All-Star English?

Let's see- English teachers as wrestlers? That'd be interesting. Especially their speeches- they'd be grammatically perfect- not something you normally hear from wrestlers! Well, here are my teachers' names.

9th grade- Mrs. Reick- Shutdown. If you don't agree with her or get along with her, it doesn't matter. No crap will be taken, and you will simply be shutdown. Don't try to fight, just get a folder and a highlighter to organize her stuff for her.

10th grade- Mr. Hersch- The Tunnel. Captain Oblivious. Don't come behind this man with a chair to the head- he'll never know you're coming and he won't prepare himself. He attempted to convince his classes teachers knew everything that happened in school and they would report any illegal behavior. Well, that's a lie, because everyday one girl came in drunk to class and he never had any inclination of it.

11th grade- Mrs. Weinrich- Big Bubba Blurred. Nothing this woman said in terms of assignments were clear. During her speeches it would be her strategy to talk a lot without saying anything of any importance. Large words and expressive gestures would combine to bring any foe to his knees to crawl away.

12th grade- Mrs. Mork- The Sentimental Steamer. Things will get done correctly and on time when this wrestler is in the ring. Very rarely are excuses accepted, but everything will be listened to thoroughly. While this wrestler would like to do more; show more clips, give more leniency, her contract and the wrestling board stops her from this.

Theme Song

My theme song for CIS is "Take Your Sweet Time" by Jesse McCartney. The italicized words are what our papers are thinking as they sing us the song:)

It isnt a crime to want
A little space to breathe
You've been working on me for weeks- haha! I'm almost sick of myself!
But you will be fine
The sun again will shine on you
Whatever you do
Yeah, maybe the sun will shine on you. But it will be a loooooong time. First you have to write me, then edit, then edit more, write journals and then start on the next paper!!!

Take your sweet, sweet time
I will be here when you change your mind
I will always be here. Even when CIS is done I'll always be sitting in Mrs. Mork's file cabinet and I'll be saved on your computer waiting for you to edit me some more!
Take your sweet, sweet time
I will be here for you baby
Anytime
Anytime. All the time. Always. There's always more you can do to me! See that plain word? Change it! Where are the metaphores???

Im feeling you pull away
But I know you'll be back. I'm such a fun paper to write I'll never be out of your mind.
'cause letting go isnt easy for me
I'll never let myself go. I'll always want you to make me better.
But you'll never fly
With someone elses wings, I know
Wherever you go
No paper will ever be as perfect as me. Don't try to cheat and use old cliches- use your own wings and think of your own!

I will never stand in your way
But you'll stand in your own way. You never know how good I could be until you work some more.
Wherever your heart may lead you
I will love you the same
You're my author; my one, my only. (Unless you worked with a partner- then you're my authors, my onlys.) But that's not a word. You should have paid more attention in school so I could have a larger vocabulary.
And I will be your comfort every day
You'll always remember how well-written I am. I'm proud of you:)
Do you hear the words I say?
I hope you don't hear me. I'm a paper- I should be read, not heard. And if you're reading me to yourself, you need help. You need a friend.

What I'll Remember

Well, CIS is over tomorrow. There will be no more nights of endless Mountain Dew trying to finish a Literary Analysis or Sunday mornings driving to my ethnography site. So to put a cap on the class, here's a list of the ten things I know I'll always remember, in no particular order.

1) Two Words: Colson Whitehead
2) Getting to know so many new people.
3) Seeing William in the yellow dress- classic!
4) The stress!
5) I will never see another elevator without thinking of politics again.
6) [Almost] getting married to Dana.
7) How much Mrs. Mork seems to really love literature and teaching CIS.
8) Sitting at my original ethnography, staring at the wall and sitting on a pillow on the floor. Ryan on my right side and Sir-Breathes-Heavily on my left side.
9) My creative extension for Bastard Out of Carolina.
10) Knowing that I had one good class when the other three were bad.

The Difference I Made

I left work in a really bad mood. The boss' daughter had been as idiotic as ever, and we weren't able to leave until almost twenty minutes after we punched out. I had to drive D.J. home, and then I headed back to my house. Normally it takes ten or fifteen minutes to make it home, but because I hit all the green lights I made it in less time. (No, I wasn't speeding- I'm kind of a grandma when it comes to driving- only 5 miles over the posted limit, never more.) Just as I pulled into my driveway the garage door was going up and my mom started to back the van out. I quickly turned off my car and jumped into the back seat of the van with my older sister. We turned out of our cul-de-sac and drove to our friends' house to pick them up. Sami and her son were going to see The Fantasticks with us, and on the way to CP I talked to to Tommy and my sister about any and everything. My sister has a very odd sense of humor, and she just likes to rip on me. (Okay, I guess it's not so odd- I do the same to her.) Tonight was no different. She told Tommy, "I feel bad for you, you have to put up with Ashley everyday on the way to school," and she asked him, "Don't you ever want to hit her so she'll shut up?" I wouldn't have felt bad if he had agreed with her. Being me, I would have just laughed it off. Contrary to what I thought, though, he didn't agree with her. He just looked at me and then at her and said, "No, I like Ashley. She's one of my only friends- I'm gonna talk bad about her. Come to think of it, neither should you. She's really cool if you stopped being mean to her for a minute and got to know her." He didn't say anything else, he didn't start laughing, he didn't even smile at her to show he was being sarcastic.
On the way home and during intermission I was talking to Tommy about what he said, and I realized that I've made an impact on his life. I haven't done anything drastic, either, I've just been nice and asked him to hang out with me and my friends. Talking to him put a lot of things in perspective, and it gave me a renewed sense of self-pride. Even though he thinks I've changed him, he's done me a lot of good, too. I'm not going to worry about work anymore like I have. It matters, but not enough that I should be fretting about it at home and school. I'm just going to be nice and have fun for the rest of this year:)

White Castle

The windows of the car were filling up with fog from both my breah and Stephanie's as we do a right-hand turn into the White Castle parking lot. The past two hours we had been shopping (unsuccessfully) for dresses to wear to Snowdaze, and Stephanie offered up the brilliant idea of going to White Castle. We had little money (twenty dollars was all Stephanie had in her purse) and because White Castle is actually kind of disquisting, we only planned on buying a couple burgers. A cold cup from Orange Julius sat in my cup holder, and while waiting for the voice to come through the drive-up machine I took a sip of the drink I had bought earlier in the night. Eventually the crackling through the machine ended and a woman's voice asked "What can I get for you tonight?" I relayed to her the order we had already decided on, and after hearing the total ($6.13), I drove forward and waited for themoney Stephanie was taking out. Then I heard the noise. "HUUUH!?" Stephanie stammered, as she rustled through her wallet. I turned my head towards her and caught a stolen glance into her wallet, which was strangely void of any bills. She slowly looked up at me and I could see it in her eyes that she felt very badly. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry. My stupid brother must have taken more money from me withouth lettin' me know!" Luckily, I had a Visa check card sitting securely in my wallet and was able to pay for the "meal." Once the bag was sitting in Steph's lap I drove away from the window and took a left-hand turn out of the parking lot. Our very cheesy Hilary Duff was played on the radio and we made our way back home towards homework!

The moral of this story is that there is none. I told Steph I would write about our night, so I did. I guess I could put in a little ad for Visa- "The handy card to have when your friends' brother likes to take what isn't his!!"

Why be Scared??

I'll admit it, college scares me. The fact is college will introduce me to a whole new life. I won't know people at my new school, I won't know the campus and I won't know what's expected of me. The tests and papers scare me a little, but the majority of my fear comes from the other people. I'm sure most of the seniors this year are feeling this same anxiety, and I'm sure we'll all adjust perfectly fine. The new people I meet scare me, though. Will I be smart enough? Funny enough? Outgoing enough? Cool enough? While it may be a waste of energy to fret about this, I can't help it. Here at Champlin Park I have a base group of friends. Of course I'm willing to make new friends and meet new people, but I always have people I know. At whatever school I go to, (Cali? Hawaii? Washington DC? Missouri? Where??) I won't have these pre-existing friends. I'm pretty sure that once I get to school I'll meet people and end up having a great four years, but what if I don't? What if no one wants to talk to me and I sit in my dorm room every night while my room-mate goes out with the new people she's met? That would be sad. So even though I'm excited to go away to college, it gives me the heebie-jeebies, too.

My Pedastle

I leap from my
pedastle they forced me upon.
I fall to certain destruction,
yet it's the happiest
I've ever been.
You let me on my own.
I leapt, but because I
felt like it.
You helped me find me,
and I'll forever be in debt to you.
I never knew I wasn't here.
Now that I am,
I feel the urge to stay.
I love showing the
world the real me.
I love you forever
for helping me
find myself.
Now I can help someone else
because of you and your love.

Baby Derek

I love little kids. Don't worry, not like Michael Jackson. I really do like to babysit, though. Little kids have a knack for smiling. When I babysat Derek, a 4-year old on Saturday night, I was really tired. I had worked from 5 am to 1 pm, went home and took a shower and drove straight to their house. It was really cold outside, and I had a years worth of homework to fit in on Sunday somehow. If I could have bailed out, I would have.
I parked in front of their house and before I even made it half-way up the drive I could see Derek's chubby little face on the window. His mouth was slowly disappearing because of the fog he was putting on the window, but his eyes were easy to see. I opened the door and as soon as I turned to hang my coat in their closet my knees buckled from the weight of Derek's body crashing into the back of them.
"Ashley Ashley Ashley!!!! My mommy's getting dressed! Did you know that? I have a tent in my lithing room!!!! Can I sleep in it? My daddy said I could- but he told me to ask you! It's cold outside! I want more snow- mommy said that now I can only make a baby snowman. I don't want a baby, though! I want a DADDY snowman! One that's as tall as the house!!!!" Derek screamed at me after I stood back up and picked him up.
It amazes me how much energy little kids can have. They run around all day long, making new creations, racing cars, learning to read, and their container of energy never dips below the half-way mark. When I first walked in the door my fuel gauge was somewhere below 1/4 of a tank, but steadily through the night it climbed back up.
We raced cars (I got the orange one, Derek the green), read stories(The Lion King), and played play-doh. After that we put on Toy Story and pretended to be the characters. I was Andy, Derek was Buzz and Woody. His job consisted of imitating the characters and making flying noises. My job was carrying him around the room while he did this so he could "really fly!"
Hours later when Derek finally pronounced that he was "Tired and going to bed," my energy was back at full. I got him settled underneath his Dinosaur covers and then went downstairs to get a headstart on my homework. Home Sweet Homework!!!!

Like Sands Through the Hourglass

So begins the best daytime soap opera ever. I'm a Days of Our Lives junkie. Ask me anything about the characters and I can give you their life history. Unclear on a plot twist? Look no further than Ashley for clarification. Some people call soap operas cheesy, and I agree with them. Days of Our Lives is full of cheesy lines and cheesy characters. The show could probably be called Days of the Packers if it really wanted to. I still like, it though. The show isn't trying to change the world. Religion is a key issue, but it deals with many religions, not just one. All the characters are diverse from eachother and the writing is superb. More than that, though, is the acting. No one could say day time actors are bad at their craft, because it would be a straight-out lie. They need to do memorize pages of lines and then block them out of their head for the next days' lines.

If anyone doesn't like day-time, I think you need to take another look. The shows are really good, especially Days of Our Lives.

Please, Pawlenty!

Mr. Sir Pawlenty, I really think that we need to not go to school tomorrow. My name is Candy Boggart, and it just wouldn't be good for my health! The wind messes up my hair, and I really can't deal with another day of walking through the halls looking like a monster. Also, severe cold irritates my skin. It gets all dry and itchy, and it feels like the exact opposite of a baby's bottom!!! My friends always look at me with shock and horror when I walk through the school doors in the morning- having that kind of reaction could break my spirit! Also, I don't really like school. If I could just go to the tanning booth, sit in Caribou, and go SHOPPING!!! Wouldn't that be better for the economy of Minnesota, anyways? More money would be around, so I am right. One more thing, if you don't do this, I will tell everyone to never vote for you again!!!!

GO NO SCHOOL!

Thank you graciously for taking the time to read this. I know you're a busy guy, but it would be very appreciated if you could agree with me on this issue and take a couple of seconds to cancel school. Thanks!

xCandy BoggartX
XswakX

This was for Lisa...

Today, while the rest of the school was wandering from room to room in search of their next year classes, I had a very good time. I had only heard Chicken Poodle Soup play one time before today, and I'm really glad I got another chance to see them. Lisa K. is a very big fan, and because I talk to her so much I've heard a lot about them. So when I saw her outside the auditorium and Stephanie and I sat next to her in the second-from-front row, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The sound check was amusing to watch, but I wasn't waiting for the music to start.

In truth, I'm a music junkie. My cd's range from country to rock to oldies to pop. Any other type of music is also somewhere in the jumble of my cds(all arranged alphabetically, thank you very much:) Adding ska to that list was an exciting proposition; one that I wouldn't pass up on.

Once the music started, I pretty much knew where the show would lead. Lisa would invite me to join her while she "skanked," and though I have no rhythm and would undoubtedly make a fool out of myself, I willinginly obliged when the time came. Heck, Dana was up there so I could too, right?

I'm glad that I did. Though some may have looked on my limited skank moves with pity (Stephanie can attest to this- she was sitting next to me, too)- it was a lot of fun:) So Lisa- if you're ever in need of someone to go to a concert with- don't forget my number.

Truth, Schmooth

There are a lot of things I believe are true without being able to prove it. Out of all of these, though, I believe in aliens. Some people may read this and scoff, but I really do believe that somewhere out there in the vastness of the universe something else has to be alive. While it may be true that Earth is further along the line of evolution, I think it's very ethno-centric of us to say we're the only things around. Somewhere between here and heaven is another world, another continent, another something.

I'm not a person who believes in little green men who fly in dome-shaped objects and use laser guns. There's just something inside of me that wants for there to be more beings out there. It's very possible that one day Earth could be hit by a giant meteor and be blown away. What then? The universe just becomes stagnant and no other civilizations and lives are made? Too depressing for me, if you want to know the truth.

The Yeerks

The Yeerks have invaded. I can feel the little animal in my mind as I type, and I'm hoping it doesn't take over my fingers before I can finish this letter. It was yesterday when it happened. I was sitting there in my pointless third hour, Reading For the College Bound, reading the latest Animorphs book I had found in the room. Then, the sun shone through the window and lit up the page. Something was glistening and a bright beam of light focused on the word "You." That's when I knew. It was no longer Ashley who was sitting there in the classroom. Something inside me had changed, and I would never be the same. I have been fighting against visiting the Yeerk pool all day, but I think I may lose the battle. The alien is drying out and with each passing second he more adamently screams in my head to go to the hidden passageway in the school. Once there, I would be able to slide down into the room that holds the pool and the Yeerk would be safe. But the Ashley that is left in me doesn't want to do this. I need to fight. So if in CIS I'm not who I normally am, you can know that this Tuesday has been indeed terrible and the Yeerk has beat me. Can you help me fight??

Ashley-Yeerk

(Inspired by the book series Animorphs)

Rooney

In my opinion, music and the lyrics to songs are one of the most powerful tools available to people today. What speaking, writing and fighting could never do in a lifetime, music can do in a short four minute song. While there are many artists out right now with lyrics that I absolutely adore, Rooney is at the top of this list. The way in which they word their feelings is perfect.

One of my favorite of their lines is "I've been given my brush and plate/but where will I paint my life?/And will the buyer in the sky/Believe in what I dream?" To me, these lines says so much without sounding pretensious. I love how they evoke so much emotion and really make a picture in my mind. Whenever I hear them, I can imagine standing outside with a painter's palette, painting the sky whatever colors I wanted to. And "will the buyer in the sky" means so much, too. I love how it refers to God, but says it in a way that really any religion could relate to it.

Another of their lyrics that I love is a little less spiritual in nature. It comes from their song, It Goes to Bed, and in reality the lyrics could be considered rude to the general population. They go, "they say what they think they know/and they know what's on television/they dress how the others dress/and they feel without the truth of even feeling" I love how this is worded and if you heard it in the song, it would make even more sense. It may sound like they believe themselves to be better than anyone else, but they are really just urging the girl in the song to not change herself to look better in others' eyes.

I could go on for hours with other Rooney lyrics(Trust me, I've got a Ph.D. and a knife), because every song has things in it that I love. However, I don't really want to sit here for hours, so I'm going to cut this short now. But if any of you haven't heard Rooney before, you should definitely look into their music, because it's really good, and they're all great guys.

Fear

Okay, I'll admit, I'm scared. I just got out of the movie "White Noise" and I'm not sure that I'll be able to sleep tonight. Something about the movie really shook me and I spent most of it cowering behind my eyes as the actions played out on screen. Every chair was filled in the theater, and there were even three girls sitting on the floor until a manager came in and moved them. The mood in the room was full of anticipation as the necessary previews began, and when the lights finally went down a hush came over the audience. We all sat back in our seats and relaxed, hoping to spend an hour and half being entertained. Little did we know at that point that in a mere hour, possibly less, there would be screams from the crowd and girls gripping onto their dates arms in fear. On screen there were dark shapes and curious objects, which did nothing but heighten the fear that everyone already had. When the last scare had finally happened and the lights were lit above us, I thought my fear from the movie would be over. However, I was very wrong. The second I turned on my car I could feel the uneasiness creep in through my ears and make its way through my body. The reason is that when I turned on my car, the radio began to play as well. Somehow the radio signal wasn't getting to my car, and rather than hearing music I only heard the "white noise" shown in the film. Death almost overtook me. Luckily, I made it through and am now able to type this blog, which is proof that I didn't die.

If anyone wants to see a freaky movie- see this one- it's horribly frightening.

Garbage Men

There were a few dozen who occupied the field
In every city the men got up in the a.m.
And set out to help people in need.

Everyone needed their work completed
But looked down on them because they
Believed it to be a wasted life.

The field of their life's work would never
Recieve the glory that was due, yet
They continued to do it daily.

Steadfastly they pursued the greater good
Without thinking of how it may affect them
Death, loss and criticism won't stop these men.

The waste of others is the goal of their toil
As they clean the world of the things
The rest of us don't want anymore.

When the familiar rumbling is heard from
Down the street the people shout stand and clap
Instead of turning the other way.

My Favorite Pillow

My favorite pillow has been everywhere with me. When I travel by car, it goes straight into the back seat with me and is used to prop me up. When I went to Australia two summers ago, I took it on the plane with me and it spent every night curled up under my head. Next September when I'm falling asleep every night in my dorm room, there is no doubt in my mind that I'll be falling asleep on the same pillow. It's nothing that anyone else would even take a second glance at, but it is one of my most prized possessions. All the fluff inside is completely worn out, and I can now fold it in half and it will stay how I put it. I think that's what I like about it, though. I know that in a life of changes, my pillow has changed right along with me. No other pillow can put me to sleep as fast, because I'm not comfortable with it. I can't know where it's been before or who's slept on it. With my pillow, however, I know exactly where it's been. It's shared road-trips, long flights and sleepless nights without saying a word or demanding anything of me. Every night when I sleep it's there and every morning when I wake up it's there. I love my pillow. Now if only I could go to sleep! But no, homework is sitting next to me screaming,, so my pillow will have to be forgotten about for a little while.

Bobby Darin

Yesterday my mom dragged me out into the cold of the night to go to Showplace Theatres. She wouldn't let me know what I was being taken to, just that I would see a movie. As I sat in the front seat of our monstrous conversion van, my mind wandered to what film I would see. The Phantom of the Opera- I can't wait to see it. Spanglish- looks really good. Meet the Fockers- Already saw it, laughed hard throughout.

By the time I finished the list of movies in my head, we were in the parking lot walking up to the theatre. When my mom greeted the ticket sales person with "2 for Beyond the Shore" I was confused. What is this movie? I've never heard of it before? So I asked her- but she wouldn't tell me still. Just a coy look that said "You'll figure it out."

And did I ever! Beyond the Shore is the movie version of Bobby Darin's life. I doubt a lot of people reading this even know who Bobby Darin is, but when I was younger he was my idol. He sang the old songs "Splish Splash" and "Mack the Night." Because my mom is always listening to KOOL 108, I know all the old songs, and Bobby Darin was my favorite!

The movie was thouroughly enjoyable, and I recommend it to anyone who needs a good time.

Nightime

The night wraps
Itself around me,
Forcing me to surrender
To its will.

Colors bend and
Emotions break, but
Here in my room the
Consequences don't matter.

Dreams come from far away
And take me on a fast jet to
Places that I have never
Before imagined

Tears can be hidden and
Smiles can be shared in the
Daylight but at night there is no
False face to be worn.

All around me the walls
Fold in to be a reasurrance
That my hidden emotions
Will stay buried in their paint

The night sends me in a tailspin
Of sentiments and dreams
That open my heart and let me
Face a new day and another night

School again

Well, here I am again. It's become quite common for Stephanie and myself to sit in International Business first hour and write in our journals for the day. Big surprise- we're doing it again! For me, it's not weird to be back in school today. I have heard multiple times that it stinks to be back in school, but I don't really mind. All it means is that now I'm this much closer to summer break and my trip to Romania! I'm not really sure where this journal is supposed to be leading me, all I know is that my fingers are hitting keys and random words are popping out onto the page. It is my sincerest wish that whatever I am writing has some small bit of "something" in it that would make it interesting to read. However, I'm not guessing that it will happen. Another thing I know is that I want to go and see the Phantom of the Opera. I saw it this summer at the State Theatre, and I absolutely adored it. I'm sure the movie will be a lot different than that experience, but it should be very good. I hope that they didn't change the story up a lot, though, and didn't change the songs. The songs completely make Phantom, and if they were different I'd be sorely disappointed.

Okay, I started with me and Stephanie in class and ended with The Phantom of the Opera. I got pretty side-tracked there. I apologize to anyone reading this in advance.

The countdown

The room was filled with friends I had invited over to my house for New Years. We had watched the ball drop when New York City celebrated their entry into 2005, and were becoming excited for the time when we could join them in the new year. There were six of us sitting in my hot tub, and when we got out there was only 15 minutes left in 2004. Scattering into different rooms, we all changed out of our swim suits and got back into our clothes. (Okay, I cheated a little bit. I didn't change back into clothes, I put on my pajamas instead.) When we were all nice and dry again, we looked at the tv and saw the countdown begin. 30...29...28...any regrets we had from 2004 could now be forgotten...27...26...25...2005 was mere seconds away...24...23...22...never again would we all be together for a new years- this was the last one in high school. We all looked around ourselves and took in the scene. This would be a new years to remember. For the first time in our lives, a new life was going to begin in the year we were celebrating. College, tech school, work. Wherever we were going, it wouldn't be together.

10...Friends celebrating New Years 2005
9...Seniors thinking about their last year in high school
8...Phones ringing, connecting our gathering with others all over the state
7...Resolutions being burnt in the fireplace
6...Months left in high school
5...Hours I had worked at the bakery before people came over
4...Adults upstairs having their own party
3...CD's on repeat on my stereo
2...Couples welcoming in the new year together
1...Year of great memories behind us and 1 year of great memories before us.

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you had fun, I know I did