What Happens.....

when you put a hyper active dance instructor in a beach condo with 4 other women (and a willing male participant)? This....

Yes I learned the dance but no you will not find me in this photo. This was later on in the same day that I had to play 3 tennis matches.... so there was no ribbon dancing for me. But I just thought this picture was hilarious. Look at MB there on the left getting into it. Yea, I see you! Haha! I'm over there on the far couch. Do you see that pillow? That's where I was. I must have leaned up for a moment. Later on this night everyone else had a great time making fun of me as I layed passed out on that couch. I was tired ya'll!!! Haha!

Here are a few more action shots of our group doing what we do best...... eating.....


and enjoying the beach.


Oh, okay... and here is a pic of us after our last tennis match.

Thanks, girls, for a fun trip!!!

Yea.... That's Me and Our Future President

I know I've posted this picture before, but while on the tennis trip this weekend one of my friends inquired about how I met him and what we talked about. It wasn't until that moment that I had actually thought back in time to that conversation that we had and realized I had spoken with our future president. Wow! It just makes it all the more surreal. I do think it was such a unique opportunity I had that I should share this with you.

Barack Obama visited Huntsville in July of 2007 for a quick fund raising stop before heading to a high dollar event in Birmingham. So for lunch, my boss took my coworker and I to a private club down the street where Barack Obama would speak to maybe 75 or 100 people. Before the lunch, we had an opportunity to go to the private meet and greet upstairs. How amazing! The mayor was there and presented him with a key to the city.

Then he made his way around the room and spoke with each person in the room. Sometimes it was a quick handshake and hello and sometimes it was a full blown conversation. I was lucky enough to land somewhere in the middle of that range and we spoke for probably about 1 or 2 minutes.

When he finally got around to where I was standing he turned to me and said (roughly people ~ I was in a daze I don't remember exactly what he said), "Hello, Ashley. Pleasure to meet you." (you see... I had a name tag on.... clever fellow)

And I responded....... in the most seductive voice possible...... "The pleasure is all mine. How bout you and me skip this joint. I know a real nice spot on the edge of town the secret service boys can drive us to......"

Haha! Okay, not really.

I told him it was an honor to meet him and that I had... just a month or so earlier... driven to Atlanta to see him at a student rally... but hadn't gotten near enough to actually meet him, as there were thousands upon thousands of people there. I told him that it was an amazing experience to be a part of that crowd.

Here are a few pics of that event.....

way zoomed in so it looks like we were actually close....... we weren't

He recalled the rally and asked if I was a student. I told him I graduated just that past December from our local university. He asked for my major and gave me a big smile when I told him one was Political Science.

He asked if I had a job and I told him I had interned with an economic development company during my last semester of school and was offered a full-time job within the company when I graduated. He seemed genuinely happy that things had gone so smoothly for me. He placed his hand on my back and told me how thrilled he was to see young people succeed.


And then I asked if he would mind taking a picture with me....
And that is how I met - yes, actually met - our future president!

My View the Last 4 Mornings

There on that very sand was where I read and finished my new love - Twilight. What an outstanding read! Now I'm looking out for deals online to buy the next three.

And the way it ended - makes me wonder....... what will happen in the second book??? Don't tell me! I guess I'll have to read to find out. Edward is such a tantalizing character, although I picture him much hotter than the character in the movie. I guess he's alright looking.


I am definitely looking forward to seeing the movie and comparing the two. Bella seems kind of crazy but I guess young love is like that - just not really like that. Anyway, I look forward to reading other Twilight post now that I know a quarter of what is going on. I was trying to space out the books: read the second one on my Thanksgiving trip back to the beach and take the third and fourth books with me to Colombia to read during our over 2-week vacation. I even thought about bringing Lucas's mom a Spanish version of the book to see what she thinks. I just don't know if I can't wait that long to dig in to the next book!

While at the beach I did play some tennis - 6 matches to be exact. Our Friday night match got rained out so I ended up playing 3 matches on Saturday. That is definitely too much tennis for one day! We had a great time. On even better news, my teammate won one of the door prizes - which just happened to be the best one. A 3-day, 2-night stay at The Beach Club! And - she is taking our team for a 'team-bonding' trip! She is so generous!! She has to use it before March 1st so I'm not sure if I'll get to go since I have so many trips planned between now and then: the beach again, Colombia, and Cabo san Lucas. I think I am getting spoiled with all these trips!

Also, it seems my body did not react well to all of the late nights, climate changes, and tennis matches and now I have a cold. :( I don't feel good but it isn't all that awful - just painful red nose from blowing it all day, sore throat, weird-sounding voice. My boss keeps telling me to go home but I don't want to go home when I have a tennis match to play tonight. That wouldn't be very logical: "Sorry, I was too sick to sit at my desk behind a computer but I was fine to go play a match at 7:30 at night in the freezing cold." So now, I'm trying to convince myself that I'm fine to play tennis tonight. My husband is not very happy with this decision at all. I have asked for a sub tonight but if no one can play for me I'll have to play because there is no way I'll make my team default a court on my behalf. Ugh!

Lots to come

I'm at the beach. I read the book. I need the 2nd one for the ride home. What a great vacation I'm having but I miss my husband and puppy. Can't wait to talk Twilight with you girls!

Somebody please tell me.....

why this woman is so excited to be taking away other peoples' rights?

AP Photo - Proposition 8 legalizes a ban on gay marriage in California

More on the election to come, but I just saw this photo on the front page of my local Alabama newspaper's website and thought 'you have got to be kidding me'.

Also, how is that religious freedom? Sounds more like religious infringement.

Vote

VOTE!!! I don't care who it is for, just do it!
Our democracy is a gift! Don't take it for granted!

The Devil Wears Fake Prada

The night we have all been waiting for finally arrived. Halloween! I got all of the luminaries and pumpkins lit for our trick or treaters. We had like 4 or 5. Where have all the trick or treaters gone? Maybe they were scared away by our loud music. Oh, well. We still had a great time with our crazy group of friends.



First off - My little angel!

Isn't he so precious? And who's that devil I see?


It's me! Throw in another angel and we've got one really mixed up family. Ha!


Also attending our party - Michael Phelps. Yea - we know him. I didn't know he was such a drinker though. Who knew you could drink so much beer and still win 8 gold medals (and need floaties). Ha!


I took a few laps.


Of course, we had some nerds come crash our party. Ha! They aren't really nerds they just dress up like nerds on Halloween (yea right, *wink* *wink*)!

And of course, the drinking pregnant lady - with baby (and I guess she felt a little self concious - she stole the angel's halo to make herself feel better).


A few of these and we were good to go.


She came in late - I can't let her drink alone. Haha!


We had a great night out with friends.


A few group shots:




Here you will find a dirty dentist, a speed racer girl (she's with the dentist), and a Cadillac thug. He was really too funny - even drinking Colt 45s. Haha! He left 2 in my fridge - we won't be drinking those. Yuck! There was also a clown and a prisoner who didn't make it into these shots.

And of course you have the political people that I just had to have my picture with.


This couple by far wins SCARIEST costume of the night. I told them that. I don't think they were too amused.


Oh, well. What can you do?

Goodbye Halloween '08. I already know what I want to be for Halloween '09. You'll find that out tomorrow!