My dad is a real big National Geographic junkie, and because of his bias influence, he has also gotten me slightly hooked. Today the new addtion came called "The Tallest Trees: Redwoods" and I was flipping through and saw this page titled "Human Limits" and was amazed by the informantion:
Body Heat: When core body temp. hits 107.6%, heatstroke can't be reversed and will prove fatal.
**OUR LIMIT: 107.6%**
Cold Water: Water saps body heat. You'd last barely 30 minutes in a 40 degrees F sea. Life vests buoy you up to slow eat lose.
**OUR LIMIT: 40 DEGREES**
Hot Air: in a burning building of deep mine adults can take 10 mins. at 300degrees F. Kids soon succumb in a 120 degree F car.
High Altitude: Consciousness fades for most. With bigging lungs and more red blood cells, highland dwellers are OK. **OUR LIMIT: 15,000feet**
Diving Deep: Without equipment, most folks black out before 2 mins, and below 60 feet. The best free diver made it to 282 ft. **OUR LIMIT: 282 ft**
Lack of oxygen: Typically, you'd pass out within 2 mins. With training, people can hold their breath nearly 11 mins! **OUR LIMIT: 11mins**
Blood Loss: You can survive after spilling 30 percent. At 40%, you'd need an immidiate transfusion. **OUR LIMIT: 40%**
Starvation: Lose 30% of body weight and death is imminent, thought disease will likely kill you before you starve. **OUR LIMIT: 45 days**
Dehydration: Every cell needs water. Replace the quart or so you lose daily, or you won't last much more than a week. **OUR LIMIT: 7 days**
Isn't that crazy? I think it is. Humans are amazing.
Just wanted to share this with you guys, Lauren ps~ I'M SEVENTEEN IN 18 HOURS!! but I'm going to be gone tomorrow for a school fieldtrip.
I just wrote my college essay for MSU and decided to share it with you. Here you gooooo.....
Now, picture this: You’re flying above south-eastern Michigan. As you float leisurely along, something catches your eye; it’s a rambunctious marching band, drumming, and tooting their way through a small downtown. Behind this procession of teenage musicians, you see a pageant of children, adults, and some older folks, all of who seem to have been transported through time from the Victorian age. A hundred people donned in knickers, suspenders, bonnets, extravagant gowns with intricate stitching, and elegant gloves up to their elbows, all smiling and flinging candy into the crowd of people up and down Main Street, but it doesn’t stop there. Men in vintage baseball uniforms strut down the road calling to the girls on the sidelines, while ladies in frilly dresses twirl their lacy umbrellas through the air, filling people’s noses with heavy floral scents. Next, a parade of circling unicycles and bicycles with wheels as tall as a man, honking their horns and smiling to the crowd who cheer with reckless abandon, whizzes down the street. Finally, a horse drawn carriage turns on to Main Street; it’s the moment everyone has been waiting for: as the carriage moves closer, the mayor’s head pops out. He grins and waves to the people on the street who whoop and yell and wave right back at him, the mayor of our little town, Northville. Now, rewind to the beginning of the parade and focus down on one local girl with uncontrollably curly hair and a leather jacket. She’s standing across from the library, in front of a family friend’s house in the same position she’s been in every year for the Victorian Festival since she was two; on her tip toes, leaning around other people on the street, eager to see the start of the parade. As the first members of the marching band turn the corner, her heart starts beating furiously with joy and pride for her small town. It’s the same every year; this wacky, small town celebration of her city’s heritage fuels her dedication and sense of community making her fall more in love with Northville with each passing townsperson. Every chance she gets, she gives back to Northville what she gets from it; an air tight sense of community and loving support. It has taught her how important dedication and support is to any successful relationship, whether it is between two people, or an entire town and one girl. And because of this, she brings her support and dedication to everything she takes part in. You’re probably wondering who this girl with passionate dedication and stubborn support is, and I’m here to tell you: she’s me, Lauren O’Brien.
I'm on a high right now; it's a natural high, I assure you. My body is humming with joy and my eyes are tearing up with happy tears. I want to scream at the top of my lungs that I love the world. The problem is, twenty minutes ago, I was crying sad, sad tears and thinking really sad thoughts. And earlier this morning, I couldn't stop smiling. It started to freak some people out. They'd look over at me and see me grinning and they'd ask why I was so happy, and then, five minutes later, I would be looking off into space, holding back tears and they wouldn't know what to say.
What's up with me?
I don't have an answer for you. Nothing particularly amazing or ghastly happened today. I learned some french and pre-calc and got some homework. Ate a satisfactory lunch, talked with some friends, nothing to complain about. But still, I can't control this roller coaster of emotions.
I got my monthly visitor two weeks ago, so it can't that. And I'm not pregnant, unless I've become the next Virgin Mary... And I'm definitely not into all those nasty energy drinks, so I'm not getting buzzed on those either. What else causes such extreme mood swings? I don't know, but if it doesn't stop soon, I'll have enough personal inspiration to write my very own story, "The Questionable Case of a Might-be-Bipolar".
I don't know if any of you have ever experienced the ugly, uncomfortableness of having a sty, but let me assure you, IT SUCKS!
Yesterday, my eye started itching and when I went to see what was wrong with it I was greeted by one HUGE sty on the top of my eye, all the way across the lid. It is so gross because even though I get them occasionally, I never get them on top of my eye, only below. But don't fret because not long after discovering that beauty, that hurt like hell by the way, the bottom of my eye started to hurt, and low and behold, I had ANOTHER big sty underneath my eye.
So now my eye is almost swollen all the way shut and itches and hurts.
I have been just lying down and pressing hot compress after hot compress onto them to stop the swelling. It better go away soon because school is four days away and I look like I got two huge unattractive bug bites that made me have an allergic reaction, it's not pretty. I can't wear makeup or make myself look good for the first day of school because of these two ugly bumps. I like to think of myself as not terribly vain, but come on, who wants to look gross on their first day of school? answer: NO ONE
So, I'm off to nurse my wounds and finish my AP English homework (boo for procrastination). And my family is going up north to my grandparents cottage today for labor day weekend.
<3 Lauren
PS ~ One is the loneliest number! (god, I love that song)
Little bird, little bird, little bird What do you hear? The clink of morning cheers Orange juice concentrate Crossword puzzles start to grade One across Four letter word, it's just not sitting
Little bird, little bird, little bird What do you see? A picture perfect scene Two toned lawns are manicured The gardens wearing haute couture
It's hiding something It's trying too hard Hiding something It's trying too hard
Little bird, little bird, little bird Where are they now? Day time TV lounge A carriage clock, a mantle piece A family wiped up, j cloth cleaned Unsaid, festers in the throws of the sofa
Little bird, little bird, little bird How are you feeling? Like ??? quarantine Pearly whites, touch down smile Haps and creases round the eyes
Tell tale, heart sail We smell rats in the kitchen Tell tale, heart sail We smell rats in the kitchen
Little bird, little bird, little bird What can we do? A think tank think rescue Simon says, etch a sketch Send a golden message only he would get Quickly now Cause this is not how it ends
Little bird, little bird, little bird (Little bird, little bird, little bird) Well I've got one more question (Little bird, little bird, little bird) And I swear I'll let it rest (Little bird, little bird, little bird) Well I've just one more question (Little bird, little bird, little bird) And I swear I'll let it rest
One more question I'll let it rest I swear I'll let it rest Got one more question (And I swear I'll let it rest) I've got one more question
Little bird, little bird, little bird Where have you gone?
She was here for five days, but it felt like five seconds. Despite the fact that it went by faster than I would have liked, we had a blast! Every time she comes up I realize how awesome she is and how we'll be best friends forever, no matter how long we go without seeing each other. My dad took pictures of us on her last day here so when he picks out the best one, I will put it up on here.
I'm trying to get inspired here, to write something of interest, but nothing is happening...
I can say that I'm kind of sad no one has said anything to me about my This I Believe because I honestly need help with it...
I've been slightly depressed these last two days, and I don't know if it has to do with Cassi leaving, or school starting or what but it is really bringing me down...I sometimes just start to cry,which is really out of character for me because I hate crying, especially in front of someone. I guess no one really likes to be seen crying, but when I am caught, which I assure you does not happen often, I get really nasty and mean, which in turn makes me more depressed or sad. I sometimes hate how average I am. I mean I am smart, but not brilliant, I'm O.K. looking, but not beautiful, I sing good, but not great, I live in a small upper class town and will go to a nice college where I will get a degree in business or something along those lines. Even my name is ordinary, Lauren Racheal (yes, that is how I spell it) O'Brien. Go ahead and search me, YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME! That is how ordinary I am, my name is so common hundreds of people have it....I just found 24 people on twitter who have my name, and I am talking to them right now. Whenever people talk about my sister and I and what they see us doing when we're older they say (and this is a direct quote from my mother) "Darbi, I see you becoming famous and discovering something big. Lauren, I see you working hard at your job and taking care of your family." Yep. that is what she said. I never told her that I loathed what she said or that it wouldn't be that way because I believe it. That is just how my life is going to go, and it sucks.
I feel lonely. My sister has had her group of three that she's known her whole life and has been hanging out with them or her boyfriend everyday this summer. (another depressing thought: Darbi who is 2 years younger than me has had a boyfriend for the past 5 months, and this isn't her first. while I haven't had anything resembling a boyfriend besides Peter, which doesn't count) Both my parents are extremely busy with work recently so they don't have time for me either. My only close friend in town has volleyball or babysitting every hour of every day. So I'm by myself, ranting to you in a rediculously cliche-teenage-everything-is-about-me kind of way. It sickens me.
I'm sorry for this really uninspiring post, Lauren PS~ I decided I don't like my pen name (humming sue) so I don't think I'll use it anymore.
Over the summer I had to write a "This I Believe" (you know, like the ones on NPR. Here's the website if you want to check it out, it's pretty cool: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138 ) for my AP English class. They have to be about something I believe in as a person (obviously) and has to be 350 to 500 words long. I've been going over a few different options in my head and wrote a couple out. This one is my favorite, but I feel like it still needs a lot of work...If you are good with grammar, or enjoy reading senior papers, or just want to know what I believe in, PLEASE read it and if you find any mistakes at all, TELL ME! Even if it's just to say that you think this is crap and I should rewrite or it's not focused enough, I don't care how mean you get, because I want to get an A on this paper. Thanks! Oh! and I need a title for it too, so if you think of anything catchy that would fit this, please let me know...
TITLE IN PROGRESS
You could say me and Change have had a pretty rocky relationship, one headed down a very steep, very threatening hill.
Since I was small, the mere thought of Change terrified me. At night I would cry for my dad to come quickly– not to check for the Boogeyman in my closet, or a monster hiding under my bed, but to assure me that he wouldn’t spontaneously decide to quit his job and move my family of four to a foreign town in a far away country where I would have to learn a completely new routine and way of life. My irrational fear affected every part of my daily routine, from eating the same lunch I pack everyday – a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with some juice and an apple, to the route I took from class to class.
I avoided Change at all costs; this just seemed to encourage him to chase after me. When my parents told me we were moving three miles away at the end of my fourth grade year, I almost had a panic attack. Three miles away from all that I knew?! How would I survive?! No matter how much I protested, my house was packed and ready to go when the movers arrived.
I hated my new house with its big rooms and new neighborhood for two whole years after the move. Life went on, I adjusted and finally “the new house” became just “the house”. I met my best friend, Cassi, who lived in the house across the street. We were inseparable and I depended on her friendship heavily, but three years later, Change found me again. Cassi was moving 1,500 miles away the summer before our freshman year of high school. I screamed, I cried, I cursed and shook my fist at Change, but he didn’t seem to care. This was the lowest point in our relationship.
So, faster that I would have liked, Cassi was five states away and I had two weeks until I started high school, virtually by myself. I refused to let Change make me suffer, so I charged into high school, back straight and looking confident, even though I wasn’t remotely ready. Now, four years later, I don’t have to fake my confidence, or my independence. And that’s not the only thing that’s different: I believe in Change, one hundred percent. You may ask: how is that even possible?! And I will answer simply: without Change, I wouldn’t have grown as a person, I wouldn’t have met my best friend, experienced new situations that I have grown to love, or have gained so much confidence in myself to over come the obstacles Change throws at me. Now, as I prepare for college, another big Change, I smile and say “Bring it on!” because even after everything that has happened to me, I believe in Change.
There you go. I'm not overly fond of the ending; I wanted to say something about how everyone needs change and your life will suck if you don't trust him, but I just didn't know where to put it. What do you think of me capitalizing Change and calling it 'him' because I don't know how I feel about that either? Thank you all who read and comment this, if any!
"Humming Sue" originated from my best friend and I's crazy adventures on our eigth grade bus. Her name was Hopping Duck. Here's the song inspired by my name: "HUmming Sue, Humming Sue.
If you like her, then she'll like you.
Mhmmf mfhsfh Tree!, Mhmmf mfhsfh Knee!
(I sorta forget the lyrics for the second line. Give me a break, I mean it was four years ago!)
