Hello!
I'm Alison, the girl hiding behind the computer screen and camera.
This is a rare picture of me (and my unfortunate eyebrow situation), without a camera in front of my face.
As my blog name suggests, I'm a bit neurotic. I worry about everything, obsess over every detail (the more ridiculous the better) oh, and I'm a control freak, too. Neat and tidy on the outside; so very messy on the inside.
Too many open cereal boxes cause me to convulse; unmade beds send shivers down my spine; clutter makes my brain fuzzy; panic sets in if we have less than half a gallon of milk in the fridge. I'd probably benefit from a little Xanax. Some people might find living with a neurotic control freak to be exhausting; that may be true (on certain days, anyway) but I like to think that my quirks provide a level of entertainment that cannot be matched in any other household.
For the time being, I remain unmedicated and use exercise as my therapy. Sometimes ice cream does the trick, too.
I love the gym, especially pumping crazy iron in BodyPump class.
I also run.
If you knew me three years ago, you would have never thought I'd end up a runner. Heck, I would have never guessed it myself. Even 18 months ago, I thought marathon runners were insane. Come to think of it, I kind of still do, except now I'm one of them. The running bug has a stinging and lasting bite.
Even though I've run a marathon, I still don't consider myself a 'runner.' Perhaps after I have another marathon under my belt I will.
I'm no Kara Goucher, but I can hold my own out there.
Exercise may help my sanity, but baking is the thing that makes me truly happy.
There is something about creaming butter and sugar together, about cracking eggs and hearing the buzz of the motor of my beloved Kitchen Aid mixer (I call her Ebony) that I find truly satisfying. Shiny melted chocolate, the aroma of spicy cinnamon and the warmth emanating from an oven full of baking cookies: all my favorite things.
I love vegetables and brownies; bread and diet Pepsi, peanut butter and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. I hate fish, avocados and clutter. You'll never find my bed unmade or dishes left in the sink overnight.
Now that we've established that I'm neurotic, I should tell you about the people who put up with me on a daily basis.
This is Craig.
He runs too.
Also? He's not neurotic.
We've been married for 14 years and have lived in six states, courtesy of the US Army. Right now we call Northern Virginia home. Besides Hawaii, this has been my favorite place to live.
Craig loves (in no particular order) cheese, running, the TV show Bones, spending money and science fiction.
He must also love me, because why else would he put up with my ridiculous open cereal box restrictions?
We have one daughter, Caroline, who turned nine in January 2011.
She's not neurotic, either.
Caroline loves cheese, watching the Weather Channel, dirt, talking, math, playing outside, chocolate and pasta.
She's smart and fun and, not to mention, a really good kid.
We like her. :)
Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the Internet.
I hope you'll come back and join me as I write about my family, deployments, shopping, baking and whatever else happens to be swimming around inside my neurotic little brain.
:)
