Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Away We Go
Last night I went to see "Away We Go" with Maya Rudolph, one of my fave SNL alums, and the semi-cute Krasinski guy from "The Office." The rest of the cast was stellar and I was laughing so hard that at one point I thought that I might need do leave the theatre, then at the next moment I was tearing up and trying to hide it from the new friends that I had gone with. They weren't people that I had yet shed tears with. Anyways, the soundtrack is amazing and I can't wait to listen to it in my car.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
"I don't always drink beer..."
I love the new Dos Equis ad campaign!!!!!!! It almost makes me want to drink beer!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
We Done Got Hitched!
In the words of my Grandmother, we did have "a big church wedding!" Most importantly we enjoyed our weekend and were so happy to celebrate with almost all of our family and friends. It is so surreal to have people from all over the place together at once. It really is euphoric. I am now a Mrs. but I think I'll stick with Ms. I'm adding Aaron's name to mine, but keeping my roots too. Maybe it is all the years of speaking Spanish, but I really do not see a problem with 4 + names. I have at least one friend who agrees, right Danial Michael Patrick? I am now AVRB! I could get seriously Catholic and add on my confirmation name too and be AVCRB!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Molicia Sue-Ann Ashley 2006-2009.
Molicia was born in St. Vincent when her mother, Alesha, was just 14. She struggled in her first days of life because she was born with a rare congenital heart defect that prevented oxygen filled blood to circulate properly throughout her tiny body. She somehow managed to survive in the hospital for three months, until she grew strong enough to go home. Through the efforts and advocacy of many people, Molicia was able to travel to Richmond to receive surgery that she needed to survive, but because her defect was so complex, doctors knew that she would need more than one surgery. Still, everyone rallied around this little shining life because they knew that she would make it. A nurse traveled with her in 2006 and she had open heart surgery here in Richmond through the organization that I work for, International Hospital for Children (IHC).
(IHC works to connect children in Latin America and the Caribbean with life saving treatments that are otherwise unavailable to them due to circumstances and geography. I have helped to coordinate the care of over 200 children here in Richmond over the last 7 years, there are thousands more that live improved lives because of the efforts and contributions that are mobilized through IHC.)
While Molicia was here in the summer of 2006 with a nurse as her guardian, they stayed at the Hospital Hospitality House (HHH). My colleague, Lauren and I became close with both of them and took as special liking to Molicia’s (then named Ashley - long story) lovable smile and gentle attitude. She was a bright baby, perhaps because of all that she had faced in her teeny life span. She went home to St. Vincent after just five weeks with us here and went on to grow and play and thrive. When I saw her a year later while I was working with a cardiac diagnostic mission, she was running and jumping and dancing! I told Alesha “wow she is so strong and vibrant! You would never know that she has a sick heart!” Alesha then told me that she did still feel overwhelmed by being a mom, she was 15. She asked me seriously if I wanted to take Molicia home with me. I said “I would love to, but I can’t adopt a baby right now. I know you will become an even stronger mom and take in all the joy of having Molicia with you!” She left the clinic after Molicia’s echocardiogram and I didn’t see them again until two years later, March 2009, working again on the same assignment in St. Vincent.
This time, Molicia had grown even more beautiful than the last and was so content, just emanating smiles and happiness. I dreaded to hear that her home conditions were worse and that her young mom was unable to provide her with the parenting that she needed. I was so WRONG! Alesha had also grown more beautiful and confident in her role as Molicia’s mom. She sat patiently waiting for much of the day with a very well behaved three year old little girl. I have seen first-hand what loose discipline and negative parenting can do to a child’s behavior in this setting and it was clear that Molicia was so well loved and cared for that she was happy to just be with her mom behave! Molicia had her echo and the doctor confirmed that she needed her second surgery within the next six months. I chatted with Alesha, snapped a few photos, and said goodbye saying that I would see them in a few months!
After much planning and scrounging up funds for travel on their end, they did come again to Richmond on June 1. I have been so overwhelmed with wedding planning, pre-celebrations, finishing up with my NP management certification and leadership training and just life in general, that I did not make the time to go see Alesha and Molicia. I knew that they were in good hands with her doctors and nurses as well as IHC staff and volunteers. She went in for surgery on Monday and everything went very well. Within a day she was extubated (breathing on her own) and talking to mommy about how she was hungry and that she was in pain, which was to be expected during recovery. But Tuesday night, it all went downhill. She started having trouble breathing and the nurses in the PICU responded in many ways. Her breathing became more and more labored and they couldn’t determine the cause. A friend of IHC’s and mine, Jimmy, who is a PICU nurse called my colleague, Emily, to tell her to bring mom from the HHH to the hospital. Within an hour, Molicia had coded and was not responding to any medication or chest compressions. She passed away. She died.
Emily called me through that process, but my phone was on silent. These last few weeks I have been so careless about that even though I am supposed to be on call 24/7for these types of emergencies. I saw my phone when I woke up to go running at 6:15 and I just knew. I was in shock. Molicia had NO indication that she was going to respond badly to any of her treatments. I didn’t even brush my teeth or hair and just sped down 95 thinking WHAT THE FUCK!? Why?! I tend to not cry over patient hardships, this is my job. But little Molicia was our shining star. We loved her and knew her better than most of the great kids that we work with. Also, she wasn’t sick! She was doing great the night before?! This can’t even be real. But it was. Her mom was sitting there handling everything OK. I think she has had to deal with so many hardships with Molicia that she just developed strong coping skills. This being the second time this year that I have worked with a deceased child in the MCV PICU I didn’t feel in business mode. I knew what to expect and just focused on my emotions.
I couldn’t accept what had happened. But Alesha’s strength and outlook enlightened me. She was talking to a very gentle and spiritual nurse about Molicia. The nurse was asking about the last surgery. Alesha said that Molicia was very sick when she was born but that she made it to her first surgery. Then she continued “she needed that surgery so that she could…” and I thought she was going to say “make it to her next surgery,” which was my professional coordinating mind taking over. But she didn’t say that. She said,
“she needed that surgery so that we could have more time together.”
And Alesha was right. I had been freaking out in my mind that I was so saddened by her death and so angry and worried that it had to happen right as I was starting to enter the euphoria phase of being about to get married in under two weeks. I had been thinking, why?! Will I forever have to associate my wedding with this sad death? Will such a tragedy overshadow my happiness, dampen my happy memories? But at that moment, watching Alesha stand over Molicias little body, I knew that this was not the case, Molicia was now our little angel. Her exuberant happiness and smile, now immortalized, will be with her mom in hard times and good ones, and will be the memory that I hold of her, even in her death.
(IHC works to connect children in Latin America and the Caribbean with life saving treatments that are otherwise unavailable to them due to circumstances and geography. I have helped to coordinate the care of over 200 children here in Richmond over the last 7 years, there are thousands more that live improved lives because of the efforts and contributions that are mobilized through IHC.)
While Molicia was here in the summer of 2006 with a nurse as her guardian, they stayed at the Hospital Hospitality House (HHH). My colleague, Lauren and I became close with both of them and took as special liking to Molicia’s (then named Ashley - long story) lovable smile and gentle attitude. She was a bright baby, perhaps because of all that she had faced in her teeny life span. She went home to St. Vincent after just five weeks with us here and went on to grow and play and thrive. When I saw her a year later while I was working with a cardiac diagnostic mission, she was running and jumping and dancing! I told Alesha “wow she is so strong and vibrant! You would never know that she has a sick heart!” Alesha then told me that she did still feel overwhelmed by being a mom, she was 15. She asked me seriously if I wanted to take Molicia home with me. I said “I would love to, but I can’t adopt a baby right now. I know you will become an even stronger mom and take in all the joy of having Molicia with you!” She left the clinic after Molicia’s echocardiogram and I didn’t see them again until two years later, March 2009, working again on the same assignment in St. Vincent.
This time, Molicia had grown even more beautiful than the last and was so content, just emanating smiles and happiness. I dreaded to hear that her home conditions were worse and that her young mom was unable to provide her with the parenting that she needed. I was so WRONG! Alesha had also grown more beautiful and confident in her role as Molicia’s mom. She sat patiently waiting for much of the day with a very well behaved three year old little girl. I have seen first-hand what loose discipline and negative parenting can do to a child’s behavior in this setting and it was clear that Molicia was so well loved and cared for that she was happy to just be with her mom behave! Molicia had her echo and the doctor confirmed that she needed her second surgery within the next six months. I chatted with Alesha, snapped a few photos, and said goodbye saying that I would see them in a few months!
After much planning and scrounging up funds for travel on their end, they did come again to Richmond on June 1. I have been so overwhelmed with wedding planning, pre-celebrations, finishing up with my NP management certification and leadership training and just life in general, that I did not make the time to go see Alesha and Molicia. I knew that they were in good hands with her doctors and nurses as well as IHC staff and volunteers. She went in for surgery on Monday and everything went very well. Within a day she was extubated (breathing on her own) and talking to mommy about how she was hungry and that she was in pain, which was to be expected during recovery. But Tuesday night, it all went downhill. She started having trouble breathing and the nurses in the PICU responded in many ways. Her breathing became more and more labored and they couldn’t determine the cause. A friend of IHC’s and mine, Jimmy, who is a PICU nurse called my colleague, Emily, to tell her to bring mom from the HHH to the hospital. Within an hour, Molicia had coded and was not responding to any medication or chest compressions. She passed away. She died.
Emily called me through that process, but my phone was on silent. These last few weeks I have been so careless about that even though I am supposed to be on call 24/7for these types of emergencies. I saw my phone when I woke up to go running at 6:15 and I just knew. I was in shock. Molicia had NO indication that she was going to respond badly to any of her treatments. I didn’t even brush my teeth or hair and just sped down 95 thinking WHAT THE FUCK!? Why?! I tend to not cry over patient hardships, this is my job. But little Molicia was our shining star. We loved her and knew her better than most of the great kids that we work with. Also, she wasn’t sick! She was doing great the night before?! This can’t even be real. But it was. Her mom was sitting there handling everything OK. I think she has had to deal with so many hardships with Molicia that she just developed strong coping skills. This being the second time this year that I have worked with a deceased child in the MCV PICU I didn’t feel in business mode. I knew what to expect and just focused on my emotions.
I couldn’t accept what had happened. But Alesha’s strength and outlook enlightened me. She was talking to a very gentle and spiritual nurse about Molicia. The nurse was asking about the last surgery. Alesha said that Molicia was very sick when she was born but that she made it to her first surgery. Then she continued “she needed that surgery so that she could…” and I thought she was going to say “make it to her next surgery,” which was my professional coordinating mind taking over. But she didn’t say that. She said,
“she needed that surgery so that we could have more time together.”
And Alesha was right. I had been freaking out in my mind that I was so saddened by her death and so angry and worried that it had to happen right as I was starting to enter the euphoria phase of being about to get married in under two weeks. I had been thinking, why?! Will I forever have to associate my wedding with this sad death? Will such a tragedy overshadow my happiness, dampen my happy memories? But at that moment, watching Alesha stand over Molicias little body, I knew that this was not the case, Molicia was now our little angel. Her exuberant happiness and smile, now immortalized, will be with her mom in hard times and good ones, and will be the memory that I hold of her, even in her death.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Small town girl texting small town boy about international aspirations.
I am a small town girl. Things like Whole Foods, YMCA's and magnate schools were not a part of my youth. I grew up in a town where everyone literally knew everyone else. Sometimes I miss it, but most of the times NOT. Hats off to all those American women who make their lives work in a small town. I'm torn between Mayberry and Milan in my mind.
I am a small town girl. Last weekend I was on an extremely brief visit to Harrisonburg for my final wedding dress fitting. It went well. I arrived to the dress shop to be greeted by one of the staff there who happens to have just married the cousin of one of my friends' boyfriends. That guy happens to be the son of my sister-in-law's coworker who all work for their family's engeneering firm which is located across the street from one of my best friends apartments which is situated next to her Aunt's house who I know from tagging along on their family vacations in the 90s. While in the dress shop, I see the other girls who have been helping me through this process and wish one of them well for her wedding. Then I head down to the farmer's market with my mom to pick up some awesome herbs where I run in to an old good friend's parents. We chat at length (about religion for some reason during which my mom mentions that she was raised half Pentocostal, half Mennonite) until both of us see other people that we know and have to go on those directions. Also spotted at the farmer's market: A group of girls that I grew up going to church with and their children, the same guy who sold me a bunch of herbs last month, mainly Mennonite women selling veggies, flowers and other crafts, and countless other familiar faces. Then I go to our family's fave restaurant, Taste of Thai to pick up lunch to take to my grandma's house where I also see a million people that I somehow know. On the way to Grandma's I pass the old high school and all of the familiar houses that I have been looking at since 1980. Then it is off to dad's house, where I grew up, we sit and talk with his crazy friend (think mildly intellectual, morose, disabled aging hippy) while my dad complains that we are holding him up from yard work. Then I get a strange text from an unknown 540 (Harrisonburg) number. The fun begins and the exchange goes like this:
540-###-####: "How's Sicily?"
(me pondering the bizarre questions) Is this person texting a friend who is visiting Italy?? Who text's to Europe?!
Ashley's response: "It is everything that I ever hoped and dreamed that it would be!"
(minutes later)
540-###-####: "Great! It really helps that you two knew each other a few years ago"
(Whhuuut?! Me wondering what in the hell this all means!?) At this point I explain to my dad and his crazy friend what is going on and ask for their help in formulating creative responses to this person who clearly has the wrong #.
(My dad's friend comes up with this one)
Ashley's response: "Next year we are thinking of visiting Japan"
minutes later as we all stare at my phone on the kitchen table in anticipation.
540-###-####: "really? me too, we have friends there and we go snowboarding in the north, too."
OK wow - this person is really rolling with our punches (and has some great contacts)...I get ballsy...
Ashley's response: "Do you have any friends in Egypt because we would also like to visit the great pyramids after making our pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina"
540-###-####: "no I don’t. That would be awesome if you could make that happen!"
(my dad's friend also comes up with this one)
Ashley's response: "I can dream, can't I?"
...bring it back to reality and try to save ourselves from the Mecca to Medina comment.
At this point I feel that this is someone that I know, but just dont have their number programmed into my phone.
(about an hour later and I am on the road back to RVA)
540-###-####: "Yes, just envision your dreams and you can make them happen!! :)"
wow - inspirational advice!? I'm feeling guilty about being mildly deceitful to this person now. I freeze up and cop out by sending a quote from Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite. Hear the Spanish accent in your mind.
Ashley's response: "If you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true"
After arriving home/back to reality my guilty conscience took over. I texted the person apologizing for joking around and told them who I was and asked if they know me. I got a response the next morning from someone that I have known since the early days of chillin’ on the "slopes" at Massanutten. I knew it must have been an old friend! He said that Sicily was his CAT that he gave away to another friend named Ashley a few weeks ago. I guess I wasn't the only one playing around! Hahahaah. hey Jeremy - I want to go snowboarding in JAPAN! Let me tag along next time. Konnichiwa!
I am a small town girl. Last weekend I was on an extremely brief visit to Harrisonburg for my final wedding dress fitting. It went well. I arrived to the dress shop to be greeted by one of the staff there who happens to have just married the cousin of one of my friends' boyfriends. That guy happens to be the son of my sister-in-law's coworker who all work for their family's engeneering firm which is located across the street from one of my best friends apartments which is situated next to her Aunt's house who I know from tagging along on their family vacations in the 90s. While in the dress shop, I see the other girls who have been helping me through this process and wish one of them well for her wedding. Then I head down to the farmer's market with my mom to pick up some awesome herbs where I run in to an old good friend's parents. We chat at length (about religion for some reason during which my mom mentions that she was raised half Pentocostal, half Mennonite) until both of us see other people that we know and have to go on those directions. Also spotted at the farmer's market: A group of girls that I grew up going to church with and their children, the same guy who sold me a bunch of herbs last month, mainly Mennonite women selling veggies, flowers and other crafts, and countless other familiar faces. Then I go to our family's fave restaurant, Taste of Thai to pick up lunch to take to my grandma's house where I also see a million people that I somehow know. On the way to Grandma's I pass the old high school and all of the familiar houses that I have been looking at since 1980. Then it is off to dad's house, where I grew up, we sit and talk with his crazy friend (think mildly intellectual, morose, disabled aging hippy) while my dad complains that we are holding him up from yard work. Then I get a strange text from an unknown 540 (Harrisonburg) number. The fun begins and the exchange goes like this:
540-###-####: "How's Sicily?"
(me pondering the bizarre questions) Is this person texting a friend who is visiting Italy?? Who text's to Europe?!
Ashley's response: "It is everything that I ever hoped and dreamed that it would be!"
(minutes later)
540-###-####: "Great! It really helps that you two knew each other a few years ago"
(Whhuuut?! Me wondering what in the hell this all means!?) At this point I explain to my dad and his crazy friend what is going on and ask for their help in formulating creative responses to this person who clearly has the wrong #.
(My dad's friend comes up with this one)
Ashley's response: "Next year we are thinking of visiting Japan"
minutes later as we all stare at my phone on the kitchen table in anticipation.
540-###-####: "really? me too, we have friends there and we go snowboarding in the north, too."
OK wow - this person is really rolling with our punches (and has some great contacts)...I get ballsy...
Ashley's response: "Do you have any friends in Egypt because we would also like to visit the great pyramids after making our pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina"
540-###-####: "no I don’t. That would be awesome if you could make that happen!"
(my dad's friend also comes up with this one)
Ashley's response: "I can dream, can't I?"
...bring it back to reality and try to save ourselves from the Mecca to Medina comment.
At this point I feel that this is someone that I know, but just dont have their number programmed into my phone.
(about an hour later and I am on the road back to RVA)
540-###-####: "Yes, just envision your dreams and you can make them happen!! :)"
wow - inspirational advice!? I'm feeling guilty about being mildly deceitful to this person now. I freeze up and cop out by sending a quote from Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite. Hear the Spanish accent in your mind.
Ashley's response: "If you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true"
After arriving home/back to reality my guilty conscience took over. I texted the person apologizing for joking around and told them who I was and asked if they know me. I got a response the next morning from someone that I have known since the early days of chillin’ on the "slopes" at Massanutten. I knew it must have been an old friend! He said that Sicily was his CAT that he gave away to another friend named Ashley a few weeks ago. I guess I wasn't the only one playing around! Hahahaah. hey Jeremy - I want to go snowboarding in JAPAN! Let me tag along next time. Konnichiwa!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Uninspired to write
The last few months have been packed with experiences, yet in all the frenzy I have been uninspired to write. I do not push these things, which is why I haven't posted in so long. I think I am just tired. I've traveled a lot for work, and accomplished a lot in wedding planning, but the lightness of life is just not there. Not today anyways. Basically I want my life to slow down a bit so I can just relax. I am going to start working on that. Maybe my creativity for writing will come back to me then. Until that time, this is it.
I did see a pertfect double rainbow last week. It made me think of the Chinese translation of the phrase Double Happiness. I'll go my happy place now...mallard ducks on a log, my dog running beside my bike on a trail, a fire in the fireplace, fish in a pretty aquarium, the fruit of your garden, sleepy.
I did see a pertfect double rainbow last week. It made me think of the Chinese translation of the phrase Double Happiness. I'll go my happy place now...mallard ducks on a log, my dog running beside my bike on a trail, a fire in the fireplace, fish in a pretty aquarium, the fruit of your garden, sleepy.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bad blogger
I have not posted in so long. It is fair to say that I am a bad blogger. Somehow I have been too busy to muse and share. I will continue my busy schedule in the coming weeks, but I will attempt to take my blog on the road to St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Guatemala, where I will be working for the better part of the next three weeks. Somehow in between that Aaron and I will be running the Monument 10k. I even went running this morning at 6:45am with my new running partner (whom I have known since pre-school) Katie. We are super dedicated. 10-4.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Disorganized photos/really organized life
I haven’t felt that inspired to write this week, so I will share a few images of things that make me happy. But then just thinking of all of the pics I have that make me happy, actually stresses me out a little bit. I have soooo many photos both print and digital that I need to organize. Is that the case for everyone? Now that I am getting married this year, I feel I need to turn over a new domestic leaf. I don't think that it is kosher to have my old plastic laundry basket from college filled to the brim with totally disorganized photos and albums. Sitting next to it on a shelf is a Smirnoff box (taken from the ABC store during one of my many moves) also filled with tons of prints. They are so messy that at one point our Pit Bull, Billy, just reached in the box and pulled out some pics and scattered them all over the house. The prints stop in 2007 when my camera was stolen. From there they went online: Myspace, Photobucket, Facebook, Kodak Gallery, Snapfish. Why does the photo hosting web environment ALSO have to change so fast?! Now it seems most people are using Flickr or Picasa. So back to the ramble: then in 2007 purchased a Canon Elf since I loved the Cannon 700 series that I had been using at work. I have to be honest and say that I really do not like the Elf, but it may be my fault - I only learned how to use the Macro function a few months ago. I/we really want the Canon Rebel, but other things are taking priority at the moment:
- Trying to go snowboarding at least once this season (poor showing on my part that I haven’t strapped in at least once! This is my favorite “sport”)
- Weekend at Yogaville
- Outer Banks Girls Long Weekend (Happily Lent and my no drinking wine experiment will be over by then)
- WEDDING and all related $$$
- Ireland and maybe England this summer
Man, all costs aside, my life looks AWESOME! BYE!
The enthusiam of a child
I kissed this bad boy
- Trying to go snowboarding at least once this season (poor showing on my part that I haven’t strapped in at least once! This is my favorite “sport”)
- Weekend at Yogaville
- Outer Banks Girls Long Weekend (Happily Lent and my no drinking wine experiment will be over by then)
- WEDDING and all related $$$
- Ireland and maybe England this summer
Man, all costs aside, my life looks AWESOME! BYE!
The enthusiam of a child
I kissed this bad boy
Friday, February 20, 2009
I'm on a boat. Andy Samburg and T-Pain
Now all you know that SNL has been my favorite show as long as I have been anble to understand irony. Here's one for a laugh.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Roasted Nut Oils Fast Gaining on EVOO
Last weekend at a delicious dinner gathering, Amy introduced me to Roasted Walnut Oil in a salad dressing she was making. As a long-time extra virgin olive oil supporter, I was skeptical. However, the salad was delicious! This nutty full flavored oil is the perfect ingredient in any homemade salad dressing and since it does not solidify when refrigerated; it is the perfect way to make dressings that can be stored in the refrigerator. Although not much tops Tara's easy balsamic vinaigrette recipe, this new nut oil is fast gaining. I mixed it with some balsamic vineger and put it on my arugula salad just adding some shave parm and salt. Delicioso!
Tara's Easy Dressing: (Tara doesn’t know that I share this recipe all over with her name attached)
- Fresh Garlic cloves
- Balsalmic Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Orange Juice (fresh or "Simply Orange" is best)
- Salt and Pepper
*Blend above at whatever proportioning you choose to taste
Ashley’s Easy (not anymore) Arugula Salad:
- Arugula
- Shaved Parm
- Salt
- Dash of balsamic vinegar
- EVOO or Roasted Walnut Oil
*Blend above at whatever proportioning you choose to taste
Tara's Easy Dressing: (Tara doesn’t know that I share this recipe all over with her name attached)
- Fresh Garlic cloves
- Balsalmic Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Orange Juice (fresh or "Simply Orange" is best)
- Salt and Pepper
*Blend above at whatever proportioning you choose to taste
Ashley’s Easy (not anymore) Arugula Salad:
- Arugula
- Shaved Parm
- Salt
- Dash of balsamic vinegar
- EVOO or Roasted Walnut Oil
*Blend above at whatever proportioning you choose to taste
Hillarious quotes by Ren
"I found the meatballs!!!"
"Did you get the pills? How much were they?"
"Good news is... I got to see your pops last night and I inquired about the tiara."
In or out of context these quotes are hillarious to me.
"Did you get the pills? How much were they?"
"Good news is... I got to see your pops last night and I inquired about the tiara."
In or out of context these quotes are hillarious to me.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Images Allowing Me to Let Go of THINGS
This winter has been about organizing and letting go of material items. There are quite a few things that I have been dragging around with me to home after home. One of those things was a box full of old mix tapes. In high school making mix tapes was one of my favorite things to do. That was preceded by middle school where my friend Brittney and I would have a blank tape ready in the boom box so that when our favorite song came on the radio we would be ready to record! So as I was cleaning and discarding I came across the cassettes, I popped them in to my stereo (yes I still have a tape deck) one by one, only to be greeted with total audio mush. None of them sounded like they did in the 90s. Some of them just slowly unwound themselves inside the tape deck with the dramatic orange backlighting serving as a knife rotating in my side as I watched hours of creative teen energy dissolve into useless plastic. At that point Aaron suggested that I toss the defunct tapes. His solution for my attachment to them was to take a picture before throwing them in the trash. So I dropped a few on the floor and I took some pics. Incidentally, this is also what I did last year when moving from my Monument apartment when I was having a hard time letting go of my late grandmother's ancient blender. It barely worked and the lid was missing, but it is the only relic I had left from her other than a broken rosary. Aaron was right then, I didn’t need the blender and having a photo of it felt just as good to me as actually having it in the kitchen cabinet. However, the same is not true of the cassette tapes. Shortly after that day, I was at the Valley Mall with my niece Christmas shopping. Since she is nine, stopping at Claire’s Boutique was a MUST. With my soul still smarting from the loss of my cassette tapes I was forced to face myriad tween accessories and products FEATURING images of cassette tapes. I guess they are trendy now? With the way mine fared I don’t see how that is possible, but anyways. I now have started a practice (that I can tell will be lifelong) of taking photos of things as I say goodbye, which is probably what I will do with my Polaroid once the film really and truly is impossible to find. How will I take a Polaroid of a Polaroid? Deep man. Deep.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My current favorite composer:
Philip Glass:
http://www.philipglass.com/
Makes me wish that I was still a ballet dancer. So much can be done with his work.
http://www.philipglass.com/
Makes me wish that I was still a ballet dancer. So much can be done with his work.
No photos exist of this day. Old posts:
This is an experience that I had in 2007:
I have to quickly share that today at Lake Atitlan (in Guatemala) I went to the house of some shamans who maintain and worship/communicate with the most important Mayan saint of their village, San Simon who is a combination derivative of a Mayan god/Christian St. Sebastian and some random conquistador. These crazy cofradias - religious leaders - were in this room filled to the brim like a shrine with dried plants and herbs, candles, fake flowers, CDs hanging from the ceiling along with more assorted important clutter, including an ornate see-through coffin covered in bright fake flowers and blinking pink lights as well as some strands of dysfunctional lights. The object of attention was a short deity idol robed in dated western style men's ties, two cowboy-like hats with silk veils tied to them, a gold chain around his neck with a wad of Quetzales (cash) placed behind his central tie. He had a cigar in his wooden mouth and a platter of coin offerings as well as a special wooden holder containing a small bottle of moonshine style liquor and a pack of regular cigarettes! Candles of significant colors and sizes were burning to the ground as they knelt on woven prayer mats to petition help from Simon for a family that visited offering money and alcohol. Apparently their son was somehow involved or maybe injured by a gun. I couldn't tell what they were saying because he was chanting in his Mayan language with very little Spanish. They burned a large quantity of incense and replaced the fake cigar in the idols mouth with a lit cigarette. All this is being overseen by a visibly high or drunk shaman in the corner - very dazed. Just when I was wondering if they were going to dump the alcohol into the little wooden man's scary mouth, we were out! Down the steps into and open fire kitchen and back into the rocky street; from one completely inexplicable world to another. This is just a glimpse that I had to share - probably one of the most unique experiences I have ever had and I intend to write more about it.
I have to quickly share that today at Lake Atitlan (in Guatemala) I went to the house of some shamans who maintain and worship/communicate with the most important Mayan saint of their village, San Simon who is a combination derivative of a Mayan god/Christian St. Sebastian and some random conquistador. These crazy cofradias - religious leaders - were in this room filled to the brim like a shrine with dried plants and herbs, candles, fake flowers, CDs hanging from the ceiling along with more assorted important clutter, including an ornate see-through coffin covered in bright fake flowers and blinking pink lights as well as some strands of dysfunctional lights. The object of attention was a short deity idol robed in dated western style men's ties, two cowboy-like hats with silk veils tied to them, a gold chain around his neck with a wad of Quetzales (cash) placed behind his central tie. He had a cigar in his wooden mouth and a platter of coin offerings as well as a special wooden holder containing a small bottle of moonshine style liquor and a pack of regular cigarettes! Candles of significant colors and sizes were burning to the ground as they knelt on woven prayer mats to petition help from Simon for a family that visited offering money and alcohol. Apparently their son was somehow involved or maybe injured by a gun. I couldn't tell what they were saying because he was chanting in his Mayan language with very little Spanish. They burned a large quantity of incense and replaced the fake cigar in the idols mouth with a lit cigarette. All this is being overseen by a visibly high or drunk shaman in the corner - very dazed. Just when I was wondering if they were going to dump the alcohol into the little wooden man's scary mouth, we were out! Down the steps into and open fire kitchen and back into the rocky street; from one completely inexplicable world to another. This is just a glimpse that I had to share - probably one of the most unique experiences I have ever had and I intend to write more about it.
A New Beginning
Last night I went through many old journals and notebooks as I was organizing. I encountered things as irrelevant to my current self as "sketches" and "poems." Except for only the most impressive ones, I ripped them out one by one and threw them in the trash. (!) I would have thrown them in the fire, but I was too lazy to start one. I have been wasting years on social networking sites; it is time to get creative and constructive with my internet presence. This is a long time coming. Time to bridge the gap between old Ashley and new: peace out dreamy journals, hello BLOG. Stay tuned and "PUMP UP THE VOLUME!"
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