hello, old friend

i've rediscovered an old love: reading.

at one time in my life, i loved reading. i lived for it. i would get in trouble with my parents for staying up past my bedtime to read. seriously, i would sit in my closet with a book light hours after i was supposed to be asleep just to finish whatever book i was currently reading.

then, i got to college. reading wasn't fun anymore because i had hours worth of reading assignments shoved down my throat every day, most of them stuff i had no interest in whatsoever. so i quit reading. no really, quit altogether. i didn't read for class, and i didn't read for pleasure. i just took a break...indefinitely.

i was a joke to my friends (and probably my professors, too): the english major who doesn't read. it's like a strange, oxymoronic impossibility. i honestly don't know how i made it through college.

but i've rediscovered the joy of reading. i think the freedom to read whatever i want, whenever i want has given me a new perspective. there's no pressure to read something i don't like. if something grabs my attention, pulls me in and won't let me go, demands that i continue reading, holds my focus and makes me ponder, delve deeper, keep reaching to understand, then i'm happy to read it. but if i read a few sentences, and i'm not interested, i can put it down and walk away. just like that.

reading should be enjoyed, considered a privilege, not done out of obligation. so no more obligation for me. just enjoyment. i'm going back to those days of late night closet reading, when i couldn't get enough of literature: drinking in the words and wishing i could someday compose beautiful, powerful prose that would cause a person to sit up all night long in her closet just to finish the story.

so sorry

SO SORRY i haven't posted in so long. i don't have internet at my apartment... so blogging kind of has to take a back seat right now. no time for a real post (since i'm at work), but just wanted everyone to know that brittni and i are going to see JOHN MAYER tomorrow night in atl. it was her birthday present to me! isn't she the greatest? so pumped; can't wait. hopefully, i'll get to post sometime this week and tell y'all all about the concert. peace!

free hugs

apparently, there is a thing called the free hug campaign. if you want to read a more in-depth article about it, check out the official website: http://www.freehugscampaign.org/. the cliff's notes version is that a lonely guy started hugging random people on the street to make them (and himself) feel less alone in the world. today, while visiting with amanda in downtown columbia, we were introduced to the free hug campaign by quite possibly the cutest hugger ever. she and i were casually strolling down main street, in the midst of a slightly intense convo, when all of a sudden the most precious little boy runs up to us, drops his sign that reads "free hugs," and embraces both of us at once. his mom was taking pictures and encouraging his hugging. i must admit that i was a little shocked, but because he was so cute and harmless, i didn't really mind. i did find it slightly strange, however, that our nameless hugger never said a word. as amanda and i continued our stroll, we paused our original discussion to dissect the hugging incident. our consensus? the little boy was adorable, but had a person over the age of 12 been giving out the free hugs, we would have been totally freaked out. i mean, i love hugs, but i just don't get the free hug campaign. of course, it breaks my heart to think that there are people out there who are so lonely that they would ache for a hug from a random person on the street.

clearance

if you don't already know, blogfans, i LOVE a good sale. i almost NEVER buy any clothing item (or accessory) that isn't on sale. and today, i came across an amazing clearance sale at jcpenny. i am so excited, i just had to share with all of you. i bought three dresses for $18 each! i'm not awesome at math, but that's three dresses for a total of $54! and btw, each dress originally cost $60 - meaning i got all three of the dresses for less than one of them should have cost me! thanks to jcpenny's clearance, i have a new dress to wear to my friends' wedding this weekend, and i now have three more dresses i can wear to work... once i finally get a job, that is.

the big ten

1. my laptop battery no longer charges, so in order for my computer to function, it must be plugged into the wall at all times. ward and i have decided that it is no longer a laptop, but a mobile desktop.

2. i still don't have a job. being unemployed after college is not fun.

3. my friend heike, who spent the last year teaching english at a chinese university, is home for a month. i got to spend the weekend with her, and it was a precious and sweet time. i am so thankful for long-lasting friendships; time nor distance break them apart.

4. i should be asleep right now because i have to wake up at 6:15 am. but i'm awake because i need to write. i love expressing myself through the written word. it's how i relieve stress, process through sticky situations, weigh hard decisions, and communicate my passions.

5. i miss my friends. talking on the phone just isn't enough.

6. my dad gave me a book to read about identifying strengths for use in the workplace. mine are competition, communication, activator, strategic, and command.

7. there is a possibility that i will have to make a very difficult decision in the near future.

8. i asked ward to let me get married first. he said i have four years, but once he graduates college, he won't make any promises.

9. decorating is one of my favorite things. i can't wait until i have an apt.

10. new favorite sushi roll: caterpillar roll (eel, avocado, and cream cheese)

elgin quick lube

yesterday, i walked into elgin quick lube wearing a t-shirt that read, "I LOVE TUKS." the following is the conversation that ensued between me and my mechanic, bubba.

ash: hey, i'm here to pick up ward's car. dad said he'll come by after work and pay.
bubba: wuss a tuk?
a: it's a university in south africa. i spent a summer there.
b: oh. so it ain't a thang?
a: no, it's a school.
b: so you all done with college and stuff now?
a: yes, i graduated in may, and i'm looking for a job right now.
b: wait... i thought you was the one who was valedictorian.
a: no.
b: so that was your brother.
a: no.
b: well, i know sum-body was valedictorian.
a: yes, i'm sure someone was.
b: oh, i know. it was the huggins girl.
a: i think you're right - alyssa.
b: yeah. the huggins girl. i knew it was one of them principal's kids.
a: um, so can i get the key to the car now?
(he hands me the key.)
b: hey, let me tell you sum-thin about the real world...
a: thanks for fixing the car.
(i start walking out the door.)
b: the real world sucks.

the improper spellings of some words are an attempt to capture bubba's southern accent. however, no written account could ever quite do this story justice.

mental floss

as a recent college graduate who is currently unemployed, i am always looking for ways to stimulate my mind lest it turn into mush. one of my favorite ways is mental floss. if you aren't familiar with mental floss, it is a magazine "where knowledge junkies get their fix." they also have a website, and i thoroughly enjoy reading their articles. check out a few of my favorites:

http://blogs.static.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25700.html
http://blogs.static.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25578.html
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20058

shout out

when amanda and i started our joint blog last year, none of our friends were really very familiar with blogs. we were the first to have a blog, and i'd consider us trend setters, seeing as how at least ten blogs have been inspired by ours. i think this newness largely contributed to our quick accumulation of followers. however, now that blogs are much more popular among our friends, i am going to blame my small number of followers on the fact that i am no longer the only person who has a blog.

i do need to give a special shout out, though, to my friend walt. if you read life in the smyth lane, you'll remember walt as the boy that while chasing him around campus, i fell and acquired quite a few cuts across various parts of my body. update: i still have a huge scar on my knee from the worst of the cuts. but i digress... i want to give walt a shout out today for being the first male follower of this blog! thanks, walt, for paving the way for guys to admit they read my blog. :)

mommy?

yesterday, my brother (ward), my sister (claire), and i went to the pool for the afternoon. if you don't know, we LOVE the pool. also, ward and i are on a serious campaign to get tan this summer.

the three of us are hanging out, relaxing, minding our own business, and laughing hysterically at all the little kids. (btw, next time you're at the pool, you should totally watch them; it's like a child soap opera.) then, all of a sudden, this old lady comes over to claire and me. she's talking up a storm, like we're best friends, and i have absolutely no idea who she is. come to find out, her granddaughter was in class with claire last year, and she just had to come over and say hello. over the course of the conversation, we discover that she knows my grandparents. she tells me how she's "been knowing them forever." and then asks which one of their children is my parent. i tell her i am gina's daughter, and then she says this: "wow. i just feel so old. i can't believe don and barbara have great-grandchildren."

let me explain what that means. if don and barbara are my grandparents, and their daughter is my mom, then claire must be my child in order for them to have great-grandchildren. claire is 13! even if i had birthed her when i was 15, i would have to be 28 for her to be mine. i really don't think i look 28. most people don't even think i look as old as i am.

so what did i say in response to her incorrect assumption? "they don't." and then i told her it was nice talking to her and walked (well, swam) away. i wonder how long she's going to think about that before she figures out that claire is my sister, not my daughter.

stream of consciousness

it has been quite a while since my last post. i apologize for my absence, but i promise i didn't forget about blogging. i just haven't had anything to blog about. but i can't stand this post hiatus any longer, so i'm just going to list the first five things that come to mind. in the literary world, we call this stream of consciousness.

1. i have a job interview tomorrow. yay!
2. i forgot to watch glee last night, and i am sooooooooooooooooooooooo upset.
3. i'm getting my hair cut today.
4. i really wish i had something better to post about.
5. i rode to alabama and back yesterday. yes, that's 13 hours in the car.

i'll post an update about the job interview soon. hopefully i'll have good news to report.

peace!

lucky

trying to get a job is hard. way harder than i thought it would be. never in my life have i so wanted to just get lucky. i'm starting to think that's how you get a job: you just get lucky. as the old southern phrase goes, i'm stuck between a rock and a hard place: i'm either overqualified or underqualified for all the jobs i've been applying for. i either have too much education or not enough experience, so i'm broadening my horizons. in the last two days i've applied to be a credit manager, a financial aid counselor, an admissions counselor, a hotel assistant manager, a hotel office manager, an insurance salesperson, and a football secretary. i've got to get lucky at some point, right?! wells fargo, furman university, converse college, marriott, liberty mutual, aaa - someone's got to hire me...

a few of my favorite things

for one reason or another, the sound of music classic "a few of my favorite things" has been stuck in my head for quite a while. in an effort to force my mind to move on, i am going to post a list of my favorite things. in random order:

1. ice cream
2. reese's cups
3. laughing until i snort
4. acts of service
5. home-cooked meals
6. organizing
7. pictures
8. sunglasses
9. sporcle
10. blogs
11. chick-fil-a lemonade
12. dark chocolate
13. music
14. basketball
15. writing
16. water
17. the beach
18. texting
19. winter coats
20. scarves
21. earrings
22. sweatpants
23. basketball shorts
24. shoes
25. hot chocolate
26. movies
27. moe's
28. cards
29. pandora
30. calendars
31. instyle magazine

whoops!

my friend chris is allergic to peanuts. like really allergic. he's accidentally eaten peanuts twice during the three years i've known him, and both times he had to go to the hospital. he now has to wear this super cool (read: totally uncool) allergy bracelet. anyway, i always remember that he's allergic to peanuts because, as you all know, i also have food allergies. (thankfully, mine are not as reactive as chris's.) but, sometimes, i forget what i'm doing or that what i'm eating has peanuts in it. for example, friday night, chris, brittni, sam e, walt, and i decided to go get some snacks at walmart. one last midnight adventure for brit, sam, and me since we were graduating the next morning. brittni drove, and sam rode shot gun. that put me sandwiched between chris and walt in the backseat. not that i minded. on the ride home, we wasted no time and broke out the snacks we'd purchased and started eating. i, of course, had chosen ice cream. peanut butter cup ice cream. we're all eating and laughing and hanging out. then chris starts talking about how sticky his fingers are. (he had also chosen ice cream... and popsicles... and gum.) my fingers were sticky too, so i chimed in as well. then, in an effort to prove how sticky my fingers were, i stuck them to the side of chris's face. he immediately started yelling about how i was trying to kill him, and that's when i realized that my fingers were sticky because they were covered in ice cream that was full of peanut butter. whoops! probably not the best idea to stick my peanut butter ice cream covered fingers to the face of a peanut allergic boy. i started profusely apologizing. not sure how i thought an apology was going to fix the damage. then i insisted that he wash his face once we returned to campus. luckily, my sticky fingers did not cause an allergic reaction, and i am happy to report that chris is fine. fine enough to repeat the story to everyone the next day at graduation. and make fun of me... ruthlessly. i guess i can't really complain, though, because had the tables been turned, i would have made fun of him too. in the words of chris, gotta love a friendship that can handle a little bit of "joshin."

it's official

i am officially an alum of presbyterian college. it's crazy to think that i am no longer a college student. i don't think the reality of it all has hit me yet. but it will. i would love to post more about today's momentous occasion, but i am exhausted. stay tuned for more information soon.

bittersweet

beginning my own blog is bittersweet for me. it's bitter because it recognizes an end to not only my shared blog with amanda, but also to my college years. it's sweet because it rings in a new era of my life. an era i like to call the real world. join me on my adventure.