Randoms in PEI

10/30/2010
Seriously?

Why not, indeed.

Oooo, lots of bottles. And one with liquid.

PEI Traffic.

I put out the same dress last night to wear.

Need information? Just ask me.

I'd better get on that.

Anyone seen my car?

The death rate in Canada is apparently extremely low.

Because I'm vain. And because I can't take serious photos.

Driving

10/28/2010

Drove for eight hours straight. Made it to P.E.I.

Netflix and hulu don't work outside the U.S..

Vacation

10/27/2010

Today was humid. But I didn’t care ‘cause I was going on a much looked forward to vacation. First, fly into Boston, meet up with Tammy P and drive a few hours to our hotel. Tomorrow we head north to PEI and ending up in Salem, MA on Halloween.

And then I got to the airport. To be honest, I’m still at the airport. My flight was originally suppose to take off at 6 pm. It is now 9. The doors are open so that’s a good sign. I’ve been at the airport longer than my flight will take.

Good thing I have technology. Especially that I can look on delta.com on my phone and get my flight status. No need to get off my chair and look at the board twenty feet away.

I just looked. It is delayed but the time is still for 9 pm. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Uh, we are boarding now. Laters!

Bonding on the Subway

10/26/2010

I generally don’t think much about the car I get onto when riding the subway. Ya, there are strange people occasionally but you get use to it. This particular ride was no exception.

The car wasn’t packed with extra seats for anyone that came on. I got a seat in the middle of the car between two doors. Standing in the middle was a man who, at first seemed to be drunk. I’m not sure now but he did have a lot of things to say. Loudly.

I was tempted to record his ranting but it would have just been filled with bleeps as he used lots of words that Mormons don’t like to use. He was also using derogatory terms in regards to certain races (mainly against whites and how they destroy everything they touch). I just kept my head down but was entertained.

It turns out so was everyone else on the train. When he got off everyone looked around at each other and just started to laugh. Comments of “can you believe that?” and “wow, that was intense” were heard throughout the car.

It was a bonding moment for us all.

Lovin' the Boss

10/25/2010

For those that follow my blog (Brittany), my boss had her babies last week. Up to that point she had been doing fine and went in Tuesday morning for her normal check up. It was then that the doctor said the babies had to come. They were six weeks early, three weeks before they were expected.

Nonetheless, things have been going pretty smoothly at the office. A few hiccups but everything has been handled as she has still been working with constant emailing going back and forth.

She does feel bad that she can’t be there. She reminds us every day how quickly everything happened and how she didn’t anticipate it.

Today she reminded us with cupcakes. Her favorite. Crumbs. 12 cupcakes. For four girls. That’s a lot of cupcakes.

Needless to say, we have enjoyed sharing them and trying each one.

On the train

It is pretty apparent when you get on a train if a bum is riding. There is usually a radius of at least six feet surrounding the said individual. It is hard because you feel bad for the person but getting close can be somewhat nauseating.

On this particular day, however, I was surprised to look around the train and see a man that resembled a bum in the corner of the car. I must have ridden several stops before even noticing. There was some space between him and some others but there were no faces of disgust.

However, what really got my attention a few minutes later was when he pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a perfume bottle. Calvin Klein to be exact. He then proceeded to spray him self a dozen or so times.

When the scent reached me I was quite pleased. Pleased by the beautiful scent and pleased that this guy knew something about hygiene.

Or knew how to at least cover the lack-of hygiene up.

My soon-to-be-brother-in-law

10/23/2010

I called Brittany after an evening with friends on my walk from the subway stop. It rang a couple of times. To my surprise, Chris, Brittany's fiance answered.

Chris: What are you doing out so late by yourself?

Ashley: I just got done with some friends and I'm on my way home.

Chris: Be careful. Be safe. 'Cause if anything happens to Brittany, you are my back up.

Good thing I Iayered.

10/22/2010

Both my apartment complex and work decided to start running the heat. All the layers were off in minutes.

Con of the new office

Remember those big windows in our new office? They don't do a good job at keeping the cold out.

Looks like I'll be layering up this winter.

Work

10/20/2010

The past few months at work have been kinda crazy. We moved offices, changed some things with how the office runs, hired new employees, all while my boss has been pregnant with twins. And, although everything ran smoothly, we were all busy.

I knew this week would be busy as I was training a new girl starting today. I wasn't too worried as everyone else would be in the office, including my boss. Little did I know that I was wrong.

I got a text from my boss yesterday saying she thinks she is going to deliver. She isn't due until the end of November but had been scheduled to deliver beginning of November. She is three weeks earlier than expected. A lot can happen in three weeks including me being ready for her to be gone.

Later, my boss's husband texted me from my boss's phone:

Hey Ashley. Babies are doing well. Lea is recovering. First words out of her out of her mouth were "are the babies cute" and "tell Ashley to train Sarah."

Work continues to be exciting.

Music on the Subway

10/19/2010

That time of the semester.

10/18/2010

It is, once again, the time of the semester where I am forced to go to the library. Today was to look at microfilms. And, naturally, there were a few mishaps.

The last time I worked on microfilms was about six months ago. The time before that was no months ago. So, I might have forgotten how it all worked.

The adventure began right away.

Turn the machine on.

Check.

Turn the computer on.

Check.

Put the spool on.

Check.

Oh, wait, I put it on backwards.

Put the spool on the correct way.

Check.

Feed the spool through the machine until it is caught.

Check.

Wait, what's going on? It isn't catching properly.

Fiddle around with the machine until something different happens.

Check.

Start looking at the microfilm.

Check.

Thirty minutes later... Wow, my eyes are tired.

Rub eyes with hands.

Check.

Forget about putting hand sanitizer on my hands thirty minutes before so eyes sting and water for about ten minutes straight.

Check.

Engine of machine stops working which doesn't allow the microfilm to advance.

Check.

Advance microfilm manually by sticking hand into machine.

Check.

Once done, rewind microfilm back onto spool.

Check.

Naturally, it doesn't rewind as intended.

Check.

The first time is always the most awkward, right? Hopefully tomorrow the experience will be better...

I should have been home this weekend.

10/17/2010

But then Brittany decided to move her wedding date. I'm slightly bitter.

But, even more than that, I'm paranoid.

Instead of getting married, Brittany decided to up and move to Alaska. I'm afraid she is going to freeze to death.

Seriously.

View of Manhattan

From New Jersey/Washington Bridge

Stand

10/15/2010

There is a restaurant in the city that has walls of chalkboard in the bathroom fit with a cup of chalk so that people can write on the wall after their...business. Every day at the end of the night, though, they clean the walls for the next day patrons to have a fresh wall. Needless to say, some fellow cougars left their mark.

Free screening

10/14/2010

There are definitely perks to living in NYC and attending NYU. One of the many is the various free screenings of films yet to be released. Today: Love and Other Drugs. Best part is that they didn't make me sign an agreement that I wouldn't divulge any of the story.

But, I'm not going to because that isn't the point of the post today. The point is to make everyone jealous that I live in NYC and get lots of perks from it. Jealous yet?

View of Manhattan

From Brooklyn

My last saving grace...

10/12/2010

In a class of fifteen, it is aparrent when people don't speak. Especially when the class is filled with Second-Year Master students and PhD students. Well, today was one of those days where everyone was commenting and I couldn't get a word in. But, I was fine with it because everyone else was in the same spot. At least until the last hour. There were three of us who hadn't made a comment. The guy finally got a word in.

Thirty minutes later she raised her hand. No! We had an unspoken (literally) agreement that we wouldn't raise our hands to say anything!

Someone else started talking at the same time.

"Oh, sorry," he said when he realized he had cut her off. "Go ahead."

"No, please." She honorably conceded.

"Please."

She shook her head. "No, go ahead."

He jumped on the invitation.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. She came through for me.

Crazy Storm

10/11/2010

I couldn't find my better camera to pick this up. So, just imagine hail, downpours, lighting and thunder like crazy, and me all snug in my apartment.

In honor of Columbus Day tomorrow

10/10/2010

A text conversation between Brittany and I:

(Please note that I enjoy coming up with new emoticons)

Ashley: Oops. I just fell asleep on the couch. Now I'm awake. Back to reading :/) (PS doesn't that look like Pinocchio? I just accidentally did it and I thought to keep it. It is Columbus day tomorrow and all...)

Brittany: Haha, it IS Pinocchio! Definitely a usable icon I think-especially when talking about lying.

Ashley: You are such a great sister :/)

Awkward...

I helped a friend move today but at one point there wasn't enough room for me in the car. So, I stayed at his old apartment while he and his friend went to drop some stuff off. Only thing was that the new guy moving in was arranging his stuff in his new digg.

He was actually pretty cool. He is a singer, dancer, actor. He even worked for Marc Jacobs for a few months as a temp but had to go travel. He has been trying to contact them as they offered him a full time position. Unfortuantely, he is still waiting. He even got some great women's shoes from them that are a few hundred dollars. They were very...red. He is going to give them to a friend since he doesn't need them.

Needless to say, I wish Tony good luck at his new place and future career goals. He feels it is time to settle down and I wish him luck with it all.

Thank goodness for procrastination

10/8/2010

Good thing I procrastinated filing papers yesterday and did other things at work instead 'cause when I got in this morning, that was all I could do. Updates on my computer needed to be installed. I didn't realize it would take 45 minutes until I could get back on my computer.

Good thing I procrastinated filing papers yesterday.

Never a dull moment...

Work never ceases to amaze me. Anything can happen from fighting with boxes, ongoing wars with the post office, having interesting conversations with my boss.... Today was no exception.

Since moving offices, my desk is by a large window that looks across an alley to another building (see below). You may think that doesn't sound so great but I can assure you that coming from an office with absolutely no windows, it is heaven.

I digress.

At one moment today, I took a quick glance out the window as I was contemplating some work stuff. In that brief moment I noticed something peculiar. I looked out the window again. Nothing. But I kept looking. And then I noticed it. Lights were rhythmically flashing. And then I heard the sirens.

K, so that is pretty much all that happened. Something about a false alarm. But, can you imagine how exciting just the flashing could have represented?

The adrenaline in those fifteen seconds was rushing through my veins.

Modern Family

I love "Modern Family". And I look forward to watching it every week. But, I don't have TV so I either have to wait until the next day to watch it online. Or, I watch it while at the gym. I decided, today, I couldn't wait. So, I went to the gym ready to watch.

And then "The Middle" came on.

I got the time wrong. I was an hour early.

Guest Speaker

10/5/2010

We had a guest speaker in my class today. A class of 15. The topic was engaging and enlightening. For all you film people, you will know who is. Rick Altman.

For all you non-film people. Well, you should.

Visitors in the office

10/4/2010

It's always disconcerting when we have a visitor in the office. Today, it was an auditor doing an audit on a client. Of course we had everything he needed. My boss is good like that. But, it was still slightly awkward.

I mean, all I wanted to do was listen to music.

Talk last week

I spoke in church last week. My topic was Modern Revelation.

Why couldn't it have been next week? I have a whole bunch of awesome material that I came across yesterday and today that would have been perfect for it.

My alarm doesn't go off on the weekends

10/2/2010

I always set it. And I double check that it is set. But, for some reason my alarm doesn't go off on the weekends. And, on a conference weekend, it is important that it does.

Oh well. Good thing the church across the streets bells went off. Maybe I'll give them credit for my salvation.

Ankles

10/1/2010

I was told that I have nice ankles. I didn't know that one could have nice ankles. I thought ankles were ankles. Needless to say, I've actually been complimented on my ankles before...

New Poll

9/30/2010

As soon as I figure out how to put a new poll up on my blog again, this is what it is going to be:

Should Brittany get a blog?

Yes. I would love to be privy to the thoughts of not just one twin, but two.

No, one twin's blog is enough.

I refuse to vote.

Yet, another, Brittany/Ashley email conversation.

9/29/2010

For Christmas last year, Brittany got a quote-of-the-day "The Office" calendar from her soon-to-be in-laws. Since receiving it, she has diligently emailed me the quotes on a daily basis. I, upon realizing that it is now almost October, asked the following. Which led to everything else:

Ashley: What are you going to do come 2011?

Brittany: You can buy me a calendar. And, since I won't be working here forever, you can buy yourself one, too, and we can follow them both each day so I don't have to email them anymore. Just if they are funny we could talk about it. It's like I buy you the movies every year. You can buy me and you a calendar each year, on top of something else that is of equal or greater value than the video club membership.

Ashley: LO-...

That was a funny phrase :)

Brittany: :)

Don't overdo dying laughing though! That is for only the serious of serious laughs.

Ashley: Okay, okay... I just got really excited... I'll be more conservative with my deaths.

Brittany: Only 9 lives. Ha!

Ashley: I'm not a cat...

Brittany: I always thought so. You are vain enough. And you have those crazy eyes.

It sounds like this conversation may turn into a blog.

Ashley: It very well could. Too bad you don't have one. Then you could post it.

Speaking of cats, are you jealous that I'm going to be in Salem, MA on Halloween?!?! Cause, you should be...

Brittany: Oh, good transition!

And, yes, I am actually VERY jealous! And I say that in all sincerity and covetousness that is deep within me.

Ashley: Covetousness, envy, and jealousy?

Brittany: D - all of the above.

Ashley: Then my job here is done.