FriChic: Ash Giveaway
I want this!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
What a Beautiful Person (Part I)
I owe my current disposition to two people: my father and my old doubles partner, we'll call her Hippie. They are the reason I row and, therefore, the reason I go to SMU. And I love SMU.
Back in the day, I played volleyball. And I was really serious about it. I started when I was 7 years old, played club volleyball when I was in grade school and traveled to different states to compete. I continued playing in high school. I wanted to play volleyball in college. It was at one club volleyball tournament my freshman year of high school when one of my teammates started talking about erging. "What's erging?" She explained that it was a way to get in shape for rowing. "What's rowing?" She gave me a leaflet about rowing and said I should come to a meeting and maybe try it. I was uninterested. My dad made me go; he rowed in college. I was sucked in by them both and I hated it.
I really did not like rowing at all at first. At all. It would be Monday at practice and I would be like, "Ok..uhh...it's Monday and I'm tired already and I don't really want to do this right now." And then Tuesday's afternoon practice would be over and I'd be like, "OK! Only two more practices until the weekend!" Wednesday would proceed in the same manner until I would feel utter relief come Thursday. Every week. Hippie and I were doubles partners in the Spring and Summer of 2005 where we spent a lot of time in the boat together and competed in many regattas (rowing races) including Club Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. We did fairly well and I was really proud of us. We were goofy during the whole trip and told each other stuff we promised not to tell others. Like when we were going up to the starting line and she had to go to the bathroom so bad that it hurt and asked me what she should do. I said, "If it will make you go slower if you have to go the whole time, then go to the bathroom right now. I want to win." So she tried to pee in a water bottle and failed. We were laughing hysterically and she made me promise not to tell anyone and I said ok.....until the next practice when I told our whole team.
Back in the day, I played volleyball. And I was really serious about it. I started when I was 7 years old, played club volleyball when I was in grade school and traveled to different states to compete. I continued playing in high school. I wanted to play volleyball in college. It was at one club volleyball tournament my freshman year of high school when one of my teammates started talking about erging. "What's erging?" She explained that it was a way to get in shape for rowing. "What's rowing?" She gave me a leaflet about rowing and said I should come to a meeting and maybe try it. I was uninterested. My dad made me go; he rowed in college. I was sucked in by them both and I hated it.
I really did not like rowing at all at first. At all. It would be Monday at practice and I would be like, "Ok..uhh...it's Monday and I'm tired already and I don't really want to do this right now." And then Tuesday's afternoon practice would be over and I'd be like, "OK! Only two more practices until the weekend!" Wednesday would proceed in the same manner until I would feel utter relief come Thursday. Every week. Hippie and I were doubles partners in the Spring and Summer of 2005 where we spent a lot of time in the boat together and competed in many regattas (rowing races) including Club Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. We did fairly well and I was really proud of us. We were goofy during the whole trip and told each other stuff we promised not to tell others. Like when we were going up to the starting line and she had to go to the bathroom so bad that it hurt and asked me what she should do. I said, "If it will make you go slower if you have to go the whole time, then go to the bathroom right now. I want to win." So she tried to pee in a water bottle and failed. We were laughing hysterically and she made me promise not to tell anyone and I said ok.....until the next practice when I told our whole team.
We raced together in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Our twosome broke up in the Fall of 2007 (our senior year) when she decided not to row. I was sad, but I rowed anyway. It was not the same without her. Practice wasn't the same, the team's chemistry wasn't the same, and rowing wasn't the same. Rowing was different for me, so I decided not to row in the Spring of 2008.
But she did.
I did other things that spring and it was weird not to be rowing with her. Then we went separate ways when college came; she went to KU, one of the most liberal schools in America, and I went to SMU, the 3rd most conservative school in the U.S. When I would visit my then-boyfriend at KU, I would see her up there, totally in her element. Unfamiliar with her style, I would ask, "What are you wearing?" She would smile and say, "Turnstyles!" (A store similar to that of Goodwill and The Salvation Army.) I was in Uggs and a North Face jacket.
Whenever I talked to a friend at KU over the last two years, I would ask about Hippie. "Well I think she's dating so-and-so, but I'm not sure anymore", "She's really liberal now and likes to party", "Umm I don't know...I think some of her hair is pink but maybe that wasn't her..." Hearing about her always made me smile. And I wanted to pick up the phone, but never did.
On breaks from school, some of our old team members and coaches would get together for breakfast back in KC and I would get to talk to her for a little while. I always loved hearing her thoughts on the world, her political views, how strongly she felt about the current administration, and what she was doing lately, cutting class, dying her hair or otherwise.
While she led a "be free, be happy" lifestyle where even the worst thing that could possibly happen "wasn't that bad", I held a strict schedule that included getting up at 5 AM (most likely when she was getting home for the night), practice, food, class, practice, food, homework, sleep, repeat where getting through the day was the hardest thing of my life. Two people who had once spent hours and hours a week together are now at two very different points in their lives. We went to breakfast the other day and I was really happy I got to see her. Which brings me to my next point....
To be continued. This post is long enough.
But for now, I love you Hippie and I have always admired you from afar. Even though we don't talk all the time, I often think of you and look fondly on our many times in the double. You are the reason I loved rowing so much. And I don't think I've ever told anyone that.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Note to Self: Start Thinking More
SO I took my kids to the pool the other day (the six kids + my brother I watch every Tuesday and Thursday) and I was reviewing my Oxford info booklet because I LEAVE IN TWO WEEKS!!!! :) :) :) And when I say review, I mean I finally read the booklet we were supposed to read first thing back when we got it in April. Hey, I'm pretty proud of myself for reading it at all. Anywho I was almost to the end when I read, "Required reading assignment with complimentary essay due upon arrival." I cringe a little. Ok...at least I have two weeks to read this book and crank out an essay. Totally do-able. Then I read that I have FIVE books to read plus an essay. FIVE BOOKS in, yeah in case you don't remember, TWO WEEKS. Ughhh..oh well. It's my own fault. Whatever.
So I'm still reading it when I get up to help the kids with something. Then, all of a sudden, my papers go flying! They could have flown into the chair, against the fence, into the yard next to the pool.......but no. As if by instinct, they make a bee-line for the pool. It was like they were saying, "Ahhh yes! Haley hasn't had a screw-up moment for at least a few hours, so here is our opportunity. Seize it and go for the pool. Hopefully we'll be unreadable by the time we make it in there." I scream and dive into the pool to get my precious Oxford materials. These are the plans for my whooooole stay there and include some very important documents. Like umm say my flight information including my confirmation number that I absolutely cannot lose. Oh and yeah the piece of paper from my program director that says I am a student at Oxford; I can't get in OR out of the country without it. These and about 5 other equally important and informative papers decided to go for a little dip in the pool. I might as well have taped my passport to my back and used it as a fin as I swam! WHAT was I THINKING taking this stuff to the pool?!?! I wish I knew. So I get them out and everything is in tact. Luckily. "So, ok, I lay them out to dry," I think.
I lay out a few white papers along with a blue one and a purple one on the white plastic pool chair next to me. (These specific details are important, I promise.) When I go back a few minutes later to check on them (they are a little dry and are threatening to go back into the pool again) I notice the purple and blue papers have successfully dyed the white plastic chair.
This is when I throw my hands up in the air and start banging my head against the fence. I look around to see if anyone has noticed as I reluctantly put my papers away and angle the chair away from anyone at the pool.
I finally retire to laying down and not doing anything. I can't possibly screw up anything if I'm not doing anything right??
And I haven't started reading yet. Maybe tomorrow.....afternoon.
Or the next day.
So I'm still reading it when I get up to help the kids with something. Then, all of a sudden, my papers go flying! They could have flown into the chair, against the fence, into the yard next to the pool.......but no. As if by instinct, they make a bee-line for the pool. It was like they were saying, "Ahhh yes! Haley hasn't had a screw-up moment for at least a few hours, so here is our opportunity. Seize it and go for the pool. Hopefully we'll be unreadable by the time we make it in there." I scream and dive into the pool to get my precious Oxford materials. These are the plans for my whooooole stay there and include some very important documents. Like umm say my flight information including my confirmation number that I absolutely cannot lose. Oh and yeah the piece of paper from my program director that says I am a student at Oxford; I can't get in OR out of the country without it. These and about 5 other equally important and informative papers decided to go for a little dip in the pool. I might as well have taped my passport to my back and used it as a fin as I swam! WHAT was I THINKING taking this stuff to the pool?!?! I wish I knew. So I get them out and everything is in tact. Luckily. "So, ok, I lay them out to dry," I think.
I lay out a few white papers along with a blue one and a purple one on the white plastic pool chair next to me. (These specific details are important, I promise.) When I go back a few minutes later to check on them (they are a little dry and are threatening to go back into the pool again) I notice the purple and blue papers have successfully dyed the white plastic chair.
This is when I throw my hands up in the air and start banging my head against the fence. I look around to see if anyone has noticed as I reluctantly put my papers away and angle the chair away from anyone at the pool.
I finally retire to laying down and not doing anything. I can't possibly screw up anything if I'm not doing anything right??
And I haven't started reading yet. Maybe tomorrow.....afternoon.
Or the next day.
I think I need to get this and tape it all over my room, car, locker room, and body. Haha but seriously, I'm glad things like this happen to me: I rarely ever get embarrassed or mad and always get to laugh at myself. It makes life a lot more fun.
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