#11

#11, go skydiving, is another one on THE LIST that I have already done (I had to give myself some sort of head start!) It was also another thing on THE LIST that scared the heck out of me.  A) I hate heights. B) I hate flying.  So why would I think it was a good idea to jump out of an airplane?  Well, I wasn't totally convinced that it was a good idea, not at all.  I registered to go skydiving as a surprise for Ollie, he had always always wanted to go, and it was an experience I wanted to share with him.  I've also heard that once you get over the fear of the experience, that it is truly amazing.

(Ollie and I right after we landed)

We went up to sky dive new england in Maine, signed in, and were authorized to jump!  We watched a brief video, not on skydiving safety, but about how we were essentially signing our life away and couldn't sue them if we died.  After which we had to sign a 10 page document saying that in the event of our deaths we, or any of our offspring, are unable to sue the company.  It was all very reassuring.

After that we sat around.  For about 2 hours.  Waiting, and thinking about what we were about to do.  I started to panic.  Right before we went up in the plane we met the people we would be jumping with (we were jumping tandem so there was someone on our backs). Ollie go this crazy italian hunk with a strong accent.  I got a long haired hippie who never wore shoes.  My panic increased.

Then we got in the plane.  I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  I told my tandem partner that no matter what, he was to physically push me out of the plane (once you get in the plane there are no refunds!) He happily agreed.  

About 10 minutes after takeoff my partner told me to look out the window, saying we were at 7,000 feet.  I thought I was going to vomit.  Then he laughed and said "we're only halfway up".  He had a sick sense of humor. In the midst of my panic attack I realized that Ollie was going to be the first one to jump out of the plane.  I immediately began to think that if he died, his mother would absolutely murder me.  And then before I knew it he was gone.  I considered not jumping out of the plane, having it land, and I could just pretend I had jumped.  But the moment had come.

Standing on the edge of the plane I have never been so terrified in my entire life.  I was convinced I would hit the propellers, or my chute wouldn't open.  And before I could say "DEAR GOD STOP! GET BACK IN THE PLANE!" we jumped.  

I was fully prepared to hate the experience.  I was convinced that for the 60 second free fall I would have to close my eyes, and slowly count until it was over and my chute was deployed.  The free fall turned out to be the best part.  It was the closest you can get to flying.  YOu are completely weightless soaring through the air at 14,000.  It was a totally indescribable feeling. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Needless to say,Ollie and I both survived the jump, and were completely elated.  It is an indescribable high, adrenaline coursing through your veins.  I hit the ground laughing and launched myself into Ollie's arms.  We had survived.  And better yet, we had fun.  A lot of fun.  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  And I'm happy I surprised it to boot.


We didn't tell a soul about what we were doing.  We didn't want our mother's (particularly Ollie's) to freak out and assume the worst.  After jumping we went to our mother's house to show them the videos (people with video recorders on their helmet jumped with us taping the whole experience).  As expected they were completely shocked, and also, very happy that we survived :)

#4

I don't know what you all did today, but I saved lives.  Yup, I, along with my side-kick Alehson, saved 3 lives today.  It was a total super hero moment, minus the awesome spandex outfits and the secret identities. Regardless, not only was I able to save three lives, but I was also able to cross #4 off the list...donate blood!


#4 on my list is one of the items that actually scared me.  I hate needles.  Always have since I was a kid.  I'm not too big on blood either.  But I am rational enough to know that the benefits of giving blood outweigh the terror/brief pain associated with the process.  So, you may be asking yourself "why put it on your list if you hate needles?"  Well, a very smart woman, Eleanor Roosevelt,once said that "you should do one thing that scares you every day."  Well today I did, and it actually felt pretty good.


However, itt was terrifying.  Absolutely terrifying.  But...and I can already see my mom rolling her eyes at this since on the drive over to the blood drive she told me "man up, you've always been one of those kids who cries before getting shots and then says 'oh, it wasn't so bad' after"...it wasn't so bad.  The worst part was the finger prick, well, the worst part was the psyching myself out almost to the point of blacking out, but pin wise, the finger prick to test for iron was the worst.


I showed up promptly at 2:30 for my appointment and Aley wasn't there yet, the panic began to set in.  After signing in and reading all the required materials Aley showed up and was able to console me briefly before I was taken behind the styrofoam patrician and asked a million and one questions about my medical history.  After going over all my information I was left behind the patrician to finish the survey, after which I was told to flip the sign hanging over the wall to "ready".  I did as I was told.  Flipped the sign and then sat back down.  As I sat down I somehow managed to knock my patrician over, which knocked over the patrician behind it, which knocked over the patrician behind it, which revealed a very startled individual completing their survey.  I was humiliated.  The nurses actually clapped for me, and for the remainder of the blood donation I was constantly asked "OMG! Were you the girl who knocked down all the walls?" Yup.  That was me.  Moving on now.

This is the photo Aley took of me shortly before the needle prick.  This is my terrified/hyperventilating/they just made me chug a can of cranberry juice so I kind of have to pee face.  This was also right before I broke into manic laughter that produced tears streaming down my face.

I must say, the needle prick wasn't that awful.  It was more scary than painful.  I probably hurt Aley's hand more than my arm was hurt by the donation process. It was also a good excuse to catch up with Alehson who I don't see enough, I didn't stop my nervous chatter until the needle was safely put away.  I did feel a little woozy afterwards, but overall, the donation process went very smoothly, and (almost) painlessly. 

So, the moral of the story is, give blood, save lives, and do things that scare you.  And, as a bonus I got an awesome sticker (see below)

#14

#14 on THE LIST is enter an eating contest...this is one of the ones on the list that I have already done.  This summer I thought it would be a really good idea to enter an eating contest Man v. Food style (for those of you who don't know Man v. Food is a tv show where this guy travels around the country doing different food challenges). I wanted to do JP's eatery challenge in Durham NH, where you need to eat 15 sliders, a large fry and a milkshake in an hour...I'm pretty convinced I could have successfully finished this challenge...although my little brother Charlie has tried and failed the slapshot challenge before...I had a strategy and everything.


Anyway, Ollie convinced me that if I tried to eat all that I would vomit everywhere.  So I settled on a a local food challenge that wouldn't include me having to eat about 10 lbs worth of food.  Around the corner from our apt. is a wing joint called wing-itz and they have the "el diablo challenge".  NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT THE EL DIABLO CHALLENGE, YOU WILL DIE.  The challenge is that you have to eat 10 of the restaurant's el diablo wings in 10 minutes, no drinks, no blue cheese, and no wiping your hands.  I wasn't worried about the time restraint, I can house wings, it was the spice I was afraid of.


I should have known from the second I signed up for the challenge and the waitress said, "wait, really? are you crazy?" that I was pretty much doomed.  I figured I wouldn't be successful, so I set my sights a little lower, and decided that I wanted to finish at least 5 wings in the 10 minutes.  Pipe dream.


One bight into the first wing and my eyes were watering, about 10 seconds later and tears were streaming down my face.  My second bite in and my lips were burning and swelling.  I finished the first wing with puffy Angelina Jolie lips crying my eyes out.  I didn't proceed to wing number 2.  I did however run to the bathroom and puke.  I think I would have been better off with the sliders.  Much better.


Ollie thought this was all absolutely hilarious, however he was nice enough to pay for the meal while I was in the bathroom puking up fire.  I however was determined to prove that I wasn't a total wimp and that the wings were actually coated in liquid fire, so I brought them into work for the boys to cry.  I felt better that at least 3 of the guys started once they made contact with the wing, apparently this is a knee-jerk reaction to ghost peppers (the hottest pepper in the world BY THE WAY).  And one or two were even sporting Jolie lips after their wing too.

So, this challenge was a complete and utter failure, however it is certainly something I will never forget, and one hell of a story.

THANK YOU!!!

I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who read the blog and donated today.  It truly means so much to me.  In a little more than 8 hours over $200 has been raised for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. I am already 40% of the way to my goal of $500!!!! I am so overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who has donated.  As my cousin Kelly said "We will beat cancer--it won't beat us!" Thank you again so so much for donating, and remember to share the link with your friends in case they want to donate too!


http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/whitneyduprey/amma


Amma <3


A very special thanks to Kelly, Molly, Lindsay, Kimmy, Kirsty, Liz, Carley, Caroline and Frederick, Sarah, and Shelagh for their generous donations.

#5...and #25

So...I've decided to combine my efforts and kill two birds with one stone (so to speak).  While I train for my half marathon (which I am hating every second of by the way) I will also be raising money for a charity I care about.  I have decided to run my half marathon in memory of my grandmother Amma, and all the money I raise will be donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA where Amma was treated for her skin cancer.

Amma was one of my most favorite people in the entire world.  She has the most infectious personality, if she was happy (and she almost always was) you couldn't help but be happy too.  She loved scratch tickets,the sun, bright colors, the sun, summers at Chatauqua, the sun, her children and grand children, and the sun.  

Amma passed away in September 2010 after her battle with skin cancer (did I mention that she loved the sun?)  She was diagnosed Dana Farber Cancer Institute, after a year of being misdiagnosed by other doctors.  I am raising money for Dana Farber to help fund their search for a cure for cancer. 

It is my goal to raise $500 for Dana Farber by race day (May 6th).  You can donate by visiting my fund raising page (http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/whitneyduprey/amma).  I am asking for a donation of $13 (as that is how many miles I will be attempting to run!).  However any and all donations are accepted and appreciated.  I plan on implementing other fund raising tactics, but this is all I have for now.  Please take the time to visit the site, donate, and share with your friends!

I think of Amma (and her husband Buckeye!) almost everyday.  I see her in everything.  My co-worker's bright pink scarf.  The egg-in-the-hole I make for breakfast.  The hummingbird outside of my mother's window.  The bunny in the garden.

Please consider donating!

Going Dark

I'm joining the movement and blacking out for 24 hours...no I don't mean in a "Saturday night freshman year of college" kind of way.  I'm joining wikipedia, google, craigslist, findinggravity.com, and a myriad of other websites in their pursuit of internet freedom.  The SOPA and PIPA in the congress and senate are a direct threat to the free and open internet.  Although they were created to battle piracy (no-not Jack Sparrow) they have the ability to censor millions of Americans on the internet.  DIS IS NOT OKAY!  Wouldn't you just die if your ability to read my inspiring words each day was taken away?  I know you would.  So, join the movement, blackout, support the stopping of the SOPA and PIPA laws, and fear not, the pretty blog will be back tomorrow :)

New Look

Ahhh I see you've noticed the blog's new look (really, how could you miss it?)  Honestly, I was just really jealous of my friend Carley's blog (http://findingravity.com)  and how awesome it looked.  P.S. Carley, good luck ever getting me to admit being jealous of you again....cuz it aint gonna happen (I can actually see my mother shuddering at that last sentence-sorry mum!)  Seriously though, her blog is pretty cool and you should head over there and check it out!  Anywhoooo, if you're digging the blog's new look (and I know you are) feel free to "follow" it officially!  It's super easy, just click the follow button (there may be a litttttle bit more to it than that-but come one, what else do you have to do?)  I've got to admit I'm having a lot of fun watching the "page view" counter at the bottom of the page climb-but I'd love to know who it is who is viewing!  Seriously...follow me...you know you wanna....

#6

#6....stay up all night.  I've got to admit, I've already done this one (several times!)  But my favorite stay-up-all-night experience had to be with my roommates (+ Leslie) senior year of college.


It was during senior week and a couple of days before graduation, and it was the night of something called "the last chance dance".  This was a seniors only dance, and the theory is that its your last chance to kiss that person you've always wanted to kiss since graduation was only a few days away.


We had a great time pregaming for the dance, and at the dance itself.  Then we got the great idea to stay up all night and watch the sunrise, which at that point in the night was easier said than done.  I'm pretty sure that at one point Sara somehow produced a scooter and was riding around our dorm room on it in her PJs and her graduation cap.  Needless to say, it was an interesting night.

Somehow we made it to sunrise with out anyone falling asleep, or dying.  We all went to the quad to sit by the statue and watch the sunrise.  And it was an epic fail.   It was so cloudy that the sunrise was blocked and you couldn't see a thing.  Ever since, we've referred to it as "the night we watched the clouds get brighter".  The sunrise was lackluster, but it was one of the most fun nights of my life.

#5

#5....run a half marathon...already I don't know what I was thinking when I added this to the list.  If you know me at all you know I hate running.  Hate it.  Always have.  woof.  So why would I put anything having to do with running on my life to-do list?  Still not entirely sure?  I've heard that after completing a marathon the sense of accomplishment is overwhelming.  There's no way I'm running a full marathon, so I figured a half marathon would be a nice compromise.  Hopefully I don't get only half the sense of accomplishment.

I also like the idea of having such a long term goal.  Generally speaking I'm not very good at sticking with things.  Some may call me flighty, I prefer to think of it as an ability to like every idea that I have.  Ya, that works.  Anyway.  I've chosen a half marathon (that's half the battle right?) to run.  It is the Wallis Sands Half Marathon on May 6th.  A very long 16 weeks from now and a mere 23 days before my birthday (cutting it kind of close, so if its canceled I'm in a lot of trouble).

I've already devised (googled) a half marathon 16 week training schedule for beginners.  Workouts start tomorrow (yippie?)  Will update you on all the fun I'm having.

The List

Hello there!

 For those of you who know me, and I'm assuming most of you do, my name is Whitney Duprey, and I am turning 25.  There.  I said it.  In a little under 6 months (144 days to be exact) I will be the dreaded 25.  I know, I know, "it's not that bad".  I can hear all you over 25ers scoffing at me, thinking things like "you're a baby!" and, "in the grand scheme of things 25 is nothing!".  I can also hear my younger sister (who is probably the only under 25 reading this blog) thinking "THANK GOD ITS NOT ME".  Regardless, to me, 25 is pretty significant.  Smack in the middle of my 20's, its been 7 years since I graduated high school, 3 since I've been out of college, and only 5 years until I hit the uber-dreaded, nightmare inducing 30 (yuck).

In light of the tragic event that is quickly approaching, I've created a to-do-list.  25 things I want to do before I turn 25.  Somethings will be more difficult to achieve than others (I'm especially dreading #5 on the list), somethings I've already crossed off the list, somethings are silly, and some serious.  I'm immensely looking forward to doing some of these things, but I'm terrified of doing others (cough#4cough).  

The list is in no particular order, it's just how they popped into my head.  My overall goal is to cross off every activity on this list, and keep a running blog as I do.  Hopefully it will be a good way for me to keep track of my list, as well as practice my writing (which I know my mom is happy about) and keep in touch with all of you reading this (assuming anyone is).  So here we go.....The List....

1. Start a blog :)
2. Get rid of all the clothes in my closest that I never wear
3. Visit somewhere in the US I've never been before
4. Donate blood
5. Run a half marathon (or attempt to)
6. Stay up all night
7. Bowl a strike
8. Finish a first draft of the book my mom has been begging me to write
9. Gamble at a casino
10.  Make moves on a career
11. Go skydiving
12. Do something great for my parents
13. Enter a cooking contest
14. Enter an eating contest
15. Spend an entire day with my sister
16. reconnect with an old friend
17. Witness something jaw-dropping
18. Start horseback riding again
19. Rent a car
20. Shoot a handgun
21. Read a newspaper cover-to-cover
22. Get a pet
23. Pawn something
24. Learn to knit
24 B. Knit something
25. Raise money for a charity I care about.



So, there it is, The List, not a bad compilation if I do say so my self.  Now some items on the list I've already done (#2, #6, #11, and #14) but I'll still blog about those, don't worry :)


Welp....here we go!