Netflix Genres

Ever notice how specific Netflix genres are? Right now, the ones it has chosen for me are:

-Teen Dramas Featuring a Strong Female Lead

-Critically-acclaimed Witty Movies from the 1980s

-Romantic Independent Comedies

Sooooo oddly specific.

Funny What We Miss

In a world that so highly values fortune and luxury, I find myself often longing for simpler things. Fight Club probably says it best:

You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you're satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.

I really got a taste of what it was like to be free of that this summer in Liberia. Every once in a while, I wanted to write something on Facebook or text a friend, but I really felt liberated.

No longer having to conform to my little OCD schedule, wear job-appropriate/fashionable clothes, worry about what I was doing for the day, or whether the bus would be on time. It was the most freeing experience of my life.

And sure, afterwards, we got to go to Belgium.

We drank the best hot chocolate we'd ever tasted,

Ate a breakfast that we could never find anywhere else,

Gawked at buildings older than the institution of the U.S. government,

Gazed in wonder at the history we could feel emanating from the environment...

Despite all of that, what I really miss is when we had little.

When you have little is when you can see how God blesses you.

I don't miss Belgian waffles. I miss a simple rice and garlic salt dinner.

I miss eating in the dark room with no glass windows and handmade furniture.

I miss waking up to see the faces of children eager to play and willing to accept you.

I miss my Liberia family.

But the best part is that,

despite missing them,

I can be satisfied in knowing that I will meet them all again,

in this life or the next.

Unspoken Bus Rules: Spoken Edition

[This post is dedicated to all of those people I have had the pleasure and/or the "blessing" of riding the bus with the last couple of months.]

While riding the bus, certain unspoken rules start to become obvious.

1. The first seats that may be taken are all of the window seats. After that, any seat that is not adjacent to another person is fair game.

2. It is not okay to put all of your belongings next to you so that you get the whole row. Especially in a crowded bus. This should go without saying, but evidently, it needs to be said.

3. Don't touch the bus driver. It's a felony nowadays.

4. Don't sit next to someone when there's an empty seat. Move if a seat frees up.

5. (Mainly observed by girls, but often, girls will be bothered if it is broken) If you must sit next to someone, take a seat next to someone of the same gender. Obviously, if that is not an option, sit next to someone of the opposite gender. Or stand.

6. GIVE UP YOUR SEAT TO THE ELDERLY/DISABLED!!!! It is written on the wall, but countless times, people argue over who has to get up for the wheelchair rider. Shameless.

7. Don't listen to loud music on the bus. Especially if your headphones are in your lap. If someone complains, don't tell them off saying that they're the only one that is bothered. Everyone else is secretly suppressing the urge to maim you.

8. Unless there's some foul mystery stain, don't sit on the aisle while leaving the while leaving the window seat empty.

8. Don't be afraid to make new friends.

"Excuses" || Deas Vail

Office Romance

There comes a time in every office situation when you realize that you have feelings for someone in your environment. We've seen it in the much-hailed The Office, and in countless movies such as Love Actually. Today, I will tell you about my two office loves:

You may not recognize him, as he's put on even more muscle and tone since his modelling days, but above is a portrait of Armistice Johnston. We were together after my break-up with my other office romance (whom you shall meet in a minute), but it was only a short fling. Aaron says I cheat with him, but he doesn't have any proof.

Now here is my true office love:

This is Fang. He used to run with biker gangs, but has since cleaned up his act. He's very caring towards others, but doesn't take things personally himself. Kind of a meat-head type, he makes a living tearing things apart with his teeth. I used to work with his grandmother, but her teeth were getting funky, so he took over her position.

We broke up for a short while, but now we are happily reunited. I think we've got something special. ;)

There you have it, my two office loves! Unfortunately, today, I will not be able to spend any time with either of them, as I will be training in reception. :)

Oh snap

The above chart (x-axis = my age, y-axis = age of boy) is a map of the ages of guys that have hit on me in relation to my age. For those that appear to be exactly my age (earlier on in my life), the guy was actually a year older, and it was the same one for several years. :P

Several things can be concluded from this graph:

-As I get older, the older the guys will be (shady!).

-Every single guy that has ever hit on me has been older than me.

-I spend too much time trying to figure out fun ways to learn Excel.

Text Message from Mom

"I just got home: There was a large Bambi in the yard, your diploma came in the mail, please consider getting renters insurance and a gun for your safety."

Oh, Mom. I love you too.

It makes me feel bad when people are nice to me

More and more, I realize how backwards my family functions. Growing up, vegetables and fruit were a rare treat, and junk was the main staple of my diet. My sister is more in charge of family decisions that my parents. Hugs are icky.

Outside is bad. You have can work out with weights, but only boys go to the gym. The size of clothes that are purchased for you is your correct size, regardless of gender. You can't do both sports and academics. Physical ailments don't exist on gardening days. Angry is normal, being kind is a way to destroy. There is no other way of life.

Now, maybe you understand why I get scared when people are nice.

I'm still learning to comprehend that friends being nice means they love you.

Sounds of laughter shades of life are ringing through my open ears

Words are flying out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Every time I watch Across the Universe, I find myself relating to it in a different way. This time, I saw that the tone of the movie as it progresses could be overlaid upon the past year of my life.

My senior year of college began with much confusion, much excitement, and complete instability. I watched my plans for my life be swallowed up by the churning sea of unrealized dreams. It was a long journey out of depression, and I began to be pleasantly surprised at feeling happy.

As I was accepted by my new homes, I found ways of hiding hurt and putting on a mask of "that fun, goofy girl." Slowly, though, the feelings I showed without started to sink their way into my heart, purging the darkness. God knows what He's doing. Always has.

I spent my 22nd birthday at a friend's funeral. Never saw it coming. It still makes me cry, even now. The play Dead Man's Cell Phone seems to have some relevance in my life now.

I feel confident and whole again. It won't fix the missed opportunities or the mistakes made, but they are learned lessons now. Thank you, Lord. For everything.

amusing

Dear boy who professed your love to me in the pool at summer camp,

How old were we? Fourth grade? Fifth grade?

Sometimes I wonder who you actually were. Your friend was actually the one that told me you liked me. He pointed over at you, but there were a lot of kids over there. I swam away quickly. But sometimes I wonder what you looked like and who you were.

Bad Timing

Turns out that soaking your feet in a bathtub of warm water actually does make them feel better.

It also helps your company to arrive faster.

Unique Problem

Most people have problems that they don't like to talk about. For example, Derek Zoolander was embarrassed to admit that he couldn't turn left. However, he stood up and admitted his problem, finding acceptance in the world, and eventually doing what he previously had thought to be impossible.

Today, I will join the ranks of the others as noble as he.
Today, I will admit that I can't run.

Well, I mean, I can move my feet in a walking motion that is quicker than normal, while gaining a good deal of speed. However, it looks something like this:

That's right. I don't really lack the inability to run. I lack the ability to run in public (which is where most people run). Who wants to see this coming at them at 10 MPH:

I know I certainly don't. That one arm just has a mind of its own and windmills around at unpredictable speeds. It's absolutely unsafe. Make sure to protect your children from this eyesore:

Also, it seems that the power of the windmilling action sucks the air out of my lungs by creating a vacuum. It's pretty dumb, if you ask me.

Well, I can always consider the career of Women's Fastpitch pitcher.

Refrigerators

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/about/153476627/general-electric-gsh25jsxss

My question is this: Why do we need to know exactly how many fluid ounces of water come out of our refrigerators per minute? Obviously, if it was a trickle, it would be annoying, but this advert is practically asking children to hook up their super soakers to mom & dad's fridge. Parents, if you come home one day to a house literally filled with water, you can both blame advertising and calculate exactly how long the house took to fill.

Thank you, Carrie Underwood

Start a new fashion, wear your heart on your sleeve. - Enchanted

British Food Adventures Continue!

Let today be known as the day that I found, bought, and ate Turkish Delight.

After reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, there has always been the lingering question as to what Turkish Delight actually is.

My father always said that it was like applets and cotlets. The truth is not that far from this statement.

It turns out, if you buy it in candy bar form, it is a rose-flavored jelly (like applets and cotlets), coated in chocolate. It is much more delicious, and far less nauseating than applets and cotlets.

Free Song from The Courage Band

http://www.thecourageband.com/Enter.html

If you enter the site, they have a free download of their song, "Fearful Bones." I like the driving beat and violin.

One of my former housemates, Ivan, is the drummer. :)

Words of Wisdom from Rachel O.

"Tortillas are nothing but a cheese delivery system."

You Heard it Here First

peersuasion = persuasion + peer pressure

Say what?

Yesterday, in the space of 30 minutes, I was told that I sound like:
A. A stoner.
B. Someone with an accent from Buffalo (NY?).

Interesting. Apparently, I have an accent.

CORE group

After 4 years of meeting with my CORE group, we met for the last time of our college years. And boy, did we ever have a good dinner!

We went to a new restaurant, Ravish, that is right across the street from the East Lake Bar & Grill.

Their baked brie was my favorite, but the rest of their dishes were delicious as well. Our group leaders ordered a little bit of everything off the menu, and we ate family style. It was the best.

But seriously, check out the restaurant. It's good, reasonably priced, delicious, and the decor is super cute.

Overheard on Campus

Dude #1: How was your weekend?
Dude #2: Good! I tried something new that I've never tried before.
Dude #1: What was it?
Dude #2: Adderall!

Okay people, that stuff is nothing you should mess with, even if you do need to focus to get a paper done. Don't abuse medication.

Oh boy.

Last night was the engineering ball for UW. Kara invited me as her guest, and we got all dressed up to have a good time. Delicious peanut butter cookies... Mmmmm... But, a ton of stuff happened. Despite that, we still got to shake it on the dance floor.

1) Some crazy social politics went down that ended in the police being called and a couple from the group getting kicked out of the dance by said police. The girl who called the police told them that one of the guys grabbed her. The "grabbing moment" was the only part of the argument that I was there for last night. In reality, he brushed past her so he could stand by his fiancee, and she said that he grabbed her. Seriously girl? In front of his fiancee? I think not.

2) We got home and Kara had a hypoglycemic attack. Poor thing had forgotten to eat, and had basically had only a plate of spaghetti to digest with the couple drinks that she had.

3) Right as I was getting ready to go home, I heard some guy peeing on the Purple Door's purple door. You could even see it coming in under the door. Sick. We sicced William on him.

So yesterday, I think I was almost mugged

Last night, I was walking home from the talent show at the PD, and some guy started yelling at me when I was one building from home. Just one more building and I would have been home free. Grrr...

Anyways, this guy kept yelling, "Hey!" at me, and they tell you to turn around and face any would-be attackers. So I turned around and said, "What!?" The rest of the conversation went like this:

Dude: What time is it?
Alison: *pulls out phone* Ten thirty.
Alison [to herself]: That was such a stupid move! Now he knows you have a phone!
D: Do you know what time the 48 comes?
A: No.
D: Do you have a car?
A: No.
A [to herself]: Clearly, if I had a car, I would not be walking in this shady neighborhood.
D: Do you have a boyfriend?
A [to herself]: Oh snap! Get out of here. He is standing way too close and checking to see if there is anyone around. ABORT! ABORT! *starts walking away*
D: Whoah, hey! What's your name?
A: It's *mumbles incoherently as she turns her head and leaves*

The part where he was looking to see if other people were around was about the scariest 15 seconds of my life.

Best Explanation Ever

My friend Rachel and I were having a good theological discussion involving a book she's reading (Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson). Our conversation also crossed upon theological discussions themselves.

A couple of days ago, she was talking with her roommate, and they were talking about how they know God exists. She felt God's voice saying, "But you KNOW me!" Then, she thought about how that would apply to a physical person. For example, she doesn't know that her roommate exists because her stuff is there and because people share the common experience of the person, but because she KNOWS her roommate. In the same way, we KNOW God.

It will be very interesting to have someone ask you why you believe in God, because you can answer, "Because I know Him." :)

It's a little worrisome if you're trying to be serious, and everyone thinks you're being facetious.

Thank being said...

I think I really will go live in the woods. It really is for the better.

"Really" makes things sound more serious, I hope.

To the Man in the Apartment Across the Alley

To the man in the apartment across the alleyway that I observed for an hour:
- Why do you keep pacing back and forth? In and out of your apartment?
- Why are you sometimes on the phone and sometimes not?
- When did you start balding?
- Where did you get that set of matching, bright blue flannel pajamas?
- Why do you have the windows open if that is what you are wearing?
- Why do you keep coming outside if that is what you are wearing?
- Why do you keep trying to look into our apartment windows?

Oh the humanity!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LobuQzpXkHQ

Night at Home

So, after a spring break full of classes, work, and a disappointing canceling of a car trip to Vancouver (on my behalf, not the trip's), I found myself in the apartment with no one to hang out with, for the first time.

After a short bout of hyperventilating.... Movie Night!

That's right, I watched Julie & Julia. It was pretty fantastic (and yes, it's probably the reason for this blog post). Something cool that I learned about Julia is that she's 6' 2"! The movie was really accurate about the lives of tall people too.

Things you can learn from the movie about tall people:

-We wear flats

-People stare at us when we stand up

-"You're tall and you don't fit in, so... Well, you don't fit in" (you do things against the grain)

-You may have to wait until you're 40 to find a man brave enough to marry someone taller than he is, but it will be absolutely worth it

-Counters will be too short, unless you have them made special

-In the end, everyone looks up to you, one way or another

Note: If anything words are missing a space, it's because a grain of cereal went under the spacebar during breakfast this morning. Darn shredded wheat. Delicious, but the Benedict Arnold of cereals.

Probably the Weirdest Game Show Ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR28oWPJ8vA

Oh, you know... It's just another video of some kid identifying Star Wars figurines using only their mouth. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Bad Pick-Up Line Day Misunderstanding

Me (to Brittany): You're like an exothermic reaction. You spread your hotness everywhere.

Brittany (to me): You're like an atomic bomb because you kill and mutilate people?

God is awesome, and as I wrote this, "Africa" came on my iTunes that's on shuffle

I had been feeling very disheartened about my Liberia trip this summer. Seriously? 2,500 dollars? That would be all of my paycheck for more than a year. There's no way I could raise that.

The I took a few minutes last night to present my fears and worries to God. Along with those, I told him about my doubts about whether or not I should even be going and my true motivation. I asked for a real, tangible sign that I was supposed to go on this trip, because I want to do His will, and not mine.

Later that night, I got a call from the Westwood Baptist Church (my hometown church) and their missions team. I missed the call, but the guy called back again today to talk to me. He told me all about the things I would need to know about life in Africa (he lived in Nigeria for a while). Then, he told me that Westwood would cover the last 25% of the cost!!! WHOAH! THANK YOU, GOD!!! :DDDD

Countdown to the end of the quarter:

1 paper down, 7ish to go

Culinary Adventures

My friend Cheri turned 21 about a week ago, so she came up to Seattle to meet up with her co-worker and go about town a little bit. Since I'm responsible and over 21, she invited me (it was probably to make her husband feel better too). Thus began an exciting culinary adventure!

1st stop: Spur Gastropub
February menu
Wow! How decadent! And expensive....... Cheri ordered the Gnocci. It literally melted in your mouth. Mmmm. And my burger and julienned fries were worth the $15 I paid for them. Also, Cheri's co-worker brought 4 friends, and one of them ordered the mussels, which were tasty too. The portion sizes were tiny, though. I was really glad that I had ordered the burger.

The decor was really interesting too. The lights were dimmed down enough that you could stare at the figure 8s made by the filaments. There was also a projector that threw pictures of a farm on the wall... Lots of chickens.

2nd stop: Whiskey Bar

Everyone wanted to go get drinks, so we went to the Whiskey Bar. They offered The Last Word as one of their cocktails, which is hard to find. I had heard about this one and that it had its origins in Seattle, so I wanted to try it. However, it had lime in it, so I explained my citrus allergy to the bartender and asked him if I could get it without the lime. He told me that it would taste too sweet and that he wouldn't let me throw away my money on it. Then he told me to come back in about five minutes and he would think about something to give me. He ended up making me a Chartreuse Cocktail. It was DELICIOUS! As my only drink of the night, I was glad that it was that one.

The decor of the Whiskey Bar was alright. It was more male-friendly. There were a lot of red hues from the lights under the bar, and really bizarre graffiti-esque pictures on the wall.

3rd stop: Cha Cha Lounge

I was a little scared as we walked through Capital Hill at an odd hour of the night, surrounded by people with 6-inch platform shoes and spikes in any available place (I think we passed a goth club...). I mistakenly believed that the Cha Cha was a place that we were going to go dancing. It was more of a Mexican restaurant that plays awesome '80s music and has a Tiki-style bar in the basement. It was pretty sketchy. I don't plan on going back, unless it's for the Mexican food.

As far as decor, they had an entire wall built out of glass bottles and cement. And there were a bunch of Mexican wrestling masks everywhere. Then the ceiling was supercool, as every inch of it was decorated with lights and flowers and lanterns.

Last stop: random authentic burrito place

So, right by the Century Ballroom, where I occasionally go swing dancing, there used to be this KFC. Now, it's a pretty authentic Mexican restaurant, and the food is YUM! I got a chicken quesadilla and the only complaint I have is that the filling fell out often. There was someone from the law school that I know that was randomly there, but it was so packed that I don't think he saw me.

Then Cheri and I called it a night and Micah let us sleep on her couch, because she is awesome. :)

Trips and Gums

So yesterday, I went to my Directing class a little early. It's set up so that there's a theater space bordered by risers lined with chairs. I had a band-aid on my ankle, so I decided to hop up onto the lowest step instead of stepping onto it... BAD CHOICE! I underestimated the height and sent chairs spraying in every direction.

At least it didn't hurt. Someone nearby said, "Man, when you go down, you really GO DOWN!"

I started to get up by grabbing the one chair left standing in the vicinity. However, it was unbalanced, and it flipped up and the opposite arm smacked me in the head. Then I hurt.



Today, I got a message from the periodontist (the dentist that looks solely at your gums). There had been need to do a biopsy on my gums last week, as there is a red, swollen spot that has been such for a couple of months.

Turns out that I have a Pyogenic Granuloma, which the periodontist said is more commonly known as a "Pregnancy Tumor." I am not pregnant, don't jump to the wrong conclusions. It also said that kids get it a lot too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be teased any less by my parents. >.<;;

She said that it looks atypical for a P.G. too... Great... Why do I always get the atypical things? Actually, they're a little amusing, but for once I'd like to know what it feels like to have a healthy, pain-free body. Or at least a more exciting disease. How about something that is potentially life-threatening, but easily treatable? I want to take this tumor in for a refund!

Ignore this, it's a test