I just realized that I think in what I have labeled, "status mode."  On facebook and myspace, you have a status that you can update as frequently as you like and pretend that other people care enough about you to read.  At least two times today I have thought about what I was doing in "status mode."  In other words, I worded my thoughts as though I would post them as a status.  I can't remember the first one, I just remember about 5 minutes ago thinking:

"Ashley is sick of Thomas Hardy."

Status mode has caused me to think in third person.  This must be stopped.

~Ashley

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  Wrapping paper.  I hate gift bags for some reason.  It seems like you're taking the easy way out with a gift bag.

2. When do you put up the tree?  Ideally, the day after Thanksgiving Daniel would put it up, but since I will be putting it up, it will have to wait until after finals.

3. Real tree or artificial?  Real!  My dad owns a tree farm!

4. When do you take the tree down?  You're supposed to take the tree down?

5. Do you like eggnog?  I've never tried it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?  What age is considered a child?  I loved all of my toys.  I really loved my Magna Doodle though.

7. Hardest person to buy for?  My brother-in-law, Brian.

8. Easiest person to buy for?  I always know of something Daniel wants, but I can't always afford the things he wants.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?  Not yet.  I'm looking for the perfect one.  For some reason I really only want to have one (I guess because I think it's weird to have seven baby Jesuses) and I want it to be the right one.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?  Who on earth would prefer to receive an email Christmas card?

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  Well that's not a fair question!  I received so many wonderful Christmas gifts that they completely wiped out my memories of any awful Christmas gifts.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? "It's a Wonderful Life" is a beautiful movie, but I really love "Elf" too.  Smiling's my favorite.

13. When you do start shopping for Christmas?  Whenever I see something someone would like.  I bought my mom's Christmas present last January.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  I don't think so.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  I love ham and banana pudding and cheesecake and Starbucks' white chocolate mocha with peppermint.

16. Lights on the tree?  Of course!  I like them all, but I think I'll probably go with little non-twinkling white lights this year.  My dad likes the giant multi-colored 80s lights and that makes me smile.

17. Favorite Christmas song?  Sacred - "O Holy Night," Secular - "Santa Baby" (Eartha Kitt's version) or "Baby It's Cold Outside" (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?  The only time Daniel and I end up speding together are the 7 hours we spend in the car over the course of two days.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?  Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph.  I don't know if I would have been able to do it without Stephanie's help, but she had them all typed out, so I just left them.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?  I don't have a tree topper yet.  Once again, I'm just looking for the perfect one.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?  We do Christmas Eve with mom's family, Christmas morning with my family, Christmas day with dad's family, and Christmas night with the in-laws.  Then Daniel and I open each other's gifts whenever we feel like it.  Usually about a week before Christmas.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?  People being rude and ruining the holiday spirit.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  Daniel buys me a Precious Moments ornament every year and I can't wait until I have enough for them to have a tree of their own.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?  Shrimp cheese ball, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, shrimp cocktail, and ham.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?  Blinds for my sliding doors, books, records, and all the junk to magically disappear from my house.

I figured I should put up a new blog so that when I came to my sight I wouldn't have to read that same thing over and over.  It was horrible enough the first time.

The last day of summer school is Thursday and then school is starting again on August 25.  At least I get a couple of weeks off of school.  I'm trying to get a couple of days off of work in that time frame so Rachel and I can go to Branson and have one last hurrah before she moves to Memphis.

The job at MidSouth is looking promising.  No guarantees yet, but I'm feeling good about it.  One of the best things about this possible job is that I'll be really stinking close to Memphis, so there would be no reason not to visit the people I know that live in Memphis (or will live in Memphis soon).

I have to write an encyclopedia entry on a work by Jonathan Swift or Alexander Pope, as well as a satire along the lines of "A Modern Proposal" by Thursday (which is almost tomorrow) and I better get to bed if I want to be rested enough to get those done tomorrow night.

Thank you all for your concern about my well being, but life, as always, keeps on trudging forward.  Sometimes I wish it would go faster so that wounds could heal and sometimes I wish it would slow down so I could savor its beauty.

On that note, even though there haven't been any tragedies since my last post, I ask that you all continue to keep me in your prayers.  I need some guidance right now.

~Ashley