

2011-03-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

So I gave up on the 30 Days thing... back to my boring blog, I guess, though I did pick one of the last ones off the list to post today:

Me, a year ago (around my 22nd birthday).

Me, a few days before turning 23!

So, a year has passed. What has changed (besides my rapidly diminishing bowling scores, seriously, it's become an embarrassment more than a skill or enjoyment lately)?

I don't really know. I have grown up a bit, I suppose, and I think a lot of that is a result of moving across the country and trying to survive on the East Coast. This improved a lot for me: money saving skills, staying-in-touch skills, making friends skills, independence (skills?), etc.

A lot of my growing up has been my second year (almost) at Sports Academy and my job as an admin at Clarke Leiper.

Being in school for several months of the past year and focusing on piano probably helped me mature not only musically (in aural skills, appreciation, theory, etc.) but emotionally (how does one NOT cope with music?!).

I'm done with being 22.

And yes! That IS the Bellagio. Derek and I met a couple friends in Las Vegas for my pre-birthday week (we spent a few nights in St. George as well) and went to a Journey concert! It was a BLAST. I'm not necessarily a hardcore Journey fan (nor do I gamble over a minimum of $5 easily), but I had a great time. Happy Birthday to Whitney.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's day we drove down to Salt Lake to The Cheesecake Factory. If you look a few posts back, you'll see that that is my favorite restaurant of all time. I was so excited-- even the two hour wait was SO worth it. I got the Thai Chicken Pasta. :)

CALIFORNIA

2011-02-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

I am in California with some of my favorite people! I flew out to the San Jose airport last night to drive up to Mountain View and stay a few days with my sister Amy and her family. I will be seeing Scott and his family too, and a friend or two. I am so happy to be here.

It's making me want to live here again. I have such great memories of living here. I can't help but hope that my future will take me here to live again. ...

Pictures are on their way!

Day 24

2011-02-09T12:01:00.001-08:00

Day 23

2011-02-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Fifteen Facts about myself.

1. When I was in 3rd grade I told everyone that I was ambidextrous, and would spend hours and hours practicing writing with my left hand. I think at one point I heard my brother tell someone that I was actually just right-handed, and I remember crying on the stairs. I still think lefties are cool.

2. I drink 1-2 full water bottles of Crystal Light (the strawberry energy kind- it's enhanced with a good amount of caffeine) every day, and have for about 3 1/2 years.

3. I have a mini-fridge in my bedroom that I use for stocking waters, string cheese, and soy milk.

4. Superbowl 2011 is today, and I am going to a get together for it to celebrate. But I don't even like football. I don't get the rules, and I think it's dumb. There, I said it.

5 I had a dream the other night that I kept going to work without my shirt on (no shirt, no nothin'). It was embarrassing, but not as embarrassing as if it had happened in real life.

6. I don't drink soda because I don't like the carbonation.

7. I always hated being the youngest in my family. I always felt left out, deprived, etc. etc.- all these dramatic things that made life so hard. But really, I think it's okay. I'm learning to accept it because I CAN'T CHANGE IT. Plus, it's fun to be the baby sometimes, like when you really miss all your siblings because they are gone for Christmas, but you get to hog Mom and Dad and it's all okay.

8. I like to quote movies, though all my quotes come from the same ones because I don't know many movies. I am not a movie person. I don't like to watch them. I only like the quote the ones I have seen when I used to like to watch them.

9. I still work at Sports Academy & Racquet Club and love it love it. I'm going on two years here in a few months!

10. I am majoring in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at USU. I'm not a performer; I don't plan on performing for a career. I haven't taught yet, but I think I'll enjoy it once I get going. That's what the Pedagogy part is. People ask me that a lot. It's a degree for teaching.

11. My camera broke last week. I think part of my heart broke with it. Most of you know that I am a photo-taking MACHINE! I can't go without a camera. So I may or may not have gotten a new one... which should be delivered tomorrow.

12. My family and I lived in London, England in 1998-1999. I like to occasionally slip into a British accent but it's hard for me to get out of it.

13. I have approximately six photos in frames in my bedroom, and they're all of my family.

14. I'd really, really like to travel to Australia. Japan is high on the list too.

15. I am head over heels for this boy... Derek. Which is why it's taken me so long to post this next entry. But there we are, 15 random facts.

La-La Land

2011-01-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you are dating someone (and what happens when school, a new work schedule, and chaos has started).

I'm excited for this chapter of my life. That's all I will say. :)

On to happier things:

2011-01-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

School starts again today.

Day 22

2011-01-06T16:05:00.001-08:00

Dear ____,

The stress you have given me over the last twenty-or-so months has affected everything. How I act with others. How I sleep at night. How I trust people, how I distrust people. How I eat. How I see myself. How I manage (& micro-manage) my life. My relationships. My expectations. My obsessions. My taste for things and enjoyments in life.

The stress you gave me this morning affected my day, and could potentially affect the rest of my life.

I dislike stress. Stress and I are not friends.

I dislike you. You and I are not friends.

I am hereby announcing my future process of forgetting you, everything about you, forgetting everything and moving on-- on to greater, happier, healthier, and better things.

Deeply sincerely,

Whitney

This needed to be written.

2010 in pictures (2011 part 2)

2011-01-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Part 2 of my 2011 post is going to wrap up 2010 in a few words or sentences and pictures from each month, either from my blog or journal (yes, I may post snippets from my personal journal on here).

JANUARY 2010

"Happy 2010. Today I've been reflecting. Big steps, changes, and moves made in 2009. Moving to Logan a year ago today to start. I learned a lot living in that apartment with Brittney. Living in that studio apartment. I think 2009 was the year I learned the most about my independence. I survived."

{My new roommates (Courtney and Britanie) taking a trip to the Gateway}

FEBRUARY 2010

"Not doing piano breaks my heart!"

"Dear Life,

I realize that despite my rustiness and frustration at my declining piano skills, learning to play piano something that will always be with me ... I'm lucky to be where I am now. I don't think I've been fair to you. Love, Whitney"

{Jordan, Kenny, Bracken and I in Wendover, late February}

MARCH 2010

"Now onto my magical year- 22. I've always said this is going to be a great year for me. It's not going to be because of some huge, life-changing events, but I just feel like I've always meant to be 22."

APRIL 2010

Not much to quote necessarily from this month-- though if I had a video of the time I surprised Courtney in Virginia, I would post that. That was one of my favorite moments in my whole entire life, and no matter what I'm doing, if I think of that day, I smile. Having Sam pick me up from the airport on the Metro, walking down the street to their apartment with my luggage, and unexpectedly running into Courtney on the way, who was in the car with Bria about to go to the grocery store. This was not how I'd planned it (and because of this, Sam didn't have a chance to pull up the video camera that he'd made sure to bring). She rolled down her window, started talking to Sam, looked at me, and smiled. It took a good, oh, ten seconds for her to recognize me, and it was only after I took off my sunglasses. I saw it hit her; She said "what? WHAT? WHAT?!?" and finally put her car in park and got out and hugged me and cried and it was the greatest thing ever.

{Way too many great photos from this trip!}

MAY 2010

New York Sister Retreat is here!

MAY (cont.)

How could I forget the decision to move to Virginia?

"Logan to Salt Lake to Virginia to Salt Lake to Logan to Salt Lake to California to Salt Lake to New York City to Salt Lake [driving] to Virginia." That was a crazy time.

JUNE 2010

"I start my new job today. I'm going back and forth between "okay, I like this" to "I hate this-- do I really have to do this? No turning back??".

"I will admit that I miss that little town (Logan)... that I REALLY miss Sports Academy, and that I REALLY REALLY miss having Mom and Dad close by."

{My darling niece, Bria, and I near the strawberry patches in Maryland}

{I still had fun with Courtney and the friends I met out there, and I loved being in big city!}

JULY 2010

"I started my job yesterday at Clarke Leiper. Despite it being slow-moving and quiet, it seems to be a good job. This weekend we're going into Pennsylvania for a camping trip: Ohiopyle (Ohiopalooza!). Up next: July 4!"

{4th of July spent on the DC Capitol's lawn-- so cool!}

AUGUST 2010

"August 1: Rabbit rabbit.

The process of moving back to Utah has been a disaster."

Not sure what else to say here. This was a stressful month.

But fun at times!

{I moved in with a friend from work, Missy}

SEPTEMBER 2010

"The past two weeks... have been a whirlwind."

It's all about the Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto.

And finding out that my wrist was injured worse than I'd thought.

OCTOBER 2010

{My usual spot on campus}

{SURGERY.}

NOVEMBER 2010

"I am feeling emotional lately. Today I left my ice pack on my night table, and it leaked.

When I lived in VA, Dad sent me something in the mail and with it, he included a slip of paper that said "the sun rises in the morning because of you SAM<3wam".>

It's soaked. You can't even read it anymore. And I cried about it. Serious tears."

I can laugh about it now.

{I got extensions... and you can see my clam shell cast!}

DECEMBER 2010

"Have to move out of my apartment.

Cast comes off on December 6. Hallelujah!

I need to get over my piano-fraud feelings.

I finished Fall '10 semester.

Move in with Cheryl December 16.

Christmas is coming."

{This about sums it up.}

Elegiaque

2011-01-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

2011 (part 1)

2011-01-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for the big night...

The big night, coming to an end:

Day 21 (long!)

2010-12-31T13:29:00.000-08:00

Sushi.
Friends.
Family.
Bowling. (& Bowling WELL.)

Scout.
Boots. (I got these for Christmas.)

Music.

Tights.
Things that make me happy, in no particular order. And of course, this is an incomplete list. Just a few things to keep your blogging eyes busy for a minute. :)

Steinway & Sons

2010-12-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

I may or may not be putting this above my bed.

Also: Next project = piano photo collage.

Day 20

2010-12-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

The meaning behind my blog name, "Whitney & Whitney":

Well, I suppose there is some explaining, as I am only one Whitney. The meaning is most importantly my name because it is me, and thank goodness for the fact that I feel like a Whitney!

But the second meaning, the double Whitney, is because one day I looked at a friend's blog and laughed at all her readers listed on the side: "John & Sarah", "Mike & Stacy", "Blah & Blah"*. Is EVERYONE married these days?**

From now on, my blog will be "Whitney & Whitney".

*I made those names up on the spot

**Absolutely no offense to my married friends, as I am not annoyed or frustrated. I am merely entertained. I love you dearly and am happy for your marriage!

I never decorate...

2010-12-29T13:53:00.000-08:00

...so when I am proud of a cute room, it's a big deal.

I love the WAM hooks! I got them (and also the Believe & Light wall art things) at Hobby Lobby for under $3 each! I've found, as I've been to that store twice now, that I could decorate a whole house with Hobby Lobby items. Who knew?

Now if I could just have this for above my bed:

http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?startat=/getposter.asp&apnum=397095&CID=DFC1003BC6D148CC8F8A3AC521FDE8B2&PPID=1&Search=steinway&f=t&FindID=0&P=1&PP=2&sortby=PD&c=c&page=1

Day 18 & 19

2010-12-28T15:11:00.001-08:00

Day 18: Something I crave a lot.

This one has changed over the last few years, seeing as I used to be severely Anemic and would honestly crave inedible objects (really, it was crazy, but once I got IV Iron infusions once a week for a while, my iron went up and the cravings stopped!).

So what's on my taste buds' agenda these days?

CHOCOLATE.

Not chocolate ice cream or cake, I'm talkin' like milk chocolate candy bars- straight up CHOCOLATE.

Day 19: Another picture of myself...

You can see how much I love my long hair.

Day 15 and then some

2010-12-24T20:36:00.001-08:00

DAY 15

Something(s) I never leave the house without (mostly lately because I'm running to work):

Chapstick in pocket, Crystal Light on the go packets for my alluminum water bottle (so cute, right? I have that exact one).

Done. Bring on the day.

DAY 16

Celebrity crush???

For this one, I struggle. Probably because I don't watch movies OR tv shoes. Get back to me on this one.

DAY 17

Me and my family, eh? This is fitting, as it was eighteen years ago exactly- opening presents for Christmas on the tile floor in the front hall. Why? I don't remember. Here I am on the right, the li'l blondie. (All kids, Mom, and my Dad must have been taking the photo.)

This one nearly brings tears to my eyes. This is my and my Dad when I was just over a year old. Maybe a year and a half. I love my Dad so, so, SO much.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

Day 13

2010-12-21T20:12:00.001-08:00

Alright, this one forced me to take a few days to gather strength to post.

Because what do I do when I hear BRAHMS?

or RACHMANINOFF?

or RAVEL, LISZT, MOZART, CHOPIN, PROKOFIEV??

Yep, this handsome fellow composed theeee Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto in B-flat Major. And if you know anything about me, you'll know that I have had a recording of that in my car for the past four and a half months.

A lot goes without saying, here.

If only I could put into words my passion for classical piano and other chamber music... Instead, I play.

Let me explain...

2010-12-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Sudden move out of my house

into a new apartment

Finals for Fall 2010...

...including 2 Aural Skills finals

Working extra hours

Frequent trips to SLC

Stress and mild drama

Lazy blogging.

Day 12

2010-12-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

I think I've posted before about the nostalgia I've already developed with Logan, Utah. I've always claimed to be a city girl and to dislike small towns, but there's something about Logan and Cache Valley that I love. I love driving into the valley on a snowy day and having a clear view of the cities for miles. I love the Wellsvilles Mountains, I love the autumn in Logan. I also love the Logan temple, so I'm including a picture of that, and also of USU's campus, because I think parts of it are good looking as well.

Day 11 and then some

2010-12-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

What's in my makeup bag?

About 99% of the makeup I use is Bare Escentuals/Minerals. Even my makeup case is that brand, and I love it!

Nice place for brushes in the top.

What I also have to post about, though not in my makeup bag, is my contact case and solution.

You slip your contacts onto that thing with the two sides, then screw it into the container with the solution filled up to that line you can see. It fizzes and fizzles and bubbles and gets all the dirt, proteins, and grossness off your contacts. I love it! You can hardly even feel your contacts when you put them back in in the morning (after you wait 6 hours, of course-- otherwise it will not have neutralized the solution and will burn your eyes right out of their sockets).

One more thing:

CAST IS OFF! And now I have a lovely ~3-inch scar to show. I'm proud of it, it's my battle wound. :) (The picture doesn't do it justice!)

Day 10

2010-12-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Favorite place to eat?

Mostly because it reminds me of living in Palo Alto.

Some say it's over-rated, but I say: it's not.

Day 9

2010-12-04T21:03:00.001-08:00

My most recent purchase was a Christmas present for someone so I can't put it on here, but my last purchase which I kept for myself was this:

The cover, not the phone. :)

Day 6 & 8

2010-11-30T18:48:00.001-08:00

If you want to know why I skipped day 7, then scroll down and see what it was supposed to be.

Day 6

Day 8

The Henny Buggy Band - Sufjan Stevens

Day 5

2010-11-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I was twenty-- I had just barely moved back to Utah from California, I was still working at Anthropologie, preparing to move up to Logan for Spring semester, I was dating Thomas, and I was just starting my intense love for bowling.

Day 3 and 4

2010-11-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

Clearly I am not being consecutive in my days.

Day 3

My perfect first date: I really don't know. I have had some fun dates, and some not-so-fun dates. I think the best ones were those out of the ordinary. I once had a first date where we went to dinner, then went to the grocery store to buy accessories for the snowman that we'd make later that night. That was pretty fun, because I hadn't made a snowman in years and it was a fun, non-awkward first date.

Really my only requirement is that it's not dinner and a movie-- I think we all know how I feel about going to movies.

Day 4

I have a few best friends. These (above) are my best friends in the world. I have other best friends as well... I don't think I could name all my good friends, I know so many! I will post a photo of my Chunk (Brynn, we've both been named "Chunk" since our Sophomore/Junior year of high school):

This was two years ago! Crazy!

Day 2

2010-11-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

I am falling way behind!

Today is our Thanksgiving day since we have all the original McPhies here (minus Scott, who was here on Thursday).

My favorite dish for Thanksgiving would probably be our pumpkin pies, since my Mom has the greatest recipe. I have a favorite memory of it, too; one year when I was about seven, the kids, my Mom, and I snuck some pumpkin pie pieces a little early (maybe a day before Thanksgiving?) and ate them in the living room. Under the piano. All sitting under there, laughing, eating our pumpkin pie. :)

Day 1

2010-11-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

Today was unusual, but a good day nonetheless.

Sam and I drove home from Rexburg, stopping in Grace on the way, and also stopping by the state border signs for photos (welcome back to Utah!).

I barely unpacked before I ran up to school to get some homework done, then came home for snuggle time in my bed on this cold, rainy day. I am curled up listening to Chopin Scherzo no. 2 (amongst a million other masterpieces!), and I couldn't be more content with a moment.

30-Day Blog Challenge!

2010-11-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Just stole this from Ember :)

30 Day blog challenge

Day 1 - A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

Day 2 - A photo of something you ate today.

Day 3 - Your idea of the perfect first date.

Day 4 - Your favorite photograph of your best friend

Day 5 - A photo of yourself two years ago

Day 6 - A photo of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet

Day 7 - Your dream wedding

Day 8 - A song to match your mood

Day 9 - A photo of the item you last purchased

Day 10 - A photo of your favorite place to eat

Day 11 - What's in your make up bag?

Day 12 - A photograph of the town you live in

Day 13 - Your favorite musician and why

Day 14 - A TV show you're currently addicted to

Day 15 - Something you don't leave the house without

Day 16- Your Celebrity Crush

Day 17 - A photo of you and your family.

day 18- Something you crave a lot

Day 19 - Another picture of yourself.

Day 20 - The meaning behind your blog name.

Day 21 - A photo of something that makes you happy.

Day 22 - A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Day 23 - 15 facts about you.

Day 24 - A photo of seomthing that means a lot to you.

Day 25 - What's in your purse?

Day 26 - A photo of somewhere you've been to

Day 27 - A picture of you last year and now and how you have changed since then?

Day 28 - Your favorite movie

Day 29 - Something you could never get tired of doing

Day 30 - A photograph of yourself today + three good things that happened in the past.

Long week, long post.

2010-11-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

I slept through my classes this morning, but don't feel too terribly guilty about it. Today is the first day I've felt mostly back to normal since about Thursday. Doesn't seem like that long-- but when you know how I felt those few days from then until now, you'll see why it felt like a LIFETIME.

I had surgery on Wednesday (first of all, Missy Buttars took me to and from the hospital which was so, so nice), and they went into my wrist and saw that my bones were separated-- I don't really understand this, but what they ended up doing was stapling them back together. Mmmm. Sounds grrreat. No actually, it wasn't terrible. I got enough pain medication (including a numbing IV that was left in my arm until my Dad had to pull it out on Sunday), and I think it was casted up well enough that my biggest problem was being a little stir-crazy at my parents house (here's my second of all, Missy Mortenson had driven me down to SLC to be at my parents'... also so, so nice).

My other frustration was being completely one-handed for who knows how long (typing this much has taken hours, or so it seems). Showering, getting ready, buttoning things up, putting on jackets, it's all a process. This, of course, is worst when I think about piano, and I even made a point of not listening to too much classical piano this week to keep me from getting sad. I know I'll be back at it by January (fingers crossed), but it's the time that I'm missing now. I had just gotten into my groove of things and was feeling pretty good until this whole wrist business came along.

So day three came along after the surgery and my stomach was starting to bother me, and woke me up in the middle of the night on Friday night with it churning and cramping. I tried to eat something, tried to sleep it off... nope, I got some sort of flu bug that lasted for a good 2 1/2 days. But by day 1 1/2 of this sickness, we weren't sure if it was a result of my surgery or if I had just caught an illness. My mom called my doctor who told her to bring me to the ER in case there was an infection in my wrist. So off to the hospital we went!

I can laugh about it now, as I am sure I looked like the biggest baby-- squirming around and trying to make each nurse feel bad for sticking the second, third, fourth IV in me, complaining to my Dad that the anti-biotic they injected stung and that the bags of fluid they had in my IV were taking too long. I was just miserable. At after four hours at 1am we went home, and I slept off and on for the next 34 hours.

I still feel like I got socked in the stomach repeatedly, like my whole body is bruised (it isn't, though you should see my poor little sausage fingers-- bruised to the very tips!). But I should be able to make it back to school and work within the next day or two. I can't wait. I just want to feel normal again! I have almost never appreciated good health as much as I do now, so I've decided to make another "Things I'm Grateful For" post.

1. I can walk! I have 2 healthy legs that help me move around.

2. My head isn't pounding every second of every day

3. I have so many friends who are willing to help me and be my friend

4. I have theeee besttt family who took great care of me

5. I still have my right hand so I can write (thank GOODNESS!)

6. I still have pretty good health overall

7. I have a good semester to look forward to (Spring 2011) and can take it easy for now...

8. I have understanding professors who are willing to work with me

9. I have great co-workers who were happy to work for me while I was gone

10. I was sad to leave SLC... but lucky to come home to a great house with great girls in Logan

11. I have a job that makes me excited to return

I am not running out of things, but my right hand is getting tired of typing! I am realizing what a lucky girl I am... yet again.

Wristy wroo and other to-do

2010-10-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a little list for you of things on my mind:

1. Wrist update: I have surgery scheduled for Wednesday (Oct. 27). I have been feeling so sad about this. I will be in a cast for six weeks, have a nice three to four-inch scar on the top of my wrist, and will have an out-of-commission left hand for quite a while. This means right hand only piano playing. Huge bummer. But, what happened has happened, and the only thing I can do about it is what I'm doing to take care of it. I waited a long time to get it checked out, which was a mistake, but good thing I'm fixing it now so I can be back on track next semester.

2. I really, really want really long hair. My hair is short-- short in the front and shorter in the back. So, until I am patient enough to let my hair grow, extensions will have to suffice.

I picked out these extensions, set them out on tin foil on the table, mixed some dye and used a hair paintbrush to dye each strand, rinsed them, dried them, straightened them... and put them in myself. They match my hair color perfectly. But it was quite the project. I feel so pretty with long hair (though today I curled it and seriously looked like Captain Hook).

3. Virginia. Remember how I lived there over the summer?

4. Halloween. I have the coolest gypsy costume that I got with the YC Halloween Carnival in mind; I'll keep you posted on if I get to wear it in celebration or not (due to the fact that it is a day and a half after my surgery, I may not get to party it up very much). Pictures will be posted regardless of a change of plans.

5. Glitter toes. I had a not-the-best day this past week, so I decided to do something fun and nice for myself. So I got glitter toes! And they are so cute.

Okay, feet are weird. But you had to see them.

2010-10-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

When your wrist hurts off and on for several (meaning nine or ten) months, go to the doctor. Because if you don't, there's a chance he'll find two cysts on your X-ray and feel the possibility of a torn ligament (or three).

Given the fact that piano is my life, that I spend hours and hours every day listening, practicing, sitting in class, talking about piano, and playing playing playing, this has been a somewhat upsetting week. I am stuck with a brace, some anti-inflammatory gel, and an appointment for an MRI Arthogram on October 12. I've never been good at waiting, at being patient, at the whole play-it-by-ear we'll-go-from-there thing, so I'm trying to come up with things for me to do in the next eleven days.

One will include reading The Inner Game of Music (by Barry Green) which was just shipped to me, writing letters (with my pain-free right hand), deep-cleaning my room, and figuring out how the heck we're going to get the internet set up in our house (yes, still no internet connection at little 3-6-5). Maybe, just maybe, I'll venture upstairs and get into a TV show.

I miss blogging.

The past two months...

2010-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

...have been a whirlwind.

Before now, I'd never had such a busy, crazy, ridiculous string of weeks. Ever. In my life.

And I've had life "whirlwinds" before; consider those two weeks in the summer of 2007 in Palo Alto and the three-month craziness that fell into place last summer as examples.

Maybe this time it is all intensified by a number of things: moving back across the country, moving back to Logan, starting work at my old job, school starting, etc. etc.

But, listen to the Brahms Second Piano Concerto and you'll understand why this has all been so... ridiculous. Put the second movement on (allegro appassionato) and think of it as my theme "piece" for life these last few weeks.

Piano, piano, piano: it consumes my life. And I love it. I don't know what else to say. I'm a busy woman, running from class straight to work, back to school to practice, home to eat or sleep, back to practice, back to class, back to work. I continue to be the weirdest sleeper/insomniac who has no clue what she does when she sleeps, my eyes have been bloodshot for about four days now, and I'm getting over a bad head cold that knocked me out for a couple days last week.

I am back in Utah. Mostly happy, but also mostly crazy.

This about sums it up; I have no more words for how this has all been.

Last Day

2010-08-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Well, today is my last day out on the East Coast. I am enjoying my last day of work-- tummy filled with cookies that Courtney and I made for the office, and with cake that the office brought me today. I am looking at this beautiful bouquet of daisies that Dennis picked for me, wishing that I could take them home to Utah. (Isn't my office just the sweetest? They also all signed a goodbye card.)

I am proud of myself for getting everything that I needed to accomplished-- I know I complained enough about the never-ending to-do list, but in a different light, let me remind you of everything I accomplished in the last nine days: found a replacement for my bedroom's contract, re-applied for school, posted ads for my car to sell, registered for classes, packed all my belongings in boxes (labeled, organized, and charted), quit my job, showed my car to two people, sold it to the second (title will be transferred this evening, shipped 16 boxes off to Utah (some very large and extremely heavy), found a place to live in Utah, got my old job in Logan back. SUCCESS.

I am excited for what's to come. But there are things that I will miss:

Friends

The trees!

The National Mall, my favorite (WWII) below:

The crazy, confusing streets (JUST KIDDING)

The Metro (maybe this is weird?)

My favorite people out here...

I'm out, before I start blubbering at work. See ya in the West!

More to blog about.

2010-08-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

First of all, hooray hooray that I got a deposit for my car yesterday! I will be holding the car until I get the title from my dad in the mail, then will sign it away, say my goodbyes, and blow it a kiss on its way down the driveway Wednesday night.

Despite the excitement of getting a new (used) car when I get to Utah, I will be sad to see my little Focus go. I've had a lot of memories in that car over the last five years that I've driven it. It's taken me to and from Salt Lake/San Francisco a few times, to and from Salt Lake/Logan more times than I can count, and across the country from Salt Lake to DC. I have laugh some of the heartiest, fullest laughs and cried some of my saddest tears in that car. I've blasted some of the world's most wonderful music in those speakers, sung some of my favorite songs at the top of my lungs out those windows.

It's been a good car.

I can cross the following off my list: find a replacement for my current contract, find a place to live in Logan, pack my things and find a way to ship my boxes (I won't even go into the expensive disaster that this has been), quit my job and secure a new (old) one in Logan, register for classes.

Things on which I can now focus: receiving car title in the mail, cleaning the car, giving it away, canceling my bank accounts once my rent check goes through, dropping off my boxes to be shipped (again... sigh), make sure my suitcases don't weigh over 50 pounds each (should we talk about how checking two bags is costing me $60? Let's hope I don't go a pound over), fly out on Thursday. I'm sure there are things I am missing, but for the sake of me feeling like I've actually accomplished anything, I'll leave it at that.

Ha, I just looked for "Mood:" and "Listening to:"... that must be a LiveJournal thing. In case you're curious:

Mood: excited/anxious

Listening to: Chopin's Grand Polonaise in E-flat Major, Op. 22 - performed by Kevin Kenner

Journaling

2010-08-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably know this about me: I am an avid journaler. I have about fifteen filled journals/notebooks from the past thirteen years or so. After a couple conversations with some friends about journaling, after telling them about how mortified I am at the thought of my future children ever reading any of my journals, I had the thought that maybe I should start a journal that I could at least share parts of. I'm sure it'd be a valuable experience for them, at the right time and age, to hear about experiences or thoughts that are close to me through all the ages through which I've been writing.

Thus begins my newest project.

Natalie brought up a good point, which I can only imagine, but I understood: writing while you're stuck in the mindset of someone else reading your words can take away the raw, honest, candid aspects of your writing, which is something I admire in reading entries and memoirs from writers. I think this is what keeps me from blogging to my full potential. My journals are so, so private and personal to me, that coming and trying to to the same for the world to see (okay, to the five or so people who read and comment on this blog) usually leaves me feeling exposed and, consequently, left with boring, surface-deep posts. (Some of you may also know that I have a secret blog for that very reason-- a mostly anonymous blog, with readers that I have never met in real life.) Anyone else catch my drift? Have I gone off the deep end in this one?

Here, you can see that I am about 3/4 of the way to the end of this 160-paged journal, after having started a month ago. Am I bragging about this? Maybe. (This would be a sure "yes" if the entries were anything to write home about...)

Well? Which is it?

2010-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

TO DO:

2010-07-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

1. Have new girl take over contract

1 1/2. Pay rent! (August 1st)

2. Sell car

3. Pack all my things

4. Find a way to ship all my things, then make it happen*

5. Register for classes

6. Find place to live in Logan

7. Move self to Salt Lake (August 5th)

8. Find new car

9. Move up to Logan

10. Get back into the routine of working, weekly appointments, driving to and from Salt Lake, trying to have a social life, and going to school (starts August 30th).

*This is the most stressful. As you all may know, I am a hoarder and a saver. Ergo, I have a lot of personal belongings. Ergo, expensive move. Ergo, stressed Whitney.

To save me from stress:

Only Attractiveness.

2010-07-27T19:18:00.001-07:00

ALSO: click here.

Can I just say:

2010-07-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

ARRRGGGHHHH!

This raincoat that I have been drooling over for MONTHS now is HALF-OFF. But of course, Modcloth.com has run out of my size.

Tear. :'(

Nobuyuki Tsujii

2010-07-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

“When I was a kid, I once said, ‘I’m blind,’ and my parents went quiet. So I quickly added, ‘But I’m all right because I play the piano,’ to try and console them. It’s my true feeling,” Tsujii said.

I can't tell if I am crying because this is such an amazing performance or because I'm touched at his gift... knowing that has been blind since birth.

Both, because even if he had perfect vision, this would be a top-notch performance. Musicality, technique, tempo, clarity-- A+.

(This is a contestant of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009, he tied for first.)

2010-07-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it was remembering the steep, majestic Wellsvilles, or the stargazing at Jardine Juniper. The pieces of grass I found in my bag from one year ago, lying in the sun in the nook of the fine arts and art museum section of campus, unnoticed. The familiarity of the streets, the diagonal intersection you go through to stay on 600 E. The bike rides around town and to the store late at night.

The feeling of being a student at a university. The comfort of knowing that you, too, could sit in a classroom and learn. The trek through snow from my apartment on 500 N up the Old Main stairs, iPod earbuds in, held in place by earmuffs. "You File", "Good to Sea", Honeyroot, Rilo Kiley, Coldplay.

I don't know, but it has drawn me back enough. That flight that I've mentioned for August 5th has turned into a one-way ticket.

I'm Grateful For:

2010-07-20T07:51:00.001-07:00

-Branching out and getting into the social world! Most of you know that when I lived in Logan, I was a self-proclaimed hermit. Especially during the months that I lived alone. Work was my life. Which was fine, but not ideal. I managed to get myself out after not just work, but also babysitting all afternoon, to a movie! Not just any movie, mind you, but a midnight premier of Inception. I was so incredibly pleased with the result having gone into the movie with no expectations, but have been feeling the effects of the late night for about five days now. (If any of you have the chance- GO SEE IT. It will blow your mind.)

-Having a pool in my backyard! Unfortunately, I haven't used this much lately. I've been busy. But knowing that it is there brightens each and every day.

(not the best picture, but this would be the lovely pool in my backyard. and yes, shamu. :)

-Family! I have had countless experiences lately that have reminded me that I am the most blessed, lucky person on the earth. I love my family, I love my family, I love my family. Each member-- tons of love. All twenty of them. Love.

(can you tell which one is me? far right! blondie!)

-Having a healthy body! Despite being busy, and on my free days, lazy, I am grateful for the times that I am able to go and workout. A year ago I could barely run up one flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to collapse. I remember working five-hour shifts and nearly passing out at the end of each one. I don't know how I pulled through, but I'm glad I did. I am [learning to be] grateful for every inch of my body. I have two hands and two feet and a healthy, active mind. Lucky me.

-My job! I may be bored to tears, but I enjoy the people I work with, I am able to make a bit of money, and I have structure in my days! I am grateful to be employed.

-My roommates! They are lovely, fun, beautiful, hilarious, amazing people. I was so blessed to be able to move in with them.

There are so many more, but I am going to end the post for now. You know you can expect more to come!

Busy-ness (business?)

2010-07-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Welp, it's been a busy week! So far it has included delicious Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas from Aaron, an utterly scrumptious chocolate cake for Sam's birthday last week, an awful massage, an uplifting meeting with the bishop, a successful trip into DC, and the regular afternoon shift at Clarke Leiper. What is yet to come: babysitting and hanging out with my niece, Bria, (a)staying up past my bedtime, (b)paying to go see a movie, (c)seeing a movie premier at midnight, another trip into DC for breakfast at Eastern Market and a photo shoot with a few different cameras and friends. I feel like I could go into detail on all of these, but for your sake, I won't.

I will, however, mention that despite a stressful, non-relaxing massage that I got at XSport spa (Amber I miss you!), I met with my bishop on Tuesday night and got my Patriarchal Blessing recommend! I was instantly put in a better mood, and thrilled at the thought of finally doing this after years of preparation. I am so excited. The plan is to get it in mid-August so that at least my Mom can be there, and hopefully my Dad too. It's so far out there because yes, I planned my trip to Utah!

Woohoo! I am flying out to Salt Lake on August 5th, and will return to DC on the 11th. 6 [almost whole] days with friends and family! I can't WAIT for so many things, some of which includes a good massage during a trip up to Logan, hanging out with the Sports Acad gang, reuniting with most of the AKZ sorority, seeing Brooke and Margaret, seeing my eye doctor (yes I am excited), seeing Scouty Boyyyy, playing my beautiful pianos, the list is really endless. Plus, this means that I get to bring back at least what I can fit in my suitcase, so I can stop dreaming about missing things I've left behind.

Now onto more exciting things!

Oh, and a picture of baby Scout as I promised below:

Oh how I miss that cute little guy.

Sore muscles and Utah

2010-07-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

When I worked at Sports Academy, I got into a regular workout routine for the first time in my life. I learned to love being more active and feeling more comfortable in my body, and for the first time, I started to really value my health and everything that went into successful exercising. I did bootcamp for about a month and a half, then started working out with my personal trainer, Natalie, on a weekly basis, before I moved out of Logan. And it felt so good.

That went up until April, when I quit and started my travels, then finally moved to the East Coast. Meaning I hadn't gotten a solid workout for about 3 months-- until yesterday. I joined XSport, a gym in Alexandria, a few days ago, and had my first free personal training appointment with a trainer last night. Let's just say that getting out of bed this morning took a good couple of hours, and that I can barely walk up and down the few stairs that are in my house. Compared to what I was used to and due to the fact that it'd been a good 3 months, he pushed me pretty hard. I actually told him I needed to end about 10 minutes early; I was starting to feel dizzy. But I'm glad I know my limits, and also that I know what I need to work on. The pain actually feels good today-- it was a good muscle wake-up.

I don't think I'll be working with a PT again anytime soon, but it was a good experience. It made me miss Natalie, and bootcamp, and those early mornings I spent at the gym before work. Ohhh Sports Academy.

I am so excited to go visit! I can't wait for Mallory to drive down to Salt Lake. I also think I may take a day or two (of the six days I'm there) to drive up to Logan. Bootcamp, Spoon Me, Pedicures, Old Grist Mill... I want it all! I may be able to go to my cousin's wedding, which is exciting (I think). And I can't wait to see the family I have in Utah: Lulu and her fam, Mom, and Dad. And of course Scout, who I've been missing madly. I think a picture of him is due... in the next post.

Ciao for now!

Skit-tels

2010-07-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ohiopylooza and America's Birthday

2010-07-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

I think I don't like blogging because I never feel like I'm in my writing "element" when I am sitting at a computer. Why does that seem to come in those rare moments? Sitting at a Starbucks, sitting on a bench in the courtyard, sitting somewhere in the sun because that's how the sun shines to you- with inspiration?

I feel like the things I really want to write, really want to share, would not be enjoyable for other people to read. And I'm sure they'd be more personal, deep thoughts that could expose a part of my soul that I'm not used to others seeing. But really, who cares.

Update since I last posted includes: an hour-long trip into DC and a 45-minute wait at a cafe to find that my meeting was canceled... accidentally getting on I-295 N, getting stuck on a bridge, and getting lost in Maryland... traveling into Arlington via Metro to meet with a woman at the Washington Art Institute-- to find out that tuition there is way too much (so that's out)... not starting summer school... being super, super duper homesick...

And now I'm realizing that those all seem to be (or at least felt) negative. But they weren't, necessarily, and I have plenty of positive things to back them up.

1. I'm finally going to sign up for a gym membership at XSport. Today, I think.

2. I got a calling in my ward that I'm actually excited about! Compassionate Service Committee. I really like the thought of using personal and outside experiences to help people.

3. I think I might get to go home for a visit sometime in mid-August. Fingers crossed.

4. I've gotten to know my roommates better- especially Adrienne, who put together a camping trip that was SO fun. We drove 3.5-4 hours to Pennsylvania to our campsite at Ohiopyle State Park. I got to meet several new people, and got to enjoy woof'ems, a natural water slide, and Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house, which was so neat! It exceeded my expectations; I loved it. I told Adrienne that I had to go because I couldn't call myself an architect-wannabe and not take that chance to go tour it. So glad I did.

5. Yesterday, the Fourth of July, was fabulous. I've seemed to have negative experiences on this holiday every year, at least from the age of 15 and up-- until this year. The day started pretty well but wasn't anything too spectacular: wake up, make crepes for a few people that came over, go to church. But then Aaron and I took the Metro into DC, where Adrienne and Carmen had saved us a spot (in the blistering heat, for over 3 1/2 hours) on the lawn at the Capitol. We got to attend the pre-fireworks concert, which included David Archuleta (who impressed me), Gladys Knight, Darius Rucker, and LANG LANG. I was so excited. I had seen YouTube videos of this Chinese pianist, and had been in awe of his bizarre-ness for a long time. Anyway, the fireworks were sort of hidden behind trees and closer to the Washington Monument, but the whole experience was awesome. I loved being with friends, and loved that I got to spend the 4th in the nation's capitol.

Brooke and Ai

2010-06-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

I had one of those awesome moments today. I was outside by the pool, listening to music, randomly thinking of my dietician in Utah. Brooke is one of my favorite people on the freaking planet. I saw her every single week for one year. When I started working full-time, she rearranged her schedule and stayed late every Tuesday so I could see her. For free. I wasn't a student at USU anymore, but her assistant/receptionist overlooked that. She saved me last year. I know, I know, I did most of the work myself. But I am 100% sure I couldn't have done it without her.

Anyway, I thought I should send her an email. So I dried off and came inside, woke up my computer, and lo and behold-- an email appeared from Brooke! And it almost made me cry. I love her.

On another note, I really want to go to the Washington Art Institute (Arlington). And I want to be a photographer. I love, love, LOVE piano. There are very few things that I love more. But I don't think I want to make a career out of it. Which is creating stress for me, but also opening a lot of new doors.

Okay, sorry for the lame picture.

The best in the world

2010-06-21T18:34:00.001-07:00

1. I have the best family in the world.

2. I have the best roommates in the world.

3. I got the neatest blessing in the world, last night.

4. I have had some of the best experiences in the world.

5. I have the best Dad in the world.

6. I have the best Lulu in the world.

So the last two were specific to Dad and Lindsay because of a) Father's Day yesterday and b) Lindsay's birthday today.

I have not been sleeping much for the last four or five nights. And it's starting to freak me out a little bit. So I'm going to sign off and try to relax before I attempt another night under my blankets.

NYC

2010-06-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Today I've been reminiscing about our New York trip last month. While reminiscing normally gets me in trouble, I think it's okay- I'm just missing these amazing people. I can't wait for retreat next year- I want to start planning now!

DC

2010-06-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

The first 3-4 weeks that I lived here, I didn't travel into the city once. But in the last five days, I've been three times.

And I love it! I am such a city girl. There's something about them that stirs up something intense in me. I'm not sure how to describe it, really. They're just fresh and exciting.

Courtney and I went to Mr. Yogato. Delish.

I am leaping for joy in this picture. It looks like I'm photoshopped in or something, but I'm just mid-air.

School, strawberries, photos.

2010-06-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

School- that's the first thing I was going to blog about. Because you were all so curious: Yes, I think I'm going to take a class this summer. Maybe two, who knows. I'm mostly likely going to take English, and perhaps a Spanish class. I'd like to get the first English class out of the way. I haven't taken English since I was sixteen or seventeen. I at least haven't attended an English since I was sixteen. Same story with math. My last class was Algebra 2s/Trig, my sophomore year of high school.

I planned on taking classes this fall, but because this job is only part-time, I figured I might as well make more use of my free time. Might as well learn some things. Unfortunately, I am not a VA resident (for tuition's sake), nor do I have enough credits on my transcript to transfer to a university of my choice. But I think NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) will be a good fit for now. I will take some intro courses to see if I really do want to change my major. I am (and have always been) interested in at least these three random things: Piano, Architecture, and Photography.

Actually, I have always loved taking pictures, and have always wanted to take Photography classes. But I'd never thought of making a career out of it until Courtney and Sam mentioned it the other day. I'd love to shadow/do an apprenticeship with a Photographer in the area- we'll see if I can get the right connections.

Speaking of pictures, did I mention that Courtney, Bria and I went and picked strawberries in Maryland last week?

C&L

2010-06-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

After a much anticipated, short interview yesterday with Clarke Leiper, an accounting firm in Alexandria, I learned that I was one of 5 interviews. The 5 of us were picked out of 150 resumes they received. They informed me of the process; They'd narrow it down to 2 applicants to call back for a second interview with the head partners next week, then make the final decision the NEXT week. I felt pretty lucky having the first interview, which went well, but I didn't expect a call the very next morning.

But that's what I got. So about two hours ago I drove over to their office, shook hands with Mrs. Clarke & Mr. Leiper, sat down in the office, and was told that they'd be sending me an offer letter in the mail. Hooray! I got the job!

It's a good admin job (and super close to my house!), but only part-time. I am going to keep my options open in case a better, full-time position presents itself, but I feel pretty good about Clarke & Leiper. I plan on starting on July 1, which gives me two weeks to enjoy unemployment, my pool, and some trips into DC- with the knowledge of having something to look forward to. A lot less stress over here. That is ALWAYS a good feeling.

Hair! Oh and Rosie the Riveter.

2010-06-13T10:01:00.001-07:00

I think I say this every week, at least once: I want to grow out my hair. There, I said it again. Maybe if I say it enough I'll actually let it grow and not chop it.

That should be easy, considering how the price for a haircut has gone up drastically since my move across the country. Instead of cutting my hair once every 6-8 weeks (like I was doing), I may be forced into an every-6-8-months pattern.

I will admit that I got my bangs trimmed the other day, by a funny man in a salon almost across the street from my house. It seemed to be a good salon/spa, so when I am employed again I may save my money and go get a massage.

Quality post.

The End of S&H

2010-06-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

So, I quit my job.

It's kind of funny. Almost three weeks ago, I canceled my move out to Virginia, about four days before I was supposed to pack up and drive across the country. Mostly it was because I was nervous about finances, my job didn't seem as stable as I would've liked. But after praying and feeling that it would all be okay, I put the move back on, and hauled that little blue Ford Focus out here.

After I had been out here for two or three days, I got a job offer to work at Sport&Health in memberships. I felt comfortable working in a health club, and knew that this would pay me quite a bit more than the other job I had lined up, so I took the offer. I started work on June 2nd, yes, last week, and ended on June 9th.

It was NOT the right fit for me. I enjoy change, as you may have seen, and often like trying out new things, giving them time to grow on me, and a chance to learn something new about myself or a new lifestyle. But this was just not going to happen. I dreaded going back to work on day 2, and day 3, and day 4, you get the idea. In talking to family and a couple friends, I came to the conclusion that if it's going to sacrifice my sanity, it is not worth it to me. So I quit, and was quite relieved.

I could go on and on about everything I disliked about that job (as Courtney has seen to be true). But it is done and over and in the past, thank goodness.

Interesting, though, now that I am out here in a position worse than the one I feared prior to making the move out here. I am unemployed. I guess the interesting part is waiting to see what will happen next, what my employment opportunities will be. I have faith in my answered prayers from before- everything will work out okay. I have family and friends who care about me. I have a sister who lives only 15 minutes away. My Dad (and his advice) is only a phone call or email away. I have great roommates (I will write more about this, don't worry). I have a ceiling fan. I am going to be okay.

My reminder that the above is true:

Love note

2010-06-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Because I'm working on a slow, dull Saturday, I thought I'd catch up on the few blogs that I read. I ventured to a part of Blogger I'd never seen before, and it brought me to the blog of a teenage girl living near some college town (not sure where). I read a few of her posts, some random ones about dating, the honesty of her writing, and one dedicated to first (and only) job. I've had more than one job, that's for sure, but through all of them it is easy for me to tell you which has been my favorite:

Sports Academy! That club will always have a special place in my heart. I didn't work there for three years, like this girl has been at her job or like anyone else you may talk to at Sports Academy, but I felt like I was there for a good amount of time. Not only did I work there full-time for the majority of my SARC career, but I went through some major life-changing events while I was employed there. It saved me!

I met some of the most amazing, smart, fun, hilarious, kind, hard-working, awesome people there-- co-workers and members alike. I've said it a few times but I'll say it again: I am so lucky to have had that opportunity! I was spoiled (in a good way) when I worked there. I had managers who love what they do, who were/are on top of things, helpful, and who made the place what it was. I miss that.

Call me cheesy for this post, but really-- I learned so much during my time there. I learned about work ethic, determination, reliability, responsibility, etc., and I learned about myself, my character, performance, communication, ability, and strength. How often do you come across a job that teaches you all of that?

I loved my monthly massages, my personal training sessions, my 6am workouts, boot camp, tennis lessons, teaching pre-school tennis (I admit I didn't love that at the time), cracking jokes with Missy, Kenny, Mallory, Beth, Shaughnessy, Natalie, Kelly, and everyone, front desk drama, front desk meetings (I admit I sort of looked forward to those), and I could go on and on. I miss it all! You would too.

DC/VA

2010-05-30T07:25:00.001-07:00

Things I want to do now that I live here:

-go back to the National Monuments and Memorials

-tour the Smithsonian (I know, unlike me to want to do this)

-walk through (/shop!) Georgetown again

-attend a show/event at Wolftrap (long list of free things to do there!)

-see the cherry blossoms in the Spring (since I barely missed them this year)

-have lots of visits from out-of-state friends :)

-go to the beach in Delaware

-go to South Carolina (I promised someone I'd go to Charleston, and it's not really next door but I AM on the East Coast now!)

-go to Gravelly Point with a picnic and see the airplanes take off and land

-get lots of cupcakes

-learn my way around -- particularly Alexandria, Arlington, and Springfield

Grateful for:

2010-05-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

While I know it's great to make a "Things I'm Grateful For" list when I'm feeling negative, I think I've found it's also necessary to make one when I'm feeling positive and happy to keep the good times rollin'. I've been feeling especially lucky and blessed as of late, so here goes:

1. Spending time with my sister Courtney, her daughter Bria, and her husband Sam. They are such an amazing family. They are letting me stay with them in their apartment for almost two weeks until I moved into my house. Courtney is a fantastic chef, a smart, fun, witty, and deep person I like to talk with, and an incredible mother. She is a lot more than that, too. She's so great with Bria- I've learned so much. Bria just makes me smile and kills me with cuteness.

2. I posted about this already, but lately I've been so touched by the generosity and love of my Dad. I think a lot about him taking the time to drive me out here and the fun time we had last week, and how helpful it was to have him help me get started out here. I wish I had pictures from our road trip (what was I thinking!). Photo below is him and me in 1989 (Breckenridge?)

3. My mom. And I don't remember if I mentioned much of this in the New York post, though all of you may know this, but she put together the sisters' retreat this year. She flew us all out to New York, paid for our 3 hotel rooms in a way-above-average hotel, gave us more than enough money for us to eat out at amazing restaurants, gave us money to spend on purses and fun things and activities, and made sure we all had an incredible experience together. Because of her and her desire to give and give and give, I got to spend 5 days with my favorite people before I left Utah.

4. This one's kind of weird: I'm grateful for the things and people who have helped me learn the lesson of going my own pace/accepting my own pace/accepting that my "pace" may be different from others'. In the past I've been down on myself for not completing college in four years, or for hopping around the country- but I have just been looking for what makes me happy. And maybe my track is different than what most people want or do. Maybe I'll finish school someday, maybe I won't. Maybe I'll teach piano, maybe I won't. Maybe I'll live in 40 of the 50 states until I find the place and person that are right for me. Who knows.

I don't have a picture for this one.

I'll always be adding to the list. I've really enjoyed writing these things down in a notebook, but because my belongings are scattered across the country, I'm not sure where the notebook is... hence these blog posts. I suppose I could be writing them in my journal. I think I'm going to do that now.

2010-05-25T16:48:00.001-07:00

I blared Lady Gaga in the car on the way home from Reagan National Airport today, choking back tears at the thought of no longer having my Dad around. It's been nice having him here for the past 3 days that I've been in Virginia-- nice having his company, staying in a nice hotel each night, being around his hilarious sense of humor, and having him drive me everywhere (he was such a sport).

I am terrified to drive anywhere here. Driving home from the airport this morning I looped around a couple times before I got on the wrong road to head back to Alexandria (though I still was going in the right direction, it was disorienting and somewhat traumatic). Tomorrow I'm nervous to go out along in the morning; I'm supposed to pick up a form at Arlington Sport & Health.

Yeah, a work-ish form, because I accepted a job there. I had originally applied for a front desk position there, but took the job at Anthropologie when I realized they'd pay me more there and I'd have a few more opportunities. But when I went in for my interview at Sport & Health, I was offered a position in the memberships department. Sort of made me laugh, as I thought about our memberships crew in Logan, but it will be a good job (I'll be making more and will be in the industry I've grown to love).

I am staying with Courtney for a week and a half, then will move into my house in Springfield. I am so excited for the hardwood floors, the sun room, the theater in the basement, the pool in the backyard... and will be SO glad to finally be settled into a place, and to be unpacked for the first time in about 2 months. :) I think I am going to like living here.

Virginia

2010-05-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

I just arrived in Alexandria, Virginia, after an almost four-day trek across the country in my little blue Ford Focus. I wish I'd taken some photos, but alas- I didn't. But I have saved up a couple good journal entries from the trip, mostly with catching up from the days previous to the move that I didn't have time to record, and some stories my Dad told me along the way.

For example, the story of when he met my mom-- the first girl he'd ever even held hands with. He told me the story of meeting her, asking her out for the first time, what he'd acted around her, how she'd approached and talked with him, etc. It was the cutest thing, and I loved hearing his version of the story.

I had fun with my dad. I wouldn't have rather had anyone else by my side on the trip across the country but him. He is so great and generous. He had to take work off during a particularly stressful time, he paid for almost all the expenses of the trip, and he sat in my pack-to-the-brim little car for almost four days just to get me safely here. He was downright pleasant to be with.

I am going to be so sad to say goodbye to him when he flies out on Tuesday. I start work on Thursday, which should help me transition into living here. Eeeee! I am here!

New York City!

2010-05-16T10:07:00.001-07:00

So I got back from NYC yesterday afternoon (talk about a weird day, waking up at 3am Utah time for an 8am New York time flight, then arriving just after noon in Salt Lake City). I posted about 90 photos on facebook, but if you're not in the mood to sort through those (or for those who haven't given in to facebook yet), I've posted some favorites here.

First of all, we got off the plane and were picked up in a stretch LIMO. I'd only been in a limo once in my life, and it was for Junior/Senior Prom at Brighton High School (with McKay Crockett!). So this was quite the experience. Despite the jerky driving, it was a great way to reunite with my sisters and Mom. We hadn't all gotten together since last July for Grandma's funeral.

This is in Central Park, a gorgeous green, lush park right in the middle of the city. This picture was taken right after I told Mom that I wanted to be a mountain goat.

I'm not sure who knows this about me, but I am NOT a museum person. I love to learn but my attention span does not allow for standing, reading, observing, etc. So I didn't want to go to the MOMA, but we went. I got tired throughout it, but looking back on it, I'm really glad we went. I saw some cool things. And the gift shop was awesome.

I love this picture. I'd never spent that much time with Rachel (my sister-in-law), so it was SO great to have her along after her missing our retreat last summer! She fits right in our family, like she's been a McPhie since birth.

Tangled mess of sisters. This makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.

I look like my sister, Amy. :)

I love this one, too, maybe just because it is five incredibly important people in my life. This is outside of Battery Park by Canal Street, after doing a walking tour.

Lindsay and me! This was one of my favorite parts of New York- Times Square is just awesome. It's so surreal, like you see it in the movies but actually being there with all the people and lights and life is amazing. We went to a Broadway show called In the Heights, which actually wasn't my favorite... but I was glad that everyone else enjoyed it.

This is Courtney, the sister I will be living close to in Virginia. We (all of us) took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which was neat.

And this is my beautiful mother, who put together the whole trip. She planned it months and months ago. She bought our plane tickets, paid for our hotel, gave us each plenty of money for food and spending money for the trip, and really gave us an amazing experience together. She's so fun.

I loved being with my girls, and can't wait for next year's retreat! I wonder where it will be.

Music

2010-05-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Music,

I love you more than I love life itself.

You are my everything.

Yours truly,

Whitney

2010-05-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWHjg0rGQbw

Watch it, watch it NOW. It's a great interpretation of Ravel's Toccata, and it's played on a Bechstein. Hey, that's cool.

So, I'm out of Logan, as in, moved out. My Dad came up today to help me get my stuff out (thank you thank you, I have a lot of stuff), then I followed him back home a few hours later (after cleaning... and cleaning). I don't know if I felt prepared to be the end of my Logan life, though I did feel ready to move on. Does that make sense to anyone? It only sort of does to me.

On another note, have I mentioned how I'm going to be teaching piano lessons? That's assuming I can build up a clientele of students, but I'm feeling encouraged. I went with my Mom and spent over $100 on music supplies, mostly method books, to start up a studio. I'm excited, but terrified. Having one's potential piano career in your hands seems like quite the pressure.

What else will I be doing with my time in Virginia? I'm sure I'll be blogging about it when the time comes (and oh, it's comin').

In between but moving on...

2010-04-29T18:54:00.001-07:00

I am packing, organizing, cleaning, consolidating, packing, and packing. I spent a good ten hours cleaning out my bedroom in Salt Lake last weekend (finding things like a yearbook from 1995, five decks of cards, two slinkies, casette tapes with songs about honesty, etc.), and am on day two on doing the same in my Logan apartment. I have loved giving things to my roommates (clothes, shoes, accessories), and throwing things away (trash, etc.). It feels so good to clean things out. I have been nervous about only taking a backseat and trunk full of things to Virginia, but actually I think it'll be nice to only have to deal with organizing and having so many things. It makes me feel like my life is chaotic when I have so many things around with not enough places for them.

I have to be out of my apartment by next Friday. So I'll head to Salt Lake, re-pack a suitcase or two for New York City (!) where I'll spend four days with my favorite women, then fly back to Salt Lake, only to pack back up and drive out to Virginia five days later (four-day drive). The fact that this is all after I've flown to and from DC, driven to and flown back from Northern California, had about six doctor/miscellaneous appointments and made many trips to and from Salt Lake/Logan in between tells you how crazy the last 3 weeks and the next 4 have been and will be.

But I'm loving it. I feel like I finally have a solid plan to look forward to. The anxiousness I feel about it comes from the plan having not started, but because it is all in place (and fell into place quite nicely), I can relax (a little) and try to enjoy my adventures. I'm in that weird place, where I know I'm leaving a city in which I've lived for a year and a half, and am headed across the country at the turning point in my life. Or at least that's how it feels to me. I have a lot of goals for the next chapter in my life, and I think it will be great. I'm so ready.

Back to my bedroom's disaster....

California is for... my life, 2 years ago.

2010-04-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

And out to California I went! I returned today from a week-long trip to the Bay Area. I had so many mixed feelings about being there (though the trip was filled with joy) that I think my heart almost exploded on a few occasions. The Bay Area was where I fell in love with so many things (life, people, life), and where I went through so many things (good things and bad, emotionally). I grew up a lot in the time that I lived out there, and can't even find words to express my feelings about my experiences.

... Which is why it was so dang hard to be back! I, as some of you may know, tend to get way too caught up in my own nostalgia. Being back this past week made me reminisce to no end. The smell of Amy's house, the trees driving up Foothill Expressway, the amazing weather, the walk from our house-- left on El Camino, right on Castro Street into Downtown Mountain View. I couldn't stop thinking about how I so belong there, how it felt like home, and how- uh oh- maybe I should move back.

I've been nervous about moving to Virginia, naturally, but was this a matter of nerves or of my decision to move east being a poor one? Confusion, again, was my world... for about 48 hours. I had a tear sesh with Amy and told her what I was thinking, and talked it all out. You see, I'm lucky. I've had some strong experiences of making decisions when I knew they were either SO right, or TERRIBLY wrong. But I think in this situation, there is no wrong answer. Which makes it a lot harder, because then what does one do?

Well for now, one makes a decision, and one sticks with it. Maybe this is all about timing, and maybe someday I will move back to California. But for now I am supposed to be in Springfield, Virginia, for reasons that are both known and unknown to me. It'll be great- an adventure, and I'm sure I'll learn more about life and continue to grow up like I did in California. It's normal to be nervous. Right? Right.

Just so you know, I have the cutest family. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of all of them. (Top: Scott, my brother, and his son Tyler, on a crazy night just before bedtime. Middle: Twinner sisters at the beach. Bottom: A stealthily captured photo of Amy reading books to Stone and ready-for-a-bike-crash Sophie.)

Virginia is for lovers.

2010-04-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

I can finally write about my trip out to D.C.! I wanted to write about getting excited for the adventure I was about to have out there, about planning Courtney's surprise, etc.-- but because it was a surprise, I couldn't (duh). Now it's out and the open, but the trip has come and gone!

It was a BLAST, though. I couldn't have had a better time. I loved spending every minute with my sister, seeing Sam was great, and I got to snuggle with my little Bria. I fell in love with D.C. while I was out there... it is the greatest city, and I loved loved Virginia and how green and beautiful and fresh it is. I loved it so much that I have decided to move out there.

Yep, you thought it wouldn't happen! I have a job, a house, and a soon-to-be life out there. I still have lots of planning and things to do before I move out (ie. trip to California, move out of my Logan apartment, trip to NYC, pack up and do a four-day drive from SLC to Virginia), but things are finally starting to settle down in my near future.

2010-03-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

I wish I knew what this meant for me.

My last day of work is April 30th. I have such mixed feelings about this. Mostly, I am sad. And a little confused. Nothing is pushing me out of Sports Academy, and I'm not quite sure that anything is pulling me away from it, either. It has been my favorite job by far; I absolutely love my co-workers, I have loved getting to know the members, having them know me, I love learning things at work, I love that I've learned a million things that I can apply at work and also to my personal life, I love working in the fitness industry, I love so much about it. I love that through a lot of rough patches in life, it has given me hope in pushing through.

I'm going to California on April 18th, then New York City on May 11th. Sometime in between the two of those trips I hope to have more of my life planned out.

Delete

2010-03-27T16:17:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I want to delete my Facebook. And all 4,000+ photos on my computer, and all my text messages, and all my phone contacts, and all my saved emails from the past five years, and throw away everything in my file box, and start over with a new phone, new car, new email address, new photos, new hair, new clothes, new everything. Could I just delete my life and start over?

Probably not.

Expectations

2010-03-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

I need to stop having expectations. That is probably one of my biggest challenges in life.

I expected too much to come of last night, or at least I expected the wrong thing. I thought Vera was going to be thrilled at the thought of me coming back to the U. I thought she was going to tell me that she'd gladly take me back into her studio, and that she thought I was doing the best thing. Wrong. While she still told me that the University of Utah could be a positive experience, that the department head would be happy to hear me play and most likely squeeze me into the program post-auditions, she told me that it didn't seem like the best option. She told me to consider Weber State University.

What?! Weber?? I have NEVER even THOUGHT about going there, and I never even knew they had a piano department. Apparently their piano department is growing and producing award-winning pianists. It's a smaller program, probably one third or fourth of the U's department, making it feel more family-like and intimate. They have two instructors on the piano faculty, one of which used to teach at USU (and when moving to Ogden, brought several students with him). The U has maybe ninety piano majors with nine or ten piano faculty (plus the adjunct faculty, like Vera). This large department does not appeal to me.

But living in Salt Lake does. That's a big reason why I want to leave Logan in the first place- so I can be in a bigger city, closer to family, closer to friends, closer to most of my treatment team. The thought of living in Ogden does not sound so great.

My options are not limited to these two (Utah and Weber), which actually makes me lucky. I am single and young and I can move around and try new things. I need to be grateful for that! I need to stop expecting to know the rest of my life all at once and stop assuming that everything will fall into place within twenty-four hours of me tossing ideas around. In all reality, I could move anywhere within reason. Back to California, down to Salt Lake, out to Virginia. I should be happy that I have opportunities (not necessarily all the ones I want, but-) in cool places and that I'm blessed as much as I am.

I just hate not having everything planned out. Someone should just make the decisions for me... any takers?

Springtime, 2010.

2010-03-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have two goals this week:

1. Don't stress at the unknown

2. Don't develop too many expectations about the next few months

I've reminisced and been way too sucked into the past for the last couple weeks. There's something about the sun coming out, grass getting greener, and Spring blossoming in the air that just makes me feel a little crazy. I could mention several dates where my life has changed during the last couple Springs, but I think I need to learn to give it up. Stop living in the past. Quit grasping onto every note I hear in every piece I listen to that will bring me back to 2009. Stop soaking in the sun and breathing in the air that makes me live last year, and realize that a new one can start, and will start. Especially this time this year, where I plan on moving out of Logan and starting a new chapter.

I am seeing Vera in about one hour to discuss my life plans.

2010-03-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Alright alright alright. I apologize for making today a largely negative day. I'm trying to turn it around before I go to bed to I can make the best of tomorrow.

-I get to spend five days this week with an awesome, crazy, loving, fun pit bull named Ryker.

-I get to look forward to a trip to NYC in two months with four of my favorite women in the world.

-I get to sleep in a comfortable bed every night.

-I have four of the greatest, most inclusive, fun, quality roommates.

-I have a great job with awesome people that make me laugh every day.

-I have a car that not only takes me places but has decent gas mileage.

-I have probably the coolest parents- ever. My Dad calls or texts me almost every day.

-I know how to read.

-We're more than half-way through the week.

-I have strong (ish) legs that allow me to walk and run and exercise.

-I have close relationships with my immediate family.

-I am passionate and appreciative of a lot of important things.

-My eyes require contacts but my vision is not that bad. I have vision when a lot of people do not.

-I have really, really great and caring and considerate friends.

I know those are so random, but they are what they are.

I'm off to bed.

Sounds for Hope

2010-03-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

My dad had a brilliant idea several months ago when he heard about the Children's Justice Center. He had recently been working with my piano teacher, Vera (from high school) and her husband, Eugene on getting his new music school up and running. He brought The Gifted Music School and the Children's Justice Center together, and put on a benefit concert. It was last night. And it was incredible! He had a lot of support from so many people and different businesses and it really went smoothly. It was quite the success.

The youth orchestra from The Gifted Music School was really impressive, and gave me goosebumps with each piece they performed. Of course the Utah Chamber Artists were incredible, singing a piece arranged by Barlow Bradford with an incredible piano accompaniment. And we got to see Vera and Eugene play together- I've only seen that happened two or three times. SO amazing.

It was a little hard, being surrounded by so many talented musicians and Vera and hearing such inspiring music. Taking a break from piano has been discouraging, and somewhat confusing. When my parents introduced me to whoever they were talking to, the fact that I studied with Vera even four to six years ago came up each time. It made me want to transfer down the U again to study with her in school. I so often go back and forth with that decision, staying in Logan vs. going back to Salt Lake, but for now am still planning on staying in Logan. I'm not sure what it is keeping me here, but it feels right for now.

Anyway, it was a great event, and the after-party was pretty cool. I walked in right as my Dad had gotten a pretty neat award from the Children's Justice Center, and I even ran into Alex and Ben Peterson who came out from Orange County for a few days. What a great night. I got to spend it with some great people, and knowing that it was all started for a good cause made it even better.

2010-03-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

Are these not the most gorgeous flowers you have ever seen? I LOVE Gerber daisies, and I LOVE tulips. The whole arrangement is beautiful on all sides. My mom brought these up to me this past weekend when she came up with my dad. I went to let the dog out (where I was house-sitting) and when I came home, my mom had decorated my bathroom door with this beautiful hanging collage/scrapbook-ish hanging of pictures and letters from my family, and of course, these flowers. She had also brought up a cake that she had made in Salt Lake, one that had been re-done and thrown away and started over to make the perfect cake for me. My mom put in hours and hours into my birthday (I didn't even mention the cashmere/wool mittens she knitted for me, nor did I mention the hours she and my Dad spent driving up just to see me). My mom is the sweetest lady alive.

And everyone who is reading my blog made my birthday special. Thank you. I have the most amazing friends and family :)

Now onto my magical year- 22. I've always said this is going to be a great year for me. It's not going to be because of some huge, life-changing events, but I just feel like I've always meant to be 22.

I do have some exciting things coming up this year, though, one of which includes a trip to New York City. This trip means a lot to me, as I've used it as a motivational tool as well as something exciting to look forward to since I learned we were going on Thanksgiving. (Again, my Mom rocks.)

I don't have much else to say.

Random.

2010-02-21T16:47:00.000-08:00

This last weekend was one of the better ones I've had in a long time. First of all, I got my hair trimmed- I am still planning to grow it out but I ended up taking off more than I'd planned. Pictures are on their way. Also, I got to spent Friday night and Saturday morning with some really fun friends, got to laugh a lot, try out a few new life experiences, got to meet some really interesting people, got to stay up wayyy past my bedtime, and most importantly got to see how much of a champion my bladder is through nearly six and a half hours of driving. Hoorah.

Since I'm on a reporting note, you'll be glad to know of a few interesting dreams I've had in the last seven days or so.

1. I had a baby and my best friend from when I was 17 was the father. Apparently this signifies wanting a change in your life- which is funny, since I'm pretty much always wanting change, and having the baby dream pretty frequently.

2. I married Kevin from the office. Well, he looked and talked like Kevin but he was someone from real life. It was strange.

3. A very vivid, heart-throbbing dream included me confessing some deeply-routed love feelings for one of my best friends.

4. My mom died in one of these dreams. I think she died three times. And in my dream when I found out, my sister Amy and I ran across the street to Mrs. Shaak's house (my piano teacher in Denver of 10 years) to hear her play some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard.

Okay, so this is the most frustrating part of my dreams. I've dreamed so so many times that I've written or heard incredible pieces, mostly piano and symphony pieces, with it playing strongly and clearly in my head RIGHT before I wake up... only to me waking and forgetting every note. What does this mean? Do I A) have the potential to compose and/or B) have some creative juices that I didn't know about?

I think that's all for now. I have a lot in my head but few places to write it all. I'm often overwhelmed at the thoughts that urge me to write, but can only share so much on a public blog. :) I'm off to play some piano.

2010-02-13T21:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Life,

-I woke up today and the sun was shining. It was warm, and I drove to and from church with my window down.

-My hair didn't flip out the awkward way it sometimes does at this awful stage of growth, and my flyaways were few.

-I blasted classical music from my laptop because I have a working laptop with iTunes and speakers. This made me happy.

-I have gotten several plane tickets for trips this week because I am blessed with a good, fun, paying job and I have opportunities to travel.

-I get to spend the afternoon with my sister and her family because we grew up close and loving everyone in our family.

-I got a co-worker to work for me for a couple hours tomorrow so I can have an appointment before I drive back to Logan- I have insurance and a Dad that's willing to help me out.

-There's a ridiculously comfortable bed in my room under a roof in a warm house in Salt Lake, where I get to sleep occasionally.

I've accepted that I now have an intense love for chocolate. I'm learning to accept how I look, because I found several cute pairs of pants in my closet that I can wear again. I'm learning to accept good health, because I can now go bowling and shop for hours on end and actually walk up the stairs without feeling like I'm going to collapse.

I realize I can't have everything, including this dress that I want to wear for the Children's Justice Center Concert:

And I realize that despite my rustiness and frustration at my declining piano skills, learning to play piano is something that will always be with me. Taking a different route in school is probably necessary, and I will get over it eventually.

I am lucky to be where I am now. I don't think I've been fair to you.

Love,

Whitney

2010

2010-01-03T11:24:00.001-08:00

A year ago (on Friday) I moved up into that apartment on fifth north in Logan. I wish I'd written more about what I was expecting for 2009, but I only have a few entries (mostly about excruciating cleaning and painting days in that new place) and can only now think about what I want out of 2010.

But lately I'm looking back on the last year, picking out big moves and changes and big lessons I learned. Firstly, moving up to Logan was a big move for me (I mean psychologically, though going from California to Cache Valley was somewhat of a shock emotionally and geographically). Going back to school spring semeser (which I survived and enjoyed), working at a gym, becoming a piano major, those were all big things this year. Living in that first apartment and then later alone proved to hold lots of challenges. In fact, I think I learned most about myself in living alone in my studio. I learned that I am capable of living alone, being independent- I proved that I can take care of myself (though it took years and months to figure that out) and am possibly capable of taking care of someone else if needed. Say oneday, maybe, I'll get married- I might be a little more prepared now that I have a well-equipped kitchen, all the cleaning supplies you'd ever need, and lots of grown-up experiences.

As far as 2010 goes, I've started it off with a list of my resolutions. Stay afloat financially while saving money, read a book (yes, one, at least), endure 8 weeks of boot camp, maintain a healthy weight, meet new people. Gain confidence when making decisions and judgment calls. Make my way back into a piano routine and find that piece that's missing. Maintain some sort of sanity (or at least manage my insanity) with different, new, fun activities.

I think it will be a good year. I'm turning 22 this year, and for some reason, I've always said that 22 will be the perfect age for me. I don't want to go too far with this, but it may even be a magical year.

Long picture post. 2009

2009-12-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

It's not really December 30th, is it? This means two things: A) Rent is due in a couple days and B) It is time for the new year to start. Seriously? Already?

A year ago:

Post-Christmas outing at Market Street Grill. The McPhie sisters unite!

New Years Eve '08:

February '09:

Oh good times snowboarding at Beaver.

March '09:

Turning 21.

Running a 5K!

April '09:

Trip to Cali- seeing friends, Lili's baptism, panic attack in my seat at Wicked... good trip. Court, we missed you!

May '09:

Moving into my studio apartment, which proved to be a very interesting experience. More on that later.

Hanging out in the courtyard during practice breaks... where are lot of music happened.

June '09:

There are so many pictures from May and June.

Sisters' retreat! Oh how I can't wait to be all together again. Rach, we missed you!

July '09:

The original McPhie cast at Grandma Turner's funeral

More hours spent at Fine Arts!

August '09:

When I rediscovered candy. Ha.

September '09:

Going blonde.

October '09:

Beth and Mike's halloween party! Dave and Whit- ninjas.

November '09:

December '09:

Productions '04 reunion. Phaidra and Brynn.

Affleck/McPhie luncheon last weekend.

What a year!

Santa

2009-12-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

Sincerely,

Whitney

Random updates.

2009-12-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

1. I have a Hot Rocks Massage scheduled on Tuesday, December 15th at 6:00pm and I'm so excited I just had to mention it in my blog. I got a free over-an-hour massage from Jenny last week to work out the knots in my neck- I noticed enough of a difference that I've decided to get massages on a regular basis. I think they may help my headaches. I also think that I deserve to get pampered every so often. :)

2. After a couple weeks of a serious conversation I had with myself about what the heck I'm doing in Logan, I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to stay (at least for a little while longer), but just move out of my current apartment. One of the girls in the new apartment I'm interested in works at Sports Academy in the tennis office. She's way sweet and the girls she lives with seem to all have a lot of fun. That's one thing I've been lacking for a while in Logan: fun. Living alone doing your own thang, cleaning your own way, having your own kitchen routine down, blasting your classical music or curling up to watch 30 Rock alone is fun, but only for so long. This move across the parking lot (yep, that close) will probably be made after Christmas.

3. I miss piano! SO MUCH. I could rant on and on about hating being without lessons and a place to practice but I won't. I'll only tell you how excited I am for this benefit concert my parents are helping put together. March 6th at Libby Gardner Hall in Salt Lake City, I'll be there. I'm already picking out a dress to wear. Guest pianist TBA!

4. Item of the day: Staffordshire tights

2009-11-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Important: I really, really want this camera.

"Using 35mm film, it will take artfully abstract, deliberately lo-fi shots in either a square or half-frame format using techniques such as multiple exposures, overlapping exposures, and over-exposures."

AND it comes with neck strap.

That is all.

Gotta love Autumn...

2009-11-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

And spending time with Chunk!

I've never been into Halloween much.

2009-10-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to do a "Favorites" post!

First photo: my makeup. I swear by Bare Escentuals/Minerals. You can wear as little or as much as you want, depending on the coverage you're looking for. It's lightweight, and doesn't feel like it's clogging all my pores like it felt when I'd paint on my foundation with a brush. The short, round brush is a buki brush, and I love putting my foundation on by just dipping, tapping, and then swirling it on my face. Oh, and that white stick is an eyeshadow primer, which works wonders on eyelids that don't hold color.

Then we have my kitchen. That pink toaster is one of my prized possessions. I just love that cute thing. It's pink, and it's a Cuisinart represented by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. And it matches my tea towels.

The next would be my favorite hair products. I love Redken. I use the Smooth Down shampoo and conditioner, plus occasionally the Smooth Down "Butter Treat" when I want to use an intensive repair conditioner. Then I towel dry my hair, add some Velvet Whip, Anti-Snap, then blow dry. I use the Heat Glide when I straighten my hair, to protect it from the heat- and my hair feels so soft afterward!

Here are some more favorites- the perfume is Gucci, which is a recent favorite. I am absolutely in love with my reed diffuser, that thing has lasted me a year and a half and as you can see, is still half full! It's from Anthropologie, scent: Santiago Huckleberry ($48.00- I was lucky enough to have 40% off when I worked there!). The journal is the one I just started, I just filled up my 10th journal. :) The little black book is my planner, it's a Moleskin notebook, which is a brand of notebooks that I love. Oh and of course, my Pilot pens, I have about 20- 10 in black, 10 in different colors.

Last photo: These are things that are always in my purse (you'll see why I need a large one!). My wallet, my coin purse that holds bobby pins, Vaseline Healing Hand Cream, my camera, my cell phone (still loving the new Blackberry!), at least 3 notebooks, hand sanitizer, Burt's Bees chapstick, and a pouch that carries the essentials (a little makeup, Ibuprofin, important little things).

Annnnnd that concludes this post. And suddenly it's past midnight. I haven't stayed up this late in a long time.

A few updates.

2009-10-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

There are times where work can be long and slow (not as many members in the gym, not as many needy members at one time, not as many members demanding smoothies and swim lesson sign-ups and wanting to make payments on accounts and needing newer towels and someone's locker not opening and the phone ringing five times in a row and all of this happening at the same time). It's these times that we can relax a little and enjoy ourselves a bit.

This was funny and wonderful enough to make it into not only my phone's photo memory, but my blog. Thanks, Tom.

Despite waking up at 3:45am for work this morning with an incredibly runny AND stuffy nose, and a deep, chest-rattling cough, and still going to work, I've decided to make it a most excellent day.

I've taken to sleeping on my couch for more back support and less tossing and turning at night (maybe because there's less room to do so?). I've learned that sleep (or lack thereof) is a huge anxiety trigger for me. Tossing and turning and a crazy sore back are only two things that I experience at night- nightmares are a-plenty (even ones about crazy members! Why, oh why...) and my racing mind never seems to stop. But. I'm not going to over-analyze that I've moved to the couch; If it works, I'll take it.

But still, I may invest in.... a TV! Up until now, I've only ever had one TV in an apartment I've lived in, and have never missed it one bit. Watching a lot of TV and movies may be looked at as a lazy, bum thing to do- but I disagree! To some extent. There are, potentially, a lot of good shows out there. I can't wait until I can watch them and let my mind get lost in them when I'm up at all odd hours of the night!

At this very moment, Tyrone the Goldfish is swimming around so spastically that he is pretty much just bouncing off the walls of the fishbowl, back and forth over and over again. It's things like this that remind me that it's okay to laugh out loud in my apartment.

The weekend that ended yesterday...

2009-10-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ashley and I drove down to Salt Lake for conference. Waking up at 5:30 and driving down in crazy pouring rain was totally worth it. This was the first time that I've actually wanted to go to conference, and the first time that I actually listened to (and took notes for) every talk. I especially liked Russell M. Nelson's talk, so if you didn't hear it- look it up when you can!

Afterward, we walked around Temple Square until my Dad came and picked us up. Ashley chased down a photographer who apparently was with the Ensign, and he took a picture of us. I took more pictures with my camera phone (which I looove, by the way, it's a new Blackberry Curve).

The best part of the day, though, was eating lunch with my family and curling up next to my Dad on the couch to watch the second session. I cried pretty hard on Courtney's shoulder, anticipating when I really have to say goodbye on Tuesday (DREADING that day). That wasn't the best part, but it was wonderful to see her and Lindsay and the rest of the family. I'm missing them a lot lately.

Rambling.

2009-09-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

I kind of can't believe that it was a year ago that I flew out to Utah to watch conference and drive down to St. George. I listened to "Buttoned Down" by Straylight run on my way home from school the other day (which I'll explain in a minute) and teared up at the memories it brought back. First of all, good times at ElCo, eh? Am I glad to eat what I want and not get a tray of hospital food? You bet. Second thought, why does music have to so intensely bring back memories?

I snuck into the practice rooms with Ashley's code last night to play piano- which lasted about twenty minutes before I got frustrated and left (and wanted to slam the door on my way out). It's been about two months since I've really practiced. What am I doing? How would it be to return to school in the spring? Am I honestly considering changing my major, after feeling a pit in my stomach every time I've gone up to Fine Arts? Would it be worth it to stay in the music department? No clue on any of those, really.

On another note, I'm loving waking up at 5:30am every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to workout (and 3:30am on Tuesday and Thursday for work!), but I'm exhausted. I managed to make it through all of last night without any nightmares- knock on wood for tonight. And speaking of "knock on wood", a member that comes into Sports Academy, who appears to be quite the interesting character, knocked on her head after saying that. It made me laugh.

An image for you:

Octoberish, 2005 (look how blonde I was!)

2009-09-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

Okay.

It's odd, thinking about what led me to staying in Logan over the summer and living here during fall semester (when I'm not going to school). Surely it makes sense to have stayed after meeting friends and people in the piano department at school, spending every day and night with them and feeling like I finally belonged SOMEWHERE in Northern Utah, but why and how did the events play out as they did?

Choosing to work at Sports Academy (after three job offers in one day, two of which I took, one of which I called and said "never mind") was a big move, and probably the best move for me. Working at Hamiltons- sure, it could've given me a bigger paycheck every two weeks, but would it have been worth it? It was worth sticking with Sports Academy, where I've met great people and it has, in the longer run, helped me emotionally and physically.

Choosing to practice three hours a day over the summer was huge as well, despite my decision to not return to school this fall (to regain some sanity!) and not emailing Hirst to start lessons again. I learned a lot about myself, pianistically and mentally. Plus, I can now bust out a wicked Bach Prelude (D minor, baby) and was able to play Ravel's Sonatine (first movement) at my Grandmother's funeral. I will find myself lost in piano again, I'm sure of it. The when and how will fall into place eventually.

Dropping, losing, and finding people in my life, led me to a lot of realizations about who I want to be spending time with and what I want to learn from it all. Ashley and Mike have been inspirational figures for me.

Receiving a priesthood blessing from my brother in July was a big, pivotal moment- and I can't thank him enough for that.

I have done a lot of reflecting on the past (especially on my summer in Carlsbad last year and events up to April, 2009) and analyzing and endless journaling (when I was talking to Brooke the other day she called me "an insightful little fart"), and have decided that I haven't made the best decisions in my life, in the past four years, during spring semester or this past summer, but I have also made some good ones. Going to institute, reading the BOM, and okay, fine, going to church. Taking time off of school to focus on me. Choosing friends who lift me up and don't drag me down. Choosing to be healthy.

And I'm starting to feel healthier than ever.