Sunday, November 30, 2008

All I really need is you.

And all I really have to say is...

ROOOOOOOOLL TIDE! ROLL!!!!

It's been a fun year to be a Bama fan. Last night was absolutely no exception. Of course, the Alabama/Auburn game means the end of Football season is near. These silly Yankees seem to think baseball season is something to be excited about, but I beg to differ.


Day off tomorrow! I don't plan on budging from my pajamas or couch. The end.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

What could be so wonderful about this? What could be so wonderful?

I had a really freakin' fantastic Thanksgiving, y'all.
Picture story on my flickr

More to come, I hope. In the meantime, BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS.
I just love this time of year.
This year, I'm not mourning the lack of my nonexistent family. I'm just enjoying the family I do have. Because there's nothing like an apartment full of laughter and friends and good food.

Even when life's not what you planned, it's still pretty sweet.

And nobody knows...what's gonna happen tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

She likes to let it come right to the tip of her tongue, and then she feels like an angel talking

Once again, Crissie and I are putting our Southern(fried) upbringing to good use by hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Which basically means we cook and beg our friends to bring lots of wine in return. This typically results in much giggling and more leftovers. Good times.

As I will be working a looooooong day tomorrow, I took today to buy my supplies. I get to be in charge of the turkey. Upon purchasing said bird, I sent a text to tell everyone I'd named him Norbert and that Norbert was anxiously awaiting meeting everyone on Thursday. Then, Vida IMs me.

Vida: is norbert alive?
Alison: hahahahahah
yes
i have a live turkey hanging out with me and mags right now
she is NOT amused
Vida: when ya gonna lop off its head, skin it, cut its feet off and gut it
Alison: when you get here
please
i can't kill a roach, think i can wack a turkey?
Vida: you seriously have a live one?
Alison: vida.
Vida: no way
Alison: you're ridiculous.

The only thing I love more than making myself appear silly in my blog is making my friends appear silly. Right, Megan?

I pulled down a couple Christmasy things to get the apartment in the mood for the the inevitable decking of the halls that lies just around the corner. Hot damn, I sure do love star garland. Really, now. Is there anything better?



I'm pretty sure if I can navigate through this week and into next month, I just might survive. Oy. What are the warning signs of an ulcer, panic attack, heart attack, or otherwise?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I'm as nowhere as I can be. Could you add some somewhere to me?

Let's talk about last weekend, shall we?
(Yes, I know it's closer to this weekend than last and that that officially makes me a slacker, but whatever.)

So Taryn came to town because...well, because I live in a fun city with good food and hot men. So, we ate good food and drooled over hot men. Oh, and shopped for shoes.

After a relatively tame Friday night full of steak and red wine, we awoke Saturday morning to see Speed the Plow. Enter Hot Man #1 of the weekend - Jeremy Piven. And while I'd given him a solid "pretty darn good," homeboy wasn't NOTHIN' compared to my favorite Broadway baby, Raul Esparza. Damn. It is borderline disgusting how talented that man is. Perhaps 2009 will finally be his Tony year, since 2007 and 8 failed him.

I'm not a huge Mamet fan, but I didn't hate this one. Two thumbs up! Excellent see!

Our Pinkberry initiation followed the show.

Now I know why I never went to Pinkberry. Because now I'm obsessed with the stuff. And want to eat it every day, even though it's freezing. Literally. It's literally freezing here now, y'all. This weekend, I was hot in short sleeves, yet Monday I saw my first snowflake.

Then we shopped. Taryn needed boots, so we found her some. See?

I then tried to defy the elements and have a good hair night. It didn't work. Oh well. You just can't win 'em all.

And then it was Perilla time! Or, more importantly, Hot Man #2, Harold Dieterle! Or more importantly, the food! Or more importantly, Harold! The food! The food! Harold! I DON'T KNOW. IT'S ALL INSANELY AMAZING.
I had the duck.


So the food was amazing. The Harold sightings, not so much. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to wait until worst case scenario Alison rears her ugly head once more, 'member?

But I digress. And now I need to be corny. I realized the ladies who joined me for dinner all represented a different, large chapter of my life. And I just think it's cool that all the chapters are still busy weaving themselves together to create a really remarkable, albeit a bit bizarre, story.

And that's what I have to say about that.

Friday, November 14, 2008

It's the end of the world as we know it. (And I feel fine.)

I cracked. I've been putting it off for a long time. Actually, I didn't really need it till lately. But even then I didn't want it. And now I've ordered it and I'm stuck with it and my life is never ever ever ever ever going to be the same.

That's right, friends.

I'm getting a blackberry.

Now. Eversince the conception of teh internets I've been a liiiiiiiittle too obsessed with what happens online. There's just so much to do and see and it always just makes my little heart soar to see someone posted such and such on my wall or sent me a someecard or uploaded new pictures or whatever pointless things we do. I knew if I got a blackberry, the world might never see my face again.

But, being that I'm not always in front of a computer and we're heading into the busy season and sometimes people elect to communicate electronically instead of PICKING UP THE DAMN PHONE, bossman said Alison, get a blackberry. So I complied.

If I pay more attention to it than you, you're welcome to smack me around a little bit. Deal?

Sunday, November 9, 2008

I know all the wrongs and rights and I just want a little light to fall on me.

It's Sunday morning. I rolled over around 8 and greeted a bright blue sky I feel like I haven't seen in ages. See?



I took the opportunity to hide under the comforter and snuggle with the cat until I got good and bored. (Took about 4 minutes.) And then I brewed a pot of coffee, flipped on some tunes, and set my staff's schedule for the week. I am becoming a workaholic but I don't exactly mind because it's good to be useful. Still, I view this as a morning of leisure. If you get to work while in pajamas it doesn't really count.

I am a creature of habit and this week has brought a world full of change and I'm learning how to not stomp the brakes and throw a hissy fit. I don't know why I'm so ill equipped for this stuff. I completely recognize all the good that comes with change.

Barack Obama. Democratic leadership in general. Hey, leading America is a hard row to hoe and I'm not saying the GOP and especially the GWB didn't try. But come on, y'all. It clearly wasn't working. Our economy is in the stinker, our natural resources are not being properly cared for, our working class is sinking, our decisions have been based on faulty, antiquated, and biased views, and our reputation to the world beyond our borders is NOT the one most of us would prefer. John McCain may have earned back a few cool points with his concession speech, but the fact of the matter is that his entire campaign did little more than offend me and turn me off of the Republican party even more completely. Selecting a running mate based solely on her sex, improperly branding the ticket and platforms, and a whole lot of back peddling. Obama's victory is not change for change's sake - it's change for the world's sake. And he's not going to be able to do it alone, so I'm challenging myself and anyone out there to (here's a novel concept) HELP. Do your part. Be useful. Perhaps that's been the problem with Bush's terms all along. We were all, self included, too quick to point fingers and place the blame on the figure head. Let's not make the same mistake with Obama - many of us worked too hard to get him where he is now. Deal?

Change.

Life. I sat in a meeting this week and could absolutely feel the gears of my universe shift and set off in an entirely new direction. And for once, I didn't mind so much. I recognized my impulse to resist based only on the newness. It stung at first, to realize tomorrow won't be like yesterday and that I have got to learn to let go of the past in order to find the future. But I'm a manager now. A real live grown up adult. Touch me, I exist in this form now and I don't exactly hate it. I am capable of independent thought that impacts others' lives. I've found that impossible rumor of a job that I love, that I'm good at, and that pays the bills.

Change.

Love. I'm not in it. And sometimes I get so scared that I'm not going to get married or have the chance to decide if I want to be a Mommy. I'm starting to think my problem is that I've seen myself as manipulator of my own destiny, which is a more eloquent way of telling you I'm a control freak. Perhaps there are things I can control and I'm starting to think this is one thing I cannot. I can make room in my heart (and goodness knows I have) but I cannot spackle that void.

Change.

Friends. Ok, so no change needed here. I'm set, supported, and happy. Thank y'all. Seriously. I don't know what I did, but I'm glad I did it.

And there are your thoughts for this Sunday morning. I'd like to tell you we'll be in touch like this more often, but these next 6 weeks are what I've spent the last 10 and a half months preparing for. I've got 4 new team members, 6 veterans, 3 new properties, 3 old ones, 2 bosses, 24 hours in a day, and one me. Come on in, 2008 Holiday Season. Let the fun begin!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

A change is gon' come

I've got a lot to say (SURPRISE) but unfortunately not a lot of time to say it.
So I'll make this brief and then hit you up with my ramblings later tonight.

Last night was one of the most memorable nights of my life. I cannot wait to tell my grandkids of the night I sat in Astoria, drinking champagne and eating (chocolate) cupcakes, watching a brilliant man take charge of a nation that desperately needs him. (No pressure.)

Barack Obama, you make me proud and excited. Congratulations! I cannot wait to see what the next 4 years hold. I will be behind you, doing my part. Promise.



Yes we can? YEAH WE DID.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Put on your green lights. We're in the city of wonder.

Warning: This is a blog that may easily be filed under "Too Much Information" and also "Slightly Obnoxious"
Proceed at your own risk.

I'm a little mentally fragile today. Just in a funk, and I blame the weather, the early darkness, and PMS. (See, I warned you.) I tried all my usual cheer me up things. Bad daytime tv. Exercise. Hummus. Guitar. Internetting. I contemplated knitting, but figured that would just frustrate me. I even did my most favorite I'm having a bad day activity - putting on makeup, doing my hair, and taking pointless pictures. (Look at how much you're getting to know me in this here entry!)



But I've just had me such a hearty chuckle that I can't even believe I spent the day being such a sourpuss. See, tomorrow is the day that America will head to the polls. (Or in my case, hope their absentee ballots actually get a chance to be counted. I decided a vote for Obama in NC would count more than a vote for Obama in NY, so I kept my registration in NC.) And I have this unfailing belief that we will finally do right by ourselves, give a big ole TTTTHHHHHHBBBBBTTTTTTTTTT to the GOP, and elect Obama into office. I've steered away from political tirades in this space because I do not feel defined by my political beliefs. That being said, this election has excited and energized me and I cannot wait to watch the poll results roll in tomorrow.

So of course, Megan and I planned a slumber party. We've both had a kind of rough go of things lately. Giggling always helps ease the troubled, hormonal mind. (Again, with the TMI.) While planning said Election Night Slumber Party, the following conversation occurred.

Megan: so what should I make for dessert?
me: something blue
Megan: something blue? blueberry pie?
me: FUNFETTI CUPCAKES WITH BLUE ICING!!!
Megan: ooooohhhh
me: hahahahahhaha
Megan: so just blue
as in obama
or red white and blue for america
or apple pie
which is american
me: NO RED
NO RED ANYWHERE
Megan: haha
ok
hehe
well lasagna is red
or has red in it
me: fine. but we can't help that
unless
we dyed the sauce blue too
Megan: then we'd have blue poo
between that and the cupcakes
which of course will be chocolate


::cue crickets::

oh wait that may have sounded racist
me: HAHAHAHAHA
Megan: i meant cuz of [the PMSing]


Chocolate cupcakes for Obama! Obama in general! Chocolate, too!!! HoooooRAY!!!