Dear Ben,

I’m tired.  So I really should apologize for this letter being so bland and boring, but I’m not going to because I feel like I apologize for some reason or another in every letter, so you’ll just have to get used to it.  Well back to the task at hand, why am I tired?  It’s summer after all, and sunday I slept until two.  So sunday night, when I curled into bed, I read a little of my new book Extras – which I finished today and it was pretty good – and then listened to the third episode of The Jay and Jack Show.  I tried sleeping after that, and it just wasn’t working, so I listened to The Randy Randonopolis Show hoping I would fall asleep to that, since I usually fall asleep so any podcast I listen to if I already listened to one that night – I do get tired y’know – and I still couldn’t sleep.  So I listen to some music, count the stars on my ceiling; notihng.  Then finally, I start to drift into sleep, when I get a back ache.

Now you may or may not know, but I have scoliosis.  Blah blah blah, I try not to let it affect me.  Oh and I wear a back brace, to try and prevent my spine from curving more and even fix it.  Well they added this new thing to my back brace which basically pushed against my ribs, and sometimes I would get these aches on the side of my ribs – and they hurt so bad.  Imagine if a sumo wrestler was sitting on your side of your ribs rubbing broken pieces of brickes into them, trying to break them.  Then triple that amount, and that’s basically how it feels.

So I get this pain, and it would go away.  I take off my brace, still won’t go away.  I know I’m never going to sleep until the pain goes away, so I start reading Extras again.  Finally 5 o’clock rolls around, and I still have this side ache.  6′oclock, I go down to have some breakfast – it’s still there.  And right now it’s 9 o’clock, and I still have this side ache.  And it hurts so bad.

So basically I didn’t sleep a wink last night and I’m not too happy about it.  So if this letter is cranky, then that’s why.  This is me writing on no hours of sleep.

Glad your exams are over and hopefully went well, but at least they’re done with, y’know?  I haven’t heard of the new Cute is What We Aim For song yet, but when I do i’ll let you know what I think.  Right now I’m trying to keep my sanity… yet I’m listening to Jersey Boys soundtrack.  Oh well, that was a great musical.

Anyways, I present to you…
CARLA’S GUIDE ON HOW TO SURVIVE ROLLERCOASTERS:

1. Close your eyes, and don’t anticipate the drops.  Anticipating anything just makes it so much worse, so just close your eyes and during the steep climb up – take a deep breath.
2. Grasp the harness/seat bar with your dear life.  Raising my hands makes it so much harder for me, because I feel like I have no control over anything and I’m going to fall.  First time rollercoasties definitely should just hold the bar like there’s no tomorrow.
3. Yell.  I guess this doesn’t really work for guys, but for girls – scream your heart out!  It gets out those butterfly feelings, and don’t be embarrassed; that’s the point of a rollercoaster.  People know you’re going to scream, and when your going down, people are going to be so immersed in the fall they won’t really notice that it’s you.
4. With rollercoasters that have a bottom, press your feet against the bottom of the cart.  Particular wooden rollercoasters, which have floors while many others don’t.  Maybe it’s just me, but I always find that it works.
5. Don’t look at the rollercoaster from the outside.  It’ll freak you and chicken you out, and really you’re missing out on a fun experience.  So just don’t look at it from the outside; it looks so much worse from the outside then it does when you’re up there.  Well, actually it doesn’t, but once your up there, you can’t get off. 

Hope that helps.

Your picture theme is Misplaced.  That should be pretty cool me thinks.

The picture is my cousin Mia.  When I heard “When _____ grows up”, I was like, “My godsister Mia hasn’t grown up yet!”  When she grows up, she’s just going to be her.  No one else; not an imitation or a copy.  An original, unique girl. 

Click for full size.

Alrighty then, well I’m really tired and I need to go do something that doesn’t require so much thinking.  Hope this letter wasn’t too boring.

Much love,
Your friend who suffers from a severe case of insomnia,
Carla