Pandora

I love Pandora, because it gives me that window into a different world. I get to listen to Big Band and swing music whenever I want...well, as long as I have wifi and the best part is that it's free! Amy Winehouse Radio is my favorite station as of late - she may be crazy, but I love her voice and the variety of music that plays with her music.

Check it out if you can.

Kisses!

Ashley

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Today has not been the best of days. And as I sit here with tears in my eyes trying to decide why I feel this way, a series of unfortunate events flash in my mind.

I know this is pathetic, but it all starts with being laid off from University of Phoenix. Some might say "it's just a job, you'll get another one!" "You have so much to offer, don't worry about it - it's just one of a million jobs." But it was so much more to me than just a job. Besides the fact that I was amazing at it and loved what I did. University of Phoenix was my first real job after I got divorced. UOP saw me through 3 heart breaks, a Bachelor AND Master degree, countless friends, disappointments, successes - for the last five years my life has changed drastically, but my one constant was always UOP. So to be thrown to the curb when my life is now in the process of changing again and making big decisions, I feel like the carpet has been pulled out from underneath me. The sure confidence I once had is injured. What's worse is I got a job in the same field doing the same thing, and I hate it. It's seriously like I just went through a traumatic divorce (UOP) and instantly jumped into another relationship that is exactly the same, except worse (new place).  :{

Earlier this week (Tuesday) I was rear-ended. The line of cars ahead of me stopped quickly so, as I quickly slow down, I automatically look in my rear-view mirror and was shocked to see and instantly comprehend that the car behind me wasn't going to stop in time. I quickly looked forward and let go of my break petal, in the next instant she hit me and I slammed on my breaks. Luckily I didn't hit the car in front of me and my car is okay for the most part besides a few scratches that will get fixed through her insurance. But now my back and neck hurt and - again - I am reminded that the health insurance that had been so easily accessible through UOP is no longer around and the COBRA insurance hasn't processed. I go to the ER by myself on Wednesday night to get an x-ray and some medication.

Today, the trainers at my new job let us go an hour early, and I'm thinking "Life is good!" but as I'm merging lanes on the I-10 a truck changes his mind about letting me in and slams into my back tire wheel well. His bumper gets stuck on my wheel well and separates a chunk of my wheel well from the body of my car.  He doesn't stop, I can't get his information because he changes lanes and is behind me...lovely.

So, where am I at? Oh right, no job, no insurance, got hit, hurt my neck, got hit again, hurt my car - oh and did I mention that it took almost a month and a half to get my severance (which was supposed to process in no more than 30 days) - that one was my fault, but due to mistaken information relayed to me on the day I got laid off.

I know that sometimes I'm a cynic, but I would like to think that I'm genuinely a good/fun person. I guess right now I just don't feel secure. So what does one do when you feel this way? Vent through a blog? Go see a movie by myself?

I hope something works.

Kisses to all who got through that mess of a post.

Angry Birds

I started this week off with three chickens; but now I am down to two. Chicken #1, #2 and #3 were great layers in their day, but it has been months since they have earned their keep. I have been keeping them around any ways because killing chickens is serious business (mess-wise) and I just can’t bring myself to kill a perfectly healthy animal. Chickens #1 and #2 somehow escaped the coop while Bleeker and D.O.G. were outside.

At the time the terrified SQUAK from chicken #2 rang out, I was chatting with Travis. When I ran out to see what the matter was, she was huddled in a pile of her scattered feathers. Bleeker alert to my arrival ran up to me, excited to show me what he had discovered. He was quickly shuttled into his crate so I could evaluate the damage done. I couldn’t see much because it was dark so I ran back inside and shuffled through my rooms looking for my flashlight.

I couldn’t find my flashlight so Travis came over with his. #2 wasn’t doing good, there was a large chunk of feathers missing and she wasn’t going to heal so Travis and I were left with the responsibility to stop her pain. I felt so bad for her, and the last thing I wanted to do was botch her execution…so Travis and I threw some ideas around trying to determine which would be the best. I don’t have a hatchet, so we used a scraper I had.

The scraper was on the end of a 5ft pole; so I held the pole in place while Travis took a heavy swing with my rubber mallet…unfortunately, his first swing missed the pole entirely and instead fell on my hand. OUCH!

Travis was able to carry on without me and I am happy to say he did a clean job of it. I think this was Travis’ first ‘farm-life’ experience, but he was a natural :} Chicken #1 disappeared for a day but was roaming around two days later, so I’m just assuming she was in hiding.

I hope I don’t have to do any more executions for a long time! They are not fun! But I’m glad Travis was there to help me, he was fun to watch – since it definitely freaked him out a little, but I think he was trying to be brave for me :}

Sorry this was so long!

Kisses!