Like Lightning and Rain

Audio books

2012-01-20T13:22:00.005-07:00

I use my car a lot. I remember, once upon a time, when I was terrified to get my driver's licence because that surely I was destined to die in a fiery crash in the middle of the freeway. But now, I cannot imagine life without my little car. Most of the time, I'm driving in the wee hours of the morning (at least that's what it feels like), and I do not do well in the mornings. Sometimes, it's truly a miracle that I'm awake enough to make it to work.

So now I have a problem: I have to work in the mornings because of my school schedule, but I would also prefer not to die in a fiery crash on the freeway because I fell asleep at the wheel. I tried for a while to just blast my "party music," but that wasn't cutting it. Then I started listening to the news on the radio. Aha! Stimulating and informative. But unless there was a gripping news emergency, it just couldn't keep me from yawning more and more. Then, randomly, I decided to start listening to audio books.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. Let me just say that audio books are totally awesome--if you have a good reader. It's entertaining, and it's a great way to experience books, especially if you're like me and you drive a lot, but don't have a lot of time to just sit and read. Funny story: today I went and picked up two audio books that I have been for for a while. I was so unbelievably excited to get back in the car! I am such a nerd.

So anyway, audio books are awesome! You should try them sometime.

21

2012-01-17T12:16:00.002-07:00

I'm 21 today! That's so exciting. Well, I'm excited about it.

So far it's been a good day, good week actually. On Saturday, we went to see War Horse (one of the most incredible movies I've seen in a long time. I love, love, love this story--I've seen the play, read the book, and seen the movie, and I cried all three times. If you haven't seen this movie, go see it ASAP) and then we ate at Red Robin. Yesterday, one of my best friends--Maddie--took me to see We Bought a Zoo (another fantastic movie) and then we went to IHOP. Today, I got a wonderful card that was signed by everyone in the office, which made me very happy, and I'm going to Benihana's tonight. This coming Saturday, we'll go up to Hawksridge (our new town-home in Park City) and maybe go sledding (at least that idea was bandied about). Then, the week after that, Heather and I are going to another movie. That's right, I am stretching this birthday out for as long as I can.

Birthdays make me happy. It feels really good to know that people love you.

Hopeless

2012-01-07T18:12:00.004-07:00

Why is it that I am such a hopeless romantic? Why is it that I'm so drawn to the Love Story? Why is that--even though I know the couple will be together, no matter how impossible it might seem for them to be together, or how much they might hate each other at first--my heart clenches when the final obstacle in the story just seems to big to be overcome? Why do I--an English Major, for Heaven's sake!--incessantly read about the out-of-place, nerdy, high school senior who falls for the tall, dark haired, deliciously handsome guy with just a hint of a dark side who is so out of her league that it's laughable? Why do I always get chills when he finally whispers "I love you" to her?

There is, of course, an overly-simple and somewhat superficial answer to this: I want to have a Love Story myself. But doesn't everyone want a Love Story? Doesn't everyone wish to find their soul mate, no matter the cost? Surely I can't be alone in this. But there is something else going on. I look at my sisters, and they enjoy a good piece of chick-lit (they ate up the Twilight Saga just as much as practically every other woman in the western world) every once in a while, but they don't devour them like I do.

I once told someone that love stories are my bread and butter. Oh, I love every kind of book--mysteries, the classics, thrillers, historical fiction, and even non-fiction if it's well written. But nothing calls to me like the utterly predictable Love Story. No, I feel like there's a small hole deep inside of me, and I am constantly trying to fill it with these sickly sweet, wispy, fluffy story-lines. I can see you there, as you read this post. You are just sitting there, shaking your head at me and thinking "Well, that's a bit overly dramatic, Ashley." It probably is, but that's how I feel. It's an unsolvable question, a part of me that will just have to be accepted.

On a slightly different, but still related, note: I've found a new song that I'm in love with. Enjoy.

P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! Sorry I didn't wish everyone happy holidays before now.

P.P.S. As I re-read this post, it sounds kind of depressing. I didn't mean it to be depressing. It's just something I've been musing on lately. I think strangely. Don't worry about it. :)

Sunsets

2011-11-22T17:37:00.003-07:00

I believe that every evening God becomes a painter and creates beautiful works of art. We have the opportunity to stand back and watch the creation of a masterpiece, if only we would notice. Oh, if only we would notice!

Procrastination

2011-11-20T11:39:00.002-07:00

Why is it that as the semester progresses a student's tendency to procrastinate increases? I swear it's a scientific fact, and there's an equation that verifies my theory.

Every student experiences this phenomenon at one time or another, and I am no exception. I have two tests, two conference papers, and an analysis paper due in the next two weeks, but am I finished with any of them? Absolutely not. At least I've started on studying for the tests...

Winter

2011-11-03T11:32:00.003-06:00

It's cold. I mean, really cold. Like, I'm-going-to-have-to-start-scraping-my-windows-so-I-can-drive kind of cold. I'm not really ok with it. It's fun to bundle up and look cute in fall clothes (boots, cardigans, turtlenecks...), but when your nose and your pinkies are freezing, it's not so awesome. I was determined to be like 80% of the rest of the world and dislike winter this.

And then it snowed. Beautiful, fat, fluffy flakes...

Dang, Mother Nature's good!

Crunchy Leaves

2011-10-25T18:44:00.002-06:00

When your world is cold, and the sky is dark and cloudy, just remember: crunchy leaves will always make your day brighter.

Here's to the Crazies

2011-10-13T12:44:00.003-06:00

I used to think that people who talked to themselves were crazy. Now I just assume that they have a bluetooth headphone.

Why is it that boys can tie ties but girls can't?

I wish I was allowed to sleep more.

I think the greatest, most powerful phrase in the human language is "I love you."

"When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song."--Sam Walton

Every girl needs to have the love of her life just grab her and kiss in the middle of a sentence at least once.

We all have weird quirks. Deal with it.

It is almost impossible to look good eating sushi unless you're Asian.

"I dream away my life in others' speculations. I love to lose myself in other men's minds. When I am not walking, I am reading; I cannot sit and think. Books think for me."--Charles Lamb

2011-10-09T21:14:00.003-06:00

This has been the week from Hell. Everything that went wrong, did. I kept thinking, "It can only get better, right?" Nope. It didn't.

The only saving grace for this week was the fact that my sister, Chelsey, her husband, Aaron, and all of their kids surprised us with a visit. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to have all of my sisters, and all six of my nieces and nephews so close. Surely this next week will be better then this week. It has to be.

Wait, we have a quarterback who actually knows how to play football?

2011-09-30T21:30:00.002-06:00

The Cougars just had a 96 yard drive in the last minute and a half of the game, making the winning touchdown with less than 15 seconds in the game. That was the craziest thing I've ever seen! I'm so glad Bronco pulled that joke of a quarterback, Jake Heaps, and put in someone who actually knows what he's doing. Way to go Riley Nelson!

New Singer (or The Post with the Incessant Parentheticals)

2011-09-20T14:22:00.004-06:00

I love finding new music artists to listen to. I've found that some of my favorite music artists are the ones that new one has ever heard of (Priscilla Ahn, A Fine Frenzy, for example), so sometimes it's hard to find new people to listen to. I've also had a little bit of a bad weekend (did anyone else watch that disaster of a football game on Saturday?), so I definitely needed something to pick me up today.

Enter Mindy Gledhill. I was wandering around the BYU Bookstore (aka my own personal library; sometimes I read the books that they have for sell without buying them...), and a CD cover caught my eye. I immediately fell in love with the cover (the image on the video is the album cover. Isn't it adorable?!), but I hesitated because because it was sitting in the basket with the religious music (not that I don't like religious music, it's just not the kind of music that I prefer to listen to on a daily basis). So I decided to do a little research, and luckily I found her music on YouTube. As soon as I heard the first song, I knew that Mindy Gledhill and I were going to become very good friends (well, not literally, but figuratively, through the music).

This is her song "Crazy Love." I love it. It's cute, upbeat, happy, etc...ok, ok. I'll admit, the lyrics are a little bit on the stalker side, but come on. Sometimes stalker songs can be really good (remember "Every Breath You Take" by The Police? Everyone loves that song)! Trust me, you will fall in love too.

Oh, be still, my restless heart!

2011-09-15T13:41:00.003-06:00

This video gave me chills

It's a good day today

2011-09-12T22:41:00.003-06:00

This is hilarious. If you're ever looking for a smart comic, try XKCD.

Mystery Solved

Those poor, skinny, beautiful, rich models

2011-09-12T20:42:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I like to watch shows with drama. I think it's because my life is so devoid of personal drama that I have to get it elsewhere. It's a guilty pleasure. Don't judge me.

My cousin, Rachel, and I were watching the final episode of the Bachelor Pad (as a side note, I never watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette because I think the show is ridiculous), and let me tell you, that show has more drama than 10 ABC Family shows--and that's saying something because ABC Family is very dramatic. Anyways, we needed a break from the drama, so we turned the channel to...the Miss Universe Pageant.

I understand that there is a stereotype around Beauty Queens, and I understand that not all Beauty Queens are brainless models who think of little more than make up, hair, and their next bikini wax. But come on! I just can't help but think that those girls are the most superficial, fake girls ever.

So, we're watching the pageant, and the girls are strutting their stuff during the swimsuit competition (although technically they're not supposed to call it that), and one of the commentators is talking about Miss Australia. She says that Miss Australia is really interested in health, and that the health section is always the first section she reads when she picks up the morning newspaper. Then the commentator says, "I was just so impressed that she actually read the newspaper." That comment just made my night.

Go Cougars!

2011-09-10T19:43:00.002-06:00

It's football season again! I love football season; it just makes the weekends that much better. BYU is looking really good this season. We had a rough start at Ole Miss, but we pulled through it. To make two touchdowns in the last ten minutes of the game? Craziness! We came out blazing against Texas this week--a touchdown and a field goal in the first quarter--and even though we lost our heads a little bit during the last half, we still played an excellent game. The biggest game of the season is next week. We need to keep up this hot streak, so we can whoop the Utes when they come to Provo next week.

Go Cougars! We believe in you.

Feedback

2011-08-28T10:50:00.002-06:00

Ok everybody, I've finished putting my first story, and now I want to know what you guys think! Do you guys like having stories and poems and stuff up here? Do you guys want to see more stories? I'd love to know what you guys want to see here on the blog.

Fantastic Reality Part 3

2011-08-21T21:52:00.000-06:00

It's the last part of the scene!

I waited for Dad to respond, but his mouth just opened and closed as he searched for something to say. In the end he looked helplessly over his shoulder to where my mother stood slowly stirring a tall glass of ice tea. She looked up from her tea, and cocked one eyebrow at Dad. It appeared that they were doing that weird telepathy thing that parents sometimes do, and a heavy silence fell. I clutched at Dad’s hand and forced him to look at me.

“Dad, listen, I’m sorry that you haven’t met James yet. He just feels uncomfortable around…authority figures. But we can fix that! James is waiting for me, and we can go down to the duck pond, and you’ll finally get to met him. He’s so funny, Dad, and I just know that you’re going to love him.” I pulled at his arm, and he rose slowly from his chair. He looked helplessly at Mom again, and motioned toward the back door.

“Come on, Camille. We should at least just go down to the pond and check it out.” She looked at us for a moment before slamming her glass down on the counter. I was surprised the glass didn’t shatter from the force of impact. Iced tea sloshed over the edge of the glass, but for once she ignored it.

“Fine,” she said tersely. “We’ll go down to the pond.” She clicked over to the back door, swung it open, and walked out into the garden without looking back. I scampered after her, towing Dad along behind me. When we finally caught up with her, I babbled about the time James and I had found a robin’s nest in one of the trees, the time I tricked James into thinking that old lady Winters was actually a witch, the time James found a small bush of wild blackberries growing in the woods by our house. As we crested the hill and the pond with its small circle of trees became visible, I raced ahead, calling for James. There was the log that lay half in the water and half in the grass, and there was the crook in the tree where James always sat. There was the birdfeeder that we had made when we were ten, and there was sparkling quartz rock that we had found in Mr. Connors’ back yard and rolled down to the pond.

James didn’t answer because James wasn’t at the pond, waiting for me like he’d promised. My parents had finally come, and James was gone.

Fantastic Reality Part 2

2011-08-07T18:56:00.000-06:00

“But James will be waiting for me. He promised that he would help me memorize all the battles in the Civil war.”

“Abby, having an imaginary friend was fine when you were four or five. We understood it back then; you were shy, and it was hard for you to make friends, so it was only natural that you would create your own best friend. But you’re seventeen now, you’re about to graduate from high school, and it’s time that you gave up this little fantasy. It’s not healthy, Abby.”

I stared at him for a moment, and then I just started laughing. They didn’t know James, so it was understandable that they thought he was still imaginary. I looked over Dad’s face and saw that he was completely serious, and he actually looked very worried. I swallowed the rest of my giggles and went to sit right next to him. I took his hand, and thought about how best to explain the situation with James.

“Dad, James may have been imaginary at one point, but he’s different now—he’s real now.”

“Honey, I know he might feel real—”

“He doesn’t feel real, he is real. He’s a real person who eats, sleeps, and breathes, just like every other person you’ve met. He has a pulse, I swear! I felt it once—remember that really hot day a couple of weeks ago? James passed out because he hadn’t had a drink of water all morning. It totally freaked me out, and I had to check his pulse to make sure he was alive. One time, he stepped on a broken Coke bottle, and a shard of glass went straight through his flip-flop. There was blood everywhere, and I tried to pull the glass out of his foot, but it was just too gross. No one was here at the house, so we had to walk down to the gas station to get some help. Well, I walked and James hopped. I still have the glass—with the blood stains and everything—if you still don’t believe me.”

Fantastic Reality

2011-08-01T08:54:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, in my post "Spring," I lamented the fact that I didn't know how to post some of my awesome stories that I've written because they were just too long. Maddie made the comment that I should post them in sections, and I think that's a great idea. I'm going to start off with some of the stories I've written for my English classes.

This story is actually just a scene, not a full story. The assignment was to write a realistic scene that contained some fantastical element. I don't want to ruin the story, so I'm afraid that's all the background info that you get today. Enjoy!

My hand was on the doorknob when my dad came out of the kitchen, calling my name. I sighed and turned around to face him, but I left my fingers on the doorknob, just to show him that I had no real intention of staying for very long. He stood in the hallway with his shoulders hunched and his hands shoved in his pockets, and his uncomfortable stance made me shift in anticipation. Mom was breathing down his neck about something, that was for sure, and it was clear that that something had to do with me. I thought back over my recent grades, but the only thing I could think of was the B- that I had received on my last History test. I smiled and lifted my books encouragingly.

“Listen, Dad, I was just about to go study for History. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Can this wait until then? I have a major test coming up.”

“Are you going down to the duck pond?”

“Well, yeah. James said he would help me.” When Dad wouldn’t look me in the eye, I knew it was really serious. Then Mom appeared in the kitchen doorway. She just stood there, leaning against the doorjamb, with her arms folded and staring at my dad. Dad and I looked over at her, and we both gave a little gulp. She nodded slowly to my dad, and he turned back to me.

“Your mother and I would like to talk with you in the kitchen.” I opened my mouth to protest, but my mother cut me off with a glance.

“Abigail, we need to speak to you in the kitchen. Now,” she snapped. She didn’t even wait to hear my response; she just turned on her shiny black heels and clicked her way back into the kitchen. Dad shrugged and slumped in after my mother. After a moment alone in the hallway, I finally gave up and went to join them. I considered slamming my books, or tossing my chair around, but soon gave up on the idea. Mom was ice cold today, and if I acted out it would only prolong the agony before I could get down to James and the duck pond. I just sat down and addressed Dad.

“So, what do we need to talk about? If this is about my History grades, I just want you to know that I’m working on it, and I promise that I’ll have an A by the end of the year.”

“This isn’t about your grades, sweetie. We actually wanted to discuss the duck pond and your friend James. We think…we think it’s time you stopped going down there.” He said this last in a rush, and he looked down at his fingers. I sat back, not really understanding what he was hinting at.

100th Post!

2011-07-29T18:48:00.002-06:00

It's my 100th post on this blog! That's very exciting. And what better way to celebrate my 100th post than to post a literary wonder (I am an English major, after all; this is what I do for fun)?

This is a parody of Robert Herrick's poem "To Virgins, to Make Much of Time." It's the one that starts "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may..." Herrick was a Cavalier poet, and the Cavalier poets were all about seizing the day, taking advantage of your youth, having the time of your life, blah blah blah. It was typical for these poems to be directed to women. For an English assignment, we have to imitate some form of literature that we have been studying. In my imitation of Herrick's poem, the perspective is that of a woman speaking to a man.

To Bachelors, To Make Much of Time

Frequent yon health clubs while ye may
Old Time will soon come calling:
The strongest man who lifts today,
Ere long will be a-sprawling.

The stunning king of forests, the stag,
Whose horns have much dissuaded
Those cruel beasts, vixen and nag,
He’ll be left, fattened and faded.

And oh! That time when hair grows free,
Thou art glorious to behold.
But soon your heightened brow—you’ll see—
Will stand out brilliant and bold.

So do not stall, but use your time,
And give a maid a crystal:
For having lost but once your prime

You will remain a-single.

Wise Words

2011-07-16T16:17:00.002-06:00

Albus Dumbledore: Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.

--From the movie "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," based on the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

Harry Potter

2011-07-15T03:09:00.002-06:00

Harry Potter is one of the best series. The movies are incredible and the books are AMAZING! I have seen every movie and read every book; I have loved every character as if they were my own best friends. I have literally grown up with the actors of the movies. And now it's over.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was simply the best movie of the entire series. They stayed true to the book, and the cinematography was truly magnificent. It was just...amazing. Just go see it.

Knowledgebase Articles

2011-07-12T11:28:00.003-06:00

BYU Independent Study is creating a Knowledgebase--which is basically a fancy way to say that we are pooling all of the knowledge of every worker at Independent Study and putting it all in one place. It's kind of like Wikipedia for BYU Independent Study. In order to make this knowledgebase work, we have a special team (of which I am a part) to write tons and tons of articles, addressing every single issue that any student anywhere may need help with. Ever. It's kind of mind-blowing to think of how many articles we will be writing in the next two months.

We've only been writing articles since last Friday, and already I want to shoot myself. Writing articles is not as fun as you would think it is. It is one of the most boring tasks that you could have at Independent Study, I'm just sure of it. I would rather be talking to an angry mother who's trying to get her son graduated by Friday, but the son has to submit his portfolio assignment, request the final two-way express, and by the way the only proctor in their area is not available to administer the test. That should tell you just how much I hate writing these articles.

I'm going to give you a little example of what goes through my mind as I sit down to write a Knowledgebase article.

"Ok, I'm at work, I'm kind of awake, and my computer has finally loaded all of my programs, so what should I do? How many calls are there? Oh, none. Well, I guess I'll get started on the articles...but maybe I've got some important email from my professors. I'll go check Yahoo first."

I go and check Yahoo, and delete the four Spam emails that have found their way into my inbox.

"Well, no pressing matters from school. Maybe there's something good in my Gmail account."

There's nothing in my Gmail account.

"I can't go to Facebook to 'check on my English class group', so I guess I can start working on the articles." (P.S. My English Lit class really does have a Facebook page that why have to contribute 500 words to per week)

I open the program where our Knowledgebase will live, I open the Google Doc that tells me what articles need to be written, and I open the Excel spreadsheet that has all the information for the article (there's a lot of windows open on my computer by this point).

Then I just sit for a while.

Deep breath. "I am going to write an article now. Come on, Ashley, claim one of the articles in the Google Doc." I claim an article. "Good girl, now open a new article page and get it over with."

Eventually, I write three articles. Then I go to get a drink of water. When I come back to my chair, I just look at my screen. If I wait long enough, my phone starts to ring.

"A call! Woohoo!" I close all the article-related windows and take the phone call. It only lasts three minutes.

"Ah, dang it. Now I have to write more articles. How long to I have to keep writing these articles?" I look at my clock and it's only 8:30. I work until 12.

"Well, that's no bueno. Let's get to it, I guess." I write one more article.

"I can't do this any more. Please don't make me write any more articles." I look at how many articles I've claimed. I've claimed four, and my teammate has written six.

"Ok, I'm going to write two more articles, and then I'll be good. That's as much as my teammate has written, so that'll be good, right?"

I write one article.

"I can't take it any more! Do I really want to be on Special Projects? I can tell my boss I don't want to be on the team any more. But this is great for a resume. But how many articles do I have to write? They aren't paying well enough to do this. But they are paying me."

I write one more article, and the cycle continues.

Ok, so that's a little exaggerated. But not by much.

2011-06-27T13:59:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, I went to get my hair trimmed. It was going to be just a routine trim--well, probably more than routine because it has been a LONG time since I've had my hair trimmed (I'm embarrassed to admit how long it's been, in fact). I'm a poor student so of course I went to the hair school down the road. Anyway, the haircut did not go as planned.

I chopped off six inches. SIX. It's cute and everything, but it's very short. Much shorter than anticipated. It's almost-up-to-my-chin short.

I don't know if you can tell, but I'm having a weird complex about my new haircut. I like it, but at the same time, I really don't. Maybe I'll put up pictures. Maybe.

BBQ

2011-06-17T22:28:00.002-06:00

My dad has been smoking meat for two days now.

It smells like summer at my house. It's one of the best smells in the entire world.

Spring

2011-06-17T11:44:00.004-06:00

I just completed one of the best and worst terms of my university career. Half my time was incredibly awesome. The other half was incredibly bad. Let me start with the bad (that way we can end on a cheerful note).

My Spanish 339 (Intro to Spanish Lit) class was THE WORST class I have attended since I started going to BYU. I have never hated a class or a professor more in my entire life. And I swear I am not exaggerating. The professor was so condescending and unhelpful. I honestly dreaded going to class. The literature was ok, but I didn't understand anything I read. I would start reading a story or an essay, and I would be lost before I had finished the first paragraph. The only redeeming factor about this course was the poetry unit.

Thankfully, I had my English 318R (Writing Fiction) class to keep me sane. I have always loved my English classes, and this class served as a way to release all my frustrations with the previous class. I wrote some great stories. They were serious, they were sad, but they were great. I wish I could put some of them up here, but they ranged from 8 to 15 pages long. Maybe I can figure out how to put a link to a Google Doc on here...Anyways, I went to see my instructor for an end-of-the-year interview, and he told me that I could be a professional writer! It made me feel so good about my writing.

So, it turned out to be a bear of a term, but there were some good moments. Maybe the summer term will be better?

Pablo Neruda

2011-05-29T21:44:00.004-06:00

I hate the Spanish class that I'm in right now. The professor is condescending and makes me feel stupid. I get lost every time I try to read something, which also makes me feel stupid. Overall, I just feel stupid in that class, which is especially rough since I go to this class for two hours, three days a week. But sometimes we get to read/discuss something in class that reminds me why I love Spanish and literature, especially poetry. Last week, it was Pablo Neruda's poem "Me gustas cuando callas." Translation: "I Like It When You're Quiet."

Now, you have to understand that Pablo Neruda is one of my all-time favorite poets. He's right up there with Wordsworth and Keats. I will just eat his poetry up. My favorite is "Ode to a Tomato," but this one is running a close second. A really close second. For those of you who know me well will know that my heart melts as soon as I get the slightest whiff of romance. This poem just reeks of the heart-stopping, breath-taking, I'll-love-you-until-time-stops kind of romance. Well, that's what it felt like when I first read it. Anyways, I'll give the Spanish version (courtesy of http://www.neruda.uchile.cl) and then I'll translate it for those of you who don't speak Spanish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Me gustas cuando callas

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente,

y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te toca.

Parece que los ojos se te hubieran volado

y parece que un beso te cerrara la boca.

Como todas las cosas están llenas de mi alma
emerges de las cosas, llena del alma mía.
Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mi alma,
y te pareces a la palabra melancolía.

Me gustas cuando callas y estás como distante.
Y estás como quejándote, mariposa en arrullo.
Y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te alcanza:
déjame que me calle con el silencio tuyo.

Déjame que te hable también con tu silencio
claro como una lámpara, simple como un anillo.
Eres como la noche, callada y constelada.
Tu silencio es de estrella, tan lejano y sencillo.

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente.
Distante y dolorosa como si hubieras muerto.
Una palabra entonces, una sonrisa bastan.
Y estoy alegre, alegre de que no sea cierto.

I Like It When You're Quiet

I like it when you're quiet because it's like you're gone,

And you hear me from far away, even though me voice doesn't touch you.

It appears that your eyes have flown from you,

And it appears that a kiss has left you breathless.

As all the things that fill my soul

Emerge as just things, my soul is still filled.

Butterfly of my dream, you appear to my soul,

And you appear as the word Melancholy.

I like it when you're quiet, and it's like you are distant.

And it's like you're complaining, like a butterfly's lullaby.

And you hear me from far away, even though my voice doesn't touch you:

Leave me in your loving silence.

Leave me where you speak in your silence

As clear as a lamp, as simple as a ring.

You are like the night, silent and full of stars.

Your silence is a star, so far and simple.

I like it when you're quiet because it's like you're gone.

Distant and painful, as if you were dead.

One word, one half-smile,

And I am glad, glad that this isn't true.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:54:00.004-06:00

Mother's Day is one of the best days of the year. There are maybe five best days of the year, in my opinion: Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, my birthday, and the neighborhood BBQ, in no particular order. They're all one of the best for a different reason--sure they all celebrate something (you may be wondering what the neighborhood BBQ celebrates, but I've always equated the neighborhood BBQ with the true beginning of summer), but each of these days are individual, unlike any other day that we celebrate. Anyways, sorry about the rambling but I was saying that Mother's Day is one of the best days because it is one day where we get to reflect on all the awesome things that our moms do for us.

My mom does a lot. She does a lot, not just for me or the other members of the family, but for EVERYBODY. I've never see someone so ready to jump up and help a person when they are struggling. Mom's always ready to help out with food, help with decorating a place, help clean up after a function. She's always ready to talk to you anyone who needs an ear, and she's always ready with amazing advice. She's Wonder Woman, but without the weird outfit or lasso. Plus, she makes the best smoothies and sandwiches.

Mom, I love you. You are the most amazing person on the planet, and I don't know what I would do without you. Happy Mother's Day!

Winter Semester

2011-04-23T23:48:00.002-06:00

It's finished! The dreaded, stupid Winter Semester is finished! I'm so happy.

Deep breath.

Spring term starts in three days.

Books

2011-03-22T17:32:00.005-06:00

I am slightly addicted to reading. Ok, scratch that--I am VERY addicted to reading. I love it; I eat, sleep, and breathe books. I mean, that's why I'm an English Major. Once in a while, I'll have a dream that is eerily similar to one of the books I've been reading. And that is where my addiction becomes scary. Because where other people have escapes like Second Life, I have books. While I am a firm believer that books are amazing--and I'm sure that I will encourage my children to become junkies like unto myself--there are moments when I worry that I've gotten in too deep. Because of books, my reality is full of expectations that will never be met: I once sat down on the sidewalk while it was snowing because I thought it would be the perfect moment for my true love to come along and sweep me off my feet. Yeah.

So I decided to stop, cold turkey. Well, I mean, I wasn't going to stop reading (that would severely damage my grades for ALL of my classes), but I was going to stop buying books. I had too many good books on my bookshelves that I needed to read. But this week I broke down; I fell off the wagon, and I bought not one, not two, but three new books. Three! I just couldn't resist. This past week I've just felt like I was drowning--I had to get out of the classroom, get out of Provo, and get out of Utah. But I'm poor, and I can't leave right now. So, as the panic was beginning to choke me, I did the only thing I could do: I bought three books. This literature junkie is very happy right now.

Because there is nothing quite like the look, the feel, the smell of a fat, new book.

The Past

2011-03-20T00:13:00.003-06:00

Nostalgia is good. We remember good and bad time in our lives for a reason--those moments changed the course of our lives. Sometimes, I re-read some of my old poems and my old stories, and I laugh, but then I think "Hey, there is some glint in these; I can write something worth while." Here's something I wrote right before my senior year of high school began, and it made me think that we should just stop for a second and write down the first memories that come to our head. We could learn something from ourselves.

It's Sunday, August 3 (Kiera's birthday...big shout out to her), and I'm sitting in Church thinking how Tuesday is the beginning of the end of an era. Because Tuesday, August 5, is the first day of school for those of us who still attened AES, and for me, it's the first day of Senior year.

Over the summer, I've been thinking a lot about Senior year--worrying about Senior year, actually. It's a big thing to worry about. You've got college applications to deal with the first half of the year, and then the second half of the year you have to worry about final exams, which, for me, include the dreaded IB exams. Plus, I have almost all the same super hard classes as I did last year. Needless to say, I was anticipating that this weekend I would be feeling nervous, scared, or maybe even excited that I was finally going to be done with High School and with India. So it surprised me when I discovered that I was a little sad that this year would be my last, not only in High School, but in India too.

When we first moved here, everybody in my old neighborhood told me that I would have amazing experiences. And truth be told, I didn't believe them. But after living here almost two years, I'm kind of starting to believe them. I didn't have any life-changing experiences. I take that back. My life was changed by living here. Just not in the way you'd expect. There are moments from these two years that will probably be ingrained in my mind forever. For example:

I remember the day I left Utah...and the airplane ride to Delhi...and seeing the lights of Delhi for the first time...and my first day in the city when I almost passed out from the combination of masses of people, the smells, and the sights; people pointed at my dad and called him a giant.

I remember the feeling I had my first day at AES.

I remember house hunting with my dad.

I remember getting horribly sick the day of Minicourse. And the consequent train ride on which I threw up at least every hour.

I remember talking to Hannah about anything and everything during free periods.

I remember my first-ever Dead Week (there's a reason they call it that).

I remember the night I flew home for Christmas...and meeting my mom at the airport.

I remember waiting in the halls of Bingham for all my old friends and feeling so out of place it physically hurt me.

I remember the night before I had to go back to Delhi, and Hannah came over to celebrate my Sweet Sixteenth.

I remember my Sweet Sixteenth.

I remember sitting in a bungalow in Nepal, just thinking.

I remember the last day of school and feeling intensly relieved.

I remember the first day I met Maddie, and she gave me one word answers.

I remember the first day I met Miranda, and she wouldn't stop talking.

I remember the first night Maddie, Miranda, and I stayed up until two in the morning.

I remember Youth Conference where we were DJs because we were afraid the boys would ask us to dance (they did anyways).

I remember the first musical I had a major role in.

I remember going out almost every weekend.

I remember flying home for my sister's wedding.

I remember Moti Mahal and Tropicana nights with Maddie.

I remember working out in the weight room at school with Miranda.

I remember going to Shimla with the Stokers.

I remember going to the orphanage and wanting to hold and love every child there.

I remember the night Maddie and Miranda graduated, even though I couldn't be there.

I remember planning next summer with Hannah.

I remember a lot of things. And that's why my life has changed because of India. Because I've made so many memories in so short amount of time with some of the most amazing people I will ever meet. Because it's the little things that count.
I've learned some amazing lessons from those people, and others. Don't worry, I won't list all the lessons I've learned. I guess what I'm trying to say, after all of that, is that while I've hated living here some days, living in India was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me, and I'm really grateful to my parents for giving me the choice to come to Delhi.

So let the beginning of the end...well...begin!

Universe

2011-02-27T16:44:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, when I'm feeling overwhelmed, or I can't let go of the past, or I feel like I can't do it, I just want to yell at the universe--in a refined, well-worded letter, of course. After all, I am an English major; that's how I roll. Anyway, this is probably what I would write:

Dear Universe,

I have a bone to pick with you. It's not ok for you to continually throw obstacles at me. Every once in a while I need a break, ok? Can't you just once let me have a path that is totally clear? It doesn't matter if it's a straight, 100 yard sprint, or if it's a longer road with tons of curves--I'm good with either option. Just no avalanches or flash floods. And can we please just forget about the What If factor? I hate that. Let's just let the past stay in the past, bygones be bygones, or whatever cliche you want to use here. Listen, we could be great friends. You just have to show your nice side.

Love, Ashley

It's that time again

2011-02-16T19:07:00.002-07:00

Yesterday at work I got really bored. No one was calling in for help, and we don't have any projects to do, so I was just basically sitting there, spinning around in my comfy desk chair. I could have been doing homework, or studying for one of the two midterms that I have this week, but no. Sometimes you just have to sit and spin in your comfy desk chair, you know?

And then I went to cheapflights.com. Now I'm planning trips to Madrid, Verona, Greece, and London (for the Olympics). I love traveling. It's always so worth it, even if I'm poor when I come home.

The Busy-ness of Life

2011-02-12T20:36:00.004-07:00

This week I have:

Watched three movies (which is weird because usually I don't have time to watch movies)
Read a chapter of a book of my choice (one chapter; that's it!)
Finished Persuasion and The Companion to Chaucer, both of which are textbooks for my two English classes
Written part of a research paper
Driven to Provo twice (which means I had to buy more gas than usual which sucks because gas prices are so high)
Taken four tests
Eaten at Chick-fil-A (which is awesome!)
Not gotten to bed before 11.

Most of my weeks are like this. And this is why I haven't been able to post on my blog recently.

Such is the business of life.

Sick

2011-01-21T20:10:00.002-07:00

I can't talk. My throat feels like it's made of sandpaper. Every so often I feel like I'm going to throw up.

I hate being sick.

Veinte

2011-01-18T09:15:00.005-07:00

A couple of Fridays ago, my dad told me that I would be starting my third decade of life pretty soon. That kind of freaked me out. For some reason saying that I'm 20 is not as stressful than saying that I have two decades under my belt, and I'm starting a third one. Even though they mean the same thing.

This year's birthday was fantastic. I love it when my birthday is on a Monday because that's when Martin Luther King Day is, which means there's a holiday on my birthday. So, on Sunday we had our family get together. Dad made the most gorgeous meal: a five course, Italian-inspired feast, which was absolutely incredible, plus the most magnificent home-made cake and ice cream you could imagine. It was just as good as Costco's All-American Chocolate Cake. Look at that cake; isn't it beautiful?
On my actual birthday, my friend Maddie and I went to Denny's for breakfast (laugh if you will, but I always associate Denny's with happy times. And I like their food). Then we went and picked Kiera up from the house, and we all wen to see Tangled. I have been wanting to see that movie since it came out, and it was so worth it! I loved it, and if you haven't seen it, you need to.

So, being 20 will be awesome, I just know it. Ok...so I don't really know it because I don't know what's going to happen, which is just the way I like it. I just have a feeling that it's going to be awesome. Thanks for all the birthday wishes, everyone! Wish me luck on this new decade.

New Poem (or Poem-like Thing)!

2011-01-16T00:25:00.007-07:00

Dreams

I had a dream last night.

It was a one of those dreams that I couldn’t wait to tell someone about,
But when I went to the kitchen, and saw you sitting at the counter eating your breakfast,
Something changed.
My halo of excitement, which crackled and tingled and gave off its own surreal heat,
Was gone.
Everything was clean and cold.

People always say to follow your dreams.

They say that anything is possible if you just believe,
But they don’t really mean it.
Sure, they want you to think big
And believe that you can be more than a bag-boy at the local Piggly Wiggly.
Real Dreams, of magical powers, princesses and dragons, and millions of dollars, are different,
But they get pushed aside
In favor of a more “realistic” dream—becoming an astronaut, a politician, a businessman.
Is there a child who actually goes to bed and has visions of becoming successful in business?
If there is, I will gladly shake their hand.
But until I can shake the hand of that miraculous child,
I am convinced that children are no more than geese being fattened
For a world that has been meticulously planned and crafted for them.
The dreams that people say we should follow
Are dreams that have been previously prescribed,
Like thick, dry pills that get stuck in the back of a throat.

I had a Dream last night,

But I forgot about it while I ate my Grape Nuts.

So Busy!

2011-01-07T09:55:00.003-07:00

Well, I missed both my awesome Christmas and New Year's posts. I know, I'm such a slacker. Things have been pretty crazy though. I was busy playing down in Florida with my awesome family. Then we got home just in time to order all of my textbooks (which have still not arrived...I'm not very happy about that...), start working again, and start classes.

Anyway, I'm here to apologize because I won't be posting anything substantial until this weekend. This includes pictures of our fabulous trip to Orlando, Christmas wishes, and New Year's greetings. I'll be back soon though!

I Miss India

2010-12-01T09:44:00.002-07:00

Wait, did I really just write that?

Yes. Yes I did. And I actually mean it too.
Lately, I've been watching a new show called "Outsourced", which was recommended to me by my sister, Heather. I had heard about the show before--it's about a call center from Kansas City that gets outsourced to Mumbai, India, and the new manager from Kansas City has to go over to India to manage the call center. I read some reviews on the it, and they all said that it was an "Office" wanna-be that had way too many racial slurs against Indians. Well, I decided to watch it anyway because: a) I love "The Office", and any show that comes close to "The Office" is probably funny and b) I trust my sister's judgment. If she says it's funny, then it's probably worth looking into. I watched the first couple of shows, and while I won't say I'm hooked, I do like the show a lot (and there aren't that many racial slurs. They do tend to overexaggerate Indian culture, but they're actually pretty close on what life in India for an American is like).

Anyways, the point is that I've been watching the show, and yesterday I watched an episode about Diwali. That's when it hit me--I really miss being in India, with all the crazy holidays, and the monsoons, and the insane taxi/tuk-tuk drivers. I miss being a part of all that. And I would kill for some real Indian food, not the Americanized, tame version that they sell at Bombay House. Also, I kind of miss the heat (I say this as I'm watching the snow fall outside of my window at work).

Guess What...

2010-11-27T23:06:00.002-07:00

I'm a legal driver now! Yep, I can drive a car all by myself.

'Nough said.

First Snow

2010-11-21T00:47:00.004-07:00

The first snow is finally here! It's so soft and beautiful, and I love it. Of course, that means that now I have to drive in the snow...great...

I'm still fascinated by the season's first snowfall, though. It brings a whole new aspect to the winter season--it brings the winter season to life. It says, "Here comes the holidays, everyone; you can go ahead and start celebrating now!" Anyways, I'm glad it has arrived. Yes, I know it will be cold, and driving in it will not be so fun, and yet my love affair with the snow will continue. It's one of those inexplicable facts of life.

Harry Potter Speaks American

2010-11-19T11:45:00.003-07:00

Maddie and I found this hilarious clip while we were waiting to go see Harry Potter last night. I thought it was worthy enough to share.

Yes, I did see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yesterday (actually, it was this morning). Although I am still very angry that David Yates included partial nudity in the movie, I have to say that the overall movie experience won me over. I have to tell you all, though, that the news article I read (and then wrote a very angry post about) was rather misleading. The dance scene that David Yates referred to was not a nude scene. It was simply a fun dance between Harry and Hermione, and I agree with Yates that the scene was very sweet. The only nudity in the movie was during the scene when Ron destroys the locket horcrux, and the only thing the audience truly saw were Harry and Hermione's bare shoulders. Yes, there was definitely implied nudity--and I am still really, really upset that Yates felt that he needed to go that far with the scene.
The movie, however, was spectacular, and I really enjoyed it. I feel that they are really doing the book justice. Yes, that one make-out scene is disturbing, and I wish they had changed it to be more appropriate for what is essentially a kids movie, but I'm glad I went. I just hope the next one is as fantastic.

A Penny for My Thoughts? Psshh, I'm Upping the Price to $1.25

2010-11-16T11:41:00.005-07:00

When I get tired, I can't think straight, and sometimes I can't even see or hear straight. Oddly enough, this is usually when my best and most creative pieces of writing come to life.

Boots and a little bit of make-up are all I need to feel sexy. That and shaved legs.

Sometimes I wish I could be strange and insightful and write things that make people just stop and say, "Whoa." I wish I could change the minds of people all over the world because of a book or poem I wrote. Then I feel insecure, and this tiny, annoying voice in the back of my head says that I will never be more than a Stephenie Meyer wanna-be, which really depresses me.

There are four things that truly bring me out of "the depths of despair": 1) reading one of my favorite books; 2) eating chocolate in any form; 3) having long talks with my mom; 4) playing with a dog.

I've discovered that I really like answering phones. Which means my job=awesome.

Aside from when I'm really tired, I also write my best stuff when I'm really emotional--either super happy, really depressed, or angry.

Many times I wish that I can travel back in time and live in either the 1950s or the late 1800s. I wish I could go back there and truly feel like a lady; I wish I could go back and find the love of my life, kind of like Kate and Leopold, but in reverse. Now, I realize that those time periods aren't all that books and shows like Bewitched make them out to be, but I still carry that secret wish with me at all times.

One day, I'm going to go to Decades (a vintage store in down town Salt Lake) and buy every piece of clothing in there.

Travel is amazing. I love it, and I can't get enough of it. This is why I'm going into the Foreign Services.

I'm afraid that my future fiance will have very little say in our wedding. I have it pretty much all planned out.

I am inordinately excited about the fact that I'm going to Harry Potter World with my family this year for Christmas--I also really, really, REALLY want to participate in a wand ceremony and receive a wand from Olivanders. That would be INCREDIBLE! And yes, I do realize that I am a gigantic nerd.

How is it that I never went through the I-Hate-My-Mother-And-I'm-Going-To-Rebel-In-Any-Way-Possible phase? During my teenage years, my mom became my best friend.

I miss seeing Chelsey, Aaron, Katie, Paul, and Averi. I get to see Heather, Danny, and Brayden pretty much every other day, and that makes me incredibly happy. But I want to see the Jorgenson family too!

My life is awesome. I wouldn't trade it for any other in the entire world.

Must Go Travelling

2010-11-16T08:20:00.002-07:00

Travel+Leisure just posted their 2010 "World's Best Hotels" list. I've been flipping through the pictures, and I want to go to all of them! Is anyone up for a trip? Or willing to donate to the "Ashley is poor but wants to see the world" fund?

Here's the link, for anyone interested in browsing through some truly gorgeous hotels.
www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-best-hotels-2010

Warning: Harry Potter is no longer fit for children to see

2010-11-11T21:15:00.003-07:00

I just read the saddest news today: in the new Harry Potter movie, coming out next Thursday, there will be two nudity scenes. Neither of these scenes were the book, so the director, David Yates, just added these scenes because he felt like it.

I couldn't believe it when I read it in KSL News. It is so upsetting that David Yates has decided that a movie that is geared toward children should have nude scenes in it. Here's a statement from David Yates about one of the nude scenes: "It's where Hermione and Harry dance together and is not in the book. It's something that we create for the film..." I just don't understand where this is coming from. Later, Yates said that the scene is"tender." What? I'm still trying to figure out how a scene like that could be tender--it feels more like Yates is trying to see how far he can push the envelope in this scene. What messages are they trying to send our children? And what messages are we sending our children if we let them go see this new installment of Harry Potter?

I have been so excited to see this film, but now that I know there are nude scenes, it makes me step back from the movie a little. And I wanted to let everyone know, so that they don't go to the movie theaters as an unsuspecting audience.

Halloween

2010-11-11T14:23:00.004-07:00

I promised Chelsey I would take lots of pictures of my adorable 1950s costume that my mom sewed for me for Halloween. I've always loved the clothes from the 1950s and the 1960s, and I've always wanted to own a piece of clothing from those eras. So I thought that Halloween would be the perfect time to get a dress from the 1950s. With Chelsey help, I picked out a pattern and some cute fabric. My mom found a vintage store down in downtown Salt Lake City, and she bought me a couple of really cute hats and a pair of gloves. Hopefully, I get to back to that store one day (Decades) and browse around for some other cute stuff! I thought the dress turned out really well, and the hat and the gloves just made the ensemble. So here it is:

Working Girl 2.0

2010-11-05T13:02:00.002-06:00

I officially finished training today! I took my final test and everything, and now I am taking calls completely by myself. It's kind of nerve-wracking, actually. Then again, there's always people who are willing to help me, so it's not so bad.

This week was interesting. I made one girl so happy that she wanted to hug me, and then I made another girl cry. I requested finals and certified a proctor. I helped recruit at least two people to Independent Study, which was awesome. I also got a ton of homework done because the phones were so slow. I'm not a slacker, I promise!

Hopefully, things will continue to go up from here. I get paid today, so for me, this job is the best job ever!

Survey

2010-10-30T16:59:00.002-06:00

I totally stole this from Chelsey. It seemed like a fun survey/questionnaire.

1. I have been looking for some simple but interesting Halloween crafts/decorations, what is your favourite one to do with your children? please include a link if you have one.
Sadly, I don't do Halloween decorations. And I don't have kids. But I love carving pumpkins! When I put up pictures of my Halloween costume, I will definitely post some pictures of my pumpkin this year as well.

2. What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day with your children?
Again, I don't have kids, but I do love watching movies with my family. Rainy days are always best spent curled up beneath a blanket--whether that be with a book or on the couch watching a movie.

3. What is your favourite fall food?
I do love soups, especially creamy soups. Clam chowder and cream of chicken are my favorites. Sometimes I'll even have cream of mushroom--but it HAS to be my dad's cream of mushroom; I refuse to eat canned cream of mushroom. I'm also a big pasta fan. Turkey also always reminds of fall because my dad always smokes a turkey injected with apple juice Thanksgiving. The apple juice makes the turkey extra moist and delicious.

4. What is your current favourite read aloud book?
I love reading pretty much anything out loud. Right now I'm reading The Goose Girl to my mom, and it's been so fun. That is honestly my favorite Shannon Hale book; it's just written so beautifully. I love reading out loud (especially to my mom) because I get to use different voices and accents for each character. While I'm reading The Goose Girl, I'm currently using English and Irish accents. It's pretty awesome.

5. What is your favourite novel?
Oh my goodness, there are so many to choose from! Pride & Prejudice has always been at the top of my favorites list, but I also always include The Wheel of Time series, by Robert Jordan, Anne of Green Gables (the whole series), by L.M. Montgomery, and The Crown Duel, by Sherwood Smith. These are the books that I can read again and again and again and again, and I'll never get tired of the story. The Goose Girl may make it's way onto that list one day.

6. What book from your childhood do you remember the most, and why?
I'll never forget reading Wateship Down, by Richard Adams. I think this story is amazing. It's like taking Aesop's Fables to the next level, and I love that about the story. It's written really well, and even though it's written as a book for younger children, adults can really enjoy it as well. Also, I once read that Adams didn't really mean for the book, or it's characters, to have special messages (other than the obvious ones in the book) or hidden meanings . It was just a story that he told his kids on long car rides. At the time I hated how my English dissected and broke apart every tiny word in the books we read in class, and it was really refreshing to have an author say that that wasn't warranted.

7. What type of music do you enjoy the most? Please include examples!
Really chill music is what I love best. My favorites right now are A Fine Frenzy and Priscilla Ahn. They're both softer music, but they have fun beats and the lyrics are kind of funky and awesome. They give off the vintage, offbeat vibe that I love.

8. What subject do you find most challenging (to teach or to learn)?
Math. I hate math. And Chemistry. And Physics. I cannot understand chemistry or physics for the life of me. Funny, I never really had a problem with Biology.

9. What is your favorite hot drink? Bonus points for including the recipe!
Stephen's Hot Chocolate by far. I love anything with that label on it. I guess my favorite, though, is the mint chocolate hot chocolate mix that they have. It's pretty much one of the highlights of the winter season.

Working Girl

2010-10-25T11:44:00.002-06:00

I started my new job today! It was very exciting, and also very frightening because it was snowing when Mom and I started up to Provo, and we were late by the way, and as we were driving up to the Point of the Mountain, my gas gauge just dropped like a ten pound rock in water. I had just filled up the tank Saturday night, so it shouldn't have done that, but my gas gauge is all whacked out, so we weren't sure. Mom and I were scared we were going to be stuck in the middle of the freeway, in the cold, driving sleet, at 6:30 in the morning--and I had to be at work by 7. Yeah, not a pleasant situation. Luckily, we got to a gas station, filled up my car (it was basically full, by the way), and it to Provo. I was only three minutes late. Way to go, Mom!

So today was just training, but they packed in so much information, that I'm worried I won't be able to remember it all. There's still a whole week left of training, though, so hopefully I'll master the system by next week. They kept asking me if I had any questions. I HATE it when people ask me that because I can never think of any questions to ask. What do you do in that situation? I just kept saying, "I can't think of anything now, but I'll probably have questions later." I hope I didn't sound like an idiot or anything.

I'll probably have some interesting stories for later. At least I'll have something more to write about here!

Moving Forward Does Not Mean We Should Forget Our Past

2010-09-18T12:58:00.002-06:00

I have to admit that I do not read the news very often. When I do, it's usually because there's a very intriguing headline on my Yahoo homepage. Every once in a while I'll visit CNN.com, but that's only if I want to stay really current.

Yesterday, when I got to my Yahoo homepage, the story that was displayed most prominently was a story entitled "Amazing New Designs For The Dollar Bill." Intrigued by both the picture and the headline, I clicked on the story (here's the link for those of you who would like to read it: http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/721294).

Now, I understand the want, or even the need, to give our dollar a make-over. We've given the $2o bill a couple of make-overs--why not give the rest of the bills upgrades as well? Everything deserves the chance to be modern and interesting, right? The thing that makes me irritated is that almost none of the new dollar designs feature our Founding Fathers or any of the men who created long-lasting legacies (I went and checked the actual online competition). I think the idea of putting historic icons on our money is wonderful, but what better icon can you get than George Washington or Abraham Lincoln? And when you start putting President Obama under the list of historic icons, as Gartland did in the article, I have to start to wonder about the validity of that list. Yes, I understand that President Obama is a novelty because he is the first African American President that this country has had, and I think that is wonderful. But there have been plenty of other very prominent and influential African American people in our country's history (Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., just to name a few). President Obama has been in office for two years, and in that two years, has he really done anything worthy of the title "historic icon"? Did he lead a small, rather untrained, army against the world's greatest force so that his country could have freedom of speech, religion, etc.? Did he make numerous scientific "breakthroughs" and contribute heavily to the construction of the government of this nation? Did he liberate a people and gather his nation together after four years of a bloody civil war? What has Obama done to merit his standing beside the great people, such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, that are already featured on our currency?

Perhaps I am overreacting to this new dollar design. Perhaps President Obama really is a historic icon, and I just can't see it. I just don't think that "moving forward" necessarily implies that we forget the men who truly made this nation great.

Poems anyone?

2010-08-19T20:31:00.005-06:00

Lately I can't sleep--probably because my bed is basically just the springs without the mattress and it's pretty much an oven in my room--so I've been writing poems. Nothing like sleep deprivation to get the creative juices flowing! This is my favorite, but if you like it than I can post the other one (but it needs to be worked on a little). So send in your comments, be they good or bad!

Romance

When he pulls your hair in the playground,
And tells all his friends that girls have cooties and that he would rather die than play with you,
But then he picks you first to be on his team for Red Rover.

When you glance across the classroom,
And he's just staring at you, without even realizing it.
When he talks with you at your locker until the warning bell rings,
Then walks you to your next class even though his is on the other side of school.
When he holds your hand for the first time and your whole arm tingles.

When he picks you up from work after a long day,
And he just happens to have your favorite smoothie with him.
When he signs up for classes that he actually hates
Just because he knows you will be there.
When he stays up all night to help you study for the one exam that doesn't make any sense.
When he sees you without makeup for the first time and tells you that you're beautiful.
When he pulls out that little black box and all you can say is "Yes!"

When the wailing of that beautiful baby wakes you, but he gets out of bed before you can.
When he feeds the kids and then cleans up the mess.
When he buys you little presents because he saw them and thought of you.
When you come home to find the kids in bed,
And the formal dining room table is set with candles, paper plates, and pizza.

When you're sitting on the porch,
And he sits next to you, taking your soft, weathered hand in his,
And together you watch the sunlight fade away.

Miracle of Miracles

2010-08-19T03:15:00.002-06:00

I'm very excited because today I went horse-back riding and almost nothing happened! For those of you who are confused, I'm allergic to most animal hair, and it's the animals that sleep in hay and stuff that give me the most trouble. When I ride horses, I usually get hives all over the place, my nose is constantly running, my eyes get all red and puffy, and I can't breathe. I love riding horses so much, and I do it as often as I can, so sometimes my allergies can affect me terribly. But none of that happened today. It was awesome! It made me really happy.

Dear Heather

2010-08-13T14:19:00.002-06:00

Dear Heather,
Mom, Dad, and Kiera are coming down to Guadalajara tomorrow, and I'm really excited for them to come. But I'm also pretty sad too. Want to know why? Well, you and Danny and Brayden won't be there with us! I think you guys would have so much fun down here--and not just because you would be with me. It just makes me sad that you won't get to experience Guadalajara with us.
We've had some rough times, Heather my dear. I know this, you know this, pretty much everyone knows this. Even though we have had some rough times, we're getting better every day. For one thing, we don't fight nearly as much as we used to, and those rare moments that we do fight never come to blows now, ha ha. Not everything is peaches and cream, but we're working at being the best sisters we can be. That's why I love you so much!
I love hanging out with you and Danny. We have a lot of fun together, and I love our discussions that we always end up having. Not to mention, I LOVE playing with Brayden. He's just adorable! So, even though we are having fun here in Mexico, just know that it's not quite the same without you.
I love you lots!
Ashley

Dear Kiera

2010-08-09T22:31:00.002-06:00

*It feels like a good month to write letters to my family. This next letter is for Kiera because I stupidly forgot to write a shout-out to her on her birthday, which was August 3rd.

Dear Kiera,
Baby girl! You are growing up so fast. I can't believe you're already nine years old. Sometimes it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago that you were crawling around our house in Australia, looking for the candy cupboard. Even back then you stood out from the crowd. We Barnes girls have always been something special--not your average cookie-cutter girl--and you were no different. Not only were you twice as big, physically, as the only other baby in our ward (poor McKenzie Jones was just a tiny little thing), but you also had a huge heart. You were so happy and loving, and everyone noticed that. You were always willing to let other people hold you and love you, and you would love them right back. Not much as changed, Bubba. Now, there are times when you are terrible spoiled and naughty and you don't do as you're told, and you can throw terrible tantrums, but inside we all know that bubbly, happy baby has just grown up and she's still in there.
Kiera my dear, you are a beautiful, smart, and talented little girl. You've got a wonderful life ahead of you. Don't ever be afraid to do whatever you want to do--and don't be afraid to change your mind about what it is you want to do. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.
Love,
Ashley

Dear Chelsey

2010-08-08T10:17:00.003-06:00

Dear Chelsey,
I thought about you and Aaron last night. The hotel that I'm staying at in Nuevo Vallarta (which I have to say is way cooler than Bear Lake--sorry) had a karaoke night last night. It was pretty awesome to hear drunk Mexicans singing karaoke. I kept thinking, "Chelsey and Aaron would love this. I should get up and sing in honor of them." And I really was going to get up and sing, I promise! I actually wanted to sing. I even told everyone that I would. But then I looked at the song list, and I honestly didn't know any of the songs on the karaoke list--even the English ones. So I watched a couple of my friends sing karaoke and then went out to the beach. Oh Chels, you would love it here. It's definitely got the summer vibe going on. It's perfect weather for swimming every single day and there are kayaks and boogie boards and bikes to rent out every day at the hotel front desk. It's pretty awesome.
I just wish you and Aaron could be here to enjoy everything with me!
Love,
Ashley

Two More Days...

2010-08-05T18:58:00.004-06:00

In two days--actually it's only a day and a half!--I get to go to an all-inclusive resort in Nuevo Vallarta. We get buffets and virgin margaritas/strawberry daiquiris/piña coladas all day every day. There are two gorgeous pools and a volleyball court. And the best part: the resort OWNS A PRIVATE BEACH! Heck yeah, this next week is going to be awesome.

Want to see a picture of the resort? Of course you do!
This is just one of the beautiful pools.

This is their private beach! How lucky am I?!

Watching the Rain

2010-07-26T20:47:00.003-06:00

This is the rainy season in Mexico, and when they say rainy season, they really mean it. It rains pretty much every day now, and usually it rains pretty hard. Today was the worst I've seen in a long time. It just poured for hours and hours.
We went to FHE, and the plan was that everyone was going to play soccer, but clearly that plan failed. So instead we just decided to play games in the pavilion down by the pool in Señora Stallings apartment complex (Señora Stallings is the trip director). We played The Human Knot (our group unraveled two knots while the other group was figuring out their first knot--clearly, we smoked 'em), and after that I got really hot. They were just too many people all crammed together. I went to stand by one of the open windows and thought how the rain was making everything outside much cooler. Then I thought, "What the heck, might as well just go stand in the rain." So I did.
I actually really enjoyed just standing out there, getting soaked, and watching the rain wash Mexico. I didn't do anything. I just stood there, letting the rain soak me. Then people from our group saw me standing out there in the rain and came and told me to come inside because I was getting soaked (which was the reason I was out there in the first place), and then they told me I was crazy because I didn't want to go inside. But I didn't want to go inside becauseI liked being in the rain. They didn't get it.
I'm just an odd duck. Sometimes I just like to be by myself, to think and read and listen to what everyone else has to say. Sometimes I just like to stand outside and watch the rain.

Guachimontones

2010-07-26T13:04:00.005-06:00

We visited our first set of ruins this weekend! Yay! I was really excited to go because I love the ruins in Mexico. First we went to a town called Teuchitlán, where they have a museum about the ruins. The ruins are in a place called Guachimontones, which is about 25 minutes away from Teuchitlán, and these ruins are special. These ruins are circular instead of the normal pyramids that you usually think of when you think of Aztec ruins. Also, there are twelve (I'm pretty sure it's twelve, but it could be less) platforms that used to hold little houses that surround that ceremonial "mounds" (those are the circular pyramids). These ruins were only used in times of ceremony--the rest of the town actually lived in Teuchitlán. There was a whole bunch of facts that we "learned" when we watched a video about Guachimontones in the museum, but I was really tired and the movie was really boring...yeah, you can guess what happened about two minutes after they started the movie. But I loved Guachimontones--it was gorgeous! And the ruins were really cool too.
After Guachimontones, we went to another little town--I can't remember the name of the town, sorry--to go to another museum, but the museum was closed. So we just wandered around. They had a cathedral (of course) and in front of the cathedral was a really pretty garden with lots of rose bushes. It was great for taking pictures. Oh, funny story! So we all went to eat ice cream while we were in no-name town, and after, we all meandered toward the garden. As I was walking over to the garden, I saw two adorable street dogs. So, of course, I went over to pet both of them. After that, they followed me all over the place! Why is it that I can make friends with dogs in like five minutes, but it takes me FOREVER to make friends with real people?
Ha ha, anyway, enjoy some of the pictures of the beautiful Guachimontones countryside!I thought I would show a picture of myself, so that you all knew I really was in Mexico.

I love the trees here!

This is one of the platforms that sits in front of the ceremonial "mound."
This is the bigger of the two ruins--they haven't restored it yet because it would just be too expensive.

Ok, so I really do have friends here in Mexico. From left to right: Melissa Stephens, me, Erynn Scott, and Romney Olsen. I love everyone in our group, but I like hanging out with these guys especially.

This is the ball court in between the two mounds. Two parties who were disputing something would come to the ball court and play ball all day long--literally. The only place they could touch the ball was their hips. At the end of the day, the one who won was killed. Yeah, I said the person who won the game gets killed. Apparently it's an honor to win the game. It's a good thing I live in 2010.

One last view of the ceremonial mound.

My adorable new street puppy!

How about this new background?

2010-07-22T19:43:00.002-06:00

I'm trying a new background for my blog. What do you guys think? Does anyone have any strong feelings against it?

Zacatecas

2010-07-21T10:43:00.010-06:00

This weekend, we went to Zacatecas, and we got to stay for two days (no school on Friday--YES)! It was really fun, except for the part where I got stung by a wasp. Right on the nose. Not so fun. But I just keep telling myself that I must smell like a beautiful flower, which is way better than smelling terrible, right?
Anyway, Zacatecas is a really pretty town (the locals all call it "pintoresco") that's full of narrow, windy roads, old-fashioned buildings, and lovely little cathedrals and churches. The first place that we went to was a museum, but we had to walk through ruins to get to the exhibits. I immediately fell in love with this place. It was absolutely gorgeous! I took so many pictures, both of the ruins and of the exhibits. The museum has a huge collection of masks from all over Mexico, and while some of them were a little weird, they were all pretty cool. After the museum, we went searching for the various churches in Zacatecas. Apparently, each town has one main cathedral and all the rest are just churches that kind of look like cathedrals. Who would have thought? The cathedral in Zacatecas is beautiful. It's famous for the carvings around the outside of the building--and it should be. The carvings are so detailed; it's really quite incredible. That was pretty much it for day one.
On day two, we went to the silver mine (Mina: El Edén), which is where Zacatecas gets most of its income. The silver mine itself wasn't all that cool, but they did have a "museum" that displayed all the different kinds of gems, minerals, and rocks that can be found in the mine. That was cool. After the mine, we went to the teleférico, which is the cable car that runs across the whole city. It was really cool to see the city that way. Then we did some shopping, ate lunch, did some more shopping, and went home. If it didn't take about 6 hours to get to Zacatecas from Guadalajara, I would definitely go there again.There are little craft stands like this all over the place.

This is the cathedral in Zacatecas. Aren't the carvings beautiful? Well, I like them.

This is the museum that I am in love with.
I absolutely love the colored houses here in Mexico. This is my friend Lauralee, a girl from our group.Part of the ruins inside the museum.
A couple of masks...pucker up, girls!

BIG News

2010-07-12T14:42:00.004-06:00

On the 4th of July, after lunch and a whole lot of card games, I went back up to my room to relax for the rest of the day (which is not unusual). Getting bored, I decided to check my email (which I tend to do at least three times a day here in Mexico). I had an email in my inbox saying that Milanne Clark (my awesome roommate who has become one of my best friends) had sent me a message on Facebook. Figuring that the message would about my English portfolio (which she had kindly agreed to pick up for me, since I'm in Mexico right now and I can't get it), I trekked on over to Facebook to see what she had written. Imagine my surprise when I opened the email and read that Milanne had just become engaged! I was so exciting that I shouted for joy, right as my new roommate walked into our room. I'm pretty sure I scared her half to death, ha ha.

So ever since then I've been thinking of things to do for a bridal shower. It has to be completely AWESOME because I won't be able to go to her actual wedding, which is December 22, in case you were wondering. If you have any ideas, send them my way. I would much appreciate it!

Tonolá y Tlaquepaque

2010-07-10T18:24:00.008-06:00

So, every weekend our group goes on a "field trip." We travel around to different parts of the city--next week we're even traveling to a completely different city and staying there for two days, which is very exciting--so we can get a lot of "cultural activities." These trips have all been so much fun, but today's trip was especially awesome. Hand-blown glass "factory" that's behind the store. It's literally BEHIND the store.

I can't decide if ceramic toilets are cheap junk or incredibly awesome

The best ceramic warehouse in the world!
We went to Tonolá first this morning (the pictures above are from there). Tonolá is a market town and they sell a ton of crafts there. You can find everything from ceramics to paintings to furniture, and everything is pretty cheap. For example, I bought a full set of ceramic dishware (six cups, six plates, and six bowls) for a little under $15, and there were large (and I'm talking LARGE) triptych paintings for about the same amount! It was really fun to go walking through all of the little shops they had there. A lot of the shops were full of cheap junk stuff, but every once in a while we found some awesome stuff.
After Tonolá, we drove to Tlaquepaque. Tlaquepaque is another crafty town, but the stuff there is of much higher quality. They had a lot of clothing stores and a lot of jewelry stores. Mexico is famous for their silver and so I saw some really pretty silver jewelery that I was very tempted to buy...Tlaquepaque was such a gorgeous little town. All the buildings had that picturesque old-Mexico feeling that we always think of when we think of Mexico. There were mariachi bands strolling through the street and vendors selling through wares in between store-fronts and people just wandering around. Ah! I loved it.
This was the best restaurant in Tlaquepaque. The food was absolutely delicious.
This is possibly my favorite photo of the entire trip. I'm really proud of it!

P.S. The mariachi band that I have a picture of up there is the first and only all female mariachi band that I've seen here in Mexico. I thought it was awesome.

Catch Up

2010-06-24T17:30:00.002-06:00

I thought that it was about time that I update those of you who wish to know on what I am up to now.

Well, I'm here in Guadalajara, Mexico! I was already in love with Mexico--ever since we went to Cancun the first time--but now I think Mexico is even more awesome. Guadalajara is big city, and it's gorgeous! There are trees absolutely everywhere, and it is so green. It rains, hard, almost every day here. Most of the people in our group don't really like the thunderstorms, but I love them. It makes me really happy when it rains.
The people here are absolutely wonderful, too. They are so sweet and they make you feel so welcome. The family that I'm staying with is super nice. Our new mom, Guille, cooks all the time. She cooks us breakfast, a big lunch, and a dinner (but the dinner is more like a snack). She always says when need to eat more. Finally I told her that I love her food, but I'm going to gain a lot of weight if I just keep eating. She doesn't mind anymore when I don't want anymore food. The people at church are really nice, too, especially the YSA group. They've done a lot of activities with us since we got here, and all of them are really eager to make us comfortable in our new surroundings. Everyone, our families and those at church, is very patient with us as we try and improve our Spanish. They correct--nicely--us when we get our phrases tangled, and they use what English they know to help us understand.
Our group is just really fun. Everyone is really nice to each other. All of the girls are really happy and friendly, and the guys are just funny. They make us girls laugh a lot. We do almost everything together, and we do a lot of activities. We've been to El Centro (the center of Guadalajara), dancing, a couple of cathedrals, lots of museums, and the movies. Tomorrow there is a stake dance for the YSA, and on Saturday we are going to a city called Tlaquepaque. Our mom says that it is a really pretty city. I'm excited.
I have a lot of pictures, and I'll put some up soon, I promise.

What the heck, Utah?!

2010-05-24T14:41:00.001-06:00

IT IS THE END OF MAY! WHY IS IT SNOWING?!

For the past few weeks we have had some beautiful weather here in Utah. The days were nice and sunny--not hot and cool, but not overly cold. Sure, Utah threw in a couple of rainstorms, just to catch us off our guard, but we pulled through. Then Utah threw a hissy-fit. I don't know why Utah was upset--maybe Colorado was calling Utah names again. In any case, Utah decided to take it out on us. Now we have to wade through this cold, sloshy, STUPID snow! This is just not fair. It's almost June, and we are still suffering from winter temperatures. I want SUMMER!

Please, Utah, have compassion on your poor residents. Be kind. Send us some warm weather for longer than two weeks, if that wouldn't inconvenience you terribly. We promise we'll be kind to you.

Danny was right!

2010-05-17T19:23:00.003-06:00

So, my brother-in-law, Danny, told us about an urban legend he had heard of from a nice waitress in California. When you have the hiccups, all you have to do is pour a packet of sugar underneath your tongue. I just laughed at him--I thought, why would sugar help stop the hiccups? It didn't make any sense. Well, today I kept getting the hiccups off and on. They usually stopped after one or two hiccups, but later in the afternoon they just wouldn't go away. I decided to put Danny's myth to the test. I took a packet of sugar (I used Truvia, which is the new sugar substitute) and poured all of it under my tongue. I felt really weird, but as soon as the sugar had dissolved, my hiccups were gone!

Danny, your waitress friend seems to be right. Thanks for passing that on!

English 218

2010-05-15T14:39:00.005-06:00

I was so excited for this semester for two reasons: 1) there are far less people on campus during Spring/Summer than there are in Fall/Winter and 2) this was the first semester that I could take the first Creative Writing class. I love writing, and I really wanted to take this class because I felt that I needed a little help to make my writing the best it can be.
We do writing exercises almost every class period. We have begun studying poetry, and for one of our writing exercises we had to write a poem entitled "Happiness". This is what I came up with.

Snuggled deep under the duvet,
I hear the noisy whispers of my
nieces and their brother.
I peek out and see them
coming in. They crawl to
the very edge, peering and giggling--
sometimes they dare to poke the
sleeping bear that is their aunt.
As stealthy as giant tractors,
they climb onto the bed frame,
test the ocean on top of me, and finally
they leap.

My nephew stares at me,
the stare of a little wise-man.
I have tried everything--he
blinked at peek-a-boos,
yawned at tickles, and
turned away from silly faces.
The boy still stares, boring holes
into my soul until
I am ready to tell him my sins
and weep on his shoulder.
I smack my lips together,
and there it is--the soft smile
that turns him back into a babe
of six months.

There they sit,
the oldest sisters,
crowned by their families,
the glow of motherhood surrounding them
like dust shaken from angel's wings.
As they chatter about diaper brands,
potty training, and baby food,
I ache to belong to that secret circle,
while my younger sister begs me to play.
They turn and smile,
inviting me, and even the youngest, in.
We all four laugh together,
recounting memories from
far away places and
long ago times.

Our giant, our protector--
the man who could crush a hopeful
young man merely with his presence
even as he lovingly carries little ones
on his shoulder--bellows a lion's roar
from outside. Suddenly we are
ants scurrying from here to there,
patiently waiting for
the picnic to be set.
The sweet smell of smoked meat
is tantalizingly strong, and
our father stands amid his
smoldering kingdom.

With a the grace of a swan on a lake,
Mother glides around the house.
Upstairs and downstairs she goes,
gliding from kitchen to living room,
living room to back porch and
back again.
The glow of motherhood does not
simply surround her. She is
steeped in it; it comes from her very pores.
She is benefactress, counselor, wise woman,
comforter.

I am curled up in the armchair,
a blanket tucked around my legs,
an open book in my lap.
Everyone is gone, and
I am encased in silence.

So that's it--that's my poem entitled "Happiness". I've decided that it could also be called "Fourth of July". Tell me what you think!

What a Week!

2010-03-19T18:07:00.002-06:00

This week has been pretty crazy. It's midterm time, so that means lots of tests to stress out about and a few papers to procrastinate. Also, we don't get a spring break here at BYU so that's doubly hard. Our last holiday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so all the students are either going crazy in the classrooms, or just plain skipping classes (you can guess which group I'm in).
The weather this week (and most of last week) was gorgeous! I was wearing T-shirts all week, and the one day that I did try to wear a light jacket, I had to tie it around my waist because I was getting hot. And then...last weekend it snowed Friday night and all Saturday. Today it tried to snow--but it failed miserable. Now it's just INCREDIBLY windy.

Weather aside...it's been a pretty normal week. Until Wednesday night that is. On Wednesday night, right before I went to bed, the bottom lid of my right eye started to hurt. I didn't think too much of it because I was really tired and I thought my eye was hurting because of that. By Thursday afternoon there was a lot of pressure on the tear duct area and it had become red and slightly swollen, so I started to freak out a little. Today, I went to the doctor and found out that I have a sty in my right eye! That was pretty crazy. So now I'm "nursing" my eye back to health.

There is some other exciting news. My sister, Chelsey, called me today and told me that she is getting a greyhound on April 9! I'm so excited for her. Now both Heather and Chelsey get adorable dogs, and I get to play with both of them. Good times are up ahead, my friend, good times.

Summer Plans

2010-03-04T00:02:00.002-07:00

Guess what Ashley's doing this summer.

No, I'm serious. Guess.

Go ahead. I REALLY want you to guess.

Ok, I can't take it anymore. You guys are too slow at the whole guessing game.

ASHLEY'S GOING TO GUADALAJARA THIS SUMMER!

(Excitement prevails, and everyone is happy)

Masquerade

2010-01-30T13:31:00.005-07:00

Last night was the best night I've had since my Thai birthday dinner. Seriously. Want to know why? Of course you do! Last night I attended a MASQUERADE BALL!

My amazing mask!

Let me tell you why I was so freakin' excited about this ball. My family and I first went to Italy when I was seven or eight years old (I'm pretty sure I was seven, but I don't really remember...Chelsey and Heather would remeber). The last part of our trip was spent in Venice. Venice was definitely not my favorite part of Italy (my favorite part was definitely Il Burro in Tuscany), but the one thing that really caught my attention in Venice was the venetian mask.

Cassandra and her date, Sterling.

For those of you who know me really well know that I am a hopeless romantic and I love everything from the 1800s and early 1900s. I attribute this part of my personality to my two older sisters who love all things Jane Austen. I've been reading Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Lucy Montgomery, etc. since I was about ten, I have watched movies like Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables more times than I can count, and I love everything about the 1800s and the early 1900s. So a masquerade ball was perfect for me. I got to dress up in a beautiful fairytale dress, take vintage dance lessons, and--best of all--wear a real mask! I loved every second of it.

This was my date, Geoff.

Cassandra in her beautiful dress and mask.

Take my breath away

2010-01-23T02:39:00.003-07:00

Apart from my birthday (which was fantabulous!), these past two weeks have been a pretty low point, for reasons I will not disclose here. Anyways, I went to see a friend in a play tonight (the play was really good, by the way). When I left my apartment at about 7:00, it was snowing REALLY hard. I was completely covered in snow by the time I get on campus, where the play was. I didn't leave the play until about 10:00, and I figured that the snow had stopped. Boy, was I wrong! It had snowed for the entire three hours I was inside, and it was STILL snowing when I left the theater.

As soon as I stepped outside of the theater, my breath was literally taken away. The campus was GORGEOUS! I'm being completely serious when I say that the sight of a completely snow-covered campus was absolutely incredible.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the snow made my heart light. It thrilled me that something so ordinary as stone buildings and dead trees could be transformed into a literal wonderland. The blanket of snow made the night peaceful, and I basically floated home.

19

2010-01-17T13:22:00.003-07:00

It's birthday time! This year is proving out to be a really good one, yet again, and my birthday has been really fun too. It's been a whole birthday-tastic weekend. On Friday, I went home to play games with Heather and Danny, which was really fun, and I stayed over at the house for the night. Saturday was amazing, since we had a gourmet Thai dinner. Dad, Maddie, Hannah, and I cooked our little tails off last night, and created a fantastic seven (yes, I said SEVEN!) course meal. It was absolutely PERFECT! Thanks so much, Dad.

I got back to my apartment at about 12:30 a.m., only to discover that my amazing roommates had completely covered the apartment with streamers and balloons and had written "Happy Birthday, Ashley" all over the apartment. It was awesome. They were so cute about everything. My actual birth-DAY has been great too. We're going to make quiche tonight and then have Devil's Food cake with cream cheese frosting (my favorite!), and play games, and just have fun together. Tomorrow, we have a FULL schedule, and it will be epic.

I love being able to spend time with my family--cooking with my dad, having long talks with my mom, playing games with my sisters and brother-in-law (and wishing Chelsey and Aaron, who live so far away, were with us!), and spending time with all my friends. This weekend has been an amazing one, and I think I will always remember what a wonderful 19th birthday I've had.

Christmas toys bring great joy

2009-12-27T19:14:00.002-07:00

Ok, first I wanted to say that I missed the first anniversary of the Blog--and I was to write a special annivesary post--and I'm very upset about that. Anyway, the past is the past, so we'll move forward.

How was everyone's Christmas? Mine was amazing, thanks for asking! One of the best parts of my Christmas was the fact that my sister, Chelsey, her husband, Aaron, and their three kids came up from Albequerque to be with us. That way, the entire family was together, and that always makes me VERY HAPPY. The second best part of the Christmas season was my BRAND NEW COMPUTER that I received on Christmas Day. It's beautiful, and fast, and I love it! My last computer was on the verge of committing suicide, so it really is a very good thing that I got a new one.

I'll have to tell you about the Christmas movies we saw: The Princess & the Frog and Sherlock Holmes. I love all things Disney, and this new movie from Disney lived up to their reputation. It was so much fun and Kiera and I really enjoyed going to see it with Heather and Danny (my second oldest sister and her husband). The story was awesome, the songs were fun, and it was very visually pleasing--just as all the Princess movies are. I'm going to have to say that Beauty & the Beast is still my favorite--as it always be--but The Princess & the Frog is definitely my second favorite of the Princess movies. Now, Sherlock Holmes was the complete opposite of The Princess & the Frog. It was definitely a hardcore action movie, and I absolutely loved it! Oh yes, I can love both cheesy Disney movies and hardcore action movies. I'm just a little strange that way. Anyway, Robert Downy Jr. and Jude Law make the perfect Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson team. Of course, Sherlock Holmes holds a special place in my heart, so I probably would have defended it no matter what. But it really was awesome, so I don't need to defend it, and I can't wait for the sequel, which will clearly feature Professor Moriarty.

I hope that everyone had fabulous Christmas, wherever you are, and I hope the New Year brings hopes and wishes and dreams that will be fulfilled.

Could this weekend get any better?

2009-11-29T17:43:00.003-07:00

So...this weekend was simply amazing. Want to know why it was so amazing? Well, besides the amazing dinner we partook of on Thursday...WE WON THE GAME AGAINST UTAH! Nothing gets better than that, let me tell you.

I have always been an avid fan of Cougar football (even though I still have trouble following the rules, but I am getting better at it!), and every season I anxiously await this game. This game is very important. We don't wear red for at least a week prior to it. That would be unthinkable. So you can imagine how excited I was that this year's BYU/Utah game (my first ever at college) was a home game, and I had a ticket. Granted, my seat was at the very top of the stadium, but at least we had a good view of the entire field. Watching that game was so much fun--my friends and I were standing and screaming at the team the entire game; my thought hurt afterwards, and I sounded like I had been sick for weeks. Good times, good times.

My roommate was amazed at how deep the hatred runs between the two schools. She's from Alabama, so she didn't grow up with it like I did. I guess it is pretty shocking. Take Max Hall for example. Who would have thought that this nice senior would so vehemnetly bash Utah in post-game comments? ("I hate Utah. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, I hate their fans, I hate everything." --Max Hall) Of course, Max Hall did have some pretty rough experiences with Utah fans, which could explain his attitude toward them. Anywas, my point was that this rivalry isn't just some rivalry. It's The Rivalry. It's The Holy War, as my friend Levi Selway put it. It's the be all and end all of the Utah football season. And I got to be there for it. I think the look on my face says it all:

This picture was taken right after Andrew George made the winning touchdown, and just about every fan ran onto the field in celebration. The field around the 30 yeard line was pretty clear, so we decided to take pictures.

In the words of Cassandra Ball...

2009-11-27T15:53:00.003-07:00

..."Happy Turkey Day!" (I know it was yesterday, but give me a break; I was helping with dinner) Yesterday was amazing, partly because of the DELICIOUS food that Dad cooked up. Let me just break down the menu: smoked turkey, cheesy mashed potatoes, rolls, artichoke dip, green beans, sweet potato casserole, a cheese roll, shrimp scampi, tri-tip steak, Waldorf salad, Caesar salad, and home-made cranberry sauce. And for dessert: strawberry pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, and turtle cheesecake--all home-made, of course. Can you say YUM?!

While it was delicious, Thanksgiving wasn't just about the dinner, and I wanted to give my thanks. First off, I am incredibly grateful to my parents. I owe them basically everything. I'm grateful for their support (both emotional/spiritual and monetary, ha ha) in everything I do, especially in my schooling decisions. I am grateful for my sisters--I know that they're always there for me. I'm grateful for my amazing friends, especially Hannah and Maddie. You guys are practically my sisters, and I wouldn't be the same without you. And, most importantly, I'm grateful for my knowledge that the gospel is true. That knowledge changes my life every day, and I know it changes me for the better.

So that's my short list of what I'm most grateful for. What was on your mind this Thanksgiving? Let me know.

College

2009-11-10T12:50:00.002-07:00

http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/Dept/Fun/jokes/college.htm
I'm sad to say that sometimes I feel like this is true.

The First Snow of the Season

2009-10-27T12:51:00.003-06:00

Winter is finally here! Have I ever told you guys how much I love snow? Because I really do. Of course, I hate that gross grey-brown slush that ends up on the roads, in the gutters, and on the very edges of the sidewalk. But actually, new fallen (or still falling) snow is one of the most beautiful things in the world, in my opinion.
I remember when I had to go to Middle School at 7:00 in the morning--which was not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. My first class in eighth grade was Spanish with Senora Sullivan. Her classroom was in one of the few Porta-classrooms outside the building. In the winter, it was always dark and depressing when I went out to Spanish. Every so often, though, snow would have fallen the night before. I would walk outside and look over at the track field that was right next to our school and see this incredible blanket of pure, untouched snow. It always took my breath away for just a second, and I would just stand there until I saw the first kids coming out of the neighborhood adjacent to the field.
I don't what it is about snow, but I just wait for the first snow of the season. It makes me feel all light and bubbly inside. Maybe it's the first sign that Christmas is coming, which truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It doesn't really matter; I'm sitting here grinning like an idiot and worried a little less about my impending exam all because of a little frozen water. It's awesome!
I'll probably be whining in a few months that winter has gone on forever, and it needs to be spring, but don't let that fool you. I love winter--and snow--with all of my heart!

The Obama-ization of our country is almost complete

2009-09-27T12:55:00.002-06:00

Now, I got this news article from the front page of Yahoo, so I don't know how completely accurate it is, but it was an interesting, and slightly disturbing, story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090926/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_school_song
Hmmm....teaching school kids to love their president, no matter what....sounds a little bit like communism...just saying.

Let's Talk Football

2009-09-22T13:45:00.003-06:00

Usually, I don't approach this subject because I don't feel that I have quite enough knowledge of the game to provide compelling arguments. But I'm learning. Slowly. But still learning.

One of the reasons I was extremely excited to go to BYU was because my family and I have been die-hard fans of Cougar football since...forever. And now that I was an official Cougar, I planned to go to as many football games as possible during my college career. The future of the 2009 Cougars looked bright as they came away from the OU game with an unexpected, and totally sweet victory.
Then came the Tulane game, where we whipped the poor guys. I actually felt kind of bad for them.
And then came Florida State. I was so pumped--it was our first home game, we had started off the season incredibly well, and Florida State wasn't even ranked. This was going to be an awesome game. I was so wrong, and SO disappointed! My amazing team failed me, and they failed miserably. What the heck happened? Our defense failed, and our offense was completely ridiculous (I mean, really, how many times did simply hand the ball to Florida State?).
I do have faith in our team. They are amazing--they showed us that in both the OU and the Tulane games. Let's just hope they just pull up their pants and get the job done this Saturday in their game against Colorado State.

New Favorite Quote

2009-09-08T20:44:00.002-06:00

I just found the most amazing quote online. And I love it. And I thought I would share it with all of you.
"Who has never killed an hour? Not casually or without thought, but carefully: a premeditated murder of minutes. The violence comes from a combination of giving up, not caring, and a resignation that getting past it is all you can hope to accomplish. So you kill the hour. You do not work, you do not read, you do not daydream. If you sleep it is not because you need to sleep. And when at last it is over, there is no evidence: no weapon, no blood, and no body. The only clue might be the shadows beneath your eyes or a terribly thin line near the corner of your mouth indicating something has been suffered, that in the privacy of your life you have lost something and the loss is too empty to share." — Mark Z. Danielewski (House of Leaves)

Role Models

2009-09-02T12:20:00.007-06:00

I got a pretty funny email from my dad today. It instructed me to do some simple math in order to find out who my role model was, and as it turned out, the math told me that Brian T. Barnes (my dad) was my role model...with every number I picked!
But that email got me thinking...who are my role models? I came to the conclusion that I actually have 5 role models that I look to every day of my life.
Dad: You inspire me with your strength, your business sense, your testimony, and the way everyone looks up to and respects you.
Mom: You inspire me with your kindness and love, your bubbly nature, and your constant laughter. You don't hesitate to help anyone, no matter who they are.
Chelsey: You inspire me with your sophistication, your fashion sense, and your incredible head for numbers/economics/politics.
Heather: You inspire me with your dedication to your dreams. You've wanted your job since you were 14, and you didn't stop until you got what you wanted.
Kiera: You inspire me with your courage and your complete confidence in yourself.
Thanks for being awesome role models!

*P.S. I want to know who your role models are!

I beg your forgiveness

2009-08-22T01:01:00.003-06:00

I have been neglecting you, my dear readers, and for that I am truely sorry. Forgive me?
The reason I have not written a post in about two...no, I'm sorry, it was three weeks ago that I last posted--forshame!--but the reason for that is this: I have nothing of interest to say. My life, I'm very sad to say, has become a daily routine of looking at my computer dolefully and playing Farmville on Facebook. Once in a while, I read two or three chapters of my book (which is currently The Great Hunt, the second book in the Wheel of Time Series), but even that has not captured my interest as it should, now that I'm done with my first semester of college (Hurray for Ashley!). I'm afraid I'm boring.

BUT...I am here, at 1:09 a.m., to pull off that shroud of boredom and apathy, be cheerful and busy once more, and become the dedicated writer I promised I would be at the beginning of this blog.

This week was not boring, my friends. I just got home from a week long vacation (who doesn't love those?) with my sister, Heather, and her husband, Danny, who were so kind as to take me to California for a belated, second senior trip. It was wonderful! The weather was hot, but with ample cool breezes, we visited the Ronald Regan Presidential Library (which is a lot more exciting than it sounds), Heather and I visited the local zoo, where we were scared by bobcats and wolves, and I got to visit the Wildlife Hospital within the zoo (which made me ecstatic since I am planning to become a vetrinarian), and, of course, we all went to see that famous whale Shamu at SeaWorld. Other highlights included going to the Shakesperean Festival in Cedar City to see The Comedy of Errors (which was delightfull), and listening to Great Expectations on the way to California and New Moon on the way back from California. I would post pictures, but I'm afraid there are two problems with that: I don't have a card reader to download pictures from my camera to my computer (which is why I haven't put any pictures up from my trip to Paris and London--I will post about that as soon as I get a card reader!), and I did not bring my camera to California! You may boo and hiss as you like now.
California was wonderful, though, I would highly reccommend it as a vacationing spot (although half the world seems to have figured out that little tid bit), and even if you don't want to go to Disneyland and stand in lines all day (don't get me wrong, Disneyland is one of my favorite places on Earth, but it does get a bit tiring, standing in line all day), there are plenty of other things to do in the Golden State (see above list for a few ideas). I do firmly believe, however, that every person NEEDS to go to Disneyland at least once in their lifetime.

School starts again in two weeks, but I'm shaking things up a bit by applying for jobs. I've already had one offer in a sales position. Maybe I'll have fun stories about cranky (and hopefully a few crazy) people who answer my phone calls!

Thought for the Day

2009-07-28T01:17:00.004-06:00

Remember how I told you all about how I have fun roommates? Yeah, well, we are REALLY fun, especially when Milanne (my room roommate) and I stay up until 3:00 a.m. making crazy videos on her web cam. They were so funny (you can find them on YouTube, if you search for Thought for the Day #1 or #2)! Speaking of roommates, I am incredibly lucky because my roommates are awesome. We get along so well: we all have pretty much the same sense of humor, we love watching movies together, most of us are pretty good readers (and so I have a whole new source of books), and we are all crazy. We have so many adventures at our dorm, and it makes life oh so interesting.
To be honest, I'm kind of nervous about my next batch of roommates (although I'm not too nervous because two of my roommates are going to be living in the same apartment with me in the Fall/Winter)...

So, basically, I STILL hyperventilate whenever I think of HP 6

2009-07-15T14:50:00.006-06:00

Yes, I know I'm going to get grilled for this post. So please, be kind when you comment.

I LOVED HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE! There, I said it. Hate me if you will, but I thought HP 6 was THE best movie in the series so far. It was so much lighter in content than the other movies, which I really enjoyed because, really, you can only take so many intense action sequences. I have to say that I think my favorite part was when Harry drank the liquid luck. Daniel Radcliffe was so good, and I just ate those scenes up! Also, I loved the way they directed Hermione's crush on Ron, and Harry's crush on Ginny, and how Herimone and Harry's friendship grew so much. Overall, David Yates, the director, did so much better with HP 6 than he did with HP 5 (which we all know was terrible; although, I admit, he didn't really have much to work with).

I have three issues with this movie:
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
1) The relationship between Harry and Ginny began WAY too early in my opinion. And the whole Harry and Ginny scene in the Room of Requirement--WAY over the top. Although, I must say that Ron's use of a double meaning right after Harry and Ginny almost make-out was CLASSIC!
2) Bella burns down the Weasly house at Christmas--What was THAT all about?
3) And where the heck was the epic battle at the end?!
That being said, I still get chills just thinking about how AMAZING this movie was.
*Sorry for the excessive use of all-caps; sometimes, it's the only way an emotion can be expressed.

Obama's Pennies

2009-07-13T00:35:00.004-06:00

This is mostly for Maddie because she hates Obama with a passion, and she will feel vindicated when she sees this.
It's also for Chelsey because she's super smart when it comes to economics, and I know she will appreciate this.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWt8hTayupE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJu0DgpiK8c&feature=related

*I tried to embed the videos, so I wouldn't make you do more work than you have to (and so my blog would be that much cooler), but Blogspot is hating on me today, so I'm afraid you'll just have to click on the links. But please click on the links; the videos are pretty awesome.

Total Bragging Rights

2009-07-10T19:27:00.004-06:00

Ok, so I'm going to inflict the total bragging rights of a Freshman in college who just got her first essay back.

As I intimated, I just got my first essay back from my English professor (the one that looks like Matthew Fox--I'm going to say that every time I mention my English :D ) today, and I would just like to say that I did pretty much amazing on my first essay. :D My professor had me a little freaked out because he started out by saying that only two people in the class got an A on their paper, most people got Bs, and a few got Cs. Knowing me, I kind of freak out over my grades (which is not a bad thing), and I think I'm totally horrible at pretty much anything I do (which really is a bad thing). So, clearly, I immediately thought that I was one of those people who had a big fat C on their paper. It was an amazing surprise when my professor had me a sheet of paper with two comments. "Great job on the op-ed. You nailed it!'

So the end of the story is that I got an A. Yay for Ashley!

College Girl

2009-06-27T14:01:00.005-06:00

Fun roomates? Check. Hot guys in the ward? Check. Great food? Check. English professor that looks like Matthew Fox from Lost? CHECK!

My first week at college was awesome (see above check-list). I enjoy all of my classes, my professors are all intelligent and engaging, none of my roomates are suicidal (Chelsey, that one was for you!),and I'm not overly stressed out yet. Another thing that's really fun about BYU (and slightly strange) is that everyone is so freakin' nice! Seriously, everyone says hi to you, even if you just walk by them on the street. Actually, it's a little bit creepy, if you really think about it. All those strangers walking by you and smiling and saying hello...

In all seriousness, BYU is one of the most beautiful campuses in the world! It's so green, and the mountains provide the perfect backdrop for any view on campus. I love that I have an hour between my Biology class and my English class because then I get to sit outside and just soak up the sunshine. It's especially helpful that the weather has been GORGEOUS. I love open air campuses; I think that's the reason why I loved AES so much (the amazing courses helped a lot too).

Anyways, that's pretty much my first week of school for you. It wasn't too exciting--although I was excited when I found out that my English professor looks like Matthew Fox, and that there's a Clark Kent look alike on campus, and that a Hayley Joel Osmond look alike is in my ward. I'll let you know when something REALLY exciting happens.

Jon Schmidt

2009-06-13T16:36:00.007-06:00

I think that one of the most amazing pianists ever is Jon Schmidt. His music is so beautiful, and I love playing his songs (when I ever sit down to play at all). My favorite songs are Waterfall and Song of the Ocean, although I have a new book of his and there's yet another beautiful song called The Fishing Stream. Anyway, I just found a new Youtube video, and Jon Schmidt has done it once more, folks. He meshed the song Love Story by Taylor Swift (one of my favorite country songs to date) with Viva la Vida by Coldplay. He wrote this piece, accompanied by an extraordinary cello player, for his seven year old daughter, and I have already fallen in love with it. Here's the video:

Goodbye India

2009-06-04T11:39:00.004-06:00

Airports are so much fun, aren't they? I really hope you just shook your head and said, "Ashley, I think the past two days of pure boredom have addled your brain because airports suck!" If you didn't, you need to exit this page. Now. I'm afraid I don't tolerate airport lovers (and in case you were wondering, that beginning statement was simply dripping in sarcasm).

Now that that's over with...I am currently sitting in the somewhat comfortable armchair-like seats in front of Gate 1 in the New Delhi, India, International Airport listening to the (very loud) PA system calling for passengers to board the plane or (as is common in India) to wait patiently as the airplane crew try to fix the "technical difficulties" the plane is undergoing, so that the delay will be as short as possible (thank heaven that's not my plane). There's also a 12-fingered man sitting across from me (perhaps I should go up and say, "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die!"), but that's beside the point. I'm afraid that the time has come to say goodbye to India. And I'm a little bit ashamed to say that, in so many ways, it's quite a relief to say goodbye to India, and all 1.2 billion of its inhabitants. It's a relief to not have to look down at my feet every time I go outside because I'm afraid that the ground I'm walking on has been used as either a garbage heap, a spittoon, or a lavatory. It's a relief not to be stared at every where I go. It's a relief not to have random guys trying and take pictures with me as I'm walking around a tourist attraction. It's a relief to be "normal" again. And yet...

...when Surender (our driver) asked me when I was coming back, I told him, somewhat vehemently, "I'm never coming back to India!" Almost immediately after I said that, a strange sensation swept over me. I was sad. How could it be that I was sad to be leaving India? I'm not really sure if I can answer that question yet. I do know this: India has changed me forever. And I honestly don't mean to be cliche. India changes everyone who passes through, even on fleeting visits. I'm pretty sure that country has a way of bringing out people's true natures. I'm sorry to say mine happened to be rather aggressive, much like my wonderful father (which is probably why almost every Indian guy in the New Delhi 3rd Branch under the age of twenty is afraid of me). No matter, it was an amazing (and highly frustrating five days out of seven) experience, and I don't think I will ever forget my two and a half years in India.

So it's goodbye India, hello whatever new adventure awaits me!

Graduation or The Missing Senior Page

2009-05-26T23:04:00.007-06:00

Last Tuesday, I received my High School Diploma. It was the weirdest, coolest thing ever. When we walked onto the stage, I had the strangest feeling that I didn't really belong up there--I kept saying to myself, "I'm only fourteen; I can't be graduating!" But I'm not 14. I'm 18. And I did graduate. As surreal as the whole experience was, I did it. I shook hands with my principle and the director of the PTA, and I received my Diploma.

AES--while it did have some bad moments--was an amazing school, and I am so glad I went there. The classes are fun and interesting, the teachers are excellent (they actually help you see the point of what you're learning), and the grounds are absolutely stunning. I mean, I love it when kids can go outside while they are in school, rather than having to sit in a cinder block for seven hours a day, like kids who go to high school in the States (not that I'm dissing on the schools in the States!), and seriously, having a million gardners on hand EVERY DAY makes the grounds look pretty much amazing. And yes, even though the IB was disgustingly hard and time consuming, I'm glad I did it.

Of course, school isn't just about the classes you take--the people you meet in high school can really make or break your experience. I have met some amazing people. First, I'd like to give a shoutout to Audrey Walbridge and Natasha Sharma. You guys MADE my senior year. Honestly, without you two, I would have spent my senior year pretty much miserable and alone. Thank you. Second, to Miss Maddie. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found my second best friend in you. Oh my goodness, how on earth could have I survived India without you? Going out every weekend, staying up until two in the morning, having Moti Mahal and Tropicana Apple Juice at my house practically every Friday, exploring Delhi, and eating more food than should be humanly possible--these are all memories that will be dear to my heart forever. I'm so glad we're going to college together! And finally, to Hannah Lorraine. Wow, you are the coolest best friend ever. I mean, who else would calmly (and supportively) let their best friend move to India, and remain their best friend, even though they only get to see their best friend every six months (...if that made any sense...at all...)? I love you; you're like a sister to me. You are an amazing person, Hannah, and don't you dare let anyone tell you different. I'm so excited for our trip!

I would be a horrible daughter and sister if I didn't tell my family how much I LOVE THEM! My parents are--seriously--the coolest parents on the planet. I know this from careful observation of other people's parents. My parents have given me everything I could ever ask for, they've helped me through good times and bad, and without them I would be more than a little lost. My sisters, while they do drive me crazy, are wonderful, wonderful people, and they make me smile every time I talk to them. All I can say is I love you guys a lot. A whole lot.

How's that for a senior page?

Dear Mom

2009-05-10T11:25:00.003-06:00

Dear Mom,

I know I don't tell you this often enough, but you are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You are patient, kind, charitable, sociable (when you want to be), longsuffering, humble, and an amazing maker-of-sandwiches-and-pasta-salads. I look at you most days, and I think, "Wow. She does so much for everyone. I wish I could do the things she does without hesitation." I think it's wonderful how you can give so much of yourself to the people you love, and to the people you know, and to the people you don't even know. That's a precious gift--to be able to love so much--and it's one I hope I learn one day.

I know that there are days that I drive you crazy. I know that, while I've never been a "rebellious teenager," there are many occasions that I am grumpy and sulky (like tonight, ha ha). But never let those grumpy, sulky days make you think that you are not my hero. I am so grateful for you, and your love, and your support. I am grateful for the times when I've had a rough day and you simply let me cry on your shoulder. I'm grateful for the countless pieces of advice I've received from you over the years. I'm grateful for every shared moment and for every long talk. I'm going to miss you, more than you can ever know, while I am at college (and the years after that), but not just because you cook, clean, and do the laundry (although I have to admit that I will miss that too). Don't worry too much though because I plan on calling you and writing to you every chance I get. Just because I'm moving back to Utah doesn't mean you're off the hook--you're still going to hear about every little "exciting" detail of college.

I love you so much, Mom. I hope you had an awesome Mother's Day!

Life Lessons from Marley

2009-05-10T09:14:00.002-06:00

Just yesterday I finished reading Marley & Me which, in case you haven't read the book or seen the movie, is an amazing story about a horribly mischievous dog who loved his life and his family unconditionally. It's one of the sweetest stories I have read (and seen) to date; I cried during both the movie and the book. Although it's a wonderful book, Marley & Me is more than just a story about a wonderful dog. Through Marley, the story re-learns one of life's most enduring and most sobering lessons: Life is so short, and one day it will be gone.

"What a dreary thing to say on your blog!" You might say this, and you might began to move your mouse up to that little red box in the upper right corner of the screen, but just wait. Give me a chance. I think that it's important to re-learn this lesson because, although we've all heard it a million times before, we seem to forget just how precious life really is. And how quickly life slips past us. Just yesterday I was moving to England. Now, I'm 18, graduating, and going off to college. Even as I think how insane it is that time moves so fast, I think of all the experiences I have had during these past 18 years. I think of my time in England, Australia, Utah, and even India, and the cultural shocks I have been through which have made me more open to the world. I think of the multitude of vacations that I've been on with my family, and of the wonderful memories we all share. And then I think, "Wow. My life's been good!"

I don't plan on stopping there. Not only did Marley & Me bring back to light the fact that life is incredibly short, but Marley also shows the reader that, really, it's ok to have fun. So that's what I'm taking away from this book. Life is short--apprecite every moment of it. Don't be afraid to stop working for just a little while (not too long because, as sad as it is, we all have to work) and simply play.

Letters from home

2009-04-29T12:09:00.002-06:00

I love letters. Their awesome. And I'm talking about true-blue, write it yourself, stick-it-in-an-envelope-and-give-it-to-the-postman letters, not emails or messages on Facebook (although those will do in a pinch). Those are the kind of letters that make you feel all warm and lovely inside because when you get those letters, you know people really love you.
Now, I will be the first to admit that when it comes to letters, I am not the greatest at keeping up correspondence, even with people I really care about. Since I just received a wonderful letter from the lovely Madeline, I have decided to re-commit to the whole writing letters thing. So here goes:
World, I promise I will try to answer every handwritten card or letter that comes to me via mailbox (excluding letters/cards from dentists, doctors, or any other businesses).
So send me your letters!

Why it can be frustrating living in India

2009-04-29T07:31:00.003-06:00

This past weekend has been...well, it's been a little frustrating for our family (especially my dad). We had the usual problem of power turning on and off all weekend, but then it got worse on Monday morning. On Monday morning, as Mom went down to do her exercises, she began to smell something really bad. And the smell just kept getting worse. Trying to discover where the smell was coming from, Mom discovered that our septic tank was full, and the motor to the septic tank was broken. Basically, our sewer was backing up, and making it's slow, filthy way into our house.
In order to try and cut the smell, Mom poured two large bottles of Clorox bleach into the drains of our basement. It didn't really help. So, Mom then started calling workers who should have been able to come and fix the problem right away. Of course, nobody would come and help. You know why they couldn't come help? Because they couldn't be bothered to come help. ARGH!
And this is why we tend to get frustrated while we live in India. Because nobody really cares about anyone else--they hardly care about themselves. Their work is shoddy, and whenever something breaks, or doesn't work properly, or doesn't work at all, they just stare at you and give that strange head-wobble (the one where you can't tell if they are saying yes or no because it's a combination of both) because they're thinking "Ha! It's not my problem anymore. You figure it out, white girl."
At least we got to stay at the Hyatt for a night.

P.S. Dad came home from work and yelled at the company who is supposed to come fix the house whenever there's a problem. While the problem isn't completely fixed, workers have been working on it for two days straight now. Hopefully it will all be finished soon.

Fairytale Princess

2009-04-20T11:02:00.008-06:00

I attended my final Prom on Saturday. Thankfully, it was simply amazing. I had so much fun this year at Prom, and I was actually really sad it's over and done with. I got to hang out all night with amazing people (including my date, Ben Smith), dance (although it probably wasn't very good dancing), and look pretty, and, come on, who doesn't want to do that on a Saturday night? I had my dress tailored (for the third year in a row), and it was stunning. I was so happy with the way this dress turned out--it was exactly how I had imagined it. While I was wearing it, I felt like a fairytale princess going to her ball. I know some of these people probably won't read my blog, but I wanted to thank:

Mom--for going to every fitting with me, for being with me while I got ready, for helping me get in and out of my dress, and for just being my mom

Dad--for letting me get the dress, and for letting me go to Prom

Ms. Bahel--for making the most gorgeous dress on the planet (every girl was totally jealous, even if they didn't say anything)

Ben--for being an amazing Prom date.

Thank you everyone for making Senior Prom epic!

Thailand!

2009-04-17T06:43:00.007-06:00

This trip was incredible! It definitely made my "Top 5 Vacations" list (in case you were curious, here is the top 5 list: 1. Mexico, 2. England/Scotland/Italy, 3. Thailand, 4. Ireland, 5. Italy). Both Phuket and Bangkok were so much fun, in their own way. Phuket is definitely a beach island--besides the beach and beachy outings such as scuba diving or snorkling, the only thing to occupy a tourist's time is the very small markets found here and there, and, of course, Thai massages. Bangkok is a major city, with all the attractions, including Australia beef (!), of a very nice, very clean, very efficient city (those attractions also included huge malls with IMAX theaters). Of course, the best part was the Tiger Temple. I don't think words can describe how amazing it is to have a sleepy (but not drugged) tiger laying it's head in your lap. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip (all ten albums of photos from Thailand can be found on my Facebook page):

Heat Waves and Rain Showers

2009-03-25T00:21:00.005-06:00

Weather is awesome. No, seriously, if you think about it, weather is actually very cool. It's hard for me to say that I have a favorite season--although I always claim I love winter the best. Now, I'm not really sure what season I love best since they all have their merits.
Spring:

Flowers
RAIN!
Everything smells good
There's lots of baby animals, which are always pretty darn cute

Summer:

No school
Summer nights feel so good
You can go swimming
Everything is very green (unless there's a drought, and then everything's dead)

Fall:

All the leaves turn pretty colors
Days and nights are still pleasantly warm
Lots of good still growing

Winter:

Snow makes everything pretty
Ice skating
Snowball fights
It's nice and cold

Anyway, my point is that every season has it's good points. Here in Delhi it seems like there are only two seasons: a cold autumn and a very long, hot, humid summer. I like every kind of weather, but when it feels like one is dragging on for over half the year, that's just too much. Here in Delhi, summer starts at about the beginning of April, and it lasts until about the middle of October, and we get some pretty crazy heat waves during that time.

Right now, while it is starting to warm up considerably, the weather is still very nice and warm. This is helped by the infrequent rain showers that occur in Delhi. Take today for example: it was getting hot this morning, but then the clouds rolled in, a breeze picked up, and it drizzled for about 3 minutes. Now it's absolutely gorgeous outside. I'm just glad I won't be here during the summer vacation, when it's so unbearably hot, foreigners tend not to stray outside the comfort of their air conditioned living rooms.

Ok, so I'll cut through all that babbling, so you can get to the real message of this post. To put it simply:

Heat waves=BAD

Rain=GOOD

And I'm just hoping for a little more rain showers, and a lot fewer heat waves, for my last two months in Delhi.

Game on, Chelsey

2009-03-17T01:57:00.006-06:00

Chelsey tagged me in this inter-blogger photo game. The rules are that you have to post the 4th photo from the 4th folder of your pictures folder. Here's mine:

I didn't say it was going to be pretty. This was taken January 2007, the night before I left to go back to India. Hannah came over and we took some pretty crazy pictures. Here are some of my favorites from that night:

Hannah and Kiera making silly faces.

One final hug goodbye.

Long story short, I used to make Hannah leap into my arms while we were walking down the halls of South Jordan Middle School, just to see if I could catch her. Good times, good times.

Fish faces (this is possibly my favorite photo of all time)!

Now I tag Maddie (since she's the only other blogger I know besides Chelsey). Go post some photos!

Have an awesome HOLIday

2009-03-11T12:41:00.003-06:00

One good thing about India is that it has incredible holidays. Take Diwali for example. Diwali--the festival of lights--is like the Fourth of July on steroids. It simply amazes me that the city hasn't burned down in all these years because there are so many fireworks and candles, and everything in between, being lit in one night. Indeed, I have heard of many cases where batches of fireworks have gone AWOL say to speak and flown into the house, after it was lit. Inspite of all the potential dangers, Diwali is still an awesome festival (and not just because you can buy fireworks that are illegal in the States).

One of the coolest holidays I have ever taken part in, however, is Holi. Holi is a lot of things--it's the festival of spring, love, and color. And Holi doesn't just happen, like every other holiday. You have to go play Holi. It's pretty easy to play; all you have to do is buy colors (they typically only come in yellow, pink, blue, green, and red), go outside, and throw colors at everyone and everything (including cars, dogs, and cows). Here are a few photos of what people did to look like at the end of this absolutely incredible holiday (a holiday which I plan on continuing to celebrate when I move back to the States):

Play!

2009-03-07T11:31:00.008-07:00

I just got finished with my last play in high school, which is kind of a depressing thought. The good news behind this is that the play that we did was absolutely hilarious, and simply amazing. The play was called "You Can't Take it With You", and it's about the wild, crazy, fun Sycamore family. Penny and Paul Sycamore have two daughters, Alice Sycamore (who is the least crazy of the entire family) and Essie Carmichael (that's me!). Essie is married to Edward Carmichael (we call him Ed) who "...came to dinner one night, and just stayed." Ed plays the xylophone, does calligraphy, and makes masks, while Essie dances ballet and makes Love Dreams. Penny writes plays, but she also used to sculpt, and Paul makes fireworks in the basement with Mr. DePinna, who was the milkman eight years ago. Nanna, in whose house the Sycamore's live, retired thirty-five years ago, and now goes to circuses, commencements, and catches snakes. Alice is in love with Tony Kirby, whose parents are the complete opposite of the Sycamore family. The whole play is about Alice and Tony's engagement, and how the two families try to get along, although each family has very strong, opposing, views on how lives should be lived. Here are some pictures from our incredible version of the play.

This is the lamp in Essie's dancing corner. Ed's chalkboard.

Penny Sycamore, as she concentrates on her latest play.
Paul Sycamore (in the bow tie) and Mr. DePinna (in the lab coat) show off their newest fireworks. Rheba, the resident cook/maid/bell hop.Ed Carmichael, Essie's husband, after he has had a stroke of genius while composing a piece of music on his xylophone.

Rheba and Donald, the "almost couple" of the play.

Mr. Wilbur C. Hendersen, who comes to get the income tax Nanna has not been paying for 22 years.

Nanna decides to completely ignore Mr. Hendersen's pleas for her tax money.

Mr. Kholenkhov, Essie's delusional Russian ballet teacher.

Alice and Tony Kirby come home from their date at the ballet.Miss Gay Wellington, who has come to read for one of Penny's plays.

Mr. and Mrs. Kirby have an argument over a game instituted by Penny (Nanna is trapped in the middle).

The Department of Justice interrupt the night.

The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina graces the household with presence.

The whole cast together for one last shot.

This play was incredible, and it will be one of the highlights of my high school career. It will definitely be a memory that will live on for years to come.

Hugh Jackman Is My Hero

2009-02-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

I don't usually watch the Academy Awards, or the Oscars, or anything like that, but when I heard that Hugh Jackman (whom I love...a lot) was the host of this year's Oscars, I was intrigued. I didn't watch all of the Oscars, but I did Youtube Hugh Jackman in the Oscars, and I found some interesting videos. Watch them; they're hilarious!

This is the opening song which Hugh Jackman created for the Oscars:

This is Hugh Jackman singing with Beyonce:

Did I mention that I absolutely love Hugh Jackman?