An Extremely Wintry Afternoon in the Ashleyverse

Well, folks, it's a nasty, snowy, wintry afternoon in the Ashleyverse. On days like today, I wish I was somewhere almost perpetually warm and sunny, like California or Texas. Oh, well, I reckon I'll more than likely end up in one of those two places before it's all said and done, so I just need to live in the moment and try to enjoy the natural beauty of Illinois winters. LOL! After all, it could be a lot worse.

Update on My Ongoing Attempts to be a "Domestic Goddess"-- Plus a Little Unsolicited Commentary on the Latest "Celebrity" Death

Alright, folks, I've made a bit more headway in terms of becoming more domesticated. For the past couple days, I've been using these last vestiges of "free time" before I go back to school and work to tidy up around the house. I'm not going to lie to y'all-- it feels really good to clean up. I think that perhaps I've finally gotten past the crazy notion that only repressed, uber-conservative, fundamentally religious women actually enjoy housework. Don't get me wrong, though; I'm still very much a feminist. However, I do want my personal space to reflect who I truly am: a competent, hard-working, disciplined, and intelligent 30-year-old woman of this promising decade that has just begun. On a side note, I would like to find a fella to accompany me on this life's journey, so I think it would behoove me to exhibit the aforementioned qualities.

On a whole other topic, yet another celebutante has passed away. Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson family fortune died at-- gasp!-- age 30, most likely due to complications from diabetes. In addition to being mourned by her family, Casey is also sadly missed by friends, including fellow socialite Paris Hilton and supposed fiancee, reality TV "star" Tila Tequila. Y'know, you would think that with everything they've been given in life, as well as access to the best medical care in the world, these gals would take better care of themselves. As for the Tila Tequila part of this, well, I saw that girl on Jimmy Kimmel Live a while back, and she ain't necessarily the brightest thing. So, I doubt she was really all that intuned with Casey's well-being, either, and I'm sure that given their fast-paced lifestyle, Casey probably wasn't taking terribly great care of herself prior to her premature death. Hopefully, what happened to Casey and Brittany Murphy will serve as a wake-up call to the up-and-coming generation of young women. Ladies, if you want an awesome, rockin' life, y'all have to take care of yourselves-- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!

Happy Birthday, Big Daddy!!!

Howdy, folks! Yes, today is my dad, David Len Waggoner's, 56th birthday. Born on Jan. 5, 1954, in Lawrenceville, Ill.-- a very small town-- he was, interestingly enough, the New Year's baby. (Many in the family lovingly joke that the early fame and notoriety went to his head. LOL!). So, happy birthday, Big Daddy!!! Love ya! That's really all I have to say today, since there's really nothing else that special going on in the Ashleyverse atm. The only thing I can currently think of is that it's exceptionally freakin' cold in my lil' neck of the woods this afternoon, and we're expecting a snowstorm sometime tomorrow (yuck! I despise winter with a passion!). Alright, y'all take care, keep warm, and peace out until next time.

Just Another Miscellaneous Monday Post

Okay, folks, I made good on one of my New Year's resolutions today by cleaning the paper clutter out of my house and car. I feel soooo much better now! Unfortunately, I also managed to spill piping hot McDonald's coffee all over the front passenger-side floorboard after hitting a speed bump while pulling out of the parking lot. Now, my whole car smells like fresh coffee, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in the Ashleyverse. BTW, did y'all know that when you spill piping hot McDonald's coffee in your car, the whole dang thing becomes a virtual sauna? Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially on a wintry January day like today. Anyway, at least I got rid of the clutter, and I'm enjoying my newly clean, if not very aromatic, Volkswagen tremendously.
Also (and this is totally off-topic, BTW), remember that couple who crashed the White House dinner party back in November? Well, now it's been discovered that there was a third uninvited guest. I swear... everybody's entitled to "achieve" his or her 15 mins. of fame, but couldn't these idiots have at least done so in an ethical manner?! Speaking of the White House, its current residents have returned from their Hawaiian holiday vacation, which apparently wasn't too much of one. Oh, well, at least the Obamas didn't cut the vacation short on account of being recognized.
Alright, that concludes this miscellaneous Monday post. Namaste, ya'll!

My Predictions for Domestic Affairs and World Diplomacy in the New Year

While it would be completely redundant of me to say that President Obama has a diplomatic mess on his hands, I do want to reiterate my belief that he will begin to resolve certain aspects of it in 2010. First, I believe that our president will continue to make headway in regards to the Middle East peace process. Secondly, I think Obama will ultimately prove himself worthy of that Nobel Peace Prize by trying to get U.S. troops out of both Iraq and Afghanistan within the year-and-a-half timetable that he has set for withdrawal from these countries. (I know this one sounds rather lofty, especially since a number of world leaders, including France's Nicolas Sarkozy, are now "anti-Obama," but I remain cautiously optimistic.) In addition, I predict that the Dems will retain their majority in Congress and that this turn of events will bolster the peoples' support for the president's progressive agenda. (According to recent reports, the GOP is not doing well financially, which could seriously hurt the party's chances for victory in the November mid-term elections.) Finally-- and perhaps most importantly-- Obama will inevitably turn our economy around for the better. So, those are my political predictions for 2010. Now, let's get busy helping our president make them a reality!

Out with the Old, In with the New

Okay, I've devised a little project for this weekend: cleaning out all my crap-- in the literal and metaphorical senses-- that I accumulated last year. In the literal sense, I'm going to pitch all the paper mess and clutter (my biggest domestic downfall!) that has gathered in my house and car. In the metaphorical, spiritual sense, I'm working to release all my old, worthless emotional baggage. It'll be a big ole, all-around catharsis. So, that's my little New Year's project. I'll update y'all periodically to let y'all know how things are coming along with it. Alright, time for me to sign off in order to usher in a clean, fresh decade. Namaste, y'all!

Happy New Year/Decade!!!

Well, folks, it's officially 2010 and the beginning of a whole new decade. As I've said before, I have high hopes. Based on all the news stories I've heard and read, I'm not alone in expressing this sentiment. Anyway, I had a very nice New Year's Eve last night (read: very peaceful and quiet; perhaps this is a sign of things to come). I had a couple beers and vicariously watched the ball drop in Times Square, courtesy of ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve w/Carson Daly. BTW, did any of y'all see Green Day's live-from-L.A. performance of "21 Guns"? Simply amazing! Alright, I hope everyone else out there is enjoying a lovely New Year's Day 2010, and I'll talk to y'all later. Peace and good vibes during this year and every year to come.