Harry Potter

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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!