The High and Mighty Miss Emily

Ashley Jones
Mrs. Aiken
English 1102-45
October 5, 2009
The High and Mighty Miss Emily
William Falkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily,” focuses on Miss Emily Grierson, an aristocratic woman deeply admired by a community. The town judges Miss Emily as a fallen monument, but simultaneously as a lady who is above reproach, who is too good for the common townspeople, and who holds herself distant. In Falkner’s story, he describes Miss Emily’s home which contrasts striking similarities to her; for they have both deteriorated over time. While the narrator obviously admires Miss Emily greatly- the use of the word “Grierson” evokes a certain type of aristocratic behavior- the townspeople resent her haughtiness and her dominance; longing to place her on a pedestal above everyone else, at the same time they wish to see her dragged down in disgrace. Nevertheless, the town, including the new council members, shows complete deference and subservience toward Miss Emily and admiration to her home.
The description of the Grierson’s house reinforces the disparity between the past and the present. Once a place of splendor, now modern encroachments-gas pumps and cotton wagons-demolish most of the neighborhood and leave untouched only Miss Emily’s house with its “stubborn and coquettish decay” (Faulkner 526). The disparity between the past and the present is evidenced by the different approaches that each generation takes concerning Miss Emily’s taxes. In the past, Colonel Sartoris had remitted her taxes for her because he believes it is uncivilized to remind a Southern woman to pay taxes, which Miss Emily does not do after her father dies. The next generation, with its more modern ideas, holds her responsible for taxes. Miss Emily, however, returns the tax notice saying, “I have no taxes in Jefferson” (Faulkner 527).
Throughout Faulkner’s short story, he uses descriptive phrases to compare the physical appearance of Miss Emily and her house. When Miss Emily enters the room with the deputation, she is dressed in black and leans on a cane; her “skeleton” is small; and she looks “bloated,” with a “pallid hue.” Faulkner doesn’t come out and say Miss Emily looks like a dead person; for it is only in retrospect that we realize that the dead-looking Miss Emily has been sleeping with the very dead Homer Barron. Miss Emily’s decaying appearance matches not only the rotting exterior of her house, but the interior as well. For example, the crayon, pastel, picture mentioned prior to the narrator’s description of Miss Emily is supported by a “tarnished” stand, and Miss Emily supports herself by leaning on the “tarnished” handle of her cane.
Two years has passed and a smelled developed around the Grierson’s home. Some ladies in the town just thought since they only saw a Negro man going in and out the house with a market basket that a man couldn’t keep a kitchen properly, and were not surprised about the dreadful smell. “It was another link between the gross, teeming world and the high and mighty Griersons” (Faulkner 528). The older generation, which feels that it is improper to tell a lady that she stinks, arranges for a group of men to spread lime on her lawn and inside the cellar door of her house.
During the summer after Mr. Grierson’s death, Miss Emily falls in love with a Northerner, Homer Barron. The townspeople didn’t believe that Miss Emily would take him seriously because he is a day laborer, and she’s a Grierson. The townspeople relegates her to adultery, condemning has as “fallen,” and the first sentence of the story says, “the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument” (Faulkner 526). A year later, Miss Emily enters a drug store and announces she wants some poison. When the druggist is reluctant to sell her any without a reason, Miss Emily uses her aristocratic bearing to intimidate him. “Miss Emily just stared at him, her head tilted back in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up” (Faulkner 530). Again, Miss Emily is not condemned for her actions.
The townspeople, never suspecting that the poison is for Homer Barron, conclude that Emily will likely use it to kill herself. After Homer announces he is not a marrying man, the townspeople think that they should stop the relationship. The townspeople write Miss Emily’s cousins and they come to live with her. During the time Emily’s cousins moved in, Homer disappears. After the cousins leave, Homer returns and the narrator notes, “And that was the last we saw of Homer Barron” (Faulkner 531). The townspeople never suspect the horror of what happens; believing that such an aristocratic woman as Miss Emily, could never do any wrong.
In Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily,” the townspeople places Miss Emily Grierson on a pedestal and sees her as “a tradition, a duty,” or as the narrator describes her, “a fallen monument.” Throughout this short story, there are conspicuous descriptions that link Miss Emily’s appearance to her home. Because the Grierson’s held themselves a little too high, Miss Emily is never held guilty of her actions, yet she uses her high position, respect, and authority to avoid the laws.

Ashley Jones
Mrs. Aiken
English 1102-45
September 9, 2009
A Bright, Clean Place
Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” takes place at a clean café late one night, where two unidentified waiters-one old and the other young-are discussing an old man who comes in every night, sits alone, and drinks brandy until past closing time. The old, deaf man is facing a world that is meaningless, and he is unaccompanied in this sterile world. The old man is trying to avoid the darkness of nothingness. Hemingway’s short story is not only about the condition of the world, but the way that the old man and the old waiter feel and respond to this nothingness. Thus, Hemingway’s real subject matter is the feeling of man’s condition of nothingness, and not nothingness itself.
It was late and the young waiter was angry and wished that the old man would leave the café so that he and the older waiter could close the café and go home. He insults the deaf, old man and is painfully apathetic to the older waiter’s feelings when he states that, “An old man is a nasty thing” (Hemingway 89). When the young waiter says that old men are nasty, the old waiter does not deny the general truth of that statement, but he does defend the old man by pointing out that that particular old man is clean, even when drunk.
In Hemingway’s story, the waiter mentions that the old man tried to commit suicide that previous week. The old waiter realizes the man is lonely and that is why he tried to hang himself. The young waiter tells the older waiter that the old man was consumed by despair. The young waiter does not think the old man has a reason to commit suicide because he is rich. For an old, rich man to try to commit suicide over the despair of confronting nothingness is beyond the young waiter’s understanding. However, nothingness is the reason the man comes to the café every night and drinks until he is drunk.
In contrast to the young waiter, the old waiter understands what it is like to have a light for the night. The old waiter also knows fear. “It was not fear or dread,” Hemingway says of the older waiter, “it was a nothing that he knew too well. It was a nothing and a man was nothing too” (Hemingway 98). After the young waiter tells the old man to leave and that he can’t have anymore brandy, the old man finally gets up and depart. The old man leaves the café with dignity. In the face of the human condition of nothingness, Hemingway is saying sometimes that is all an individual has.
After closing, the older waiter walks to an all night bar thinking of the emptiness of the old man’s life and how he can relate to it. The older waiter orders a cup of nothing where the bartender just defines him as another crazy old man. Left alone, the old waiter is isolated with his knowledge that all is nothing. He is standing at an unclean, unrefined bar. He cannot achieve even the dignity that the old man at the café possessed; he also knows that he will not sleep. Perhaps he has insomnia, but we know better: The old waiter cannot sleep because he is afraid of the darkness, afraid of nothingness. In a sense, the old waiter is Hemingway’s spokesperson because he points out that the old man leaves the café with dignity and he affirms the cleanliness of the old man. Unlike the young waiter who is impulsive and has a wife to go home too, the old waiter is in no hurry because he has no one at home waiting for him. The older waiter is wiser, and more liberal than the young waiter. In Hemingway’s, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” Hemingway is saying in order to hold nothingness, and darkness, we must have light, cleanliness, and dignity. If everything in life fails, then a man should have an alternative other than suicide.

Life in High School

When I was in high school, I was like the most popular girl ever. Everyone knew me because of my reputation of being the smartest in my class as well as the cutest. I participated in a lot of activities in high school. I was a cheerleader (became captain junior yr), I was in the science club, math club, FCCLA, FBLA, Debate Club, the chorus and I was also class president. So as you can see, I did a whole lot. I was favored by all my teachers and still today, they check up on me. My favoritest teacher was Mr. Troutman. He was my math teacher for two years. He taught me Trig and Calculus. I love that man, he knew his math. I loved being a cheerleader more than anything. I liked being the center of attention everywhere we went. The football and basketball players really appreciated all the hard work we did for them. Everyday after school, we had practice. We would immediately after class go get changed in the bathroom and head to the gym. We started out every practice with stretches and jumps. After that, we jumped right into rehearsing the different cheers and chants or dances we may have to perform at games. During football season it was mandatory that we made the cutest run through sign. So at practice we would think of the cutest theme ever for our team to run out through. In high school I graduated with honors. I was saludictorian. I worked extra hard in my academics to get there. I was offered scholarships from schools all around including Macon State. I received most scholared athlete, hustle and desire award, MVP, and Top Dawg from cheerleading. I am very proud of my accomplishments in high school.

Evaluation

Ehrenreich assesses how she did in these three experiments. She concludes that she did well at her jobs, stressing that there is no such thing as unskilled labor, as every job has specific damands and skill sets that must be learned. Her ability at work, however, is distinct from how she did in ends meet; she believes she came closes in making earnings match expenses in Maine and was least sure of this goal in Minnesota. Ehrenreich examines the general social issues underlying her experiences. The constant problem of housing is caused by the rich competing with the poor for living space, with the rich inevitably coming out on top. And though market forces drive rent up, the same cannot be said for wages available to the lower class. While the legal minimum wage and actual wages earned have both risen for the lowest ten percent of workers, Ehrenreich believes it is not nearly enough. Employers will do anything to aboid raising wages, such as providing minor benefits that can be taken away more easily when costs tighten. Further, minumum-wage workers employees do not have the same resources as other workers to allow independent comparison of wages and job markers. Even if they did, their ability to change work situations is often restricted by outside concerns such as home environment, transportation, and second jobs.

Selling in Minnesota

Ehrenreich chooses Minneapolis for her last experiment, based on news of its robust job and housing markets. She initially stays at the apartment of friends who are awya on a trip, in exchange for watching their pet cockatiel Budgie. Deciding to explore factory or retail work and become more aggressive with the application process, Ehrenreich succeeds in getting jobs at at Walmart and a Menards housewares store. Unfortunately, both require a drug test, and Ehrenreich has recently smoked marijuana. She tries to detoxify by drinking great deals of water and buying products designed to clear your system. Ehrenreigh takes time out to meet Caroline, a relative of a friend. Carolina has done in real life what Ehrenreich pretends to do with her experiments: relocated from one state to another to start a new life at minimum wage. Ehrenreich and Caroline become friends. The search for affordable houses grows more desperate, but she is promised an apartment at the Hopkins Park Plaza when it opens up. Meanwhile, she reserves a room at the Twin Lakes, a residential hotel. Menards contacts Ehrenreich and tells her to report for orientation on Wednesday Morning. When she does, she is told she will be paid ten dollars an hour. Walmart contacted her too and they would only be paying her 7 dollars an hour. She turns down the Menards and accepts the Walmarts offer.

Continued............

In chapter two, Ehrenreich chose Maine for its whiteness. She had once been to the Portland area for a speaking engagement and had noticed the almost total lack of people of color- in any walk of life. In addition to the population primarily white, everyone spoke English, and the Portland area employment base seemed anxious for new bodies. Traveling by bus from FL, Ehrenreich arrives in Portland August 24, nearly 2000 miles away fromeverything she is familiar with. He personal inventory includes a suitcase of clothes, a tote stuffed with toiletries, books, and hiking boots, and her laptop. She also has a 1,000 in cash. He first surprise is that there are no low-rent apartments in Portland. Affordable housing is 30 minutes away. The following day she finds a tiny cottage in Old Orchard Beach for 120 a week. It is time for her to find a job. She applies at various places for a job, including taking personality tests at Wal'mart and The Maids, a housecleaning service. She starts to working at both jobs. On Monday morning, Ehrenreich begins work at the Maids by watching a series of videotapes describing how to clean according to company policy. On Friday, one of her team assignments includes the home of Mrs. W, who ends up watching Ehrenreich as she cleans the kitchen floor on her hands and knees. Ehrenreich develops a rash but is not sure where it comes from; further, the aches and pains from her job take their toll. She makes observations on the physically damaging nature of her maid work, as well as the ostentatious nature of the houses she must clean. On her last day at The Maids, she reveals to co-workers her real reason for working there. They didn't have much to say.

Continued..............

In chapter one, Ehrenreich began her low-wage life in Key West, Florida, where she actually lived as a writer. Initially, she was afraid someone from her "real" life would recognize her and she would have to explain her project. No one recognized her. She found her first housing in an economy efficiency 30 miles distant from the employment opportunities of Key West. Ruling out various occupations because of physical limitations or personality, she began filling out applications for jobs in such fields as housekeeping, grocery clerking, and fast food. After 3 days of job searching, one of the big discount hotel chains where she had applied for a housekeeping position contacted her. They inquired if she would be interested in waitressing at the attached family restaurant. She learned that waitressing was not just taking orders and serving customers, but included all the invisible work- sweeping, filing condiment containers, or cleaning out the freezer. Ehrenreich was unable to financially support herself with a single job. She approaches the management of the hotel protion of the restaurant and applies for a housekeeping job on the assumption that it would be less strenuously physical. On her first day of housekeeping, she makes beds, folds towels, etc... She works there from 9am to 3. Ehrenreich, who, up to this point, had mentally and physically immersed herself into her role, suddenly realized she was not trapped by circumstaces and could just walk away without financial consequence. Although she did immediately walk out-leaving behind unfinished work, collectable tips, and final wages.

Preparing for my Final

Since I have a final in the morning over a book, I just decided to do my last couple of bloggs on the book. In the introduction Ehrenreich has agreed to take on the lifestyle of a minimum wage worker and experience the hardships. In her experiment, she sets herself some ground rules. The first rule is she could not fall back on any skills from her past work or education in her quest for employment. The second rule is she had to take the highest paying job and do her best to hold it. The third rule was she had to find the least expensive shelter that provided safety and privacy. The last rule was to survive on her income, the best of her ability. Throughout her experience, Ehrenreich faithfully attempted to stick by these basic rules although all were bent or broken at particular times. Ehrenreich's first problem was how to present herself to potential employers. She solved the issue by describing herself as a divorced homemaker re-entering the job market. She used former housemates asn a friend in Key West(her actual home community) as references and confined her education to 3 years of college, listing her real Alma Mater. Amazingly, no one questioned her fiction and only one employer out of a dozen bothered to check her references. Finally, Ehrenreich se limits as to how much she would endure for the sake of the article or book: 1. She would always have a car, a "rent-a-wreck" obtained in each locality. 2. She ruled out homelessness as an option. 3. She would not go hungry. 4. She would begin with an initial bankroll of 1,500-a cushion totally outside the lifestyles she was about to assume.

Sitting at home

Hey there, I'm just sitting at my house bored looking at my favorite television show "The Game" and eating chips as I type. I just got done studying for my essay final that I have to write in the morning at eight a.m. I hope we get a chance to use the book during the essay because I forget some important things that may be helpful in writing a great essay. I read and understood the book, but when you are given specific topics its kind of hard to elaborate on. My sister is home with me bored as well. I'm tired of looking at her walk back and forth. We thought about ordering a pizza, a meat lovers pizza from pizza hut sounds delicious. I can probably eat the whole pizza by myself, I'm just that hungry. I don't know what is is but I eat a lot and I never gain any weight, not even a little bit. I wish I could gain like ten more p0unds and then I really will be having it going on! Everybody in my family has some weight on them, all but me. My mom says I will start gaining some pounds after I have my first baby. Anyways, this blogging is making my night go by a little faster. I have three more to write to have twenty-five, but I'ma shoot for that thirty just in case my bloggs didnt meet the criteria. It's always best to have more than less. I don't even know have three hundred words look. I'm guessing this is about the size of a three hundred word blogg, I don't know!

Plans for my Summer

Well I was planning to take a trip on my summer vacation, but it can only be for a weekend because I am taking a pyschology class this summer. I want to go to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Ga. I've been there before and I loved it. Now I was told that the park has grown a lot since the last time I was there. The park even has a water park at the back of the theme park. There you can enjoy the water rides and the huge pool they have. The rides at the park are so fun. They have all different types of roller costers and a whole lot of other rides as well. Wild Adventures is a nice park to take your family out to or even just you and a significant other. The city of Valdosta is a nice place to be staying in as well. They have lots of hotels or suites you can choose from and they are surrounded by the best restaurants. Valdosta is also known for its shopping plazas and their huge mall. Maybe one day that me and me partner didn't go to the park, we can go out and enjoy Valdostsa's other attractions. We may go to a movie, the musuem, skating, or even bowling while we are there. I very excites about our trip and i hope everything goes as planned. My fiance suppose to coming home in June and as soon as he gets in town we are going to pack up and get ready for a great weekend together. While I'm in Valdosta, I'ma sit back, have fun, and enjoy the sun.

My semester finals and classes

Today I am sitting here wondering how I'm going to do on all my finals. I have three that I have to take. I think my easiest final is going to be in my sociology class. The hardest I know is going to be for my statistics final even though it it an open notes test. In my English class we are going to be tested over a book, which seems like it should be fairly easy. The only worries I have with taking my English final is the topic that we have to write on. I not a big fan of writing in class papers on a topic that was given to me on that same day. I would rather have a multiple choice test but whos decision it that? Not mine. I am so stressed out this morning. I have a regular statistics test at three o'clock and I don't want to take it. Statistics is a very hard course. My major even requires me to take a Business Statistics course so I really have to buckle down. I wish I had all regular math classes because I don't think Statistics is normal. That class makes the student think entirely too hard. I like math classes that just deals with solving equations. Overall, I'm satisfied with my classes that I was required to take this semester. I should still be able to keep my Hope Scholarship. I should end up with all "A's" and I am pushing for a "B" in my Statistics course.

The Greatest Parents

I have the greatest parents in history. All my life I have always been given everything I ever wanted or needed. At the age of sixteen I had a brand new Honda and on my eighteenth birthday I received a brand new Altima. I am so thankful to have my parents, because without them I don't know what I would of done. I currently stay in Warner Robins and I attend school and only work on the weekends. So that just means that I don't have much money. My parents pay my full rent which is seven hundred dollars and my car note which is three hundred and something and not to mention my car insurance. I am truly blessed. My parents also put money in my account for gas and for little shopping that I have to do. Not many times to you find parents who still takes care of their twenty year old child. The weird thing about it is, my parents are even wealthy people. We aren't poor but at the same time, we don't have a lot either. My dad has 14 cars and all of them are very nice, how he does it I don't know but he does it. I love my parents to death. They are always there for me no matter what. When I grow up and get my career started, I promise they'll never have to worry about a thing! Love you mom and dad!

My Job

I am currently working at Office Depot and there I am a customer service specialist. I have been there a year and 7 months and I find my job very easy now. Majority of the times I run the cash register, but I am called out on the floor for different projects that need to be completed at times. At Office Depot it is all about our customers and making sure that we have fanatical customer service. My store manager name is Ted Fulford, he's a tuff boss, but he has ok to deal with on his good days. I have three other managers, they are nothing like the store manager. They are all friendly and great workers. They perform their job well. When checking customers out at the register it's really important things the cashier has to remember to do with every customer. The cashier must greet the customer and ask did they find everything ok. Then the cashier must ask if they have a worklife rewards card and if not, they must explain what it is and the benefits of signing up. After that then the associate must ask did they need any additional items. Office Depot has some of the best employers I have ever known, they are very dedicated to the store and their specific job title. Although I love my job, I do not plan on being there much longer. I'm ready to start my intern with the Robins Air Force Base. So bye bye Office Depot!

In Class Today

I just received my second paper back today that I explained the differences between high school and college. I got an A on it and I am so excited. I worked so hard on this paper and my hard work paid off. I'm hoping that when I get my research paper back that my grade is no lower than a B. I worked hard on that as well. In class today we suppose to be discussing a book we were assigned to read called Nickel and Dimed. It was a good book but it wouldn't be something I would of read for fun. I read it because it was a grade! It was about this woman named Barbara Ehrenreich who took on an assignment that involved working at low minimum-wage jobs for one month at a time to see if she can match her earnings to her expenses. She has three rules that she sets up: first, she cannot rely on skills derived from her education or her work as a writer; second, she must take the highest paying job possible and actually work; and third, she must find the cheapest living conditions for herself. In retrospect, she admits these rules were not always observed. Ehrenreich sets up other parameters as well: she will always have a car, will never go homeless, and will not go hungry. She is financially comfortable and can walk away from her experiment if she wants.

American Dream

The American Dream is filled with fame, success, and wealth. The American dream is the dream of living a great life. It's having a great career going and having all the things an individual has always dreamed of having. The American dream is the key to wealth. You can't reach for something without dreams of having it. This dream consists of having someone to love, with no worries at all. It consists of a lot of hard work and patience.

I attend school at Macon State College hoping to pursue a degree in business. This is a start to my American Dream. By having a college education, I am helping to prepare myself for future success. I work full time at my job, and not to mention, I am a full time student. These activities consist of a lot of hard work. I know if I want to fulfill the American Dream it's going to be a lot harder than it it for me now. At least I am getting use to knowing that nothing in life is free. If you want something, then you have to get out there and get it. I also exercise a lot in my free time. Living in the American dream, is being healthy and not having different illnesses due to lack of nutrients and exercise. It is known that most people who are physically fit, tend to live longer. So keeping yourself healthy while you are young is definitely a part of the American Dream.

My breakup

I'm feeling good this morning, I guess it's because I finally got enough rest. I usually stay up all night chatting online with my boyfriend, but last night we got into a big arguement and broke up. I should be sad and depressed today, but I'm not. I'm tired of his little selfish ways he has at times. He accuses me of being the bad one, but I think that it's him that needs the fixing. I still have mad love for him though. I just need for him to stop acting like he is the boss. My mom always raised me to speak what I feel is right. When I tell him what I think about something, he gets mad and swears that it's just another man. I would never cheat on him, and I don't know why he even bring things up like that. I would break up with him before I cheated on him. I wish I could just call him and we make up. But unfortunately my pride won't let me. He has to learn that this is not a game. I am not going to be nobody's fool. I know that he loves me, but it's hard enought that he is overseas. I can't have him over in England acting foolish. He told me right before we got offline, that he loved me and but I have to work on my attitude. He told me to let him know when I'm ready to be with him and him only. I can't believe this dude sometimes. Loving someone is hard.

Im So Sick

I feel so terrible this morning. I went to bed extra late trying to study for my Sociology test that I have today and talk on the phone with my boyfriend at the same time. I woke up with strep throat and I started not to attend class today, but I thought I would miss out on something important on my research paper. I'm glad I attended class today because my professor explained to us how to do a annotated bibliography, even though I have done one before. Imagine having a cold and having bad allergies. I feel terrible. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I hope I start to feeling much better. My nose is running and I'm tired of blowing them and I'm tired of my throat itching and my eyes being irritated. I just need to go home and get in my bed and try to relax. I've already taken some tylenol cold medicine but it doesn't seem to be working. I need some antibiotics but I can't take them with the pills that I am on. I hate being sick, I think I have a low ammune system but I'm not sure. The reason why I say that is because I'm always getting sick. It seems like if a person coughs next to me then I'm coughing the next second. I need to start drinking orange juice more often. I need that vitamin C.

MY EX

On last week, I received a text message from my ex asking me what would I say if he was to ask me could we get back together. Oh my God, I couldn't believe it. Then he told me that he was still in love with me and didn't want to be with no one else. He said he realized how much he loved and missed me the day he seen me when he was home on leave. He's military too just like my boyfriend. This shocked me because I thought that he had moved on and was happy where he was. Obviously I was wrong. Apparently him and his girlfriend broke up and has nothing in common. I was with my ex for 5 years and I use to think that he was going to be my soul mate. I'm starting to believe the saying that If two people were meant to be together then they'll come back to each other. I told him that if he would of told me that a year ago, he would of made me the happiest girl alive. Now that I'm with Mitchell it's too late. I'm too deeply in love to leave my boyfriend. I use to be like this about him, but that all changed when he moved and when I met Mitchell.

Wednesday Morning

It's eight o'clcock in the morning and I am exhausted as usual. I had a long night last night on the internet chatting with my boyfriend overseas. We didn't get off the internet til three this morning. We talking about our engagement and actually planned our wedding. Well at least we got the wedding party out the way. May isn't getting here fast enough. I am so ready to leave for England. My fiance and I haven't decided on whether we wanted to get married home or overseas yet. I want it at home though, although it may be over there with him. It just depends on how everything goes I guess. Our anniversary was on the 16th and he send me a beautiful necklace. It has our names engraved on it. I miss him so much. I just wish sometimes he wasn't in the service. I want us to be together everyday. My morning started off pretty well this morning. My fiance called me and told me he loved me and that he would call me later on. That just made my whole morning. Now I'm sitting in class listening to my professor explain what we need to be doing with our research paper. So I'm going to end this blog because I need to be paying close attention.

It's Wednesday morning and I am sitting in class freezing to death. I don't know why I chose eight o'clock classes, knowing I hate to wake up. I especially hate to wake up in the cold. I got my first paper back and I think I did pretty well. I could of done a lot better but I have time to improve my grade. I love my English professor, she is very nice and is not like most tough and stubborn teachers. She actually gives us a break and doesn't pile up lots of work for us to do. I hope I will be able to have her again for English 1102. They rumor is that 1101 is the hardest class you will ever take in college. I don't know how true that is since I'm taking statistics. Statistics is an interesting subject, hard but interesting. I hope I make at least an "B" in my statistics class. Dr. Trimboli is a great professor and has his PHD in math. He explains the work really well and if you can't understand it, it is not his fault. When you have a subject as hard as statistics, you need to do extra practice and go see the tutors for additional help.

Missing my Grandmom and Aunt

I have a very small family. My immediate family consists of 5, but I have my grandmom and a aunt that I was really close too that just recently passed. We had a very special bond. They lived together all their life and I stayed with them on and off. They were my mother's mom and my mother's only sister. Imagine how their death made us feel. I miss the days my grandmom would call my cell phone and tell me how she needed to go to the grocery store. She was the sweetest lady I ever known. She cooked us breakfast every morning as long as I could remember. She didn't believe in leaving the house without it. I remember when she use to rub my back and sing me to sleep. I couldn't possibly tell of how much I miss her and tell of all the memories we share. My aunt was the funniest person ever. She was forever laughing and telling jokes. She was the strongest of the family. Everyone depended on her to make decisions. She was definitely the ring leader. She didn't care about spending money and was a very christian women. She have 2 kids and they are my heart. One is in prison and the other is doing really well. I miss them so much but I know God's will has to be done. May they rest in peace!

My BFF Birthday Party

My best friend Tyesha turned 20. Earlier that day, Mitchell and I had went and took portraits. After that, I went to help my friend set up for the party with the music and decorations. There was a couple of people already there when I arrived. I immediately started to help prepare the food when I got there. I fried some chicken wings and dipped them in some buffalo wing sauce. After that I fixed them up on this nice platter with ranch dipping sauce. I had a couple of drinks and when I began to feel the tingle, I got up and danced. There was this older guy who kept following me around and kept talking to me about the weirdest things. I began to get scarred because of the rumors that he was a rapest. I called my boyfriend and he was there within 10 minutes. He was so mad that I couldn't enjoy my own friend's party because of this old stalker guy. When my boyfriend arrived I had got into my car and locked the doors. My boyfriend went on the inside and began to talk with my BFF. I regained my comfort and went back inside. The older man got the idea that my boyfriend was going to beat him up if he didn't leave me alone. From then on, I had a great time and I am so happy that my BFF did too!

Snow Day

When I woke up on Sunday, I was amazed. I looked out the window and I couldn't believe it. It was snowing and actually had begun to stick. My house was so cold and to make matters worse, I didn't have my man there to keep me warm. I turned the heat up high so it could get warmer a little faster. My friend had spent the night with me that previous night and I had to take her home the minute after we had discovered it was snowing and that it was super cold. I had to go to work Sunday as well. When I got to work, there was no customers outside and it stayed that way for almost the whole day. My co-workers and I enjoyed looking out the window at the snow. We actually wanted to go out and play in it so bad, but we were on the clock and it would be kind of embarassing for adults to be seen playing in snow anyway. Who ever would of thought it would snow in Georgia in March? One day it was 70 degrees, the next it rained all day, and then the snow came. The schools were even canceled Monday because of the inclement weather. I slept the whole day, and it was actually nice outside. It was cold, but it was bearable. I wish we could have more snow days!

My trip

It's Tuesday night and all I can think about is my trip to Atlanta that I am taking with my friends on the 2oth. It's friend Kazz's birthday and I am so excited. We plan on doing a lot of shopping at all the different malls, flea markets, and department stores. When we first arrive in Atlanta we will probably go eat at a big restaurant and just laugh, talk, and have fun. After that, it'll be time to check in at our suite that we have reserved. From there we will probably just hang out in the room and talk about guys and life and how it has been treating us. Later on, we plan on playing dress up and take a lot of portraits to go on myspace and just share with our families. We also plan to do a lot of clubing. We will probably party til 5 the next morning! When we get back, it's sleep time. I know most of us will be drunk, but that's part of a 21 year olds life! We also plan on going to the skating rink and to the movies. I am so ready for these 2 weeks to be up. I've already started packing my bags and I'm going to get my hair and nails next week. It's party time.

What I like to do for Fun

I enjoy hanging out with my friends, going to the movies, going out to eat, cheerleading, talking on the phone, texting, and spending quality time with Mitchell. When my friends and I go out, it's mostly to the mall to shop or just simply watching movies at the house, or spending time with each others families. I also love fashion. I like to dress up and put on makeup, and three inch heels with a outfit that hugs my body. I love going to the movies to see horror films. It's makes the movie much scarier there! Applebees, Olive Garden, Cheddars, and Buffalos are my favorite restaurants and Wendy's, Mcdonalds, and Zaxby's are my favorite fast food restaurants. I was a cheerleader for seven years and I hate that I chose a college where there are no basketball or football teams. I chose my school in the beginning because I knew cheerleading would slow me down and maybe even affect my grades. I spend a lot of my time on the phone as well, that's probably the reason why my bill is so high. Texting is probably something I do more than i do anything. I am constantly texting every second of the day. That is something that I am really addicted to I think. Spending time with my man is what I would choose to do over anything else. I love being in Mitchell's presence and would do it everyday if I could.

Missing Mitchell!

It's so hard not being able to see my boyfriend when I want too. I miss him so much. I miss the way he used to look at me, the way he smiled, his laugh, his walk, his touch, his stubbornness, his arguements, and more importantly, the way he was always there when I needed him. I'm driving myself crazy just by thinking about him. His birthday is March 6 and I'm so mad that I won't be able to be there with him. I really don't like the military anymore because they took my baby away from me. I sent him a birthday gift through the mail. It'll take a couple of days for him to get it, I just hope it won't be late. If I had one wish it would be to let Mitchell come home for a couple of months and then let him go back and continue to fight for our country. I know this is something that I have to deal with if I'm going to marry a military man. Hey this will be my military life. I don't know how to deal with all the traveling and going without him seeing me and the kids for long time periods at the time. I love him to death though. If that's what I have to do in order to be with him then that's what I'm going to do. At least I will have him to myself when he is retired. In May they will be sending him out to the desert and I won't be able to talk with him at all then. He says he will be out there two months. That means he will miss my birthday, which is in July. This whole military thing stinks. I can't let him see me this angry with his career because he loves his job dearly.

My Niece's Birthday!!!!

The day just started and I can tell that it's going to be a pretty good day. I got up on time for class this morning without the hassle. I'm actually in a good mood. I plan on taking a nap when I get back home and wait on my friends to do some fun stuff later. My niece turned 4 today and I'm more excited than she is. I bought her a Hanna Montana guitar, two outfits, some shoes, a cake, and I got her some dora the explorer sippy cups. I can't wait to see her face when she comes to my house. I love that little girl so much! She is my pride and joy. After my niece receives all her gifts, we are going to take her out to a place called grown and sassy. They do little girls hair, nails, and toes. They use polishes with the names like starburst, and vanilla ice cream. That shop is just too cute to be true.After that, my friends and I planned on taking her to DJ Galaxy Quest and just let her run wild and have tons of fun. I will be enjoying all the games and rides with her of course. Oh I haven't forgot about us eating. My baby loves pizza so I'm going to take her to Stevi B's all you can eat pizza buffet. When we are done there, it's time to go home and take a nap. Miss Brianna's birthday bash is over!!

MY BEST FRIEND

I have many friends, but I can't call them all my best friend. My best friend's name is Kenya. We've been through so much together. We became best friends at the age of 12. We have so many memories together. I love her to death. We had many ups and downs in high school, but we overcame them and remained friends. I believe some of the arguements we had made us stronger. We took all our classes together, spent the nights together, went out together, shared each other clothes, and most of all had each other backs no matter what. We kind of fell apart when we graduated from high school though. She went to Fort Valley State while I decided to attend Macon State. I moved to Warner Robins shortly after graduation, and she lived 30minutes away. I had my job and so did she. It was hard for us to hang out like we use to. I wanted to, but our schedule wouldn't allow us. Now my best friend is pregnant and I am so excited to be a god mother. Even though we are grown now, we will always be best friends. I have a new friend that I met in college named Tyesha. I spend most of my time with her now that my boyfriend is overseas. She's always there when I need her the most. I can't recall many times when she has let me down. We do everything together. We know each other more than we know ourselves. Her family are also great people. They treat me like I am really apart of them. I even call her mom, mom and her sisters, sis. I thank God for sending me such wonderful friends.

It's been 3 weeks since my boyfriend left and I am so lonely. We converse over the phone and we chat over the web cam, but that's just not enough. I'm having second thoughts about our relationship now. I hate that I don't get to see him nor be around him. Since he moved, there has been so many guys that have been trying to get my attention. Temptation is hard, especially when a girl like me loves attention. I want to be with him so badly but I don't know how this long distance thing is going to work. I'm afraid that I may lose him to someone else. I really don't want that to happen. I care for him too much to let some other girl just take him. Valentines day just passed and I have to say that it didn't go as bad as I thought it would. I received gifts from a lot of my friends. My boyfriend had to send his through the mail. He bought me a nice little arrangements that had candy, a bear, a card, and he also had a local flower shop to deliver me roses and balloons. I sent his overseas about a week too early. I bought him a gift basket as well. I told my boyfriend that I received gifts from other guys. He didn't like that too well. He doesn't understand that they are just my friends. My boyfriend does have a lot of jealously issues. At least I know that he cares. I can't wait to go to England in May, I miss my man so much.

Ashley's First MSC Blog

I've been assigned to do this blog for my class, it is early in the morning, and I'm still extremely tired. Consequently, blogging is fun. I never did this before, but I think it may be something that will help me get a lot of things off my mind. For instance, the guy that I have started dating is leaving the end of this month to go overseas. What do I suppose to do? I gained these feelings and now he's leaving for Europe. I feel like a motherless child. I never met a guy so close to perfect and for two years I will not be able to see him. How do I cope with all the pain and lonliness? He asked me to marry him, leave with him, and have a new life over in England. I refused to do that. I have my schooling, my family, and my job here. I care about him a lot, and if we were meant to be then when he returns to Georgia we will continue to be together. The previous relationships that I have experienced were noncomparible to this one. This man is faithful, attractive, responsible, caring, sweet, intelligent, successful, and respectful. What more could a girl ask for?