tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24135761077674316432024-02-07T09:04:50.602-05:00A is for AwkwardEveryone's life is a little bit awkward. Especially mine.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-67828713752522386622014-04-08T17:56:00.001-04:002014-04-08T17:56:59.313-04:00I've moved!I decided that this little blog had reached its expiration date, so this is the final post. I won't be taking it down, but I also won't be updating it. <div><br></div><div>But...</div><div><br></div><div>If you want to keep up with my shenanigans, you can find me over at my new blog: quesoandmimosas.blogspot.com</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for the memories and I hope you decide to visit my new home!</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>A</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-12549966111749809212013-12-30T19:53:00.001-05:002013-12-30T19:53:25.390-05:00Male vs. FemaleI know I've been away for a long time and owe you lots of updates. They will happen, swear it. <div>Tonight, I need to rant about health insurance, without bringing politics into it. </div><div>I started an amazing new job in September in an awesome new city. So excited! I enrolled in my employer's health insurance on 12/1. I haven't used the policy since, but I have an appointment tomorrow with a specialist about my foot. (Long-time readers will remember me breaking my foot in 8/2012 at the BFFAE's bachelorette weekend and remember me having 2 subsequent surgeries to repair the damage.) My last (and allegedly final surgery) was on 1/3/13. This removed my temporary hardware, which was put in to heal my break, and install a permanent screw to continue to hold everything together. It's not working. On the 1-10 pain scale, I LIVE at at 6.5/7. That's not good at all. I'm supposed to be better now. I sought the opinion of a different surgeon (who works on NFL players, including one with my EXACT SAME INJURY, that happened ON THE EXACT SAME DAY. That guy is currently playing football. I can barely walk. I saw the doctor for one appointment in May, and he told me to come back after a year. I have an appointment with him tomorrow. We will see what he says. I'm anticipating a third surgery. </div><div>I have new insurance through my employer. I was informed recently that my policy lists me as "male". I am clearly "female". The representative (located in India), informed me that they couldn't take my word for it. He said I had to MAIL HIM A COPY OF MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE. You've got to be kidding me. No. The next representative hung up on me. </div><div>This looks like it will be an interesting journey. Kill me now. </div><div>Anyone else had a similar struggle? I'd love to know I'm not alone. </div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>A</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-51329474711489971062013-07-15T16:00:00.001-04:002013-07-15T16:00:23.754-04:00Remember me?!I swear I didn't forget about this little corner of the interwebs. I've had a lot of things change in my life recently, and I just didn't have the energy to share, or really feel like I had much worth sharing. A dear friend recently encouraged me to get back in the saddle...so here I am. <div>Here is a brief rundown of what all has happened. </div><div>1. I broke my foot pretty badly back in August of 2012. It required two surgeries, the first in October and the second in January 2013. I've spent countless hours at doctor appointments and in physical therapy, but I'm pretty much back to "normal."</div><div>2. I lost my job in November, in the midst of recovering from my first surgery. The job market is tough and I'm still looking. Prayers are appreciated. </div><div>3. Two of my best friends decided to sign me up for some online dating sites as a joke. One site was a miserable flop. The second site provided some awkward dates, but led me to the man that I think is my perfect match. We will get to him soon. (He will probably be a reoccurring theme in future posts. You've been warned.)</div><div><br></div><div>For this post, I want to travel back in time and tell you about one of my most awkward match.com first dates. Fasten your seatbelts. </div><div><br></div><div>Brad found me on match.com and we started exchanging messages. We progressed to the point of exchanging phone numbers and began casually texting. Brad was very attractive, tall, and blonde. He seemed to have a decent personality, from what I could tell. We agreed to meet for a "first date" one night downtown. I picked the place. It was a fun sports bar and I thought it was a good low-key way to get to know one another. When I arrived, it was pouring down rain. I was still confined to a walking boot, which is sure to make any cute outfit look unfortunate. We met at the bar and began to look over their massive beer list. I generally stick to what I know, because I'm certainly no expert when it comes to beer. A large-chested bartender sauntered up to take our orders. Brad proceeds to flirt with the bartender, while coyly asking for her recommendations. She admitted that she really likes Bud Light. Shocker. He said that was also his favorite. He then proceeded to ask if they had anything that was basically a "fancy Budweiser." Really?! She said there is this great beer called Stella, and "it's like the fanciest Budweiser." I think I died right there. Over drinks, I tried to make casual conversation, even though it was clear that this date was headed nowhere at a very rapid pace. Brad proceeded to tell me about how he got his job through nepotism, how much he hates Greenville, and regaled me with drunken tales from previous weekends. Fail. At the end of the night, we parted ways. The rain had not let up. Brad did not even offer to see me to my car. Clearly, I did not call Brad ever again. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I spotted a familiar face in the checkout line at the grocery store. It was Brad. Guess what he was purchasing? The fanciest Budweiser, Stella. </div><div><br></div><div>The end. </div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-49385248740929823152012-11-22T20:48:00.001-05:002013-07-15T20:25:45.318-04:00Chicks dig scars.<div>(I found this old, unpublished post from last year and thought I'd share it. Enjoy.)</div><div><br></div>I started thinking recently about scars. We all have them. Some are reminders of crazy adventures, and others mark sadder moments in our lives. I bruise like a peach and scar pretty easily. <br>
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I have a scar on my chin from falling off of the monkey bars in the first grade. I remember that I was wearing my pumpkin jumper, so I know it must have been October. It wasn't a particularly traumatic fall, but I will always have a physical reminder. <br>
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I have a scar on my right knee from playing Musical Chairs in kindergarten. It was down to the final round. It was me versus Taylor Smith. I knew I could beat him, and I totally would have...if he hadn't pushed me out of the chair and caused me to slice my knee open. My teacher couldn't find a BandAid, so she taped a cotton ball to my knee with masking tape. My knee healed with cotton fibers stuck in it. <br>
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I have a scar on my right thigh from Little's wedding last October. During group photos before the ceremony, I dislocated my knee and went crashing down. The stems of my bouquet gashed my leg. Looking back, it's a pretty funny thing, and I will always have a reminder of that happy day. (A five inch reminder, to be exact.)<br>
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I have a small scar on the palm of my left hand. When I was little, I was trying to cut a Q-tip with kitchen scissors and my grip slipped. (I was making a caterpillar out of paper plates and needed antennae, obviously.) It's shaped like a wishbone and I still remember how much it hurt when I did it. <br>
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I have a gnarly scar on my right knee from elementary school. We were playing basketball on the asphalt court at recess and Makisha Campbell shoved me down to get the ball. How rude. I remember that I was wearing a purple jogging suit with an appliqué bunny rabbit on the sweatshirt. Hello 1990s. (And yes, I generally associate memories with what I was wearing at the time. My Mom does the same thing.)<br>
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Anyone have any interesting scar stories to share? I'd love to hear them. (Does that make me weird?)<br>
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Love and Rockets,<br>
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-73624707673314243372012-11-09T09:42:00.000-05:002012-11-09T09:42:11.500-05:00Decking the halls.<center>
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All of the awesome DIYs from this link-up got me inspired and I decided to get crafty last night. I'm just a day late posting about it. <i>Don't act surprised.</i> </center>
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Here is the original that I fell in love with on Pinterest.</center>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/104077670/holiday-wreaths-thanksgiving-wreath">{here}</a></td></tr>
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I headed over to Michael's and grabbed a foam wreath ring. Then I browsed the clearance section and found some fall-colored flowers and ribbon. <i>I was originally going to try to copy this exactly by the fake hydrangeas are $7.99 each and the clearance flowers were at most $2.19 each. I decided to just use this image as inspiration. </i><div>
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With a little bit of time and a few sticks of hot glue, here is the final result.</div>
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What do you think? I think it turned out really cute! Now, I will just have to figure out what to make for next week...</center>
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Love and Rockets,</center>
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A</center>
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Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-5592333129961320982012-11-07T13:22:00.000-05:002012-11-07T13:26:01.241-05:00The C Word<i>I know I'm a day late on posting and linking up, but better late than never! And I want to say a very special congratulations to <a href="http://www.impulsiveaddict.com/">IA</a> on the birth of her beautiful baby boy!</i><br />
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I want to take a minute to talk about the C word. <i>No, not <b>that </b>one.</i> Cancer. It affects way too many people that we know and love. It is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing. Why am I bringing it up? I'll tell you.<br />
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Two weeks ago, I went to the dermatologist to have a routine check up. I haven't been in a few years and I wanted to go while my current insurance plan will still pay for it. (I switch plans on December 1 and it will not be covered.) I waited almost a year for this appointment. I wanted the doctor to look at some suspicious moles/freckles. I had one particular mole on my left breast that has grown over the past few years and had undefined borders. She was immediately concerned by it and cut it off for a biopsy. The place she removed was about the size of a dime. She told me it would be a week or so before she had the results. The day before my 26th birthday, I got the call. The nurse on the other end of the line told me that the biopsy showed that I had very severe atypia. <i>Very severe? Doesn't that seem redundant? </i> I questioned what that meant and I was told that that meant that the mole was becoming cancer and that I needed to have it removed before it reached that point, and I needed it removed as soon as possible. They had not gotten clear margins and would need to go back and remove part of my breast to make sure that we were in the clear. It would be a minor surgery that would require stitches. Well, today is that day. My appointment is in an hour and I'm not going to lie, I am nervous. This isn't my first rodeo with the C word. My cervix thought it would be really cool to grow severely atypical cells my senior year in college. I had to have multiple procedures to nip it in the bud. Trust me, colposcopy is never a word you want to hear your doctor say. (Well, it is in the sense that it is helpful, but it is most certainly not pleasant. It involves liquid nitrogen, scissors, and your cervix. I'll let you just picture that for a moment.) I was finally in the clear, but it was a close call. In the 3 months between my two procedures, I had progressed from moderate to severe atypical cells.<br />
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I have been lucky in both instances for early detection of these abnormalities. I am very grateful for this. Two cancer scares before you turn 26 is not ideal. (I also had a lump removed from my right breast in 2008, but it turned out to just be scar tissue.) I urge every one of you to keep regular appointments with your physicians. Take note of your moles/freckles/lumps/bumps and alert your doctor when they change. You can never be too careful. Today, I will add another scar to my body, but it's worth it. <br />
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Stay classy and stay healthy,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-36624496414382625832012-10-30T09:55:00.001-04:002012-10-30T10:00:25.287-04:00Twenty-Six<br />
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So today is my 26th birthday. It's a rather uneventful day. I'm in my cast after surgery, so I can't walk or drive myself anywhere, so I'm kind of at the mercy of everyone else for my birthday plans. My dear sweet friend RB is picking me up from work to take me to lunch (so that I don't have to eat alone in my office) and then Mom and I will probably go out to dinner tonight since Daddy is in Vegas. Like I said, nothing exciting. <br />
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The Bible Study I did with my youth group on Sunday night was a continuation on our study of 1 John. This week, we talked about how God is love. One of my youth wrote this on her dry erase board and asked everyone what they saw.<br />
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Life is all about opportunity and positivity. <i>Believe me, I have to remind myself of this all the time because it is not my natural inclination. </i>Do you see "love is nowhere" or do you see "love is now here"? This got me thinking. I went around the room and asked each youth to say something positive about their week. I was surprised with how many of them struggled. I challenged them for the coming week. I asked each youth to write down something positive about each day and we will all share our lists next Sunday. I am excited to hear what they have come up with.<br />
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In honor of my 26th year on this earth, I wanted to make a list of 26 blessings in my life. Here goes...<br />
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<li>I am blessed to have 2 wonderful, loving, and supportive parents.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have a great group of friends that listen to me whine, make me laugh, and uplift me.</li>
<li>I am blessed to be a part of a church that always amazes me.</li>
<li>I am blessed with an incredible sense of humor. (Don't act surprised that I included this one...ha!)</li>
<li>I am blessed to be part of a fantastic sisterhood of Kappa Alpha Theta. I'm lucky enough to be an advisor and my sweet ladies sent me chocolate covered strawberries and cheesecake when I was at home recovering from my surgery.</li>
<li>I am blessed to live in a country where I can get the healthcare I need. <i>I'm not discussing politics here. I am simply stating that I am fortunate to be able to have had surgery to fix my broken foot and to also have detected my almost-cancer before it became cancer this week. (Maybe more on that at another time.)</i></li>
<li>I am blessed to have Princess Fiona as a loving and faithful (although sometimes grouchy) companion.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have a cute (but overpriced) apartment, even though I can't live it in right now (because I can't climb the 3 flights of stairs with my broken foot).</li>
<li>I am blessed to have lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins that I enjoy spending time with. My family is a little crazy, but that's what makes them fun.</li>
<li>I am blessed with the sweetest Grandmother on the planet. Seriously, y'all. She is kind and generous and has the best heart.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have had the world's best Granddaddy. The man was a wealth of knowledge, faith, and compassion. I miss his laugh and his hugs.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have my Wofford education. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the college of my choice and major in Art History, while having amazing adventures with my new (and old) friends.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have had the opportunity to travel all over the world. I've been able to go to places all over the USA and Europe. </li>
<li>I am blessed to have had the good fortune to study and live in Rome, Italy for 4 whole months. I would not trade that experience for the world! I'm dying to go back.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have not 1, but 2 jobs in an economy where a lot of people are suffering to make ends meet. <i>This is not a bragging statement, honest.</i></li>
<li>I am blessed to live in such a great city. Greenville has really grown in the past decade, and it has flourished into quite the destination. I am proud to call it home.</li>
<li>I am blessed with relatively good health, despite my clumsy injuries (and migraines). <i>Damn migraines.</i></li>
<li>I am blessed to be able to pursue my passion for art through my jewelry business. I've been working on a lot of pieces lately and I'd forgotten how much I love it.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have such a creative and talented group of friends and family. They have started their own businesses, mastered their own crafts, and made the world a better place.</li>
<li>I am so blessed to work with my youth group. They are such an inspired group of young people and they are changing the world. I am so proud!</li>
<li>I am blessed to be able to sit down at this computer and share my thoughts, dreams, hopes, sorrows, joys, and flaws with the world. Not everyone is so lucky and I know I take this freedom for granted some days.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have the means to support myself and to help those around me. I am certainly not rich, and I live a lot of months paycheck to paycheck. However, when I do have the means, I like to treat those around me and shower them with love.</li>
<li>I am blessed to have so much love in my life. It is nice to sit back and bask in it some days.</li>
<li>I am blessed to live in a time where the knowledge of the world is expanding so rapidly. I feel like I learn at least 5 new things everyday!</li>
<li>I am blessed to have woken up this morning! We aren't ever guaranteed another day here. One of my youth joked on Sunday and said, "I am happy to have once again broken my record of consecutive days lived. I hope to break that record again tomorrow."</li>
<li>I am blessed to have wonderful readers like y'all! Thank you from the bottom of my hot pink sparkly heart.</li>
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Love,</div>
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A</div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-13063456654110883152012-10-29T16:08:00.003-04:002012-10-29T16:08:48.396-04:00A really is for Awkward.I just need to share <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/21-situations-you-should-be-happy-youre-not-in">this </a>with you. Trust me, you'll want to see it.<br />
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That is all,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-76415855551983442152012-10-20T02:05:00.001-04:002012-10-20T02:23:20.864-04:00This is the story all about how...On September 8, the BFFAE hung up her single lady hat and tied the knot. While I am extremely happy for her, I can say with all honesty that it marks another scary transition into adulthood. When did I get to this age where my friends have husbands? Don't even get me started on friends with babies. (Disclaimer: I am totally for my friends being happy. I just don't see myself as old enough to get married yet. Maybe it's because I feel like I was in college just yesterday and high school wasn't a decade behind me.)<br />
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The wedding was epic. The BFFAE hired a phenomenal wedding planner, who has quickly become one of our closest friends. The ceremony was beautiful. Short and sweet and picture perfect. The reception, however, was what made an awesome wedding a truly epic one. The BFFAE and her Mister know how to have a good time. The wedding planner found a great DJ who also did karaoke. (Karaoke is HUGE among our crowd. I prefer to preform backup, but most of our Frieda have signature hits.) The bride preformed Gangsta's Paradise. The bridesmaids sang Call Me Maybe (obviously). Golf Guy was a groomsman and he sang La Bamba and Ice Ice Baby. And as y'all saw in a previous post, the BFFAE and her college crew sang Africa. It was amazing. <br />
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As part of my maid of honor duties, I was asked to do a toast at the reception. I knew that if I tried to be sentimental and tell them how much I loved them, I'd cry. A lot. So I opted for a different route. I rapped. (Yes, you read that right.) I rewrote the lyrics of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song to be about the happy couple. I can't get the video to upload now, but maybe I can figure it out later. In case you were curious, here are the lyrics:<br />
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Now this is the story all about how<br />
Their lives got flipped, turned upside down<br />
I'd like to take a minute<br />
Just sit right there<br />
And I'll tell you the love story of my friends Kyle and Claire. <br />
In Centereach, NY he was born and raised<br />
On the golf course is where he spends most of his days<br />
Chillin out, maxing, relaxin all cool<br />
Hanging out at City Tavern playing Ne That Tune<br />
In December '08<br />
He met my girl Claire<br />
They were introduced by Mo and they made a great pair<br />
She'd seen him at the Vinings hanging out by the pool<br />
She said "His body's so dreamy and he seems so cool!"<br />
Well, he took her to Ireland<br />
It was quite the affair<br />
He asked her to marry him right then and there<br />
That was last August and now it's September<br />
And the 8th is a date that we'll always remember<br />
Kyle saw his bride and he said "wow!"<br />
And we're all here because they said their vows!<br />
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Catchy, right?! Speaking of catching...yours truly caught the bouquet. (Technically, it hit me in the face.) What do we think that means?<br />
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Enjoy the pictures! (And yes, I was in a boot because of my broken foot. And yes, I decorated it.)<br />
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Snuggles,<br />
A<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9g5ANZPTUuZHWNRBsxb6aC5sUtgMQLpMsGzdLMqfjBP5klgsAeOD7IECwlwmmAhem2S_jk2puAUDRsklYmWMQG9nGJrgaJU1RaOOj-hhiHRcH7qSiRdxfYPXPlz839aEuB2lIsjg2bFv/s640/blogger-image--1174048264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9g5ANZPTUuZHWNRBsxb6aC5sUtgMQLpMsGzdLMqfjBP5klgsAeOD7IECwlwmmAhem2S_jk2puAUDRsklYmWMQG9nGJrgaJU1RaOOj-hhiHRcH7qSiRdxfYPXPlz839aEuB2lIsjg2bFv/s640/blogger-image--1174048264.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1C4-r4619AgqD927AgeipXIIvil1OBbd8ENxyFvhldeeLUl9gNH7U_2VaCCXQc-k9UbEnLTA1Jz_qNtneQZz5oW75LG5TVKt52IRUIB5TL1aBWobLgjBuXf02qz0mKQNON4RxHiO2RITc/s640/blogger-image-670931718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1C4-r4619AgqD927AgeipXIIvil1OBbd8ENxyFvhldeeLUl9gNH7U_2VaCCXQc-k9UbEnLTA1Jz_qNtneQZz5oW75LG5TVKt52IRUIB5TL1aBWobLgjBuXf02qz0mKQNON4RxHiO2RITc/s640/blogger-image-670931718.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; 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We all gathered at the magnificent beach house in the Dirty Myrtle and made dinner and cocktails. We watched Bridesmaids and played some drinking games. Mostly, we just told embarrassing stories about ourselves and each other and giggled until we couldn't breathe. I passed out the Bridal Bash Survival kits I'd made for everyone. I knew we'd be needing some of the items pretty soon. The kits included: brightly colored BandAid s, Colgate Wisps, flossers, double-sided Hollywood tape, 500mg Tylenol, Wet Wipes, and a cocktail ring. All items ce in handy at some point during the weekend! <br />
Around midnight, someone decided we should all get dresses up and walk to the bar down the road, called "The Shack." We figured it would be a local dive bar and hoped it would have karaoke, because that's how we roll. Everyone gets dressed in these mi I dresses and sky high heels. I opted to stay in my sundress and flip flops but I did add some makeup. We set off, thinking it was a few blocks away. It was a mile. When we got there, FINALLY, it was closed. And it was a pancake house. We'd be so so wrong. We sulked on the walk home and most people went straight to bed. <br />
<br />
[Insert previous story about me breaking my foot. They put me in a splint in the ER and told me not to walk on it.]<br />
<br />
The BFFAE and I get back from the ER and SD is awake. Everyone else is still asleep. The BFFAE cooks brunch for those of us who are awake. JW joined us a little later, and finally Elmo and RM. (KK and NB had gone out for brunch.) I broke the news that I would be able to go to dinner but I'd have to catch a cab back after because I wasn't going to be able to go to clubs and bars on crutches. Not safe or efficient. Well NB was not satisfied with that plan. She called and got us dinner reservations at a great restaurant, called and rented me a wheelchair from Walgreen's for the weekend (for only $10/day), and got us a limo for the evening. She hooked us up in true NB fashion. That girl flirts til it hurts and won't accept no as an answer. SR and AL joined the party that afternoon. We got all dolled up again and had a mini shower for the BFFAE. I planned a Bling the Bride shower and asked each guest to bring one piece of jewelry for her to be able to wear and enjoy and have as a memento from the weekend. <br />
<br />
The limo picked us up and took us out to dinner. We were loud and fun, as usual. I think one family requested to be moved away from us, but another family bought us tequila shots. You lose some, you win some. We have such an awesome group of women and they all made sure that someone was pushing my wheelchair and that I wasn't left out, even though it was the BFFAE's celebration. We went to a few different clubs, sang karaoke, and danced. In true NB fashion, she got us a VIP Lounge in one bar. It was a nice place to park my wheelchair and relax. SR looks enough like Adele that NB started telling people she was the real deal. They believed us. It was too funny. Plus, while everyone was dancing in the club, I was on baby watch for Snooki's little nugget to be born. When we finally saw that it had happened, the BFFAE announced it to everyone in the bar. They weren't very excited. Most were just confused. But we were excited!<br />
<br />
The next morning, we found a breakfast spot right down the road. (SR asked Siri/Google for bacon and we went where it suggested. We have priorities.) Between the 12 of us, we ate all of the bacon, drank all of the coffee, and I think I personally rid the place of all of the Dr. Pepper. <br />
<br />
All in all, it was an epic weekend. Flip flops tried to kill me, but rental wheelchairs from Walgreen's saved the day. And pineapple vodka tastes like diesel fuel. Sugar cookie vodka is as sweet and sugary as it sounds. Adele is not pleased by paparazzi. <br />
<br />
Bandaged hearts,<br />
A<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Tw4GfAlaOwF6VzI1hxtwYlMpsKO3zDykdTMAdGFzjEI8-wwP7PwE71cZVXHxMRizdgiwx9PmotwE0AO2ooZDKn96QZhXtHI1GX_gjrvkEOe_Jcckb1DfPGmPKfGpMzCvWv976QqxUyTF/s640/blogger-image--1733877166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Tw4GfAlaOwF6VzI1hxtwYlMpsKO3zDykdTMAdGFzjEI8-wwP7PwE71cZVXHxMRizdgiwx9PmotwE0AO2ooZDKn96QZhXtHI1GX_gjrvkEOe_Jcckb1DfPGmPKfGpMzCvWv976QqxUyTF/s640/blogger-image--1733877166.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNO1b2oca_qPbMYgwN0AXM19CivjpSMXCxMPvF9xZ6Eif0r37l7RUN6q3nmZGJwyqmpOKW_Q_j1T7lbdapoyqNtw3XHjhyphenhyphen072Xs1o83keTJB8r4s5zW66KmQgKfPh7BAQoQa8Hjsk8kR4/s640/blogger-image--1236454862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUyHEFTM5uoY4EdM6zXr3zxkrzQthHg9MhlXgu65BBR3GA8X223JqdARraRdktMYQrWI1CgWVgdEZEyVenrN_Tlk6D4FSovcC_XOvD1hzgYA-8q6Y_WQwMYBvDOKHs2lQZUdGGcFerVF4/s640/blogger-image--397663386.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDJmR3b40tefo4bFi1uKKRSWAFASF72YT46I_Cael7yxR28v3opLSOjXhG5Iez4W8HPdjkySxq-wyl352osN-zNMkNQTqdIFo0ALvXcn_QAbe4QN8ifHo3tblnQThJXZc7yXw433TEBpq/s640/blogger-image-523544121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDJmR3b40tefo4bFi1uKKRSWAFASF72YT46I_Cael7yxR28v3opLSOjXhG5Iez4W8HPdjkySxq-wyl352osN-zNMkNQTqdIFo0ALvXcn_QAbe4QN8ifHo3tblnQThJXZc7yXw433TEBpq/s640/blogger-image-523544121.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrgMTfw42aZVXs6gh6hlrnX2vcY7SnGY3d_O___rgxeZ0wr_yWALE2kvrG15hx4Hwb6zqqZkweJ2HZysle47CehzLLYVJRYxMNZOiHasjlar5z8eZsPWPG8FtDZ0NxdG_qlmePPvywaUE/s640/blogger-image-191830073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrgMTfw42aZVXs6gh6hlrnX2vcY7SnGY3d_O___rgxeZ0wr_yWALE2kvrG15hx4Hwb6zqqZkweJ2HZysle47CehzLLYVJRYxMNZOiHasjlar5z8eZsPWPG8FtDZ0NxdG_qlmePPvywaUE/s640/blogger-image-191830073.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10i9zgb_hdK0dGAPDxWXyc8sQXuHcwSyXSMV_33nxghFV5NFGSNujX7kKwr9FzGbimA4bNQJps_mffwP_-BBMxbAQ2O50vZVecNlQUjQlCRgFsC4IqrBlWRD-K3yQlYshCy8H4uDna3Un/s640/blogger-image--1402491741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10i9zgb_hdK0dGAPDxWXyc8sQXuHcwSyXSMV_33nxghFV5NFGSNujX7kKwr9FzGbimA4bNQJps_mffwP_-BBMxbAQ2O50vZVecNlQUjQlCRgFsC4IqrBlWRD-K3yQlYshCy8H4uDna3Un/s640/blogger-image--1402491741.jpg" /></a></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-9462030383693504102012-10-14T19:12:00.001-04:002012-10-15T02:37:32.177-04:00Since you've been gone... (And by "you", I clearly mean "me".)I've been severely neglecting this little spot of mine on the interwebs lately. It's not that I haven't had exciting events and awkward stories to share, because trust me, I have. I just haven't had the time to sit down and put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard, in this case). A lot has happened and I want to fill in all of the gaps for you, but I know it's an information overload to get it all at once, so I'll dole it out in manageable doses for your reading pleasure. You're welcome. <br />
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For those of you that have managed to stick around during my absence and still happen to care about my awkward life, you might be wondering why I suddenly have time to write. (For the sake of this post, I'll pretend you all still care and have been waiting with bated breath for my triumphant return and that you are all very much invested in my life, k? K.) Well as you already know from my last post, the BFFAE got married on September 8. Before I stood beside her as she said her vows, I had to throw her a proper bachelorette bash. I rented an awesome 3-story house in Myrtle Beach for the last weekend in August and 12 of us made the trip from all over the South after work that Friday. (I'm going to save the fun details and shenanigans of the weekend for a post of its own, but I needed to set the scene for the event that led to my current situation. Just hang on and go with me here.) After the festivities of the night, three of us (me, RM, and Elmo) stayed up to clean. We'd amassed a LOT of dirty dishes in the short time we'd been there and figured it would be a good plan to run the dishwasher before bedtime so we could have clean dishes to eat breakfast the next morning. Things were calm at 2:30am, so we decided to go sit in the rocking chairs on the balcony that overlooked the marsh. It would be the perfect opportunity to wind down after the eventful night. Well, as I was walking out onto the balcony, I got the toe of my flip flop stuck in the track for the sliding glass door. My shoe stopped, but my foot kept going. I landed straight on the tips of my toes with all of my body weight. I heard an awful sound and felt the pop and I immediately knew I'd broken my foot. (This wasn't my first rodeo. My loyal readers might remember that I broke the same foot--in a different spot--almost exactly 2 years ago.) I called my cousin as soon as it happened. He lived in Myrtle and used to work at the hospital until they recently downsized. He talked me through the normal checks and concluded that it was probably broken and that I wasn't in immediate danger. We decided that going to the ER at 2:30am in the Dirty Myrtle wasn't the best idea, so I crawled to bed and put an ice pack on it. (Yes, you read that right. I crawled to bed. We had an elevator in the house, but it wasn't working that night. Lucky me.) I woke up around 8am the next morning and crawled back downstairs and plopped myself in the recliner. I was the only one awake so early, so I called my aunt, who luckily lived about twenty minutes away in North Myrtle Beach. She and my uncle came over. The BFFAE woke up around that time and the four of us made the half hour trip to the ER. They saw and treated me very quickly so it was clear that waiting until the next morning was the best plan. The did some quick X-rays and confirmed a small break in my right foot, where my big toe met with my ankle bones. They called it something like a tarsometatarsal break. I don't know anything about medicine or bones, but it did not sound too good. They put me in a temporary splint. I asked the nurse about how long I'd need to wear the splint, when I'd be able to walk on it, further treatment, etc. Her response? "Oh, you'll have to see a doctor about that." Umm, I thought that was the whole reason I came to the ER...to ya know, see a doctor?? Apparently not. I'd have to make an appointment with a local doctor when I got home. Fun. <br />
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I met with a new doctor once I got home and she performed more X-rays and seemed to concur with what they'd told me at the ER. She put me in a walking boot but told me to use crutches until she could see me again on September 7 (the day before the BFFAE's wedding). I did as I was told and returned on the 7th. I had more X-rays. I told the doctor that my pain level was still consistently a 7 (on the standard 1-10 scale where 10 is worst possible pain). I showed her a lump on the inner side of my foot near my arch that hadn't gone away or decreased in size, even though I iced it multiple times a day. I asked her why I still couldn't bend my two smallest toes, even though the break was on a bone under my big toe. She just said, "Hmm. I don't know" to all of my questions, which concerned me but did not seem to concern her. She cleared me to be able to walk without crutches but said I still needed to wear the boot. That was great news because I went straight from the appointment to the BFFAE's wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. (There will be another post devoted to the BFFAE's epic wedding.)<br />
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I had my final follow up appointment with my doctor on September 27. The original purpose of this visit was to take X-rays, have her tell me I was healing well, and I could stop wearing the boot and transition to a hard-soled shoe and begin physical therapy. That's not how things actually happens. My life rarely goes according to plans. I told her my pain had not decreased and was proving to be a pretty big problem for me and was causing me concern that there may be other issues we haven't been able to see just on an X-ray. The lump was still there. My toes still didn't bend. She scheduled me an MRI for the next day so we could see if I had damaged anything else when I initially broke my foot. That Friday, I got a voicemail after hours from my doctor. She gave very vague details but said she had shown my X-rays to a colleague of hers, a foot and ankle surgeon, and he was concerned by what he saw and wanted to see me. She said in her message to call her right back and she would explain. I called her back immediately and the office was obviously closed and I got the answering service who was in no way helpful. That left me waiting anxiously over the weekend and running ridiculous "what if" scenarios through my head. That's never good for anyone. Are my bones not healing? Do I have abnormal rumors growing in my foot? Are they going to have to amputate it? Am I ever going to walk normally again? Why?????<br />
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The MRI clinic sent the results to my new surgeon and I met with him for the first time on October 2. He was very nice, professional, and informative. (He graduated from my alma mater, Wofford College, so I knew he'd be good.) He took new X-rays of my standing on my foot (all others had been done with me laying down). He showed me the X-rays and immediately saw why he was concerned. He explained to me that I has a Lisfranc break in my tarsometatarsal joint. It was far more severe than my previous doctor (and the ER team) originally thought. When I broke the joint, it caused all of the connected bones to shift and displace. I'd also started forming a lot of scar tissue in the area. I'd ruptured the ligament that runs across the joint. That was what caused the lump on my foot. I also had a small fracture in my 4th toe, which was why I was having trouble bending those two toes. Mysteries solved. He said I needed surgery the following Tuesday. It took 45 days to figure it all out and we finally had all of the answers. <br />
<br />
I had surgery on October 9 at 9am. They repaired my ligament, removed all of the scar tissue, put a permanent screw diagonally in the joint to hold it all together, and put in a temporary plate over the joint to keep it all tightly together as it heals. The plate will be removed in 10-12 weeks, so there will be a second, less invasive surgery. I came through the procedure well. I normally take some time to wake up from anesthesia and am groggy (maybe even a little cranky) for a bit. This time was different for me. I woke up immediately, right when the wheeled me out of the OR. I was completely alert before I was even wheeled to my recovery room. I think it startled the nurses. They asked me on the 1-10 pain scale, where did my pain rate. Through teary eyes and gritted teeth, I said "10!" They asked if I was sure and reminded me that 10 is for the worst possible pain you can imagine, and they told me that the surgeon had given me a nerve block in my foot and it should remain numb for the next 8-10 hours. I laughed out loud, and not in a LOL way, but more of a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me-this-is-not-real-life-is-that-asshole-Bieber-kid-punking-me-on-MTV kind of way. I kindly informed the nurse that apparently that magical nerve block didn't work because I could most certainly feel every inch of my foot and could even feel the texture of my bandages covering my incision. She didn't believe me and decided to test me. She covered my eyes and asked if I could feel her touching my toes. I said no, she was not touching my toes. Correct. I passed test one. She asked again and I told her she was touching my big toe. Correct. I passed test two. She did it one last time and I told her she was touching my third toe. Correct. I win. I began to writhe in pain and she gave me some IV pain meds. They were minimal and had virtually no effect. At that point, I asked them to go get my Mommy from the waiting room. Sometimes a gal just needs her Mommy. The pain increased as I began to have muscle spasms in my surgical foot. That's really not cool. I was afraid I'd rip my stitches as I spasmed. After three hours of me sobbing and thrashing in pain, my foot muscles spasming, and trial and error pain meds administered, I was over it. Really really over it. I asked my nurse for another nerve block since the first one obviously didn't work and I did not want to pump anymore useless drugs into my body. Finally, they agreed and I got the magical block. Within seconds my leg began to go to sleep from the knee down and I felt instantly better. Like a 1 on the pain scale. I was ready to go home! That block lasted for about 12 hours. My pain is still pretty bad but I do alright managing it. I'm still having the painful muscle spasms and I've called my doctor about it and will hopefully gets some news from them (and hopefully a prescription for a muscle relaxer) on Monday. I'm in this splint until my post-op appointment on october 24. Then he will put me in a cast for 4 weeks, still non-weight-bearing. After the cast, I'll go back into the walking boot, but all that is so far away and fuzzy for me. <br />
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I will keep you updated on progress, but wanted to give you the whole story now. I'm out of work on unpaid medical leave during all of this and can hopefully be back at work once they get me in a cast. It all depends on what the doctor says about my healing progress. <br />
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Stay tuned because I have awkward and wonderful stories to share with you on the following topics: BFFAE's bachelorette bash, BFFAE's wedding, and SW's wedding that makes her SWC now. I also have a sad story to share about my Little but some uplifting happy things that came out of the tragedy. <br />
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Leave me some love! I'm a little needy right now. <br />
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Love and rockets,<br />
A<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaYnw5Oy4Ul8bbZHlNb_lwtjjrMq6tgGm_jdLz1V35QqduneKg97-7StLVJQb24VedmPXqF-vpHA1HddlGgb9LNt2-7ZpL5KwXOa5j3-UPMKzZqQ6PaDyUpNAXzBhD5LEnHkv_PXx0LuA/s640/blogger-image--130668429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaYnw5Oy4Ul8bbZHlNb_lwtjjrMq6tgGm_jdLz1V35QqduneKg97-7StLVJQb24VedmPXqF-vpHA1HddlGgb9LNt2-7ZpL5KwXOa5j3-UPMKzZqQ6PaDyUpNAXzBhD5LEnHkv_PXx0LuA/s640/blogger-image--130668429.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenL94Xsv_J3Brqy11EAbmihI-7MtiVnz1yt02-PivL-3VptaTIvQdKNL4SLxB0l5JF0pW9li4KgPt0T6To_D1KgJhsJFWpVmIhqljerk3yIbvjnz4Md0LuQkTmr78BFuR1rBqGbhVAbf2/s640/blogger-image--759415097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenL94Xsv_J3Brqy11EAbmihI-7MtiVnz1yt02-PivL-3VptaTIvQdKNL4SLxB0l5JF0pW9li4KgPt0T6To_D1KgJhsJFWpVmIhqljerk3yIbvjnz4Md0LuQkTmr78BFuR1rBqGbhVAbf2/s640/blogger-image--759415097.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_5R5XMN5nZw2SN0Xpn2AKNUbAF6Pk0E0aT6-CIt-oAJrKv7YRfQM32lcAvxdHqMCP1YYCkw3s3xjvrDQlXc2Ji06wMMXu-7y4SNwTq_Qx6LI7Y8yPO0L0slN-SrT06lfH1UyQV1Jv880/s640/blogger-image-193594734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_5R5XMN5nZw2SN0Xpn2AKNUbAF6Pk0E0aT6-CIt-oAJrKv7YRfQM32lcAvxdHqMCP1YYCkw3s3xjvrDQlXc2Ji06wMMXu-7y4SNwTq_Qx6LI7Y8yPO0L0slN-SrT06lfH1UyQV1Jv880/s640/blogger-image-193594734.jpg" /></a></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-89150309982964968352012-09-21T16:31:00.001-04:002012-09-21T16:31:38.520-04:00God bless the rains down in Africa.Yes, I've been absent, and yes, I'm so sorry. Did anyone miss me?<br />
<br />
I know I owe a lot of explanations about where I've been and what I've been up to, and I promise I will try to get those to you later. Here are the important things you need to know:<br />
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<ol>
<li>The BFFAE's bachelorette weekend was at the end of August and it was insane. </li>
<li>At said events, I broke my foot. Again. (And in case you were wondering, it was just a clumsy accident.)</li>
<li><b>The BFFAE got married!</b></li>
</ol>
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Here is a little video from her videographer. It's epic. Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e7VBMx7rR8I" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Snuggles,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-70797111391151152012-06-28T11:12:00.000-04:002012-06-28T11:12:20.173-04:00GEORGE!So when Mommy Dearest and I were in NYC, we met this extravagant man named George. See evidence below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguS_rbr0GcbwNa5zoS3L9-GqmjIBP8VO_LjU30bmi2SN-iCDvabjpa_v5TVsBH_ZuIDZ_6iJAWv_2Fo0DK1Szxja8HHfqHQSSctMTrCz7FYT3ZM-owpVDZpxik0u7YUkhYxXMX1toVCKe/s1600/george.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguS_rbr0GcbwNa5zoS3L9-GqmjIBP8VO_LjU30bmi2SN-iCDvabjpa_v5TVsBH_ZuIDZ_6iJAWv_2Fo0DK1Szxja8HHfqHQSSctMTrCz7FYT3ZM-owpVDZpxik0u7YUkhYxXMX1toVCKe/s400/george.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>We met him while waiting in line to meet Mariska Hargitay. He was a very nice man and apparently he has been an extra in a lot of movies and TV shows. He suffered a heart attack a few years ago and it changed his whole perspective on life.<br />
Fast forward to now. I was watching the 3rd episode of HBO's new show, <i>Girls</i>. (The jury is still out on it for me. Don't love it, don't hate it.) Guess who I saw?!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDLi7pzgNYcq-Eoy_Lbw8durjDzMzMYLRDF2LVUesivZtcM36_USNamIJc-udQg5emh_T0M8li0R0pv-Kp5MrLKFLsPg4OHkJfe0lgSw-lCeQYwUmG8LYG_pP5bwxf2YDJ4UOdt6MUZkf/s1600/george.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDLi7pzgNYcq-Eoy_Lbw8durjDzMzMYLRDF2LVUesivZtcM36_USNamIJc-udQg5emh_T0M8li0R0pv-Kp5MrLKFLsPg4OHkJfe0lgSw-lCeQYwUmG8LYG_pP5bwxf2YDJ4UOdt6MUZkf/s640/george.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It's George! Small world.<br />
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I'm going to go do my happy dance now,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-8760194891049940432012-06-26T15:33:00.002-04:002012-06-26T15:41:35.055-04:00Bookworm<i>I'm linking up today for Talk to Us Tuesday with <a href="http://www.impulsiveaddict.com/">Impulsive Addict</a> and <a href="http://seriouslyshawn.com/">Seriously Shawn</a>!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br /><center><a href="http://confessionsfromanimplusiveaddict.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab115/Emmymom/HiRes.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br />
I'm going to start this post out by telling you that I never have been an avid reader. I think that I spent so much time doing required reading for school, that I never wanted to do it in my spare time. (I was 2 credits shy of an English degree in college.) However, when I do read books, I get really into them and emotionally invested. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X8ZCAhyphenhyphenvLGPeg11Pmzjg7-k82nBby7-4op8uGaythwcmxR307Wql1xpjJTPATOINlvzs6Nw_A7JtsbiIPqasSPuDxQluKVFwNQoMfC4GZikiV3t_bw-y1sMQZReJFijMMPcu-wOP1fPc/s1600/174584923024342779_LcHgtBAb_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X8ZCAhyphenhyphenvLGPeg11Pmzjg7-k82nBby7-4op8uGaythwcmxR307Wql1xpjJTPATOINlvzs6Nw_A7JtsbiIPqasSPuDxQluKVFwNQoMfC4GZikiV3t_bw-y1sMQZReJFijMMPcu-wOP1fPc/s320/174584923024342779_LcHgtBAb_c.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{both images via <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">here</a>}</td></tr>
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So there has been significant hype about E L James's <i>Fifty Shades</i> trilogy among the blogiverse and the interwebs. I finally succumbed to the temptation and read all three within a week. In my opinion, it lived up to the hype. I know people are giving it (and it's readers) crap about the quality of the literature. Yes, it all started out as a Twilight fan fiction thing. But it evolved. I can see fair traces of Twilight while reading, but only because I was aware they existed. They are very subtle. It turned out to have a very dark thriller plot amidst all of the kinky sex. Let's cut to the chase. The relationship between Ana and Christian was magnetic, volatile, and intense.<br />
For those of you who haven't read, the ending is quite surprising, yet happy. The third book ends with 2 brief chapters on Christian's childhood and then his meeting with Ana and the "chase" that ensues. It's quite a different point of view. The author alludes to more, ending by saying "That's all...for now." Will we get to hear Christian's side of things? I sure hope so!<br />
The whole time I was reading, I had a very clear image of Christian in my head. Maybe I've been watching too much <i>True Blood</i> lately, but I think Alexander Skarsgard <b>is </b>Christian Grey. Am I right, or am I right??<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDpfJpyC4O_k_by9U9l9TwCPawjL7uwB8JOBpRozOAEqSJVWQQszIA_oJ12lcgrezD_Ewo-yg_kANKMgJJmu-r24qD7uLf-jjtbsQPDGi2oALnGAyQZ2dTynYxLKUW0sfe1CQEOtbhR7k/s1600/Alexander-at-HBO-Poland-s-True-Blood-premiere-alexander-skarsgard-15895205-625-347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDpfJpyC4O_k_by9U9l9TwCPawjL7uwB8JOBpRozOAEqSJVWQQszIA_oJ12lcgrezD_Ewo-yg_kANKMgJJmu-r24qD7uLf-jjtbsQPDGi2oALnGAyQZ2dTynYxLKUW0sfe1CQEOtbhR7k/s320/Alexander-at-HBO-Poland-s-True-Blood-premiere-alexander-skarsgard-15895205-625-347.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{via <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?start=93&num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=600&addh=36&tbm=isch&tbnid=-r5oF-nbZ4sd-M:&imgrefurl=http://www.fanpop.com/spots/alexander-skarsgard/images/15895205/title&docid=_XFFhKOKZWF_HM&imgurl=http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/15800000/Alexander-at-HBO-Poland-s-True-Blood-premiere-alexander-skarsgard-15895205-625-347.jpg&w=625&h=347&ei=7gzqT6iqEYbs8wSu0fQm&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=216&vpy=118&dur=620&hovh=167&hovw=301&tx=140&ty=112&sig=118191151731976395818&page=4&tbnh=140&tbnw=179&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:26,s:93,i:86">here</a>}</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOU8nhSX-UKicNgUeV8-t9OYGdgGEIw7ULqOLC4kYfqAe3CsHwg81eks50cxboYO37bH44QQwY2C2Y98lKvyU4fvm6FQMYRt-Ii9XIrzlqvu5x9DrjIxamoRjqAKB1d7dxB89HV9O7RH8l/s1600/alexander-skarsgard-20100127-559819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOU8nhSX-UKicNgUeV8-t9OYGdgGEIw7ULqOLC4kYfqAe3CsHwg81eks50cxboYO37bH44QQwY2C2Y98lKvyU4fvm6FQMYRt-Ii9XIrzlqvu5x9DrjIxamoRjqAKB1d7dxB89HV9O7RH8l/s320/alexander-skarsgard-20100127-559819.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{via <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsuol&tbnid=KIud_q7UAkIY4M:&imgrefurl=http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/primal-instinct-alexander-skarsgard-is-the-face-of-new-calvin-klein-fragrance-encounter%3Fdirectory%3D100011&docid=aQTnuiKbvKIRhM&imgurl=http://instinctmagazine.com/images/stories/blogs/ncampbell/alexander-skarsgard-20100127-559819.jpg&w=375&h=500&ei=ggzqT86GEomy8QS-uHw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=487&sig=118191151731976395818&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=96&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:169&tx=37&ty=57">here</a>}</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUT89MYifiqifZ9u0xMvR0px3u4wNQWBO1EOg5OozKCIqiOoWq9LVvEQyj2xctE5W0qSexKZj_cwKojGeOiLBiv8HFX01o3KInifNDo3bHKbmXOUloVzav_2BL-nYwW_-ST5Q5kNiDbMYG/s1600/alexggjj4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUT89MYifiqifZ9u0xMvR0px3u4wNQWBO1EOg5OozKCIqiOoWq9LVvEQyj2xctE5W0qSexKZj_cwKojGeOiLBiv8HFX01o3KInifNDo3bHKbmXOUloVzav_2BL-nYwW_-ST5Q5kNiDbMYG/s320/alexggjj4.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{via <a href="http://www.ouchpress.com/alexander-skarsgard/images/152822.html">here</a>}</td></tr>
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When the story ended, I immediately found myself at Barnes and Noble searching for a suitable replacement. I was drawn to "Bared to You" by Sylvia Day. It's a recent NY Times Bestseller and I figured it would be decent. It was GOOD. It also had a lot of similarities with my familiar Fifty Shades. Too bad the second book in the series doesn't come out until October. Sticking with my <i>True Blood</i> obsession (and my desire to think about Alexander Skarsgard for as long as possible), I've started reading the Sookie Stackhouse books.<br />
<br />
Have you read <i>Fifty Shades</i>? What did you think? What else have you been reading? Spill!<br />
<br />
Laters babies,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-59857668736007087542012-06-13T23:06:00.003-04:002012-06-18T13:22:14.644-04:00Bright lights, big city.So I promised an update on my trip to NYC (for those loyal readers who have stuck around). <br />
It was as hot as forty hells and there was crazy high humidity. I should be used to this because I'm from the south, but I tend to avoid exposure to the elements when it's that hot and humid outside. And it poured down rain daily. Like shoes full of water type rain. <br />
Our first day, we got caught in a monsoon and decided to take refuge in Bloomingdales. We were casually looking around when I saw a sign for a celebrity signing that was happening at noon. It was 11:45 so we hopped in the short line. Mariska Hargitay (from Law and Order SVU) and Michael Cohen (of Michael Stars) were there to promote the Joyful Hearts Foundation that Mariska created for abuse victims. Mommy Dearest and I met Mariska and she was so genuine, warm, and friendly. And smokin' hot. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjSuwnXYt3ZsuRT4KoFRJgqjbtmC6wL2Dfp0e7WogkgIf_tOyqcPW6faaFtTDiLUhCXRF3VluiXL-9VdqFtRZ2YJLUjsJRJy74X_NaIvVFut_fG-XL-nqhayHfbOokQYBd514k_vqm1cC/s640/blogger-image-1254780210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjSuwnXYt3ZsuRT4KoFRJgqjbtmC6wL2Dfp0e7WogkgIf_tOyqcPW6faaFtTDiLUhCXRF3VluiXL-9VdqFtRZ2YJLUjsJRJy74X_NaIvVFut_fG-XL-nqhayHfbOokQYBd514k_vqm1cC/s400/blogger-image-1254780210.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't she stunning?</td></tr>
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<br />
Later that night, we went and saw Mamma Mia at the WinterGarden Theater. It was good. I don't love ABBA, but it was very well done. I was just a little shocked about how the classy level of Broadway has declined. They were selling candy in the aisles and people were wearing jorts (aka jean shorts). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig25XV3kGUX27R8KaaTPce50A8rPL3YrkyOonSy6SiNWM3SSnIM4-TCm7wk4UN7xbQA91lwiIZ4muaO-eVxy6dGhQsk-8DGs6BJCLq6niq-b-fAcfV7LSoAhRbx24nahDQEMpGVd-V0LMY/s640/blogger-image--40782284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig25XV3kGUX27R8KaaTPce50A8rPL3YrkyOonSy6SiNWM3SSnIM4-TCm7wk4UN7xbQA91lwiIZ4muaO-eVxy6dGhQsk-8DGs6BJCLq6niq-b-fAcfV7LSoAhRbx24nahDQEMpGVd-V0LMY/s400/blogger-image--40782284.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we go again...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmasBGuM1R4P96QOWdGF_Yoi8A5Tc4I3rZ4tl4h83TlNABW_1shx5EJHZSxVQPBYGYqa7ZGpsralMoPv3EVDlS8t-M__kbh4zuQVjRMfvjjPuqPRuyeUwGqY2mNhCsSU2wNVHOAGw_N3G/s640/blogger-image-624995379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmasBGuM1R4P96QOWdGF_Yoi8A5Tc4I3rZ4tl4h83TlNABW_1shx5EJHZSxVQPBYGYqa7ZGpsralMoPv3EVDlS8t-M__kbh4zuQVjRMfvjjPuqPRuyeUwGqY2mNhCsSU2wNVHOAGw_N3G/s400/blogger-image-624995379.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can I resist ya?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4-hl8GN8FmBiJIuYWoSpJ3LaeZdfPvFB5e1mBerVOFgj8jDByXlb3bvDA7bpTc44onKaniLALaYi5jKm4ztjw6JYAj0MVFk1EJZU0jIcCZt7ZjPa36ro8uXxDDRaRan6uHqNW7yemUB6/s640/blogger-image-33691374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4-hl8GN8FmBiJIuYWoSpJ3LaeZdfPvFB5e1mBerVOFgj8jDByXlb3bvDA7bpTc44onKaniLALaYi5jKm4ztjw6JYAj0MVFk1EJZU0jIcCZt7ZjPa36ro8uXxDDRaRan6uHqNW7yemUB6/s400/blogger-image-33691374.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stroll in the rain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEnWW9z_cyJ6kK290DpVLQhww7BA8tpQ3xYVuI3DR9pHP4ItWU5evnMf3r-fHMQQgOccyIrhpoqf32XUsIbDb715bIqilDA2w1C5Umo2Kx933rhSk_FJL1E5UX8ixe3-rTSVoai4Ua02v/s640/blogger-image-912749408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEnWW9z_cyJ6kK290DpVLQhww7BA8tpQ3xYVuI3DR9pHP4ItWU5evnMf3r-fHMQQgOccyIrhpoqf32XUsIbDb715bIqilDA2w1C5Umo2Kx933rhSk_FJL1E5UX8ixe3-rTSVoai4Ua02v/s400/blogger-image-912749408.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the WinterGarden.</td></tr>
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After the show, we managed to find a delicious Mexican restaurant, 10 minutes before the kitchen closed. We had magnificent margaritas, chips with spicy fig salsa, and pollo quesadilla with chihuahua cheese. Best meal ever. You must eat at Toulache. I can't even describe the yumminess. I'm drooling just thinking about it. <br />
The next day, we did a cruise around the Statue of Liberty and went on to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. It was nice. I wish we knew which of our relatives came through Ellis Island, but we don't. That would have made it a lot more interesting. (Thus begins my time on ancestry.com for research.) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcs2b1BEz_murD1fOLgP7RN0Gg29Eqg7dRzoHg5lmkFVU1qNnEHIFk7El8ayou95ts-Lr40I2eg8Go5Oi8oNB6bU2KbBhklm-FaJ4Qn7ChtMKEh4e4nMjSncI8pl3RzOBw2ZilNNRoxdT/s640/blogger-image-1149252919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcs2b1BEz_murD1fOLgP7RN0Gg29Eqg7dRzoHg5lmkFVU1qNnEHIFk7El8ayou95ts-Lr40I2eg8Go5Oi8oNB6bU2KbBhklm-FaJ4Qn7ChtMKEh4e4nMjSncI8pl3RzOBw2ZilNNRoxdT/s400/blogger-image-1149252919.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy morning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircb6exdd0gCiYv6oc8ZH53Or6qFqXeMcYwUfqULlnm2D_fDLhVnJhE8avA9lRGsHT7auc_hlh-rP6GJ8teu6WRZrjU4oGlP_BVM2Jfs3HpsTG_veB-WOJuy3goYs9s_mS8knLkujfsn0P/s640/blogger-image-763870548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircb6exdd0gCiYv6oc8ZH53Or6qFqXeMcYwUfqULlnm2D_fDLhVnJhE8avA9lRGsHT7auc_hlh-rP6GJ8teu6WRZrjU4oGlP_BVM2Jfs3HpsTG_veB-WOJuy3goYs9s_mS8knLkujfsn0P/s400/blogger-image-763870548.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beacon of hope.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1yUkbWTTJBJ-ZqMXJBwNKBguSLf-_MuzbycU7PvGuhxSMtoCOmjPMMhDPmcB3DSuLNoydPwsSuupVX0guHpFeFUT5Nn04mQOKmcSzmaxpxB9nqUHtcQD9X9N1Iff4cJWa2MsrbxGgDEe/s640/blogger-image-1122544601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1yUkbWTTJBJ-ZqMXJBwNKBguSLf-_MuzbycU7PvGuhxSMtoCOmjPMMhDPmcB3DSuLNoydPwsSuupVX0guHpFeFUT5Nn04mQOKmcSzmaxpxB9nqUHtcQD9X9N1Iff4cJWa2MsrbxGgDEe/s400/blogger-image-1122544601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved the memorabilia inside the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wUD4mcRXCiYotQE71F6i-Rxl3ymunsXQmLy6zsHvfSjFQvBqTVJNX9YjfO-TZC7Fkfo2OYcPs-qm3FdT1MBmcZuTxHqTs0M-nKryaUXQqmzIuLYZr3BtNHfzLEzRmU8HaibyQGVyEZ1n/s640/blogger-image--1015756579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wUD4mcRXCiYotQE71F6i-Rxl3ymunsXQmLy6zsHvfSjFQvBqTVJNX9YjfO-TZC7Fkfo2OYcPs-qm3FdT1MBmcZuTxHqTs0M-nKryaUXQqmzIuLYZr3BtNHfzLEzRmU8HaibyQGVyEZ1n/s400/blogger-image--1015756579.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fog cleared and Ellis Island was beautiful.</td></tr>
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<br />
We walked around and ended up eating lunch at Gray's Papaya, as had been recommended. Epic win. Mommy Dearest had her's with sauerkraut and mustard, and I had mine with chili and cheese. We also had the papaya juice and the pineapple juice. Mouthwatering. We loved it so much that we went back for seconds. I'm dreaming about the pineapple juice right now. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNZzPaPFtUSuvDR1u8u2prfRbEX4lfTkRQYdnt_OCID1AetxNnQebQsPQEm0XkIIjSNnqkeCYDwG4OXOI8FUkEoXSdwhLqAEBkbJM-RpW2RGo0NPPz-iUx_cJAd4HHMJSBjO4J6sOQ_U3/s640/blogger-image--1169392491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNZzPaPFtUSuvDR1u8u2prfRbEX4lfTkRQYdnt_OCID1AetxNnQebQsPQEm0XkIIjSNnqkeCYDwG4OXOI8FUkEoXSdwhLqAEBkbJM-RpW2RGo0NPPz-iUx_cJAd4HHMJSBjO4J6sOQ_U3/s400/blogger-image--1169392491.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were on a mission.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkyI2ypt2Jqms1N7Z0B6f4yiaBusfeEnwke0mAWisvcrOlgYjki2POkGrP9PObKwkSIYustDedxsayGn7m0F9VEqqJF7N9NKaJltzA-Jv9Mb-U3VCwWJKwMrn4nQtot580__fzBqs1TKA/s640/blogger-image-49690049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkyI2ypt2Jqms1N7Z0B6f4yiaBusfeEnwke0mAWisvcrOlgYjki2POkGrP9PObKwkSIYustDedxsayGn7m0F9VEqqJF7N9NKaJltzA-Jv9Mb-U3VCwWJKwMrn4nQtot580__fzBqs1TKA/s400/blogger-image-49690049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was too crowded (and hot) inside, so yes, we did eat on a mailbox.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We took a trip to the World Trade Center Memorial and it was beautiful. The line was long and the weather was scorching but it was definitely touching. The space was filled with so much love and reverence. <br />
We escaped a humid rainy afternoon inside the Guggenheim. I love the building and some of the art. I wasn't into the modern art so much. There were a lot of video pieces that were very obscure and just not my taste. As an Art History major in college, my teaching focused a lot on Italian Renaissance artwork and also French artists. Those are more of my taste. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ycic_nm-C5mf2zaCihsNZ1Xdw-DamdQuGBNZ7T2s0luJBK2vS9R5srBG8gmSpbp3WaHVTU9h5Es1YGMMYLPHRtAk11-7AM65FZTbWRpJP4_LHoyCe-IIbMrK_WAroqfMVUlJ1GHPLdi2/s640/blogger-image--1591630095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ycic_nm-C5mf2zaCihsNZ1Xdw-DamdQuGBNZ7T2s0luJBK2vS9R5srBG8gmSpbp3WaHVTU9h5Es1YGMMYLPHRtAk11-7AM65FZTbWRpJP4_LHoyCe-IIbMrK_WAroqfMVUlJ1GHPLdi2/s400/blogger-image--1591630095.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright does good work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We did a lot of walking down Fifth Avenue. We started one morning at the Brooklyn Bridge and then made our way 50 blocks (by foot!) back to the Waldorf where we were staying. Sore feet, but we say a lot of cool things. We shopped several street fairs and came back with some jewelry and artwork. I enjoyed soaking in the local flavor. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUOr3r2a15-2RzAImwJeMLcYByjNWpgzgig_KUFTzo28OQRI2IM2vCwvQZ7zKBKwXMw7ieUK6Jn-sutU2wrhh0_8tjQYTYpjxj0uWGz8AZrlZU6RXeCFoLLjbLrHzbDRnJzH-yrFzqTq6/s640/blogger-image--375990866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUOr3r2a15-2RzAImwJeMLcYByjNWpgzgig_KUFTzo28OQRI2IM2vCwvQZ7zKBKwXMw7ieUK6Jn-sutU2wrhh0_8tjQYTYpjxj0uWGz8AZrlZU6RXeCFoLLjbLrHzbDRnJzH-yrFzqTq6/s400/blogger-image--375990866.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Brooklyn Bridge always makes me think of Sex and the City, when Steve and Miranda move out of Manhattan. Anyone else?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAI3JKbBeAIjgyRVImSfT5HYP-G4SNKojS0TmBI-9yyKEga5cjnkzoN_d7ak9HhPps65Fhz0nf-lWbfxnLnGDUc68ASvSxkbW0mq9Ta-XUgWBvtfssz61ClGL6ZVs-Rtw0SrQqCyqEW-M/s640/blogger-image--1968025601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAI3JKbBeAIjgyRVImSfT5HYP-G4SNKojS0TmBI-9yyKEga5cjnkzoN_d7ak9HhPps65Fhz0nf-lWbfxnLnGDUc68ASvSxkbW0mq9Ta-XUgWBvtfssz61ClGL6ZVs-Rtw0SrQqCyqEW-M/s400/blogger-image--1968025601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unnecessary signage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpG8Zq2rItpVwYzczFRa008BsEpqRODSeTkxklIazr-ebRBoX0Qayk6gC3YtwkbnDg6oYmjQphsX8QsdE4U6s4xweMO4odoiSa2Zemo-2fw7SM6bRktrvZyVyXzV68JasNsiBc7T8JL4I/s640/blogger-image-1470189030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpG8Zq2rItpVwYzczFRa008BsEpqRODSeTkxklIazr-ebRBoX0Qayk6gC3YtwkbnDg6oYmjQphsX8QsdE4U6s4xweMO4odoiSa2Zemo-2fw7SM6bRktrvZyVyXzV68JasNsiBc7T8JL4I/s400/blogger-image-1470189030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I <b>need</b> this lamp in my life.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEYeTG5G_VPna3SSO2bGpf50hOaZUxqDMVKR5Pr9bf8jbzzmMDeNjh1nFt7LidledTEfiavs0dQ0cWQ-ldyDuCwjD0CjfPvjCfvF6db0BH6IjEQLrsHVLB0Bm1OZf8tY6o5uSraXAlMEe/s640/blogger-image-545837420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEYeTG5G_VPna3SSO2bGpf50hOaZUxqDMVKR5Pr9bf8jbzzmMDeNjh1nFt7LidledTEfiavs0dQ0cWQ-ldyDuCwjD0CjfPvjCfvF6db0BH6IjEQLrsHVLB0Bm1OZf8tY6o5uSraXAlMEe/s400/blogger-image-545837420.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BUBBLES!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVKZTBY3y660pyDTBEbmvTpwI_IEcR4QOCvN-fs5lj_mg_OyNmE0N0bvNW-stB4Wb2FbCF6hlYcjSjMPl53p77InC-FBV97Z9BRCyuhWHknZG3Ec7ExFq5UUsAr4hPO4RI1cSPqm4oqBF/s640/blogger-image--1218284657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVKZTBY3y660pyDTBEbmvTpwI_IEcR4QOCvN-fs5lj_mg_OyNmE0N0bvNW-stB4Wb2FbCF6hlYcjSjMPl53p77InC-FBV97Z9BRCyuhWHknZG3Ec7ExFq5UUsAr4hPO4RI1cSPqm4oqBF/s400/blogger-image--1218284657.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clever street meat vendor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayznju_gs2eFYYqEZuwzNJ-v5sDlaQ_hUHt1rrxmCXTcKdW3LoPvSmCv6V4GBfWikvnfN-rAnHGuCcJmmn4iUcWvXOMk2rqQx6-GkMBY_X3cSmxPdFGWQC5N_5ExDtUL0RmxorhDhbKH3/s640/blogger-image--610294265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayznju_gs2eFYYqEZuwzNJ-v5sDlaQ_hUHt1rrxmCXTcKdW3LoPvSmCv6V4GBfWikvnfN-rAnHGuCcJmmn4iUcWvXOMk2rqQx6-GkMBY_X3cSmxPdFGWQC5N_5ExDtUL0RmxorhDhbKH3/s400/blogger-image--610294265.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved shopping around with all of the local street fairs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNmYlcK0EZWvllR1IGnFJwOD4lWgp__gtVvR9dajj3WuGFrqKnJBjzlpTghDB6w7FtUpHlEa1CQZopEBhX5jDGBH64hMQTfIMOtMJy6eqQxqZbC865mQLdCJNVCiOUoqxwzHOZa7B-gRb/s640/blogger-image--572473301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNmYlcK0EZWvllR1IGnFJwOD4lWgp__gtVvR9dajj3WuGFrqKnJBjzlpTghDB6w7FtUpHlEa1CQZopEBhX5jDGBH64hMQTfIMOtMJy6eqQxqZbC865mQLdCJNVCiOUoqxwzHOZa7B-gRb/s400/blogger-image--572473301.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ironic?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We did the NBC Studio Tour at 30 Rockefeller and it was a lot of fun. <br />
We ate magical gelato at Eataly. Salted caramel and mocha...I die. Mommy Dearest had hazelnut with pistachio. Not bad!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3H5VGEeYfPcJfCzw2aPtusZHx6KpLn2ox8IsMIYeTXH3Xmw9NHo88BcxyqbTZZ-tUUGR0qniF4wEO9XF2KR_g5_ptt8_E9eyLMNTqEIWhOgMMcsVulNOcyYqEtyTwO-JpQhIUb4qSDKy/s640/blogger-image-133501790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3H5VGEeYfPcJfCzw2aPtusZHx6KpLn2ox8IsMIYeTXH3Xmw9NHo88BcxyqbTZZ-tUUGR0qniF4wEO9XF2KR_g5_ptt8_E9eyLMNTqEIWhOgMMcsVulNOcyYqEtyTwO-JpQhIUb4qSDKy/s400/blogger-image-133501790.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmmmmm...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We had a yummy brunch at The Shop at Andaz (also recommended to us) and it was yummy. We went actions to the Public Library but it was closed for the holiday. Sad face. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RnvV5YBUpUFe1yKM4qb7qkOpq6c44WiQc6xDrBO3mYTvsNHu3l5oXtlWuYPdukRTjYur4-YsZMwhZQEWdIbcXh1k4IBgagwp_sJ0IrPCJctAprUM8oWu8mww0O-2DHp6tc5fbXOALhzY/s640/blogger-image-1301318668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RnvV5YBUpUFe1yKM4qb7qkOpq6c44WiQc6xDrBO3mYTvsNHu3l5oXtlWuYPdukRTjYur4-YsZMwhZQEWdIbcXh1k4IBgagwp_sJ0IrPCJctAprUM8oWu8mww0O-2DHp6tc5fbXOALhzY/s400/blogger-image-1301318668.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brunch of champions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
On a late night stroll, we got to see the Empire State Building lit up in the red, white, and blue. It was lovely and patriotic on Memorial Day weekend. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4y5_euGLMBTDyk68q76QtCKPltEqj_43nV0yv-S9WQvbHTEFDMcnoX6VXReFfTziMzxCQ66RSvOPQyp5ZupN1JgUuUQMSL7bZUHwZPjxX9lFPYRH4DL_ldsSd6IYb2Lt38VXaz89Gd69/s640/blogger-image--1882025521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4y5_euGLMBTDyk68q76QtCKPltEqj_43nV0yv-S9WQvbHTEFDMcnoX6VXReFfTziMzxCQ66RSvOPQyp5ZupN1JgUuUQMSL7bZUHwZPjxX9lFPYRH4DL_ldsSd6IYb2Lt38VXaz89Gd69/s400/blogger-image--1882025521.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let freedom ring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Did I miss anything fabulous that was worth seeing? Any recommendations for next time? Did anything I did and love it too? Let me hear from you.<br />
<br />
Love and cuddles,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-66018738509655188202012-05-23T23:47:00.001-04:002012-05-23T23:47:41.195-04:00The "trip" before my trip.So, if you're my Facebook friend or you follow me on twitter, you've heard the story of how my face decided to beat up my stairs. My face lost. <br />
Mommy Dearest and I are headed to NYC in the morning so I've been running around trying to pack and make sure I have everything taken care of around the apartment before I leave. Right before I went to bed last night, I decided that I'd better take out the trash so I wouldn't forget. I live in an apartment complex so I have to carry my trash down to the trash compactor. As I was walking back last night, it started to pour down raining. I was in my pajamas and didn't want to be soaked so I started running. I ran up my stairs (I live on the 3rd floor) and slipped. I reached out on both sides for the banisters but my hands couldn't get there fast enough. I fell face first onto the steps. My nose hit square on the edge of the concrete slab stair. My some miracle, I didn't lose consciousness, I didn't split my head open and need stitches, and I didn't knock all of my teeth out. I did, however, scrape the skin off of my forehead and and bang up (but not break) my nose, and absolutely bust my ass. I've already got giant bruises. <br />
<br />
If you know me, you'll know that I'm clumsy. I blame my big feet (size 10, yo). Remember the time I broke my foot walking to the bathroom? I also ripped my big toenail off vacuuming once. I don't go off on daring adventures and get hurt. I just am a walking disaster sometimes. I only hope that if they make a movie of my life, they pick someone like Katherine Heigl or Cameron Diaz to play me. Ever notice how they always get cast as the quirky, clumsy love interest, who just happens to be super hot?<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm heading to NYC in a few hours and I already look like I've been mugged. Stellar. <br />
<br />
See you on the flip side,<br />
A<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8mZBUUvw5GCGvHsFRlAk1STFnB6A4ns050k9MFAlCbwI8MxAiVB8KfWvXPH2PbcJd-LzusEmQExz9MBgHu5FX4xgaHHQKqPr2o-JO_Q2a2GdTH-TTZNPhFoy4IkFSxadem5_khJJXlZO/s640/blogger-image-558297961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8mZBUUvw5GCGvHsFRlAk1STFnB6A4ns050k9MFAlCbwI8MxAiVB8KfWvXPH2PbcJd-LzusEmQExz9MBgHu5FX4xgaHHQKqPr2o-JO_Q2a2GdTH-TTZNPhFoy4IkFSxadem5_khJJXlZO/s640/blogger-image-558297961.jpg" /></a></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-73183403368115280102012-05-22T23:33:00.001-04:002012-05-22T23:33:40.101-04:00Fear of rejection.Today I did something ballsy that may very well come back to bite me in the ass. I asked for something I truly want and I sit in fear of rejection and the unknowing. I feel it was the right thing to do at maybe not the exact right time but does such a time every really exist? Anyone else ever been in this boat? Any advice or encouragement? I NEED it. Send good vibes and prayers my way. PLEASE. <br />
<br />
Love you bushels and pecks,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-69961491287577658662012-05-14T22:22:00.001-04:002012-05-14T22:22:50.855-04:00This post goes all the way back to 8th grade. You've been warned.So my ex is getting married this weekend. Not The Ex, but the other major relationship I've had. We will call him JR. My friends reading this will know exactly who I'm talking about, but I'll fill the rest of you in. <br />
JR and I met in middle school. We quickly became the best of friends. In 8th grade, I considered him my best friend, other than BFFAE. He was dating a friend of mine, and we will call her ELL. She hated the fact that we were friends, and I think he and I got to be so close because he didn't care what ELL thought and refused to let her jealously get in the way of our friendship. JR and I IMed all the time. (IMing...what a throwback!) I developed a big crush on him, naturally. <br />
I have this very vivid memory of a class trip to NYC in 8th grade. ELL's mom chaperoned the trip, so she spent all of her time with her mom, and completely ignored JR, to the point of being mean. This led to him sitting with me on the bus. At one point, he told me he was going to break up with her. I convinced him not to. (That was a serious conversation to be having with your crush at age 13.) I guess I wanted to be the one he trusted. Plus I knew they'd never last. (Obviously...We were in 8th grade!) At one point in the trip, we stopped and went shopping. All the girls headed to Macy's to buy some scandalous halter tops or some such nonsense. I ended up being the last in line because I always have a hard time making up my mind when shopping. We were supposed to already be back on the bus, so everyone left me behind. (Sidenote: Middle school girls are mean!) I raced through the store, totally lost. I finally made my way back to the bus and breathlessly found my way back to the bus. In talking to a friend, I found out that JR was the only one to realize I wasn't on the bus (because I was supposed to be sitting next to him) and he made sure they didn't leave without me. <br />
On another trip, to the Beta Club Convention at the beach, (nerdy, I know) a group of 8 of us went to compete. ELL and JR both went and were still dating at this point. The <br />
4 girls were in our room one night and the phone rang. ELL answered and it was JR. He surprised her when he asked to speak to me. I took the phone and he told me to step out on the balcony because there was something I needed to see. I put the receiver on the table and stepped outside. The sun was going down over the ocean, but te beach was empty. I picked the phone back up and asked what I was supposed to be looking for. He told me the sunset reminded him of me and he just wanted me to see it. Swoon!<br />
Fast forward to high school. We went to rival schools but continued to IM after school. We always flirted and said that we'd go on a date one day. He started dating a girl at my school who was a year older. I ran into them at our prom and I knew that that day was his birthday. I ran up and hugged him and wished him a happy birthday. I'll never forget what happened next. He gave me this funny look and said, "Oh it's just you," and turned back around without so much as a second glance. I vowed that minute that I was done with him for good. That was my junior year of high school (2003). <br />
Fast forward to the fall of 2004, my freshman year of college. I was at my first ever fraternity party. I was mingling and taking everything in, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see JR, and he grinned and said, "It's you." I melted. We talked for hours and ended up kissing. I was on Cloud 9. I figured I'd never hear from him again, but I told myself I was fine with that. <br />
Well, we ended up dating. We had our ups and downs but we genuinely loved each other. He had a temper and I was well aware of that. He never ever got physical with me, but he yelled. It was always out of general frustration with life so I got over it. (I'm not excusing that behavior, but I knew where his anger came from so I learned to understand it.) He had man periods every month. JR MANstrated. <br />
He ended up breaking up with me during finals at the end of freshman year, but we didn't really break up until the fall when he started dating someone new. I kept him in my life and we always ended up back together (unofficially) between relationships. Now, I know my friends out there have negative feelings about him and I get it. But he put on a front with others that he dropped with me. But he did have a tendency to be an ass-hat. <br />
Our junior year in college, he started dating a girl we will call KF. He and I still maintained a close friendship and I may have been "the other girl" one night when he kissed me when I was upset about something. His response was, "Kissing you is the only way I know to shut you up." Sweet in his own way, but I've always felt guilty about it. Bless KF for her patience sc her tolerance of my presence in his life. <br />
Fast forward again to a year ago. KF Facebooked me and asked me to make JR custom copper cuff links for their anniversary. Awkward much? I obliged. He loved them. <br />
JR was never the marrying type. In fact, he's been anti-marriage for as long as I can remember. He proposed to her a year ago. They get married this weekend. I'm struggling. In recent years/months, he and I have resolve all of our past issues. He apologized for his angry years and told me he should have treated me better. That was a big thing for him, someone who was never wrong (in his own mind). He called me about a month ago to tell me he was inspired by me and proud of me for all I'd done for The Preacher. That was a moment. I knew that he'd become the man I'd always known he would be. <br />
There's a part of me that will always love him, and wish we'd worked out, but I know it obviously wasn't meant to be. But that doesn't mean I want to see him marry someone else. <br />
Do I sound crazy to anyone else? <br />
<br />
If you made it this far, thanks for listening to my crazy rant. I just needed to get it all out so its not in my head anymore. And here's a picture of us freshman year, just for kicks. <br />
<br />
Leave me a sweet comment to make me feel less batshit crazy, k?<br />
<br />
Kthanksbye,<br />
A<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhel-kw5UhYeFgceVPfaWTjhgpibHYPdVr0vm8ZcMWTZ58U8s11LCOtz9Wj5uqWWlOMESk0c4Fa6XvQpVjNXkF1Z0fos3SrI-Z89fEFzheJImW8xmrzw-UZn8Kjd_KHLMJdVc7I1bBU6diX/s640/blogger-image--990877434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhel-kw5UhYeFgceVPfaWTjhgpibHYPdVr0vm8ZcMWTZ58U8s11LCOtz9Wj5uqWWlOMESk0c4Fa6XvQpVjNXkF1Z0fos3SrI-Z89fEFzheJImW8xmrzw-UZn8Kjd_KHLMJdVc7I1bBU6diX/s640/blogger-image--990877434.jpg" /></a></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-25563989733656707402012-05-09T14:48:00.000-04:002012-05-09T14:48:38.699-04:00Because it's Wednesday......and because I love y'all.<br />
...and because I needed a reason to smile.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eEWVwgDnuzE" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
You're welcome, ladies.<br />
<br />
Happy Hump Day,<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-75276916871451242622012-05-01T22:58:00.001-04:002012-05-01T22:58:08.987-04:00Absence makes the heart grow fonder?I know I've been gone awhile. Sorry. I've been all work and no play, so I haven't had anything occur worth sharing. <br />
<br />
But I do have some...news?<br />
<br />
Mommy Dearest and I are getting the hell outta Dodge at the end of the month. We're headed to NYC for vacation and staying at the Waldorf Astoria. Here's where your part comes in. What should we see? What should we do? Where should we eat?????????Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-53672982645106207622012-04-20T23:05:00.001-04:002012-04-20T23:05:21.476-04:00Surprise, surprise.Well, my parents' surprise anniversary party went so well. They had NO idea. I rounded up friends from childhood, coworkers, old roommates, and everyone. Our friends, the B family, invited my parents to dinner and picked them up. That's how I got them there and they never suspected a thing. Mommy Dearest's first words to me were "I wish you would have hinted better so I would have dressed better!" (I'd told her she should dress up because they were celebrating their anniversary. She didn't get the hint. But I think she looked good.) Here are some pictures. (Sorry they are all out of order. I'm posting from my iPhone.)<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
A<br />
<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEn_4TqOlxe6tn6oQyzUwRIrHTc5gZ9fBnuI9AzNeMMTKl6UK5wd3sZzv0aVmGr5IYplFdWfPF5H3zx5dGNhgJeDPVcWkmeNF_XOGGlv9l0H5bi9VHdIWruqRhmmc0VyTLT9pkfCsayu7S/s640/blogger-image--1987777158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEn_4TqOlxe6tn6oQyzUwRIrHTc5gZ9fBnuI9AzNeMMTKl6UK5wd3sZzv0aVmGr5IYplFdWfPF5H3zx5dGNhgJeDPVcWkmeNF_XOGGlv9l0H5bi9VHdIWruqRhmmc0VyTLT9pkfCsayu7S/s640/blogger-image--1987777158.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW6PgttLQrnc8TzAwB_DoDG6GLcb0zXm0s35NaHV1J6QfiHo07cPzAgk_HbXVZ2JdFVGmthbkLveRexvQ9l3dNs7eyr4cMY0a0KJ51ckpP5yM4ChW5UP_ADxtrpjYKFStcNRaA2UVhHpf/s640/blogger-image-619156918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW6PgttLQrnc8TzAwB_DoDG6GLcb0zXm0s35NaHV1J6QfiHo07cPzAgk_HbXVZ2JdFVGmthbkLveRexvQ9l3dNs7eyr4cMY0a0KJ51ckpP5yM4ChW5UP_ADxtrpjYKFStcNRaA2UVhHpf/s640/blogger-image-619156918.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuIuhM3MKZrvQbJZNPkFiJZYICFZrmWBh91AiC9HbWXuHqzhj1Tc6-lEO3x-JalwtwPZYWLlbX-ZuUwl8hoy5pbW58t44Viy22x_U6N8hhttQVdnSzSR6vH0n1FmUK6msvnBmGrFQd3c2/s640/blogger-image--720786765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuIuhM3MKZrvQbJZNPkFiJZYICFZrmWBh91AiC9HbWXuHqzhj1Tc6-lEO3x-JalwtwPZYWLlbX-ZuUwl8hoy5pbW58t44Viy22x_U6N8hhttQVdnSzSR6vH0n1FmUK6msvnBmGrFQd3c2/s640/blogger-image--720786765.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQkTZNwWVv5AQu3jaB7R-rqstktaVCgUIz6ZH8qmarBpaHxrsR_a1W4Z139qv_vA9QaYyygmcJl4vKhToLa6P-_6N9GaVZBY7dZp733DJpL2yt_f0k4kRoz6sr7J60rg0Np3CzUtbgmVt/s640/blogger-image-81691878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQkTZNwWVv5AQu3jaB7R-rqstktaVCgUIz6ZH8qmarBpaHxrsR_a1W4Z139qv_vA9QaYyygmcJl4vKhToLa6P-_6N9GaVZBY7dZp733DJpL2yt_f0k4kRoz6sr7J60rg0Np3CzUtbgmVt/s640/blogger-image-81691878.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRSBlGhyphenhyphen9Pa6DwwtVr4b5dF2ot_qPRWbqewvqouFO0vHRLxo24pJlJZF-su8WsWEcaPPwtn6FqHWZd_oSj5GIVMRvTtNc39w9MdEsoym9ZHLrfk1JGHqqMw7zDtCQYRKnx9QZlCuG7HW9/s640/blogger-image--2072586461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRSBlGhyphenhyphen9Pa6DwwtVr4b5dF2ot_qPRWbqewvqouFO0vHRLxo24pJlJZF-su8WsWEcaPPwtn6FqHWZd_oSj5GIVMRvTtNc39w9MdEsoym9ZHLrfk1JGHqqMw7zDtCQYRKnx9QZlCuG7HW9/s640/blogger-image--2072586461.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWEhlPgAjIRKq_CMge-3mAgkfN9Y98r4avv74qmItwfeLsYBiBkD5IIPAqK4maqrag9ylIdEm4LhxhWN07cbdy4vLQxny7sf5i9I4gAYssFwSwbLCV7BJKOH9A2n8XRhOf1GhaUfFpWqS/s640/blogger-image--1020702403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWEhlPgAjIRKq_CMge-3mAgkfN9Y98r4avv74qmItwfeLsYBiBkD5IIPAqK4maqrag9ylIdEm4LhxhWN07cbdy4vLQxny7sf5i9I4gAYssFwSwbLCV7BJKOH9A2n8XRhOf1GhaUfFpWqS/s640/blogger-image--1020702403.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU9ogN6_c_p2z1xqEdEXY1XfYgXXgju0IhXl61f_SYIG11ylnUZe0V-FSXA6IYX6ICxZgsXYUcdYkzHiq53gMqhsimG4tAChjWkGiv0zYXdxoTby5U-8F_ZRFdyIroVzN8E51G8WIZpzr/s640/blogger-image-236565772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU9ogN6_c_p2z1xqEdEXY1XfYgXXgju0IhXl61f_SYIG11ylnUZe0V-FSXA6IYX6ICxZgsXYUcdYkzHiq53gMqhsimG4tAChjWkGiv0zYXdxoTby5U-8F_ZRFdyIroVzN8E51G8WIZpzr/s640/blogger-image-236565772.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRH483_ImNsrIHFRLxeHWO1zQxeZ8HNU8vbBmh9anpKL63mVi1FShHR8toyQCFvltKxuoZxSUHkgxkkCyU-03SmOSOM5viNwhcC4UVQCCy1Adgha0eLQ3s64mLeq20LY-8IgFuxe0A2Sz0/s640/blogger-image--748171280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRH483_ImNsrIHFRLxeHWO1zQxeZ8HNU8vbBmh9anpKL63mVi1FShHR8toyQCFvltKxuoZxSUHkgxkkCyU-03SmOSOM5viNwhcC4UVQCCy1Adgha0eLQ3s64mLeq20LY-8IgFuxe0A2Sz0/s640/blogger-image--748171280.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEcXMjexcsvPgVy8SExNdml0AEn923gk-f9Me8xH7Arg60S8SLou2C7eEPTlCXpcGExeQjm7kBcvyeFc535qMmGyHdU1ir2dlkyYPG22n4tzefNERtN-b82TKfM0bNxVLZpA_Nzy1PMQO/s640/blogger-image--266194296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEcXMjexcsvPgVy8SExNdml0AEn923gk-f9Me8xH7Arg60S8SLou2C7eEPTlCXpcGExeQjm7kBcvyeFc535qMmGyHdU1ir2dlkyYPG22n4tzefNERtN-b82TKfM0bNxVLZpA_Nzy1PMQO/s640/blogger-image--266194296.jpg" /></a></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-44374735296370801102012-04-11T16:42:00.001-04:002012-04-11T17:05:26.928-04:00The Dirty Thirty.So I'd intended to post this yesterday, but it didn't happen.<br />
<br />
As of April 10, 2012, my parents have been married for THIRTY years. I'm an only child, so it's all up to me to plan something. I decided I needed to do something to commemorate the tremendous occasion. Being on a budget, I found a great deal to rent the bottom floor of a local restaurant. I made myself a list of the 50 closest friends and sent out invitations to a <b>surprise</b> anniversary party. The party is this Friday night, so I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out. Keep your fingers crossed that it all works out!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbkENGrMBhuQYLzNY91jlCPk9OsvJPiCHnFTNcEeepf4FGeva1mNvN6OemQE8-1N-UJmf30h1-DW8-aO38B3U6kKsa_tHdHowffPN-gvcAoKMMmyVG1QrzIjoVwsnXPFaDaFgCbZFVUSN/s1600/photo+(46).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbkENGrMBhuQYLzNY91jlCPk9OsvJPiCHnFTNcEeepf4FGeva1mNvN6OemQE8-1N-UJmf30h1-DW8-aO38B3U6kKsa_tHdHowffPN-gvcAoKMMmyVG1QrzIjoVwsnXPFaDaFgCbZFVUSN/s400/photo+(46).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The outside of the invitation.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillm9VbdK-POqLmpwQtMdMjP80SXiiZZ6zREiSzo2ciMsk8TkR4bWC8ZQBisimJTM4S9JvR3AwsNYvmNzhyphenhyphen_aNssg_mHuoSpOdzKD4Z6tTHXlE7vIyuvOIb7I2lSF2A0F8k-f3BAuKxTHU/s1600/photo++(47).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillm9VbdK-POqLmpwQtMdMjP80SXiiZZ6zREiSzo2ciMsk8TkR4bWC8ZQBisimJTM4S9JvR3AwsNYvmNzhyphenhyphen_aNssg_mHuoSpOdzKD4Z6tTHXlE7vIyuvOIb7I2lSF2A0F8k-f3BAuKxTHU/s400/photo++(47).jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The inside.)</td></tr>
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And just because it's so stinkin' sweet, I snapped a picture of the card Daddy wrote for Mommy Dearest.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlqi5_jBkXpJPjqv1rU7K5ZZGn9mWm1lDtikBCWL19pRGsHMxxLa5mpz-rdPXg67hhaHbTsjqhUd5JmUopNoeE24XIh6cHtZ5LNtIpxa9ewws5ctQz6HfN2BfD-uw1j3m2krasiJuFp2D/s1600/photo+(45).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlqi5_jBkXpJPjqv1rU7K5ZZGn9mWm1lDtikBCWL19pRGsHMxxLa5mpz-rdPXg67hhaHbTsjqhUd5JmUopNoeE24XIh6cHtZ5LNtIpxa9ewws5ctQz6HfN2BfD-uw1j3m2krasiJuFp2D/s400/photo+(45).JPG" width="273" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Happy Anniversary to my awesome parents!</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeQtF-CFlzKbjVd7_SPxMbR7GHTXAduCN6SUKU6fmeXJz05B_-QqR5-AA_cqqp95ShVayXxTGs_YO93LXHwSMIJ442ma14TAjK3bECyjXkND-xd_-WVcv1oGt_XwQMYpr6DwrsIOw-nsV/s1600/photo+(49).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeQtF-CFlzKbjVd7_SPxMbR7GHTXAduCN6SUKU6fmeXJz05B_-QqR5-AA_cqqp95ShVayXxTGs_YO93LXHwSMIJ442ma14TAjK3bECyjXkND-xd_-WVcv1oGt_XwQMYpr6DwrsIOw-nsV/s400/photo+(49).JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't she look so excited to get married?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lo_0VlCRZZvu3qmeBvEm8M7Ie2O12jQGdwkAokIBaeNxOVIXt8yAxEdYjMP5okSyvvMnTBs_BiB2tMQdtpCs-UnpsQN7cPDSIB4WYwhKnuyguGGW5IDY9sz5n9bhyBL9bjDCc85mgPlW/s1600/photo+(50).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lo_0VlCRZZvu3qmeBvEm8M7Ie2O12jQGdwkAokIBaeNxOVIXt8yAxEdYjMP5okSyvvMnTBs_BiB2tMQdtpCs-UnpsQN7cPDSIB4WYwhKnuyguGGW5IDY9sz5n9bhyBL9bjDCc85mgPlW/s400/photo+(50).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So cute.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Sentimental hugs,<br />
<div>A<br />
<div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-65316304278346498032012-03-28T16:23:00.000-04:002012-03-28T16:23:00.222-04:00It's been a long time since I left you...<i>...without a dope beat to step to, step to. <b>(Bonus points if you knew that was coming.)</b></i><br />
<br />
I know I've been gone awhile. Here are some highlights until I can get back in the swing of things.<br />
<br />
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<li>ABG got married! She is now officially BGZ. It was lovely and I got to see all of my friends from college.</li><br />
<li>I caved and started reading The Hunger Games trilogy. I'm <i>obsessed.</i> I'm halfway through with Catching Fire. <b>Don't ruin it for me.</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>The BFFAE and I are going to go see the movie next week.</li><br />
<li>A bird pooped on my head last night. </li><br />
<li>I'm in the midst of planning a surprise 30th anniversary party for my parents for April. After setting everything in motion, I realized I'd set the party for Friday the 13th. Oh well.</li><br />
<li>Threw a baby shower for a friend at church and it turned out great.</li><br />
<li>I found a Hunger Games Bible study that I can do with my youth. I may be more excited about it than they are.</li><br />
<li>I have had 2 nosebleeds today. I never get nosebleeds.</li><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I'll leave you with a picture of the gorgeous <strike>ABG</strike> BGZ breaking it down.</td></tr>
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That's all folks (for now),<br />
AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-61822469286772207252012-02-22T16:18:00.000-05:002012-02-22T16:18:02.728-05:00Running with Charlie<div style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 8.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our local paper did an article on The Preacher today. I've copied and pasted it here but you can also see it <a href="http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20120222/CITYPEOPLE/302220005/Pastor-finds-God-s-grace-midst-illness?fb_ref=artsharebottom&fb_source=profile_multiline"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Pastor finds God's grace in midst of illness<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><b>Summey uses experience to help others</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dInO4zd_oTkkDvgP4zUX50MN3Odu8qjvNBPGOPVnSRNCVIrXe8yyAki8AXST5Qm-IDMffFDSNXJlc5_zW5M-gNutfHxhsdaxLuB-uvznCs3_pDghqFEETTmRP-kDtWETj9jsOW54zAih/s1600/charlie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dInO4zd_oTkkDvgP4zUX50MN3Odu8qjvNBPGOPVnSRNCVIrXe8yyAki8AXST5Qm-IDMffFDSNXJlc5_zW5M-gNutfHxhsdaxLuB-uvznCs3_pDghqFEETTmRP-kDtWETj9jsOW54zAih/s320/charlie.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In his first 10 years as a pastor, Charlie Summey has often visited the sick and bedridden — always while enjoying excellent health himself.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In the past eight weeks, Summey says he’s “learning what it feels like to be on this side of the bed.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Summey, 44, began feeling “a little off-balance” the week prior to Christmas and was promptly placed on a medication to control hypertension. But the problems persisted; brain cancer was diagnosed Dec. 30.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>For Summey, who became pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church three years ago, the experience has raised the intensity of his personal relationship with God.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“I now approach life with a hunger to feel the embrace of God cradling every grain of sand that embodies my very being,” says Summey. “Before, I would often prefer to numb myself to God’s presence, thinking about what a rebel I could be at times.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Summey became a Christian early in life. He grew up in a close-knit, Mayberry-like mill community in North Carolina where he knew everyone by name.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>But it was not until he became a father that Summey says he fully understood the need for a relationship with his heavenly father. That led to a call to full-time ministry, one that Summey isn’t sure whether he would have heard in his younger days.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“If it was (an early calling), I was numb to it, determined to run from it and prove I could live another way and be happy,” says Summey, who earned an electronics engineering degree at Appalachian State University in 1991 at age 23.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Fifteen years later, in 2006, he graduated magna cum laude with a master’s in divinity from Erskine Theological Seminary. In between, wife Julie had given birth to two children — Rebecca, born in December 1995, and Charles Adam, born in November 1998 — and Summey had turned his back on the engineering career to enter the ministry.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>He became a pastor in 2002 and came to Trinity in 2008. His ministry took a sudden turn in December, when the health issues struck.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Summey has been in physical therapy for the past month and began his first round of radiation treatments last week. He tries to keep the Trinity congregation updated about his condition with a blog he writes — quite candidly — on a regular basis.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“I’m willing to even answer raw, awkward questions and even permit people to cry with me and be real about this stuff,” says Summey. “I am in a place in my faith journey where I am at total peace with my aggressive disease.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Summey, who describes his prognosis as “treatable, but ultimately terminal at some point,” even talks about the possibility of cancer cutting his life short. His says his battle “presents an opportunity, by God’s grace, to help someone else journey though this life experiencing God’s grace.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“God is longing to connect with us in meaningful, life-changing ways,” says Summey.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The connection has been apparent for the past month at Trinity, whose congregation on Augusta Road has responded to his illness with steady doses of encouragement.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“In my short 44 years of life, my family and I have discovered what it feels like to be cradled by the hands and feet of Jesus,” Summey says of the church’s reaction.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Summey was exposed to close relationships early in life. He says he was blessed to have grown up in the close-knit town of Gastonia, N.C.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“Everyone was shaped by knowing their neighbor on a first-name basis,” says Summey. “While everyone wanted to say they were from ‘prestigious’ Gastonia, we all knew we were a simple people.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>More important, says Summey, he was raised in a Christian home.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“I believe that my faith journey has it genesis in the nurturing and loving care of church-going parents who made sure that unless someone had a Sunday morning fever, they were going to church.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>“Habit leads to discipline; discipline leads to life practice,” says Summey. “It was only through that journey that I was able to discern God’s calling, in God’s timing for me.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>For Summey, that history of close relationships and ability to sense God’s timing is more important than ever before.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The same is true of his creed, which he repeats often: “Live your life in hunger and passion pursuing holiness of heart, mind, body and soul.”</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2413576107767431643.post-46127991014041007522012-02-17T18:15:00.001-05:002012-02-17T18:16:18.390-05:00Stage 5Ever have one of those WTF moments that make your head spin? I did today. Let me give you the backstory. <br />
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Monday night at Trivia, some new people joined us. One was a guy I'll call JB. He was friendly and we discovered we had a lot of mutual friends. He even went so far as to friend me on Facebook while we were sitting across the table from each other. On Tuesday, he started a Words with Friends game with me and started chatting with me. I hate chatting on WWF so I suggested we text instead. He carried on a text convo with me pretty much nonstop from then until today. Just friendly conversation. We got to talking about my jewelry business. He sent out a mass email to the entire student body at the University where he works promoting my stuff. Totally unexpected. I replied and said that was very sweet of him and that I appreciated it. Then he sends me this text:<br />
Allison, I'm the kind of person who speaks what's on his mind and I like to be open with people. I've enjoyed our conversations lately a lot. You're a great person and friend to many. I don't want you take this the wrong way, because of those things. But, I'm not looking to date anyone at the moment. I would be honored to have you as a friend. I'd like to help you with your business dreams tho, that's for sure. I felt like I needed to put that out there for the both of us. I'm a real friendly person and it's just who I am. <br />
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Say what? Where did that come from? I told him I never assumed he was being anything but just friendly and I had no desire to date him. Please don't misconstrue my friendly nature as a crush. <br />
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I've decided I need a disclaimer at the end of all my texts. <br />
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DISCLAIMER: My friendly nature and incredible sense of humor in no way indicate a desire to sleep with you. <br />
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AAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164656150143032582noreply@blogger.com2