Herbal Essence

I've started growing a mini herb garden. It consists of sweet basil, chives, and parsley. I've always wanted to grow my own herb garden because it would be neat to enjoy the "fruits of my labor." Right now, nothing has grown yet (I only planted the seeds two days ago) so I'm just looking at a pot of dirt. But I will be very excited when something finally starts to sprout! I love gardening even though sometimes I forget to water the plants I'm growing. This time I'll really give it my all.

I was browsing through my pictures on my computer, and I came across this photo from my high school graduation. It honestly feels like it was just yesterday because I can remember the day vividly. I remember that I drove down to Reliant Stadium with a whole bunch of my friends at like 7 in the morning because we had to be there at 7:30 or something ridiculous like that. I remember that it was so humid and I was sweating so bad in my gown... at 7:30 in the morning! I remember that we all got patted down by the AP's because they wanted to make sure that we weren't bringing beach balls into the ceremony. I remember that the shoes that I was wearing had 4-inch heels and I was paranoid about falling off the stage.

I can't believe I've graduated a second time. I don't feel like I got to soak up everything about college because it went by so fast. If I could go back and do some things over again, I would probably cherish every moment, good or bad, that I had in college. It's crazy.

So, my wireless internet in my computer doesn't work. Actually, it hasn't worked for about a month now, but I still haven't sent my computer into HP because I haven't had time to back up all the documents, pictures, etc. onto a jump drive. The help guy that I spoke with on the phone said that I should probably back up all of my information just in case they have to perform a full recovery on my computer which would mean erasing everything and starting over. Blah. I really haven't had great luck with computers. My first computer's hard drive got completely corrupted and I had to wipe everything and start over fresh on that one too. What a mess. So, hopefully they can fix everything without having to erase everything. However, maybe this would be a good time for me to clean out my files... pictures and documents I haven't used in forever.

I checked out Season 1 of Alias from the public library yesterday (how cool is that??) so I think I might go snuggle up in bed and watch an episode.

-Ashley

You can't change the cards you're dealt, just the way you play the hand. -Randy Pausch

I got a call from my dad today saying that I get to help him repaint the fence this weekend. Can I just say this: three times. This will be the third time that I will have painted this darn fence. I'm so over it. But of course, I kind of got a guilt trip from him about it, so I felt bad saying no. I was going to go up to College Station tomorrow and hang out with Hailey and Lauren and come back home on Saturday, but we'll have to postpone to another weekend I suppose.

I had my interview today at McDonald. Needless to say, it was interesting. I sort of got a weird/bad vibe from what the panel interviewers were saying to me. Apparently by "challenging" they meant 10 hour work days, no social life, difficult students, and lack of support. I'm just not sure that this will be the job for me, but at least I've gotten my "first interview jitters" out of the way. I know that the Lord will place the position for me right in front of my face, and I'll know that's where I'm supposed to be.

It's getting sort of late, so I'm going to go to sleep. Happy almost Friday!

-Ashley

I'd like to thank the Academy.

[Ok, so I had this big long post written, and then I decided to cut and paste it into a Word document so I could put a picture in, but I forgot to do that whole "paste it into a Word document" thing. So, I'm going to try to write this post again and we're just gonna leave the picture out because it wasn't that important anyway.]

So, now that I've graduated from A&M, I've officially really begun my job search. Since I did my student teaching in Cy-Fair, I obviously applied there. Also, I live in the district, so it's really convenient. The only bad thing is they're in a hiring freeze right now, so for people like me who are first-year teachers, we're kind of out of luck for now and we're playing the waiting game.

Because of that, I didn't want to wait around on Cy-Fair to [maybe] get around to me to have an interview. I've already had my general interview with the district to be cleared so that principals can start interviewing me. I even had an interview scheduled with the middle school that I went to when I first moved to Texas. However, the day before the interview the principal's secretary called and cancelled it. I later found out from my mom that the reason it had to be cancelled was because of the hiring freeze and the budget cuts that are being made. So, what I'm trying to get at (I seem to be very long-winded tonight... sorry!) is that I applied to Katy ISD and I'm almost finished with my application for Klein ISD as well.

So this is all leading into something, I promise. Mrs. Strickland, one of the owners of the tutoring company I'm working for this summer, is a math teacher at a middle school in Katy, and she emailed me the other day asking if I wanted her to give my resume to her principal because they have a math position opening. At first I was a little skeptical because she said in the email that the school is a little "challenging" and I really wasn't sure what she meant by that. But after doing a little research on the school, it didn't seem- statistically- that bad.

Today, I got a call from the principal at the school and he was very interested in interviewing me for that position. So to make a long story longer (again, my apologies) I have an interview tomorrow morning. I'm very nervous because this is my first ever interview for a teaching position, but then I'm also excited to see what it's like out there in the real world work force. So, your prayers are always welcome!

Ok, I guess I better go paint my toes so these people don't think I can't give myself a decent pedicure. I'll let you know how it goes!

-Ashley

I want to be a part of it!

I have this incredible urge to go to New York City. Well, maybe not just go, but actually live in New York City... for a limited period of time. Maybe like 6 months. I just love everything about the things I hear about NYC. I've only been there twice and that was a long time ago. I would just love to go and live in a loft or a brownstone and walk everywhere to shop, meet up with a friend for coffee at an outdoor coffee shop, spend an afternoon in Central Park on a park bench with a good book and a journal, take the subway to Brooklyn, or buy a hot dog from a street vendor and eat it as I walk down the street toward... Times Square, maybe.

Doesn't that sound like so much fun?

I need to just plan a vacation on my own without waiting around for someone else (like my parents) to do it for me. Maybe it wouldn't be something as lavish as New York City, but something easier to start out with. I just need to sit down and make out a plan to go somewhere and then present it to my parents and that will be that. Hahaha. I'll do it someday, I just know it.

I'm a little sad and lonely now that American Idol is over. My Tuesday and Wednesday nights are a little less eventful now. I have to say that given the circumstances, I'm very glad that David Cook won over David Archuletta. Of course since I'm an Aggie, I rooted for Jason Castro like nobody's business. I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that at some points during the voting process I had two phones to my ear and another one hanging in the balance if my cell phone battery died. How cool would it have been if an Aggie was the American Idol?

I finished the last book of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I've just started The Lovely Bones. So far, it's... interesting. For Chapter 1, it's somewhat alarming, but I think it might be an eye-opening book to read.

Ok, my tummy is growling. FOOD!

-Ashley

One Crazy Life

Have you ever watched that show on TLC called Jon and Kate Plus 8? Well, today there is a marathon of it on TV, and I've been watching the last few episodes.

Frankly, I'm exhausted just from watching it. I don't know how the parents do it. They have 6 year-old twin girls and 3 year-old sextuplets- 3 girls and 3 boys. All of the laundry, the potty training, the trips to the grocery store, the grocery store bills, the car rides to go anywhere... WHEW! But they do everything in a very organized and efficient way (considering the circumstances). I hope I'm able to do that when I have just one kid (because I'm not planning on having multiples... but we'll see what God has in store. Knowing my luck...).

I just finished writing my thank you notes from graduation gifts. I didn't realize how many friends and family members sent me gifts until I actually went through and wrote the notes and then put the stamps on the envelopes. I used an entire book of stamps plus half of another book! That's a lot of gifts. Isn't graduation wonderful? :)

-Ashley

Barnes & Noble

I love Barnes & Noble. Every time I step foot in that store, I feel like I've kind of departed from my life for a brief moment and entered a world of dreams and fantasies.

I've gotten really into reading lately. So, when I got 2 Barnes & Noble gift cards for graduation, I couldn't wait to get there and spend it all! I went the other day after substituting at my mom's school to browse and stock up on my summer reading material. I walked into B&N knowing that I definitely wanted to get the fifth book of the Left Behind series and the last book of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (please don't make fun of me... they're actually pretty good books and they're quick reads). After I have these books in my hand, I realize that that's too short of a Barnes & Noble trip to fulfill my quota. So, I decide to do a little more browsing, and I stumble across the "Former Bestseller" table. I found a book called The Lovely Bones. The only reason I picked it up is because it had a very bright, pretty blue color cover. I skim over the summary and it seems to be about a girl who has passed away and the story is about how the lives of the people who knew her have changed since her death. I have to say that even though it sounds a little morbid (my mom picked up on that too when she read the summary and was surprised I had bought the book in the first place), I was very intrigued. I always end up reading fiction books with a plot that is very predictable, so I figured I would branch out a little. I'll let you know how it turns out...

I think I'll go read about some pants that travel. Nighty night!

-Ashley

Chapter 1

I'm so sad that I am terrible at keeping up with my blog. I wish I was one of those people who had something witty or profound to say everytime I updated my blog. But, unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. However, I will do my best to keep whoever is reading this entertained with the things happening in my life right now.

I guess the first thing that's really exciting is that I've finally graduated from A&M! Whoop! It's kind of surreal, yet I don't feel like a graduate at the same time. I think that's probably because I don't have a real job yet. If I had a job already, I'd probably feel all grown up and important and I'd probably go out and buy myself a filing cabinet or a cell phone holder that you attach to your belt or something equally professional or dorky old person-esque. But, alas, I don't have a job. And maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'll enjoy my summer more as a "recent college grad still in the job market."

Speaking of summer and the plans I have- for once in my life (well, since I've been old enough to hold a job during the summer) I'm going to kind of relax. I'm going to be doing a little math tutoring through a company called Learning with TLC that is owned by a lady that my mom used to work with. I'm not quite sure how much I'll be working (my boss hasn't exactly filled me in on any details related to my schedule or what age group I'll be working with), but I know it shouldn't be as stressful a job as any of the others I've had in the past. Plus, this is the first summer since I've been in college that I won't have to take any summer school! That's a big relief... and a time saver. I'd also like to take a vacation somewhere, but I'm not sure yet where or if that will even happen. But we shall see, I suppose.

In other exciting news, I FINALLY GOT A CAR! Yes, the day before graduation, my parents surprised me with a black Honda CR-V parked in our backyard, behind the garage with a big red bow on it. The bow was my only stipulation about getting the car. I've always fantasized about getting a car and it being a big surprise with a big red bow. It was so fun and exciting. The car is really nice. It's not brand new, but that's ok with me. It's pretty much brand new. The interior and exterior are in really great shape... it's very pretty!

I just read Katie's post about cleanliness, and I started thinking about it myself. I'd like to think of myself as a clean and organized person. I don't feel clean myself if my room or the kitchen isn't clean. I can't stand clothes on the floor, things not in their proper places, crumbs, spills, or dirty countertops. However, I've lately been finding myself leaving clothes on the floor, not making my bed, not putting something back after I've used it. I think it's because I'm living with my parents, my room is upstairs and I'm the only one who ever sees it. Basically, I've gotten lazy. I need to fix that NOW. Once I start letting things slide, everything else in my life will start to be affected by my laziness, and that's just bad.

One thing that will really help me get out of this "slump" is that I'm moving out this summer. Yes, I'm the baby bird who is finally ready to spread her wings and leave the nest. (You liked that metaphor, didn't you.) My friend Teresa's husband is in the Army, and he's being deployed soon. She's in nursing school here in Houston, so the Army is helping pay for an apartment in town, and she doesn't want to live by herself, so Sammi and I are going to move in with her. I'm very excited because it will kind be a stepping off point for me in starting this new chapter. It'll be like a blank slate. God is giving me this opportunity to do things in my life to please Him, first of all, and then myself... not other people. It'll be like college, except not in a college town. It's the real world, and I can't wait.

I think my dad just made margarita's, and they are very tastey (t to the a to the s-t-e-y!!). So I think I might go enjoy one on the patio as I watch the dogs play in the backyard (let me tell you... it's comedy).

I hope someone will hold me accountable at keeping up with blogging. It's really quite fun. :)

Ashley