2 Blogs = 2 Many

Well, I'm giving up on this blog at the expense of the other one, so for future updates check: www.ashley-joel.blogspot.com

Signing off for the last time...

Resolutions... revolutions

These prints are by Emily Martin (The Black Apple). I found them on Etsy and loved them.

I realized today that I forgot to make any resolutions for the new year. That's my task for today, I've decided. I have lots of ideas, too many in fact, so as usual narrowing them down to a do-able few will be my biggest challenge. One which I hope won't get cut from the list is updating this blog -- regularly. I promise not to take a picture of my books this semester.


We are back from Arkansas and Mississippi, and man did it get busy there at the end. Brooke and Trevor became legally obligated to each other on the 5th (much more romantic than it sounds), and the reception which followed was the last of a handful of fun wedding-related get togethers. Fun fun fun. I'm so glad that I got to see so many of my nearest and dearest throughout the visit, and I hope to do a lot more of that in March, when I come for spring break.

But being back in Iowa is comforting. As we drove in I was amazed how much it actually feels like we're home. I have this week off before school starts, and I'm supposed to be working on a paper about farmer revolts in AR, TX, LA, and OK at the end of the 19th century. Next week: new students, new professors, new books, and birthdays for both of us. Happy January.

It's Raining Books... Hallelujah!

Pictured at the left are my required textbooks for the three classes I'm taking this semester. Well, all but the four that haven't arrived at the bookstore quite yet (one of them hasn't been published yet). So these twenty-five, plus four. Yes, that is Cher in a feather headdress and matching bikini. I guess it's a really good thing I like to read.

I have now survived two days of class, as both teacher and student, and so far it's good (and by "good" I mean terrifying). I will not be panicking, because from the looks of my 3 syllabi I won't have time to panic or even to consider it. I guess maybe you're wondering how I have time to ramble on so, if I have so much work to do? Well, I had to send off in the mail for a secret decoder ring to translate my assignment for one of my classes, so I'm waiting on that to come in. I am not whining, though it sounds and looks a lot like whining. I hear that the first semester is just this giant imaginative leap you have to make in your understanding of what is humanly possible and then the rest is pretty steady and you at least know what to expect. The people in my program have very diverse interests (with maybe a little bit of a tilt toward contemporary pop culture and representations of ethnicity and gender in art (especially in film). All of which I find really interesting, so conversations are usually fun until they get tangled up in theory I haven't read quite yet (they promise me this will come in the first weeks of reading - yay). I am getting more interested in the history of traveling cultures (think circuses, bands, etc..), especially from the early 20th century before there were so many options for home entertainment.

"My" class, as I call the one I'm teaching, is off to a pretty good start, I guess. For all of you former Nederlanders, one of my students is from a town not far from Maastricht. I haven't asked her about it directly yet, but Sjoerd told me online how to pronounce her name (as difficult as that sounds) and she seemed surprised that I got it right the first time. One of the young men in my class is a wrestler (don't ask me how this came up in class) who made me feel his cauliflower ear. I had no idea this really happened, but it's true - something about injuring the tissues traps water and it grows back kinda bumpy. The only students (besides the Dutch one) that are not from Iowa are a football player from Texas, who laughed when I said I was from Arkansas, and a girl from North Dakota (I don't know the story there, or if there even is one). Tomorrow we're doing the Flannery O'Connor (who went to school here) story, "Good Country People," just to totally run their expectations off the road from day two. Anyway, I'm excited (and by "excited" I mean terrified).
More soon.

Maybe it's asking too much of you wonderful people to read two blogs. If you feel this way, you can choose one and stick with it. Something just wouldn't let me give this one, my blog, up. The new one (for which Joel and I will both write) is www.ashley-joel.blogspot.com. But as I said, if you don't have any room for another blog in your life, don't feel obligated to read them both. I promise to make a conscious effort to not overlap the content too much.

We went to see Casablanca at the Saturday night outdoor movie last night. It really is an excellent film - I even laughed out loud a couple of times. I don't find the love story itself that moving, though, except how much Rick (Bogart) is affected by Ilsa (Bergman). For some reason, I just don't care that much about her. Maybe I should chalk this up to my tendency to hurt when men hurt. Where the heck does this tendency come from? To see an old man (or a young one, for that matter) feel ashamed, sad, or disappointed breaks me in two. Not to say that I don't sympathize with women - I do - the effect just isn't as visceral. I'm sure somebody out there can come up with a psychoanalytical reason for this (Ellen? Brooke?).
Anyway, Sam is the best. Except for maybe Captain Renault.
The only bad thing about the outdoor movie deal is that sitting on the ground for so long really takes a toll on the old backside. Not only that (numbness, etc), but my arms and legs also try to go to sleep, which can be pretty distracting.
Another distraction, which I find really disturbing, is a daydream I always have while we're sitting out on the Pentacrest (big lawn). It's in front of a huge university building (think marble and columns) that says "Natural Sciences" and has sculptures of a buffalo, a moose, and an elk. So the terrible thing I keep imagining is that I will suddenly see someone standing on top of the building and they will jump while everyone else is focused on the screen. I don't usually imagine tragedies like this, but the closeness of such a big building and so many people gathered and looking toward but not really at the building just triggers this image. Strange, I know.
Sorry if that was a downer. I'm just glad it hasn't happened. More later.

Yard Sale-ing, or Yard Sailing (as Megan would say)

Last weekend we finally had our big yard sale! Andy and Mandy and Chuck and Lucretia all brought their sale items too and made it a bigger and more well-rounded affair than it would have been otherwise. Among the most popular items you could have bought for 25 cents but didn't:

• Joel's well loved "Hazed and Confused"frat tee
• the Crimmins girls' tiny electric keyboard/ xylophone
• Joel's plastic deserted ant farm (which Travis was clever enough to claim after the sale)
• Andy's hardback, mint condition, first edition guide to... weather
• Mandy's sexiest throwback-to-clubbin-days duds (many of which will be worn at the pirates and port whores costume party and boat race on July 30th, to which you are all invited)

We will miss these treasures, but a good time was had by all. Trevor and Brooke (along with their new pup, Nari) were able to come and share in the fun, and they were kind enough to adopt my papa san chair, which Joel has developed an entirely uncalledfor hatred for these past few years. His main complaint is the fact that it is called a "papa san." Whatever, honey. If you can give up the ant farm and decorative rocks, I can make some sacrifices too.

We are down to our last week-and-a-half in Arkansas (for now anyway). I'm still accepting invitations and suggestions for big "lasts." Tonight we are going to Parkway village to eat with Joel's Grandma Gill and tomorrow night is reserved for a final Morrilton trip. Toward the end of next week the whole boat race crew (which probably includes many of you) will be rolling in, including my mom and Scott who are coming to help with the move (thank God for parents!).

More later, and until then enjoy yourself.

Funnel Cake and Beauty Queens

On Monday, Joel and I are leaving for Corning, AR (my birthplace and early childhood home and current home of adult film star Michelle Lynn - whoever that is) for the 4th of July picnic and parade. It is the biggest event of the year in this very very small town, and I think it's high time for Joel to join in the fun.

We are not, however, going just for the greasy fair food and rickety rides; I get to see my grandparents! It's just gonna be so much fun.




After our jaunt in northeast Arkansas, Joel is passing me off to my lovely mother, who is taking me home to Tupelo (birthplace of Elvis and 7th largest city in the great state of Mississippi). While there, I plan to enjoy my mom's company and her new hot-tub (her favorite Christmas present). We are going to show all of those Elvis fans how it's done.

Before we leave, though, there is fun to be had around here. Anna-Kate is back from France - yipee! - and Mr. William Everett French is having a birthday party. What a weekend we're going to have!

I'll have to write soon with details on all of the abovementioned adventures.

My Week at Ferncliff, Or Round of Applause for Ashley as Camp Counselor

I did it, and I loved every minute of it.

For 5 nights and 5 days, I got to hang out with 16 girls between the ages of 11 and 13. I experienced a week long flash back of what it is like to be a preteen girl - what could possibly be more fun? Okay, maybe a lot of things would be more fun, but I still had a great time. I just can't believe I was ever so boy crazy. I also answered about 12,000 questions: What are we doing next? Then what? Will I need my beach towel? Can I go to the bathroom? Would it be rude for me to take a picture of that lifeguard? Why do we have to walk there? Is there any cold water anywhere? What is that smell? Why can't I wear flip-flops to climb the bouldering wall - my tennis shoes don't match my outfit? And on and on and on. I'm pretty sure I answered questions in my sleep.

Here are some more pictures of my unforgettable camp (not to be confused with camp-ing) experience.


These are some of the younger girls that came to our Heart 4 Art camp.

This is a nighttime round of "Mafia," a game which I must admit is really fun.


This is Taylor at archery, and Jenni (my co-counselor) explaining the finer points of shooting without injuring anyone.



This photo and the next one are of the boys who were the focal point of the week for all of my girls: the Bike and Hike guys.



All I heard about this crew was: "Ohmigosh they are soooo cute!"