Uno Mas

We ordered this picture because I think I look amaaaazing (singsong tone). So I thought I would share the wealth.

On a sidenote. I interviewed at UVU yesterday for the master's program and got an email today saying that I've been accepted, which I am quite shocked about. I don't know if it's what I want though…so, I have more decisions to make and I'm not having fun.

I'm a Pro

Almost exactly one hour after receiving my diploma (while enjoying a delicious J Dawg) I got a call from a school offering me a teaching position at a charter school in Springville, UT! Crazy, huh? A real job with a real salary…well sort of. It's only part-time, which I thought was a major draw-back and I planned to hold out for a full-time position elsewhere, but I think it is actually going to be quite perfect. The job is at a K-8 school and I would teach the elementary school students and the classes are capped at 26 (Heeeeeeyyyyy!!). I would be at school 5 days a week but only teaching random times throughout the day, making my total hours a whopping 20-25ish earning me a grand total of $16,000 a year, not including insurance. But I get to stay on the parentals' insurance until I'm 26 whilst still single. Can you say, sa-weet? And did I mention my 10th grade PE teacher is the teacher for the middle school kids? Small world.

I thought about it for a few days…more like obsessed over it but then decided this morning I could either accept this position and teach part-time and take some more classes part-time, or drive to Evanston, Wyoming in a snow storm to interview for a full-time position in some po-dunk town…sold! I called the school (Ronald Reagan Academy) and accepted the position. I also called UVU to see if I could still apply for their Masters of Education program to get an English as a Second Language endorsement and a masters all at the same time. The deadline to apply for summer classes has already passed but they're still looking for a few more students so I sent in my application. IF I get in, it's a 2 year program with lots of classes spring and summer, but only 1 or 2 during the real school year. So all in all, I think things will work out quite nicely, if all goes according to plan…but when does that ever happen?

Kearns Spring Sprint Triathlon

400m swim, 20k bike, 5k run

You'll have to ask Dad about this...

One and Only Ashton Graduate

Today, April 23, 2010 at 8:00AM I graduated from Brigham Young University.

Here are some pictures. It was pouring rain outside so there aren’t very many, but I got to keep my cap and gown so we might take more later, hopefully with Mom and Dad in them too.

Afterward we went to J Dawgs to celebrate…mmmm…J Dawgs has upgraded to an actual building now, not just that little shed, just so you know.

We're having a BBQ next Saturday for a real celebration because we have a too much going on this weekend. So come on over!

Half-in Fun

Dad and I ran the Salt Lake City Half Marathon today, Saturday April 17th and it was a blast! We left the house at 5:30AM and made it to the starting line 12 minutes before the race began at 7AM. Because we cut it so close I didn't get a chance to go to the bathroom before we started so I ran the first 3 miles with a completely distended bladder….no bueno. I had to wait about 10 minutes in line to use the Honey Bucket and some girl had the nerve to cut in line. Dad kept walking while I did the potty dance, by the time I caught up with him he had gone .66 miles.

It was amazing how well Dad did. His hip has been really painful for him, so not only was he hurting every step of the way, but he hasn't been able to train so this was the most he's ever run, by about 7 miles! We stopped to walk for only a couple minutes on a few hills, but other than that, we ran the rest of the way. We finished 13.1 miles in 2:25:07 which is an 11:04 mile split. We finished about 25 seconds before the full marathon winner finished…crazy huh?

I had a lot of fun…I don't think Dad did though. We're supposed to do a sprint triathlon next Saturday, we'll see how he feels then. Give him a call! The race photos will be posted in a couple of days, but in the meantime, here we are after the race.

Peace Out OCJH

I'm done student teaching!!!

Common Sense: Apparently Not So Common

I go to Mom and Dad's house on the weekend. This is why:

I walk in every Sunday night and see a similar scene. This Sunday was the worst. I really don't understand what is SO complicated about dirtying a dish (MY dish, mind you) and rinsing it off (you don't even have to scrub) and putting it in the dishwasher. I usually end up doing those dishes and loading the dishwasher and then my beloved roommate, Kristen (who also goes home on the weekends) empties the dishwasher. We both take turns taking out the weekend trash Monday afternoons as well. We realize that we are just encouraging their behavior by doing the work of our other 2 pathetic roommates, but it is just disgusting and we can't live in that dumpsite. I don't know how they can.

But this Sunday night was the last straw. I vowed I would never wash another dish of someone else ever again. I only have to spend 2 more weeks living there, I thought I could handle it. So I went to bed.

I woke up Sunday morning at 5:30 and the mess was still there and I planned to just leave it. But there were so many dishes that I couldn't even reach under the faucet to rinse out my own cereal bowl to put in the dishwasher.

I opened the dishwasher to just stick it in there and then I found the problem--the dishwasher was full of clean dishes! Then it dawned on me: the dirty girls couldn't do their dishes because there was nowhere to put them and they couldn't put the clean dishes away because they don't know where the dishes go because they never unload the dishwasher. I wondered why they chose not to just clean the dishes by hand and wondered if it was because we were out of dish soap…

False.

I thought about leaving it all just a mess because it was now about 6am and I'm the only person awake then…but then I thought, I could get so much more satisfaction out of banging these pots, pans, and plates, and dumping the silverware tray around than I would walking in the door at 6pm that night and the mess having only grown more disgusting. So I clanged and slammed to my heart's content and cleaned the whole mess up. And guess what? It only took me about 6 minutes.

In conclusion, if you are the type of person who makes a mess and doesn't even consider cleaning up after yourself, could you please explain to me your thought process so that I can demonstrate Christlike love and empathy towards my fellow men? Thank you.