Monday, June 29, 2009

So, I went running


Dear Blog,

When I was growing up my parents had to force me to go outside. I loved staying inside and reading, coloring and dressing my Barbie dolls. My parents would me take to the Cooper Branch Library and I would check out a minimum of 8 books and be giddy on the ride home with excitement about all of my books. Are you conjuring up a visual of what I was like as a child? Nerd? Check.

When I was 13 I had a subscription to W Magazine and sounded out all of the Italian fashion houses with a slightly southern accent. (Stay with me, I promise I'm going somewhere.)

When I was in middle school my mom would beg me to go on walks with her, I think I was a little chubby. When I decided I WOULD go, I got overheated and had to sit on the side of the road and get a ride home from a neighbor who was also my 3rd grade teacher. Embarrassing. Same thing happened when I was a cheerleader and had to run ONE LAP around the Flora soccer field. Are you getting the picture?

I was a nerdy kid, who loved fashion, and was a little chubby.

Then the day came when I put two and two together. I could not be chubby and wear the clothes in the pages of W Magazine. I had to start working out.

So, I started running. To me, it's the non-athlete's sport. You don't have to interact with anyone, you don't have to have any discernible athletic talent and if you do it long enough you can eventually become good at it. Check.

Fast forward a couple years and I've done a multitude of 5k's, 10k's, one 1/2 marathon and one full marathon. After the full marathon I swore up and down I was never doing that again. It was quite painful. Oh, and I completely stopped running and started doing yoga.

Fast forward a couple more years and I'm working for a very health conscious company with a bunch of young women who are all hyped up about running the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon and convince me to sign up too. Aaron tells me he's thinking about thinking about signing up for it as well, which in my mind means that he's signing up for it.

We start training.

I convince my friend Drew to fly in all the way from Greenville, SC to run with us!! Yay!

Race day comes. Drew, Aaron and myself get up at 4:30 AM to get downtown, to get on a shuttle, to ride to Tukwila to run 13.1 miles back to Seattle. When you put it like that doesn't it sound crazy? I think it is crazy, but anyway we signed up for it so onward. The race day was beautiful, it was in the upper 60's/low 70's and not a cloud in the sky. We ran around Lake Washington and even saw a bald eagle! That bald eagle was such a diva, he was posing for the thousands running by. There were so many out of towners running the 'thon and I must admit that I was proud of "my" city as they were stopping to take pictures in the middle of the race. Aaron and I ran together until about mile 9 when we encountered a big ass hill and this diva had to stop and walk while Aaron kept on runnnnaaanng. From that point on I was about .5 miles behind Aaron for the rest of the race but I could always see him. For those of y'all that don't know Aaron, he's 6 feet 7 inches, has ganked up knees and ankles from years of playing basketball and is not a runner. He was so serious about training for this race that he made me take it more seriously. So, for the last 4 miles of the race when I was about a half a mile behind Aaron and I would spot him just running along I was so proud of him and a big smile would cross my face. (Isn't that cheesy?!? I can't help it.)

And that my friends, is the evolution of a book worm to a bona fide runner.

The end.

xoxo,
Alison

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Highs and Lows

Dear Blog,

Man, these past couple of weeks have been filled with hiiiiighs and looooooows. I will recount some of them for you.
Monday: High. Aaron books us a trip to HAWAII! We're going to Maui for our vacation the week after July 4 (my least favorite holiday, just for your information.)

Tuesday: Low. Aaron is so sick, he has to stay home from work. Effect on me: I wait on him hand and foot and sleep in the guest room ('cause I'm not trying to get sick), where we don't have a fan and it's hot because houses in the PNW don't have air condition. Little known fact.

Wednesday: High. I decide that I'm trying to evolve and I don't need all of my material things anymore. I put away the Louis Vuitton and start carrying a reusable bag because that's what evolved people do. I'm also going to stop talking about my archenemy. Aaron decided he would sleep in the guest room! SCORE!

Thursday: Low. Aaron is still sick. I wake up late and have to go to work with greasy hair. YUCK.

Friday: High. I get my bonus check for the first quarter. Low. Damn the government took a lot of my bonus. High. Oh yes, I am evolved and I am happy I got a bonus in these economic times.

Saturday: Low. My archenemy did something that made me laugh and talk about her behind her back in the most un-evolved manner possible. I knew it was wrong but that didn't stop me. Back to square one in the "evolved" department. Shit. Oh yeah, I pull out the Louis Vuitton again.

Monday: High. I've lost 4 pounds on my 10 pound weight loss journey. (I'm not sure if my dad is still in the game.) Aaron is finally feeling better!!! We go bathing suit shopping and we both find suits in under hour. For real you guys, that's amazing. Last years bathing suit search took all day, involved frustration and tears and finally finding a suit and having to order it online. It's a summer time miracle!! Also saw The Hangover, funniest movie of 2009.

I'm still on the search for enlightenment and evolved-ness. It just takes time. If any of you have any tips or tricks of the trade I would be happy to listen. As far as shopping goes, whenever I buy something I'm asking myself is this because I love it or because of status? As far as my archenemy goes, I just need to let it go. She's not in my life anymore. As far as everything else, it's just another day in the life of BellaFrench!

xoxo,
Alison

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Rugrats

Dear Blog,

Another one of my friends is preggy! Because my friend is so high profile and likes to protect her privacy I'm not going to give her a public shout out cause that is so not her style. Instead, I will give you a hint. She lives in Charlotte, she's a lawyer...and she's tall. There. If you get it, then give her a shout out! Being pregnant is exciting and fun!! I can't wait to meet their little baby!

Now, on to the next burning question I'm sure will come, (and in typical Alison fashion I'm bringing it back to me.) Are Aaron and I feeling like bringing little AliRon's into creation anytime soon? The answer is still a resounding noooooooooo. I don't know why folks, but Aaron and I still aren't ready for kids. And until we're 100% ready then that day is still far in the future. I'm not worried about being an old parent. I mean, if Halle Berry can have a baby at 40 and still look bangin', then so can I. And yes, I just compared myself to Halle Berry.

The other day I was talking to my bff Spurge via google chat and telling him about all of my friends being preggy and/or having kids and the following conversation ensued. We were talking about whether or not I would stay home with my kids or not and I'm about 99% sure that I won't. I mean, once I have the little sucker I might change my mind. I'm just sayin'. So, anyway on to the convo:

Spurgeon:
like, if my kids are anything like i was
i do NOT want to be at home with them all day
LOL

me: LOL
Yeah
kids can be annoying
aaron and i decided if we have one
we're just having ONE

Spurgeon: let somebody else handle that shiz - i'll read 'em a story

me: and then i'm getting plastic surge

Spurgeon: nah - y'all should have two
that way, they can keep each other occupied and you don't have to play with them all the time
otherwise, you end up with a crazy kid that talks to himself and eats dirt

me: HAHAHAHA

Spurgeon: or one that's all up in your shiz 24/7

Every time I read that conversation I laugh. Especially about having a crazy kid that talks to himself and eating dirt. I don't know, is it just me? I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt, I was glad that no one could hear me because then I would be the crazy one.

Aaaaaaanyway, the point of this whole blog was to congratulate my friend and her hubby on the upcoming arrival of their baaaaaaaaaaaby!!!!!

xoxo,
Alison