ashleymoken on Xanga

Weblog

Wednesday, 05 September 2007

It's fun to stay at the...

YMCA!!! Yep, I am officially a card carrying member of the "Y". How cool is that? I have never had a membership at the Y and can I just take a moment to sell it!? Here we go. So, for only $39 a month (no contracts signed and I can stop payment anytime) and no joining fee (they were running a special) I get full access to ALL the classes they offer, racquetball courts, basketball courts, cycling rooms, free weights, and any other workout equipment you could possibly dream up. I LOVE IT!! I mostly joined for the Pilates and Yoga classes. Those Windsor Pilates dvds just weren't cutting it. I don't think I was doing them right, and I wanted to take a class to better my technique. I googled and the YMCA just a few blocks away from where I live came up with a ton-o-classes.

Tonight was my first pilates class and wooooomaaaammmmmaaaaa. I am feeling areas of my body I didn't know I could feel. It was an hour class of a little spunky lady, at least 15 years older than me , directing us to tuck, lift, inhale, exhale! Shewwww! That class was some serious stuff. She told me I was pretty strong for a beginner, even though I had to stop a lot and my legs pretty much turned into rubber halfway through the routine, which is a pretty amazing trick since we were laying on our backside.

I am enjoying being active again. Chris and I have taken up playing tennis and it is fun to be competitive and beat him!!! :) He wants me to buy one of those little tennis dresses....he says they are sexy. Hahahaha. Tomorrow is my 5pm Pilates class. It was either that or Pi/Yo, a combination of Pilates and Yoga. It is at 7pm and I could take both, but I don't think I could handle it! I know one thing, I will definitely use that huge indoor pool!!! They also offer cycling classes and a lot of dance/cardio classes. The most popular one is called Zumba and it is a mix of latin dance moves. I heard it kicks major bootie! They also have free WiFi, so you can bring your computer and hang out at their healthy diner/restaurant. So, if you have a YMCA near you...JOIN!!!

Wednesday, 22 August 2007

hey, beat it billie jean

So, today I found myself rocking out to Michael Jackson's "I always feel like somebody's watching me" and I realized that there is a whole generation of people that don't know about the greatness that was Michael Jackson. But there is a whole generation that knows about wacko-jacko the child molester. It is funny how someone who was so loved can fall from greatness. Some people just dig their own graves and don't even realize it.

He was nothing short of amazing. I mean, come on, with those dance moves.. and anyone who could pull off "Thriller" has to be a genius, right? Somehow he got wierder (and whiter) throughout his career, but darn it all who doesn't like a good Michael Jackson song from the 80's? It's like something just comes over you and you instantly forget the person singing it spent the majority of his adult life living in a place call "The Neverland Ranch".

My dad has this tape of me when i was a toddler begging to listen to the "Beat it" record. I keep saying over and over, "Beat it...Billy Jean...Beat it". To which, he finally replies, "Leave that alone Ashley, Beat it is broken". Hilarious. Well, I guess we all should have known something was wrong with ol' sparkle glove the minute they decided to shoot that "Thriller" album cover with him in a white suit cuddling with the baby tiger. Creepy.

Ahhh, but alas, creepy or not, I am not ashamed to say I know at least half that dance moves to "Thriller" and am happy to rock out to it while no one is home. :)

Tuesday, 07 August 2007

Currently Watching
Prison Break - Season One
By Prison Break
see related
Addicted

My new show to watch and obsess over...Prison Break. Amazing. How come I never watched it before? Chris, Sarah and I had a season one marathon this weekend and now, we await season 2's arrival on dvd.

I guess since we can't go to school this semester (financial aid fell through) it won't be a big deal to have another show to schedule our lives by...:)

And to think...they were filming season 2 in dallas while we were there and I was like, Prison Break who?

Thursday, 26 July 2007

Babies

Is it just me or is EVERYONE (but me) having a little bundle of joy? I mean, seriously it is like an epidemic out there! I can't even fathom it. I fall into that category of people whose modo is, "I am anti-baby... until I have one." Now, may I add- "Anti-baby" doesn't mean I hate children, never-ever want to have them and think motherhood is bad. Disclaimer, disclaimer!!!

I am such a paranoid crazy. No...you really have no idea. If I am late, I agonize over the thought of having a life inside of me. I think I might need therapy. A lot of my friends started families a while back, or are recently waving their "I'm prego" banner proudly. Wave on girls, wave on! I mean it too! I am super excited for someone when I read/hear that they are expecting. I get all giddy and hope it is a girl (because there are no cute boy clothes).

And see...that last sentence says it all! I want a doll to dress up, not a 24/7 reminder that I am offically responsible for someone other than myself (and well, Chris), but does that make me a totally horrible-might-as-well-not-even-have-a-uterus of a woman? Will I ever feel "motherly"?

Chris says I am more "motherly" than I know. I guess he sees the way I baby talk our dog (no, I don't care if you think it's stupid), and make a big fuss over her. BUT, I can put her in a crate and leave her for a good 3 hours, only have to feed her twice a day, take her on a daily walk, have a little play session, spoil her with some doggie icecream, make a big fuss because she went "potty like a good girl" AND I don't even have to get fat. Which is another way shallow reason as to why I am petrified of the "P" word. That and I have zero tolerance for pain. I hyperventilate at the thought of giving blood. And stretch marks and varicose veins don't sit well with me either.

Adoption, now there is an option! But really, when I join the league of pregos, I am sure I will be 100% excited. I will probably go out and buy the first pink thing I see and buy Pickles one of those doggie shirts that say, "I am a big sister" Okay, I wouldn't actually buy the dog the shirt, but I would be majorly excited. Well, after I shouted, cried, brainstormed and made like 10 different list of things we would have to get done like, yesterday-ago. I literally make myself tired sometimes!! Just thinking about it makes me all "plan aheady". Which, Chris just LOVES by the way.

To all you mommy's and mommy's-to-be: I love that you have somehow been given "super baby grace power". Some of you never needed it. It was like you always knew you would be amazing at motherhood. I thought that for a season too, but then something happened. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but over the years I just stopped believing it was something I could actually do well. I don't know why. Yes, it is kinda sad and no, I don't think it's healthy. But it is me. Like all things in life, I am sure it will pass and one day I will look back at this (all barefoot and pregnant) and think, how silly was I?

But for now I will just keep babying my doggie.

A therapist would probably tell me she is an easy replacement for my need to mother. Ehhh...go figure.

Sunday, 22 July 2007

Oh I just can't wait to be KING!!!

Yep, I have been singing Lion King ALL week. Why? Well, I was graciously given the most amazing seats to see the broadway version of Disney's The Lion King. One word- Spec-freaking-tacular! Seriously. The lovely Ashly Owens and I got blessed with tickets and we had a grand time downtown Thursday night. Charlotte has some serious nightlife going on!!

It was fun to get all dolled up and go to the theater. I raved about it so much to my musically inclined husband, that he is all about going (even if the seats aren't 4th row). We have decided to take my niece also. She is really excited about it. Work is good. Trying to get registered for school is a nightmare. The community college here is no where to the level of the ones in Dallas, and well, I have invested a lot of time jumping over their hurdles only to be met with, "We can't evaluate your transcripts for another 6 weeks because we are behind"- even though I got everything to them in a timely manner. What the crap!? I have been jumping over these hurdles for years now, so I just trotted my little self down to their transfer center and told them that I couldn't reg for classes because the buffoons up in records didn't know how to do their jobs.

To make a long story short, I got them to jerk the system and give me permission to reg for the classes I needed. I could only register for one, which came out to a whomping $760. Out of state tuition sucks. I have applied for financial aid, but unless some miracle happens and those crazies get moving on my paperwork, I just might have to wait until spring. It might be all for the best. That way, I can get in to see an advisor (they are booked up until classes start due to lack of advisors), get my transcripts evaluated, resubmit financial-aid (earlier this time) and save up for classes just in case it doesn't come through.

Ehhh...sometime going to school is like wearing one of those skimpy award show dresses- all that is holding you up is tape and a prayer.