Overalls

So tonight I celebrated Christmas with Dad since I go to Orangeburg with Mama for the holiday each year. We sat down before dinner and I started opening my gifts. The first a smallish sized box.. Let me tell ya, I had no idea what I was getting this year; I honestly didn't really know what I wanted. It was a camera! It's cool, a nikon coolpix that projects pictures and video on the wall! He bought himself one, too, so we have matching cameras haha. And so I continue with the cameras, this must be the 50th- more like 5/6th digital camera I've gotten. Let's just say I have bad luck with technology.. Cameras have dropped on the pavement, in the ocean, lake, etc. My computer has crashed- twice, and now there is STILL a grey's anatomy dvd in there! I've gone through too many phones to count, I didn't even like the iphone.. not typical. But I'm content with my blackberry.. I particularly like bbm/b2b- aka blackberry messenger! 

The second box was fairly big. Again, not quite knowing what to expect since my interests range from whitewater kayaking to visiting the pvb spa and everything else in between, I opened the box. It was the patagonia pullover I'd been wanting! I had tried it on everytime I went in the store, and now I actually have one. YES! It's soft, comfortable, and warm.. and it's coming with me to Vegas!

Box number three. A USPS box, flat, but fairly long. What in the world? By the way, Daddy actually wrapped this year- that is a first. He doesn't do the whole wrapping thing, so I felt like I should take pictures.. but did not. I had to use his knife to open this box, until I realized there was a pull tab on the side, much easier. I still couldn't see in, pulling the object out thinking it was a jacket- I love jackets! But no, it was.. drum roll, please.. what I'd always wanted:

ORANGE OVERALLS!!!

I rushed to the other room to try them on, perfect fit! I had waited for years for these things! I wanted them when I was younger, never got them. Then I decided I'd get them when I got into Clemson.. no. I asked for them for Christmas, Birthday, etc for maybe.. 4 years now? I found out today that my family thought I was kidding all along! That's a big time negative. WOW. So thanks, Daddy- for making my life with, yes, a pair of orange overalls from Judge Kellers! They'll get more wear than my Lilly overalls, I'm sure, since they've come out for pre-recruitment and a mixer. And man have I gotten heck for them! I think they're great though.. so KMA to the Lilly haters ;)

All I need now is a pair of Carhartt overalls to add to my collection, if you will. Well, I'm pumped about these orange overalls, and I'm wearing them tomorrow. Mama's gonna love it!

I can't wait until the next basketball game when we get back, it'll be AWESOME! 

*****

Oh yeah, I had to pick up a football on my way over to Dad's tonight? About that.. 

A man who work's for him has a son who is best friends with CJ! YES! And so, they are going on a trip with JACOBY to Michigan, and they're going to sign the football! AHHHH!

How great! :)

XOXO

I love Deb Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year... yes I start singing the song, first in my head, but then out loud. And now, it's not necessarily for Christmas quite yet, but for something else. It's Deb Season in the South, and I just can't get enough of it. The gowns, tuxes, society, etiquette, country clubs, friends, social scene, tradition.. the exquisiteness of it all. What a time! And what an honor.

What an honor to be presented. What an honor that I was included as a guest to Laura's debut in Beaufort. What an adventure. 

Last year I debuted in Jacksonville, and I had the absolute time of my life. So many parties, so much fun packed into Summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Break! I didn't even know what to do when it was over!! So when Laura asked me to come to her Presentation, I was SO excited! 

1: I got to see Laura over break 

2: I got to go to an out of town Presentation

3: I got to go back to Beaufort, one of my favorite places in the world!

I'm not gonna lie, it had not even been a week since I'd been home and I was already wanting to get out of Jax. So this Presentation was perfect timing. I got to Laura's house and met hr family and Maddie, then we started getting ready and went to the ball! We got there and had the time of our lives. Not really knowing anyone besides Laura when we got there, Maddie and I left knowing at least half to three-quarters of the party! AND... I found many connections.. 

There were five debs. I had connections with 4! Yes 4/5.. and I don't even live there. Not surprising, actually.. more so expected :) One of them Laura; I lead Bible study with her. Another was Lightsey who goes to Clemson. A third, Dargen; she goes to UNF in Jax! And the fourth, really the most exciting connection of the night for me, Gracyn; a MERRIE WOODE GIRL! Of course, when least expected, I find girls from camp; it's so great!! 

Anyways, we had so much fun, danced all night to the awesome band- The Holliday Band.. They even had their own party bus! Then we were ready to go at it again! It was only 12am, and the night was young! Maddie and I wanted to experience Beaufort Nightlife, and THAT WE DID. 

We changed back at Laura's house, which was beautiful on the Battery, and just across the way to our destination.. Plums! Apparently that's the place to be.. and we were told, "Remember girls, this is not Clemson.. watch out for the Marines.." Good to know, but we figured we'd be just fine as we left the boys behind and went on our way!

*We get to Plums, there is quite the crowd, and a rough looking lady falling over the railing. We make our way through, the door, and that's when I hear "ASHLEY!" What in the world?! Yes, surprise again, it was my friend Kylie from school, a Beaufort Native herself; I loved getting to see her over break! The first fifteen minutes were great and we danced and sang with the band, met lots more people- now mostly our age, and just had an all-round good time, of course. It was about time for something to happen, and that's when the fight broke out! Let me tell ya, that was exciting. It wasn't just a few punches, but half the people in the place got into it. Half the band was taken out, and some interesting words were being shouted over the microphone.. it was straight-up hilarious. Then the lights came on, police busted up the crowd, and we had to leave. They closed the place down! WOW. Kylie and Laura kept telling us that was the most excitement they've seen in a while, and that it's never like that there. I just laughed, and realized.. you know it must've been that I needed another adventure to add to the books. Thank you Beaufort for a fun night! 

XOXO

I'm BAAACK!

It's official, I'm back! So get excited :)

I've been thinking about what I've got to do with my life. Of course I've thought about this before, but I really feel like I need to buckle down a tad more than just the usual, "where am I going to live?"- I cannot tell you how many times I've been asked this question in the past year, let alone this past week! It's a scary thought for me, but I'm excited. 

Honestly, I should just be focused on graduating, and hitting the books more than I did last semester! But even just more than what I'll be doing after college, where will I be? Mom's from South Carolina, Dad's from Jax. I'm born and raised Jacksonville girl, more than that- 7th or 8th generation Ortega. That's my neighborhood, and an adventure in itself. So I'll leave the explanation for another time! 

Well, the answer to this frequently posed question..? The answer is I don't know. My response is just that too, with a little more. I tell people that we'll see where God wants me. And I continue on my way. That way I don't leave anyone upset or hurt..

But that's the kind of response that gets me thinking, too. I'll be where GOD wants me, it's his plan after all, is it not? We all just ned to trust in Him, and be patient. I really need to work on both those. Don't we all? 

I just wish we knew the plans God had for us. That would be so much easier. It would make many worries disappear. Knowing the future, can you imagine? But really, what fun would that be? Our reliance would not be on God anymore for peace, knowing He has a plan, and with prayer. It would be in our future. It would take a lot of the fun out of it, too. 

What's the adventure in that?

..know that He has a plan for YOUR life. That brings me peace everyday.

XOXO

The song that's in my head

Blessed
Martina Mcbride

I get kissed by the sun each morning, -- using a description outside the norm
Put my feet on a hardwood floor -- relating to normacy of everyday
I get to hear my children laughing -- showing the little things in life are what make it best

Down the hall through the bedroom door-- family can be far away, but they are always close to heart
Sometimes I sit on my front porch swing
Just soaking up the day -- stop to take in the world and its worth
I think to myself, I think to myself
This world is a beautiful place -- reiterates that the simple things in life are worth living for

Chorus:

I have been blessed -- blessed with the little things in life
And I feel like I found my way -- her children have helped her find her way
I thank God for all I've been given --thank God for her kids- who have become her life
At the end of every day
I have been blessed -- realizes that in the end, it's all about the relationships and not about the things you have
With so much more than I deserve -- her family is more than she deserves in life because they are so wonderful
To be here with the ones that love me -- it's not about what you have, but who you have
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed -- repetition of this phrase shows that the little everyday things in life are even greater than the bigger things. the little things really are the big things

Across a crowded room
I know you know what I'm thinking
By the way I look at you-- even through the obstacles in life and all of the crowding out, your loved ones stand out

And when we're lying in the quiet -- just staying quiet
And no words have to be said -- don't even have to speak
I think to myself I think to myself -- we can even think, just in the quiet
This love is a beautiful gift -- love is a gift, that comes from the little things in life, the everyday things.

The most depressing week of school

We've made it. We have made it through what is the most depressing week of school throughout the year.  It honestly trumps exam week in all aspects.  We just got back from a week of break, some of which were amazing, especially mine, and we realize that once we get back that it was only a glimpse of summer, and just messed with our minds. Spring fever is one thing, but a quite noticeable, and slight depression took over the minds of all Clemson students this past week, even when Clemson has the #1 happiest students in the nation... remember? 

But we made it, and this paper is going, just going. I'm really trying, long nights in the library, looking over my paper in general, teacher conferences and the like.  I thought that the conference really helped me because I really needed some encouragement with my paper.  I'm not particularly the best writer, and I know it.  I have a confidence deficiency when it comes to writing papers, though, and it is hard for me to write a good paper these days, even when that's most of what we did in high school- and even last year.  But apparently our paper might not be due on Tuesday this week, which will be really helpful because I will be able to participate in the shanty town that will be on Bowman this week and stay overnight Monday night. It will be a lot of fun, and hopefully it will take a little less effort to get through this week, as last week was just generally ridiculous! It's 7am, and I still haven't gone to bed. I am still in the Cooper, but thank goodness I only have one class tomorrow, but a meeting at 7:45!

Spring Break II

Although I still haven't left for Spring Break, I'm ready for the week! I kind of wish, though, that SB'09 were later. That way, we could be finished with the paper, or at least the first draft before break. I know that I will be up really late Monday night doing my best to get the first draft finished. Hopefully I'll be able to work on it more over break though! I caught an early spring fever, especially since the sun has been out. I am hoping it will not affect my grades all too much, though. Have a good week!

spring break is here!

It's finally Spring Break and I'm ready! I will be in St. Louis on a mission trip, but hopefully I can get some school work done on the trip. I'm hoping to at least have 3/4 of my first draft finished before I leave on Saturday morning. I have a meeting/ conference scheduled for my fist draft on Thursday after Spring Break, and I plan to get a lot out of the conference!

this week

This past week I have been very busy, along with everyone, and their moms. I've been trying my hardest to keep up with all my work and to start my research paper. I like that we can have a teacher conference for our paper because last year we weren't able to do that. As long as I can get my first draft written soon, I think I'll be good to go, and I'm ready to get on track!

P. 181-182 INTEGRATED IMAGES

On pages 181 and 182 in the text, the section on integrating images in academic writing explains the correct ways to include images in a research paper. There must be a purpose for using the pictures or images, and you cannot put them just randomly throughout the paper. You must be rhetorically effective while placing images in your paper. The questions to ask include: does your paper focus on a visual topic like an ad? Does your paper rely on images such as political campaigns? Also, remember to insert a caption about the picture, and complete the image source in the bibliography.

More Research

My paper is going alright. I'm trying to keep up with everything, and I get the citations. I may have a few questions here and there, but I have a book and the internet to help. My topic covers prescription drugs popularity among teens. Prescription drugs are getting to be an intense part of the party scene in high school, and they are just as dangerous as other typical drugs such as pot and coke. This should be an interesting paper; I just hope I can make it good, and keep it relevant and interesting.

RESEARCH

My research thus far has been limited for the upcoming paper. However, I did a good bit of research on my previous visual rhetoric assignment. The prewriting differs for the research paper already because we participated in the twenty minute silent free-write. I think this step has already helped me in the progression of my paper. This silent, reflective free-write also gives this paper better potential than my rhetorical analysis. I really enjoyed having the twenty minutes of thinking in class. It helped clear my mind of everything else going on in this hectic week. Twenty minutes of free-writing in class was much better than twenty minutes of free-writing outside of class. Hopefully my paper will be a good one!

The Draft

The Revising Process is an experience in itself.  In my previous English classes, I have written many drafts (rough draft, 1st draft, 2nd draft, 3rd draft, and final) and never really understood the importance of writing so many revised papers. I see that revision is a definite necessary step in the writing process, but numerous drafts are just busy work. It was helpful in this class to write a rough draft, have notes from the teacher and other classmates, and have a final due. Working in class with a partner was helpful, as well. It helped me to hear the flow of my paper as it would be read by someone else. I personally did an outline/cluster before writing my rough draft, but going over it and making one again from the rough draft was indeed a good idea to make sure the entire paper stays on topic.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

I really liked the movie we watched in class. I had never seen it before, so I was watching for context and rhetorical usage in the film. I found his argumentative skills very intriguing, as well. Nick Naylor could take on any argument by arguing with random bits of information.  He used a lot of pathos to attract his opponents as he used their backgrounds to manipulate conversations and appeal to their emotions. He was only deceived once when given a taste of his own medicine by the reporter, but he was able to make a comeback in order to overcome the irony.  He showed the audience that he could promote smoking, and also be a good father. I would want him on my team in any debate.

At A Glance p. 21

The image I'm using for this blog is found on page 21 in the text "Envision in Depth" by Alfano and O'Brien. The image is a simple black and white cartoon about the immigration debate with the United States and other countries, mainly Mexico. In the picture, there is the national border with barbed wire, however there is a hole in the fence. This shows that even though there is a debate over people coming into the country illegally, the United States does not try hard enough to keep them out. On the Mexican side of the fence, there is a stand with a sign stating "Maps to USA" accompanied by a long line of Mexicans. This shows how badly Mexicans want to come to America. On the United States' side of the fence, there is a large sign that states "U.S.A. Keep Out", however there are many small signs that promote free education, jobs, free health care, and lemonade. The lemonade stand shows Americans' hospitality to the illegal immigrants and shows how we even promoted education, health care, and jobs. The latter three subjects are what started the debate in the first place. Illegal immigrants do not pay taxes like American citizens, however in an emergency they would most likely take advantage of free health care and be treated before actual paying citizens. Illegal immigrants also take over jobs that Americans need, especially in times of economic crisis. Unfortunately, this still goes on today, and if this keeps up, our country may fall to the illegal immigrants. There are ways to prevent this, and it all starts with the government. This image is used to persuade the American people to voice their opinions before illegal immigrants overtake the country. There are sufficient images in this cartoon to analyze the different aspects of the debate, as well. The intended audience is most likely Americans who will realize what is happening in the country. Hopefully there is a solution in the short-run, and America will be safe and economically stable soon. 

Not going to lie, I'm not exactly positive what the assignment actually is for this week since i do not have my syllabus with me this weekend. However, i do have my book and I'm pretty sure I am supposed to write my response to the collaborative exercise on text page 34. I chose to analyze the 2008 Super Bowl commercials. All of these commercials target Americans, as most of them watch the Super Bowl religiously. One commercial that ehibits example/illustration and process is the Etrade commercial with the baby who shows how easy it can be to buy and sell stocks. Another commercial that can be analyzed argumentatively is the Budweiser commercial where the clydesdale tries to make the prestigious team that he did not make in "tryouts." This is an example of classification and division. The horse must train all year to make the team, which he does, but it classifies Budweiser as the best of the best, a team everyone should want to be on. The purest example of cause and effect exhibited in the 2008 Super Bowl commercials is the Vitamin Water commercial where Shaq is a jockey in a horse race and wins beacause he and the horse drank Vitamin Water.

1st POST! rhetoric

RHETORIC:

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, rhetoric is effective writing or speaking. We see and hear rhetoric in everyday life. For instance billboard ads while driving down the interstate or advertisements on TV. With the visual, oral, print and multimedia methods used in businesses, schools, and throughout downtown Clemson, students, teachers and visitors are exposed to many different options of where to eat, shop, or get the best gas prices! Peoples' freedom of speech really helps motivate rhetoric, as well, to help persuade fellow citizens to vote or make certain decisions.