Binoculars

This family has a thing about binoculars. We can't leave the house without someone shouting out, "Do we have the binoculars?" or, "Where are the binoculars?" We, and I say this loosely because I never use the binoculars, seem to be obsessed with seeing things at 5x zoom, or whatever it is binoculars are. I don't use them because I'm fine seeing things from a normal distance, plus its like, so lame to use them. And I've learned the hard way that when I pick up a pair of binoculars, someone is always around with the camera. They wait until I look my best and then snap a picture that will appear on every piece of paper that our family owns.

Here I made the mistake of using them on Maui:

But this picture wasn't bad enough, I guess it wasn't quite blackmail material, so they had to put Veronica in there and snap another.

Anyone in this family will have seen this picture before. In fact, anyone in the state of Hawaii will have seen it. Actually, maybe anyone in the western United States and parts of the Midwest will have seen it. I even think it's been posted on here before, (but I don't know how to do links so you'll have to look for yourselves.) Mom and dad think its hilarious, and so they send it to everyone they know, and everyone they knows' neighbor. I find it slightly less amusing.
But I do wonder, how I managed to stay in the exact same position long enough, for Veronica to move in and pose? It must have been something really important that I was looking at. It was probably boys on the beach some rare animal that only shows itself every four years on the tenth day of April. Yeah, that's what it was. A rare animal. Yeah.

But whatever it was, it wasn't enough to put me off binoculars forever, unfortunately. Because about three days later I was duped into picking a pair up again.

Of course, this time I'm looking at whales, yeah it was whales I remember, and definitely not the boat of lifeguard trainees passing.

This time, I learned though. The experience taught me to never look through binoculars again, at least not when a camera is nearby. I may find myself squinting a lot, but I get by just fine. However, the rest of the family....well they're still obsessed. Poor souls.

They're always prepared. Just in case they need to whip those binoculars up to their eyes.

It consumes them. Once they start looking they just can't stop.

It's sad isn't it? I'm so thankful that I understood the dangers of over-binocular use early in my life and so will not spend the rest of it thinking how much better the current view would be if it were 5x larger.

And of course, I don't look nearly as silly as they do. Nope, through every situation I retain my coolness and my true personality shines through, unhampered by binoculars.

Time...

is a pretty funny thing. It made Alex and me into more sophisticated adults, advanced me through school, and now it seems changes beautiful things into even more beautiful things.

Let me explain. My family has this thing for visiting Mount Lassen. About once a month, we all pile into the truck and head off to the mountain for some "fun". Mom and dad usually enjoy themselves immensely, and me, well, I let them enjoy themselves immensely while I sit in the backseat turning up the volume on my ipod. However, after I started my photography class, things got a little different. I actually wanted to go up the mountain and take pictures. Now don't get me wrong here, I still sat in the backseat and turned up the volume on my ipod, that will never change, but now I actually had a purpose for being up there: to take pictures! The funny thing is though, that I seem to be getting the same picture a couple of times because, well, we go to the same spots over and over again.

So, last spring we went to Burny Falls:

And this summer we went to Burney Falls:

And now this fall we have....gone to Burney Falls!

I'm really starting to sense a patter here. I just can't wait until is snows and then I will have all four seasons! Woohoo! Yayness. how exciting.....

You guys should all come visit, we know this great place on Mount Lassen, we'll have to take you there.....

The Poem Lying on the Grass

I stopped to watch the world go past,

And found a poem upon the grass.

"Pick me up!" it called to me,

In words of prose and poetry.

I picked it up and held it fast.

"At last!" it cried, "At last, at last!

A bosom close to hold to me,

And share its store of misery.

"My fingers clutched this simple toy,

And spirit filled with boundless joy,

As I observed the human race,

Go past at such a frantic pace.

"Take me to the shining sea,

That I may rhyme more prettily,

And catch the muse of setting sun--"

The poem begged, and made me run.

I hastened after sea and sun,

But wondered where could be the fun,

Of rhyming in a better way,

Tomorrow than in yesterday.

"To the forest!" cried the poem,

"I'll make you feel right at home!"

But all I felt was just the breeze,

As I collapsed beneath the trees.

"It's no use running anyhow,"I said,

"You rhyme no better now."

"Then leave," it sighed, "me on the grass,

To call to those who hurry past..."

Sorry. My Bad.

Wow. Can you believe how long it has been since I posted last. Well, maybe you can, but I sure can't. And I know how you were all haunting my blog, waiting, hoping that today would be the day that I would return to you, so don't try to hide it. I know you were. Weren't you? Even maybe just a little bit? I thought so.

So.....what an interesting time it has been!

I received my final study abroad package.

I had my Girl's State interview. (which went extremely well by the way)

Alex spent Thanksgiving with us.

And....I guess that's all, but really, isn't that enough?

So since Alex and myself were together for one whole week, I'm sure you can guess we got up to some pretty interesting things. My camera went into a state of shock, it hasn't been used that much in ages.

We thought this was pretty cool. You see we took the first one on Maui, and thought ourselves very cute and clever.

Our official title is "What the .... is that?" As you can see, Alex is much better at looking confused than I am. Probably because I always look confused and so changed my facial muscles to what I imagine confused might look like, but instead get a normal look. Its my burden to bear. Or is it?

LOOK! I'm getting better! There I look slightly confused! Right? I mean, you have to see the confusion there. I hope. Maybe by the time I'm twenty-six, I'll be able to.

Did you notice something else in these pictures? Like, how much older (and stylish) we look.

Look how little we were a year ago~

The little, unstylish us:

The new and improved, amazingly beautiful us:

I think time has been our friend. Let's just hope the pattern continues!