Going Rouge

Yes, it says 'rouge'. I suppose one could easily mistake that for 'rogue' in my case. I am quite the renegade these days...

*wink*

I don't know what finally prompted me to plunge into the red-headed scene again, but I can only guess that the box of coloring that had been loitering in my cabinet for well over a year now was one influential factor.

I hemmed and hawed...thought and thought. What for?
It's just hair. Besides, red heads have more fun, right?!

It's been about seven years since I last went rouge. Okay, so it turned out a little blotchy, and the quality isn't to my perfectionist liking. But who cares, right? I'll just slap some more color on it in a few weeks.

Typical me--the laid-back just deal with it attitude and the want for constant flux.

Luckily I have always been open to change. I believe that rocking the routine can do us all good once in a while. Getting too engulfed in everyday life, it's activities and chores can't be good for the continued growth and development of the mind. Switch things up a bit, do something differently, rearrange a room, read a book that completely opposes your views.

It's good for you.

While most loathe change, I relish it. It keeps me interested, excited and compelled to do with my life what I desire. Without it I feel stuck, lost and completely bored. One reason, I assume, that I am constantly on the move. If it was up to me, my 'home' would change quite often; I feel almost claustrophobic if I stick around one place too long.

This past year has brought with it many elements of change. Most notably my father's illness and my willing and tenacious efforts towards fighting off 'the bad guys' (ie. Big Coal). In regards to my father, all things must change. He can no longer do even the minute things he once did (at least not without added effort) and his body must be cleansed of all toxins if he hopes to beat this monster. Our home is slowly turning into a 'toxin-free zone' and our medicine cabinets filling up with an A-Z listing of supplements.

Then there is the coal war. My efforts have rendered me, to many, somewhat of a hero. Just days ago I received thanks from a friend's brother in Nevada. Admittedly, I have been referred to as such in the past, namely during my fight to overcome illness well over a dozen years ago. But that was a personal battle. What I have become ensconced in presently is a battle in which the health and well-being of individuals all over world is at stake. The changes involved are both positive and negative. Yes, I am thanked, but I am also loathed by many. In response, I have changed things up a bit, and--crazy me--am actually finding the entire situation somewhat laughable.

With the end of a decade only days ahead, one must wonder what changes are in store...this year has certainly been a trying one, not only for me, but for my family in its entirety. But good or bad, we must face change head-on and with a positive attitude. As Nietzsche is noted with saying:

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."

Just Call Me...Queen Whitney

"You really should check into your ancestry. You might find out that you're a millionaire!"





Besides asking me out for a steak dinner, this was the concluding remark from one of my 'testers' today. Leave it to me, I swear. I can always find the one weirdo in the bunch. Or he can find me, perhaps.





Prior to encouraging me to trace my roots for monetary purposes, Mr. X talked on and on about...everything. He was the only individual in my afternoon testing session, so it didn't necessarily matter...except that he wouldn't shut up. Besides rambling on about illegal immigrants, the President and Tiger Woods (and his mistresses), Mr. X found great joy in discussing...me.





First I was encouraged to be a waitress in Vegas. You know, just "get all dolled up and act like you wanna go home with the guys...all while taking their money."





Hmmm...okay. I lived in Vegas for 13 years; the thought of working in a casino as a keno girl or waitress certainly crossed my mind on many occasions. Vegas is nothing but a fantasy land...it really wouldn't bother me one bit to dress up in character for a few hours every day. But, let's face it; it will likely never happen.





Next.





My initial--and continued--response to his next suggestion was...probably a deer-in-headlights-look. I didn't really know what to say. What comes out of peoples' mouths just really baffles me; seemingly more and more all the time. While reading my required informational booklet aloud, I was interrupted to engage in the following conversation:





"Are you English?" he asked.





"Am I English?"





"Yeah, are you from England?"





"No. But my family originally came from parts of England...."








"Mmm...you look like you are from England."





{deer in headlights look}





"You have that look....like you are royalty. Do you know who Queen Elizabeth is?"





"Yes."





"Yeah, you look like a descendant of the royal family. Remember...what was her name...Queen Diana...?"





"Princess Diana.."





"Yeah, she was next in line to take over from Queen Elizabeth...what a horrible accident that was."





{deer in headlights look continues}





"Well, I can't say that I have ever gotten a comment like this before..."





"Yeah, you have that look...you look like you should be wearing a crown."








Ummm......okay. As stated to Mr. X, this is a new one, even for me.





But I am not so sure that I see the resemblance.....

Hmmm....maybe (??).

Well, I figure that I might as well take advantage of my new found ancestry. Just go ahead and call me Queen Whitney from here on out. Don't mind that I haven't the crown yet--I'm sure I can find a cheap one to fit my needs. Oh, and all of those millions of dollars that I am likely to inherit...I'll get back to you on that one.

Winds of Change

"The Wind Energy Capital of the World" boasts a billboard to the east of Sweetwater. It speaks of Nolan County, Texas, home to thousands upon thousands of these gentle giants; wind turbines.

I look at them and get inspired. Relaxed. Happy. I'm not fibbing when I say that I could sit and watch them all day and be perfectly content. They represent, to me, the future of American--and hopefully world--energy. They resemble a hope that, in the end, cleaner sources of electricity will conquer...and win.

Despite the fact that I can look out various windows in my home and see these monstrosities daily, they never cease to amaze me. Lining the horizon or filling entire fields, they command attention...yet stand there in a sort of shy stance. They want to be seen, heard, understood...yet prefer to be left alone to do what they do best.

With my current 'job' duties, I am required to drive hundreds of miles through three counties in the immediate area. Daily I wander through the masses of turbines, watching as their delicate blades turn in the west Texas breeze. I can't help but smile.

As I continue fighting against Ole' King Coal, I must think to the winds; the winds of change. There is still hope--although it seems quite little at some times--that our future will be a cleaner one; That renewable energy will prevail.

At least it gives me something to look forward to; something to keep fighting for.

The E-Mail

This morning I made the effort to send out the following e-mail to all Abilene City Commissioners. Like I have said before, they're going to have to kill me to shut me up. I have received two responses thus far and plan to reply as necessary.

Council Members:

I was in attendance of Thurday (12/3/09) morning's public hearing, but was forced to leave before being able to speak. Unlike Tenaska representatives and Sweetwater officials, most of us are not getting paid to defend our case and have jobs to go to.


I would like to express my concerns regarding not only the sale of water to Tenaska, but the project in its entirety. I have been an active opponent to this project for well over a year now, and have yet to hear any 'positive' aspects that do not revolve around monetary gains. I am certainly not opposed to the economic development of any region, but there comes a point when we need to look beyond money, and consider the wants and needs of our fellow citizens, future generations and the environment in which we all live.


I am three courses away from recieving my M.S. in Environmental and Waste Management. I can guarantee that not one of my thick, over-priced textbooks has yet to boast the benefits of any of the emissions that will be produced by the Tenaska plant. Quantities emitted are irrelevant; they are dangerous pollutants. Period. I know that air quality is not what you are voting on, but these pollutants will be falling, on a constant basis, in your watershed.


I am not a native Texan. I moved here only about 3.5 years ago from Las Vegas, another very dry, water-drained area. I have no ties here and, frankly, have not had a very warm welcome thanks to my courage to stand up for what I believe. I find it quite sad that I am standing up for the health of your state, while native residents work to destroy what makes West Texas what it is; clean air, clean water sources and a safe environment in which to live.


I am certainly no fool, and realize that Tenaska has the financial edge in this debate, being able to pay professionals to conduct 'studies' that show nothing but positive outcomes. I have been called many names. That's fine. In the end, I ask that you simply put the supposed economic gains aside when considering your decision regarding the sale of water. Many peoples' lives will be negatively impacted by the development of said coal plant, mine included. We moved here to escape the noise, pollution and unfriendly character of Las Vegas. My home is within 1.5 miles of the Tenaska construction site.

In conclusion, I find the greed that has overtaken Sweetwater to be very disturbing. I can only hope that you all will have more character when making your decisions. Thank you for your time and consideration.

-- Whitney Root

I leave this entry untitled because my thoughts are so scrambled anymore. So much is happening that I oftentimes expect to wake up from the nightmare at any given moment.


*A visit from the Sheriff's Office today confirmed my father's hunch; the shot into our garage door was intentional. Now they are shooting at us. Warning us. So what comes next?


*Being who I am, I attended the public hearing held this morning regarding the sale of effluent water to Tenasty by the City of Abilene. The meeting wore on and on, and I eventually had to leave without speaking. They saw me there though, and that was what I wanted more than anything else. You can shoot at me, but you're gonna have to kill me. I have to laugh at the fact that, none of 'them' will look at me. They see me...they know who I am, trust me....and they quickly look away. Cowards.


*On Sunday and Monday I experienced what I will deem the craziest 36 hours of my life thus far. I drove my father to Dallas on Sunday to attend a doctor's appointment on Monday. A 3.5 hour trip turned into something more along the lines of 7 hours with Thanksgiving traffic and my loss of the freeway I needed factored in. I was witness to the illness that is attempting to take over his body and his mind. It was like nothing I have ever seen before; nothing I hope to ever see again. I was once described as "unflappable" by a professor and peers. This may have "flapped" me.


Our appointment Monday was daunting. The specialists all but said that he has Lou Gehrig's disease. From that moment on, it was a steady stream of social workers, family councilors, equipment providers....you name it...who came in to help us and offer their condolences. Exhausting.

Luckily, I was allowed one laugh that day. I went to lunch at the clinic cafeteria at the Burger House. Upon receiving my receipt, however, it was listed as the Buger House.


Then there was the testing and the blood work. The poking, the prodding. We arrived at 8:30 am and didn't walk out until nearly 5:30. I still had to drive home. It was midnight before I arrived.


I walked into the Council Chambers this morning with mixed feelings. Would I speak? Cry? Scream? Smack someone? As I sat with other opponents and cried, I realized that this is exactly what big businesses want. They want to break us "little people" down to a point where we are too exhausted and worn to care or participate anymore. They want to scare us with their threats and malicious lies.


It saddens me to see that the only "positive" aspects of this project are economically based. I always knew the world was a greedy place, but never so bad as what I am experiencing in regards to this fight. Peoples' lives are being endangered, their livelihoods being destroyed before their eyes. All for the economic gain of a few. It truly is sickening.


I may be worn down at the moment, and trust me, I am. But just give me some time and I will be back to my old self. I won't give up on fighting this coal plant, but only hope that our opposition will continue to grow and thrive. However bleak the horizon may look, Tenasty still has many hurdles to jump. A lot can happen in a few months' time....


And we are fighting the disease as best we can, too. We are taking the natural route, evening going to see a holistic dentist next month to remove my dad's mercury-laden fillings. As horrific as this disease is, it has been halted by others. I believe that there is a cure for everything, although the greed of the medical world wont allow for it to happen.


Let's keep hoping. Hoping for health and hoping that Tenasty will leave our lives forever. Anything is possible.