This Thursday night:
-emergency/dress rehearsal for Poulenc Palooza
-The Office!
-the first Yankees playoff game
-the night before big tests in two of my classes

Oops.

Manchmal bin ich so faul. Jetzt, zum Beispiel...

They did it! They did it! They're in the playoffs! I can't believe it! 14 games behind! Unbelieveable!

I have frequent dreams about horseback riding, even though I have only gone once in my life.

I also have frequent nightmares about driving, and my brakes don't work when I am in reverse. The brakes just make me go FASTER. I hate those dreams. I feel so out of control of the situation. And I always run into things.

I am so fabulously ready right now.
Ready for what, you ask?
Ready to take on the world.
Ashley vs. World.

Kay guys. I don't want to be a pirate, a ninja, a sith, a jedi, a hobo, a werewolf, or a vampire. I don't want a fluffy friend, a unicorn, an aquarium, a garden, or a zoo. Not on facebook at least.

I used to really like rain and storms.

Then I entered college, where the walkways aren't covered and I don't drive to school.

I don't like rain anymore.

I like the changes that have been made in my life this semester.
I like the new people I have met in my classes.
I feel healthy, happy, and most of all...balanced.

There has been a virus going around the school, but something inside of me (or outside of me) does not want to accept that.
Way to go, immune system. This is your best performance so far.

I think I only get sick when I am very stressed out.

Life, you've been treating me pretty well lately. No complaints here.

Come on, now. Nobody told me that Le Merle Noir was going to be so hard. Jose made it sound easy.

I never liked that Messaien...

Man, sometimes you just gotta sit back and think about how sweet life is. God gave us music! MUSIC! Really, He didn't have to do that. But now we have something to raise our spirits, comfort our sorrows, calm the soul, or praise. Or a million different things. Thanks to God.

I complain way too much. I should stop.

You should too.

On watching my conducting video, I noticed that even when standing on the podium with heels, I am shorter than Dr. J.
Nice.

Ashley on the move!
Oh man, this recording organization is getting out of hand.

My accompanist (one of them) said this to me today:
"Your sound is glorious! I don't even know how else to describe it. It's just...glorious!"

Musicians need moments like that. I appreciate it.

I am juggling a lot of things right now, but somehow it hasn't managed to stress me out...yet. I think it's because of friends and The Office.

I am preparing for nine different competitions/masterclasses.

Professor Amsler is a crazy lady, yes, but we discovered tonight that she just might not be as crazy as we all think.

I still say we're takin' the division.

WHAT THE HECK CHOPIN

9/6
Heute war ein guten Tag. Ich habe die Flöte in dem Orchester gespielt. Ich habe auch die neue Jahrezeit von The Office gesehen. Die war lustig, und meine Freunde und ich haben viel gelacht.

9/7
Heute ist Freitag! Mein Freund hat mir das Abendessen gekauft. Es ist unser Jahrestag von sechs Monaten. Wir haben das Hähnchen gegessen.

9/8
Heute, hat unsere Fußballmannschaft gespielt. Sie haben gewonnen! Ich habe viele Heimarbeit und Hausarbeit gemacht.

9/9
Heute Morgen bin ich zur Kirche gegangen. Später, habe ich geschwommen. Ich habe auch die Musik zugehört.

9/10
Heute war ein langer Tag! Ich habe zwei Quizen gehabt. An einem Quiz, habe ich gut gemacht, aber am Anderen, habe ich schlecht gemacht. Ich habe aber gut geschlafen.

9/11
Heute, habe ich ein Schokolade Milchshake getrunken. Danach, habe ich ein Lied über Milchshaken gesungen. Dann, havbe ich gelacht.

9/12
Es hat heute geregnet, aber ich bin trocken geblieben. Zu Hause, habe ich für den Plauderai vorbereitet. Ich habe auch ein Raumschiff geflogen.

Sometimes you look at the situation of others in this world, people just as good and worthy (or more so) as you, and you have to wonder how you could possibly be so selfish.

My relationship with my flute is kind of strange.

I hate it and I love it.
I hate it because I have to practice.
I have to practice because I love it.

(Not that I hate or even dislike practice; I just don't like that it takes so much time.)

I know that I talk about practice a lot. It's because I spend 1/8 of my life doing it. People notice this from time to time, usually when I can't do things with them. But the person who always notices it the most is me.

I'm finally doing it, I'm finally getting more involved with RUF. Yay! What a blessing this can be in my life...

The Office Jarezeit Drei...SWEEET!

UHBS=Unusually Heavy Backpack Syndrome

Oh, and they also locked all the doors and didn't activate the swipe entrace, so the only way to enter the practice hall was to knock until somebody opened it or prop the doors, which they just sent an email telling us not to do.

I'm wondering how the first person got in to let everybody else in.

They turned off the air conditioning in the practice halls.

Discourging practicing in your music students.
Way to go, FSU.

Sunsets are beautiful, but they can be sad. The light is traveling elsewhere...no longer where you are...but it is needed where it is going. Sunsets are neccessary, and they happen every day.

I used to not like friends, but now I do.
Not the t.v. show, but actual friends.
They can help you.
And make you laugh.
And you can tell them secrets, and you know that they won't tell anybody else.
They will support your decisions and understand you.
That's why I like friends.

Thank you, friends.

P.S. PLATES

After searching for years for something external to compare to Martin's Ballade, I have found it: the Zahir. An object that, once you look at it, even from afar, gradually consumes all your thoughts so that you grow unable to think about anything else. Eventually this drives one to insanity...one can no longer seperate reality from the zahir. This is the story of the Ballade.

The mind of the undecided
Like a seesaw
From side to side
Never resting in balance