I am reading a new book, South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami. Just recently I went through some huge Murakami phase and must have read three or four of his books and a few of his short stories. Although he is an amazing writer, as with all authors not all of his books are blow-your-mind-great...the majority of the ones I picked up were so metaphorical and science fiction-y that it was hard for me to get into them. After pushing my way through a few average novels I determined that it was probably a good time to give Murakmi a rest for a long while. G's band (Slim Dixon) was recording this weekend an hour north of Chicago and on the way out the door I grabbed a few books to pass the time (they were recording all day). I finished reading Thirteen Reasons Why, the book that I had mentioned before. Then I started reading Love in the Time of Cholera and got a little distracted so I figured,
I'll give one more Murakami book a shot". Turns out, South of the Border, West of the Sun might just be the best book I have read in a LONG time. When Murakami writes about relationships and people interacting with other people he tends to blow my mind. This story of a confused man focuses primarily on just how easily we can hurt the people closest to us. The way Murakami focuses on the power of memories from the past and the bittersweetness of love has placed me back into one of my states of nostalgia. This book has made me realize two things: One, even when you think you have everything figured out, you don't. And two, you should always be honest to everyone, especially those who are willing to lay their feelings out in the open in return for your love. I think that the closer you get to someone, the easier it is to take their feelings for granted. You start to forget that their feelings matter just as much, if not more and that you aren't the only person who matters. I admit I have come a long way. I am incredibly lucky to be where I am right now. But to get here I have hurt a lot of people in the process and that doesn't feel so good. If you're reading this, I am sure you know who you are. I just want to say that I am so sorry. I know that doesn't change the past or anything I've done or said for that matter, but for what it's worth my concious still clouds my thoughts and occasionally I replay over and over memories so haunting that they keep me up at night. Someone so lucky to be loved by caring people has no right to act so selfish, and in the past I was the QUEEN of selfishness. If you have the chance, you should read South of the Border, West of the Sun and maybe you'll feel a little bit of what I'm feeling right now. If you don't feel like reading, you could just listen to The Beatles "All My Loving", and any Carissa's Wierd, Rouge Wave, Shins, or early Band of Horses.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Come On Get Happy!
11 things that are seriously making me so happy right now:
1. I don't have to work until Tuesday.
2. I did not catch little C's cough OR Z's strep.
3. One school application done, only three to go.
4. A (somewhat) clean house.
5. Eating valentine's conversation hearts.
6. My computer is working for now.
7. It is so sunny and pretty warm outside (45?)
8. Having the time to listen to a bunch of old vinyl.
9. I am almost finished with a good book.
10. Finally realizing that spring is only a few months away.
11. Red Hen Bread veggie sandwiches (crispy bread, red peppers, lettuce, granny
smith apples, and walnut goat cheese)
1. I don't have to work until Tuesday.
2. I did not catch little C's cough OR Z's strep.
3. One school application done, only three to go.
4. A (somewhat) clean house.
5. Eating valentine's conversation hearts.
6. My computer is working for now.
7. It is so sunny and pretty warm outside (45?)
8. Having the time to listen to a bunch of old vinyl.
9. I am almost finished with a good book.
10. Finally realizing that spring is only a few months away.
11. Red Hen Bread veggie sandwiches (crispy bread, red peppers, lettuce, granny
smith apples, and walnut goat cheese)
Friday, February 6, 2009
Young Folks.
Just as my mom predicted, my computer is up and running once again (they apparently had the same problem with their Dell a few months back). I feel lucky, being able to use the internet and finally type up an update into this blog. Unfortunately, also according to my mom my computer should shut down again sometime soon...and this time for serious. So, a few days ago I went to a computer center store I found near by and purchased a 4 GB thumb drive to save all of my important information on (songs, pictures, documents). When I was talking to my mom, she said, "Just get a 4 GB stick, it will be waaay more than you need" and I told her, "Well, I have A LOT of stuff, so maybe I'll buy two 4 GB sticks". Now that I have begun the tedious process of copying over all of my documents, I realize just how little I know about file sizes. HA, I believe with all of my pictures, music, and documents combined I will have much less than 4 gigabytes.
Last Sunday, my good friend Melissa and her wonderful boyfriend Andrew came into town for his birthday. Melissa and Andrew (her boyfriend) go to a Transcendental Meditation school in Fairfield, Iowa. Fairfield is about a five hour drive from Chicago, so they are useually out here once every couple two months. That's the good part about living in a huge city, people you know are more likely to be stopping in now and then for a visit. Melissa's visits are sometimes out of the blue, which is always a nice surprise. We'd like to get out to Iowa soon, it's so hard when you don't have a car.
For Andrew's birthday, he wanted to spend time in a sensory deprivation tank. Basically, it is dark container full of 800 pounds of salt water dissolved in 10 inches of luke warm water. You drink tea in a relaxing room before you are taken to your own private room. You then shower off and climb into the container. I told Melissa I would do it as well, not really knowing what to expect. I had read a bit about it and was pretty excited about trying it, because according to everyone who had written a review on the place (I did my research, ha ha) it was supposed to be a totally rejuvenating experience...one that would clear you mind, relax your body, and allow you to explore natural thoughts that are most often crowded by the everyday business of life. So what do you have to do to achieve this nirvana?! Simply climb inside a pitch black, sound proof container the size of a refrigerator tipped on its side and float for an hour in water so dense from salt that you float effortlessly. I have to admit, I was just a little freaked out about the whole experience. First of all, I have this weird fear of water that I have never been able to fully understand. I can't even put my face under a stream of shower water without feeling like I can't breathe. I am not the biggest fan of deep lakes and certainly not someone who feels comfortable swimming at night. As I slipped into the deep chamber, I was honestly wishing I had not watched so many horror movies that involved girls being pulled under by some haunting sea/bathtub creature and also that I had not spent so much time convincing my mom to let me watch Titanic when I was in middle school. However, once I slipped into the water everything changed.
For those who know me and my deep fear of almost anything water related would be surprised and proud to know that I actually conquered my fears and climbed inside. It ended up being completely worth it. Not only did I conquer a huge fear of mine but I also felt the most level headed and relaxed that I have felt in a LONG time. It was like every single muscle in my body was the most relaxed that they have ever been and for once I fell asleep faster than ever before. My mind was wondering like crazy and I kept drifting in and out and little naps. When I came out, I couldn't really believe I had been in there for a whole hour. My body felt totally relaxed. Also, that night I slept SO GOOD.
While I was super proud of myself for not letting my fears get the best of me this time, I was a little disappointed to realize that I have become more of a chicken over the past few years. I think while I was in college I would have easily slipped into the sensory deprivation tank without a care in the world. And now, just two years later I had to convince myself and tell myself that everything would be OK. It's just weird how fast we change...I guess that I have changed in a good way, maybe I am less likely to place myself in dangerous situations or something. Still, it is never a great feeling to realize that you are a big scardy cat all of a sudden.
On Monday Garrison and I saw Slumdog Millionaire. It was SO GOOD. If you like suspenseful movies you would really love it. If you like movies that are romantic and not cheesy romantic, you would love it. If you like M.I.A. you would love it. If you like beautiful/creative cinematography, you would love it. If you get the chance, you should go see it. It is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.
Wow, it is late. Since my computer working for the time being, I will most likely write more tomorrow or Sunday. Tomorrow it is supposed to be 50 degrees....so warm for Chicago! I think G and I are going to ride bikes to the band practice space.
Have a great Saturday!!
Last Sunday, my good friend Melissa and her wonderful boyfriend Andrew came into town for his birthday. Melissa and Andrew (her boyfriend) go to a Transcendental Meditation school in Fairfield, Iowa. Fairfield is about a five hour drive from Chicago, so they are useually out here once every couple two months. That's the good part about living in a huge city, people you know are more likely to be stopping in now and then for a visit. Melissa's visits are sometimes out of the blue, which is always a nice surprise. We'd like to get out to Iowa soon, it's so hard when you don't have a car.
For Andrew's birthday, he wanted to spend time in a sensory deprivation tank. Basically, it is dark container full of 800 pounds of salt water dissolved in 10 inches of luke warm water. You drink tea in a relaxing room before you are taken to your own private room. You then shower off and climb into the container. I told Melissa I would do it as well, not really knowing what to expect. I had read a bit about it and was pretty excited about trying it, because according to everyone who had written a review on the place (I did my research, ha ha) it was supposed to be a totally rejuvenating experience...one that would clear you mind, relax your body, and allow you to explore natural thoughts that are most often crowded by the everyday business of life. So what do you have to do to achieve this nirvana?! Simply climb inside a pitch black, sound proof container the size of a refrigerator tipped on its side and float for an hour in water so dense from salt that you float effortlessly. I have to admit, I was just a little freaked out about the whole experience. First of all, I have this weird fear of water that I have never been able to fully understand. I can't even put my face under a stream of shower water without feeling like I can't breathe. I am not the biggest fan of deep lakes and certainly not someone who feels comfortable swimming at night. As I slipped into the deep chamber, I was honestly wishing I had not watched so many horror movies that involved girls being pulled under by some haunting sea/bathtub creature and also that I had not spent so much time convincing my mom to let me watch Titanic when I was in middle school. However, once I slipped into the water everything changed.
For those who know me and my deep fear of almost anything water related would be surprised and proud to know that I actually conquered my fears and climbed inside. It ended up being completely worth it. Not only did I conquer a huge fear of mine but I also felt the most level headed and relaxed that I have felt in a LONG time. It was like every single muscle in my body was the most relaxed that they have ever been and for once I fell asleep faster than ever before. My mind was wondering like crazy and I kept drifting in and out and little naps. When I came out, I couldn't really believe I had been in there for a whole hour. My body felt totally relaxed. Also, that night I slept SO GOOD.
While I was super proud of myself for not letting my fears get the best of me this time, I was a little disappointed to realize that I have become more of a chicken over the past few years. I think while I was in college I would have easily slipped into the sensory deprivation tank without a care in the world. And now, just two years later I had to convince myself and tell myself that everything would be OK. It's just weird how fast we change...I guess that I have changed in a good way, maybe I am less likely to place myself in dangerous situations or something. Still, it is never a great feeling to realize that you are a big scardy cat all of a sudden.
On Monday Garrison and I saw Slumdog Millionaire. It was SO GOOD. If you like suspenseful movies you would really love it. If you like movies that are romantic and not cheesy romantic, you would love it. If you like M.I.A. you would love it. If you like beautiful/creative cinematography, you would love it. If you get the chance, you should go see it. It is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.
Wow, it is late. Since my computer working for the time being, I will most likely write more tomorrow or Sunday. Tomorrow it is supposed to be 50 degrees....so warm for Chicago! I think G and I are going to ride bikes to the band practice space.
Have a great Saturday!!
Friday, January 30, 2009
RIP Dell Inspiron 6000.
So, sadly I probably won't be posting as much as I have been lately. I will still try to get on every chance I get and write more. Here's why. Yesterday I came home from work and grabbed my computer to check e-mails, bank info, the usual. It was in sleep mode, the screen completely black, so I booted it up and actually ended up having to restart it by holding down the power button. When it started back up, the screen was blue and full of writing saying, "DISK ERROR" or "RECOVERING ORPHANED FILES" Not good. SO I called up Dell and spent about an hour on the phone with them trying to figure out what was going on. My computer has been acting slow lately, screens take a while to pop up and I can't have more than one program running at a time. After running a few of Dell's require system checks, they told me that it is something inside my computer. Like a corrupted file or a bad software download. It is messing with every program I open and affecting the heart of my Inspiron. And now comes the horrible news. In order to get rid of it, I have to re-do my entire system. I have to re-install the disks for my hard drive and Windows XP. What does this mean? Well, I am going to loose everything on my computer. Every picture, word document, and song I have ever created/downloaded. I will be left with NOTHING. I am looking into purchasing an external hard drive and transfering everything to that, so that hopefully I don't loose years and years worth of important things. Either that or take it into Geek Squad and have them create a back up drive for me. AHHH, the whole thing is just such a pain and really frustrates me.
On a much lighter note, G is turing 24 today!! I was going to post a bunch a baby pictures of him up here....before my computer decided to start being stupid. So, just know that he was a very cute baby with large ears and a happy smile. I am not too sure what we are doing for his birthday tonight when I get off work...he hasn't decided yet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY!!
Hope you are all having a wonderful day and that the weather isn't too horrible where you are.
This is a good song!! Listen and watch!!
THE SHINS, PHANTOM LIMB
On a much lighter note, G is turing 24 today!! I was going to post a bunch a baby pictures of him up here....before my computer decided to start being stupid. So, just know that he was a very cute baby with large ears and a happy smile. I am not too sure what we are doing for his birthday tonight when I get off work...he hasn't decided yet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY!!
Hope you are all having a wonderful day and that the weather isn't too horrible where you are.
This is a good song!! Listen and watch!!
THE SHINS, PHANTOM LIMB
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday.
I just got back from a pretty late night of working. Carly asked me to stop singing bedtime stories to her because she said they were making her cry. No, my voice isn't that good. She just really missed her mom. I forgot to mention this in my last post (which was too long anyway!) but when I was telling Tori about how nervous I was for the test, Carly had been listening. She interrupted me when I told Tori that part of the test was on reading comprehension and said, "Allie! You don't need to take a test on reading...you read to me ALL THE TIME, and you do a great job! You should tell them that, then you won't have to take your test!" Super-duper cute... jealous?!
Last night for dinner G and I made a special trip to the grocery store to get sandwich supplies and ice cream. I could honestly eat sandwiches everyday of my life but it's a rare thing when I get a craving for ice cream. I can't even remember the last time I had ice cream....I didn't even buy a single ice cream cone last summer. Our sandwiches turned out amazing and I am getting ready to make another one for a late dinner tonight. Here is the perfected recipe:
* 2 toasted slices of whole wheat bread (you have to toast it until it's really really brown and
crispy)
* 5-7 fresh onion rings
* 4 slices of tomato
* Alfalfa sprouts (i used clover sprouts because they were cheaper)
* Mushed up Avocado mixed with garlic and salt
* Light mayonnaise
* Yellow mustard
The result?
G made almost the same sandwich but substituted the avocado for basil hummus. I think he used lettuce instead of sprouts too. His looked just as yummy. As for my ice cream choice...Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. I haven't been able to decide if it's good or bad that G isn't a huge ice cream fan. I get more, but end up eating almost the entire thing by myself!
Last night for dinner G and I made a special trip to the grocery store to get sandwich supplies and ice cream. I could honestly eat sandwiches everyday of my life but it's a rare thing when I get a craving for ice cream. I can't even remember the last time I had ice cream....I didn't even buy a single ice cream cone last summer. Our sandwiches turned out amazing and I am getting ready to make another one for a late dinner tonight. Here is the perfected recipe:
* 2 toasted slices of whole wheat bread (you have to toast it until it's really really brown and
crispy)
* 5-7 fresh onion rings
* 4 slices of tomato
* Alfalfa sprouts (i used clover sprouts because they were cheaper)
* Mushed up Avocado mixed with garlic and salt
* Light mayonnaise
* Yellow mustard
The result?
G made almost the same sandwich but substituted the avocado for basil hummus. I think he used lettuce instead of sprouts too. His looked just as yummy. As for my ice cream choice...Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. I haven't been able to decide if it's good or bad that G isn't a huge ice cream fan. I get more, but end up eating almost the entire thing by myself!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Don't Wake Me, I Plan On Sleeping In.
I apologize for the fact that it has been so long since I last sat down and wrote an actual post. I wasted too much energy freaking out about my stupid test and stressed myself right into a nasty cold/body flu. My energy levels are close to 0 and I am getting a little tired of being so exhausted and crabby every second of my day. Just ask Garrison, I am NOT a fun person to be around when I am sick. The next time I get sick will someone just lock me in a room and feed me bowls of chicken noodle soup and NyQuil through a little hole in the door? At least that way I can only be a mean monster to myself. Sleeping is supposed to provide with the energy you need for your day. I hate going to bed early, waking up super late, and still feeling like I only slept for an hour or two (if I'm lucky) the whole night.
Another reason I haven't been writing as much is because I have started discovering (for the first time, a little late...I know) the world of blogging. Most of the people writing the blogs I have been reading have interesting stories to share, are super funny, or extremely clever. I know I am just writing to keep family and friends updated a bit, but still. When you're reading some of the best it kind of makes everything you write seem a bit dull. I never realized just how many different types of people keep public blogs. Even just through blogspot.com alone I could (and I have, oh boy) waste a good part of my day sorting through the pages and pages of random stories. I will have to list a few of my favorites I have stumbled upon once I get them written down. As for right now, one of these that comes to mind is yourfaceblog.blogspot.com. The creator Damien Weighill, is a really fun artist. You send him your picture and he draws it and posts it on his blog.
HEY, REMEMBER THESE?!
area of a triangle = 1/2 bh
volume of a cylinder= pi times r squared times h
1 gallon = 8 pints
y= mx+b
c squared = a squared + b squared
.......
So, Saturday morning I took a state required test for grad school. Wait a minute. I guess I just assume most of you already know the main things about me, but I forget that I am pretty much the worst at keeping in contact with old friends. Actually I am pretty bad at keeping old friends, really. Something that really has been weighing on my mind pretty heavy lately. Anyway, for those of you that don't know...I have been applying to various graduate schools here in Chicago, hoping to get into a master's program for Elementary education. If I am accepted, I will be in school for two years and leave with a Masters of Arts in Education degree and a certificate to teach grades K-9. In order for these schools to even look at my applications, I have to pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test.
Basic skills. I know. So why was I freaking out weeks ahead of time? It has honestly been so long since I have had to revisit high school math rules and numbers were never my strongest skill to begin with. Plus, every time I have to take a test my heart races so fast I feel like I will probably pass out. SO, I thought that if I studied myself silly I would at least be heading into the whole thing with confidence, which counts for a lot in most cases. I didn't sleep very well the night before and had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get there on time. I tiredly stumbled down the stairs with my Whidbey Island coffee (thanks dad!) and a mess of papers that I felt like I had put together in my sleep (half of which I ended up not even needing). I was picked up pretty quickly by a really friendly taxi driver who later told me that he couldn't take me to where I needed to go, but that he could find me a taxi and then I wouldn't have to wait in the cold. He didn't charge me a penny and drove me around until we saw an empty car coming down the road (we were the only people driving so early). He wished me luck and I told him that I didn't know how to thank him enough. And seriously, what a nice person. When things like that happen to me it always makes me realize just how I need to be more understanding and giving I need to be.
Once I was at the test site, I felt so much better. The cups of coffee I had sucked down were just starting to kick in and I could see the end of the tunnel. Also, there was something calming about being surrounded by 200 other people that were all there to try and become teachers someday. Everyone was really friendly and funny and I soon felt a little more at ease. It did take me a while to get into test taking mode (it didn't help that the first reading assignment was on stress management). For the first hour of the test (the whole thing was FIVE HOURS LONG, with NO BREAKS!) I felt like I was never going to be able to concentrate on the material in front of me. My mind was focusing on everything but the test! I had figured weird things would happen mentally during the test, but I have never experienced anything like that before. It was like the more I tried to focus on the test, the further away from it my mind ran.
Once I had completed the test, my body felt relaxed and I think I even smiled finally. It felt so good to be finished with the whole thing. I remember hazily walking down the hallway after finishing, watching the next batch of people waiting to take the test. I was considering shooting them glances that read, "Oh, that test was much worse than I had pictured" but then figured it would have been pretty mean of me. I was so tired after the test that I even forgot to grab my cell phone from the check in desk. I had to walk the huge hallway back again, right past all of the people I had passed already. Probably good that I didn't ham it up on my walk out. As soon as I got back into my neighborhood I bought and took some Theraflu for my cold and fell asleep faster than I had for a month or two. So now, all I can do is sit and wait for two to three weeks. I think I did just fine and I'm not too worried. We'll see.
After my long nap on Saturday, I went out with Jenny and her friend Betsy. I had a really fun time, and it was nice to be out without feeling like I had a whole bunch of stuff that I needed to get done. It was also awesome to be able to share things that had been on my mind for a while with a friend. Jenny really has this amazing way of making everything seem like it's not such a big deal. Saturday night I realized that I am getting better at being friends with girls. I am a pretty shy and nervous person usually, but have been finding that since we have moved to Chicago I have been (slowly) getting better at not being incredibly awkward.
I am posting the picture below to prove two things:
1.) Getting married does not automatically make you a responsible adult.
AND
2.) Dishwashers are nice.
In one standing, I must have washed 7 plates, four glasses, two mugs, pots, pans, bowls, and silverware. Seriously disgusting. I realize that this picture also makes us look like fat pigs who eat all the time. How can two people create so many dirty dishes?! We honestly don't eat that much and the answer to how we create so much crap: laziness.
We're working on the problem and hopefully we will have it all fixed by the time we have kids. Oh wait, maybe that is why we will have kids. Chores teach responsibility and someone has to do all those dishes...right?!
Here are my latest projects, though I have to admit...with everything going on I kind of sent crafting on a vacation. A red pillow with felt birds, and a miniature quilt for Zoe's little doll Hannah. Carly, the red pillow is for you. I just need to get the time to mail it!
Do you all remember my "Books to Read in 2009" list a few posts back? It is such an Allie move to start reading a book that wasn't even on my goal list. The book that snuck into my list and bumped its way up to the top was one recently given to me by the family I work with. It's called "13 Reasons Why" and is written by Jay Asher. It is about a highschool girl who commits suicide and then has someone passing around cassette tapes that she recorded before she took the pills. She addresses the tapes to 13 different people, telling each of them that they had something to do with her death. The more you read, the more you discover exactly why she killed herself. Pretty morbid sounding huh? The lady I work for said, "It's an easy read, and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I finished it off in just a few days!" First of all, I'm curious about what types of books she is interested in and second, how can I pass up an easy and exciting read? I'll read this one now and get to the rest later. Wow Allie...how predictable.
Sorry if this post seems to be all over the place, hopefully by the next time I write (soon! soon!), I will be feeling much better. Before I get some sleep, I need to share with all of you my friend Amy's blog from China. Amy is dear to my heart and a friend that honestly changed my life. She is an amazing, beautiful person and she writes more eloquently than anyone I have ever met. I love reading about her adventures in China (she teaches English) because she has such a unique way of looking at the world and handling new challenges. If you have the time, please check out her blog at:
http://www.thisismynoise.blogspot.com/
I promise you won't be disappointed.
MOM: I am no longer scared of this video! Yay!
Another reason I haven't been writing as much is because I have started discovering (for the first time, a little late...I know) the world of blogging. Most of the people writing the blogs I have been reading have interesting stories to share, are super funny, or extremely clever. I know I am just writing to keep family and friends updated a bit, but still. When you're reading some of the best it kind of makes everything you write seem a bit dull. I never realized just how many different types of people keep public blogs. Even just through blogspot.com alone I could (and I have, oh boy) waste a good part of my day sorting through the pages and pages of random stories. I will have to list a few of my favorites I have stumbled upon once I get them written down. As for right now, one of these that comes to mind is yourfaceblog.blogspot.com. The creator Damien Weighill, is a really fun artist. You send him your picture and he draws it and posts it on his blog.
HEY, REMEMBER THESE?!
area of a triangle = 1/2 bh
volume of a cylinder= pi times r squared times h
1 gallon = 8 pints
y= mx+b
c squared = a squared + b squared
.......
So, Saturday morning I took a state required test for grad school. Wait a minute. I guess I just assume most of you already know the main things about me, but I forget that I am pretty much the worst at keeping in contact with old friends. Actually I am pretty bad at keeping old friends, really. Something that really has been weighing on my mind pretty heavy lately. Anyway, for those of you that don't know...I have been applying to various graduate schools here in Chicago, hoping to get into a master's program for Elementary education. If I am accepted, I will be in school for two years and leave with a Masters of Arts in Education degree and a certificate to teach grades K-9. In order for these schools to even look at my applications, I have to pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test.
Basic skills. I know. So why was I freaking out weeks ahead of time? It has honestly been so long since I have had to revisit high school math rules and numbers were never my strongest skill to begin with. Plus, every time I have to take a test my heart races so fast I feel like I will probably pass out. SO, I thought that if I studied myself silly I would at least be heading into the whole thing with confidence, which counts for a lot in most cases. I didn't sleep very well the night before and had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get there on time. I tiredly stumbled down the stairs with my Whidbey Island coffee (thanks dad!) and a mess of papers that I felt like I had put together in my sleep (half of which I ended up not even needing). I was picked up pretty quickly by a really friendly taxi driver who later told me that he couldn't take me to where I needed to go, but that he could find me a taxi and then I wouldn't have to wait in the cold. He didn't charge me a penny and drove me around until we saw an empty car coming down the road (we were the only people driving so early). He wished me luck and I told him that I didn't know how to thank him enough. And seriously, what a nice person. When things like that happen to me it always makes me realize just how I need to be more understanding and giving I need to be.
Once I was at the test site, I felt so much better. The cups of coffee I had sucked down were just starting to kick in and I could see the end of the tunnel. Also, there was something calming about being surrounded by 200 other people that were all there to try and become teachers someday. Everyone was really friendly and funny and I soon felt a little more at ease. It did take me a while to get into test taking mode (it didn't help that the first reading assignment was on stress management). For the first hour of the test (the whole thing was FIVE HOURS LONG, with NO BREAKS!) I felt like I was never going to be able to concentrate on the material in front of me. My mind was focusing on everything but the test! I had figured weird things would happen mentally during the test, but I have never experienced anything like that before. It was like the more I tried to focus on the test, the further away from it my mind ran.
Once I had completed the test, my body felt relaxed and I think I even smiled finally. It felt so good to be finished with the whole thing. I remember hazily walking down the hallway after finishing, watching the next batch of people waiting to take the test. I was considering shooting them glances that read, "Oh, that test was much worse than I had pictured" but then figured it would have been pretty mean of me. I was so tired after the test that I even forgot to grab my cell phone from the check in desk. I had to walk the huge hallway back again, right past all of the people I had passed already. Probably good that I didn't ham it up on my walk out. As soon as I got back into my neighborhood I bought and took some Theraflu for my cold and fell asleep faster than I had for a month or two. So now, all I can do is sit and wait for two to three weeks. I think I did just fine and I'm not too worried. We'll see.
After my long nap on Saturday, I went out with Jenny and her friend Betsy. I had a really fun time, and it was nice to be out without feeling like I had a whole bunch of stuff that I needed to get done. It was also awesome to be able to share things that had been on my mind for a while with a friend. Jenny really has this amazing way of making everything seem like it's not such a big deal. Saturday night I realized that I am getting better at being friends with girls. I am a pretty shy and nervous person usually, but have been finding that since we have moved to Chicago I have been (slowly) getting better at not being incredibly awkward.
I am posting the picture below to prove two things:
1.) Getting married does not automatically make you a responsible adult.
AND
2.) Dishwashers are nice.
In one standing, I must have washed 7 plates, four glasses, two mugs, pots, pans, bowls, and silverware. Seriously disgusting. I realize that this picture also makes us look like fat pigs who eat all the time. How can two people create so many dirty dishes?! We honestly don't eat that much and the answer to how we create so much crap: laziness.
We're working on the problem and hopefully we will have it all fixed by the time we have kids. Oh wait, maybe that is why we will have kids. Chores teach responsibility and someone has to do all those dishes...right?!
Here are my latest projects, though I have to admit...with everything going on I kind of sent crafting on a vacation. A red pillow with felt birds, and a miniature quilt for Zoe's little doll Hannah. Carly, the red pillow is for you. I just need to get the time to mail it!
Do you all remember my "Books to Read in 2009" list a few posts back? It is such an Allie move to start reading a book that wasn't even on my goal list. The book that snuck into my list and bumped its way up to the top was one recently given to me by the family I work with. It's called "13 Reasons Why" and is written by Jay Asher. It is about a highschool girl who commits suicide and then has someone passing around cassette tapes that she recorded before she took the pills. She addresses the tapes to 13 different people, telling each of them that they had something to do with her death. The more you read, the more you discover exactly why she killed herself. Pretty morbid sounding huh? The lady I work for said, "It's an easy read, and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I finished it off in just a few days!" First of all, I'm curious about what types of books she is interested in and second, how can I pass up an easy and exciting read? I'll read this one now and get to the rest later. Wow Allie...how predictable.
Sorry if this post seems to be all over the place, hopefully by the next time I write (soon! soon!), I will be feeling much better. Before I get some sleep, I need to share with all of you my friend Amy's blog from China. Amy is dear to my heart and a friend that honestly changed my life. She is an amazing, beautiful person and she writes more eloquently than anyone I have ever met. I love reading about her adventures in China (she teaches English) because she has such a unique way of looking at the world and handling new challenges. If you have the time, please check out her blog at:
http://www.thisismynoise.blogspot.com/
I promise you won't be disappointed.
MOM: I am no longer scared of this video! Yay!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
I'm Only Sleeping.
GUESS WHAT?! Today I took a five hour test for grad school AND paid off the last of my school loans!!! I am treating myself to a very long nap...
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hazy Shade of Winter.
Dear Winter,
I have handled you like a champ so far. Always talking about how pretty the snow is, getting excited to walk around in the crisp air and drink things that warm my insides (tea, coffee, wine), and loving the fact that I actually have the time to listen to a lot of my old records that haven't been dusted off in months. But today I woke up and just decided that I have had ENOUGH. I am tired of the same thing happening every day. In the Summer I can ride my bike, go on adventures, get out of the house. I miss sitting on our roof deck, reading books and drinking slurpees and lemonade. I miss being so hot that it's actually a good thing our crappy shower mostly pumps out cold water. I miss the good smells that flow in through our open windows. I have had enough of your snow, your wind, and the lack of green. I don't like dressing in three layers just to go across the street. I don't like slipping on the muddy snow still covering the sidewalk. I'm even beginning to dislike wine. Please end sooner, rather than later. If you stick around until March like you did last year, I'm really going to loose my cool.
(un) Affectionately yours,
Allie
One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.
I have handled you like a champ so far. Always talking about how pretty the snow is, getting excited to walk around in the crisp air and drink things that warm my insides (tea, coffee, wine), and loving the fact that I actually have the time to listen to a lot of my old records that haven't been dusted off in months. But today I woke up and just decided that I have had ENOUGH. I am tired of the same thing happening every day. In the Summer I can ride my bike, go on adventures, get out of the house. I miss sitting on our roof deck, reading books and drinking slurpees and lemonade. I miss being so hot that it's actually a good thing our crappy shower mostly pumps out cold water. I miss the good smells that flow in through our open windows. I have had enough of your snow, your wind, and the lack of green. I don't like dressing in three layers just to go across the street. I don't like slipping on the muddy snow still covering the sidewalk. I'm even beginning to dislike wine. Please end sooner, rather than later. If you stick around until March like you did last year, I'm really going to loose my cool.
(un) Affectionately yours,
Allie
One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
And Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson...
So I finally found the time to sit down and sew! I've decided to try and make my first quilt and if it turns out okay I will give it to our friend Jenny's baby Lex. Luckily his birthday isn't until May, so I have a while. When I was at Joanne's purchasing sewing supplies I decided to not spend the extra money and get a rotary cutter, which turned out to be a pretty stupid decision. I have great scissors, but cutting out the squares with them makes the fabric bumpy and uneven. When I go back to Joanne's I might just spend the money and pick one up, I can see now how it will make the whole quilting experience a pleasant one. After cutting out all of the squares, I was excited to sew them together with my machine. I got about two strips of squares pieced together before my sewing machine jammed. Now that I'm super pumped about sewing and actually have the time, my machine gives out on me. There might be some way to fix it, I just need to take the time to untangle the string inside the bobbin and figure out what the string keeps getting caught on. The colors I have chosen for baby Lex's quilt are blues, green, red, and yellow...pretty basic colors mixed in with cute fabric I got on sale two weeks ago (it has little cowboy dogs riding horses and stars all around). When I'm finished, it will look something like this:
I just purchased a Flicker Pro account, which is something I have been trying to talk myself out of doing since Christmas. Flicker really gets you though, it's such an easy way to store and share your pictures...you can even edit them with their quick and simple editing software. What they don't tell you, however, is that you can only upload 200 photos and then it won't let you add any more pictures. By the time you've uploaded 200 photos, you are so used to the convenience of photo sharing that you kind of have to upgrade to Pro. I know, I'm a sucker. Good news is I will be able to post a lot more pictures on this blog! And yes, Zoe you may use any of the pictures on here for scrap booking purposes!
Two days ago, while it was still 0 degrees outside we decided to walk down the street to a bar and grill we always pass, but never go in. It was too cold to get groceries so our fridge was empty and we were getting a little tired of the usual Thai and Mexican food downstairs. Our dinner was really good and I think it might be one of my new favorite places. Ever since the new year, I have been trying to eat less meat. I've found that by cutting meat from my diet I eat much healthier because my options are limited. When we go out to eat, instead of ordering a huge burger with a plate full of fries I'll order a salad and soup, or a veggie burger. The bar and grill we went to had a delicious black bean veggie burger, much different from the veggie burgers usually served. The burger was a lot like refried beans pressed into a patty, served on a cabatta roll with salty pico de gallo, onions, and slices of avocado.
I have been drinking a lot of tea lately, because I have gotten a little tired of coffee. We are finally using the beautiful tea pot that our friend Chris brought us back from China last year and I swear it makes the tea taste so much better! I have been working on perfecting the perfect pot of tea and I think I just about have it figured out. In one pot I add two bags of green tea and one bag of orange lemon tea. Then I mix in two tablespoons of lemon juice and three tablespoons of honey. A week ago I felt like I was coming down with the worst cold ever so I drank cup after cup of my delicious tea. I didn't get sick! I love tea so much.
Mentioning honey reminds me of something pretty funny I heard the other day on the radio. It was a discussion about how much people are willing to pay for organic foods and how almost everything is labeled "organic" these days. They started talking about organic honey and mentioned how it's pretty much a scam. Although the honey is coming from beehives on a farm, there really is no way to keep the honey "pure" because the bees leave the farm. There is no way to tell where they are getting the pollen from! Anyway, the whole thing kept me smiling for a while.
Yesterday I ran over to the 7-11 to get some juice and I was behind this older lady dressed in a floor length fur coat. She was buying a huge bottle of white wine, lottery tickets, and a pack of cigarettes. Classy. She reminded me so much of Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate, which reminded me that I need to watch that movie again, it has been way too long.
LOST starts in just a few days and I am really looking forward to this season because both of our mothers are totally into it now, so it will be fun to talk Lost with them. The past three seasons my mom would, very politely, listen to me go on and on trying to explain to her what happened. I would say, "You have to watch it mom, you'd really like it" and she would say, "I just don't get it, there's too much to catch up on". So last year she started with season one online and now she's hooked. I'm still working on my Dad.
So I have been pretty addicted to this site lately. It is a collection of brilliant, artistic ideas ranging from trick photography to clever advertisements. I probably waste way more time that I should be scrolling through the millions of categories and pictures. Also, if you are really bored and feel like learning something new check out TED at http://www.ted.com/. This site features thousands of free video lectures on almost everything including space discovery, the history of bread, underwater exploration, and American history. There are 25 or so categories and at least 100 lectures under every subject. I last watched a lecture on teaching monkeys sign language. The lady had videos of her interaction with the monkeys and it just blew my mind how smart these creatures really are.
While I'm talking about websites...CARLY, this one is for you. It is an online kaleidescope! Just move the mouse around to change the design and see what you can come up with.
In case you have forgotten, anything written above in yellow letters can be clicked on to reach the link that I have attached. You won't have to download anything, it just takes you to a picture or the mentioned website.
We are leaving to get some dinner now, lately I have had this huge craving for anchovies and pineapple pizza (sounds disgusting but it is really good, something about the salty mixing with the sweet of the pineapple...)
I will leave you all with these amazing pictures. Can you believe these are all DRAWN with chalk on a sidewalk?! If you want to learn more about this artist or see more of his work, just click on these yellow words!
I just purchased a Flicker Pro account, which is something I have been trying to talk myself out of doing since Christmas. Flicker really gets you though, it's such an easy way to store and share your pictures...you can even edit them with their quick and simple editing software. What they don't tell you, however, is that you can only upload 200 photos and then it won't let you add any more pictures. By the time you've uploaded 200 photos, you are so used to the convenience of photo sharing that you kind of have to upgrade to Pro. I know, I'm a sucker. Good news is I will be able to post a lot more pictures on this blog! And yes, Zoe you may use any of the pictures on here for scrap booking purposes!
Two days ago, while it was still 0 degrees outside we decided to walk down the street to a bar and grill we always pass, but never go in. It was too cold to get groceries so our fridge was empty and we were getting a little tired of the usual Thai and Mexican food downstairs. Our dinner was really good and I think it might be one of my new favorite places. Ever since the new year, I have been trying to eat less meat. I've found that by cutting meat from my diet I eat much healthier because my options are limited. When we go out to eat, instead of ordering a huge burger with a plate full of fries I'll order a salad and soup, or a veggie burger. The bar and grill we went to had a delicious black bean veggie burger, much different from the veggie burgers usually served. The burger was a lot like refried beans pressed into a patty, served on a cabatta roll with salty pico de gallo, onions, and slices of avocado.
I have been drinking a lot of tea lately, because I have gotten a little tired of coffee. We are finally using the beautiful tea pot that our friend Chris brought us back from China last year and I swear it makes the tea taste so much better! I have been working on perfecting the perfect pot of tea and I think I just about have it figured out. In one pot I add two bags of green tea and one bag of orange lemon tea. Then I mix in two tablespoons of lemon juice and three tablespoons of honey. A week ago I felt like I was coming down with the worst cold ever so I drank cup after cup of my delicious tea. I didn't get sick! I love tea so much.
Mentioning honey reminds me of something pretty funny I heard the other day on the radio. It was a discussion about how much people are willing to pay for organic foods and how almost everything is labeled "organic" these days. They started talking about organic honey and mentioned how it's pretty much a scam. Although the honey is coming from beehives on a farm, there really is no way to keep the honey "pure" because the bees leave the farm. There is no way to tell where they are getting the pollen from! Anyway, the whole thing kept me smiling for a while.
Yesterday I ran over to the 7-11 to get some juice and I was behind this older lady dressed in a floor length fur coat. She was buying a huge bottle of white wine, lottery tickets, and a pack of cigarettes. Classy. She reminded me so much of Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate, which reminded me that I need to watch that movie again, it has been way too long.
LOST starts in just a few days and I am really looking forward to this season because both of our mothers are totally into it now, so it will be fun to talk Lost with them. The past three seasons my mom would, very politely, listen to me go on and on trying to explain to her what happened. I would say, "You have to watch it mom, you'd really like it" and she would say, "I just don't get it, there's too much to catch up on". So last year she started with season one online and now she's hooked. I'm still working on my Dad.
So I have been pretty addicted to this site lately. It is a collection of brilliant, artistic ideas ranging from trick photography to clever advertisements. I probably waste way more time that I should be scrolling through the millions of categories and pictures. Also, if you are really bored and feel like learning something new check out TED at http://www.ted.com/. This site features thousands of free video lectures on almost everything including space discovery, the history of bread, underwater exploration, and American history. There are 25 or so categories and at least 100 lectures under every subject. I last watched a lecture on teaching monkeys sign language. The lady had videos of her interaction with the monkeys and it just blew my mind how smart these creatures really are.
While I'm talking about websites...CARLY, this one is for you. It is an online kaleidescope! Just move the mouse around to change the design and see what you can come up with.
In case you have forgotten, anything written above in yellow letters can be clicked on to reach the link that I have attached. You won't have to download anything, it just takes you to a picture or the mentioned website.
We are leaving to get some dinner now, lately I have had this huge craving for anchovies and pineapple pizza (sounds disgusting but it is really good, something about the salty mixing with the sweet of the pineapple...)
I will leave you all with these amazing pictures. Can you believe these are all DRAWN with chalk on a sidewalk?! If you want to learn more about this artist or see more of his work, just click on these yellow words!
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