Opposites

Sam and I are SO opposite... she loves to bake treats, and I love to cook meals! It is amazing that we are even friends, really.

The Hair Update

I guess it's time to show you how my hair is growing in. More like growing up... it does not go flat, it just sticks straight up. But I don't mind, I like it. It is just now getting long enough that I will get a messy spot where my head touches the pillow when I sleep. 

Annie is IN LOVE with my head. She no longer gives me a hug and kiss when I leave. Instead, she wraps her arms around my head and gives it a little rub when it is time to say goodbye. 

I think Sam likes my hair more as it gets longer because then she can pull it easier when I am being annoying. Also, I think she was a little afraid of the dreadlocks. And after seeing all the dandruff that was stuck in their middles when we cut them off, I really can't blame her. (Overshare? Undershare? There are pictures of it, if you want.)

Sam's dad no longer calls me Sideshow Bob and no longer charges me a "Bohemian Tax."

I don't think my mom has actually seen either of my recent hair don'ts, not even in pictures. Also, I think she was so excited when I told her that I got rid of my dreads that she didn't quite catch on to the fact that all of my hair was gone, too.

Nasal Irrigation Cont'd.

I ran more saltwater through my nasal cavity today. 

Sam didn't even have to make me! She wasn't even there! She won't even know about it until she reads it right here on my blog!

I didn't even gag! Or cry! Or freak out at all!

Good for me.

Oh, the things I agree to...

Today, while I was sipping a water bottle, Sam came up and squeezed the bottle so hard that water came out my nose. I'm pretty sensitive to water being in my nose, as in it really scares me and obviously hurts, so I started to cry a bit.

The water coming out of my nose reminded Sam that some people pour warm saltwater into their noses when they are congested. I happen to have quite a cold at the moment, so she decided that we should try it. She was SO excited by the idea of pouring something into one nostril and seeing it come out the other. (I think it is something like Cassy's fantasy of me snorting rice up my nose and spitting it out my mouth.)

I explained to her that warm salt water makes me gag worse than just about anything else, but she insisted that we try it out, first with freshwater to get me warmed up, then with saltwater. I was and still am skeptical about how much she knows about this method.

Anyways, I was SO scared. I was totally freaking out, weeping, etc. It really did hurt, and it really did go in one nostril and out the other just like Sam thought it would. The saltwater really did make me gag, though it did seem to loosen everything up. Or dilute it. Or something.

Oh well, at least Sam got to do her little experiment. And I... well... I guess... I faced my fears? Came closer to the ability to snort rice up my nose and spit it out my mouth? Submitted to a ridiculous request from someone other than Jen?

Monopoly...

Sam and I played Monopoly today and, when I started to get down on my luck, she was merciless! If Monopoly were real life, I think today would have gone something like this...

Sam: "Ashley, you owe me money."

Ashley: "I don't have any money, but you can have my computer."

Sam: "Pshhh... no way, your computer is used... practically worthless"

Ashley: "Are you kidding me??!! It's only a few months old, it's still under warrantee, and I paid a bunch of money for it! I'll Even throw in the carry case and printer."

Sam: "No, that's not enough."

Then I would proceed to sell all of my possessions on eBay and give all of the money to Sam.

Getting back to real life, I just want to say that I got the Nintendo version of Monopoly a few weeks ago and it is really fun. Some of the correlations to the original Monopoly are a bit of a stretch, but it's still sweet. Even when Sam "The Crazy Capitalist" Thomson gets Mario and Luigi within the first couple of rounds around the board, then proceeds to take me for all I'm worth as quickly as possible. It was even really fun the first time I played Nintendo Monopoly, when Jen took away the use of all of my fingers and both of my eyes in order to drag out the game for as long as possible. I think I suck at Monopoly.

Live vs. Not Live

When I saw the David Crowder Band play at YC, I LOVED it. They were fun, folksy, they had so much energy, and, I mean, look at the guy...

He just looks cool, ya know what I mean? (Or maybe you think he looks crazy, but I think he looks cool.)

I had listened to an album or two before seeing him live, but I never really jumped on board. So, after I got back from YC, I gave him another chance. Though I really appreciate his music now, I STILL can't get into the albums. I think he's just one of those guys who is really really awesome live, and listening to his band any other way just doesn't compare. Maybe I will be able to enjoy the albums more when the concert isn't so recent an event in my mind?

Kind of the opposite of Taking Back Sunday. I saw them live before I had ever listened to any of their music and they were so terrible that I don't know if I'll ever give their albums a chance, though I have been assured by a couple of reputable friends that they are excellent. Whenever I think of Taking Back Sunday, I just want to pose like any of the four guys in the background.

Twinkle Toes

I have something to blog about that might sound like a lie.

I got a PEDICURE. As in, somebody cleaned my feet up and painted my toenails.

When asked if I wanted to get a pedicure, I was hesitant. I used to have a pretty ridiculous foot phobia, not to mention the fact that being pampered is not really my thing. And I don't think my feet were in all that bad of shape to begin with.

But I did it. Can you believe it?

Phone

The doors were open this evening as I was eating my cheese and crackers. I heard a familiar buzzing noise, so I went looking for my phone, which I knew was on vibrate. I was surprised that it was vibrating for so long, but I continued looking. In the spirit of the hot and cold game, I followed the noise. It led me to the front door, which revealed the neighbor weedwhacking in his yard. Sure did sound like my phone, which was actually in my pocket the whole time.

Poll!

I made a new poll!  Care to vote?

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Sam to Peru

Sam is going to Peru tomorrow night.

Sam is an absolute MANIAC when she is packing. She has containers in containers in bags. She is prepared for all emergencies - everything from her shoes breaking to having 4 pens run out of ink. If the 4th pen ran out of ink, she would be glad she brought 5 of them. I'm not sure what she'd do if the 5th one ran out of ink. Hopefully she does not read this and then go straight to her room to pack another pen. 5 should be plenty. Anyways, watching her pack has been good entertainment tonight. If I didn't like her so much, I would wish that she would go away more often so I could watch her pack all the time.

In all seriousness, though, I think it's pretty sweet that she gets to go use her mad EMT skills way down in Lima. So, if you think of it, keep her in your thoughts and prayers for the next couple of weeks and join me in being glad that there are such useful ways of serving.