Freemind Adventure, Inc....school, say what?

So the non-profit that Max(brother) and I have been talking about the last few months has developed into a school. SAY WHAT? I know it sounds a little crazy, but we are going to do it!! We have this broad and specific vision and most of the time is sounds like a dream, but that is the point of living in this country...to pursue our dreams. I get nervous that this is just going to be a waste of time, or that it will ruin the relationship between Max and I, but I also see that this could be the next best thing in education. I don't think all of our ideas are purely original but I do think that as a whole this school could be a model for future alternative schools. My hope is that we can find the right people and the money to get this thing off the ground.

When I look at all the cool things that young people are doing in the world I get real excited.We are smart with great ideas, so why can't we do something big, something important, something to change lives. So with all this said and put out there for world wide web to see, I hope for big things to happen, with the hope that we can impact kids in Denver for the greater good of the world....phew! A big task!

Getting it done...today at least,

APK

Memory Road...

This past Thanksgiving I had the most amazing opportunity to go to Phoenix to see some of my mothers friends, now, I call them my friends. The primary reason to head South was to celebrate the marriage of my mom's college friend Terry to the very tall and very great man John Segin. I tell you now that I am a sucker and if it wasn't for my mother's other friend Terry I would have lost it. It was a great moment to me, and here is why. This couple of Terry and John have been part of my life as long as I can remember and for 25 years they have been loving each other and the people in their lives well, so when they said "Let's get hitched", I said YAHOO! Not because it was about damn time but rather I love weddings, I love it when the man gets a little choked up because the woman in his life says YES. And though this wedding was a slight aberration from what I am used to (Bride wore jeans and groom wore a shirt with a picture of a tux...priceless) the moments that I love were there.....Two families celebrating life, tears, great conversation, good food and memories to last a life time.

The people that I got to spend approximately 24 hours of my life with represented my youth...I know this because multiple adults put their hand about waist high and followed by saying "I remember when you were this big". I even said that to someone...surreal moment for sure(I am not old enough to have known people when they were ankle biters, anyways). These are the people who saw me grow up and are surprised at how gorgeous I turned out(maybe they weren't surprised, but I loved the compliments nonetheless), they have memories that I am glad that they remember, and they represent a youth that I forgot that I loved. As I met them this past holiday, I embraced them as an adult and was delighted to have great conversations and share in sooooo much laughter. When Terry asked my brother and I to escort the rest of the lingerers back to hotel I knew that this is was one celebration that would go down in the books as one of my favorites.

Soooooo, to end this blog I give a shout out to my new friends THE SEGINS, THE JOHNSONS, THE WALLACES, THE CROWTHERS and THE MACEAUS...thanks for the memories...whose getting married next, please invite me...I'll bring the white wine.

With many thanks,

APKilla

The Time Has Come...

...For me to fill out all the big girl paperwork and applications and get myself a big girl job. WOOHOO! So Iam currently in the process of filling out my initial teacher license and an application for a teaching job simultaneously...cart before the horse, but I had to get it done sometime and this available job just thrust me into action. The last month I have been contemplating getting a second job or volunteering somewhere, primarily because I am bored but also because I need to be doing something with my degree. Much to my surprise I get a phone call from a friend whom I have not heard from in some time and she mentions that her Middle School needed a P.E./Health teacher asap. At first I was hesitant because I had made the decision to start looking for a teaching job in January, but then I got all kinds of excited and had to jump aboard the crazy train that is called "job search". On "job search" I am having to fill out all the paperwork that I have so beautifully avoided till this moment. I am happy to say that I stay up over half the night planning my interview answers and lesson plans and various other things that I could do with students(again cart before the horse, I have yet to turn in the application). So that was a sign to me that I am ready for this teacher thing to come to fruition. I am over my vacation and ready to drop some knowledge on those adolescent kiddos. Whether I get this job or another I am fully(well not fully, sans paperwork) ready to whip those kids and myself into Physical Education Monsters.
I am hoping that the timing is right and that this opportunity will actually slingshot me into a world that I am willing to offer my knowledge, expertise and skills(don't those all sound the same) to. With all of that said, I am still nervous about not being fully prepped on what to put in my paperwork or what to say in an interview. I trust my skills in conveying a passion and goals, but as far as the nitty gritty of what as school might be looking for I am unsure. I know that in my everyday practice of teaching I ALWAYS want to do what is best for my students, but I know that there is much more involved. So I will spend my thanksgiving weekend brushing up on some education jargon and topics and hope that I will at least get an interview to charm the pants off my future employers...Confidence...good, right? Arrogance...not good, I hope to strike the balance.

Suffice it say I am SUPER DUPER EXCITED, giddy up. All aboard the A-train, toot toot. Look out for me rolling in some awesome matching tracks suits with the slickest shoes and possibly rocking some obnoxious whistle....

School is in Session...
Miss Kelemen...or Miss K.

Guilty pleasures

I typically feel as though guilt is a feeling reserved for the Jewish, convicted convicts and assholes, but in the wake of my recent purchases I must admit that there are four things that I truly enjoy that also cause me to feel guilty.

3 D's and an E:

DONETTES

DORITOS

DIET COKE

ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

Yes, boys and girls, these are the four things in life that I would call a guilty pleasure. They make me so happy in the moment, but lasting guilt that I feel after partaking in their flavors makes me think that the hassle of hiding my love for them might not be worth it. If you are thinking that Enrique doesn't have a flavor, I beg you to listen to that man's songs and you will transported to the land and flavor of love and dance.

Every so often I get the urge to indulge myself, I will go and get whatever flavor Doritos strikes me as fabulous, a couple 20 ouncers of DC, and a pack of Donettes and get it done. Getting it done doesn't really require a time, shoot, I have been known to throw back as early as 9:30 in the a.m.. As for Enrique, he might be the most ridiculous latin man in the world, but when he sings Escape, Bailamos or Hero my body responds and I must sing, dance and worship with my hips. I am not proud of these unhealthy habits but I am thankful that, although the powder that encircles my lips may say otherwise, I am not addicted to crack cocaine.

I fear that these dips to the dark side my seal my fate.

MY FATE:

Dying alone while my radio player repeats HERO, with white powdered lips, orange finger tips and cans crushed beneath my ass. I might need an intervention.

I realize the issue could get out of control but I have things on lock down...spoken like a true addict.

But in all seriousness, I have a bag of Donnettes waiting for me when I get home...yes please. Don't worry folks....I haven't listened to Enrique in months, which reminds me...gotta run and let the rhythm grab control.

Peace, love and guilt...

APKilla

Something is the air....

I am feeling so fresh and clean(clean). Maybe it is the recent shower I just took, the crisp air outside or the stirring in my heart for something new....or maybe it is a combination of all those things wrapped up in a neat(but also sometimes messy) little package called life. So my last blog talked about this incident in which there was some major shifting in my life. Looking at me you might not notice this shift, but it is there. I had also mentioned that I had some things that were going well in life and I would be withholding some vital information if I didn't get to the point soon.

For the past month or so my younger brother I have been discussing our master plot to take over the world.

THE PLOT: '"Guide students toward adventure so that they may participate in a global community"

MEANING: Putting healthy adults in high school students lives so that they might impact them in a way that allows a student to see and access their potential.

TARGET: Students who are at risk of failing high school and not going to graduate in Denver Public Schools.

HOW: We are still figuring out this piece but a part of it looks like taking these at risk students on trip abroad, so that they might get a greater picture of the world that they can impact.

WHEN: NOW...meaning we are talking with our friends and family to get connected to the right people to get this off the ground.

WHY: Because there is need that isn't being met and we feel it is our responsibility to help shape our future world.

We are calling this organization Freemind Adventures. We believe that we all play a role in our world and we make choices everyday that shape that world, to not step into the adventure that the world has to offer and offer what you have to the world would be tragic.

I am excited to start something that I feel is important and relevant. My hope is that I will not grow weary or that in weariness I can persevere. In the meantime I am going to pursue my calling as a teacher and pursue Freemind Adventures on the side. This is nerve-wracking but all important things in life call us to some sort of discomfort.

So, Giddy Up!!!

APKilla

Where do I start...

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind the past few weeks, I have been encouraged by many to keep this blog real....so its gonna get real, real quick....giddy up. We are going to start with the things that aren't so great and then move to the things that are real great. Sooo, about three weekends ago I was up in Fort Collins hanging with all the people in the world that mean the most to me, plus some repeat offenders in my life. T'was a night filled with laughter, margaritas, blessings and a little bit of a need that I know not how to fill. As Saturday night winded down and we tucked ourselves into the beds of others(for me I slept in my friend Kahle's bed....no scandal that night), Kahle told me that we were going to Church in the morning. My first reaction(all in my head of course) was quite juvenile, "Really, do I have to go?", then I simply slid into apathy towards my fate. Sunday morning rolls around and I don't even shower, I put on my legging with a t-shirt and my bright yellow CSU hoodie and I desperately hope that Kahle let me out of Church based purely on my ridiculous appearance...no such luck, damn. We rolled into Church and I could feel the tension building in me, not the bad tension, but rather the tension that feels like there is something good to experience but you, yourself, won't let it happen. I spent the majority of the service telling myself that I was not going to go up the alter for the "alter call", I was going to just stick to my pew and experience God the way I had been for the last three years...by myself. The service went as it should have with singing, collecting of tithes(which I put $5 of my drinking money in the pot...ironic, maybe a little) and then the message. All went smoothly according to my critical eye, and then popped up an older gentleman to do the alter call, FYI, I hate alter calls...they have tremendous impact but they rub me the wrong way. Anywho, as this man was speaking he said a few things that aren't typical of the alter call...."disappointment" and "death of hope"......Wait one second old man, just one damn minute. These words not only pierced my heart they ripped it right open and the well of tears behind those words began to fall. So what did I do...welp, I went to the alter and knelt down, duh....if ya didn't see that one coming you must not be reading between the lines. For those of you who know me well and those of you who are getting to know me....tears are few and far between, so this show of vulnerability scared the shit out of me. But, the big BUT, it felt so good to cry, about everything and nothing all at the same time. The whole time I was up there, I was freaked out but mostly broken. The only prayer that I had was, "Let them know I need them"...meaning my people. I need my friends and family to know that I need them in the most important ways, especially when I can't say that I need them.

Afterwards, there were more tears shared between me and my besties, and then that gentleman came over to me and asked if we could chat. And in my mind I had few choice words to say to him...like how dare you say things that cause me to take off the armor that I have perfected and get real in front of God and the rest of the world. But I politely listened to him and he had the gall to give me homework...homeboy, I am done with school, but I did it and I am thankful for the words that I have read(Isaiah 62:6-12).

In retrospect this is actually part of the great stuff happening, it just doesn't feel good to messing around with all these emotions and thoughts. I am sitting here writing and editing what I have just written and the battle in me is whether or not I should publish this particular post. The side of me that only wants to be seen as having it together says "oh hell no, don't do it, you might offend people and loose friends" and then there is the side that says "what the hell, what do you have to loose?" Right now I feel like "what the hell", so forgive me for getting all JesusFreak on ya, but this is me in all my weakness and glory.

Looking back at the length of this blog I have decided that I will leave this story alone and include the other good, bad and ugly for my next blog.

Thanks for reading(when you read this it really makes me feel special), so thanks again.

Yikes...you know it all:)

APKilla

p.s. YIKESSSS!!!!!!

Old is as Old does

My sweet, sweet grandfather is in town to get a surgery on his shoulder and that means we get to spend time with him. YAY!! Yesterday I went to hospital to visit the old man and I am happy to say that he is doing well. My father, Papa(grandfather) and I got to talking about getting older and having adult children and all that nonsense. I think it feels weird to be an adult, but both Dad and Papa said it wasn't weird...just logical path. This is where I tell you that I am very different from both the elder fellas, I am not typically the most practical in my thought process. I tend to think of things more abstractly, whereas, they think more realistically and concretely. So as I am having these existential moments in the hospital room, I notice that the conversation has drifted to bowel movements, perforated colons and the such....I love my grandfather, but I in no way want to hear that conversation, so I stepped into the hallway and wandered the halls. I think that this might have been one of the few times that I haven't gotten faint-like in the hospital, which I chalk up to mere luck. I have never been in the hospital for myself and therefore I find it very suspicious as to why I get sick when I am in such a facility. My papa and father said it was all in my head(again logical) but why? I had a friend tell me story about her brother in the hospital and I got faint-like...weird I know. If anyone can enlighten me to this phenomenon, it would be greatly appreciated.

Anywho, to the crux of the blog...old is as old does. I think our actions speak of our maturity in life and how we wan to be perceived. My Papa is 83 and he acts as though he is a much younger man. I act like a much younger girl...sometimes. I say this because in a culture obsessed with youth, I always want to be perceived as young, hip and with it, but I am coming to grips with my maturity and adulthood. Obviously, as this has been a common theme to my blog most recently.

As I dive into what my adult life is going to look like I am going cherish the time that I get to spend learning how to act my age and whatever that feels like...so in logical years I might be 27, but I feel more like 22, and my maturity and wisdom....well I will leave that for you to decide(because it might vary based upon what you know about me).

Cheers for getting better with age...and feeling better too,

APK

I might get burgled...

I think I am in love with the word burgled...it kind of sounds like a noise. In fact when I use this word I am referring to the action of a burglary...which after this morning I am sure that I am safe against...maybe. So I locked my keys in my apartment, much to my dismay I was able to retrieve such items because I was determined , smart and crafty with my resources. My resources were a bent up hanger that I found in the shed in back yard. In my infinite wisdom I left my kitchen window open(score), but that damn little dowel rod is preventing me from opening my window all the way...plan foiled, not the case. Just call me, uh...hmmm, whatever you call someone who is a mastermind burglar. I took that bent hanger and took my time trying to get that silly little rod out of the groove in my window. After about twenty minutes, I was safely hopping down through the window. I must say that it was a stoke of luck that I had left the window open or that I had found a bent hanger to use, but I was sublimely happy with my "break in". Now I only have to worry about any other smart, determined person who might stumble upon my little nook. Like I said I can't make this stuff up...

Here's to ingenuity and a little hard work...

APKilla

REDO #3

In an attempt to write this blog today, I suddenly have writers block...why, I usually have plenty of mishaps to tell the world about. In an attempt to get real with the world(aka the small amount of you that read this), I am struggling with my status quo...the status of affairs in my life. I seem aimless and I find it hard to motivate myself to more of what I want and less of what I despise...in my mind that seems like the most ridiculous statement. To qualify the statement I must say the things that I despise are laziness, bitching about the state of affairs(whatever they are), serious lack of purpose, and lack of movement(in my heart, mind, body and soul). The sad thing is that I have complete control over every one of these situations in my life and yet here I am complaining that I sitting in the middle of all of them. Separately they feel manageable but lumped together it seems like an Everest to tackle....oh I know that I can get after each of them separately but I am also an impatient person who wants life to get itself together on my timing and in an orderly fashion as not to mess up my sensibilities and hair. The revelation that I am much more in control of my circumstances is troubling, only because I don't think that I can be trusted with such serious matters. Have I regressed since college? It seems as though I am on this slippery slope of insecurity in which I don't trust who I have become...all these realizations feel foreign to me which leads me to believe that I have too much time on my hands to think about my stuff. Getting stuck in my head is a horrible place to be, only because my head always runs to worst case scenario or it lacks of being grounded in reality. Argh.

Once my life was thought to be precarious(I actually looked that one up, had to make I was using it right) but as I sit here in a wonderfully full coffee house in Boulder(the Cup) I am struck with the weight of my choices in life and I am coming to the grips with the great position that I am in. Fresh from rest and seeking a renewed vigor for life, I must stand firm in the truths of who I am and forge through life with laughter, grace, humility and a undeniable knowledge that I am responsible for the state in which I choose....damn the odds.

Far more serious than I ever intended,

APK

Retro-thug-life

As I was looking through old pics I stumbled upon this one...oh man the laughter shared between friends. One of these is not like the other ones....one of these is not as thug as the others...and she might not ever be and that is why we love her.

KINGDOM

In the circles that I tend to hover, there is much talk of the Kingdom of Heaven...when I was introduced to this group of kids I was struck with what I want Heaven to looks and sounds like. Please check them out and be amazed, so sweet is the sound of children singing, especially when they represent a wide variety of ethnicities and backgrounds....To me this is what I hope for when I think about Heaven.

Ahhhhhh,

APKilla

Justice has been Served!

Picture me rollin' on dubs, better yet picture your favorite food rollin' on dubs. We are in a food revolution, everyday there is a new recipe, a new diet, or some new theory of how we are supposed to eat. Last Thursday was no different, The Justice League of Food Trucks of Denver, CO has found a niche market of young Denverites who want to eat good food, enjoy good music and share in an experience with their fellow foodies. The Justice League has gathered twice to show that the food truck revolution may not be new but in Denver it is just as fun. I walked up to this dirt lot only to be bombarded with the beats of some local DJ, the smell of some delicious morsels and the hope that they accept Visa(thankfully there was a portable ATM machine). As we entered the possibilities were endless.... Biscuits, Tacos, and Gyros, OH my. Stuebens, Watercourse, Pinche Tacos, The Orange Machine, The Denver Biscuit Company, Great Divide Brewery and the Denver Cupcake truck came bringing the heat and the glory that is street food. With cheap options it was easy to spread my choices throughout the evening. I had a Pinche Shrimp Taco(pinche means the F-word in Spanish) followed by a gyro from the GastroPub Cart. The endless diet coke was supplied by Sully's Pizza, oh the sweetness that is a diet coke.

I am happy to say that I was satisfied and I would love to invite you to the next event. They announce them with short notice, but if I know, you will know. I hope to start a dance party next time but I need a posse... Hope to see you there.

The Justice League...what a concept...

APKilla

Groceries and more

Last night was the first time that I had actually stepped into a grocery store to actually buy things to put in my fridge since my roadtrip in July...out of control. I have no real good excuse for this, other than I was lazy. But listening to my body's need for real vegetables, fruits and cheeses I stole away to the nearest Whole Foods. To preface this misadventure, I pride myself in the ability to have self restraint at Whole Paycheck, but this time I went bonkers. Shopping for one person is proving to be a little difficult, only because I have no back up to help out with the entire watermelon that I just bought. Words of wisdom: Don't buy things you don't necessarily love just because it is real cheap($2.99), especially when that thing is a whole watermelon. So, on with the adventure, I stepped into the store with thoughts of getting a handful of items so that I am not just eating cereal for the rest of my life, but with all of the yummy goodness set out before me, one could hardly resist. Self-control is overrated anyway. As I beebop down aisle after aisle I am being conscience of what I need and don't need, and I calmly put back the non-necessities, like Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia. But as fate would have it, the cheese aisle slams me with the "under $3" basket, it calls out to me in that subtle whisper that says "you want me". So I answer the call...Hello cherry cheddar, where have you been all my life. I can't wait to have you with some crackers and wine...how 'bout a date, oh you want to bring your friends brie and havarti. Ok, but only if you include hatch chili pepper jack. Suffice it to say I cracked like an egg on Easter Sunday...but there was no way out. So my fridge is full of cheese saying...Wine and Cheese night, asap. Yes, please. After my overindulgence in the dangerous dairy, I quickly darted to the check out line...safe and sound. Here is another reason why I love Whole Foods...the check out boys are typically cute and down to flirt...it really is just the perfect way to end your shopping experience.

I get home, unload my treats and start to cut up my watermelon. I realize that watermelon, though very fun on hot summer picnics, is not something I really want to eat for every meal for the rest of the month...the only regret from my adventure at WF. C'est la Vie.

You are cordially invited to a Watermelon Party, come help a sister out,

APKilla

Mission Accomplished

I am finally settling into the nooks and crannies of my new neighborhood and apartment, so much so that I spent Sunday watching movies...I am not even going to tell you how many movies I watched for fear of judgement. But I did, however, watch them in rapid succession. The gem that I re-watched was Steel Magnolias...such a quality flick, when I get old I hope that I have the sass that the character Weezer beholds...can't wait to be a grade A, grouchy bitch. Part of my mission this past weekend was to purchase some sexy dancing shoes, go dancing in them and possibly get kissed!!!

I can easily say that mission accomplished. Friday, prior to the actual going out, I went to Ross, DSW, and Nordstrom Rack(btw, whomever decided it was good idea to put them in such close proximity had no clue that I have such low self-restraint) to buy the necessary items to get said missions accomplished. First...I found the most sexy black wedges, so appropriate for shaking my bon bon and allowing me to feel like I own the town, then I found three very adorable/sassy dresses to wear out on my night of shenanigans. So I confidently rolled home with a few less dollars I began getting ready....I felt like a million bucks. Then we were off to The Living Room....yes it is an actual place on Broadway. It was awesome and here is why...This place has a very unique wine dispensing machine. Basically, you put a certain amount of money on a credit type card, then you put the card into the machine and choose your wine, it will then dispense an ounce of that wine into your glass. The wines are priced based upon how much they are a bottle, obviously I went for the ones that I could get more for my money. When my card had emptied of the cash I put on it I took it over to my cocktail waitress(who was the absolute best) and told that it was at zero....at this news she got real excited and said "I get to buy you a glass of wine". YAHOO! So I picked out a Malbec, turns out this particular wine is $200, oh so yummy. OMG, I got so lucky. Now that the party is feeling a little frisky it is time to get our dance on, thankfully we were across the street from VINYL(5 stories of half dressed, shaking bodies...yes please). Shake it like a salt shaker I did and thank you VINYL for the beautiful rooftop patio that was so perfect to end the evening. So, like I said mission accomplished. I had a blast and can't wait to wear the shoes again. In the words of Forrest Gump..."Mama said they were my magic shoes"...please come out for the next magical evening.

Wish you were there,

APKilla

Home, Sweet, Fort Collins

Ahhhhhhh, is the sound I made as I nestled on a rock in the middle of the Poudre River just North of Fort Collins. I was able to get the next two nights off, so I made the decision to drive up to FOCO to catch up with some people. When I say people, I mean the best people on the face of the planet...they know exactly what to say to me when I need a good word or two. But since everyone in my life has a regular 9 to 5 I had some time to myself, so I drove up the Canyon, rocking out to my favorite songs and ready to recharge the batteries. I stumbled upon this great spot with a dam(made by actual beavers) and tons of rocks waiting for me to take advantage of. So I pulled out my journal, Bible and book and started to enjoy the afternoon. Sometimes there is nothing more enjoyable than knowing you have nothing waiting for you so that you can get into whatever needs getting into. I caught some rays, listened to the water swirl around my tootsies and let the world wash over me. It was excellent, I really need to make these moments happen more often. And as I sit in one of the coffee shops that I frequented in college I let the familiarity fill in the gaps of uncertainty in my life, and then I sigh, because I am blessed beyond belief. I made a list of things that I consider a blessing some of them were silly like...good hair and then others were so significant, like freedom to live my life as I choose. If I ever complain about how bad I have just tell me to brush my straight, never cavitied teeth and get over it.

Off to spend time with the best of the best,

APKilla

Love...you figure it out

Today has been a day filled with sleep, movie watching and tears. This morning(it was actually noon) I popped in my netflix movie "Paper Heart", the thought was to take it easy and be entertained. Two minutes into the movie I start crying....WTF. For those of you who know me, crying is an event that occurs rarely, so the tears that came a flowing kind of surprised me.

Let's back up a minute, the basis for the documentary is that this young 20-something girl doesn't believe love is real so she travels the country to see if she can find love. Through various interviews she paints a picture of what love looks like for these various people. My favorite scene is when they were in Atlanta at playground interviewing kids... this one kid was asked what should a person do when they think they might love someone. This kid said that they should just look at the person they think they love and figure it out. I loved that line, plus the rest of the kids were so precious about they thought love was...one girl actually smacked her "boyfriend" in the head, if that isn't a making of a love story I don't know what is.

Ok, back to me(because I generally need to be the center of attention, hence this blog), I was flooded with all these emotions and thoughts of "will I ever be loved, will I ever love, what does love mean...blah, blah, blah." So as I sit here and contemplate my ability or inability to love I have come to some conclusions that I will share with you in my state of great vulnerability, and will probably regret sharing with the big wide world...but here is goes.

I believe in love...in theory. To qualify that statement I mean, I believe that romantic love happens for others, not to me. I have family and friends whom I love and whom love me dearly, but I am talking about that kind of love that occurs between two people that leads to dates, awkward kisses that become comfortable kisses, laughter that makes you cry, fights that end in great make up sex, and lifelong companionship. I think that kind of love occurs for others, but I am beginning to think that it might not happen for me. I know this sounds hugely pessimistic but based upon what I have experienced in my 27 years of life, romantic love has yet to make an appearance in my life. So what do I do with these thoughts...I dunno. I am not writing this to get a bunch of comments from my friends saying how great and beautiful they know to me to be, because I know those things, but I don't think I am the type of girl that causes a guy to take a second glance or make a move. And those things are definitely ok, I just need to maybe adjust my expectations of what that looks like. So if you are reading this, thank you for reading, but please don't tell me to be patient, or that it will happen to me someday, because it might not.

The only thing I can say today is WE'LL SEE!

Sidenote: My friend told me that the movie was "pretentious hipster drivel, Love is real!"

So, with that said, we'll see.

Figuring it out,

APK

p.s. I promise to be honest if this line of thinking changes, because it probably will, but for me romantic love is elusive as...I can't think of anything...put in your own thing that you find elusive.

I'm a big kid now...

Hey team....

I have finally moved into my first place as a grown adult or at least a semi-responsible kid. Since I began college in 2001, I have had 21 separate roommates, all of whom I have loved, but it is time to live alone...yikes. Being the social butterfly that I am, living alone goes against my desire to be with people constantly. In thinking about those implications I shudder at the thought that I am about two shakes away from eating a box of Ho-Hos and getting thirteen cats. Living alone speaks to one of my biggest fears in life...that I will end up alone, and that I will be the crazy lady on the block that you warn your kids about. SO, I am either on my way to becoming the crazy cat lady or on my way to becoming more cool...it really is a toss up.

My adventures in new apartmenthood are:

I bought bread with the intentions of making toast in the morning...I don't own a toaster. With this I have needed to make a list of things that I never had because one of my 21 other roommates provided. (sidenote: I need a microwave, called mom, she has three...who in there right mind has three microwaves....foreshadowing of my future...maybe I won't have cats, I'll be the crazy lady with a millions microwaves. BTW- I love my Mom...love you ma!!!).

I live 3 blocks from a cute coffeeshop( I say cute because the Baristos are cute, one of them made a heart in my latte, I said "ah, how special." To which he replied "For a special girl." Damn I am such a sucker...)

I live five blocks from one of my favorite marrieds(Megan and Santiago), I envision wine and tapas a lot.

Other signs of impending adulthood...

I went bank shopping(not happy with the current one)

Started listening to NPR

I have started to referring to myself as "having my shit together"- that might be a false sense of self.

I currently participate in a Book Club(we read mostly young adult fiction though)

Welp, I think the jury is out on whether or not I am actually a full grown adult, but I can safely say that adult or not I love my life and can't wait for the next adventure.

Rollin' Solo

APKilla

You're a moron if...

The title of this blog is no indication of how I really feel about what happened today, but merely a title to draw the reader into my most exciting story. So here goes it....

Today, Friday, I had set up four appointments to see some apartments, the first of which was to be at 9:00. I went and picked up Megan(i needed a second opinion) and we were off. As we were driving along St. Paul, Megan asked what the address was, to which I replied "1237 St Paul", as we roll up to 1235 St Paul a cute little old lady watering the lawn waved to us, so in my mind this was it. After telling her that I had made an appointment with a man over the phone, she was surprised that her tenant would do something like that, but she and her husband obliged and showed me the basement apartment in this house with four units. The whole time we were confused as to how this came about, but we rolled with it...then I looked at my day planner....OH, dang it. I was supposed to meet with a guy at 1362 St. Paul. So after exchanging information with Toma and Angela, Megan and I darted off to see if this other guy was around. He wasn't so I called him to see if I could check out the apartment later in the day. This guy was frustrated with me and I told him that I was sorry to inconvenience him and if he wanted to do it another day that would fine. His response was "I just hate it when people are F***ing morons, and you are moron, so maybe you should just take the other apartment". Dumbfounded, for sure, I had no response other than to hang up. Off to the next appointment at 10:15...woops, again. I had gotten my wires crossed and I missed another appointment that was supposed to happen at 9:30...I thought that it was cancelled. (At this point I am actually feeling like a moron) Megan and I just start laughing as we are sitting outside the apartment of my 2:00 appointment. So I call my mom and brother and tell them the story about this place that we literally stumbled upon. The details are that it is a one bedroom in a garden level, in a house near Congress Park. The rent is $500 total...everything included. No lease, I move in Sept. 1. After hearing this both my mom and brother tell me to go get it. Megan agrees, so we rush back and I drop the deposit into the couples hand and in a matter of two hours I found this fun, cute place to call home. The couple has owned the house for 43 years and they are from Croatia, so honest and cute. I have been so excited about the whole thing since it happened that I told everyone at the bank what had happened. Angela...my new landlord said that she thinks that someone sent me, and I have to admit that I think that it was supposed to happen. Such odd circumstances never happen to me, so I can definitely believe that it was fated to happen.

All in all, a pretty crazy stitch and I am so excited about my new digs. Can't wait to have you over!

Home Sweet Home,

Ashley

p.s. While we were talking to Angela, Toma(the husband) grabbed me a stick of apricots from the apricot tree in the back yard...too precious!!!

Nothing is for certain

BTW...I start this blog after I paused to check out the cute doctor that just walked in...am I predictable or what.

One thing that I have been learning is that there are only a few guarantees...and even then those are a little sketchy. I bring this up only after deciding to stay in Colorado, for a short period of time I thought I was going pick up and move to California. When things fell through the cracks, I was sad and disappointed. But today I am more confident that staying put and getting things rolling in Denver is the best decision. I am as unclear as ever before but I am thankful that I don't have to see the future clearly to live now...dang I'm deep. With that said, Get ready for a quiet storm that I will call Ashley.

free of worry(today),

Ashley

Picture Perfect!

Road trip...Success

As most of you know I was on a 13 day road trip, suffice it to say it was a success. I say this because I am still friends with my travel companion(we weren't going to let 13 days ruin 16 years), still in charge of my mental capacities(err, maybe I never was), Cori(the chevy corsica, I lovingly drive) is still owning the pavement, and I have seen things that I haven't seen and lastly I still want to see more. But, no blog would be complete without the telling of the misfortunes that find me(or rather I get myself into), so here's how the story goes...

For starters, day one to be exact, I lose my credit card in Wyoming at a truck stop, only to realize it when we get to Twin Falls, ID. Excellent....how am I going to pay for this trip now....thankfully it worked out. In between losing my credit card and realizing it we got desperately close to running out of gas...thankfully God plopped a small town 8 miles off I-80 with a 24 hr gas station...picture the Hillz have Eyes at 10:30 pm, good thing my "Kung Fu is strong". As modern women with college educations and street smarts we are survivors and we trucked along to drive along the Columbia river to a fun, but apparently "weird" city(many a bummer sticker said to 'Keep Portland Weird'). We only crashed in Portland for once night but I am confident that I would like to go again. After a most delightful and deep sleep we woke to get going to the coast and drive through some of the Olympic National Park....but wait...Cori was trying to tell me something, she needed new spark plugs, she told me by randomly jerking as we increased speed. So, Janette and I decided that it would be good to get things under the hood checked out, after a drive around Portland with a mechanic we decided it was something that we could get fixed on the road a little later. Once we realized we weren't going to blow up mid-drive, we headed on route to Port Angeles, WA.

The next four or five days went on without any snaffoos, we arrived in Canada without a hiccup, that is a lie, we did get stopped at the border. I don't consider it a hiccup only because it didn't delay any of our plans and was quite hilarious...we only wanted to get our passports stamped (they didn't seem too excited to oblige, but they did it after we batted our eyelashes). Once in Canada, we roamed the streets taking in the sights and the beauty. We spent one day in Victoria, three days in Vancouver and one day in Whistler....ahhhh, the freshness was crisp and good for us. We made a quick stop off in Squamish...where I got raped by the Canadian Tire people....$350 for spark plugs...you have got to be kidding me...but here is where the story get awesome...My bank won't allow me to use my debit card....they think that someone stole it and was going on a rampage in Canada, so I had to jump through those hoops, boo!!! The weird thing, I had been in Canada for three days, got to love the quickness of the American Banking system. Moving on, we headed for America...Yellowstone, Tetons, Jackson Hole, etc.

Once we were back in the states we spent two days getting to Yellowstone, oh Yellowstone!

Suffice it to say, as beautiful as Yellowstone can be, the crowds and rangers make it less appealing. We got pulled over for speeding....duh, when the speed limit is 45, if you factor in the amount of time I spent going 0 mph, I think our average mph was 45. With that behind us we moved at a gingerly pace as not to provoke the wildlife(rangers). A little less than two hours after receiving our ticket(which requires a mandatory court appearance, awesome) we stumble on what I will lovingly call the Clusterfuck of Yellowstone.

The Clusterfuck of Yellowstone can only be described as a ridiculous series of events that has led me to think that Park Rangers suck. As we slowly(45 mph) arrive to another dead stop on the federal highway(illegal to stop, btw), we are continually asked to keep moving along...but of course we want to know what the back up is for....GRIZZLY bear! Awesome...only it turned out to suck, we got caught behind a family that refused to move along and park on the side of street(the park ranger, only doing her job, reprimanded them thrice), so in our infinite driving wisdom we tap the horn once and pass them so we could get the party rolling along....THEN, we get cut off by another park ranger who starts to berate us over the loud speaker in front of the entire cluster of people looking for that damn grizzly. The following is this jerk's epic speech to us..."Please be patient, there is a reason people are stopped, there are people running in the road. You need to be patient....Everyone look at the people who are being impatient". Are you serious homeboy....talk to the lady who kept telling us to move along, get your facts straight. We were done after that point, screw the grizzly and Yellowstone. Aaargh, even writing about it gets me in a huff. Thankfully we were on out way to Jackson Hole and the Tetons.

Jackson Hole the last and final stop on our way home was a good place to wrap up our travels. Snuggled against the Tetons with perfect weather Jackson Hole offered us time to decompress and remind ourselves why we took this trip in the first place. We spent one day walking around eating good food, looking at beautiful jewelry and reading in the park...perfection for this tail end of the trip. To top off the day we went and had drinks at the Oldest Hotel in Jackson, The Wort and at The Tavern. Both places I got to dance and get twirled by some local hotness...I love to get twirled. We ended the night with some brothers whom we enjoyed thoroughly...dances, drinks, and then a drive back to our hostel. This was to be our last night in a foreign bed, as we eased into bed I prepared myself for our homecoming.

We arrived in Denver on thursday, July 29th at 8:00pm, we grabbed some Wahoo's and headed to the casa. HOME, SWEET, HOME!

Those are the misadventures of me, for more details call me, I would love to hear from you.

Till the next misadventure, stay safe

APKilla

Getting Fancy with the pics while Janette drives along, in, and through the Olympic National Park.

Well team, today has brought new scenery and a new country. Yippeee!!! We landed in Victoria, British Columbia today, we got searched by the border control, apparently we looked like drug smugglers...good thing she didn't check body cavities(j/k). It was funny, two very law abiding citizens and a beat up Corsica getting sifted through like were carrying kilos of coke...memories. Suffice it to say today was a great day, stumbled upon a huge car show, had excellent Japanese lunch, checked out some loverly shops...and now we are off to the Pink Bicycle to get some grub, it looks like a specialty burger joint. If we are lucky drink are going to be part of the night and the international shady lady might appear, keep those eyes peeled. Next stop Vancouver for three days then Whistler for one...if you are lucky we might decide to head home, but not without some camping in Montana and Wyoming. There are a few stops in between, hopefully getting to see some fun people.

Loving every minute,

APKilla

This is where I was today! It was beautiful!
Ferries and International travel awaits me tomorrow.
G'night
APKilla

Day 2 of Epic Adventure

Welp, team, as most of you know I have embarked on a 15 day road trip with my dear friend Janette to Vancouver and back. It is the end of Day 2 and let me tell you it kinda feels like day 3 or four. To start I lost my credit card in Wyoming...and I had to do some finaggling to get some funds for this trip(let it be known that I did not do much saving for this trip, so money might become an issue). I really try to present myself as a calm, cool and collected individual, but truth be told, I really wanted to cry about the situation, but I rallied and got my game face on. Next we were off to Portland, OR...I think that if i spent more time here I could really grow to like it and maybe live in it...note to self, visit Portland longer than a day. Whilst in Portland, we landed at the Thrift Lodge, which abucks a noisy concert venue(btw the bands sucked), then we headed to Chipotle, only because I had a coupon(at this point all dollar bills saved are good), then we walked back to figure out our plan of attack for the next couple days....It is going to be a doozy. Tomorrow we will drive along the coast in hopes of great scenery and beautiful weather, our destination is hazy...camping in the Olympic National Forest(space permitting), Ferry to Victoria and get a motel, motel in Port Angeles or sleeping in car(sorry ma) are all options...my vote is camping. I have to get up early and get the oil changed in good ole "Cori" and then we are off on another adventure. So g'night and we will see you on the flip.

Peace out,

APKilla

A day in the life...

Hey there party people...

Nothing too exciting to talk about, just wanted to tell about my misadventures of the day. To start off the day I should tell that I hit snooze on my stupid blackberry(I say stupid, because it is broken and I keeping losing missed calls and texts) for two hours....why? Well, I always have these grand plans of waking up early so that I can workout, read, eat a good breakfast and be a productive human being. But as habit would have it, I slept a little bit longer than desired...the end result was that I had to drive barefoot to meet my friend for "FRO-YO" because I had no time to put my shoes on, plus they were already in my car.

I have recovered nicely, and I am currently on pace with my plans for the day. I have to buy AAA so that when I break down on my road trip I am not stranded in the middle of Montana. Then I have to go get ready for Jenny's Bachelorette party...I have plans of bringing the ruckus. Every now and again I resolve that I am going to take a backseat and just let the party happen...but that truly goes against my nature. My nature: GET THE PARTY STARTED! I love drawing in the wallflower and getting them to dance. So, tonight I plan to roll with it and do what I do. I am sure that I will pee my pants from laughter or cause Jenny to pee her pants(she has a weak bladder), better bring an extra pair of undies. And lastly, I have to go to the liquor store to get the ingredients for the best sangria in the world...I am pretty that is an exaggeration but it will surely get someone sloppy tonight(prolly me).

As for right now, I am going to facebook and look up places to go on my roadtrip.

Peace, love and ruckus,

APKilla

Four Boys, 3 weeks with BFF, 2 months in Denver and a girl as happy as could be!

Let's start this story off right....I just moved into the most amazing house with four boys, I have never lived with boys so it poses some interesting situations. First being, what does one wear from the bathroom to bedroom after a shower when I have to cross through the living room while they play halo or watch The Wire: solution....walk around naked and tell them they are crazy and that I have been wearing a towel the whole time, actual solution: nice pink robe. Second interesting situation(has nothing to do with my roommates but plenty with being naked), I have no curtains on my window and we have neighbors....what should one do: get curtains. What does Ashley do: she gets dressed regardless, scandalous I know, but I am only going to live there for two months and there is no way I am going to invest in curtains. Besides, I am sure no one has caught me yet. Those are the only interesting situations to date, but be sure there will be more and they will most likely involve nakedness. Now, more important news....ROAD TRIP 2010!!!

Vancouver/Pacific NW/ N. Cali or BUST!

On Monday, my long time friend Janette flies into DIA to spend three weeks with me, two of which will be spent on the road figuring out our futures, flirting with truckers and experiencing all that America has to offer us. We have no plans other than we are heading towards Vancouver, if we make it, the future is still unclear. People of the NW brace yourselves for the Ashnette hurricane. I am excited for the adventure that lays ahead...I just hope my little Chevy Corsica can handle the open road as well as she rocks the streets of Denver. And when we return to Denver, that leaves me with one month of time with family and friends before I start another chapter in life.

Adventure SLO!

San Luis Obispo...nestled in the heart of the Central Coast of California. Somehow, I have become this girl that craves adventure, something new and fullness of life. So, with that said I have decided to move to California with my epic friend Kahle..."do you have a teaching job out there?" has been the most commonly asked question, to which I reply, "Nope". In my logical mind this next step to move seems a little crazy and the anxiety that I sometimes feel confirms that notion. But then I am reminded, so poignantly by a close friend, that my job is not to pursue a career but to pursue my life. I have no misgivings that this might be really hard and lonely, but then I think of my safety net...my loving friends and family who are supportive of my step into lunacy. So I throw caution to the wind and say..."Life, here I come, get ready, its time to play"

I am still in process about this adventure, but what better time to do it, I am free as a bird and the world is my oyster. If anything, I will become a more interesting(I know, hard to believe it can better than this) person with more to offer the ones I love.

Suffice it to say I am a lucky duck with sunshine at my back, adventure in my veins, joy in my heart and a smile on my lips. I expect big things. Tune in to see how the adventure unfolds, or to see the breakdown begin.

FULL,

APKilla

I am such a bad person...

So I was walking on Auraria Campus today on my way to have some coffee with a boy(who later stood me up, we will talk about that later) and I faked like I was getting a call from someone so that I could avoid talking to the people who were trying to save the children, rain forest, whatever. I did it a grand total of 3 times...if that doesn't make me a jerk I don't know what does. I think that I do this because I think it makes me looks less like a jerk, but I think the jig is up, someone has had to have picked up on my fake out by now. Anywho, thought I should share that with you folks, just in case you roll up to me and I reach for my phone that has not rung.

As for the boy who stood me up, that was a first for me. I guess my train of thought is don't ask me out if you don't want to actually hang out with me....well, I can honestly say I wasn't that disappointed.I had a great time by myself in LODO. Better luck next time, right?

Keeping it real, in the citay,

APKilla

Weddings, Weddings and More Weddings

Welp team, just finished up with my third wedding of the year, only two more to go. I have to admit that I am fairly fond of the wedding...call it a guilty pleasure. I love going to them especially when I have somewhat invested myself in the success of that particular relationship. This last wedding was FABULOUS, in part due to its extravagance, and in part because I love the couple so dang much. I loved watching two families become united, loved watching new friendships being formed, loved watching two people sacrifice for one another. There are so many reasons why I love weddings and one reason that I realized this weekend was that love is powerful, I got to watch a couple who had been married 58 years interact, it was moving. Call it a girl thing, but there is something to be said for watching a young man cry at the site of his bride, the best moments are the tender moments in which a MAN tends to the needs of his wife, girlfriend, daughter, sister or mother. In a world where I have been disappointed in the males in my life I was thrust into this hope for the future, that there are good men out there wanting to love good women.

So, like I said, I love me a good wedding. As I gear up for the rest of my weddings I am encouraged by the love that I see in so many of my friends for their partners. Plus, there is nothing more fun than having everyone (young and old) rocking the Thriller dance.

Peace, love and an occasional piece of cake

APKilla

Undeclared!!!

Welp folks, it is official I am done with school and all that it entails. I have been procrastinating on all fronts these past few weeks. Why? Well, I don't want things to change. Or maybe I want the change to be so drastic that I am scared that it might actually happen. I was thinking a moment ago how I have spent a larger portion of my life in college, and for all of that time I had declared a major, a mission, or fun. And now as a two time graduate I am thinking about what to declare next, no doubt it won't be a major but the idea of a life mission sounds intriguing and scary. Could I go the rest of my life "Undeclared", probably, but that seems a little aimless and non-committal. So, as I sit here and look at job opportunities, my dwindling bank account and my future, I wonder what to declare, what line I am going to draw in the sand, what stake in life I am going to claim. For today, right now, I declare myself, UNDECIDED but in pursuit of a mission and a whole lot of fun. I will, however, note that I will always declare my life as not mine and dealing with the ramifications that I am not always in charge is in radical opposition to where my heart is now. So the hope and the dream, to move into a space where declarations are made with the trust and belief that I am going to be loved, cared for and well.

Thanks for following the ride, thing are about to roll and that makes me nervous,

APKilla

Surprise!!!

Sooo, this past weekend I went on some walks and found myself in alot of pain in my hip. For those of you who don't know the story I have been dealing with an ailing hip for the last three/four years. It comes and goes but this weekend it was really debilitating, I could barely walk on Mother's day and only slept a couple winks because the pain was real intense. Well, heeding my mother's advice we went to urgent care in the morning, got an x-ray, and well it looks as though I might have some arthritis...I am doubtful that it is the reason for my pain, but it also could be likely. It has been a weird couple of days, sitting around thinking about my life with an arthritic hip(ah, God, could that sound any older). I hope that this isn't the final word and that I am destined for a walker at 27, but if it is, we're just going to have to roll with it(even if it is in a wheelchair).

Something new to talk about....about damn time.
I am praying that it was misdiagnosis and I can talk about the time that I thought I had arthritis.

Love you all,
Ashley

How do we know if it spring?

Well, I don't know how you know if it is Spring but I can tell you how I know it is Spring.

First off, mother nature is unpredictable, one moment she is sunny and warm the next cold and downcast...just like a good woman. Secondly, once mother nature has gotten her stuff together she begins to spring forth new foliage in colors that I am unaccustomed to, for I have already forgotten last Spring. The yellows, pinks and greens are only the start...I begin to see people bloom as well. Sun kissed cheeks, freckled bodies revealed in new spring and summer wardrobes to show off the stems that have long missed the light of the day. Eyes shaded by bright colored sunglasses whose purpose of protection is less apparent than the effort for stylistic expression.

This spring I have seen people in my life make huge decisions about life, to me this symbolizes our ability to let God wreck and ravage our lives, only to bring up new blossoms of things more beautiful and glorious. It is spring in my life, although my heart is clinging to the winter months, I am hopeful for the deep thaw that only come from my creator. I am ready to bloom and be seen by the world as a creature that is a product of the Spring...the everlasting Spring that can endure all the seasons.

I know, deep thoughts about the seasonal change, but it stems from my desire for change in my own life.

Take it or leave the underdog is ready to be on top.

APK

Parent/Teacher Conferences

So, I am not entirely sure that any parents will show up to see how their student is doing in "gym", but I am sure that I will get to watch two eighth grade girls basketball games and stay here till 7:30pm. Yikes. Positives to this scenario: I get to see my students outside of class with their friends, and I could quite possibly get some homework done. I have really found some students that I love and want to tuck under my wing to bring home. I have two students whom I am particularly drawn to, partially because they are charismatic people and because they make me laugh.

One student is real bright and does well in school but has a past with gangs and violence, for instance in the same day he got on the honor roll he also got suspended for fighting. And he calls himself a BAMF...only one of those letters is a non-curse word. But I love him, he is great.

The other student has emotional needs...meaning he is one pissed kid. He flies off the handle real easy. I would too if I couldn't read and got in trouble for it. His story makes me sad, but he also loves being active and doing things that are hard. When we read together he tries real hard and it makes my heart happy.

I just hope that both of them find what they are passionate about and get to do the things that make them the happiest in life.

Who knew that it was going to be this glorious, hanging around a bunch of middle school kiddos.

Ah the sweet life,

Ashley

Just Another Manic Monday

Well hello there, fancy seeing you here. Please note the time that this has been written and let's talk about how many hours I have been up already...DOS, DO, TWO!!! I am student teaching and learning what early mornings look like. Thankfully I was blessed with a beautiful sunrise. I am excited for the day that waking up at five is as natural as breathing. But till that day arrives...I am tired and there is no amount of coffee to get this going.

Hope you are having a most splendid day.

A-train

HIR..HIRI

"He is Risen....He Is Risen INDEED", that might be my most favorite statements on Resurrection Sunday. I love saying it with my fists pumping in the air, because it speaks of victory to me. So, I woke up at 4:25 on Easter Sunday to participate in the Sunrise Service at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was a fun experience, waiting in traffic to sit in a packed amphitheater watching the Colorado sunrise, who could ask for anything more. Afterwards, some friends and I went to Duffyroll for breakfast. To say the least, I loved my Sunday. I hope that the victory of the cross continues to have a profound affect on me this week and so on, it is miraculous and splendid to part of something so divine.

He is Risen,

Ashley

Adventures in Student Teaching

At the urging of one particular person, I am forced, coerced into updating my blog. I have many things to talk about, but the most topic that occupies 90% of my thoughts is Student teaching. I am in my 1oth week, with 6 more to go...yikes. I can give the highlights of my time with the littles(elementary) and then swiftly move on to my experience with the middle school crazies.

Littles(moments of laughter or confusion):

Cody(first grader) gyrates his hips near a friends head(unbeknownst to himself or his friend) because his excitement to play star wars tag overfloweth. I could not continue to teach I was laughing so hard.

Kindergartener Kaden wipes a booger on my hand, on purpose. How does one respond to that, unsure but this is what I did. "Kaden, take that off my hand and let's go wash our hands and talk about it." The teacher who observed this act of rebellion said she would have lost it and that I was too nice...I was just confused, not nice, I was in disbelief that stuff like that happens.

As we move to the middle school I am struck with a whole new set of concerns...these kids can't read. What am I to do? Still processing that one.

Till next time,

McBalla

I guess that wasn't so hard to do...enjoy!

Long time, No Blog

Since I have been on Blogging hiatus a lot has happened in my life, so I will catch you up in a rapid fire synopsis.

New roommate(colleen), lived in a loft(bed that is), finished last semester of college, welcomed a new baby cousin, celebrated the holidays with friends and family,went to a nuggets game, made out with a boy from estes park, finished the second book of book club, lost a roommate(to her new husband) , switched rooms, started student teaching, work at the grille(still), joined eharmony and match.com only to quick a week later, went to a wedding(roommate), became a bridesmaid(other roommate), got invited to old roommate's (megan) wedding, hung out with family, watched lots o Harry Potter, and got real sick from blowing up beach balls for p.e.....take a breath, Lord knows that I do.

That is my life in a nutshell since my last blog about falling off sports equipment. I hope to tell stories of my adventures in student teaching and about my life in general. But for now and tonight you will have to be satisfied with this snippet of my misadventures.

Savor the sweetness of life, touch the tenderness that is friendship and revel at the greatness of every deep breath taken in. All of these are gifts that I have been blessed with and I hope the same for you.

Thanks for stopping by,

APK