allison in real life

i'm back in texas for thanksgiving. so many wonderful things have already happened, and i've only been here for like..9 hours.

1) my sister laura has a bomb strapped to her chest. pictures later.

2) i had to go into my sister emily's room to get toothpaste this morning, and i cheerfully told her good morning, and she told me to go away.

3) the reason she told me to go away, is because...

i dreamed that my alarm went off, but it didn't. i set it for 7:30, because mom said we were leaving at 8. you'd think that's not serious, you'd think that's a casual suggestion, but you'd be wrong. when mom says we leave at 8, we leave at 8. we kings take our time declarations seriously. we are never late, not even for things it's impossible to be late for...like thanksgiving. anyway, i set my alarm for 7:30. it "went off" so i got up and took a shower and got ready for this fantastic day. my dad strolled into the living room, not at all hurried or frantic (i figured it was 8 by now), and i didn't see my mom or any of my sisters anywhere. i didn't hear them rushing around either. so i angrily asked "why is everyone still in bed? mom said we were leaving at 8!" and he said "why wouldn't they be?" so i looked at the clock...it said 7:22.

i dreamed my alarm went off, and i woke up. my mind literally played a trick on me.

4) i wanted to stop and get some sinus medicine at walmart, but dad felt walgreens was more convenient. they didn't have what i've been taking (tylenol sinus...amazing!), so mom said she had some nyquil at the house i could take just for last night. no argument here! i was sad to discover they still buy it in liquid form, but hey, it's nyquil. we always get along. this morning i needed to heat up something for breakfast (i promise this is connected in a normal way, not in an "allison" kind of way), but they got a new microwave (how dare they change anything in my absence!) the new microwave has no numbers to set the time, just random buttons. so my dad had to help me.

dad: you just have to set the time.
me: there are no numbers!
dad: *twisted a knob*
me: that's ridiculous.
dad: it's high tech.
me: you don't even have nyquil in pill form...don't talk to me about high tech!

5) my mom said my uncle is bringing an "oriental" lady friend to thanksgiving lunch.

6) mom: look what you did to emily.
emily: look at all the blood from the flu shot you gave me!
dad: oh please.
mom: we're just saying, you always brag that you're so good at it.
dad: i don't brag. 90% of the customers i serve tell me that i'm the best at it.

i can't wait for the rest of this day.

happy thanksgiving!

rar.

AND apparently my car accident issues aren't over.

i don't think my praise of God was premature, because He's still in control.

i just really, really want this to be over.

it's so sketchy, and i'm tired of worrying about it.

a product review.

i have a sinus infection. i want to rip my sinus cavities right out of my face.

yesterday i called my dad to tell him my brain hurt, and i wasn't sure if that was normal or not. i call him about medical stuff because he's a pharmacist, not to whine. anyway. he said it was totally normal, which i continue to doubt. but he recommended some sinus medicine for me that i've never taken before.

zyrtec.

i've heard many good things about this product. it improves the quality of life, and works fast, and it's really strong. etcetera.

so you can imagine my disappointment when it did not relieve my pain. in fact, it kept me up all night. i got two hours of sleep. not only did i feel sad because i just spent $15 on a useless product, but i was up all night thinking "i'm in pain. it hurts. and i'm tired. i'm really in pain. i want to go to sleep. help me..."

so if any of you are some of the people that have been known to sing its praises, feel free to buy the rest of it from me. i only used one.

tonight, i run back into the arms of nyquil. it has no healing properties. but i can sleep. i care more about sleeping than i do about the terrible pain all over my face. i need patience to work with little children. i need sleep.

make me an offer.

do i sound grumpy?

i only slept for 2 hours last night. two hours.

my locks.

i gave myself a haircut.

am i 10% more awesome or more insane, in your eyes?

dollar signs

i filled up my gas tank this week for $17.72.

that is delicious. it cost twice that much just a few months ago.

a little less money spent on gas equals a little more money spent on name brand groceries. or fresh fruit! YES! i can afford some fresh fruit now...

also, this is RIDICULOUS. in a bad way. so ridiculous i want to do something violent to keep things balanced in the universe:

throngs

since my car accident(s), i have been overwhelmed with anxiety about all that could go wrong. because it was a very shady situation.

i read Psalm 35 so much that i accidentally memorized parts of it, and kept repeating them over and over, all day long. it's all about God fighting for people who can't fight for themselves.

the other guy's car insurance hasn't called me, and it's been almost 2 weeks now. my dad thinks that means that "it's over." and that they decided the other guy was at fault, so i can rest now.

verse 18 of psalm 35:

I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise you.

i don't know that the short list of people who read this blog can be labeled a "throng" of people, but it's a start. (also, i wish "throng" wasn't a word. it's weird.)

one day when i was really weighed down with stress, i made a list of all the things God had done to protect me and fight for me. some things were before i even knew i needed Him to fight for me. here's the list of things i'm giving Him thanks for publicly:

- no one was injured
- my car was not damaged (just $20 worth of a bumper issue)
- even though my lack of experience kept me from calling the cops and getting all the information i should have, i "somehow" had the sense to get his drivers license number, and license plate number
- even though i was too stupid to write down his insurance policy number, when he showed me the sheet of paper that was his car insurance, my eyes noticed the name of the provider, which is how my insurance tracked down his insurance
- when he was pressuring me to give him money, God prevented me from agreeing to that
- the phone number he gave me was real
- my insurance guy was VERY helpful and comforting when i was worried
- my insurance guy worked very fast. 2 days after the accident, his work was done
- God brought many different Scriptures to my mind to comfort me and remind me that He is in control (psalms 35, 37, 39, and 40; God works all things together for good; God has plans for my future, plans not to harm me (Jer. 29:11); when Daniel was in the lion's den, God shut their mouths; a lot of men and women in Genesis made mistakes or didn't handle things perfectly in their situations, but God protected them, etc.)
- right after the accident, instead of "figuring things out myself" (which is something i looooooove to do), i called my Dad and he told me to call insurance immediately, so i did, and had the claim filed about 20 minutes after the accident
- whenever i was explaining the situation to friends and family, God moved them to share experiences of car accidents they had been in, and how things hadn't gone perfectly, and it was an encouragement to me
- even my insurance guy kept saying things like "I'm on your side" and "there's nothing to worry about"...which was great, but it also reminded me that God says those things to me all through Scripture
- God raised me knowing Scripture so i could be comforted by it at times like this. if i had just become a Christian a week ago or something, i wouldn't have a lifetime of sermons to recall. what a blessing to grow up in a Christian home!
- God has a history of handling things perfectly
- i have great friends and family to hug and call when i'm worried. support systems are totally underrated.

and the list goes on.

today i thought i lost my drivers license. i haven't touched it since i checked into my flight in austin on sunday, so i figured i lost it at the airport. i always just stuff it in my bag when i go through security. it did fall out of my bag. but i just discovered it fell out of my bag in my car, when i got back to nashville...instead of falling out of my bag in the airport or on an airplane.

grace, grace, God's neverending grace!

who is like You, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.

and maybe you're thinking "you're making too big a deal out of this." which is probably true, but given the amount of anxiety in my mind for the past couple of weeks...i can't just say "ok, it's all better now. nevermind, God! sorry about all the insanity. i guess i didn't need You after all! i'm so stupid..." and leave it at that.

it's been interesting to see how lame i am. worrying and anxiety is a clear way to see my lack of trust in God. people who trust God aren't burdened like this. but it has been good to read psalm 35 (and other chapters) and realize...David had to have been SERIOUSLY anxious to write anything like this. it's not like the great "heroes" of the faith were free from it either. worrying is bad. but it matters what we do when we're worried, too. do we JUST worry, or do we take it to the Cross? we live in this world, constantly held back by our humanity. sinfulness and brokenness are everywhere. my problem with worrying separates me from God. my relationship with Christ takes me back.

i. hate. winter.

i briefly considered moving to boston, about a year ago. i needed a change. i wanted to get away.

then i remembered that boston is cold.

this was only one of the reasons i decided not to move, but it was the number one reason. i hate being cold. i hate cold weather. i hate winter.

which is why i find it incredibly amusing that my car does too.

my car has a few quirks that are only issues in cold weather.

1) the speakers in the front of my car do not work when it's cold. well, they kind of do. on and off.
2) i have to wait a minute or so after i turn the car off to take the key out of the ignition. only when it's cold. the key will not come out until we sit for a minute.
3) the dashboard lights do not work when it's cold. which makes it harder to drive at night. i can't see what speed i'm going.

how weird is that.

only when it's cold!

this only makes me hate cold weather even more. i completely forget about these things until it's cold.

side note:

this, for once, has nothing to do with me being texan. there are parts of texas that are really cold. it has nothing to do with me being raised in the south.

it has everything to do with cold weather being evil.

Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!

“Give me an army of West Point graduates and I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win the war.” - General George S. Patton

i went to visit my sister emily last weekend. she's a senior at baylor, and she's so cool. she's an interior design major. she's basically awesome, and really creative. i had never been to baylor, so i wanted to check it out before she graduated. you can see the pictures on facebook.

but here's the exciting story.

she sent me a list of dates that worked for her.

one date happened to be the weekend that baylor was playing texas a&m.

i.

love.

texas a&m football.

they are having a TERRIBLE season, but it has been my dream for several years to see them play football.

scoff or mock if you must. how many dreams did YOU fulfill last weekend?

and of course, part of aggie football is the fighting texas aggie band. a military marching band. the best kind of marching band. but wait, it gets better. in order to be in this band, you have to be a member of the Corps of Cadets.

some Corps of Cadets facts:

"Approximately 42 percent of the members of the Cadet Corps receive classroom training and receive a commission in the United States Armed Forces upon graduation. Under federal law, Texas A&M University, along with five other U.S. colleges, is classified as a senior military college."

"...the Corps, in conjunction with its ROTC affiliates and the Department of Military Science at Texas A&M University, produces more military officers than any other school in the United States."

"Members of the Cadet Corps have served in every conflict fought by the United States since the Spanish-American War. During World War II, Texas A&M produced 20,229 Aggies who served in combat."

that's why their band is the BEST band. it's not just a collection of people that play music and walk around. they could totally kill you.

"Since its inception in 1894, its members eat together, sleep in the same dormitories, and practice up to forty hours per week on top of a full academic schedule."

in closing, here is one video i shot of them at the game. they're forming the "aTm" letters. and then they exit the field in their classic way...they just run off the field. and i, personally, think that's wonderful.

click here.

two things have made me laugh in the past week and a half. usually i can find something absurd to marvel at every day. sad.

1) today i had to sketch an outline of the united states of america. that's comical enough by itself, i know. but i had someone look at it to make sure it resembled our country. the only person that walked through my room was this teacher who just became a citizen about a month ago. she's lived here for a long time, but just now became one. her thoughts on my outline? "texas is not that big."

2)i think there is pee in my kitchen.

believe it.

my apartment has smelled a little foul lately. i emptied the trash. i cleaned out the fridge. and none of that really smelled. the other day i discovered a puddle around the trash can. a yellow, stinky puddle.

i never put anything liquid in the trash.

i think there is pee in my kitchen.

i'm pretty sure it's not mine.

i doubt the maintenance guy would let himself into my partment just to pee in my kitchen.

i think the neighbor's bathroom may have leaked into my kitchen. no more has appeared since i cleaned it up, so i'm hoping i'm wrong.

i'm hoping i'm just a disgusting person who left a mess in the kitchen.

worst week.

i was in a car accident. we have different versions of what happened. and other stressful details.

one of the dads at work is exhibiting pre-stalker behavior.

my apartment smells.

but...

God is always good.

God is always in control.

God rescues the poor and needy from those too strong for them.

God is mighty to save, and more than able to fight for me.

pray for me. a lot.

red raiders?

some saturday thoughts:

- out of curiosity, i looked up how many people voted third party in tennessee. at least 35,000! that's only 1% of the vote, but that is 35,000 individuals who couldn't violate their concsciences and vote in a two-party system. and since i'm going to convince every person i know to do the same (unless one of the two candidates is the best choice) next time, we can double that number. oh yeah. i totally know thousands of people.

- i went to old navy and bought a winter coat! i've had the same one for 6 years now, and i've always secretly hated it. it wasn't big enough for me to wear a sweatshirt underneath it. lame-o. and old navy was having a fifty percent off sale. i hate spending money, but i love saving it.

- speaking of saving money, i went to walmart today. there were no carts available. not one. i checked both entrances. no carts. i just stood there, trying to figure out what to do. i had to walk around outside trying to find a cart. it was like a weird dream.

- speaking of weird dreams, the other night i dreamed i was taking pictures with the world's most awesome camera in some sort of canyon. i stumbled across a murder scene, and turned back the other way before the cops could interrogate me. then i saw a rhino, and snapped a picture of it. it got angry and turned into an elephant. in order to escape, i had to climb up some rocks. they started falling, like an avalanche. i threw one at the elephant/rhino, knocking it unconscious. what a little thrill chaser i am in my dreams.

- speaking of being unconscious, i'm making a conscious effort to relax these days. so i can be more patient at work, and think more rationally...those types of things. (good idea, creating that day of rest, God.) today i chose to read the Jesus Storybook Bible, while listening to Ben Sollee, my current obsession. i tend to listen to one artist for about a month. anyway, it was pretty much the best thing ever. what a delicious combination.

- speaking of cellos (?), i'm watching texas tech win their tenth game. maybe they'll lose, how could i know? i'm an aggie fan, so i don't usually care what texas tech does. but i am blown away by the fact that they're undefeated. they've never been a bad team, but they've never been anywhere near "the best" either. if they make it to the championship, i will have a much easier time cheering for them than i did when texas played usc in the rose bowl a few years ago.

i've been watching college football for 6 or 7 years now, and i still feel like a dirty man talking about it.

why did socrates apologize?

i want to marry the evening i had last night. i want to live with it forever and ever.

someone at church told me about this show at the basement, and i went. because i love new music, and i love live music even more. it makes me feel so fantastic. it makes me feel like myself.

ben sollee.

my mind exploded.

this guy is fantastic. he plays a cello, he sings, and it's good. that's a simple description. i don't know how to explain it any better. there are days when my lexicon is exiguous, and this is one of them. because he's too good for words.

just listen.

one interesting part of the show was that he had some art draped behind him. he said he wants to make an effort to make the visual arts part of his music, and all the art he hangs up during this tour will be auctioned off at the end. and the money will be given to charity. two great ideas!

and i also realized something about myself. the person i knew at the show made some comment about how the second act had "overt Christian themes" in their songs, and i just nodded. i didn't have an opinion, because i didn't listen to the words. and i realized...i never listen to the words if i don't know the artist's music. the sound of their voices becomes part of the music to me, and i don't pay attention to the words. i just hear it all together. i become really focused on all the sounds. once i own an album, and spend time singing along (because i definately love to do that too...), THEN i hear the words at a show. of course that's not always true, sometimes some great lyrics will catch my attention. but that's not the norm for me.

am i the only one like that? i hope not. because it's really a fun way to experience music for the first time.

i didn't even mind going to bed at midnight. it was so worth it. and i managed to dress myself and feed myself this morning without any problems. that's a good day.

real change.

i voted for change.

not just the change of our president.

change in general.

i voted for a third party candidate. it seems like a wasted vote, if you only think about it for a second. but it's a vote against the two-party system. everyone says "you know, i don't support my candidate TOTALLY, but you have to vote for someone..."

so no real change ever happens.

let's change that in 4 years. join me in voting third party! just because someone is backed by a national convention, or has enough money to campaign...doesn't make them qualified for the job. it means they have more money to campaign. that's about all it means.

i voted for change, and i feel really good about it.

24.

i went Christmas shopping this weekend!

it was mostly fun.

i made buying a gift for my almost-one-year-old niece harder than it needs to be. she's one. she should be the easiest person to shop for.

i went to look at toys, and i had a hard time getting into the toddler mindset. i'd pick something up and think "so...she'll just push this button...and it spins around. that's entertaining for what, 3 seconds? lame."

i know for sure i'm getting her the Jesus Storybook Bible! because it's the best children's Bible ever made. in fact, i read from it during sunday school tonight.

which brings me to tonight's sunday school quote:

me: what were you for halloween???
the kid i was talking to: i don't want to say.
talkative kid: were you a fedex truck?

what?

hey, world.

i like reading blogs.

am i the only one who reads random blogs? i read some that my friends write, but then i start clicking on the blogs that their friends write, and their friends, and so on. there are some really interesting people that i've never met out there. everywhere. (it also makes me really curious if there are any silent observers reading this blog. hello!)

for the next week, i'm going to be reading the blogs of some very specific strangers.

there's a group of people (i think 8) taking a trip to the dominican republic. they're going to blogging about the ministry of compassion international in the dominican republic. i'm really curious to see what they see. i love learning about other cultures. i'm also really excited to see what they have to say about compassion in that area. i know about what compassion does, but i don't know that much. i've never heard first-hand reports from people going on one of compassion's trips.

anyway...you should check it out too, if you're a blog stalker like me. and i know you are.

here's the page with links to all of their blogs.

(one of them has a blog called "owl haven." i'm not really sure what that's about, but apparently she has been posting the story of how she and her husband got together. and i totally got sucked in. i'm a girl...)

and, you know, browse through some photos of children. there's a link on the right...