Wednesday, January 31, 2007

A Skirt

Who says that Chicagoans can't be friendly?

I was at the laundromat this afternoon, and I was struck by a beautiful woman's skirt. She clearly has a large family and was trying to get her laundry done before her kids got out of school. I commented on her skirt and how much I liked it. Five minutes later, she walks up to me at the dryer and hands me a really nice, very cute denim skirt and says, "This should fit you - it's getting a little tight on me, and I was going to put it in the pile to take to Goodwill."

Thank you, mystery woman. =) I will wear my new skirt, proudly, this weekend.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Students and Conferences and TV, Oh My!

I have to say that this week quite possibly might be the most dis-jointed week I've had in my life. I've never been a great multi-tasker when there's a ton of communication and questions coming my way about several different projects. This week has been a little nuts. It's 3:52 and I've got at least two hours more work I want to do before I go home today. Yet I'm taking a break to post a blog.

I have found myself DVRing all kinds of documentaries these days. I've always enjoyed them. I have now set up my DVR to tape all episodes of Dateline, To Catch a Predator, 48 Hours, and a bunch of other things on TLC. It's bizarre - I can come home with a list of chores in my head, and the next thing I know I'm sitting on my bed, twenty minutes into a documentary.

Last night I watched a documentary that I believe was called "Living with 13 Children" on TLC. Fascinating stuff. The mom had her first two children from different fathers while she was in high school, then married her husband and they had the remaining 11. The oldest child ended up getting pregnant, and they ex-communicated her. I found that to be wildly hypocritical and not at all Christian. I hope they continue to follow this family, because I'm already hooked.

On my Netflix list these days, I've been watching Big Love. This was recommended to me by Devin, who is a big fan. Ironically, my interest was piqued in this sect of Mormonism bc of recent 48 Hour documentaries and all the recent press of the fundamentalist Mormon sect that still practices polygamy and whose prophet is in jail. I LOOOVEEE this show...can't wait for the next couple of DVDs to arrive.

Other fun reality shows on my 'list' these days include: Grease - You're the One That I Want, The Apprentice, I Love NY, Surreal Life Fame Games. I'm very excited for new episodes of Lost, Gilmore Girls and The Office coming up.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

An example of my accident-pronness, you ask?


One hot summer day in 2001, a trip down this slip n slide led to a trip to the ER...where it was suggested I get surgery when I returned to Detroit bc I had partially torn a ligament. Said "friends" mailed me post-ER photos of me in bed, leg elevated, in brace, with ice, hopped up on pain meds. lolol I was 24. Jerry (the blonde), Michael Hector (laying down) and Chris took great care of me those last couple of weeks. Crazy theatre people!!

"What is the point of being almost 22 when there is still so much to learn?"

That is one of my favorite quotes from the book/movie Emma by Jane Austin.

As I approach my 30th birthday in March, I find myself looking at life from a different perspective and asking, "What is the point in being almost 30 if there is still so much to learn?"

I have learned a lot in the last year. I learned that I love Starbucks unsweetened iced coffee with cream and two splendas more than a frappuccino. I learned that the Public library has free passes to the museums, you just have to go early in the week in order to actually get one. I learned that I am capable of keeping my nose from sunburning in the hot sun if I re-apply sunscreen every hour or so. I learned that I really do love Chicago, although I'm still not convinced I'll live here long-term.

More importantly, I've learned that I have community in Chicago that really does think of me as family. (Dang, that's a hard concept for me.) I've learned that I have a really difficult time trusting anybody...even people I call my closest friends. I've learned that when I want to invest in a person as a friend, I want to give a good deal of time and attention to them...so I've learned I can't do that with everybody. I've learned that the reason that is so important to me is because I want to find out if they are safe enough for me to share all of me. Few make the cut. I've learned that there's one, in particular, that I have really hurt by not being able to fully trust her. I haven't yet learned how to set boundaries with those who wish to be a closer friend of mine (and I know I don't have the time) without feeling like a bad person or inadvertantly hurting their feelings.

I'm learning that there are some people in my life that I may not see or talk to often, but will always be important to me. I will periodically check in on them and we'll pick up right where we left off. I think of the people that I lived with, worked with and went to school with in Detroit.

I've learned I need to take time before I react to something. Apparently I process more like a male in that I need time to think about it before my true feelings come out. My thoughts in the heat of the moment almost always don't ring true a day later. I've learned the power of journaling. I'm in process of learning that always self-sacrificing is a bad thing, not a selfless thing. I'm learning how to not be confused by this me that is learning how to live life differently.

It's hard work, this learning. Downright exhausting at times, and I find myself wishing to go back to blissful ignorance about certain things. I'm not going to give up, though.

Happy Birthday, Jenny!!


We had a luau-themed birthday party for my roommate, Jenny. She's the third from the left. Standing to her right are Jodi, Jenn and Jenn's husband, Michael. (Those three are friends of mine from church.)


Maegen, Brian and Traci. Not sure what was so funny - perhaps *** had cleaned up another one of her spilled drinks with her pant leg? That was shocking enough to send us into fits of giggles for days to come.



I heart Maegen. She, however, does not heart it when I do this in photos. She eventually said to me, "Alison...why can't you let us get a normal picture of your pretty face?" I say it is the youth worker in me. There are no less than 2000 photos of me, floating around in various high and junior high schooler's photo albums. Basically, I see a camera on me, I do something ridiculous. E.g. the fish face, the platypus face the tongue stuck out in various ways face, the flying bird, the butterfly, the spinning around in trees, or any other number of bizarre poses. I'm pretty sure Erin Beppler has seen them all. =) He he he.



Jenn IM and Me. She loves sushi. Apparently she loves to smell it, too.



The Sunday Night Gang. Traci (other roommate), Maegen, Brian, me and Tricia. I was wearing ankle socks and some slipper flip flops bc my feet were cold. It wasn't until we returned from a breakfast run at 2:30ish when I realized I had gone out with said slippers on. Lolol.



New Year's Eve

I spent New Year's with Tricia, Traci and Maegen. No Brian....he was working at House of Blues. Booo!!!! We went to a party at Lincoln Lanes.


















The three of us...


Tricia, in really hard, really loud laugh. LOVE it!






















How Hot is Maegen?



















Traci in mid-bowl. Doesn't she have great form?





Aside from the rude bartenders, comedian who thought that screaming profanities = funny...we had a good time. We came back to mine and Traci's house around 1 am, ate some good snacks, and rang in the New Year just like we share all our good times....around the coffee table in my living room, with a fire going.

Musings from an Accident-Prone Chicagoan

I chose this title because as I tell people stories about things that happen to me, I often hear this phrase:

"Only to you, Alison, only to you." I may or may not have been referred to as "Delicate Flower" by Amy, in trying to convince me not to climb up on the roof to cover the hole in the chimney wire.