you make my heart sang!

i don't know why, but knowing this movie was created gives me chills. i can't wait!

3.30

i turned in my "declaration of a major" paperwork today, which for some reason makes me feel so motivated. it's like i finally have a direction at this school, and that in itself is very exciting! last friday i had an advising appointment, and the advisor told me that i could potentially double major, if i geared down right now and did it. so, everyone, as of right now i am going to double major in american studies and anthropology. weird, right? i'm so excited though! when i was in the american studies office today, i got to talk to chair of the department (who is the author of one of my books !! ) and she was so excited to welcome me to the department. she gave me a booklet about the program, a quick tour of the department, and insisted that i call her by her first name. everything about that ten minute encounter convinced me that i'm doing the right thing.. i don't want to ignore the good omens :) i have yet to talk to the anthro people, since that major may turn into a minor, depending on how well two of my classes next semester turn out. a good amount of the american studies courses count towards anthropology too, so why not? plus, having a transcript that shows i doubled-majored gives me a huge leg up, especially since neither major can directly employ me with a specific job. it's all so exciting! i'm sure you could care less about my educational jabber, but it's consuming my life, so i don't know what else to write about!

i've been thinking lately too about the peace corps. i talked with a woman in sonoma about it briefly, and it sounds like such an incredible experience. she told me it truly is a lot of hard work, but it's so empowering, inspiring, and enriching, i would like to think i am a great candidate for it. what's also pretty cool is that if you enroll in a certain program, once you're done, they will pay for graduate school. cool! with this plan in mind, the anthropology degree doesn't seem too random. we'll see what happens though...

otherwise, life is good! work is slow, school is busy, the weather is getting better but still pretty awful, and i found a boy to have a crush on for the time being! semi-pointless, i know, but what's a girl to do? life can change in an instant.

xoxo

p.s. t-minus three months until we move out of this apartment! we don't know where we're moving, but i can't wait. i spent a large portion of this weekend looking for duvet covers, headboards, 800 thread-count sheets, lamps, all that good stuff :) so pumped!

bueno?

yesterday was phenomenal. absolutely wonderful. my first class was cancelled, so i got to sleep in, take my time getting ready, eat a good breakfast, and walk to school in 45 degree weather (i even wore flip flops for the occasion :) ) an unknown boy sent me a message that said "you're beautiful. what are you studying at UMB?" what a great day to randomly compliment someone, right?! so flattering! jennelle and i had a delicious sushi lunch, went home and did some homework, and then she made me a delicious cake (vanilla with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.. yummy!) before the delicious cake, though, i engaged in this fantastic conversation:

(phone rings)
"bueno?!"
"bueno? uh.. como estas?! eh.. feliz navidad!"
"HAHAHAhahahah!"
"oh, hahah, i mean, feliz.. huh? cumpleanos? FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!"

i seriously love my dad. so funny :)

thank you everyone, very very much, for the birthday wishes! you're all too kind :)

last one.

tomorrow will officially end my seven year stint as a teenager. i've been wanting to be in my twenties since i was about sixteen, but now that it's here, i must say i'm a bit freaked out. what really got me was when i read the birthday card from my grandma, which said, "happy twentieth birthday, ashley!" and seeing twentieth written out in all of its glory was the final realization. it really freaks me out. on the other hand, i am sick of saying "oh, no, i'm only ____-teen" when someone asks me hold old i am, since my personality doesn't at all reflect my young age.

it's funny, though... on my walk to school this morning, i found a twenty dollar bill sitting ever so perfectly underneath a tree. coincidence? birthday present from mother nature? luck? you decide :)

i'm not going to promise you that this new decade of my life will bring more intellectual, intelligent, exciting, entertaining posts, but i really truly hope it does. to a new year, a new period of my life! i'm pumped.

HE'S BACK!

i cannot even begin to express my excitement.


(video courtesy of bige302 from the March 22 Charlotte, NC show)

i've been in a josh ritter mood lately, so maybe his music is in the air :) please check him out... he's a fantastic musician, the nicest man (he wrote "ooh la la..." on my poster from the boston pops show this summer, and then he told me i was beautiful :)) and he has the most incredible stage presence. yayay!

costumes, wine, and birthday parties.

a very fun, quite intoxicated, celebratory weekend :) feliz cumpleanos!

shfifty.

this is my fiftieth post! neat-oh, gang. well, after a much too quick but much too lovely week, i am leaving tonight. tomorrow is our birthday party, so i must be in attendance.. i decided to dress in a toga as my theme.. let's hope i don't look frumpy!

thank god i love to fly, or else these trips would be excruciatingly upsetting. but for now, they're just bittersweet. i love you all very, very much <3

p.s. another hair cut! whatdya' think?

flights, drives, family, and friends.

i love home. i love my sisters. i love my parents. i love benny. i love my friends. i love sonoma. i love SLO. I LOVE THE SUNSHINE! jesus, i missed the sunshine. it's been absolutely beautiful this entire trip! 85 degrees in SLO, 75 in sonoma, so sunny, so colorful, so pleasantly warm... it's heaven.

on sunday, i got off of work around 2 o'clock, so i got the the airport a whopping 5 hours early. i finished some homework, did some reading, and before i knew it, i was on my way home! i sat next to this couple, both of whom looked like the famed ken brown, and they had a little baby with them. this little girl was laughing half the flight and sleeping the other half.. so cute! anyway, when i got to oakland, i actually did have a big arrival party! erika, claire, my mom, and phyllis all came down :)

on monday, i drove down to san luis obispo with erika. we got to her house around 7ish and then went over to the cal poly lacrosse game. so fun! i had no idea lacrosse was such a big deal out here. the next day, she had class at 10, and then we got sandwiches at the giant grinder and went to the beach :) her cute boy came in while we were there, completely coincidental, so it was awesome see him in person! (if you'd like, you can read about him on her blog: http://impeccablypiquant.wordpress.com ... erika's a phenomenal writer!)

i got pretty upset when i had to leave though.. i feel like i'm at the point where i should be allowed and able to move back here. i had my hiatus from california, i did my thing somewhere else, and now i feel ready to come back! but alas, i cannot. i'm sick and tired of saying my good-byes, and the fact that i have to say goodbye, board the plane, and leave again just kills me. but that's life i suppose.. i need to finish what i've started.

yesterday was a day of lounging, reading, painted nails, and lunch by myself. bethany called me around 3 so i went and visited her at work for the rest of the day! it was so nice seeing her again! i unsurprisingly ran into a couple of people from way back when, but it was nice to see them. today, i'm going to san francisco with sierra to do some shopping and hanging out.. so pumped! i'm getting my hair cut again tomorrow morning, breakfast with bethany, hopefully lunch with anita!, dinner with my faja, and then it's off to the airport!

why does a week crawl by when you want it to fly, and it flies when you want it to crawl?

twenty-four little hours

i am a combination of:



and...



one more day! i am filled with an amount of excitement that i am unable to express to its fullest. yee!!

three eff's and some elle.

this week hasn't been as nuts as i was anticipating, or perhaps it was and i'm not focusing. last night i made a big shrimp pasta dinner for eight of my friends.. i cannot believe kate gosselin does that every night! it was pretty tough, but in the end, i was so happy. every single person liked everything i prepared! leah is visiting right now, so her and danielle came over and danielle took control of the shrimp for me (thank you!) but i loved having everyone together :)

half of us sat at the table and the other half sat on the couches, and i guess it was awkward, even though i didn't sense that at all. i assumed we were all just eating quietly, but that's my oblivious side talking i suppose. i guess i also forgot to introduce everyone to danielle and leah, and i had the hardest time falling asleep last night because of it. i don't know why i got so upset by it, but i thought i had done everything perfectly, cooked this huge dinner, made everyone comfortable and full, and i missed a step. i suppose one doesn't immediately know how to be a dinner party hostess... it was my first time, give me a break! i'm making one huge mental note about the whole introduction thing though, so i promise i won't forget next time. jesus.

yesterday and today combined showed me the two most difficult tests i have ever taken. yesterday's midterm was literally a situation where i looked at the exam and had absolutely no idea what was being asked of me. today's was equally as difficult, but i think i did alright on it. and, conveniently, both of those classes rely on exam scores, so let's keep our fingers crossed that i don't screw this one up.

i have to close at work tonight, and then tomorrow i'm going to the harvard natural history museum for my biological anthropology class.. i'm actually pretty excited! jennelle leaves for florida around 3, so i'm going to try to pack as much as i can for HOME! i have to work lunch saturday and sunday, and on sunday, i'm leaving for the airport right when i get out of work. sunday is going to be a nightmare, but i think i'll be okay. i have to leave my suitcases in the office downstairs, so i have to be ready to leave on saturday night. and then, 11:30 PM pacific standard time, i will be in california!

it just so happens that my uncle tod and phyllis are flying out today, and because of that, my grandma and uncle are coming to town, and my grandpa and his wife, and because of THAT, erika is spending the weekend in sonoma, so it's going to be a big butler family reunion. i cannot wait! i'm going to miss most of the festivities, considering they are happening this weekend, but it should be wonderful.

louis ck with a slight chance of slush

due to the sudden downpour of slushy snow this morning, i decided to stay on campus for my three-hour break instead of coming home. i forgot how much i absolutely love people watching, hearing what toils, troubles, excitement, what have you, some people go through. Some people worry about the most absurd, almost silly things, and it makes me wonder why something so small can be so distressing. i could sit somewhere and listen to people all day long. sometimes, when i'm walking through a busy area, i'll try to catch a line or two from each conversation that i walk past, and i'm telling you, people talk about the funniest, strangest things sometimes. Do it next time you're somewhere busy.. you'll get a kick out of it ;)

lucas and i had a nice sushi lunch the other afternoon, and he mentioned this comedian who's filming an HBO special at a venue in boston. I'd never heard of him, so i looked him up when i got home, and i'm telling you.. Louis C.K. Please check him out. It's been quite a while since i've actually laughed out loud at a comedian. this guy is hilarious.

hilarious.

ducks.

last night at work was absolutely horrendous. i won't go into detail, but let me just say that i was unbelievably livid, and i hope work never goes that way again.

anyway, after i got home, i pretty much went straight to bed and had the most interesting dream.. here they come again! part of me debated documenting this dream, but the other part of me knows that my lovely grandma reads this, and i think she would appreciate it :)

...

i was walking down clam beach (in humboldt county) with the chef at my restaurant and this disabled woman whose family i served last night. ben and i were walking and this woman was rolling through the sand in her wheelchair, when i looked out at the surf and saw a giant flock of ducks, geese maybe. i called to my friends, "jesus, look at all of the ducks!" but when i turned around, both of them were gone, her wheelchair empty. frantic, i searched the area of beach with my eyes, seeing no civilization in sight, and becoming both upset and angry that they would abandon me. who abandons their friends, right?

after what seemed like an eternity of exhausting searching, i thought i would just sit by the surf and watch the ducks. i noticed a particularly cute duck family, arranging themselves into a perfect "V", the dad and mom at the front, and the babies trailing along behind. it was odd though because there were about three other ducks who kept rotating in to swim in the "dad" position. Cool, a polygamist duck family! a few minutes passed when i noticed a large being glide beneath the water's surface. right at the shoreline, the woman from the wheelchair emerged from the water, stark naked but not exposed due to the length of her hair. She was like a mermaid. I was amazed at how lovely she looked, when all of a sudden i spotted the most unusual thing: she had an extra pair of lungs that hung outside of her body! it was such a weird sight, but i assumed they helped her breathe underwater. Unaware of my gawking as she emerged from the water, on both legs mind you, she reached down and tucked those extra lungs into her underwear and sat back down in her chair. that's all i remember of her. it was around that time that i saw ben walk by, wrapped up in the blanket i made for my dad a few years ago. "maybe he's covering up his extra lungs too," i wondered.

suddenly, with no recollection of transportation, i was in the kitchen at work, only it wasn't the correct kitchen. I had my homemade blanket with me. ben was there again, and although the kitchen was really busy, I was on my way out the door. I was leaving my blanket with him for some reason, and i told him, "please, do not put this on the floor. i'll leave it with you, but you have to take good care of it." i handed him my blanket, and upon taking it, he threw it into a greasy corner behind the oven. "What are you doing?!" i yelled at him, but he didn't seem to hear me. and that's when my alarm went off.

lost.

i absolutely love this song, and i don't know why or how i didn't hear it sooner.




p.s. this is the view from my living room window. come on, mother nature, it's march for god's sake.

a couple of things.

firstly, i would like to apologize for my lack of writing. life gets busy! but, considering it's 2:30 AM, allow me to keep this short.

1. currently, it is snowing sideways, and because of this, all classes are canceled for tomorrow. yippee!

2. in exactly two weeks from this exact minute, i will be landing at the oakland airport. since my whole family will be in town, i'm hoping i'll have an entourage waiting for me at the gate this time! (hint hint) all of my trips home have either been secret or during rush hour, so my arrivals have never been celebrations (EXCEPT last christmas when erika, sierra, and max picked me up! that was lovely :D angelica bung?) i understand that 1130 PM on a sunday is a lot to ask, but it would be nice. i'm just sayin'..

3. i'm becoming more and more anxious for the chance to revamp things out here. it's pretty exciting.

4. you know how the eharmony commercials say you can view your matches for free? i decided to try it, just to see what kind of men i would be matched with. dream guys are out there! such a funny idea, that eharmony.com.


i have a bunch of school work to catch up on and finish tomorrow, so i'm extremely thankful for this lovely coating of wintry bliss. in the meantime, enjoy this :)



xoxo