Snow in LJ

'Twas was the night before christmas (or actually christmas for us Germans),
When all through the house the Aheimers were stirring (and unwrapping presents).
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Mom had put presents in there.
The children were nestled all snug on the couch,
While it was lightly snowing outside.
A few flurries stuck to the grass and ground
nothing special to us Aheimers. (Totally doesn't ryhme but it's all good)
The flurries quickly turned to real snow,
And before we knew everything was covered...hohoho.
The news said about less than an inch or so,
But it was more like freaking 5 inches of wet, snowball-fighting-type snow. Yipeeeh....in freaking Lake Jackson by the way. The last time they had now was 15 years ago and that was only flurries. I can't believe we actually have a white christmas. It's so freaking amazing. This morning our entire neighborhood made snowmen. Ours is by far the coolest and most creative, because we Germans actually know how to built a snowman (FYI you roll the snow and don't just make a big pile). Anyway, the pictures are up on the family website for the nonbelievers. Ok, for right now I'm just gonna use my sisters footspa and enjoy the snow and our broken screen (since two panels broke b/c the snow was too heavy). This is sooo unbelievably great.
Snow = Happy Anni :)
Snow in LJ = Super Happy Anni :) :)

Merry Christmas Everyone

Ok, quick update. SKiing in Winterpark was a blast, I wanna move to Colorado so bad now. Anyway, the skiing was great except for the temperatures. The last couple of days we woke up and it was -5 degrees Fahrenheit. That is freaking cold, the weather is insane, supposedly it is snowing in Houston right now. Our airplane was delayed 4 hours last night because it couldn't leave Cleveland, so we got in at about 4 this morning. Anyway, today is Christmas so I'm excited and yes we crazy Europeans celebrate on the 24th. First Christmas present today was my first B in College. Bye, bye 4.0. I'm proud of the B though because it was Dr. Borst's class. Ok, I gotta go help my mom with Christmas preperations. Oh, another cool thing. I lost my driver's license and I found out the airport does not accept Tech IDs (even tough it's a photo ID). BTW Happy 21st Audrey, I'll call you right now to wish you a happy bday. Merry Christmas everyone.

Back in LJ

So after 9 boring, uneventful hours (record time, wohoo) I made it back to LJ. My mom welcomed me with a bday cake and my dad with HDTV on our huge 50 inch flatscreen tv and my lil bro and lil sis with crazyness and whipped cream on their pizza. So I guess everything is back to normal. Tomorrow is going to be a long shopping day and then Friday we leave to go freaking skiing and boarding in awesome Winterpark, CO. I can't wait. Btw Burns don't forget. The 20th, noon, on top of Mary Jane, you better be there or else. :) Anyway, I think I'm gonna hang out with the fam since I only get to see them for about 2 weeks. Oh yeah and to my delight I miraculously pulled of an A in thermodynamics. The only class I ever failed an exam in and was considering dropping. Ok, I'm outta here, everyone have a great break.

Don't wanna study

So since I don't wanna study for my thermo final in 2 hours, I'm gonna write some useless random shallow stuff in here.

My mom is currently in New York City with the ladies from her Monday Night Group. I guess those rich housewives have nothing better to do. Just kidding. I'm happy my mom gets to do all kinds of stuff especially since only my lil bro is left in the house.

I'm going skiing in Winterpark, CO on the 17th. I'm probably gonna end up hitting the slopes with Burns since he and his family are going too. Burns you are about to eat some powder. Oh, I can't wait. The last time I went skiing was two years ago.

Except for finals. I'm having tons of fun right now. I'm probably not gonna leave til Wednesday so that I can chill and hang out some more. How come that I have partied more during finals week than all semester long?

Ok, I'm gonna make myself some lunch so that I won't be starving during the suckiest final ever. Later

Horrible Horrible Names - I think I'll stick with Anika

1. YOUR PORN STAR NAME: (Name of first pet / Street you live on): Freezerburn 32nd Street
2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (Name of your favorite snack food / Grandfather's first name): Duplo Emil
3. YOUR FASHION DESIGNER NAME: (First word you see on your left / Favorite restaurant): Flamingo Willi Joe’s
4. EXOTIC FOREIGNER ALIAS: (Favorite Spice / Last Foreign Vacation Spot): Paprika Germany
5. SOCIALITE ALIAS: (Silliest Childhood Nickname / Town Where You First Partied): Anuska Drochtersen
6. "FLY Boy" ALIAS (a la J. Lo): (First Initial / First Two or Three Letters of your Last Name): A. Ahe
7. ICON ALIAS: (Something Sweet Within Sight / Any Liquid in Your Kitchen): Gold-Bears Milk
8. DETECTIVE ALIAS: (Favorite Baby Animal / Where You Went to High School): Puppy Brazoswood
9. BARFLY ALIAS: (Last Snack Food You Ate / Your Favorite Alcoholic Drink): Flips Long Island Iced Tea
10. SOAP OPERA ALIAS: (Middle Name / Street Where You First Lived): Almuth Gauensieker Feldstrasse

Bday

I had an absolutly fabulous birthday. It started off with me semi-sleeping in still 9 and then unwrapping presents. As I walked to my only class that day I got soaked from hail and it was actually quite fun. Then I just chilled around the house, replanted my flowers, hung up my huge German flag and so on. At 7 Lib and Denis picked me up to go eat at Johnny Carino's and that's when the evening began. Of course the guys couldn't resist taking me to Cricket's and making my 21st memorable. So thanks JD for getting me drunk. Thanks Laura, Jonathan and everyone else for buying me tasty shots. Thanks Jay for giving the best hugs. Thanks Lib for being my DD and making sure I don't get a hang over. Thanks Lindsay, Burns, Denis and Lib for playing Trivial Pursuit til 3 in the morning. Thanks Danny, Bob and Jennifer for coming to dinner and being great friends in general. Thanks Brett for showing up even though we don't hang out much. Thanks Angela, Audrey and Ellen for calling me to wish me a happy bday. It made my day. Thanks Jason for being dissappointed that you didn't get to see me drunk, because that was you goal for the last year or so. Thanks Julie and Sandee for being great roomies and baking me a cake. Thanks Erica and Melissa for wishing me a happy bday several times. Thanks Dillon, Amy C and Amy C, Jillian, Sarah C, Heath, Lauren Itz, Crystal, Erin and everyone else that simply said happy bday and enjoy your day. And of course everyone else that I forgot. I love my friends and of course my family. Thanks Mom, Dad, Kaki and Xander for always being there for me and singing me happy bday over the phone.

Thanksgiving

Back from a wonderful Thanksgiving with my wonderful family and as always I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and start crying because of all the stuff I have to do. But that's life and that's all I'm gonna say.

Only 1:30

It's only 1:30 and I already had an interesting day. I failed my E&M exam at 11 this morning. Discovering only 5 minutes before the exam that I had left my homework that was due today at home didn't help much either. After that in my communications class I find out that only the rough draft was due today. At least I have the paper done now. Then when I drove back to campus to turn in my homework all these crazy Lubbock drivers and pedestrians are just set on getting me in another accident. Being really tired didn't help much either. So I'm not gonna leave the house except to go climbing today. I can't really go anywhere anyway because I'll be doing all this homework that is due tomorrow.

Treib mich weiter, gib mir meine Hoffnung zurueck....

As I was driving over to Lib's house today. I was listening to my favorite German band Pur. This song in particular I thought fitted very well. I'm trying to find a translation for it, but of course even if I do it's just not gonna sound and mean the same. It's basically about complacency and lack of motivation. Something that I'm really lacking right now. As I was doing my physics homework today aka copying my physics homework I realized once again that I'm really lacking my movtivation. I didn't even want to try. I think it's mainly burn out cause this is already my fifth semester. Another thing is that during the spring semester I learned how to get by, get good grades and have tons of fun at the same time. Now this semester it's not working out anymore cause my classes got a lot more difficult. I'm also expecting that I will do good and that everything will work out, because that's what has always happened in my life. I never had to work extremly hard to get something. So now when that doesn't happend it's extremly discouraging. And for some reason this is not making any sense. It's in my head anyways and that's all that matters. Anyway, I'm gonna get off the computer and hang out with Lib and Denis some more.


Warum hast Du sie verlassen und verläßt Du auch noch mich
sie hasten durch die Straßen und verlieren ihr Gesicht.

Sie sind bequem, gefügig, schlafwandeln durch die Korridore
nur noch Brot und Spiele, ist das wirklich schon genug ?

Ist der Weg zu weit
jedes In- und Aus sich egh´n verlorne Zeit.

Auf meiner Reise gab es wirklich viel zu seh´n
Hab´ vermutlich bei der Eile glatt die Hälfte überseh´n.

Und die schnell erreichte Ziele machen träge, satt
das Blut wird müde. Wo ist die Windmühle, gegen die ich kämpfen kann ?

Sag mir wie, nicht wann
Sag mir, was ich wirklich kann

Mächtig viel Theater, tief drin im Labyrinth
abseits der irren Wege, die vorgezeichnet sind, oh Bitte

Treib mich weiter
Gib mir meine Hoffnung zurück
Führ mich in Versuchung und hilf mir
Zeig mir mehr als billiges Glück

All die Tiere folgen dem Instinkt
fraglich, was die Menschheit unserer Mutter Erde bringt.

Ein großes Segen-Fluch-Getriebe
voller Lust und Liebe, Leid und Lüge
wenn ich mich betrüge, betrüg ich dann auch Dich ?

halt den Atem an
frag mich bitte nicht wie lang

Die Wahl der Qual ist schwierig, wie hätten sie´s denn gern ?
Bin ich nur ein Stückchen Schale allein weit ab vom Kern ?

Treib mich weiter ...

Manchmal hör´ ich seltsame Lieder, die hin und wieder
in mir drin das Weiter suchen

Es klingt nach oben, es klingt nach vorn
Ich hab´ die Gabe - zum Glück - noch nicht verlor´n

Treib mich weiter ....

It's going to be a long day today, but that's ok since most of my days are gonna be like that until finals. But right after finals I get to go skiing with my family in Winterpark, CO and then it's off to LCT. I have no clue where we are going to go for that one. Looks like I'm gonna have an exciting break. Wohooo, I can't wait. I'm extremely tired of school. Papers and exams are just not fun. But what can you do? Otherwise nothing interesting has happened since the last post. Oh wait, I did get a rental car so that I don't have to bum rides. It's a Grand Am so nothing special like Heath's Dodge Minivan. I would have loved that car cause my friends already call me Soccer Mom. Hihi, anyway I'm off to take a shower and let the day begin.

Sometimes the wind speaks to me.
I am the wind when it speaks to me.
As I am walking,
no longer do I know time.
For the sound sounds the same
as it has always been.

Oh!
What bliss!
Self -
No more.
Time -
Don't know!

Only Truth, Truth, Truth.

-Seasmile

My poor car

On my way to class yesterday afternoon I'm about to turn right onto Brownfield Highway from 19th Street when I noticed a red truck in front of me. I think to myself you better slow down otherwise you are gonna do the same thing Sandee did and rear-end the truck. Because we have to yield both the truck and I are stopped, I look left and behind me to check the traffic and see no car coming and gun it. The only problem is the car in front of me hadn't moved yet. And since his bumper is at the height of my hood it totally smashed my right light, scrunches up the hood and cracks the radiator completely. The steering is messed up too and who knows what else. My car got towed in today to be fixed and luckily the insurance pays for all of it except the deductible. And right now I want nothing more but to be 21. Cause if I would be I could get a free rental car but since I'm not 21 that doesn't work and I'm gonna be bumming rides of everybody for the next week or so. It's noting really new, it's not like I haven't done that for the first two years up here at college. :)

Cancelled Class

I was runnning late to Thermo again this morning. Luckily Thermo was cancelled, so that's why I'm sitting in the ME lab right now doing nothing. Ugh, I want my motivation back....right now. Anyway I think I'm gonna play some games, then read magazines in my Mechanics class, then do Mechanics hw and I will get it done today and if that's the only thing i will get accomplished, then materials, SWE meeting, Paradigm and hanging out. Sounds like a fun day. Btw I finally got my Travel Letter which means I can actually leave this country and get back in. Wohoo. Otherwise life is great, I miss my friends and that's about it. Later

No Motivation

I have plenty of homework to do before I leave this friday to go climbing and I probably should start studying for my exams next week and work out some more and start thinking about what I'm gonna get my family for christmas and the list goes on and on and.... I don't wanna do any of it. All my motivation is gone. So I guess I can wait til it comes back or I can just get my act together and start working off my to do list. Later

Some friends have visions or dreams of the Buddha,
where He is all magnificent,
smiling, beckoning…

But what would you do if you see the Buddha in person?
After bowing, paying respect?
Do you just gaze on in a daze of amazement?
Do you just bask in His glory?

Truth is,
if you do not ask for the Dharma,
you are not a true Buddhist, not a Truth-seeker;
you are merely a Buddha worshipper.

This is the title.... :)

Mulan just has to be about the best Disney movie ever besides Finding Nemo of course. I just love that movie, and it's especially good when you are procrastinating. Motivation this semester is just lacking but only about 5 more weeks or so and then I get to go skiing with my wonderful family and just chilling down in Lake Jackson without any snow. Oh man the snow yesterday and today just made me so happy. I didn't have a snowball fight or built a snowman but I still love the snow. Ok, I probably should be going to bed cause I have a long day tomorrow of class, Wiley's Way, exam, physics hw and then probably Daybreak. Anyway, good night peeps and I love y'all even if I haven't talked to you in forever.

Once again I love life.

Hueco was a blast this weekend. I love that place. It's so incredibly beautiful and inspiring. And I finally sent "Nobody gets out of here alive" which is only about the most gorgeous problem out there. Oh man, I should change my major to premed and then go to Tech's Medical School in El Paso just so I can go climbing there all the time. The sunsets and the moonrises are just incredible and I swear the sky is ten times bluer than in Lubbock. This was just exactly what I needed for a break. I feel so much better, so much more inspired now. Life is just so beautiful. And showers are too, that's why I'm gonna take one now.

Be careful of how you perceive,
of how you interpret the world.
Because your world is exactly the way you perceive it!

The world is your perception.
You personally endorse
each and every one of your delusional perceptions.
You live and die by them!

Late....

It definitely about 1:17 am on a Tuesday night, which is rather unusual for me. It's not that unusual to about half of my friends, whom I do miss terribly btw, but I should be sleeping by now. This week is finally not busy anymore. I actually got to climb today and then I had training for Wiley's Way which is just an amazing outreach program. It's gonna be fun. This weekend I'll be out of town climbing. Finally....since the last trip I took was Labor Day Weekend. I can't wait. I miss being outdoors sooooo much. (BTW the moon is absolutly gorgous tonite.) This weekend is going to be fun. I truly need to get out of Lubbock badly right now. There has been just too much stress and too many worries about school but mainly about my friends. And there has been quite a couple of dissappointments. So a change of scenery is much needed. Ok, bedtime since it is 1:26 am now. Good night my friends.

Awesome Quotes, cause they won't fit on my profile

I have gotten to love this one website called "The Daily enlightenment." It has simple reflections for each day. It's awesome cause these will actually make you think. So I'm just putting a couple on here since they won't fit on my profile.

The Truth cannot be conceived.
It can only be experienced.
Do not think you can think of the Truth.
All you can do is see it.

The Buddha did not imagine or concoct the Truth;
He saw it.

Thus, in meditation,
do not think, just see.
Meditation in the end is just two things -
stilling your mind so that you can look at it so clearly,
that you realize the naked Truth about everything.

Once you think about the Truth,
it is just a thought about it,
not Truth itself.

When you seek Truth like a thing,
all you get are traces of it,
but not it.



Treasure everything you have in the moment,
because it is only here in the moment.

Be unattached to everything you have in the moment,
because it is only here in the moment.

Balance these in the moment
and you are on the Middle Path.

This one is especially good because it is about desires and I have talked to a bunch of people about it while we discussed religion.

Any desire that leads
to undesirable effects
or to more desires
is undesirable.

The only desire that leads
to the totally desirable,
to the end of all desires,
is the aspiration for Enlightenment.
And even that has to be let go of in good time.

~The Daily enlightenment

I love life

I finally got to see everybody again today, which made me so happy. After being busy for about the last 2 to 3 weeks I really needed this. Of course I wish I would have had the chance to talk to certain people some more and actually have a good conversation with them and not just say hi. But eh what do you expect, I just have too many friends. J/k. I love my friends and I love life. I have a physics exam on Monday, which is gonna kick my butt, but I'm not gonna worry about it until Sunday. And that's when I'm gonna wake up and cry. Paradigm was fun today. I really missed it for some reason even though the only time I ever went I ended up crying because I was so confused. Today it just made me really happy. I was just in the mood to sing at the top of my lungs (offkey of course since I'm not musically talented). Afterwards Laura ask me a really good question though. The simple question was "Did you really mean what you were singing?" and the simple answer would be "I don't know!" And that's my answer and it doesn't confuse me, which is the good thing. Geez, I love life, it's just so beautiful. And you don't really have to believe in God to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us at every moment, Danny. Anyways, I love sleep just as much as I love life. Therefore I shall go to bed now and not pull allnighters like about 70% of my friends. Love y'all guys. Nighty Night

I'm back

I'm back from conference...Milwaukee was fun...dreams are weird...my SWE girls are the best...American Airlines sucks...and I'm gonna be busy as crap for the next two weeks...

My mom rocks my socks off

Today has been a soso day but then my mom totally made my day. She actually sent me a care packet with a bunch of German food including chocolate which I needed desperately because my supply was running low. My mom is simply the greatest. Funny part is my mom also knows my cooking habits, because she even send me cooking instructions. I'm really not that bad of a cook. Anyways I gotta get back to tons of stuff that I have to get done before conference. I will be leaving at 4 on Wednesday to go to the National Society of Women Engineers Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is gonna be freezing but it will be tons of fun. I'll be back late Sunday. Since my phone isn't nationwide, I'll talk to everyone when I get back. Oh and thanks to all of my awesome friends that left comments in response to my last post and the ones that didn't. I love y'all bunches. Laters...

Life and death are of supreme
importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity
is lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken.
Awaken. Take heed, do not squander
your life.
~EVENING CHANT