Interrogation, Santa, Future Shoes, MJ

So, I've already updated you on Trooper.  Now on to updates about fun Christmas happenings!!

After Trooper's untimely death, I went to Huntsville to stay with the Grandma for a few days.  While there I went Christmas present shopping, ran some errands, met James in Columbia for dinner, and spent quality time with the cousins.  Then my uncle Tom, Dad and Timbo came down and stayed a few days.

In Huntsville, we had a few family gatherings-- one being the Payne Christmas party.  Which is basically one of those fam reunion type deals where I have no idea who half the people are and I get asked, "Now, who do you belong to??"  Basically meaning, "Who is your dad?"  Because no one in the extended family can keep up with my Grandma's 4 sons and 9 grandkids.  That question doesn't bother me much.  But then my most FAVORITE series of questions in the whole wide world are asked-- actually... it's more of an interrogation, "Have you graduated yet?  When will you graduate?  What's your degree in?  Now, what on earth are you going to do with that?  Do you have any jobs lined up?  Where will you live?  Do you have a boyfriend?  Are you getting married?"  I don't know the answer to half of those questions.  So... I stand there answering in the best way I know how... all the while wanting to stab myself in the eye.  Have no fear, I left the party-- both eyeballs unharmed, intact, and still in the sockets.

Did I mention that while I was in Huntsville/supposed to be back home there was a huuuge snow in NC?  Yeah.  There was.  I was bitter.  Okay, I still am a little bit.  Anyway, on the 23rd we all set out for NC.  I drove Grandma's car all the way home.  Surprisingly there were remnants of snow left here and there... and although I was sad to have missed it, I'm glad some of it stuck around long enough for me to see.

Santa Clause was very good to me this year, just as he is every year.  Even though I deserve enough coal to warm the entire universe, I still got some awesome gifts.  He brought me an ipod dock, make-up, DVD's, future shoes, candy, and all kinds of stuff.  Yes, you read that correctly-- future shoes-- as in, I opened a shoe box and inside was an "I Owe You a pair of shoes" coupon.  Santa doesn't buy me clothes or shoes without me there because he knows how picky I can be.  :)

Grammie and Granddaddy gave me a new hair straightener, since I busted my expensive one back in September.  This thing is awesome and I'm convinced it works better than a Chi, for all of you who even knows what that means.  My brother got me the Michael Jackson's This Is It CDs I wanted. Yeah, he's pretty cool.

Speaking of ol' MJ... a few months ago, with the help of a website and JB, I made a Michael Jackson mii on the wii.  (Hahaha, that sentence sounds funny to me... mii on the wii!)  Anywho... here are some pics!

I hope you all had a spectacular Christmas and a have good New Year, too!!!!!!!!

Trooper Done Broke Down

Once upon a time... on Wednesday, December 16, 2009... a fair maiden of Freed-Hardeman University set out on her great journey from the metropolis of Henderson, TN to the far away lands of Winston-Salem, NC.  It was going to be a long and tiresome trip but the fair maiden had no fear because Trooper, her trusty steed, had carried her miles and miles from the east to the west on so many adventures without a problem.  Sure, Trooper was gaining in years and did not move like she used to.  And sure, there was a clickity click here and clickity there every once in a while.  But the fair maiden had faith in her trusty steed and travelled along I-40 East in Trooper that day just as surely as she had any other day.

That morning was not a good one in the fair maiden's life.  She had completed her final semester of college and had to move out of Hall-Roland Castle for the last time.  She packed everything into Trooper and with a sigh of both relief and sadness, she climbed in and drove out of the parking lot.  Trooper took her through the forests of 100 and 21-A with ease as she reminiced of good times and good friends-- tears rolling down her face.  After turning onto the I-40 East Trail the fair maiden finally dried her eyes, turned up the gangsta rap music, and began to look forward to her return home.  

Trooper and the fair maiden travelled down the trail for about 45 minutes when all of a sudden a giant dragon leaped out of the sky!!  He was huge, and green, and MEAN!!!  He breathed fire and with a creepy dragon voice he said, "I'm going to eat you!!!"  Trooper and the fair maiden didn't know what to do!  They just sat there and screamed.  Then the dragon grabbed Trooper and the maiden up with his giant claw!!  He flew away... the fair maiden and Trooper were never seen again. 

THE END!!!


Hah, just kidding!

Trooper and the fair maiden travelled down the trail for about 45 minutes when all of a sudden Trooper's "clickity click here and clickity click there" turned into a "CLICKITY CLICK BOOM BOOM BOOM CLICKITY CLICK BOOM here, there, and everywhere!!!"  The fair maiden knew Trooper was going down fast.  She looked up and saw a sign for the Villiage of Waverly.  Trooper made it off the exit and was just barely able to park at the Fast Fuel horse feed station.  For a moment the fair maiden was angry with Trooper.  How could Trooper fail her at a time like this?  She was supposed to go home for the holidays to see her parents and brother and grandparents and friends.  Why, Trooper?  Why?!?! She was angry for several minutes, then she realized what the loss of Trooper meant.  Trooper was in critical condition and she did not know if anyone could save Trusty Trooper.  The fair maiden's anger quickly turned to sadness and despair.

The maiden called her father, King Keith of Iron Boy Powerlifting, to ask what to do.  King Keith summoned his brother, Prince Mike of American Pawn and Jewelry, to come rescue the poor, defenseless maiden.  For about 3 and a half hours, the fair maiden sat with Trooper waiting on the arrival of Prince Mike.  He got there and attached dying Tooper to a trailer.  Then they all set out on another journey to Huntsville, AL.  It is safe to say Trooper was DOA (dead on arrival) to Huntsville. 

Trooper is survived by his sisters Janice the GPS and Fergie Ferg the dancing dashboard diva. 

RIP '96 Isuzu Trooper.  Thank you, Trooper, for all the great times-- for getting lost in Michigan and everywhere else, and for being a trusty steed for several years.  You will be missed.

The fair maiden is now in pursuit of a new trusty steed but in mourning the loss of Trooper has donated these pictures in memory:

Big Girl Haircut.

So I got my hair chopped today.  Completely chopped.  Like.. 8 or 9 inches chopped.  I showed the hair-cutter lady a picture of what I wanted.  I mean, homegirl's hair in the picture was a considerable amount shorter than my hair was... but hair-cutter lady most definitely chopped off 2 inches more than what the picture looked like.  Maybe I shouldn't have gone to Wal-Mart in pursuit of new hair.  I mean, my hair was long.  Too long.  Probably because I hadn't cut it since October... October of last year.  Wanna see pictures of how long my hair was until today at approximately 2:30pm??  Okay!  If you insist!

Look at my long curly side-ponytail for homecoming banquet. 'Twas a fun evening.

I hate hate hate this picture of me but love love love the people I'm with.  This was taken 1.5 weeks ago at the Opry Mills.   Yes, mall in Nashville during the holidays.  AKA dumb idea.  And quite frankly, my hair is lookin nappy.  But hair=long.  Point taken.

Are you ready?  Are you ready for this?  Alright everyone, let us take a moment of silence for my long lost hair....

IT'S ALL GONE!  I think I like it though.  Definitely looks better straight when it's short.  We can forget me having curly hair again for several months.  I mean, I could wear it curly... if I wanna look like a Grandma.  Naaah.

No, I didn't pose for this picture.  Obviously-- because I look like a total goof.  I got a phone call while I was taking a picture to put on here.  But it makes me happy.   I'm was on the phone with one of my favorite people in world.  :)

So, there you have it!  LB, Katie, and I all got our hair cut short this week.  We call it a big girl hair cut.  No more being lazy and throwing it in a ponytail.  Short hair is for those who take time in the mornings to get ready... you know.  Professionals.  Psssh.  Who am I kidding?  I'm far from being a big girl.  Maybe my new sassy cut will get me an awesome job?  We can only hope.

P.S.  Hair-cutter lady's name is Peggy.  And she cussed a lot.  And she was crazy.  Thanks, Peggster, for  an entertaining afternoon... and for my big girl haircut.

A Friday Celebration!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY, EVERYONE!!!!

It's Friday and there are several reasons to celebrate.

1)  This has been a very busy week for me.  Next week will be even worse, but that's alright.  Even though my extensive to-do list puts me in semi-panic mode, I like being busy.  I like feeling accomplished at the end of a day.  Needless to say, this Friday is welcomed with open arms.  I took my last test for this week an hour ago.  Even though I have 2 classes left today, I proclaimed the beginning of weekend as I turned in my test and walked out the door.  I'm attending class but definitely not doing any more schoolwork today.  Hello, weekend!  It's nice to see you! (I searched "happy friday" in google images and here is what I got.)

2)  Another reason I get to celebrate??  James will be here this afternoon!!!  I've only gotten to spend about 3.5 hours with him in the last month.  I'm looking forward to seeing him!  Here's a fun time picture of us on Halloween 3 years ago.  Just call him Chet First Responder.

3)  Tomorrow I'm going on a fun time Nashville adventure with Katie, LB, and Drew.  We are gonna see A Christmas Carol.  In IMAX!!!  I'm only a little excited, can't you tell?  I've heard this movie is creepy.  And call me weird if you want-- but I like creepy movies.  So yes, A Christmas Carol on Saturday and then I will spend Sunday in Nashville, too.  Which means more time with James.  :)

4)  This didn't just begin today, but extremely cold weather is here!!!  It has been for a few days now.  Cold weather = wearing, for the first time, the beautiful purple wool coat I bought from Old Navy 2 months ago.  Ahh!  I love when it's cold enough to wear wool coats and scarves.  I'm pretty hot natured, so when it's cold enough for me to wear a wool coat... then it's cold.  I love it.  I looked for a picture of my coat.  Here's one just like it except in a weird brown color which is not as cute as MY beautiful big purple.

See???  What great reasons to celebrate!!  Yay Friday!  Yay weekend!

SANTA!!! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!

Today's #1 fact:  Elf is my favorite Christmas movie.  And let's be honest, it's one of my favorite movies of all time.  I watch it year round.  I have to say, even though I watch it during non-Christmas seasons, the movie is much more fun to watch when it actually IS christmastime.  It's so wonderful to watch it with great friends or family, under a blanket-- hot chocolate in hand.

IT'S DECEMBER!  IT'S TIME FOR SANTA!

While I can hardly believe we're already in the last month of 2009, I'm still happy it's December.  We won't talk about the fact December = the last few weeks of my normal college career.  December means cold weather time, beautiful coat and scarf time, Elf time, eat-so-much-you-can-hardly-breathe-time... and many other times.  But the most important time is the time I get to spend with people I love the most.  I look forward to spending Christmas with my family.

Last night was the 3rd annual "A Freed-Hardeman Christmas" show.  My friend Dustin had this amazing idea a few years ago-- for a production showcasing some of Freed's best singing talent while ringing in the Christmas season.  He and another good friend of mine, Robert, put on the very first "A Freed-Hardeman Christmas" 3 years ago.  It was a great success and it keeps getting better with every show.  There are several fun Christmas songs sung and a reading of The Night Before Christmas each year.  Emily and Robert sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" last night.  Needless to say, it was amazing and oh so cute!  There were so many fun and talented people on stage.  It was the perfect way to start the Christmas countdown and was sure to take the Scrooge out of anyone who attended last night.

You should know, I had plans of making this a bitter blog because I definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.  I woke up earlier than I'd like to a nasty, rainy, ugly day,  the diet coke tasted gross in Lion's Pride, and I can't stop thinking about what I'm going to do with my life.  It's all good though... one breakfast with Katie Nana and a half-christmas blog later, I'm feeling better.

Soooo, instead of freaking out about soon up and coming real life adulthood... I will write letters to Santa, I will wear fun time scarves, I will watch Elf, I will drink hot chocolate, I will sing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs, and I'll be especially nice for the next few weeks.  Don't wanna end up on the naughty list.  I might cry if I don't receive the 2-disc THIS IS IT Michael Jackson soundtrack I asked Santa for.  True story.

Don't call it a comeback. I've been here for years!

Am I even allowed to call myself a blogger now?  Now-- after posting only 4 times in the last MONTH?  Well of course not.  I am not a blogger.  To be a blogger you must first blog.  I know.  It's sad.  So many fun adventures have come and gone.  So many potential blogs have been left by the wayside because of school, events, holidays, and lack of internet (this past week anyway).  I apologize for not writing lately.  I plan to fix it... even though I'm positive the 3.5 people who actually read this have forgotten all about me since I never update anymore.  I'm making a comeback.  You just wait and see.

Since I had no internet connection on Thanksgiving, I didn't have a chance to write a "things I'm thankful for" list like everyone else.  So, that is what I will write today.  I find that I enjoy making lists.  I know what you're thinking!  "Ashley?  A list-maker?  Is she that organized?"  You're right.  I don't appear to be very organized.  I do like lists though.  And I will admit, most of my lists never make it to paper.  They are normally mental catalogues of what I must get done in a given day or things I need to pack for a weekend trip.  You know, stuff like that.  Anyway-- enough list-rambling.  On to list-making!

The What I'm Thankful For List (Top 3)

1)  God.  Isn't he truly amazing?  I'm so thankful to be a child of His.  I'm thankful his patience, forgiveness, and grace.  I'm thankful for every single prayer answered, whether I like the answer or not.

2)  Family.  Durrrr.  This is an obvious one, isn't it?  But I am.  I am very thankful for every member of my family.  I got to spend another Thanksgiving week in Huntsville this year.  My parents and brother weren't able to make it down, but I still enjoyed my time with family in Huntsville.  I enjoyed being with my grandmother for the week, as well.

3)  Friends-- new and old.  Each person present in my life has left some sort of impact on me-- some very lasting impacts.  I have no doubt that high school would have been completely terrible without my core group of friends.  For them I am very thankful.  And it's safe to say that the people I've grown close to while attending Freed-Hardeman are the reasons this is such a special place to me.  I don't know what I would do without them all.  My life would definitely be void of adventures, time-wasting schemes, and gut-busting laughter.  I'm thankful for friends.  That's all there is to it.

Anna, Jessica & Sarah --Youth Rally 2003

Alex & Dave --Prom 2005

Julie & Melissa --Camp Ney-A-Ti, Summer 2005

Mandy, Nicoll, Amy, Janie & Shea -- The river, Spring Semester 2006

Jessica & Jennifer -Thriller! --Summer 2006 

Lauren, Amy, Nik, James, Anthony, Kyle, Van, Mandy, Janie, Nicoll --Bowling Alley/LB's Birthday, August 2006

Abbey & Megan --GTO Mixer, Fall 2006

Shea, Kayla & Marcia -- Harry Potter Book Opening, Summer 2007

Me & Nik --XBX Fall Retreat 2007

Emily &  Robert --Rosie's, December 2007

me & Amy --GTO Fall Retreat 2008

Nikki & Homer --Summer 2009

MaryAnne & John --Summer 2009

Katie &  LB --Homecoming Banquet 2009

Alex, Alyssa, Megan & Christine --Homecoming Pep-it-Up 2009

Y'all know how I love my pictures.  Couldn't leave ya hangin' without a visual of all my best buds over the years.

Oh, and don't judge the title of this blog without being made aware those words are lyrics of "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J.

Don't call it a comeback
I been here for years
Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear
Makin the tears rain down like a MON-soon
Listen to the bass go BOOM

Haha!  I guess I was reminded of the song when I talked about my blogging comeback.  I'm ridiculous, I know.  Maybe you should youtube the song if you've never heard it.  Then again, if you haven't... you aren't missing much.  

Let's give Wordless Wednesday a whirl.

I know, I know.  I've been the worst blogger in the history of life the past few weeks.  Real sorry.  I've been pretty busy... and honestly I haven't felt like blogging.  Don't hate my life.  And since I still don't even feel like writing a lot today, I will post some pictures of what's been happening in my life lately.  Okay?  Okay.

This is pretty much it... in a nutshell.  I promise I'll do better later!

Cute. Real cute.

I want you all to know I stared writing a blog.  It was amazing.  Then it disappeared.  I don't know what happened.  I'm blaming it on the bell witch.  Maybe I'll try again later.  Maybe.

"SING!!! Sing into my necklace, you poor unfortunate soul!!"

Last night, I may have had purple skin... I may have dressed as an evil sea witch... and I may have tried to steal some voices.  Hint:  I did.

For 3 glorious hours, I was Ursula.  You can't tell by the pictures, but I was a very glittery Ursula.   Which also means that today I'm a very glittery Ashley.  Even after showering, I'm still finding glitter everywhere.  Cute, I know.

 

Ursula was not alone in her under-the-sea adventures.  Ariel was there, thingamabob in hand.  She wanted legs to walk to men's priv to see her Prince Eric/Bobby.  In exchange for legs, I took her voice.  Her fin magically began to unravel while traveling to the Priv House.  Don't tell me Ursula doesn't have real powers.  Who even needs King Triton?  I don't.

There was a mini Disney villain reunion last night as well.  Ursula got to spend time with her villain vixen BFF Cruella DeVille.  We made quite the puppy-catching-voice-stealing duo.  Check out those eye lashes. 

Ariel was NOT excited about the villain vixen reunion.

Remember that part in the movie when Ursula... I mean I... am fixin' to get married to Prince Eric and have Ariel's voice forever and take over the human world AND under the sea world?  BUT then all of a sudden Ariel's friends attack me and break my beautiful shell necklace?  And I get real REAL angry?  And turn into the giant sticking up out the water I'm gonna eat you and your ship Ursula?  Yeah.  That's what this picture is I feel like.  This is my precious pumpkin roommate Hannah.  She's tiny and I'm giant and angry and hungry for some ships apparently.

I told some people to sing into my shell necklace.  Some complied.  Others didn't.  However, I collected enough voices to last a good while.

I love Halloween.  It's one of my FAVORITE holidays ever.  I'm for real.  I love dressing up.  I love candy.  I love scary things.  I'm glad I get to celebrate Halloween for 3 straight days this year.  I'm headed to Nashville this weekend for more Halloween festivities and to visit some fun time people.  I can't wait!!!

My dear, sweet child. That's what I do. It's what I live for.  To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself-- poor souls with no one else to turn to. I admit that in the past I've been a nasty.  They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch.  But you'll find that nowadays I've mended all my ways. Repented, seen the light, and made a switch to this... And I fortunately know a little magic.  It's a talent that I always have possessed.

Farewell to all the poor unfortunate souls out there.  I must go now.