And so summer draws to a close...

My summer vacation has almost breathed its last breath.

What a welcome relief.

This is not to say I haven't had fun this summer. There have been many adventures to recount. Shall I try to recall them all? Ohh, sure, why not?

Back in late May, I journeyed with my grandmother (Nana, as it were) to visit my cousin and his expecting wife in Erlanger, KY. When I say expecting, I mean that she was about to pop. I spent a little over a week goofing off with a four year old, shopping, lazing around the house, and getting my hair chopped off (again). (The hair cut was nice, but I'm ready for ponytails to come back.)

In mid-June, there was Ichthus Music Festival. This year made the fifth year I'd attended. I saw many a wonderful set such as that of Newsboys, TobyMac, Skillet, and Switchfoot. There was massive amounts of sweating and water drinking to be done. There was fangirling over the string players in Skillet--the 'hot Asian violinist' and the cellist with his beastly black cello. There was much in the way of singing along to songs and standing for longer than my feet cared to. Basically, it was fun. You can't be bored when you go with your mom to Sonic in the middle of Lexington at 1 AM.

July had a few events all its own. There was turning 19, which meant Mahou (the BFF) and I were the same age for approximately a week. (My sole birthday present, aside from money, was a Barnes & Noble nook. *JOYGASM*) There was going with my church's youth group to Kings Island and riding many a roller coaster, eating overpriced park food, and reading on aforementioned nook during long line queues. There was the ACHIEVING OF THE DRIVER'S LICENSE. Now the only thing keeping me at home is a want for gas money. (I can take the occasional drive to the 'Ville, drive to church/cell group/school, putter around town on errands, and give my boyfriend rides home, but I can't just up and drive all over the place whenever I want.) So yeah. Freedom and stuff.

August brought the official first car. Prince Humperdink, in all his broken down glory, is mine! It also brought the half-year 'versary of Corey and I dating. It's pretty awesome, dating this guy. Mahou also had her 20th birthday, which involved she, a bunch of our friends, and I sitting around her house being goofballs and eating sandwiches. YEAH!

So there are many events landmarking my summer. But it was also full of boredom.

When I was not gallivanting around Kentucky, I was sitting at home, on the computer, playing the Sims 2 or Facebook games, all while watching TV. (If House, NCIS, or CSI were not to be found, I watched the news. FNC is pretty awesome.) I ate whatever frozen food hadn't already been gobbled up by my brother, seeing as he's hit the PUBESCENT DUDE APPETITE phase. I only got out of the house to go to church, go to Wal-Mart, or go to the library, mostly. This month, I've been on a reading kick, mostly reading political books.

It's fun for awhile, but then you start to realize you have 2 more months of this.

So next summer, come hell or high water, I will take summer classes. Economy allowing, I might get a job, too. It's hard to find work around here if you're a newcomer teen. And I pray that I can also go on at least one road trip without family. Most likely, I'll visit a college friend. Also, I should probably take Mahou with me on a trip.

So this has been my summer. Long, hot, and Ashley-fied.

The first romance of Buck-Tick

Let us see. Anyone who has talked to Ashley for more than five seconds knows she loves Buck-Tick. (Actually, that's an exaggeration. There are hordes of people at church who have no clue.) So, I was thinking back to the songs I listened to over and over when at first I fell in love.

-Dress
It was all because of that animu show, Trinity Blood. It is my favorite, after all. When I watched the show on Adult Swim, I always turned up the TV and rocked out to the opening. It's such a beautiful song. Eventually, when I was near the internet, I decided to look up this Buck-Tick on YouTube and see if I liked their stuff. Which leads me to...
-Romance
Ahh, the song that reeled me in. The video was gorgeous--in that lovely, goth-y way. The music--especially the vocal line--was exquisite. And that voice...Sakurai Atsushi is one of my favorite vocalists. And all that gothic romance was like the gateway drug.
-Glamorous
This one always makes me feel just the tiniest bit hopeful when I listen to it. Not really sure why. I think it feels as though, during the verses, Sakurai's voice is almost like a prayer--begging, unsure, but hopeful. Then, at the chorus, the vocal line soars, making one feel as though she could fly. Grand, isn't it?
-Heroin
That slightly electronica rock song...it still makes me want to dance.
-Alice in Wonder Underground
Alice in Wonderland seems to be a gothic staple. It's twisted, kind of dark, and quirky. Buck-Tick's Wonder Underground has the same sort of feel, just with more timpani. Also, the song features a countertenor. That's just hot.
-Limbo
What do you mean, Buck-Tick has sexual songs?! This was my first taste of that. I honestly didn't know. But man, I loved that song. It was dirty. I felt dirty listening to it, only knowing what the English lyrics were saying ("SEX FOR YOU!"). It has a strong, driving dance beat, like it threatens to pull you out of your seat and send you spinning. Love it!

I might think of some more later and add to this list. Also, I just might post a list of favorite songs.