Moving

We may be home from our trip, but I'm moving.

Moving to WordPress, that is.  Check me out here:  neuroticalison.wordpress.com

I've transferred my posts, but have discovered that all my pictures are fuzzy.  I've manually edited a few posts, but I'm not sure I have the patience to do all 750 of them.  I've posted a LOT of pictures over the past two and a half years.  I'm hoping I'll figure out how to correct the problem in one fell swoop, but given my gigantic level of computer idiocy, I'm not entirely sure that's possible.

So, please join me over at Wordpress and try your best to ignore the fuzzy photos.


Neurotically Yours,

Alison

Home

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I'll post pictures and details later, but for now, let me share with you a few things I've learned:

1. Things almost never goes as planned.
2. I need a GPS.
3. Charleston, SC is a very lovely city.
4. Kids only get sick at inconvenient times.
5. Cheese fries dipped in buttermilk ranch dressing will make your life more fulfilling.  Seriously.

:)

Ready To Roll?

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I sure hope so.

Actually, if I pressed publish on this post and you're reading it, then that means we're healthy (enough) and on our way to North Carolina for a few days.  I typed this Tuesday afternoon at a time when I was hopeful, but still cautious about our trip chances.  After I saved the post and went about my business, Caroline proceeded to wolf down a bowl of ramen noodles at her friend's house and then a few hours later, ate a huge cheese quesadilla and some carrots.  In Caroline's sick-ese language, appetite = fever free. 

So we're off...and you'll just have to manage without me for a few days.  I'm not bringing my laptop with us, which means you'll have to find something else to do with your time while we're away.  That means no obsessive pressing of the refresh button to see if I've posted a blog entry each day.  I know you do that.  It's okay.  There's no shame in eagerness.  No judgement, either.  Only love.

Heh.

Our plans are simple:  have fun and catch up on life with my sister and friend.  A trip to Charleston to spend a night at the beach is in order, along with my main goal:  patronizing as many self serve fro-yo places as possible.  I know we have such glorious establishments in the DC area, but I don't know where they're actually located.  There's nothing near my house, that's for sure.  I need a smart phone so I can plug in 'fro yo obsession' and find a place around town to cure all that ails me.  My sister tells me she has a fro-yo place within walking distance of her apartment.  I don't think there are any words in the English language that elicit as much joy in me as the words self serve frozen yogurt within walking distance.  Sure, that's a lot of words, but I'm a wordy person. 

Admittedly, I love you and all of your obsessive-compulsive, neurotic 'quirks' is a nice phrase.  As is take the credit card and have fun.  I like mom, I've been invited to a sleepover at a friend's house a whole lot, too.  But, frozen yogurt within walking distance takes the cake cone cup piled high with toppings.  Oh, and while we're talking toppings, no fruit toppings, please.  At least, no fruit mixed with candy bars and other sinful chocolatey, cookie type toppings.  I'm all for refreshing fruity frozen yogurt with fruit toppings when the mood strikes, but there's no way I'm putting blueberries and kiwi on chocolate/peanut butter frozen yogurt. 

That. Is. Wrong.

Amen?

As if you didn't already guess it, I kind of love frozen yogurt.  Probably more than life itself.  So much, in fact, that I take it a little too seriously at times.  True story.
I may be taking a blogging break while we're on our getaway, but rest assured that I've got both cameras packed.  I fully intend to come home with plenty of pictures to share.  I can't promise that most of them won't be of frozen yogurt, because, really?  Haven't you seen enough pictures of my kid? 

And there goes my mother of the year award AGAIN.
Anyhoo, we're on our way.  Wish us luck, good health and happy driving vibes!

I'm not a big fan of highway driving and like it or not, you can't get to Charlotte in a timely manner without taking a ride on the Interstate.  Thankfully I have Caroline, my back seat driver to keep me on my toes.  She may not be tall enough to see over the steering wheel, but she sure can steer a car from her perch in the back seat.  I have no idea where she inherited her bossiness.  Nope.  No clue.

For the entertainment portion of our drive, we will sing songs from the Glee soundtrack we opted to check out some books on CD from the library.  We've never done this before and I'm hopeful that it will provide us with hours of joyful entertainment as we navigate the open road.   Or, whatever.

It is my great hope that we shall return on Sunday relaxed, well read and stuffed to the gills with frozen yogurt.

See you soon!

Happy August!

Hooray, we made it to August!  As I mentioned yesterday, July was a little lengthy for my taste, but I woke up this morning renewed and ready to enjoy August in all its glory.  Of course, I also started this new month by stepping on the scale, which proved to be a faulty move on my part.  Eeep!  As  happy as I am to flip the calendar page, I was not happy to see myself up 3.6 pounds.  No bueno.

I guess those evening snacks of pretzels, Nutella and marshmallow creme have made their presence known.

Good bye late night snacking.  It's been fun.  Sniff.

To kick start my 'So long 3.6 pounds of late night gluttony' plan in to action, I trolloped around my neighborhood on an early morning four mile run.  I intended to go further, but the snooze button got the best of me this morning and I didn't wake up in time to get it done in a timely manner.  The four miles were speedy and enjoyable because 1) it wasn't suffocatingly hot this morning (but it is this afternoon) and 2)  I totally left some random dude in my dust.  Heh.  I love when that happens.  Nope, I'm not competitive at all.  ;) 

After my run, I came home, cooled down, ate breakfast and then we went to the gym for Body Pump.  But before all of that, I signed up for another half marathon.  This one isn't until March, but because it's the inaugural Rock n Roll USA race, they were offering a discounted race fee for 48 hours.  Far be it from me to pass up a discounted rate.  Racing ain't cheap.  Especially Rock n Roll series races. 

Despite those 3.6 pounds I saw added to my 'somewhat' happy weight, my day started off pretty nicely.  Run, Pump, shower, post office to mail Craig a package, then to Falls Church for lunch and new running shoes.  When we got to Jason's Deli, Caroline was hungry and ready to eat, but a few minutes in to the meal, she claimed she was full, which is not like her.  This girl eats like her mother...you know, like in a 'leave no crumbs behind' type of way.  Immediately I thought:  FEVER.  She's only not hungry when she has a fever.  She's a bit drippy and sinusy, but not really feverish.  Her temp is slightly elevated, but not enough to be considered alarming, or even a fever.  Her spirits are fine, but her appetite is non existent.

I wouldn't mind too much except we're supposed to go out of town on Wednesday.  A trip we're BOTH really, REALLY looking forward to. 

I hope and pray she wakes up feeling fine tomorrow.

Otherwise?  I may cry.  Big tears of self pity.

I don't want to cry.

I want to go to Charlotte and see my seester.  And to Greensboro to see my friend, who, as of this month, I've known for twenty (2-0) years!!  Ack! 

In other news, I ate guacamole today and didn't die or barf.  I'm not a fan of avocados because, well, I think they taste like dirt.  True story.  The wrap I ordered had guacamole in it; a fact I didn't realize until after I placed the order and paid. I don't like to complain, especially when the oversight was my own fault, so I ate it.  And it was good.  I will most likely never actively pursue the addition of avocado or guacamole to my meal, but I guess I won't balk if it ends up on my plate anymore.

In other, other news, I also bought some new running shoes. I went to the running store to try on some minimalist style running shoes, which Craig has been wearing with excellent results.  As it turns out, I'm not much of a minimalist.  I didn't like them and opted for my usual Asics plus some new insoles because my feet are falling apart.

It's hard to run when your feet are falling apart.

Anyhoo, that's the scoop for the first day of August.

I'm praying and hoping and wishing that Caroline will be as well as well can be come tomorrow.  I have to pick up our rental car in the afternoon and if she's sick in the am, I'll need to cancel the reservation or risk having to pay for a rental car we won't use.  And that would be tragic.  I guess I should say that the rental car is completely superfluous, but I hate my car and would much rather drive a rental on vacation.  It makes it seem more 'vacationy', no?

Just nod your head and say, 'yes, Alison' 'Whatever you say, Alison.' 

Hey, it works for Craig!

So Glad It's Almost August

Usually I hate when it's time to turn the page on the calendar, for it's a sad reminder of how quickly time passes. I don't particularly enjoy being reminded that another birthday (and, not to mention, a more advanced age) is one month closer. 

It's sort of depressing.

But on the other hand, July has been one very long month and I'm really happy it's over.  And when I say it's been a long month, I mean very long.  Painfully long.  Long in a I-think-I've-added-ten-years-to-my-life kind of way.  I started July at the ripe age of 34, but I feel like I'm entering August as a 44 year old.  I hope gray hair didn't spontaneously start sprouting atop my head this month.   I'll screamlet you know if I discover any.

It should also be noted that in July, I officially lost my patience.  It's been hanging on by a thread since school let out, but this month, I finally saw the thread snap.  Or perhaps I can attribute my loss of patience, not to July itself, but to this season of discontent Caroline seems to have entered.  For the most part, she's an easy going kid, which I happen to really appreciate, because it generally makes my life easier.  However, for whatever reason, she's never quite happy with the options I provide for her.  I suggest something, she counter offers with something else.  I say we'll go to lunch at Subway, she asks for McDonalds.  I take her to dinner at Noodles and Company, per her request, she balks because I forgot to order her some bread.  I offer ice cream for dessert, she wants to make pudding, instead.  Nothing is quite good enough. 

It's kind of annoying.

Surely you can understand my delight in being able to bid July adieu.

August is shaping up to be somewhat eventful:  we're heading out of town on Wednesday to spend some time with my sister in North Carolina.  The following week Caroline has Spanish camp in the mornings and an evening soccer camp the week after.  Throw in a possible trip to the aquarium in Baltimore and some back to school shopping, I'm hopeful that August will fly by.

In the mean time, while I'm focusing on summer survival mode and plucking any sprouting grey hairs, I'm also trying to switch my blog from Blogger to Wordpress.  It's going to take some time because we're going out of town.  But also because I'm sort of a computer idiot.  I try hard, but it doesn't come easy.  Not even the easy stuff comes easily.  I've got the basics of the move covered, and I even made myself a new header, but the whole shifting all of my blog posts to a new blog host is kind of scary.  I don't want any of my beautiful writing drivel to get lost somewhere  in cyberspace.  Then what would you do? 

Talk about pressure.

In other news, I got a new kitchen faucet today.  It's lovely and not at all gnarly and gross like its predecessor.  My landlord is quite the handy man and for that I'm very thankful.  Because, as adept as I am at changing car batteries, toilet handles and light bulbs, my other household handyperson skills leave a bit to be desired.  Word on the street is that I'm getting an new garbage disposal, too.  It's like Christmas, or something.

Hmm, perhaps July hasn't been so bad, after all.

Gone Swimmin'

We've been busy lately, swimming and such.  Well, Caroline has been swimming; I've been dipping my feet in the pool and running my mouth. 

Works for me.

I brought my camera to the pool the other night to get some shots of Caroline in action.

She's gotten mighty brave this summer.

I took advantage of the rapid shooting setting on my camera and got pictures of Caroline doing a back flip in the water.

We've spent the last three days at the pool.....wait make that four... I forgot we went to our little pool on Tuesday.   Tonight Caroline is at a sleepover with her soccer teammates and I am taking advantage of the quiet.  I fully intended to clean the carpet on our stairs, but after spending four days at the pool, I'm kind of tired and I just might do the couch potato thing, instead.

Because running your mouth whilst dipping your feet in the water can take a lot out of a person.

Happy Friday!

Now There's a Hole in My Closet!

It's getting interesting around here.

My landlord is currently here doing whatever it is he needs to do.  Words like caulk and silicone and three hours to dry have come from his mouth.  But, lets be real for a moment:  it's all jibber jabber to me.

All I know is that I couldn't go to the gym this morning and I'm bummed.  Because, again, lets be real for a moment:  I'm a self centered princess.

While waiting for my landlord to arrive and not going to the gym, Caroline and I had a goofy, impromptu photo session with a vase filled with faux foliage.

Because....well, why not?

We're goofballs.