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!