Saturday, January 31, 2009

clone wars

Today was pretty good. Me and the parents went to the temple and then out to eat at pappasitos (sp?) which was pretty good. Then it was home to watch BYU kill Wyoming at the Marriot-way good game, esp. for Fredette-man that guy was on fire! Watching the game with my dad and mom present is always bound to be quite entertaining between my dad yelling at the consistant "eh" members of the team and praising Fredette and cummard etc. Of course meanwhile mom is telling me which ones are dateable depending on how good they are-so dad will like them. (of course i'm joking mom-cause i know you'll read this and comment saying you were just joking)
all and all it was quite amusing, except for the fact that I have this killer tight/knot thing in my neck/shoulder and I can't really make sudden movements without it acting up, sheesh....i don't care if they're real doctors or not I need a chiropractor (sp?). whatever will get me loosened up. What else.... o yea!
So I received quite the shock when I logged on to facebook to see:
"Whitney richards is in a relationship" Instantly I thought it was some kind of prank=someone logged onto my account somehow and changed it to give me a scare (because as we all know- once it's on facebook it's the real deal). But no, i discovered that I have a clone on facebook-she's slightly older and I don't know much else, but it will be easy to tell us apart-further motivation to stay single to make it easier for all of you 8)
Well, I start my new job on Monday-woohoo! it'll be interesting to have something to do all day long-and it will help me stay awake after early morning scripture study with the fam and have plenty of time for my personal study. Structure is my friend at this point.
And...um...I know that you all have much busier lives than me at this point but please make efforts to write in your blogs-with some of you it's the only contact I've got!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

great way to meet the day



this one?

or this one?

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

high blue blood pressure

Oh man...here it comes, here comes the ulcer-not sure what's bringing it on, the fact that I've managed to eat out everyday-none of it planned by me, or the killer game I just watched. GEEZ!!! ARGH!
sigh
so it was an amazing game and pretty much the whole time we were on top of the "running utes" (this mascot/title bugs me more and more-fine, we're now the ....growling cougars, look, we can do it to but anyway...) and we went into overtime and it was even tic for tac until around a minute left and they pulled away and there were some dumb mistakes on our part and they won it. If only Tavenari (sp?) was on his game the whole time and not just the end, and if only Miles could make his free throws. O well, it was a good game/very intense/entertaining and evenly matched.
I need to watch some everwood or something to calm me down so i can sleep.

In other news I seemed to make some headway on Claire de Lune (learning it on the piano) and got the new fallout boy cd-not bad...each album is that much more different-it's just so different from where they started and I'm curious if they really are wanting to or if corporate is controlling the strings...also curious if they still are writing everything etc....would help me accept their new styles easier.
I seemed to have a governmental theme going today: watched Breach and Gaurding Tess-both FBI/CIA type stuff. man...and that guy in breach really looked a lot like him-I guess now he knows he can have a future in hollywood.
g'night
wow.....a year and a half makes a difference huh?

Monday, January 26, 2009

what happened that day

I miss it. I miss it really bad...and I can't decide what exactly I miss-pin it down but I know I do. It's like this annoying nagging thought that is just distantly in the back of my mind but every now and then it comes to the fore front and my heart aches.
It's just hard imagining doing something that would bring as much joy as that brought me...so what does that mean-i have to lower my standards of joy that i wanna feel? sadly no, it means i can't be lazy or slack off but work harder than ever before to find ways to serve and get that same joy- atleast before I was ignorant of it and had somewhat bliss, but now i know better and can't go back.
transitions are fun.
I told my fam the "story" that everyone was freaking out about so I guess I'll just write it down here though it's much easier to tell so I don't know if it'll be undertsandable.
a long story short we were attacked while knocking in Rostov. Now it's not as bad as it sounds. Basically this crazy guy started yelling at us and so we crossed the street and started walking back the way we had come cause there were some taxi drivers having a break and the guy followed us and my comp looked back and said: oh my gosh he's running after us, we better run. So she took off and I couldn't just stand there so I ran the best I could after her (terrible shoes-remind me to sue sister missionary mall-NOT GOOD if you go to a DANGEROUS mission-you need tennis shoes made to look like dress shoes, but anyway)
so we're running and this guy is amazingly fast and quickly catches up with me-i heard him close behind me and thought of all those movies you see when a guy is chasing a girl and wondering/just waiting what would happen next-i didnt' remember what normally happened in those movies...prolly some hidden hero came bounding out and saved them, but anyway I don't really know what happened but apparently my comp later told me that she looked back and said he grabbed me/picked me up or something cause my feet weren't touching the ground and then dropped me/pushed me, something-anyway, i was down-all too fast to realize what happened and he continued after her (the whole time he's yelling at us to stop and asking who we are etc) so my comp knows he'll catch up with her so she whirls around and yells at him (in english) don't you dare touch me-pointing her finger at him and he grabs her wrist and whirls her around pulling her to the ground and goes down with her. by this time I had gotten up and ran after him and started yelling at him to get off her-luckily by running we were close to where the taxi drivers heard and came over and got them up-not that he was even trying to do anything once he pulled her down, just holding her wrist (i told ya-crazy) meanwhile she's scratching the heck out of his hand causing him to bleed and they finally get him to let go. By this time the adrenaline or a lil shock or something was starting to get to me and it was hard to breathe and I started to cry but my comp was great and explained the situation to them and they told us to go home and that they'd keep the guy away from us.
We weren't hurt at all-barely any scratches and walked home-the only fall out being that we didn't return to this area to knock-which is sad cause it was such a big area, and for a few days we felt really vulnerable/nervous in the evenings-this happened around dusk.
No biggie tho-just filled out an incident report and that was that.

hahahahaha, man just the irony hit me- i'm sitting here feeling homesick for all that....what you've expected all a long is true-i'm crazy.
sigh....either way i miss all of it and def feel like i left a lil part of me in russia and i can def feel the hole it left.
o well, shant dwell, it'll pass-it'll get easier when i start working
I remember we were talking with sister cameron once in the office and she had read an article in the new era or something about sister missionaries in georgia that wrote how it was so hard but then she read scriptures about alma and the sons of mosiah and all the deprevations they went through etc and then she said, well at least i haven't been beaten, put into prison etc, and sister cameron was so funny-she got so mad and emotional saying: i want to write them a letter, write that sister a letter saying: you don't know what hard is- i know missionaries who go out and get spit on, beat, put in prison and they still go out everyday smiling and trying to share the gospel. etc she then commented on a recently returned missionary that wrote her saying how much he missed all the persecution-it let him know that what he was doing was right/reinforced that he was on the right track, and now it was too easy/easy to get lazy etc. I kinda understand that now. There is a quiet satisfaction in the back of your mind when you're getting persecute knowing for what name you're enduring it etc, knowing that someday it'll all be made right and learning how to feel charity for them anyway-seeing how God sees etc...
without all that tension etc...it's easy to become weak/without the opposing forces etc. Have to find the way to actively work these muscles.
man I love my mission-always did, but didnt' know how much til it was gone.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

"she finally did it.....she's a basket weaver"

What a great day!
So Sara and Justin came and it was great to see them 8) then at church allison and her fam also came so that was cool. Me and mom gave talks and it went well-I was really happy that my prayers were answered and once I was up there I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be and it was actually sort of enjoyable-i know crazy.
In Relief Society sister Pabst did the lesson on hope and it was SUCH a great lesson-really felt the spirit strong and it was really interesting to think about. I love her so much-was such a great leader and has such a fun energy that just makes everyone around her feel like they're important and interesting so naturally everyone loves being around her.
we played rook tonight and were slaughtered-the highlight being that i picked the music we listened to as we played and i felt like a kid in a candy shop with all these Moжнo cds. I picked Les Mes, Guys and Dolls, Pirates of Pinzans, a mix cd of piano sonatas etc, and...billy joel. It was a good night 8)
I also called the grandparents and checked in which was good. I must say I love that my grandparents aren't huge phone talkers-if you know anything about the richards' family you know this is genetic and was passed on (esp. to dad and eric) I can talk if it's the right person, but normally you won't find me on the phone chatting for hours. If I've ever talked with whoever is reading this for more than an hour-don't worry, it means I was sincerely interested seeing as if I wasn't I'd never engage in more than a five minute conversation etc.
We watched errand of angels. I good movie-at least more realistic than the best two years but I kept thinking they were trying to make it look like it was being filmed in the early 90s or something....maybe that's just their style today...shrug...
*yawn* I think I'm gonna hit the hay.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

serious hops

The highlights of today would be the cougar win against SDSU at the marriott-whoot whoot!
funniest quote during the game: I said: "dang, he's got serious hops" and my dad laughed and said:"wow whit, you've got the lingo down" (hate to break it to ya dad, but I didn't learn that phrase from sports, but just living in houston, haha).
What else....accompanied dad on errand run which was quite amusing watching him haul around shingles for the roof and huffing and puffing like crazy when it looked so light.
I took a walk down memory lane and babysat a friend's kid-he was so cute! I forgot how much fun babysitting was.
So tomorrow is the day-the day I give my homecoming talk and get to see sara and justin! abviously the second part of that excites me more than the first 8)
I talked to Heather yesterday which was fun. Ben had given her advice that she was not allowed to ask the question: how was the mission? Advice that I was very appreciative for-don't get me wrong, the sentiment is nice but what a terrible question. It's kinda like when you ask people how it's going and they say good without thinking/not sincere, because to really get into how the mission was takes time and lots of stories to cover the good and bad and when people ask this question they're not waiting around for a long answer. It's just one of those things that's really hard to explain and it was such a deep and life-altering experience it annoys me to just answer: good, great, i loved it-just doesn't do it justice and i feel fake.
so anywho, plus....everyone asks this question so the repitition doesn't help it either.
But tomorrow will be good cause I can talk about the mission and different miracles and insights that I learned through my experiences etc.
Mom and steve are speaking too so it'll be a richards' special

Friday, January 23, 2009

August Rush

Oh MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

K, I dunno if any of you out there have seen this movie or even heard of it but it's basicaly amAzing. This movie critic is giving it two thumbs way way up. Amazing music! never heard someone play the guitar in such a unique way-so cool and there's a cute young irish guy who sings (this is obviously a big plus to the ladies) and just the whole plot of the story....I love it!
I won't lie, i got a lil teary towards the end-was just so good 8)
man what a feel good movie-just fills your soul right up with warm fuzzies, sigh....
go see it and if you have already...then sit down and see it again.
it's just...you know the whole soulmate theory right? and if we had movies that were our soul mates then this would be in the top 5.

Thanks to Alan's help I found "demon" by guster-such a good song! also, recommend it to those who haven't heard it.

My words confuse you
My eyes don’t move a blink
Cause it’s easier sometimes
Not to be sincere
Somehow I make you believe Believe

When I speak I cross my fingers
Will you know you’ve been deceived?
I find a need to be the demon
A demon cannot be hurt

Honest is easy
Fiction is where genius lies
Cause it’s easier sometimes
Not to be involved
Somehow I make you believe
Believe

When I speak I cross my fingers
Will you know you’ve been deceived?
I find a need to be the demon
A demon cannot be hurt

ouch, i'm gonna pay for this tomorrow when I have to wake up at 5 a.m.
won't be pretty.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

decisions...phoo!

I have a dilema....I know I know, I made it a week back before having one of these-it's a record!
so the dilema....well....it's not full blown yet cause there's still some unknowns but basically I may have to choose between two really good job offers. Frankly, this is unheard of for me-normally I will stoop to any low to get a job and take what ever I can finally get, but after minimal effort on my part I have two possibilities: a local music store (as in instruments, sheet music etc, with the possibility of using my russian once a month for regular russian customers,) and the other working for a member in my ward as a secretary full time (the other would be full time too)
I've always wanted to have that classy/secretary type job, just sitting, answering the phone, etc....but the music store has a way cool atmosphere and it's stuff that I like-would be interesting to me....argh....
o well, guess i'll have to wait to hear the offers before I dwell too much.
The transition is going...the only thing that I REALLY miss (other than the teaching/testifying part) is just hearing russian all around me and just getting to listen to it and understand/feel good about that, and improve my listening comprehension with little to no effort on my part.
Sorry but you all will have to learn some key russian phrases cause I will always use them and I don't want to have to reexplain every time so:
ahem,
1. "moe-shnuh" means is it allowed/can I
2. "neel-zyah" means prohibited/not allowed
3. "vob-shay" means in general/generally
4. "law-dnuh" means ok/whatever
5. "clas-nuh" means cool/classic
6. "kroo-tuh" means cool
7. "da-vie" means come on/ let's go/just do it
8. "vote" means behold, look, ya see, etc
That'll do for now-I want you practicin' studyin' so when we chat I can use these words and you won't have any questions 8)
by the way sara-invite me to view your blog or whatever, i can't read it yet....
I'll put up pics eventually-man my computer is so slow now, all loaded down with thousands of pictures sheesh.
pakah pakah (bye )

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

вот

привет!

yes, i figured that I needed a new page, new blog, new beginning. I can't believe that I'm already home a week-man time flies, somehow even faster than time flew on the mission which was insanely fast. I was in russia (krasnodar, taganrog, rostov, estonia, and volgograd) this past year and a half serving as a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was an unforgettable experience full of great, happy, sad, and hard times. I learned so much, not to mention a lil russian and am sadly home trying to move on with my life and get a job etc (i know how boring!) seriously the thought that I prolly won't get yelled at today or have a decent adrenaline rush is pretty depressing but I'll just have to make my own adventures here.
atleast I got to see the fam this week and may post pics of that, though i know mom will post stuff on her blog no matter what.
I just made a CRAZY realization. So I talked to amanda tonight-it was great! and we'll chat more later but I realized that we will all be able to be there for her wedding-actually in the temple, all of us....tho i'm one of the select few that aren't married 8) cool feeling, cool feeling (and i'm not being sarcastic-i'm serious about that).
anyway, it's bound to be a special experience.
can't wait to see sara and justin this weekend-man it'll be so weird!
coming home from the mish is kinda eery cause everything looks the same, but in all reality everything is totally different and atleast you feel totally different-like you have a different relationship to things and people then before.
def. an interesting transition....