Just My Life

Dear blogging friends,

I am sorry that I have neglected to post for some time. I have been a bad blogger. I am sorry. So now for a quick update on what I've been up to.

This summer is an especially long summer for me. I finished classes in Costa Rica at the end of March and was back home to see the beginning of April. Right away I started looking for a job. After three weeks of desperately looking for something, waiting for people to call me, and going to interview after interview to hear people tell me over and over that they were "looking for more permanent help", I finally lucked out. Actually with more than one job. Yes, I will be working not one, not two, but three part-time jobs this summer.

I know what you're thinking, "Are you crazy?!". Maybe I am--especially considering the fact that I am also taking a few online classes. But at least I'll have money for rent next year when I'm done with the summer and I'll be that much closer to graduating :). It will be worth it, right?

The first place I'm working is at Walmart. I haven't started orientation yet, but I will this week. I have no idea what working there will be like, since I have never worked for a big corporation like Walmart before, but it will be an experience. And hey, blue's my color. :)

Also, I have already started working at the Bar & Grill in town. (Actually, the only restaurant in the little one-horse town in which I live.) I am working as a waitress. I've only been working there for 3 weeks but so far, I like it. It gets slow sometimes and crazy busy at other times, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy working with customers so that's good.

My third job (don't tell the others) is my favorite. I am working in an internship-like position (except I am getting paid ;-) ) at the local newspaper. I LOVE this job. As a mass communication major, it is a great way to gain valuable, real experience. My job includes mostly proof-reading (which, believe me, is a HUGE job and a LOT harder than you would think) but also I will be handling subscriptions and helping customers, selling ads to local businesses and eventually writing a little of my own. Time goes by so fast in a job like this. Instead of watching the clock to see how much time I have left, counting down the minutes until I can bolt out of there, I am watching the clock hoping I'll have enough time to accomplish all that I have to do. Isn't that what a job should be like though? I love having a job that doesn't feel like work. I feel very blessed to have that job and that opportunity for a great experience and resume builder. :D

Well I guess that's about all that's new here. Basically I will be running around like crazy all summer from one job to another and doing homework in what little time I have in between.

The plus side, besides the money I will be making, is that this will make time go very quickly this summer, which is great because in less than three months (August 7th to be exact), my awesome boyfriend will return from a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After two years of waiting, I won't mind at ALL if the last three months go quickly.

Until next time, Peace and God bless!

Aubree Jayne <3

Why I Hate Cinderella

After seeing Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella tonight, I got to thinking about what a terrible story Cinderella actually is. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella. The movie, starring Brandy, is one that I could watch over and over. But I am convinced that the reason I love the movie so dearly is because of the music and the delightful characters, which just barely make up for the ridiculous story.

Disney's Cinderella, however, is far from my one of my favorites. When I shared with a friend of mine recently that this movie was my least favorite Disney movie, she acted appalled. Well, friends, let me explain to you why this story is NOT a favorite of mine.

I think the number one reason why I dislike the movie so much is simply that Cinderella is the Disney Princess with the least personality. Compared to the other Disney princesses, Cinderella is the most bland, and least heroic.

The number one reason why I dislike the story of Cinderella is that she doesn't do anything. Sure, Cinderella's life initially is no fantasy. Being treated like a slave by her step-mother and step-sisters leads to understandable unhappiness. But what does she do about it? Nothing. Does she fight for her freedom? Nah. She sits around and whines about her life and merely wishes for it to change. It isn't until she is rescued by her fairy godmother, and eventually, her prince, that her life begins to change. But what did she do to deserve that? Nothing.

Now, there is nothing wrong with wishing and dreaming. A dream is a wish your heart makes... yadda yadda... but we, unlike Cinderella, don't have fairy godparents to change those dreams into a reality. We must act and create our own destiny. What does Cinderella know about that?

The next problem that I have is the shallow love between Cinderella and Prince Charming. Sure, it's supposed to be a sweet, innocent love story. But I, for one, find nothing whatsoever romantic about this story. For one thing, they profess their love to one another after having known each other ten minutes. They know nothing about one another except that they are good-looking and are attracted to each other. Sure, Cinderella is beautiful, but how does the prince know that she's not a complete air-head? The "love" between Cinderella and her Prince Charming is superficial and vain.

Now I'll ignore the annoying fact that apparently Cinderella is the only girl in the whole kingdom with her shoe-size, because, it is after-all a fairy tale. But what drives me crazy is the fact that she and the prince are supposedly so in love, yet he can't even pick her out of a line up the day after. The only way he can identify her is by her shoe? Really, Prince Charming? Some love...

Now, I know I may be a little harsh. It is, afterall, only a harmless children's story. But why is it so lame? I'm just saying.

I would like to say, however, that Cinderella is not the only beloved Disney movie that has some twisted messages if you look hard enough. Take a look:

To conclude, we all have our favorite fairy tales, but I don't think that I am out of line one iota by saying that Cinderella is not a princess we should admire and emulate. She is, afterall, merely "meh". Sorry, Cinderella. But it's true.

Spring Cleaning

Welcome, April. Glad you could finally make it. This month, my project is going to be Spring Cleaning!!! I am hoping that if I fake enough enthusiasm, I can make it not so terrible... We'll see...

Last semester, when I got home from school, I was so busy getting ready to go to Costa Rica, that I didn't have time to clean up and put away all the stuff I had moved out of my dorm. Well now I'm back, and the combined mess from everything from my dorm and also from my trip is driving me crazy. ME. And I'm a slob. Trust me.
So this month, I have made it my goal... No, my mission... to clean out my room, closet, etc. Also, as this may be the last summer that I live at home long term, I am going to really try to do some good old fashioned clean sweep. Time to get rid of the poster I still have rolled up in my closet from when I was a toddler, the mountain of earrings that I collected when I finally got my ears pierced in Junior high, clothes that I haven't worn in years but just can't bear to part with, and, well, pretty much everything that I don't need or use. Time to let the pack rat go and take control.

But I am not just trying to organize the physical things around me. No, this year, spring cleaning is all about cleaning up and cleaning out every area of my life. Time to prioritize. Focus. Make right the wrongs in my life. Stop procrastinating. And really just take care of all the things in my life that need to be taken care of.

I know these sound like new years' resolutions. And maybe in a way they are. Who says we can only make new years' resolutions in January? These can be my spring resolutions!

I am hoping that by blogging about my goal to really clean, I will have to hold myself accountable for this goal I have placed before myself. We'll see. Cleaning really is my least favorite thing in the world. So, wish me luck!

--Aubree--

Hopping on the Bandwagon

Well, after months of pondering, I've decided to hop on the blogging bandwagon. I might as well. Looks like I'll have more free time, now that I'm home for the summer. I do have my projects though for the summer. Believe me.

Really, the biggest thing keeping me from blogging was that I couldn't think of a good name for my blog. The name I came up with comes from the song Aubrey by Bread, after which I was named.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Aubree. I am nineteen. I live on a farm in the Midwest, and I never realize how much I love it here until I leave to go somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling. But at the end of the day, I just want to be back in the Midwest where everyone is civil and kind, and where no one makes fun of my accent.

I just finished my sophomore year in college studying Advertising and Spanish. I want to work in public relations, but I can't be any more specific than that. Frankly, I don't know exactly what I want to do. But I'm not in any hurry to figure my whole life out. I am only nineteen afterall.

The relationships in my life are very important to me. First and foremost, my relationship with my Heavenly Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. My faith is incredibly important to me, and any decision I make in my life revolves around my beliefs and my faith.

Second, my family. I love my family to death. I have one brother, who is seventeen. He is a goof, but I love him. I get along great with both my parents, and I am a lot like each of them in different ways.

My friends are also very important to me. I am a very social person and I love making new friends and hanging out with old ones.

So, let me talk about where I am in life right now. Like I said, I am a college student, but I am living at home with my parents right now. I go to school about an hour away from my house, so I have lived in the dorms while in school, but this year my summer is actually starting a bit earlier. That's because I spent the last semester in Costa Rica studying Spanish.

Studing in a foreign country was an amazing experience. I stayed for 12 weeks, stayed with a host family (who didn't speak a word of English... talk about immersion!) and took a whole semester worth of Spanish classes. It was great. I loved it. But now it's over, and I'm back at home.

So... what are my plans for the summer you ask? Good question... Who knows? I am hoping to get a job, hopefully full-time, but that is still in the works. Job searching is such a painful process!

Well, basically that's what's going on right now! Wish me luck with the job searching! :D