i've been...

...tagged.
never thought that would happen. i feel like i have just barely existed in this "internet world" and actually enjoyed just "lurking" around (not in a creepy way, i just don't feel like i am a very eloquent commenter...so...)
anyway, my friend rachael marshman tagged me to tell six things about myself. six unspectacular quirks. i also need to tag six more bloggers and leave each of them a comment. and from there, the madness should continue...
without any further hesitation...my unspectacular quirks...

1. i am not a morning person. capital n. capital o. capital t. a huge part of me desires so very much to be the early riser who accomplishes much before lunch time arrives but the reality of the situation is that i am not...i know that God can mold me throughout my life to be that person, and don't doubt that that is something planned for the future ashley.
2. even though i have some hideously messed up knees, like since junior high, i love to run...i don't do it very often because it is wicked painful, but there is just something about it that i find so electric. it's like you get to connect and disconnect at the same time. i would love to participate in marathons (any length actually) in the future. it's kindof hard to explain. since i don't get to run, i like to get out and move other ways. i have been riding my bike, with hannah in tow, for a few months now. i average around five to ten miles a day, for most days of the week. we all ride to church together on sundays, which is super fun. hopefully we'll get geared-up for the "winter" down here, so that we can continue our biking throughout the year.
3. i spent a summer living out of a tent/under a porch. it was at a camp in arizona that i worked at for a few years. the summer before, i slept on a porch. the summer after, i did a lot of porch sleeping again. the first week was always a bit creepy, getting used to the sounds and never knowing if you'd wake up to a javelina sniffing aroung your sleeping bag. but it is the best, sleeping outside. once a week, we'd sleep out in the woods with the kids. then i slept right in the dirt. i love to be dirt-dirty. not, you know every day. but, i worked in the camping industry for almost seven years, and camped for fun. i'm down for three weeks with out a shower. smelling like campfire smoke, swimming in a lake. i feel like there will always be something about "civilisation" that i just won't get.
4. i hate wearing shoes. my feet need to be free. i need my feet to be free. i have three pairs of sandals that i wear, two are "everyday" and one is for riding my bike. even then, i can't really stand to have them on. i loved lifeguarding because you don't need shoes to do that. i love southern california weather because in the "winter" i can wear long pants that cover my feet and most people don't even notice that i am not wearing shoes. i fell like my feet are really wimpy since i have worn my sandals regularly, for like, the past big handful of years. i used to be able to walk around in the woods barefoot without a problem.
5. i'd like to start a little business from home. i like to sew and "make stuff." i am not very profit-minded, so i haven't made a whole lot of progress on this front. but someday...
6. i really don't like technology. here i am, telling you that on my blog. but really...there's just something about a notebook and a nice sharp pencil. something about a card catolouge and a book shelf full of encyclopedias. something about stamps and knowing you just have to wait for a reply. something about a tape deck...casettes, vhs...something about a corded phone and having to be intentional about time for conversations. i think it's the part of me that is romantic. i idealise those days before everything was happening at 100 miles an hour.

so, there's a glimpse into my unspectacular, quirky life.

1. debra, my sister.
2. jessie, a central coast friend that i met through my sister
3. hope, high school friend living on the east coast
4. mike, the husband
5. jen, from the seattle years
6. emery, a really honest blogger i learned of through my sister

here is your charge:
-link to the person who tagged you
-mention the rules
-tell six unspectacular quirks of yours
-tag six bloggers
-leave a comment for each

can't wait to learn something new...