My little blog readers, this is what I'm currently reading:
Hey Ape, have you read this book? What about you Mom?
I'm into it 130 pages, and so far so good.
I haven't read a book in a while. I've been watching way to much of TV, and waisting time. So, I've decided to utilize my time, and read a book instead. Even though, I'm not really producing anything, at least my mind is being exercised right? When I'm done, I'll tell you all about it.
Now, while I'm on the subject of books, I really enjoy this author's writing. Granted, all of her books seem to have the same story-line theme, I still really enjoy them. I feel like she puts facts into what she's writing. Instead of just reading a story, you get gain some knowledge as well.
Especially this one:
What I really enjoyed was the different point of views you get throughout. It's written in 1st person, but it's 1st person between 5 people. So, every chapter you change who's point of view you are getting.
It's too bad I didn't hate this book. That way, I could have actually have something to say about it. But, I don't. I really enjoyed it. So, you should read it.
The people who post on amazon.com, write reviews. Check both books out here and here.
My favorite designer = Marie Geneieve. Check out her gallery here. What I like most about her designs is she always uses colors. Nothing wrong with colors. I also like Lucian. His gallery is here.
I'll take Iman hosting this show over, Heidi Klumanyday. I know, it's not the entire point of the show, but it's great for entertainment purposes. I just like how Iman talks, and says what she really thinks. "You missssssssed that!"
This show inspires me. I know, it's just a silly reality tv show. I want to design clothing. I have pretty much everything I need, so I should quit procrastinating and do something about it.
Season 4 of Project Runway (the US Version), is also great too. I haven't really picked who I like the most. I'm sure I'll swing in on the blog and tell you all about it.
You know what else? JJ likes watching this show with me. He even has input. Now, if I could just have him give me input when I go shopping, that would be awesome.
Wondering how to watch it? Download? Yup. Do it. Break the law!
I know what you're thinking. "Nice blog Ash. Thanks for keeping us updated."
Do I always admit I'm a lazy blogger? It's kind of a redundant apology, and for that I apologize, for apologizing to much.
Anywho.... who is excited for Christmas?
Your not? Yeah, I'm not that excited either. Maybe I should put up my Christmas lights, and wrap a present or two to get me in the mood. I should be knitting some presents, but I just don't want to really make anything this year. Call me lazy.
But, who is excited to see what I did to my apartment? I am! You should be too!
It's just too bad I don't have the photos to show you just yet. Yes, I realize I ripped that ugly wallpaper off about 1.5 months ago, and I still haven't taken a good photo of what I put in place of it. But, I will. I will. I will. Soon. Like, tonight perhaps?
Moving on..
April 5th, 2008 is the official date JJ and I will be hitched. It's going to be small and quaint. Small = immediate families only. Remember this post? Well, I figure if I make it small, I might actually enjoy my own wedding.
So, that's basically it for my update. Yes, I'll post those pictures.
Oh, one more thing. I decided to start training for a 10K. That's 6.2 miles. Then, after I get up to that, I'll start training for a 1/2 marathon (that's 13 miles) then, on Saturday, April 19, 2008, 7:00am I'll run the 1/2 marathon at the Salt Lake City Marathon. Then, I'll get a tattoo that said I finished. Alright, that part was just a joke.
How about I go register right now, so I don't back out.
I have to say a few things about people in blogland.
If you don't want blogger stalkers reading about your personal life, don't write about personal stuff that you don't want the people on the internets to see. Stop thinking it's "weird" that people come upon your blog and don't leave comments. It's like reading a book. Do you have to write a comment to the author when you read a book? Didn't think so!
Also, if you write something people don't like, they somehow don't agree with, and then they leave a rude comment trying to justify your actions, please don't freak out. Remember, you wrote it on your blog. If someone doesn't like what you write, or how you live you life, take a chill pill and get over it. You can't please everyone! Maybe even disable the comments! Problem solved. Oh wait, that wouldn't prove how popular you are. Hmmm... get a tracker?
Here it is, 5 years after the release of Hail to the Thief, and Radiohead decides to be awesome and release a new album called, In Rainbows.
This morning, I downloaded it(legally!), and gave it a listen.
First listen: "Wow, this is boring."
Second listen: "Wow, this is still boring".
Third listen: "Yup, I'm still bored."
Fourth listen: "Why am I still listening to this? Wait, this is starting to grow on me. It's not so bad. Is it? Wait, I found a song I like. The others, still boring."
I am not impressed. I like slow stuff, but when an entire album consists of it? No, thanks.
Here I was feeling guilty for the past 5 days that I chose only to pay $0.00 for it(thanks for that guilt trip, Matt Glass), but now that guilt trip is gone!
I like fast loud Radiohead. Crazy sounding Radiohead and some slow Radiohead, but not an entire album of it!
Yes, it is a musical made out of The Beatles, songs. Awesome? YES. However, I'm not going to give an official review of the movie. I can't give a review without giving you spoilers, and I really don't want to do that. So, how about you to go see it, and judge it for yourself. Then, we will discuss. I did have a few(very few) minor problems with it but, the singing, the acting overall, the dream sequences, the directing, and the cinematography ruled out those problems.
Jim Sturgess could sing me to sleep if he wanted.
Especially this song:
However, when he sings, "Something". Oh my. Makes goosebumps on my arms. Kind of like when Ewan McGregor sings "You're Song" for the first time in Moulin Rouge. "My gift is my song!!!!!!!!" (that part).
JJ: You should get your British accent back, and learn to sing. Would ya? Oh. You won't? Okay. I'll just have my fantasies instead. :-D
I was getting sick of looking at myself at the top of my blog, so I decided it was time for a change. Since it is October I figured I would make my blog festive.
Festive for Halloween, I guess. I don't know. I tried?
Yes, I took the photo. BUT, I had some fun in photoshop.
Oh great, Ashley is making a post about her hairs. I bet you didn't know this was coming. Oh, you did? Well that means you want to read it, right? Let's start studying shall we?
You know what, lets don't. I realize it would probably bore you to death if I just wrote about.. hairs. Whoopie do?
In my head I had this post all planned out. I was going to compare photographs of how I've had my hairs really long, and really short, and everything in-between. But, you know what? That would just be too much work to do all that and frankly, who really wants to read that anyway? Or look at crazy photos of really dumb hair mistakes.
Like this one:
Overnight I started to look like her.
So, rather then bore you, how about we jump to what the whole point of what this post is going to be.
First point (which the photographs would have proven), I think I look better with longer, blonder hair. Second point, because of the first point I have ONE thing set in stone when it comes to getting hitched, and that is.. growing my hairs out as much as possible.
Is that really superficial? Probably. Then again, my blog is the study of narcissism, so it fits.
So, here is a photograph of myself taken on Saturday. I figure I have about 6 months.
Did I just mention when my wedding, could be? I did. It's not set in stone yet. So, pretend like you never read it.
Remember when I made this post? Of coarse you do, it was only 2 posts ago.
Anyway, here is the finished project:
I purchased the fabric here. I did not use a pattern, just my imagination. However, it didn't turn out like I had hoped. Or, what my imagination was telling me.
So, these are the reasons why I took forever to post about this. See, I'm "studying".
1. I didn't use enough fabric, I wish they were a little fuller.
2. The fabric is a too bright for the kitchen.
3. I suck at blogging.
I might redo them, I might not. Having them up for a month, they have grown on me.
I realize that you are all anxious to see what the world I made with my sewing machine. Truth is, I wasn't really happy with the result, so I'm starting over on the project.
Which, made me procrastinate even posting about it.
I am now only working 4 days a week (10 hour days) and have fridays off.
That means, I'll be able to re-do my project and post about it.
Also, I have more things to update about, so come back soon (I'm hoping Friday) for one big update!
Two years ago this happened . Oh the memories of way to short hairs, and falling in love in hot humid weather.
3 months later, JJ moved to Utah. That's right, we hung out in real life for 5 days and then he moved to Utah, and in with me.
It has been TWO YEARS. TWO YEARS! Take that you people who were sceptical of our short term dating in real life. We had many Internet chat dates, and phone call dates. There wasn't a "lets get physical", cause we couldn't. We were 1,800 miles apart! I think it's a good form of dating. What else are you going to do but TALK and get to know the person?
Anyway, like true JJ and Ashley style, we forgot about the great 2 year mark. However, I remembered a week later. So, I purchased JJ some of these: Which, disappeared from their box before I could snap a photo of the real ones.
It should be noted that the night before I gave JJ his favorite candies ever made (according to him), I had a bout of self induced sickness and he took care of me all night long. So much so that he slept next to me while I was on the floor, and he was on the couch.
I forgave JJ that he forgot cause he redeemed himself with a nice king size bar of this: Mine are still in the freezer.
He also purchased the flowers which are featured above. Yes, I complain that I don't like flowers. BUT, these are actually planted in dirt. Big difference.
They don't die in a week.
A few things I've learned while dating/being engaged over the past 2 years:
1. The D.I. is probably the best place to go shopping in the Salt Lake Valley. Even though I complain about going there.
2. Never pass up a clearance rack. Espically the ones at Walmart and Target.
3. You can download anything for free that you want on the Internet. You just have to know how, and what to search for.
4. JJ is: Encyclopedia Dasher. I can ask him a question about anything, and he pretty much knows the answer to it. But, there are often times he doesn't, and pretends like he does. Which makes playing the game, "I win", alot more fun. Cause, well "I win!". So I try to prove him wrong. Like that one time JJ thought Albertsons was owned by Krogers. That was a fun one. Speaking of which, where's my $20?
Here it is people, my first post about my wedding.
I bet you've been waiting since I got engaged to here all about the wedding plans.
Right?
"Ooohhh my gosh.. I'm so excitied. I have my dress, the flowers the.. gahhh a;sldki341!!!!wuirppz/x.c,m1!#rka;djf!!!!!"
Wait, that wasn't me. That's how I sort of WISH I was. SORT OF. A teeny tiny dose of that girlishness would be nice.
But.....
I was NOT born with the bride gene or the wedding gene. What? There is a specific gene for this sort of stuff? Well, according to people at my work, this sort of gene actually exists, and I was not born with it. It's like I'm allergic to anything wedding. I have never been a fan of the, white! cake! garter! flowers! scene. Anytime I read, look, or think about planning anything that has wedding attached to it, I want to break down and cry. I even have. Numerous times. It only takes a few minutes of exploring wedding sites , andBAM allergic reaction.
Maybe they have some sort of benadryl that helps with allergic reactions like this?
Now, don't get me wrong. I love JJ. I can't wait to be Ashley Dansie Dasher. I've been engaged for over a month, and I still haven't picked a date. I just DO NOT want the traditional wedding that goes with it. I just want to wake up one morning and be married to JJ.
I keep having re-occurring dreams that I'm back at school.
These are not the type of dreams that consist of me walking around school missing certain clothing items (even though those dreams happen from time to time).
These dreams consist of me going to school, and then skipping school. Then I miss certain assignments, then I have to talk to the teacher about raising my grade. Or, I'm late to class, and I'm embarrassed. Or, I see a certain boy I like, and then having really ugly clothes on (see, the clothes are ON).
Sometimes, I'm even back in high school, and I don't graduate.
I have to wake up an convince myself that I am in fact, not in school.
Why am I dreaming stuff like this?
I have an Associates, is that not enough? Maybe it's time I went back. I've always wanted to be a school teacher. Maybe the fears of school are re-surfacing and that's why I conveniently forget to register each semester.
Or maybe, I'm just a huge procrastinator and my sub-conscious is telling me to knock it off.
I have been trying to post for the past 2 weeks. For some odd reason blogger wasn't saving what I was writing.
Or, so I thought.
Turns out, I'm just weird one. The problem is solved. Anyway, enough of the rambling. I've figured out the mysteries of blogger. I promise to post the last 2 days of the trip. So, I shall be back to regular posting.
Regular posting? Huh.
Anyway, time for a story.
Last Monday night at about 5:30AM, JJ and I heard a "meeeeeeew, meeeeew" outside. Half asleep me thinks it's just Yzma being her weird normal self. However, JJ wakes up and says, "That isn't Yzma".
He was right.
There was cute kitten at our window begging to come inside. BEGGING. Not only did he beg, he actually stuck his head inside the house! So, JJ let him in (while he is mewwwwwing) feeds him, and after about an hour of the kitty talking to us, he finally falls asleep on our bed.
He's been living here ever since. I mean, it's not every day a kitty climbs in your window.
He sure has made himself at home, Yzma is already teaching him her tricks.
April was SO excited to go to The Andy Warhol Museum. It was the only thing she talked about when she told everyone she was coming to West Virgina with me. April likes Andy Warhol. I'm not all that excited about his art. But, April is. So, when she found out Andy's museum was in Pittsburgh, we decided to go there.
On Monday. Monday was the day we were leaving. Our original plan was to wake up early, leave Parkersburg early(like 6am) and make the trek up to Pittsburgh, and tour the museum before we left. Monday.
But, I'm talking about Saturday right?
Well, out of chance (and weird coincidence) I looked at the website to check the times when they would be open. I found out it was closed, on Monday.
CLOSED!
April was so upset. Actually it was more like, "disappointed". I thought we were doomed. Doomed to never see Andy Warhol's artwork in real life. I didn't really think of any other options, cause I didn't really think there were any.
Until JJ stepped in.
Again, I didn't think anything could be done.
He convinced Kim to let us borrow her truck and drive ourselves up to Pittsburgh, so April could go to her coveted museum. Thank you so much Kim!
See why I love JJ?
So, that is exactly what we did.
April decided it would funny to stalk film me with her camera. Here is a video of her doing just that:
Ape just took self portraits:
It was a good fun safe drive.
We arrived in Pittsburgh, and drove through:
I'm perfectly fine with Tunnels. No big deal that we are driving through a Mountain.
Not this tunnel though. This tunnel I do not like. Because, when you drive out of this tunnel you are on one of these:
BRIDGE! I know, weird fear. Fear of bridges. I just don't like them when they are over water. Especially when I don't know there coming. It's like "BOO!!". Boo from a bridge.
Turns out Pittsburgh is full of them. Could be why they are called, "The City Of Bridges". Great. I'm putting this city on the bottom of my list of favorite cities. They were EVERYWHERE!
Somehow April got me to walk out on one of them. I guess it's not THAT big of deal. Even though I'm not that far out on it. :-)
After we made our way across a couple of them, we arrived at our destination.
Here are those famous soup cans. Whoopie!
Ape is in these photos, cause that makes Warhol's art a bit more interesting. Gotta have something else going on.
This isn't Andy Warhol's. Some guest artist that was on display. April wasn't supposed to take photos of their art. But, she did anyway. She broke the rules!
Then, some dude yelled at her.
After touring the museum, April's opinion of Andy Warhol changed a bit. Turns out, he's an arty asshole just like all the other artists in the world (go figure). However, her opinion about his art didn't change, so that's a good thing. And, even though I'm not a fan of Andy Warhol, it was still fun to spend the day with April. Where we could giggle and be weird to our hearts content!
The rest of the day was us driving home, and THIS happening.
This day was the day JJ and Mark planned on going to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. I woke up to see JJ off on his 2 day adventure. I will post the photos that JJ took of his adventure, on another post.
Remember that purple bike I was telling you about a few posts back? Well, here she is:
It's Kims bike. JJ's bike couldn't really fit on the plane ride, so this was the bike he rode. See how excited he is to ride it?
So, with the boys gone, me and April went on a free tour of, Fenton Glass. They have free tours where you can go walk around their factory. Yes, that means you get to see them blowing glass and hand painting the glass as well. However, the photos that me and Ape took didn't turn out. :-(
After our tour, we met up with Kim and we drove 2 hours to:
This was the best part of the trip(other than JJ's question). The best part, and I hardly got any photos of it. Most likely it was because I was in so much awe that Amish people actually exist. I've never seen them in real life, so they've always just been sort of fictional to me. It felt like I was meeting a celebrity. You just think, "Whoah, they are real!" In the words of April Dansie:
"This is surreal"
Supposedly where we visited, (Holmes County, OH) is where the most populated area in the country where Amish/Mennonitecommunities are. So, we of coarse saw ALOT of these:
I really enjoyed touring this home. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to see first hand, what the Amish life is like. You got to tour 2 homes, and a barn with animals.
Did someone say PUPPY? You bet!
(This beagle was for sale, for only $60!!!)
This is a baby bunny. CUTE!!!
There were ducklings walking around the yard. April somehow caught this one. Just like April to catch the ducks.
After our tour of the farm, we stopped at Lehman's. We browsed around the store for a while (it's huge). Kim picked us up, The Budget Newspaper which is theweekly newspaper by and for the Amish.
On our way to find a restaurant we just happened to drive by the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center. They have a 265' mural-in-the-round depicting Amish/Mennonite history. I would recommend this too. This gives you a history of how the Amish/Mennonites came about. It was also very good artwork as well.
We stopped and ate in (I will insert the location here... later), OH. We were served home cooking food (it was excellent) and enjoyed some Apple Pie.
