Year In Review

I am currently without internet at my residence so I have not updated in a long time. Hopefully we'll get us some internet soon, but some people think having a couch is more important.

So, this will be my end of the year post. Reflections, memories, hopes for the new years. Stuff like that.

It's been possibly the weirdest year of my life so far. A lot of changes. I quit my job, lost a parent, got a new car, moved in with my boyfriend (and his son and dog). And those are pretty big changes in my opinion. And I've noticed that I'm not the only one with big changes going on. Steph and Bryan got the new house, Laura got married, Jenny's all in a serious relationship and crap. I don't even know what's going on with Nicole. (I hear people talk about how they don't talk to their high school friends anymore... I wonder if they're counting they're sister's friends...)

I am curious about the coming year and what it will bring. I'm really hoping it's easier. I hope to find a job (very soon). I hope to host a party. I hope to not be involved in a break up. I hope nobody dies or gets seriously ill. Seriously guys, try really hard to not get sick or injured. I have faith.

In conclusion, while 2007 was a year full of great memories and crap, let's try for less bad memories next year. Go team!

-Ali

More stuff

Other stuff I want:
-Music! All those folky people: Hem, Ingrid Michaelson, Madeleine Peyroux
-A book called "The Victorian Lady". The copy is by my cousin, Janna Walkup, and it's very girly,
-Something that smells good. Soap or oils or something. Good smells are lavender, rosemary, sage, jasmine, anything planty. Not foody.

I'm feeling very greedy this week.

-Jenny

Wow, am I behind...

...but I'd argue that I was supposed to have help with this thing. (Alison!)

So, listen: Does anyone want to go to a bridal show with me?

I know what you're thinking, I'm not engaged and neither is Nicole quite yet and even if you were, all the stuff at a bridal show is probably stuff you wouldn't actually want to pay for/take home.

But people go to dog shows without intending to buy dogs. And boys go to car shows all the time and still drive around in their boring little Hondas. And Grandpa loves steam engine shows, but I have yet to see one of those puffing away in his backyard.

So, who wants to go with me? Does it matter if all of us are either not engaged or already married? No! This is about entertainment, about spectacle! And about talking myself out of renting swans for Nicole's wedding.

In other news, I keep finding things that I want on my Christmas list and it's killing me. Usually I can forget about them, but I keep looking at ads and now I want:

-a digital camera (for knitting pictures)
-a knitting machine (on sale at Jo Ann!)
-an elliptical (Christmas is a season of dreams)
-cross country skis (why must you buy all the boot/strapping stuff?)
-a model train set (Something to start me, so I can model a landscape myself)
-a car (And I want an indigo one! Color is the only thing that separates one car from another! )

Capitalism. Yum.

-Jenny

In which I steal a stolen idea

1. I saw this on Stepho’s blog. I had no pronounced excitement or disappointment, but I did see an idea to steal.
2. I have needed to seriously clean my room for about a year, but I’ve convinced myself that I’m moving out soon and I should just wait until I pack.
4. I have a recurring nightmare. I know exactly what it means. But I don’t know how to make it stop.
5. I don’t know that I have a favorite author, but if I did it might be James Thurber. (Ohio and proud!)
6. Holy crap, I have a yarn closet, too. When did that happen? Didn’t it used to just be a box in a closet?
7. I’m down to one cat. It doesn’t sleep on me and it barely let’s me touch it. Am I a failure as a cat lady?
8. I’m afraid of needing glasses. I’ve left my bra in how many places and you think I can keep track of glasses? Also, I’m afraid of needing fillings. I know that’s not really related, but it’s a big fear.
9. When I think about my real age I get really tired, and I’m pretty sure that’s a symptom of depression.
10. I hate most breakfast fast foods. And it’s not always easy to find other breakfast foods I enjoy. In general, I find there’s no incentive for me to get up before noon.
11. You know who's hot? Bill Nighy, that's who!
12. I like soup. But it’s so salty. Someone should invent non-salty, still-tasty soup.
13. I guess I’m a “sweet”. Although, if we’re basing our personalities on the food we like, I am “easy”.
14. I love whining about someone to a third party. I’m very judgmental and if I keep it all in, it will explode in a messy scene at some point. But I do think whining is best if prefaced by “I know this isn’t a big deal, but it just bothered me.” There’s a difference between whining about your pet peeves and seriously believing that people should change to suit your fancy.
15. I need to figure out how to get people at work to stop assuming I can knit them something in a few nights. Or that I want to. Or that I have lots of extra yarn and needles I am dying to pass out to the general public.
16. My trunk is still packed with stuff from my last move - which was December of 2005, if anyone is curious.

No Pictures

I always feel like my posts should include pictures. I suppose that's because I find my own words pretty boring. And by 'words', I mean 'life'.

On Thankgiving, I got a lot of 'What's new with you?'s and it's really hard to answer. I do the same thing every damn day and any variations usually take place in Skip's bedroom.

Or I could complain about an aspect of my life. Does anyone want to hear about how I hate where the library phone is located? Or how frustrated I am with the church Christmas pageant?

No? Really? Imagine that.

-Jenny

Case of the Mondays

Today I got on the treadmill and walked. I even managed to make it half an hour before I got bored. After that it was a struggle to stay on and I didn't last much longer.

My new goal is to shave my legs.

It's important to set reasonable goals.



-Jenny

Real trees suck.

Will I ever really be happy with my job?



I hope he's wrong.

-Jenny

Bored.

So, now Pat's sick. I'm pretty sure he's just trying to steal my thunder.

I got to drag out my scrapbooking crap yesterday to make a card for the girls in the apartment upstairs. A little while ago they made little bags with cider and candy for everyone in the building and I thought it was freaking darling, so I made them a Happy Halloween card. I really want to make more cards but I can't think of any upcoming events that are cardworthy. Maybe I'll start on the Christmas ones...

Speaking of Christmas, Pat says we're going to get a tree. Like, a real one. I'm very excited about this. First of all, that we'll have a tree. Second of all, that it will be real! I've never had one of those. I hope it smells good.

I think I'm going to take a nap now. My life is just so stressful.

-Ali

Pat and Ali's Blog Of Sickness

So, I'm sick. Some sort of cold I'm sure. Pat says everyone gets sick this time of year, which makes me feel like I can't whine and complain about it. Someone needs to tell him that when you're sick you're allowed to whine and complain. And be served tea and medicine. And get foot rubs.

(Ali just went to the bathroom, Pat has taken over)

Blog blog blog, bloggy blog blog. As for the tea, medicine, and foot rubs thing, she made a pot of coffee as soon as she woke up (less then an hour ago), I offered her medicine last night as well as 5 minutes after she woke up (she just now took some on her own), and foot rubs are for the evening. Shes just a little upset because I tried to get her to look on the bright side of her being ill. I told her that its better to get sick at the beginning of the week so you feel better for the weekend.

Well, thank you for your time people of Al Gore's internet. I'd love to stay and blog, but PBS kids looks mighty tempting...

(Back to Ali.)

Jackass. You know, whenever I got sick back home Jenny would cater to me. I miss her. And my toenails are getting long. I'll be home this weekend. Maybe I can convince her to do them then. And also take off the nail polish that's been on them since St. Thomas and is now looking frightful.

On the subject of careers and such, there is no news to report except that I really think I need to get a job shopping. I like to shop. I would be good at it. Unless I had to shop at Wal Mart on a weekend. Scary.

-Ali

In which the pants wear me (out)

Why do I feel like we've used that one before? Anyway, it's on topic.

Today I tried to buy clothes. In some repects, I was successful. I have sweaters now, none of which are grey. (You know how hard that is for me.) I have two pair of cords, which do not need to be ironed yet can be worn to work. And I have four new long sleeve t-shirts from Target and it turned out they were on sale.

What I do not have is any clear indication of what my size is. During the sweater phase of the day I tried on larges where I could clearly see the outline of my nipples and smalls where it was impossible to tell I had breasts at all. The cords I ended up buying are a size smaller than my usual and two sizes smaller than I was just a few years ago. And when I tried on jeans I took a 4 into the dressing room for shits and giggles, pulled them up, zipped and buttoned them.

Buttoned!

Granted, they were so tight if I had bent over ass cheek would have sprung out through the back seams and yelled "Ta da!" Still, buttoned is buttoned.

The thing is, I am not any smaller than I used to be. In fact, I weigh more. I try on my old clothes and they haven't gotten any looser. So my old problem with shopping was that nothing fit right and it all came in weird colors. Now I get to play a horrible guessing game where everytime I look away, all the pants get larger and larger until the size 0s will fit around a Volvo.

I pray to God the unders I grabbed even stay up. And I don't know what girls smaller than me are doing. I guess they'll have to shop in the kids department. Is this what happened in Japan? Is this why 30 year old Japanese women wear Hello Kitty backpacks?

So, that is my shopping rant. Hopefully, I won't have to go again for a long time. Probably, by then I'll have to get pants in negative sizes. Or maybe there won't be any pants. Maybe we'll all wrap ourselves in sheets and walk around like that.

Oh God. They got to Ancient Greece, too.

-Jenny

Goals and Such

Today's goals:
-Clean like a beast. (Have started but not gotten far.)
-Some light grocery shopping. (Check, but also went to Kohls and bought clothes and candles. Not so good.)
-Make Shepherd's Pie. (Will be done later. Fingers are crossed.)
-Get prescription filled. (I am a lazy whore and have put this off for way too long. Too late now, but it goes on tomorrow's list.)

As I was going through my clothes today, I realized just how much crap I have. I am seriously not buying another piece of clothing for the next 6 months. Exceptions: Bras and a winter coat. I actually need those.

Halloween is approaching. Some friends of mine want to go out, but what do twenty-somethings do on Halloween? Just hope someone has a party? Anyone want to host a party? Jenny, this is why you need to buy a house.

-Ali

Dreams

I am sick of dreaming. Why can't I have (or remember) pleasant dreams about rainbows and kittens and crap? I need to read that dream book I have and find out how to make it stop. Seriously.

-Ali

Dum dum de dum

(That's the first bar to 'Hail to the Chief' by the way)

-Jenny

Stole Ali's camera.

I know, I know. Where have I been? What have I been doing?
The short answer: I can't remember either.
But I know that some knitting was involved because I finished these:

And this:

This is still coming along:

And so is my travel knitting:

And I feel better about all of it, because you feel like a moron knitting a heavy wool sweater in 80 degree weather.

-Jenny

Babysitting

Babysitting is not easy. My sympathies to those who do it every day. And also, to those who invent toys that make noise... I despise you.

-Ali

P.S. When did it become October? Dude. What happened to September?

Complaints of a Twenty-Something Girl

Allergies suck! My throat has been sore for two days and I'm all stuffy. Not cool, man.

Also, I will never again cut my hair this short. It keeps flipping out on the bottom and making me look all... happy. Bleh. Doesn't my hair know that my soul is all dark and crap and I can't have happy hair? I want long, curly hair. I know it would never work the way I'd want it to, but I can dream.

-Ali

Hooray For Me!

I am terribly proud of myself today. By 1 pm I had accomplished the following...

- I went to the DMV and got myself some plates for my car. It was way easier than I had expected. And they're nice and shiny!
- I returned half of the crap I bought yesterday at Target and Sears. I feel much better about my bank account now, but still kind of bummed about my wardrobe. Oh well. It will grow slowly.
- I went to Wal Mart for a few things and ended up buying groceries and one sweater.
- Talked to Stacey. (It's been a long time, I was excited.)

Now, still on my list of things to do today...

- Make chili. Yay!
- Fill out the stupid tax form that I keep forgetting about. I am least looking forward to this.

Maybe I should leave that last one until tomorrow... You know, I might get bored with nothing to do...

-Alison

Post Vacation

Vacation was great. St. Thomas is gorgeous. Jen and I got some mean sunburns. Somehow I burned the shit out of the backs of my knees/thighs, so walking has been tricky lately. I need to learn that I am a sensitive girl and sunblock is my friend. Pictures will go up soon (of general vacation stuff, not burnt legs).

Now that I'm back from vacation, I have to actively look for a job. Ugh. It's been so nice being a slacker.

-Ali

Vacation Preparation

So, we leave tomorrow morning for vacation. (When I say "tomorrow morning" I mean the middle of the damn night - 4:30 am.) I am completely wiped out and I'm looking forward to sleeping the whole way down there. Of course, now I probably won't be able to sleep at all because nothing can go quite right, can it?

Today, while driving to the North Ridgeville library to pick up some books for Jen, I got stuck behind an idiot who felt the need to turn left at an intersection at about negative 3 mph. So, I did what any sensible woman would do. I burst into tears. These things have to be done, after all.

Pat restrung my guitar last night and it really sounds much better. Almost incentive to actually practice. Too bad we're leaving tomorrow.

Now I'm going to go look at a map and figure out exactly where the Virgin Islands are. I know they're south-ish. Yay for sun! Goodbye, pale ghostly woman! Hello, hot tan lady! (Well, bright red flaky lady.)

-Alison

Edit: I just looked at the weather forecast and it's supposed to rain pretty much every day. Maybe not so tan.

Pictures

Following Jenny's lead...




This is my current favorite picture. That is Lewis freaking out in my lap. My second favorite...



Lewis getting fresh.

-Ali

Yay for a night in!

Ever go through your old photo files and find lovely things you'd forgotten or didn't know you had? Like this hotness:


Good stuff, huh? And look, in this one I'm so hot Skip is panting.


But I think this is the best. Mostly because I found in my personal folder, not in the group digital camera folder. I have no idea how it got there. I think I blame Ali, but I gotta say, that blame covers a lot of fronts...


-Jenny

Titles are gay.

Today, I went to the mall and was reminded of how much I hate people. I was there for all of a half hour and I was on the verge of punching someone. I do not like to be crowded when shopping. I do not like to be crowded at all, actually. Unless I'm being crowded by an attractive guy, but that's entirely different.

Went to see Superbad tonight. It was very funny, I must say. I'm not always into that kind of humor. (You know what I'm talking about. That kind of cheap humor. You know, boy humor.) But when the term "vag" is used repeatedly, I'm won over.

In other news, I hate being a girl. Seriously. I think too much and it hurts my head. I'm pretty sure boys don't think this much. At least they don't show it.

-Alison

No pictures = sad face

So we got a package in the mail and it was the best thing in the whole world. Yarn! Stepho sent me yarn! It's tiny, tiny laceweight mohair so it looks like thread with a blue halo. The blue is pretty arresting. Like staring straight into the Arizona sky. Or Gonzo. (It is pretty cute and fuzzy.) Hmm. What to make? I mean which stitch pattern of course, because this is obviously meant to make a deliciously complicated and lacy shawl/wrap. Thank you Stepho! Fun note: package arrived same day as our tea o' the month arrived. Yarn and tea. Hot.

I wish I had time to take some pictures of the ol' knitting. My mystery stole is coming along swimmingly, I think. Also, maybe if I had a camera I'd have the motivation to get those damn baby booties done. Of course, I don't have an address to send them to yet so it may not matter.

I figure once I get this clue done in the stole (and sew together the DBBs) I can finish the last sleeve on my Perfect Sweater in time for the first of the crisp fall days. (Delicious) And then I can finish the last sleeve on the super heavy red sweater and wait for it to get colder than fuck. Or I can start some new projects and ignore the red sweater until January so I don't have to chide myself for gauge mistakes until I chuck it all and become a sheep farmer in Wyoming. Again.

-Jenny

Blah.

I feel bad for my sock. And I blame Jenny for my lack of progress on it. Why? Because my idle time is now filled with reading the Stephanie Plum books instead of knitting. I really should find a balance between the two, but the books are damn interesting. Maybe when I finish book 4 I'll finish the sock before moving onto book 5.

Life right now is sort of an emotional roller coaster. It's really pretty draining, but the highs are much higher than usual, so I can't complain too much. Sigh.

-Alison

Kittens and a Vacation

I've decided that Bits must be named after the bits of dead animals he brings up to the house. It's really quite disgusting and I don't think he and I can be friends anymore. Also, he tried to molest me. Not cool, Bits. Not cool.

The kittens are lovely. Lewis won't shut up, but I only love him more for it. I heard Grace's meow for the first time today and it's much louder than I'd expected. (By the way, Jenny and I have renamed Scaredy-Cat. Her new name is Grace Kelly.)

I got my car washed yesterday and Peepers walked all over it, effectively ending my friendship with him. Don't mess with the car, man.

We booked a vacation today. Mom, Jenny and I are going to the Virgin Islands September 11-15 to a resort. Should be much fun. I hate to be a downer, but I'm already dreading the flights. Each way is pretty much an all day affair. I will seriously consider getting some patches in an attempt to maintain my relationships with my family.

-Alison

Jealous?

-Ali

I'm back

What to say about my life? I can't tell the difference between days anymore and I really don't remember what was going on the last time I posted. Did I talk about VBS? I taught VBS, it went well, next year I want to plan more in advance. Now I'm being asked to teach Sunday school and I really don't want to because I have a boyfriend and I'd like to spend some time sleeping in with him. But how do you say that in church?

I work full-time now. I really hope that what I think I'm going to be making isn't what I really end up making. I can't live on that. Plus, when they take out for insurance, I'll be completely behind. Average library wage, my ass.

I need a vacation. I can tell I do. But I don't want to go through all the trouble of planning a vacation and making sure I don't schedule anything in Ohio that weekend or week or whatever. Plus, Mom keeps coming up with ideas where we go do stuff and I really just want to go somewhere and catch up on sleep. And I really don't know what I can afford because of the previous paragraph.

So I actually feel a little crappy. All my careful planning in high school and college and I'm going to end up a cranky librarian, living off of Skip and not living up to any of my potential. Woo.

Other: I've finished the bodies of the two baby booties. I may have to redo one. I also finished two pairs of wings. Still to go: two sets of scales and two sets of bronze spikes. Then we'll have some very cute Norbert booties.

-Jenny

Full Time Knitter

Still knitting! I am totally on a roll. I seriously don't want to go back to work for fear that I'll never knit again. I'm getting to that dangerous stage of the project where I'm thinking of other things I want to knit. Luckily, I have will power and will NOT start another project until these are done. Hopefully. But, just for shits and giggles, here is my list of potential projects...

-Christmas presents. I have a couple of ideas, but I'll have to really think about what I want to make for everyone. Mind you, if you don't get a hand-knitted present, do not be sad. I LOVE Christmas shopping and I cannot be deprived of this joy. Plus, I really can't knit something for everyone by Christmas. I am slow.

-Football gear! I'm very excited for football season and I think I need some scarlet and grey things. Perhaps a jazzy hat? Or mittens! (I still think that brown and orange are unattractive, especially with my complexion. Eh. I'll think about it.)

-Remember that mystery project for a mystery friend? Yeah, I didn't like it, but I want to restart with another yarn and maybe another pattern.

-Call me crazy, but I really want to knit a bracelet. I'm thinking of doing the drop stitch look. I'll play around with it.

So, as you see, I obviously do not have time for a job.

I'm also painting/redecorating my bedroom. There will be pictures when it's finished.

-Alison

Will Work For Cigarettes

I am officially unemployed. My last day was yesterday. It's definitely bizarre, but in a good way. With unlimited time at my disposal, I am planning all sorts of projects. First is cleaning and painting my bedroom. This is a thoroughly exciting prospect. A clean and pretty bedroom? Whaaaat?

Last night I went to a bachelorette party for a girl I don't really know well, but she's a friend of a friend. As with most bachelorette parties, it was less of a "party" and more of a "go out to clubs and get fucked up". It was a super fun time. We went to the Velvet Dog and the Blind Pig downtown. We were entertained by a group of men who called themselves the United Nations as they had a Mexican guy, a French guy, and a Canadian guy. The French guy (Phillipe) and I spoke French for a bit. Well, he did most of the speaking. I tried, but it was loud and I was uncomfortable attempting to speak French to someone who actually spoke the language.

I also have a plan to find some sort of charity and force everyone to participate. Not a donating money thing, but an activity thing. Perhaps a walk? An outing of some sort? I'll look into it. I feel that it would be a good use of our time.

EDIT: Just a thought... Arthritis Walk

-Ali

Yet Another New Project

Pretty! And look how much I've done! I win!

Very drastic topic change...

Does anyone need any condoms? I apparently have 100 all to myself and I really don't get that much. Let me know.

-Ali

I Am Grumps.

I hate job searching. I really do. I hate fixing my resume, worrying about the interview, buying clothes, etc. I just have to tell myself that it will all be worth it when I get a job and don't have to do this crap anymore.

Out of curiousity, I Googled myself. (That's what she said.) I just wanted to see if anything good would show up. I typed in "Alison Williams Grafton Ohio". And what came up? Dad's obituary. Just lovely. So, if anyone wants to dig up dirt on me, they'll just find out that I'm a sad girl.

-Ali

Kitten-Sitting and Bowling

Well, kitten-sitting went well. (For those unaware, we stayed at the Tyler residence for a few days, watching kittens.) I am madly in love with Louis/Lewis/however it is spelled. He is the only man of the 4 and he's all fluff and so very cute. And he's the least shy of them. Of course, I am quite smitten with all of them, though. There are some pictures on my Flickr and will be more soon.

Thursday night, I was very excited because I didn't have to work Friday and I could do whatever I wanted. I figured someone would want to go out or do something. I ended up sitting at the Tylers' with Jen and playing with kittens. Not a complete waste of a night, but still not what I had hoped for. Last night, we had fantastic plans to have a bonfire. That didn't really play out. Poor Stepho was in hell (the mall) and Nicole hadn't made contact. So, in the end, it was Jenny, Skip, Pat and myself. I slyly talked them into going bowling.

I've been trying to get people to go bowling with me for months. No one ever wants to. I don't understand why, as it is a freaking blast. We played 3 games. Pat and Skip tied on the first game. I don't remember who won the second. (Did I mention there was beer?) I think Pat did. The third was definitely Pat. I am quite a poor bowler, but I maintain that if people would actually go with me, I would be much better. So my inadequacy really isn't my fault. Anyway, it was much fun.

-Ali

Sunday evening

Sunday! It started with a cold and rainy family reunion. (Look what we have now!: www.heymannhistorical.org/)

Then Mom and I decorated the church. Not as good as last year, but better than I thought things would turn out.

Then I went over to Skip's to help him pick out bedding. I don't think I was much help. I kept ignoring things like prize or size and picking up things with butterflies or a lot of pink. Also, I made him feel the really soft bamboo sheets but he said they were too expensive. I suppose they were pricey, but they're antibacterial and I really think that if any bed needs to be antibacterial- it is Skip's.

Anyway, we went back to the apartment and I made his bed. Here it is, being very pretty:


And here it is with the yarn and knitting needles he got when I tricked him into going to Stitch 'n' Pitch at Jacob's Field:


And here is me, plotting other ways to turn him into a woman:


Meanwhile, the boys built a lamp:


Too manly. I guess I'll need to plot harder.
-Jenny

Boyfriends

So, Jen started the whole "If I Had A Boyfriend" list a while ago and very soon afterward, she develops a boyfriend. Maybe there is something to this...

If I Had A Boyfriend...
1. He wouldn't be a knitter, a scrapbooker, or a Harry Potter fan. But he'd get it.
2. He would listen to many types of music, not just pretentious rock.
3. He would go to the shooting range with me, but wouldn't jokingly point the gun at me.
4. He would go bowling with me.
5. He would tell me I'm a good cook, even when I set fire to the kitchen.
6. He'd know how to handle my most horrible cousins. Or at least how to ignore them.
7. He would understand that it took me 2 hours to make that birthday card and he would appreciate it. And display it.
8. He would kiss me for no reason.
9. He would love hanging out with my sister.
10. He would watch the Food Network with me sometimes.

So there.

Also, the fingerless gloves are indeed going to be scrapped, but the mystery project for the mystery friend seems to be coming along. I think that one may survive.

-Alison

Jen Posts!

Aliwatching Update: Those fingerless gloves still look a lot like they did last Tuesday. But the Secret Knitting is actually becoming something. V. exciting.

Our ghost picture is now up on the Learned Owl web site and I'm pretty happy. Sure, it's weird to be grown women revealed as obsessed loonies to the whole of the internets. But at least Ali doesn't look super tired in this picture.

I'll have benefits soon, which means I should go to various doctors and get poked and prodded. And I don't want to! Wah!

Skip is being adorable lately (is he up to something? is this about anal sex again?) and it reminded me of my old plan to post an 'If I Had A Boyfriend' every week. I still have the list I made before I was rudely interupted by actually getting a boyfriend. Any of these make the top of your lists?

1.He would take the cat to be put down
2.We would badroom dance to supermarket music
3.He’d always sit on my toes
4.He’d love wearing sweaters that are slightly tight and very lopsided
5.Unbrushed hair would be his biggest turn on
6.I’d get old books for gifts on every holiday.
7.He’d practice The Look as often as I practice getting dressed up and slowly walking down stairs.
8.We’d vacation. A lot.
9.He’d hold my coat and bring me drinks while I get down with my bad self.
10.We’d rent Rome (the HBO series) and act parts of it out in private.
11.He’d learn the boy parts to musicals and sing with me in the car.
12.He’d really like driving.
13.We’d play strip Trivial Pursuit and I’d always win. Twice.
14.He’d dress up like Santa Claus every now and then.
15.He’d help clean gutters at the church.
16.We’d do house repairs together. I’d wear a tool belt.
17.He’d leave me alone during Grey’s Anatomy.
18.He’d email me a joke every day. Because I’m needy.
19.He’d never watch me brush my teeth or expect me to watch him.

-Jenny

Pictures

I have put up the pictures from Sunday (Kids Fun Day at Jacob's Field) on my Flickr account if anyone is interested. It was a super fun time.

Not much new going on. I cooked quite a bit today. I made blueberry muffins for Jenny's lady church group thing... Women's bible study, maybe? Then, for lunch, I made turkey burgers and pasta salad. The pasta salad was a test for the pasta salad I'm making right now for Family Night at church tonight. I learned a bit on my test run and hopefully this batch will be better. It has green beans and red pepper and a vinaigrette type of sauce. It's a variation of the asparagus pasta salad I've been wanting to make for weeks. (The grocery store didn't have asparagus. Bastards.)

It seems that when I'm not cooking, I'm playing the guitar. I've gotten a great deal better, but it's still pretty pitiful. Practice makes perfect. Eventually.

Also, I'm knitting. I started two projects. One is a special surprise for a friend that I can't talk about. One is an experimental pair of fingerless mittens. We'll see how long it takes me to rip that out.

-Ali

Blush

My current favorite song, "Blush" by Aly and AJ...

You openly admit
The things you'd like more of from me
Somehow I find it attractive
That you won't censor anything

With you there is no filter
To sugarcoat what is said
Even though I like your honestly
It won't lead me to your bed

So instead
Go ahead and say it
Even though you know
it makes me uncomfortable
Go ahead and say it
If you must make me blush

Ironic considering it's about abstaining from sex, but still valid in some ways. Anyway, the music is really pretty in it. Well done, ladies.

-Ali

Yaaarrrnnn!

I have just quit my job and do not yet have a new one lined up. Certainly this is not the time to buy yarn. (Especially when I never even knit the damn stuff!)

But look! Pretty!

I have fantastic plans to make lace fingerless gloves. I am out of my damn mind.

I also ordered yarn to make Dobby socks. Stacey and I bought the Charmed Knits books (knitting projects "for fans of Harry Potter") and they had some super cute socks. I will be knitting the orange and pink striped socks. Stacey is much more ambitious and is currently working on a sweater. Crazy lady.

-Ali

Job Stuff

I have news! Yay!

I put in my notice at work. I gave them 3 weeks as opposed to 2 for both their benefit and mine. I could have waited a week, then put in my 2 weeks, but I had my reasons. You might be thinking 'Oh, you got a job! What is it?'. No. No, I didn't. I'm being spontaneous and having faith that I can find a job very soon.

I fully admit that it was a... bold move. Stupid? Maybe. But, I feel pretty good about it at the moment. I'm forcing myself to do some serious job searching, not just looking in the paper every once in a while. I should probably get some decent interview clothes at some point. Hmmm.

And if my plan fails miserably, I will live off of Jenny. Simple as that.

-Ali

Yay! Happy Birthday to Ali! She's old!

I'm starting to get pretty antsy over Harry Potter. Somebody else has got to finish this book soon. I have no one to talk to. And everytime I mention red hair dye to Skip he gets very shifty and noncommital. Honestly, what is the point of having a boyfriend if I don't get to pretend he's a Weasley now and then?

You're probably wondering how the release party went. Fan-bloody-tastic, that's how. Lots of dorks in costumes, a drumline filled with high school boys and everyone wanted to take pictures with us. We went as the Hogwarts house ghosts, costumes that I've never seen attempted. It paid off. We were the only House ghosts there and everyone loved us.

From left to right:
Stacy as Nearly Headless Nick (Gryffindor), Ma as the Fat Friar (Hufflepuff), Alison as the Bloody Baron (Slytherin) and me as the Grey Lady (Ravenclaw).


A few notes:
-I sewed a bunch of that crap and spent a fair amount of time thinking the rest of it out.
- While everything else is white or grey, each ghost does have a piece of jewelry in his/her House colors.
- Yes, that is Mom's wedding dress again.
- Nick's puffy shorts (which I really did not expect Stacy to agree to) are going to be worn under any bridesmaid dress I may wear from now on.



That should help, right?

Happy Birthday To Me!

YAY!

-Alison

So...

I miss Nick Carter's CD (he only had the one, right?). So much that I'm contemplating going out and buying it. Again. I'm just not sure I could stand the public humiliation of buying a Nick Carter CD or the personal shame of knowing that it would be the 2nd time purchasing said CD. But, now that I think of it, I wonder if they even carry it in stores anymore. I may have to do an online order. That would save me the public humiliation part.

Today was my work birthday. I have tomorrow off, so we celebrated today. Debra made her pasta salad (which I requested). It is possibly the most delicious thing ever. It's bowtie pasta, broccoli, those flat pea pod things that are so good, and a creamy sauce that I can only assume is loaded with fat. I have a theory that there's parmesan cheese in it. Then there are strips of chicken on top. YUM. Also, Becky made me a cake which was freaking fantastic and I'm kind of sad that I had to bring it home because I will eat it the whole damn thing. Debra and Becky also got me flowers. So cute. Love them.

-Alison

It's coming...

Today at work, I was to train a new cashier. It was really slow, so instead of finding work for us to do, I shoved a scrabooking magazine in her hands and picked up Weekend Knitting. I very much want this book. There's a pair of mittens in there that are heartbreaking. They're solid, except for the wrist cuff part, which is stripey and SO cute. Also, the cuff is garter, with the rest in stockinette. I can't find a picture of them at the moment, but use your imagination. Or go to Michaels and look at the book. There are other thrilling patterns, too, like a baby pullover and leg warmers!

I feel like a knitter. I get all excited over the patterns and yarns, so why don't I actually enjoy the knitting part? I'm hoping it'll still come to me. Like diabetes. I'll grow into it. Well, the one kind of diabetes. Not the other one.

-Alison

Ravelry!

I absolutely cannot wait for Ravelry to come online! It's a nifty web site where you plug in all your knitting info (stash, supplies, WIPs*, favorite blogs, hopes, dreams) and it keeps it organizes for you and lets you search other people's info. This means you can find out what everyone else did with 75 grams of leftover Thick & Quick or you can find the other knitter out there with the exact same taste as you. ( And steal his/her ideas.)

Alas, when I checked my place in the queue it was not a pleasant sight for the low of patience:

Found you!
You signed up on July 5, 2007
You are #14281 on the list.
8390 people are ahead of you in line.
2762 people are behind you in line.
33% of the list has been invited so far

Oh well. At least Rutherford and Lucy Hayes still love me.


-Jenny

*WIP: Work In Progress

Success!

The weekend went very well, I think. I had a great time (other than the sleep deprivation and heat exhaustion).

I was a tad worried about Friday night since it was just Diana, Pat, Jenny and I. Kind of an odd assortment, but it was awesome. We stayed up late around the fire, while Diana and Pat played some tunes and Jenny and I hopped in when we knew the words (not often).

Saturday was the folk festival, which was very fun. Sorry real musicians, but I think Steph's jug-playing was the highlight. Absolutely spectacular. The whole day was very laid back. It was nice.

And now the list of injuries...
-Bruise on left forearm. From where? Who knows.
-Bruises/General soreness all over legs. From sleeping on an uncomfortable ground.
-Cut on thumb. From chopping vegetables.
-Sore on right cheek. From attempting to deconstruct a tent alone.

Also, a pulled muscle in my right ankle, but that was from running around before we left, trying to get everything together. Doesn't quite count.

And, in conclusion, I started a Flickr account. It's very exciting. It's over there... over on the side... see it? Yeah. There are pictures from the weekend. Word.

-Alison

Camping is hard

This would have been easier to plan if I had been paying attention earlier.

-Jenny

Ow

I can't sleep. There's nothing new there but tonight I'm also having some trouble breathing. Some nights your whole body just tenses up so much that even the unconscious movements hurt.

I guess I'm getting a new car. I'm also getting a new job soon, or at least more of the old one. Which means I'll probably get a new place to live soon.

I really just want to go hide in the woods for a year.

Harry Potter!

Harry Potter night! We're going to the midnight showing tonight. I'm trying desperately to pep up and be super excited and not exhausted.
I've been having problems sleeping for the past... month and a half. I have yet to sleep through the night. In the past month and a half. It really screws me up. I woke up the other night at 3 in the morning, freaking out because I thought I lost my phone. It was halfway under my bed for whatever reason. It took me over an hour to get back to sleep. Bleh.

Jenny and I started a list of things to take this weekend. The list reads relatively normally for a while. Tent, blankets, pillows, grill, croquet, etc. The camping essentials. But my favorite part is when we get to "Hymnals". Apparently Jen and I are going to get Christian on your asses. (Another favorite part of the list is where Jen wrote in "S'mores!", exclamation point and all.)

Off to pep up...
-Alison

Tunes

So, I decided to start preparing for the camping trip by creating a playlist of music (I will burn CD'S later). I just thought it would be good to have some tunes for the evening time. On this playlist, I included songs that had a happy/summer-y feeling or just songs that I particularly like. I made the list, then went through twice to remove the unneccesary stuff. I still have over 6 hours of music. I suppose I could cut more out, but I may just bring a large stack of CD's. I think I'll split them up by theme!

On a related note, I am now obsessed with this Delilah song. I heard it for the first time at the bar yesterday, then downloaded it at home. I love it. So sweet.

Also, I don't want to go to work today! I am grumps.

-Alison

Funny story

Got up this morning, left Skip's at 8.

Then I sat in the Pat Catan's parking lot for 45 minutes waiting for the store to open so I could get desperatly wanted beads.

Then I drove almost home. Just north of town my car stopped running. So I called Mom at work and left a message. Then I called Grandma who gave me her AAA number. And so I called a tow truck and waited for him. In direct sunlight. With no water. And no breakfast. For 45 minutes. Feeling very alone.

When Mr. Tow dropped me off I noticed Ali's car in the driveway. Turns out she and Mom both have this morning off and I'm an idiot.

-Jenny

My Addiction

I honestly think that putting your hair behind your ears is an addiction. Some people never start this habit, therefore never have to break themselves of it. Those of us who have been doing it all of our lives know how hard it is to not do it. I think I am a lifer in this particular addiction.

-Alison

Happy Fourth!

Look! It's Jefferson! And maybe Franklin!

Uhhhh....

I ate a whole bunch of Ali's toffee and now I feel a little drunk. Not happy drunk, just spinny and sleepy. This is why I try to avoid sugar. (But it's so good!)

I want to make herbal dream pillows, but that means I need to find a place where I can buy dried herbs and I really don't want to buy them online in pound increments. A pound of lavender is a lot of lavender. I mean sure, eventually I'd use it up in sachets and tea and chocolate lavender cake (sugar-free if possible) but how to explain to the people I live with that I need more space so I can store a whole bunch of dried leaves? I'm only just now convicing them that we need more yarn storage than food storage.

-Jenny

Schoolin'

Decision made: I'm going back to school.

Decision not made: For what?!

I've decided against culinary school because I know they'll want me to cook/eat seafood and mushrooms and pig. I'm just not down with it.

So, what then? I'm thinking something more business-y. I want an office job, goddamnit. I want a desk and I want to work M-F 9-5, but I don't want a job that will bore me to death either. Something where I can actually use my brain a little bit (but not too much!). I think I'll just start taking some courses at LCCC and see if anything comes to me. If nothing else, I'll get an Associate of Arts degree and call myself accomplished.

If anyone has any advice on the matter, please feel free to share.

-Alison

I am tired.

Today, Jenny, our mom, our mom's coworker, our mom's coworker's brother and I went to the Cleveland Wine Festival. It was a lovely time, but I must remind myself to be kind to my feet on days off. I'm on them all week at work (standing in one place, which is the worst) and they might enjoy a day of not aching. It probably would have been fine if I had worn sneakers instead of flip flops. My feet really don't like flip flops generally. Except for the one pair that are a couple of hours away. Ho hum.

My new knitting project is a pair of socks for a small child. Unfortunately, they're coming out a little bigger than planned. I knew my gauge was off, but I didn't think it would make a big difference. It's a considerable difference. I figure that, either way, I'll find someone who can wear them. It's my first time knitting self-striping yarn. I'm very excited about it, even though it's acrylic. I've already knit a lot more than I usually do on a sock before giving up, so I'm hopeful.

-Alison

Stitch N' Pitch

Stitch N' Pitch was a success, I'd say. Steph, Skip, Jen and I went. Skip looked super hot surrounded by knitting ladies (and a few knitting men who were extra super hot). The Indians won, so a good night all around. Hopefully the pictures will turn out okay. I'm far too tired to upload them now.

One hitch in the evening... Why in the fuck can't you smoke in Jacob's Field? It's completely open! Seriously? I mean, seriously guys. Who has a problem with people smoking on an open-air patio in a place that huge? And if that weren't enough, they won't let you leave and come back in. It wasn't a huge deal because it was a quick game, but still! I am horrified and offended. Not as a smoker, but as a sensible human being. I will kick some serious ass. Seriously.

In case anyone has not heard, I'm pushing for a camping trip the weekend of July 14th (Quatorze juillet) to celebrate my birthday, which has been completely shat upon by the Harry Potter book release (21st) and Vikki's party (the following weekend - I forgive you, Vikki - maybe). So, in my determination to have a fucking celebration for my birthday, the idea of a camping trip was conjured. So, clear that weekend and come rough it with us. Also, suggestions for a place to camp are more than welcome. We haven't really thought about that yet.

-Ali

GRRR

I really think I'm hopeless. I lose just about everything. I've lost my paper trimmer and it's been lost for a few weeks and I NEED IT. I cannot cut in a straight line. And not-so-straight lines are unacceptable.

While searching for the paper trimmer, I came across some Harry Potter valentines. My plan was to send a bunch out for Valentine's Day, but that never happened. I may have to send them out now...

-Ali

I know this is inappropriate....

Gardenia and Sickness

My current favorite song is "Gardenia" by Mandy Moore. I'm relatively sure that she is perfect in every way.

I'm the one who likes gardenia.
I'm the one who likes to make love on the floor.
I don't want to hang up the phone yet.
It's been good getting to know me more.

Also, I have been sick the past couple of days. I think it's subsiding. I'm hopeful.

-Alison

Who's with me?

Indians? Monday night? Hmm? Hmm?

Threesome?

Joe C's party, summed up in one picture...



It was a blast.

-Ali

Cat Cuteness Competition

Okay, Stephanie and Garvin. I cannot compete with the combined cuteness of your cats because my cats are rarely even in the same room, much less would they willingly touch each other in any affectionate way.

So, I'm cheating. You cannot argue the cuteness of a cat who has passed away. That would just be cruel. (Plus, he's wearing a t-shirt made for a "medium" sized dog, which is hysterical in itself.)



-Ali

My cats are cuter than yours.

Except for that grey one. He's kind of shifty.

Well, we're back from our 3 day cabin vacation. It was a very nice place. We sat in the hot tub, Jenny did a puzzle, I forced her to play Boggle, we watched a couple of movies, did a small bit of hiking and hung out with the relatives who came up to see us.

I discovered that Filbert and I are a bit too attached. I started getting a bit antsy about getting home to see him toward the end of the vacation (or maybe the first night...) and since I got back, he hasn't really left me alone. As I sit here, he is on the chair next to me, staring. I think I need a boyfriend.

While the vacation was very enjoyable, it was... not easy. The lack of a fourth was quite apparent. I sort of expected to be okay by now. I don't know why I would have thought that.

-Alison

Yarn Stash

While I am appreciative for the time off of work, I'm finding myself growing very restless and bored. We tried to organize on Tuesday and we now have the "craft closets" full of yarn and scrapbooking things.

This is the yarn closet...

All bags, baskets and boxes are full of yarn, by the way. Including that large cardboard box on the bottom right that I chopped off.

Oh, but look...

There is also yarn in the scrapbooking closet. (The white thing is full of it.)

Then we have the slightly hidden stash by the computer...

There's not a lot here, though. Just a couple of drawers.

And, just for good measure...

A few skeins and a few projects by the couch. You know, in case you're really itching to work on something and can't be assed to walk down the hall.

And that is our yarn stash. At least what I can find of it. There is, no doubt, more lurking around here. I still can't find my alpaca hat (on needles) which is supremely upsetting to me. It was so pretty and soft and I miss it. I remain hopeful that it will show up, though. At some point.

-Alison

I feel like crap.

But I'm battling.



-Jenny

Basketball

Okay, so I started watching the Cavs/Detroit game. I don't know that I've ever watched a basketball game at home, but here I am. As it turns out, Jenny is watching it out in the living room. What's wrong with us? (Don't worry, we're still knitting while watching it.)

Anyway, I've always heard how Lebron is the only decent player on the team, and I thought to myself 'well, certainly that's not true'. Guess what. I really think it's true. This Pavlovich guy is pissing me off. Good for nothing.

-Alison

I want to trust Snape, but can I?

I like this person:

http://chronographia.livejournal.com/302707.html

*sneeze*

Sorry, God bless me. Allergies are kicking up this morning.

Also, I think I may have eaten some bad chicken. Of course, I'll probably eat the rest of it anyway. Cooking chicken is hard.

It's Memorial Day! (go with it) What do we hear from one of our nation's greatest generals on this solemnest of days?

The same thing we hear from the rest of America, really.

Texting Is Hard

I apologize if any of you got a text message from me Sunday night. I was sure I had sent it to Jenny, but she says she didn't get it, so I must have sent it to someone else. So, if you got a message from me stating my whereabouts and thought "... alright", sorry. Apparently I cannot operate a phone when intoxicated.

I just slept for 11 hours and it was nice.

-Alison

Concerts

The Fray, OK Go, and Mae.
Tower City Amphitheater (now called Time Warner something or another)
June 18th. 7 pm.

Anyone?


Or maybe...
Donny Osmond on September 2nd?

-Ali

Harry Potter

I have just finished reading Goblet of Fire. I had forgotten how very upsetting the end of that book is. And my favorite line...

Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

That Dumbledore just kills me. He really just rips my heart right out.

And now, I move onto the Order of the Phoenix. I have to slow down.

-Ali

Tuesday, Friday, whatever

If I had a boyfriend (which I guess I do now) he would get me tea for my birthday (which he did).

But I don't think he reads this, so let's go on with our exercise in absurdism, shall we?

If I had a boyfriend he would know how to fix cars, sinks, computers, baseball swings, bangs that won't lay flat and euchre games that I really want to win.

Frisbee Golf

Today was a nice day. I got up, read for a couple of hours (I am now halfway through Goblet Of Fire in my HP rereading process), went shopping for Jenny's birthday gift, and went to lunch with Jenny. Then, we headed toward Oberlin, intending to go to the Wal Mart for Victoria's birthday gift, but we took a road that dead ended and couldn't get through. It was most upsetting. So, we headed off to Wellington and got Jenny's license renewed, then to Findley State Park for some frisbee golf.

Frisbee golf is most enjoyable, but it being our first time, there were some things we learned for next time.
1. Buy two frisbees. Aside from running the risk of losing the first, it is also very time consuming to run back and forth when the first person is done. It would go much smoother if we both had our own frisbees.
2. Cover skin with pants/sleeves/shoes. There is poison ivy all up in that place.
3. Get map of course before going to the park. It is difficult to find the start of it without a map. Luckily, the check in thingy at the campground is equipped with maps for those of us who do not think ahead.

For those of you who were wondering, there was no winner. It was a tie.

I'm very excited about the idea of camping now. We saw some campers and it's been so long since I've done any camping. I miss it.

-Alison

Sometimes I forget I have a blog...

Then I remember. And feel much like I do when I remember to sign into livejournal and look through my Harry Potter crafting community. Happy, but dorky.

Speaking of someone happy but dorky:


-Jenny Bean

Awkward

Our mother just came into the kitchen where Jenny and I were standing and said "I think I should have sex."

Hopefully my crying and running from the room was a hint to her that this is INAPPROPRIATE.

-Alison

Question.

How much do you think it would cost to hire the actors who play Harry and Draco for a soft-core porn type of movie? It makes me sad that this is something that I will never see. Luckily, I have a very vivid imagination.

-Alison

Titles are for losers

If I had a boyfriend, he would dress up as the following at least once a year:
-Santa Claus
-A pirate
-A doctor
-A viking
-Wesley from The Princess Bride
-Anyone from The Last of the Mohicans
-Zeus
-Ron Weasley
-Ben Franklin

Actually, there are probably a few more I would enjoy. I may need to keep an ongoing list.

-Jenny

New week.

It's Monday. Start us out, Rutherford!

After surviving a very busy weekend, I feel like I should be spending today taking care of crap I've put off and getting stress-reducing vigorous exercise. Instead, I've spent it getting 11 hours of sleep and sitting around wondering why only the left side of my throat is sore. I suspect I need a life coach. Does anyone want to be my life coach?

-Jenny

The Outrage

Did you know that one of those fancy mixers with the bowls attached is like $300? That's a hell of a lot of money for a damn mixer.

Two nights in a row of going out and drinking. You'd think I had a life or something.

-Alison

Whoops

Turns out today is Wed, not Tues. Ya'll should have been hearing about my imaginary boyfriend 24 hours ago. I apologize. I know the suspense must be gnawing at you. Here goes:

If I had a boyfriend, he would practice this look

as often as I practice lap dancing.

It's really only fair.

Herpes-free still assumed...

Who's horny?




Me too!
-Jenny

My Evening

We saw Godspell tonight at Midview. It had its moments, but in general was less than good. Jesus was good. Judas, while not a great actor, was hot as hell. The singing was hot and cold. The acting was uninspired. The spotlights were horrific. I must say that I was impressed with everyone remembering their lines. There weren't many times when they were all looking at each other blankly. That's something.

After the show, Nicole came over and she, Jenny, my dad and myself played the Babysitter's Club game. Jenny won. We're not sure that winning the BSC game is a good thing, though. I got most of my points when I had to describe what I would put in my Kid Kit. I immediately started rambling off different crafts (mainly scrapbooking stuff). My job is cool.

Jenny mentioned that I should go to culinary school. Are there ghetto culinary schools that let you in no matter what? I could go to one of those... But seriously, I will look into this. Today, when in search of something to put on leftover pasta, I decided I wanted some sort of butter thing, so I made a sauce out of butter, lemon, white wine, and lots of garlic. It turned out freaking awesome. Mmmm.

-Alison

I Hate My Job

I am highly upset. I received a phone call tonight from a coworker. This coworker informed me that I am being paid quite a bit less than people who have been working there for a shorter time than me and who have a lesser title than me. The reason she knew this is because the person in charge of payroll quit and her last day was today. After payroll lady punched out, she told my coworker who told me. I seriously need to find a new job. This one just isn't worth it. I feel like I should just go ahead and turn in my notice tomorrow, but I guess that would be irresponsible. Blah.

-Alison

Wed is knitting day

...but we still don't have our camera, so I'll just explain what I'm knitting and ask for suggestions. My plan was to knit a baby blanket for Afghans for Afghans for their big Mothers' Day drive. It's probably not going to happen. First- I was expecting a little more help, and second- I thought I'd get more done driving to and from the wedding. Turns out people who get carsick should not knit on the turnpike. With a hangover. So, I'm going to just knit a full-sized afghan and turn it in whenever. The question is should I continue to knit on it now? Or should I set it aside and work on my very pretty blue sweater that I probably won't be able to wear until October? Or should I go get some cotton yarn and a tank pattern?

Slightly Intoxicated.

I have had several glasses of wine, so please excuse any lack of fluidity in this post. Like that sentence right there.

Jenny and I have been planning our weddings. One thing has become apparent to me. I need bridesmaids. I have a maid of honor and that's about it. Maybe I'll make Jenny walk down the aisle, then run back and walk down the aisle again, and so on until all of the groomsmen are done. Also, possibly more importantly, I should work on the groom part of it.

I'm looking forward to seeing Godspell at Midview this weekend. A thought occured to me (months after hearing that they were doing it again). Maybe there will be more than one dude in this one. That would be strange. A male Judas? What?!

I love when my father is here because we play euchre every night. It is my most favorite thing ever. I tried to teach them 31, but it's much less fun when you're not playing for articles of clothing. Also, I'm a horrible teacher. I tend to leave out important details.

My father asked me a question today. Who would I do? Tom Hanks or Leonardo DiCaprio? I had a huge crush on Leo 10 years ago, but today I would much rather do Tom. It makes me sad. I miss the days of obsession. I suppose I still obsess, but not to that extent. I'm not sure if Leo was my biggest crush or JC from 'N Sync. Ah, good times.

-Alison

This day by day thing is not working out.

Let's pretend the beginning of this post is on Monday, shall we? I'm in the mood for a little love and a lot of Benjamin Harrison.


Oh, baby! Semi-Ohio presidents get me so hot!

And now it can be Tuesday:
If I had a boyfriend, he would learn the words to my favorite songs and lipsync them to me in public. And there'd be a little dance.

I am stupid.

I have lost my paycheck. In the years I've been working, I have never lost a check. I put it in a bag of clothes I had to return and I'm relatively sure it is now in the trash at that store. But they say they don't have it. Who knows. Maybe it fell out in the parking lot. Anyway, I'm super happy because it has all of my information, including my social security number. Yay for identity theft!

-Alison

Edit: The paycheck has been located. I put it in a different bag. I'm really not very bright.

Cooking, Work, Wedding

I wish that potted herb was basil because I ran out tonight making pasta sauce. I tried the gorgonzola cream sauce and it smells a bit rank. Maybe I still don't like blue cheese. I thought my tastes had matured enough for it. The rankness could also be the wine I used, which was certainly not a high quality wine, but it didn't look shady by any means. Hmm. I have yet to taste it. The tomato basil is cooking away now, so I will taste both when that's done.

Everyone who shopped at Michaels today had a return. I'm sick of the damn returns. Also, everyone wants to ring their shit up in seperate transactions which ruins my front end effectiveness. You don't have to understand this, just understand that it is a bad thing. Oh, also, every pregnant woman in the Northeastern Ohio area went to Michaels today. I swear, there were thousands.

Laura's wedding is Saturday and I still don't have an outfit. I think that's tomorrow night's project. Tonight's project is wrapping the present and making the card. I got some super cute stickers/embellishments for the card and I imagine that it will be beautiful. Yay!

The rain is messing up my take-lots-of-walks plan. It's irritating.

-ALISON

Herpes-free is also assumed

Tuesday shall be 'If I Had a Boyfriend Day', because we don't have our camera yet and that will make 'Look at What I'm Knitting Day' a wee bit more difficult.

(Note on 'If I Had a Boyfriend': These statements describe the ideal boyfriend. I don't want to hear your horror stories about what boyfriends are like in reality. No one needs that.)

If I had a boyfriend: He would know never to bring flowers, but he might come over with a potted herb every now and then.

-Jenny Bean

Every Monday is President's Day

We start with Gerald Ford, in a serious moment:



-Jenny Bean

Positive Energy

I made a relatively angsty post last night about being frustrated and angry and crap. I felt the need to purge this blog of such negativeness. Life is a lovely thing and I must concentrate on that. Otherwise, my head may pop off.

But, I will repeat my excitement for the nice weather. I will be taking walks often and I really think I want to try golfing. This is a new development. I have never given two shits about golf, but it looks like such fun. Are you still allowed to drink beer on the course? Anyway, I think I will drag a family member or friend to a range and see what's up. If I hate it, then I won't attempt the course.

Ruby (my reaver ship of a car) is getting a new part tomorrow. I'm told it will reduce the volume of the car by at least 50%. Here's hoping.

My current favorite song...

Don’t tell me what to think
Cause I don’t care this time
Don’t tell me what you believe
Cause you won’t be there
To catch me when I fall
But you’ll need me when I’m not here at all
Miss me when I’m gone again
I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again
-"Going Down In Flames" by 3 Doors Down

-Alison

Seriously!

Hurray for Ronald Reagan! The other day the people on the radio were playing clips of his Challenger speech and I really think I felt my panties drop a few inches. And that's from the grave. Thank God I was underage when he was in office.

I'm thinking of coming up with a plan. Something specific to post each day. A category, if you will. Because it's hard to share the tales of my life without being whiny.

-Jenny Bean