Busy Bee

I've been at this internship for a month and I hardly have time for anything else. I love it a lot. don't get me wrong. In fact it has really helped me get my priorities straight. As much as I would love to sleep in on the weekends, I don't because I have to get everything done that I can't get done during the week! I enjoy sleep so much more and have a fantastic sleep schedule. Really, hasn't been this good since elementary school. I am going to everything I am invited too (on the weekends) and spending time with people I really care about. What I have found is that this blog isn't one of those things that I can really spend time on. I am not deleting it because I am sure I will come back to it in a time of crisis but for now... I want to apologize for the lack of posts but I'm not changing that for a while!

Arrrrgh!

I began my internship yesterday and it was probably the best day to start. It happened to also be the annual staff outing. So at 3pm, the entire theatre rushed outside onto the pier and we climbed aboard a pirate ship and took a 2 hour sail around Lake Michigan. And if that wasn't enough, they proceeded to then feed me delicious appetizers! WHAT? Awesome. Today, while not spent on the water, is also going to be pretty cool. It is the first rehearsal of one of our fall shows and we have designer presentations and meeting the cast and breakfast. I am liking the pattern of work feeding me. So far I believe my job entails just a lot of organizing so that seems perfect for me. Some of you might have just cocked your head to the side and said, "but Ashley, you live like a pig... your room is a mess... do you even know how to file?... do you even own a planner?... do you know what a spice rack looks like?" The answer my friends is, I cannot organize my own life so, I enjoy organizing other people's lives. I believe the problem is that I am SO organized and SO OCD that I can't find a system that works for me because none of them are neat enough. Hence my life explodes into organized chaos where I know that the stapler is three inches below the construction paper which is right beside my makeup brushes. Other people however get the joyously organized, neat freak that is within. So work is gonna be great... YAY!

One of those days...

It is one of those days where I can't do anything right. More like one of those weeks. There have been some good things such as getting an internship and my sister becoming a Theta but honestly other than that... not much.

It is really lonely here right now. Matthew, who I am staying with, just left for the week so I have an apartment to myself and I don't know what to do with it. Boyfriend and I are no longer Boyfriend and I and I had to go pick some things up from his place yesterday and it was weird. It was awkward and it hurt. Honestly, I never stopped caring for him but we weren't going to last. It was worth it to waste our time. And then on top of that, the program I will be doing so I get credit for my internship requires full tuition and my parents are not thrilled about that. It makes sense to me. I am getting credit at the university so I should pay them for that but my parents believe (and it also makes sense) that I am not utilizing their staff so our money should not go to them.

My parents and I have a weird relationship. We are wonderfully tight and I love them very much but if I ever have a differing opinion from one of them my neck is on the line. It is hard to be my own person. And these aren't huge issues like religion or politics. These are issues like the length of shorts or color of top. Whether or not to dress up for Walmart. I am confused. When am I allowed to have my own opinion? When am I allowed to say what I feel and not be told I am wrong? I owe my life to these people but at the same time isn't it MY life? They fund me. I think that is my biggest incentive right now to just shut up and listen.

I blame the rain and grey skies for this post.

Patriotism

I've been avoiding this blog during my time in Colorado in order to try and enjoy my time here. But something has brought me back and that something is the Olympics. There is nothing more beautiful to me than all of the countries coming together during all of the chaos that is in the world to have some fun. Was I confused by the Opening Ceremonies? OF COURSE! There was a giant baby at one point. But it was beautiful and I cried and I wanted it to last forever. The Olympics is an example to our generation. We have the power to just stop. We can stop all the hate, all the fighting, all the discrimination, and just enjoy this beautiful world we all inhabit. None of us are better than any one else. We are different. We have different customs, religions, styles, views, and that is what makes us beautiful. That is what makes this world miraculous. We have the ability to take billions of humans and build something. Why do we tear it down? Why do we destroy certain cultures? We are scared. It is not enough to be scared. Fear is not knowing. So we must learn. Instead of fighting the people who scare us, we should get to know them. We all have the same biology. We all want to smile and laugh and be loved. So why is it difficult to do this when skin, language, or beliefs are different? The Olympics reminds us that there is a good kind of competition. Not the game of survival but of sport.

CRAFTS!!!

I love CRAFTING! So I recently made this shirt:

See the monogram detailing?! It is so I can look classy in Aspen when I want to be lazy! YAY!

The Stars and Stripes are Big and Bright....

Dallas has been so much better than I thought it could be! Lauren and Erin have been filling my life with wonder and crafts inspire me daily. Today, I took a song by Jonathan Coulton and made a mug out of it using the Sharpie technique on Pinterest. My hint to you, do NOT run the mug under water to cool it down... it will crack... you will have to super glue it back together... BUT I do love this mug!

 

This is how it turned out. except I painted the whole handle black. I am so excited to use it and make some more! Hopefully some without cracks though considering it is more for look than use, the cuteness completely counteracts the coffee that will probably spill on my lap.

Next craft: I'm gonna try another mug and then a LV tank top... you know Lord Voldemort!

She's My Little Whiskey Girl...

...But tequila makes her clothes fall off.

I had a wonderful time last night! For my birthday, Ray got us tickets to the Brad Paisley concert at Wrigley Field. But this was an event! Jarod Niemann opened followed by The Band Perry, Chris Young, Miranda Lambert and then Brad himself. We were so close! We were sitting on the field, with special wristbands and everything. But there was this great moment when Brad started singing "Remind Me" and a glowing silhouette started walking out for the girl part and then Carrie Underwood was there! That wonderful woman flew in to sing half a song at this concert and I was dying! Just dying!

With Wrigley behind us!

So many cool lights with this theme

No zoom on this... that is the stage RIGHT THERE

Somehow this is my life

MIRANDA! 

I helped my mom move my gramma out of her house this week as well. It was the final move because on Saturday there was an estate sale. I of course swept up some wonderful things: a 50's fur coat, my great-grandma's go to formal dress, some silk blouses, a hot pink pencil skirt, and a safari skirt that may or may not ever actually come in style again. I also snagged this sweet jacket for Mrs. Raya (my high school theatre director) since she is doing "Back to the 80's" again this fall.

Sexii & U No It

I head home Wednesday evening, a little earlier than I had previously planned but I have dealt with it. Ray and my one year anniversary is Thursday so we will be celebrating on Tuesday night. It is incredible how quickly time passes when it is with someone you love so much. He has done so much for me that he will never know and I will never be able to properly thank him for. It is really amazing to date your best friend in the world.

My Handsome Cowboy

So this is probably my last post from Chi-town  until September! Big D... here I come!