A Dejected Ashli Ford and her Tear-Soaked Slipper

Told you there would be a blog in the future entitle that. ^^

Topic Number 2: The End of Summer

Looking back on this summer, I feel so incredibly accomplished. Usually summers for me entail sleeping in, sitting on the computer, and eating every possible thing in the cabinet to mask my boredom. But I actually DID stuff this summer. Things I never thought I would experience. Some things: 

1. LEAKY CON

2. The last shuttle launch 

3. A weekend away in Clearwater/Tampa. 

4. Dinner on top of the Hyatt. 

5. Sailed on a pirate ship.

6. Made homemade ice cream/a slip 'n slide/a time capsule/a Lego Burrow/and a cake!

7. Had a surprise candlelit picnic in the park, by the lake, on a hillside. <3

8. Yankees Game 

9. Went to my first off-Broadway show: HAIR!

10. BBQ on the beach. 

11. Was a co-parent for 10 days. xD

12. Bowling/Mini-golf/Daytona Lagoon 

13. Finally experienced all 4 Disney parks. 

14. Played Xbox for the first time ever and WON. 

15. Went on a boat to Disappearing Island. 

16. I need to end this list now! 

The best thing though was spending it with my best friend. It's just an amazing feeling waking up every morning next to the person you care about and knowing that the day you're about to tackle is probably going to be crappy, but when you come home, they're there to make it better. I truly feel like you don't know a person until you've lived with them. And from everything I've learned, I like even more. 

My room is so empty now without his millions of cords and over-flowing hamper and stacks of papers and piles of random odds and ends. And it's more quiet without his video games blaring, or the loud noise of the fan on high, or just another voice there. It's also a lot warmer without that fan on high, and the covers to myself. But I still miss all of that. Because it was clutter and noise and cold that I enjoyed. 

I'm so much more content with the move-back-home today than I was yesterday morning. I was bleeding mess. But blimey, just a few of the right words from the right person made it all the better. And I go to Pennsylvania in 3 months! And he comes here in 3 months! And it's just a beautiful thing. I'm so happy I could burst. It's like ..  "pretty cool" to be in a really fantastic relationship with a really fantastic person you have a really fantastic time with. I'm so unbelievably grateful. <3(:

On a more serious note...

I haven't blogged in dayssss. This past week was crazy and emotional and busy and just overwhelming. But in that crazy, emotional, busy, overwhelming week, I had time to think; henceforth, blog topics. 

Topic Number 1: Cyber Bullying

Until last week, I only "knew" of cyber bullying, (not that melodramatic teen movie on ABC Family) I mean real cyber bullying. Yes, the cyber bullying I was involved in was minimal, but due to being hormonal and a woman, I blew it out of proportion. But bullying is still bullying, whether one is hormonal or not. Synopsis Time: 

(Pretend this is a Facebook News Feed, thanks.)

Ashli Noelle Ford-Murphy: So my lovely boyfriend, best friend, and roommate, Andrew Strunk is moving back home tomorrow. Someone bring me ice cream to eat away my sorrow, the credit card to buy away my pain, and sappy love movies to cry away the despair. Heh, heh. Going to miss you muffin, ♥. 

Cyber Bully: I love when couples show affection over the internet. 

Except the post via Bully was posted 3 minutes after mine. Now that I'm rewriting it, it seems ridiculous. But it was embarrassing because I didn't feel as if my post was mushy or puke-worthy at all. I was actually kind of mocking the fact of missing him. It was sarcasm. Yes, I did go on a shopping spree and bought Birthday Cake ice cream, but I definitely haven't watched any sappy movies, so I think I'm doing alright. *twitch*

The most hurtful part was that everyone immediately started liking her post and it was just like everyone was against me, so it hurt. But the fighter in me commented on her status cheekily, "Omg, me too!" Well, she bit again with, "I can tell." And then everyone started liking that comment. So I felt I needed to rid of the haters. I commented back with, "Well, let me make sure you don't have to read my affectionate posts anymore, bye!" and proceeded to delete and block her, along with deleting my status. Oh, and report her to Facebook for harassment and bullying. Well, I was an emotional wreck after that. I'm talking sobs and snot and dry heaves and I think I cried out every tear in my body. Ugh, I hate being a woman. 

Fast-forward, more haters jumped in and they, too, were deleted. I don't need negative people in my life. And they don't deserve to even get a glimpse of my happiness. It's a win-win. 

So the moral of the story is, don't let others control how you feel. If it bothers them, they don't have to read or hear it - they can leave (or be deleted). Thanks to mommy, I reposted the status because it "IS MY OWN FREAKING WALL" and I'll say how I feel. It's such a cliche, "don't care about what others think of you." Everyone says it, but no one follows it. But you are you. And people don't like to see you happy; especially the ones who are miserable themselves. They want to hurt you and squish you so they can feel powerful. Don't. Let. Them. Do. That. Don't ever be afraid to say how you feel or fight back or wear something ridiculous because you think others will laugh or not talk to you or not be your friend anymore. If they do any of those things listed above, they were NEVER worth it in the first place. And if they leave you, it wasn't a healthy relationship in the first place. The universe takes them away for a reason. To make sure you have the best support system around you as possible. People who love to build you up, share your happiness, and wear ridiculous outfits with you, not tear you down and see you fall. You're better than that. Believe it.   

Orlando, Disney, More Disney, Tampa, Clearwater, More Disney

I feel like the worst blogger ever because I didn't follow my peers around all day with a recorder and/or notepad to remind myself of all of the fabulous moments I encountered this weekend. I've been writing really, longgggg, blogs lately - so I feel it's time for a shorter one. Some highlights and facts of this trip: 


1. There is no such thing as a Caramel Macchiato at McDonald's. The real name is "Caramel Mocha." 
*Fact: The difference between Mocha and Macchiato is that the Macchiato is sweeter and has "a lot more flavors going on" (e-cigareteforum). While the Mocha has more of a coffee flavor - just chocolate and coffee. 
2. For the first time in 19 years, I saw the Welcome Ceremony at Magic Kingdom and am still singing, "Good mornin', good mornin'! To you, and you, and YOU!"

3. "Your bow is crooked!" Drizella, Carrie, and everyone else on the entire planet made that clear.

4. "Bibbidi, Bobbidi, boo; may all your wishes and dreams come true." I. Love. Sparkly. Wishes!

5. I conquered Animal Kingdom, chewed the thought of stealing a baby gazelle (aka Tommies), cried at both The Lion King show and Finding Nemo show, and experienced the best caeser salad and pizza of my life.

6. Yetis scare me. Even if they're the nice Yeti who plays checkers. o.O 

7. Flamingo pins don't exist anywhere in any park at Disney. 

8. England (and The A-Team) is beautiful in the Epcot-Time-of-Year. See?!

9. My future was decided! Click here to see my future!

10. I GOT A FIGMENT PIN AND HE'S THE CUTEST THING EVERRRRR. (Which, upon entering my house, was almost confiscated by my pin-crazed mother.)

11. There's an ice-cream dessert called "The Kitchen Sink" which is really funny because it has everything in it and is displayed in a mini-kitchen sink. Clever and delicious.

12. Andrew's mum kills bugs with brooms; Andrew kills bugs with pillows. Like mother, like ... son. 

13. The Party Bus. 15 passenger van passengering 12 people. One. Epic. Trip to Tampa. 

14. The University of Tampa is the single most gorgeous campus I've ever seen, and I desperately want to live there. 

15. Their swim team needs to find a new method of posting announcements on outdoor bulletin boards. Laminate them, or try the scrolling marquee method. Printed paper isn't hurricane-state-friendly.

16. Hitting curbs, screaming IT'S HOT, and singing Friday = Highlights of Party Bus.

17. Talked Harry Potter with Stevie: a really awesome gal who knows her Potter. Love. HER. 

18. Andrew and I sleep with our mouths open on the trek back to Orlando via Party Bus. 

19. Found JUSTIN BIEBER SINGING TOOTHBRUSHES. 

20. Crazy Cake free sampled ice-cream is where it's at. <3 

21. Remember the show animorphs from the 90's? Everyone kind of morphed into massive garbage disposals at T-Rex. Which, in my opinion, is a fabulous eatery.

22. Downtown Disney/Chaser Hunting/Gift-Card-Collecting/Window Shopping/Oh, and pouting because I didn't get a really boss Alice and Wonderland t-shirt. lulz.

23. SNEAKING, POUNCING,  AND GET-OFF-YOUR-KNEE-IS-IN-MY-SPLEEN! = Alarm Clock.

24.  I don't pack enough clothes. 

25. Ate Starburst and watched clouds and listened to Johnny's House on XL 1067 on the way back home. 

I could go on with the numbered list until a million, but I said this would be a short post. It was an amazing weekend. I met a bunch of great people and made a bunch of fantastic memories. <3

Sunday, Monday: HAPPY DAYS! Tuesday, Wednesday: HAPPY DAYS!

          I have the type of fatigue where your head is all fuzzy and it feels as if your brain is running into the inside of your head. And your eyes burn with angst towards you because you didn't allow them to stay closed long enough, so they're going to gain revenge by randomly closing shut throughout the day. Oh, and your muscles are screaming at you because you were twisted up in this little ball in an attempt to find a comfortable position. I have that. I have that, and it sucks. 
          Henceforth, this will not be a post spilling with profound thoughts or rants or eloquently strung phrases. (See what I did there?) This has just been an amazing extended weekend - it needs to blogged about. 
Saturday: (See previous post about this day here! ==> Saturday's Details :D )
Sunday: I spent most of the day cleaning, but Sunday NIGHT was where it was at. 
Sunday Night Where It Was At: The Newlywed Game! Three couples. Not a single one of us "Newlyweds," but still a ton of fun, nonetheless. The Boyfriend and I started off slow, but you better believe we came back and tied the game with my sister and her "The Boyfriend". Somehow the night turned into 3 AM and we were craving Dunkin' Donuts. Except Dunkin' Donuts had to be like, the worst place ever, and not be open 24/7. And then my sister and I decided to start singing that really melodramatic lullaby from The Rugrats Movie; the one that, as www.rugratonline.com phrased, "a dejected Tommy Pickles" holds a ratty slipper and sobs in the corner, "Baby, please, don't you see? I want mom and dad for me!" Yeah, that one. We sang it the entire ride home. By the time I got home, I decided that I would ask my boss if I could take off a few days to spend with The Boyfriend since it's technically the last few days I have with him. Stay tuned for a blog about a "dejected Ashli Ford and her ratty, tear-soaked, slipper."
Monday: I dressed up for the first time in weeks. It felt good to look like a girl again. Naturally, what does one do when she looks like a girl again? Go to the mall, of course. The Boyfriend and I had lunch at the mall - I had an amazinggg wrap from Nature's Own, and he had an even better pizza-inside-pizza thing from Sbarro's, which I kind of ate most of... *guilty*. And we were off to window shop and be depressed about how poor we were, and were out of there within the hour because our wallets felt like strangling us due to lack of use. So we went to Publix to indulge our wallets' desires to get the 100 tomatoes and stuff to make homemade ice cream! Oh, and we won $4 from the lotto. How nice of it. 
          Skip failing miserably at playing catch because it was 9 billion degrees outside, but let's highlight the fact that I STOMPED The Boyfriend in Madden, 38-21.. or something like that. And we took a 3 hour nap, but woke up just in type for the best sloppy joes ever and to make homemade ice cream. Which also, was delicious. 
Tuesday: Batting cages, batting cages, BATTING CAGES. The Boyfriend, my brother, and I went to the batting cages and even though it was pitching terrible, I still hit like, more than zero. And it kept getting stuck, but that paid off too - because we got 4 free tokens for next time. We got lunch at McDonald's and I had my first "Quarter-Pounder." (Which, by the way, has a thicker bun than the dollar menu burgers.) We continued the afternoon by FINALLY building my Lego set: The Burrow and listening to Live ATC. I surprised myself at how many pieces I found and connected properly without losing patience and storming off in an impatient, spoiled, rage. Ten points to Slytherin. 
Then I ate 105 tomatoes. That's all I have to say on that. Go watch the video! Watch Priceless Gag Faces Here! And we played catch before my brother's practice - which was awesome. So awesome, that I had to go straight home and play more catch. And it was 9:00 and we were starving and we went to get sushi and it was delicious and we came home and we watched Boy Meets World and we went to sleep. Because that's what you're supposed to do apparently.
Wednesday: PARTY DAY! Got everyone together for a slip 'n slide day after training my brother extensively for baseball season. I was a warrior. The Boyfriend popped the slip 'n slide, but no worries, we had a backup plan and it worked beautifully. We all showered, played a board game, and decided we were going to dress semi-formally to go to McDonald's. See:

So naturally we had to do that whole Do-This-Pose/Do-That/Take-One-More/Prom-Standard-Procedure-Thing and we were off to be fancy with our fast food.
Cashier: Oh, ya'll look cute! Is it Prom or somethin'? (Because it's August, and school's not even in, and everyone goes to McDonald's before Prom).
Sister: Nope.
Cashier: ...Oh, what's the occasion?
Sister: No occasion, just wanted to dress up!
Cashier: Oh, dang! Well, ya'll look CUTE!
And we walked around Wal-Mart after that; my sister and I talking in British accents and the boys failing in British accents. The rest of the evening was spent editing my video - which if you haven't heard, Go. Watch. Now.
Thursday: I'm suffering from bad fatigue and I'm back at work and I'm writing. Can't wait for Disney this weekend. It's going to be so, magically, boss.

Dropping By to Post Links and Stuff -

Can't say anything. Too tired. Time to pass out now. But the real reason I've gathered here is to post the video of me taking my challenge to eat 105 tomatoes! HERE. GO WATCH. NOWNOWNOW! :D Click Here for Tomato Challenge!


That is all! More to post later.


<3

Fantastic Words and When to Say Them

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: 

I bought the 100+ tomatoes today, and the challenge shall commence tomorrow. I also had to endure the facial ridicule from the check out lady when she saw that I bought 6 plastic containers of grape tomatoes. But I had to suck it up and remember: I do this for the fandom. 

On another note: 

I was recently told that the choice of vocabulary I use is attractive. I believe I used the word, "flippant." (i.e. Not showing a serious or respectful attitude). So I got to thinking about other words I enjoy using, just because I like the sound of big words. Not because I like to sound educated, but because I generally enjoy the feeling of extending my vocabulary. To provide an example, if vocabulary were a store, I'd be like the child pulling on her mum's shirt tassels kicking and screaming for the bigger, better toy. But in this case, vocabulary word. Pearl Strachan said, "handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." I believe so highly in the power of words. Words can cut a person down; words can build a person up. I love words, so my gift to you, if you're looking to be attractive, are some of my favourite vocabulary words.

• Writhe: A twisting, squirming movement
• Adjacent: That which is near or bordering upon
• Contiguity: Proximity
• Intrinsic: InherentEgoism: The theory that places man's chief good in the completeness of self
• Explicate: To clear from involvement
• Nonchalance: A state of mind indicating lack of interest 

Your words speak lightyears. You can be reaalllll attractive to somebody. ;)

Pieces of Gum Chewed: 1

Nail Polish Colour: Yeah-Still-Chipped-Sparkly-Silver 

100 views! And.. The Tomato Punishment. o.O

I have one thing to say to all of you:

THANK YOU!!

I really didn't think anyone would even look at my page, as I mentioned in my first post. I stand corrected. For me to get 105 views in 4 days is phenomenal, considering I thought I'd be talking to myself. 

In honour of my stand-correctedness, I'm going to punish myself for doubting all of you lovely people. If it's one thing people love, it's to see people suffer. So, I'm going to eat 105 tomatoes. Because I. Hate. Tomatoes. I don't know how I'm going to pay for 105 full tomatoes, so if I just get the packs of cherry tomatoes, is that okay? I hope so. It's the thought that counts, right? Either way, I'll be gagging through each cherry tomato as if it were a full tomato. Thank you again for all of the support and reading about the mundaneness that is not my life. You all are fantastic. (: 

Pieces of gum chewed: 0

Nail polish colour: Still-Chipped Sparkly Silver

PS- Just so you guys know I'm not cheating, I'm going to video-document this and link it to the blog. :D

On Finals, Baseball, Traveling, and Boyfriends

Usually I'd try and start out with a tag-line or something to grab the attention of the reader because I was taught that the only way anyone will ever read your writing is if you start off with something like, "BOOM!" or "What is the little plastic piece on the end of the shoelace called?" or "Hey ugly, read my story." (For the record the little plastic piece on the end of the shoelace is called an aglet. Yes, even tiny pieces of plastic that reside on the ends of shoestrings have names.) I'm hoping that the introduction above was interesting enough; if not, turn back now, because I'm leaving things as they are.
Some boring information:
I woke up at 7:38 this morning to prepare for my ATC Final at 8:00. (For another record, I got a 91 on the test, 94 in the class.)
Some not-so-boring information:
So my brother's fall season of baseball just started, and I have a few things to say on such things. (Some details: He's in the 7-8 age group, on the Yankees, and it's >5billion degrees here.) I think my favourite thing about sports isn't the family atmosphere, or the greasy food, or the chants, it's the soccer moms. I'm not sure why the name was secluded to just the sport of soccer. Because honestly, I, nor probably the majority of the population, has even been to a soccer game, so how can this judgement be made? But if soccer moms are anything like baseball/football/cheerleading/stage moms, there's a story that follows them. They pull up (after running everyone over) in their super car SUV, with their lawn chairs and coolers and loud mouths and act as if their child is the only child on the field. I always feel sorry for the kid because you can just tell they don't even want to be there, but due to some traumatic, life-altering event in their parent's childhood, the parent could not fulfill his or her dreams; henceforth, are living vicariously through their children. It just amazes me that this woman never had one thing positive to say to her kid, but sat right behind the child as he was batting. (Thank God he had the fence in between them to take most of the heat.) And she ran her mouth, and he struck out, and she ran her mouth some more, and he still struck out, and it was like a skipping CD. Repetitive and irritating.
On another note, the boyfriend and I decided to take a trip to St. Augustine today. We sang Bieber all the way up, and talked softly about the day all the way back. All the in-between stuff was fabulous. St. Augustine is gorgeous and I fell in love with 500 year old streets, gelato, street performers, crafty bums, and french dip sandwiches. I'm not going to post a sappy blog about how absolutely amazing my boyfriend is, because like I said before, no one really cares. And it's not that they even don't care, they're just jealous that they don't have a boyfriend like mine. And they won't. Because I've got the only one there is. *not in a sappy way*

The work of a Crafty Bum <3
Made from pine needles! 

PS - I'm going to start signing with the number of pieces of gum I go through a day and my current nail polish colour.


Pieces of gum chewed: 3
Current nail polish colour: Chipped Sparkly Silver

A Double Date at Delay-tona Lagoon

I promise not all of my titles to my posts are going to be my attempt at creating clever wordplay. And I'll admit, I actually tried this time and went down the alphabet hoping to find something to better my title through attempted cleverness. But anyway, this wasn't a delay of The-Lines-Are-Too-Long-Because-This-Is-The-Best-Water Park-Ever. This was a delay of Please-Turn-Around-And-Look-At-What-This-Woman/Man/Thing-Is-Wearing - Doing-To-Its-Child - Doing-To-Itself - Et-Cetera. Some background information, it's a Wednesday evening in Daytona Beach and it's Family Night. Which, Daytona at any time is oozing with Woman/Man/Things. But you add a cheap family night into it and there you have it: The Greatest People Watching Location of All Time, Space, and Matter. As I was floating down the lazy river, I noticed some things about the age groups and cliques that one might not be as keen to notice, unless floating alongside them in a chlorine river struggling for survival in an inflated donut.
1. The Teenage Boy Group. Age: Between 13-16.
This group of adolescents are violent. And I'm talking a severely damaged. These people were completely going against the Lazy River Code of Ethics: To. Be. Lazy. Kicking, shoving, drowning, smothering... It was an underwater Black Friday. Risking their lives just for I'm-Going-To-Get-To-The-Steps-First-Glory. Steps. Murder and violence for steps.
2. The Life Guard Group. Age: Typical Life Guard Age.
Reflecting to my statements above, it's clear to say that the life guards were in fact, not guarding lives. I'm not going to go into detail about these Fake Life Guards, but my favourite was the one at the bottom of the big pink and yellow slide. Who was in no form watching or paying attention to the people coming down, but found the water going into the drains more fascinating than one being put at risk of dying a slippery pink and yellow death. I came down the slide more violently then I expected; and water burned my nose and drowned my lungs. Oh, and my contact was lost somewhere in all of that pink and yellow wetness. To complete my journey, I stood up to find the largest water creature, with a wingspan of 8 feet swimming towards me.
Me: *screams* There's a huge bugggg!
Lifeguard: ...
Me: *attempting to push the bug out of the water with my mat* Can you please get this out?!
Lifeguard: ...
Me: *still attempting to push the bug out with my mat* No, seriously. Can you please come get this?!
Lifeguard: ...
It went on like that until I walked away. The lifeguard walked towards the bug, looked at it, and did not find it as interesting as his Water-In-Drain-Game.
Me: *after walking several feet away* He's supposed to be a lifeguard. What if I swallowed that thing with the other 85 gallons of water I inhaled? And I choked and died, and all of my accomplices sued him out of a job. He didn't save my life, but I dang sure just saved his job. *hero status*

Blah-Blah-Blah-ging.

Many years ago, I made a promise to myself that I would never make a blog. I did this because I knew how much I could care less about people's problems or issues or love life or gossip or whatever else you're supposed to fill in the blank when you complain about people. I recognized my lack of empathy and sympathy towards the neighborhood blogger; and therefore assumed everyone on the planet had the same lack of concern for my inner-well being. I'm not going to tell you that I had a recent epiphany: that everyone loves me and is dying to hear me talk about myself. Because I would be lying. I'm completely aware that no one, in fact, cares at all. Which I guess can be a good thing. I feel that this constant longing and thirst we as young, and older, adults have for news about the current tantrum or rant or friendship-slaughter is almost... sadistic. If we, as a race, find that literally murdering someone is, for lack of a better term, frowned upon, what then of the figurative term? I'm referring to the phrase "stabbing them in the back." In the 1960 suspense thriller, "Psycho", ... the shower scene. Need I say more? Of course the phrase is twisted in a sense, for we do not physically see what part of Janet Leigh's  body gets the brunt of the stabbing. It could be have been the front or the back, but regardless, poor Leigh is stabbed in the front back whatever. Although the scene evolved into being one of the most famous scenes in cinema, it was not something that people thirsted for. To watch Janet Leigh get stabbed in the whatever for laughs. My point is, is that there is this ravishment we undergo - always looking for pleasure in the misfortune of others. And henceforth, I do not expect to receive followers, because I'm not going to be blah-blah-blah-ging for the audience's entertainment. I simply am writing to document my life. It sounds cliche, but when I take a look at the mundane-ness that is not my life, I feel my thoughts, feelings, and words should be seen.