insanity

If you haven't heard of the wave of tornadoes that have devastated a large portion of the country, you must live under a rock, I'll cut you some slack if you're not from the U.S. though.  Living in Kansas I've been through several very severe storms.  Including a too close for comfort encounter that scared the crap out of me and has made me freak out slightly at the sound of a tornado or severe storm being any where near that location.  Unfortunately for the people of the more eastern states, they've had to experience tornadoes at their worst possible moments.

On April 27th, there was over 160 reported tornadoes across the United States. To a person who has lived in Kansas all of their life, even in just 17 years, I can remember the countless nights during the summer, several nights in a row, watching the local television station cover several tornadoes that had popped up seemingly out of no where.  One particular tornado that I remember clearly was the Greensburg tornado that wiped the town off the map.  Even today, a few years after it happened, driving through the town you can see damages from the treelines.  It's a hard concept to grasp, that such damage could be done all over the nation within a 24 hour range, damaging buildings, vehicles and taking several people's lives.

Another concept, one that is far more complex to me, is how when a disaster of any sort happens, there is a good portion of people who will jump in and do nearly anything including risking their own lives to help people who have been affected.  But it isn't until these disasters occur that we see such a large helping hand of normal citizens.  We're all in this together.

Photos and articles from the April tornadoes ---> Click
Map of reported tornadoes in April ---> Click
Facts and radars from the Greensburg tornado ---> Click
Article on the anniversary of the Greensburg tornado ---> Click

remember when

 

circa December-ish 2007 (8th grade)

concessions at a basketball game 

This was me four years ago, and I've come a long way.  Straight teeth, somewhat controlled hair that isn't always shoved up into a ponytail, an outspoken personality.  I can remember when this photo was taken, it's one of the few occasions from middle school that I actually remember, or at least I haven't blocked from my memory.  I remember when I found my love for Harry Potter two years previous this photo, and eventually became obsessed in 8th grade.  I was actually good at math, or at least I passed with a B or higher.  I remember this was around the time I got into theatre.  This was also the time I decided I wanted to be in the film industry.

 circa April 2011 (11th grade)

Kenzie on the right, myself on the left after our club sponsored Mr. Wildcat Pageant.

Fast forward four years to the present. I would have never thought, four years ago that I'd have changed my mind several times about what I wanted to be when I "grow up" and eventually land on wanting to be a history teacher.  Never would have thought that I'd still be obsessed with Harry Potter, though I do admit, I have kind of backed off a little in the last couple years...or that I, who absolutely loves acting, gave up a chance to be in one of the most classic musicals we've done at Mulvane High school to be behind the scenes.

It just goes to show that nothing is for certain, I might change my major in college, though I find it difficult to believe I would because I'm so happy with the decisions regarding college that I've been making recently...but I could.  And though I find it hard to believe that, I wouldn't mind it.  If it's what my heart and gut are telling to do, and it'll make me happy I'll end up doing it.  I wouldn't be where I'm at personally if I didn't follow my heart and gut.

I had a moment during sophomore year where I just wanted to quite theatre.  That it wasn't going to help me later in life and that it was taking up too much time from other stuff, and I wasn't quite concentrating that well on school.  But I eventually rolled around into my senses when I unofficially joined the costuming/makeup department of our theatre department during our spring play production of Fools by Neil Simon when a senior trusted me and only me to help with his quick change.  And that then lead to me cleaning out and organizing the costumes and makeup cabintes and closests later that spring.

 

circa November 2010 (11th grade)

Curtain call for Fiddler on the Roof

I took over as head of costumes and makeup junior year, and put together a new system and trained new crew members while I figured out what the hell I was doing.  Honestly, I don't know what the hell I was thinking that spring, and that summer, and then that fall when I went up to our drama teacher after class and said that if he would let me I'd take over.  Let me give you a little background, previous to Fiddler on the Roof.  I couldn't braid hair, I couldn't curl anyone's hair if my life depended on it.  The only makeup I could do, was stage makeup, on my own face.  I had never used special affects, including spirit gum and the similar likes.  I had never in my life been in charge of clothing 30+ people.  And then on top of this, I was in charge of my crew, who was basically as new as I was to the costuming and makeup side of theatre.

Junior year of high school has been my worse, and my best year of high school thus far.  Fiddler on the Roof is a good example of this.  Late October, early November was when I really began having bad hip issues.  And if you want a detailed summary of these issues, go back to my other blog posts in the beginning...I somehow managed to continue everything that I was doing through this horrific pain I was experiencing when half the time I could barely get out of bed.  I ran my ass off during that show, literally being every where at once, and it seemed like I never let myself breathe.  The last week and a half of the show, I worked in my wheelchair.  I couldn't walk much.  But it was me pushing myself to not let down anyone, and make everyone shine that helped me.  This show, as much stress as it gave me, it payed off.  I really found a part of who I am in the process.  Even the things we thought we could never do, that could never work, could work.

The unexpected can be a great thing, we just have to give it's chance.

And to think, it's killing me sitting here, having absolutely NOTHING to do with our current spring show that I can't work on because I'm currently home schooled due to having my hip replaced.  I mean, Night of the Living Dead.  Black and white version, I've freaking freaked out over this several times, that I'm missing this awesome costuming and makeup chance to shine...

bubby

 Bill, 17 and I, 1 1/2 in our family friend's pool.

Today I've been thinking about my family and a lot of things that I remember over the years from family trips, to reunions to just random moments that stick out in my memory.  I wanted to blog about something family related today and had no idea what exactly, but then I read Kayley's blog post about her brother Andrew, and decided to do something similar.  No, it's not my brother's birthday or anything, we're not really close seeing as there is a 15 year gap between us, but he's my brother regardless.  And even though he goes by a variety of names including, Billy, Bill though his name is really William.  I still call him Bubby after 17 years of being his sister.

• Waiting for the bus together one morning when I was headed off to Kindergarten.
• Getting lost at Disneyland together when we got separated from mom and dad.
• When he gave a NSYNC cd for Christmas that he bought overseas...partially because he didn't really know what to get me.
• Forcing me to go on Space Mountain, when I was terrified of most rides. Promising he'd buy me ice cream.
• The one day I had missed the bus and dad's keys were no where to be found.  The first time I had ever been driven to school by my big brother.

• The night when mom sent us to Sonic to get her tea because the Legion didn't have any that night and eventually led to driving the back roads around town in his new truck.  And then tried teaching me how to drive, but was too terrified of wrecking his new truck I refused.
• The day, years later when he finally bought me my ice cream from riding Space Mountain with him.
• Fishing at the family pond together.
• Riding for hours on the four wheeler.
• The mud war we had the spring of '08 involving ALL the neighbor kids...mom is still kind of mad about that.
• The garage sale down the road from us when he bought the remote controlled bulldozer and then proceeded to teach me EVERYTHING about it, inside and out.
• Being mistaken as father and daughter at the local grocery store.
• Attempting to help him study for his CDL.
• Teaching me self defense.
• Fireworks with dad. We're still getting in trouble for that too.
• Teaching me how to shoot.
• The roadtrip to Missouri for fireworks with mom and the best friend.
• That fourth of July, when we got in trouble for blowing up a good tupperware bowl in order to light all of the firecrackers so mom would give us more money to go get more fireworks.
• Seeing Chicken Little at the movie theatre's at like midnight, and then going to Wal-Mart.
• Helping him and his family move into town.
• The day he tried taking me and my nephew into a shooting range and couldn't shoot because he wasn't my parent.
• Surprise 30th birthday party we threw for him down in Texas. I'm still trying to get over the shock on his face.
• His wedding day, taking photos together and tricking me into making weird faces.
• Taking me out to shoot the 12 gauge.

These memories are all the ones I can really remember, and are most of them.  Bill was in the Marines for several years, and was away a lot of the time, and hasn't really been around too much except for the time he moved back in with us when he first got out of the military.  I've said some hurtful things to him, but he's still my big brother that would probably do anything for me.

You probably won't see this Bubby, but if you do at some point, just know I love you. Even though I don't say it as much as I should, it's completely true.

who is...

Top 10 Google searches for "Who is..." and my responses.

Who is Rebecca Black? Search her on Youtube and you'll figure it out.

Who is A in Pretty Little Liars? I have no idea, although it could stand for apple, art, aardvark, alpaca, arrow or apple pie among other things.

Who is A? Since this is a pretty popular question, I'm gonna take a safe bet and say that A is trying to keep their identity secret.

Who is God? God. Is there need to explain?

Who is Cupid? The baby that shoots arrows at people on Valentine's day.

Who is on the dime? If you're talking about presidents, that would be Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Who is the editor of the national review? Some editor who isn't famous enough for their work because people are Googling it to find out.

Who is ip? Do you mean, "What is my ip?" ? Either way, I have no freaking idea.

Who is the Governor of Kansas? According to Google, and yes, I'm from Kansas and I had to Google this, it's Sam Brownback. I was going to tell you Kathleen Sebelius.

Who is Justin Bieber dating? No idea, but it could be A the aardvark from Pretty Little Liars...

I'd like to point out, that I find it interesting that I knew who was on the dime, but not even the governor of my home state.

the real kansas

I'd like to think of my self as a pretty well rounded traveler. I've been to several states but mostly I've kept to around the tornado alley region.  The one thing that really gets me is when someone finds out where I'm from, from Kansas, nearly everyone comments on the great state of Kansas as the "boring" state.  I beg to differ, there is so much to Kansas that even people who have lived here all their lives have not experienced.

The other day my dad and I went out west to Pratt, Kansas where the Department of Kansas Wildlife and Parks headquarters are located to get our fishing and hunting licenses for the year when I begin to think this through.  I've thought about this several times before but never in this much depth.

I've noticed a lot that society tends to look and live for the material things in life.  Whether it be nice hotels down to five star restaurants and even having the most up to date technological devices.  I think things like these is part of the reason why several people think Kansas is boring.  Yeah, we're a flat state but there's more to us then that and a bunch of wheat.

Every where you go there's one thing in common but it varies from place to place. A little thing we call nature.  I've been extremely blessed to have been born into such a good family that has let me experience nature in it's many forms, whether it be through traveling, camping or even just a walk down the road.  Our family, especially when I was younger would go camping frequently, we've nearly always had some form of camper that we would take out nearly every weekend to various locations around the state.   I never appreciated it then, but nature is great.

Kansas is great.  People generally have a name by association thing they do when they hear about Kansas.  We've got wheat, lots of it.  We have that famous or infamous depending from where you're at, Kansas vs. K-State rivalry, and a lot of other stuff that frankly I'm too tired to really make my mind remember at the moment. I'm sure though that you, the reader, probably have other things that you associate with Kansas...Oh and tornadoes, lots of those in the summer.  What I'm trying to get at, is that people, don't take the time out to really get to know a place.

When I was out in Pratt earlier this week, I stood on the edge of a stock pond at the KDWP and I couldn't believe how connected I felt to nature, probably more connected feeling that I have felt in a very long time.  I'm the type of person that I would probably change my major to marine biology just to be able to work with the state of Kansas and get to work hands on first glance with the land that I love.

This probably seems like a lame blog, but when I was thinking about it, it seriously sounded better in my head then what it turned out to be.  Nature is a wonderful thing that many people take for granted.  It'll always be there but many people never really get to experience it first hand.