Class Got Cancelled

Happy Girl.

This week. Memorial Day=No school/No work

Next week. Jeremy's Wedding/Reception & Family fun

Next, next week. Marathon Race & Family fun & Baby lovin'! (Hopefully. Better be!)

Next, next, next week. Last day of BYU, ever & Moving home to sunny California! Ya-hoo

Next, next, next, next week. Girls' Camp extravaganza & Leading hikes! Get me some nature :)

Zupas

I love you. 

Especially your 

tomato soup. 

It's heaven in a spoon.

Scaredy Cat

Max is gone on a road trip with his best cousin to Colorado Springs. 

That lucky stinker. 

Fortunately for me, I wasn't scared to be alone in the apartment all night like the first time Max was gone (I mean, he was ONLY in SLC for 1 night)! 

The first time Max spent time away, every noise, every creepy click or russle of blinds sent me into caution-mode. I could not fall asleep and I was on the verge of tears. Seriously? 

There's something about getting used to having someone there ALL the time, that gave me comfort. I mean, I lived at home with my parents, I lived with roommates, and now I have a husband. And then all of the sudden, I spend one night alone and I'm paranoid! Where is my independence?! Where is my courage?! 

Last night I stayed up so late and felt so sleepy that it wasn't as hard to fall asleep like before. I'm hoping I won't be a little scaredy cat anymore. I teased Max and told him to pray I'm safe here in Provo while he is off on his adventures. I pray for him too. 

Hello iPhoto

Summer at the Peaks

Well, as you know, summer is not exactly prime season for a ice arena. It is literally dead business. Lucky for me, my manager came up with a supreme (and goofy) activity for the entire staff (a whopping 4 employees) to participate in, himself included. 

The task: LUNCH BAG PUPPETS! 

Wow. 

Our crafty craftiness eventually turned into a competition. Various customers came up and voted on their favorite. And since the majority of skaters that Saturday were children, just guess who they chose as their number 1 puppet? Spongebob Square Pants. He is the creepiest of them all!

Spongebob Square Pants

Mario

Lioness (Creator also made Spongebob)

Formally known as Lion-heart; after the modification... Lion-beast

Zamboni

Do you see the Lion with an insane mane? That one was mine. He was all cute, with a little red heart...well, Spongebob kept getting all the votes. So, that Lion modified itself and started eating a mini Spongebob with blood-red teeth, drenched in red blood..ha.. (points for laughter?). I did get more points after that modification. Not enough to beat Spongy though.

It was a fun way to kill the time and get few laughs. Not many jobs (or Managers) put on such a charade... :)

Good Morning!

Last night, I set out to go to the temple. I made the call, I wrote the time, and it was planned.

7 AM.

I did not want to miss this. I woke up almost ev

ery hour during the night, checking my phone to see if I had missed it. For some reason I was really w

orried I was going to sleep right through it.

Like the smarty-pants that I am, I programmed my phone for the loudest volume the alarm function had to go off at exactly 6:00 AM. Max was definitely shaken from his slumber and remarked at how loud it was! Oopsy.

I was up and ready and out the door by 6:30 AM. Did I get the right time?; Will there be enough room for me in the session?; Will I be the only one there? If so, I'm not ready for that!

Needless to say, I was a little nervous. I was going by myself. But I was determined. And what a beautiful experience it was. I love the temple. I am so blessed to get to go inside and learn and partake of the special spirit that resides within it's holy walls.

My goal: Go every week before we move. And every week after.

For many, that seems pretty lofty, but I really think it's a matter of whether or not you make it a permanent part of your life. Kind of like brushing your teeth every morning and every night. If you don't brush, you feel yucky inside. I want to feel "yucky." I want to be so used to regular temple attendance, that if I miss one, I'll feel it (of course, I'd want to avoid this happening...but you get the gist right?). 

I haven't made much of a habit to go and I can't see why I haven't until now. I love the Temples in all their glory and beauty.

4.5 weeks

5-point list of why I'm happy this week:

1. I gave the presentation I was dreading a few posts back. 
2. I led the discussion in Psych 410R.
   
3. I'm on top of my assignments for every class thus far.
4. Only 4.5 weeks left and we're outta here!
5. And I'm gearing up for a test that I have NOT forgotten!

You'd think that preparing for a test doesn't exactly equate to happiness, but after missing the last exam for this class, my mind has been set in caution mode. I cannot miss it, and I've been consciously thinking about it every day this week. Not to mention I've lessened my anxiety over passing or failing this class by calculating my potential grades come June 17th.

They are as follows:

If I get 100% on all the quizzes, I can...

Score 90% on the remaining exams= 80% Final Class Grade

Score 85% on the remaining exams=77% Final Class Grade

Score 80% on the remaining exams=74% Final Class Grade

Score 75% on the remaining exams=71% Final Class Grade

Score 70% on the remaining exams=68% Final Class Grade

Now let me interject and point out, that I really don't want to get a 'D' in this course, I'm aiming for a 'C' and though that may not be awesome, though it may only be average (more like super sucky since BYU has grade inflation with all the smarty pants here), considering my circumstances I'd accept a 'C' gladly.

Score 65% on the remaining exams=65% Final Class Grade

Score 60% on the remaining exams=62% Final Class Grade

Score 55% on the remaining exams=60% Final Class Grade

Once I saw I could fail every remaining exam and still get a 'D' passing (by a hair)...I realized that I would never fail an exam in this class. And if I know I'd never fail, much less get a D on the exams, I know I'll be in the 70 percentiles. I figured I'd at least get a 'C' in the class (so long as I don't miss anymore exams!) And I get 100% on quizzes. 

I can do this. And I don't feel so stressed anymore...or should I say as much anymore... I still have 4.5 weeks before jumping for joy or crying over failure.

A Letter He Won't Read

Dear Dr. G,

I hate your teaching ways. 

It took you half an hour to 

attempt to explain what we 

are going to talk about in 

class tonight. JUST GET 

STRAIGHT TO IT! You're 

wasting my time and I have 

no clue what you're really 

rambling about... I'm positive

that class time could be

cut in half if we removed

every pointless ramble you

make. I've taken two of your 

courses, and you know what...I 

wasn't a fan back then either. 

Even though I hate the way 

you teach, and find it extremely 

frustrating and demotivating 

to learn from your lectures, 

I will still be nice at the ice 

rink, smile and give you your 

locker room key when you 

ask for it nicely. But know, I 

don't like you very much. 

Especially for your heartless 

decision to deprive me of any 

chance of redeeming my 

grade for the class.

From,

Me

Losing

I don't know what it is about Spring/Summer terms, but I have this trend of missing the first exam in at least one of my classes. 

It could be the speediness of the course, you know how projects and tests just sneak up on you unexpectedly like WHOA ALREADY?!, or the new Testing Center hours for Summer classes.

I am furious and there's no way I can make this up. 100 points. Gone. Crap. I have to pass in order to graduate!!! This not only negatively affects my psychological well-being but my physiological well-being, too. The knots in my back are appearing and I haven't had a really sore knot like that in a long time. 

I explain this to Max and he replies: 

"Take this as a challenge. Show that dumb teacher you 

are too smart for his class. Get an 'A' on everything else."

I love him for trying! But he is right...I need to do freaking amazing on every test and quiz left. I am so mad at myself. Please tell me this happens to people. I mean it happened to me. And I hate it. 

And then I thought... Why didn't I buy a planner? I always buy a planner. I LIVE MY LIFE IN MY PLANNER! (at least academically that is). I write every single assignment, test, project, and meeting required of me for the school year. Once it's done, I highlight it (my ways of crossing it off the list). And if you didn't know, but I obsessively and religiously look at my planner every day, almost every hour to assess my weekly assignments. 

BUT NO. 

No planner and this is what happens. So...I bought a pink, BYU planner. And yes, I immediately wrote everything in it. I know I won't forget anything else for the rest of the term. 

Please let me pass Psych 353.

GLEEK

Sue: I might buy a small diaper for your chin, because it looks like a baby's ass.

Oh, how I love you, Sue Sylvester.

1 Week Down

7 weeks to go. 

And Max and I are both feeling anxious to get out of Provo.

I decided that with only a month and a half of school left, time will go by quicker than we think. I figure I will survive my capstone class and the requirements expected of me (50 minute lecture), and it doesn't really matter if I make a fool of myself or not because I'm moving. I'll never see these people again. Who cares?! Yeah, Ashley...keep telling yourself that. The fact that I keep blogging about this testifies of my anxiety over it. Sorry for the repetition! But writing this out could be therapeutic... possibly... maybe.

On another note, I've been hashing out some art projects. Time to practice--I've become a little rusty. Max is the most difficult subject to draw. I'm pulling from our wedding photos because black and white are easier to recreate (for shadowing purposes). I'll post it on here once we get internet at our apartment (most likely when we move to California) unless I find the cord for our camera. 

Not much to update aside from anxiety up the wazoo over my "lecture" and art projects. Have a happy day!