Whirlwind

I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm such a cliche for saying this, but school has taken over my life! My week goes something like this: Get up at the crack of dawn, do some reading, go to practicum, run around all day chasing after a hodgepodge of havoc-wreaking middle schoolers, come home, do more reading, maybe write a paper, sleep, get up at the crack of dawn, go to class from 8:30-4:30, drive home, read, repeat. I'm so tired I want to fall asleep at 9 every night, but that's not possible. Weekends might be a time to catch up on that sleep, but probably not because there's too much work to do. I'm exhausted. But I think it might be a good kind of exhaustion, or at least a not-bad one. I feel like there's purpose to what I'm doing, and there are so many possibilities for what happens after next year.

At the same time, I can't wait until my week nights are free again, until I don't have to put off calling my friends back for two weeks while I write 20 papers, and until I can focus on the people in my life without inadvertently thinking about what project I have to work on or what reading I should be doing. It's hard, because my friends and family are my priority, but at the same time I can't just ignore school, especially when this semester's schedule is so crazy. I know it's just a season, so for the time being, I'm just trying to power through and make time for fun things to clear my head. So, if I haven't called you back yet, made enough time to talk, or been available to hang out enough (or looked like I might fall asleep while hanging out or talking on the phone)...trust me, it's not because I don't want to, and I haven't forgotten about you. Please bear with me while I tread water until the end of the semester.

A recap of the last 3 weeks, number-style

5 papers written
1 wedding attended (1 more this weekend and 1 two weeks later)
2 good friends hung out with in Houston
3 movies seen with friends
1 low-key but lovely Valentine's Day dinner with Scotty before test-block
1 friend's new baby visited
1 trip to Eischen's

That's about it...2 more weddings coming up, a baby shower, spring break. Counting down the days til May :)

What is Oozing Out of Our Ground?

This is amazing. Apparently this person missed the day in fourth grade when her teacher taught about rainbows.

We as a nation have got to ask ourselves, what the hell is going on? Amen, crazy sprinkler lady, amen.

America - land of geniuses.

25 Useless Ashley Trivia Facts

After reading 30923 of these on Facebook and feeling like a creeper, I decided to do my own 25 list. Here it is:

1. I wish I spoke Arabic.

2. I have freakishly large feet for someone of my height. I'm 5'2" and wear a size 9, sometimes 9 1/2. Don't hate.

3. When I was in 6th grade, my doctor told me that I would grow a lot and be really tall because of my huge feet. Lies! I didn't grow at all after that.

4. One time in college, I was sitting in a booth and a random person sat down and kissed me. Jen and Nava thought I was a floozie.

5. When I was a kid, I was completely, 100%, absolutely obsessed with the Chicago Bulls. I got up at absurd hours to watch games in Jakarta, wore jerseys to school, knew each players stats inside and out, and was probably really obnoxious about it. Repeat Three-peat, people.

6. I spent 6 years of my life in Jakarta, Indonesia, and sometimes I still miss it. I haven't been back since we left, but I will go someday.

7. I miss double decker jets, layovers in random countries, exciting adventures in obscure places, and everything else related to traveling regularly.

8. I still keep an Indo-Mie stock in my pantry.

9. I have an awesome husband who is my best friend. I love him so much, even if we tease each other incessantly! He even got me to move to Oklahoma :)

10. I have an amazing, crazy, inspiring family (immediate and extended). It's sometimes like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, except Egyptian and with more singalongs. The Colorado side of my family is awesome, too, even though I don't get to see them very often. They are all so much fun and I'm so thankful for them. Eat something!

11. I love competition reality shows such as Top Chef and Project Runway (and even America's Next Top Model), especially when Hannah and I get to make sarcastic commentary together and describe how we would make a dress out of straws and tissue paper.

12. Out of all the places I've been, my favorites are: Bali, Perth, Alexandria, Tokyo, and London. I would LOVE to live in London someday.

13. My brother and I are close and make weird noises. I think I regress about 15 years whenever I'm around him.

14. I love fashion and would like to put more effort into dressing up than I do. I have a lot of trendy clothes that I never wear because, let's face it, a hoodies and scarves are just so darn easy.

15. I burst into song at random moments. A particular favorite of mine is "In the Navy" from some Muppets video I watched a long time ago. Scott thinks I'm weird.

16. I love my church and our small group so much it's a little ridiculous. Tuesday nights are the highlight of my week, and it seems like the world is wrong if we don't meet for some reason. They're like family.

17. There is a little boy in said small group, Caleb, who sometimes makes me want to rethink the whole wait-til-Scott's-out-of-med-school-to-have-kids idea. Then he leaves and I get over that. He is our buddy!

18. My friends here in Oklahoma are amazing, and I don't know what I'd do without them! It makes me sad to think that, in all likelihood, I will have to leave them in 2.5 years, but I know we'll keep in touch because they are awesome.

19. I desperately want a dog. I miss Cookie Monster, my old golden retriever, so much!

20. I enjoy impromptu interpretive dancing, even if it is to songs that should never be interpreted in dance form. I do what I want.

21. Speaking of impromptu dancing, I miss my college friends ridiculously much and wish I had more time/was better at keeping in touch with all of them. We need a reunion ASAP.

22. I think Ugg boots are ugly but I wear them anyway. Take that.

23. I heart coffee. Americano with milk = life.

24. I voted for Barack Obama in this last election. I don't think being a Christian and voting for a Democrat are any more paradoxical than being a Christian and voting for a Republican.

25. I still get strangely nervous when I get called on in class, especially if the professor is crazy and asks weird rhetorical questions while making eye contact for absurd lengths of time. My answers always come out jumbled and probably never make sense.

26. In elementary and middle school, I had poofy bangs and triangle hair.

27. I have an inexplicable obsession with figure skating and gymnastics. I think I missed my calling, except for the fact that I can't skate and am petrified of hurtling myself through the air. Oh well.

Shopaholic is almost here!!

So excited! If you haven't had the pleasure of reading these books, I strongly encourage you to do so. They are so witty, sarcastic, and surprisingly well-written for chick lit, and they're great for a beach read or if you're feeling in the mood for an entertaining but fast book. I'm a little disappointed they de-Britified it, because so much of the book's charm comes from the quirky U.K. jokes, but Isla Fisher is hilarious, and I'm sure it'll be great. So excited to go out with the girls and see it!

Yes, We Can!

I was able to watch parts of the Inauguration Day festivities between classes, most notably the swearing-in ceremonies and PRESIDENT OBAMA'S (yay!) inaugural address. The speech was fantastic, at once respectful but challenging, full of hope but realistic and sobering. Behind all of the hoopla - the parades, the songs, the trumpets and salutes, and the celebrations - there is so clearly a somber realization of what this moment means for American history, as well as an acknowledgement of the uphill battle we all face from tomorrow forward. As emotional as this is for me, I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like for those like Jesse Jackson or other civil rights leaders who fought with Martin Luther King and drank from separate water fountains. The pride, the joy, and the sad memories of those who didn't get to see this day were evident on so many faces, and I am so grateful and proud that I am able to witness this awesome, symbolic turn in the history of our country (and pretty dang jealous of my friends who were part of the 2 million plus crowd on the Mall today). 

Obama discussed America's relationship with the rest of the world, offering a message of peace and alliance to those who have become disillusioned and afraid of what our powerful country might do. He also talked about how our lives must reflect the opportunities and gifts we've been given, and how the progress our country makes is not just dependent on an administration, but on how each and every one of us decides to move forward, "roll up our sleeves," and live our lives in ways that speak to the peace and compassion our country should stand for. It's clear to me, from how the crowds and people across the world responded, that I'm not the only one moved by these sentiments. Most of all, it's so happy to think that the term "American" might no longer be something we want to hide or cringe at in fear of others' responses or reactions to what our country has done. In my lifetime, I haven't had one of these profoundly altering American moments (9/11 of course, but that's a different kind of event), and I'm so glad I know what that feels like now. 

This time, people from my generation can say they are proud to be Americans with emotion behind it, knowing fully what they are proud of, instead of just speaking words. Watching the tears, fist pumps, and flags waved by people of every color and background, I couldn't help but think, "This is what Americans should feel like, this is what our country is about." I've never considered what it means to be an American so carefully, and I don't think I've ever been this proud. 

And, I want this hat:

You rock it, Aretha!

Song Obession of the Week

A new year means new music discoveries! YAY! Love this guy.


Ray LaMontagne - "Let it Be Me"

Happy 2009!

New Years sometimes feels anti-climactic to me. After all of Christmas celebrations, dinners, parties, and services are over, sometimes I feel quite ambivalent about celebrating a new year...I mean really, doesn't it just mean that now we write 2009 instead of 2008? Not that exciting. Of course it's fun to celebrate with family and friends (and, if you're a Girgis, with a midnight family prayer session :)), to have a big dinner or go to a fun party, to toast and drink champagne. I think the reason it feels like a let-down to me is because I know that after January 1, the holiday season is officially over, which means taking down the Christmas decorations, the end of holiday parties, and a return to the real world of school and work. But really, it shouldn't be this way. After looking back on 2008 and reflecting about all of the great things it brought, it's exciting to think about what surprises, twists, and turns 2009 might hold. New friends, stronger relationships with current friends, progress towards career goals, learning, spending more time with family, facing triumphs and challenges with an amazing community of friends to fall back on, and, hopefully, a lot of growth.

I usually don't make real resolutions because I'm notorious for saying I'm going to make a big change, making it for about a month, and forgetting about it forever and ever. Oops. But I do think it's important to look at the next year of life with purpose and intention. So, in the optimistic spirit of New Years and a great start to 2009 so far, here are my resolutions:

1. Be more present. Instead of worrying about "next," instead of constantly thinking about the hurdles or challenges that I know are coming, instead of waiting for "real life" to start, simply living in the present and being intentional about each day, whatever I'm doing, whoever I'm with.
2. Stop overscheduling.
3. Get healthy. Period.
4. Continue to let myself be vulnerable with the people I love. I think I worked on this in 2008 but there is definitely progress to be made.
5. Read more! For fun. Break has been wonderful so far, one of the reasons being the fact that I've totally gotten sucked in to the ridiculous yet addicting Twilight phenomenon. Thanks, Hannah! I miss reading for fun.

That's it for now. A good start for a non-resolutions person, I think :)

Cheers to 2009!