4 weeks

I just counted it out. I got sick 4 weeks ago. Just a normal cold. Probably due to weather changing or something. Or so I thought. The cold went away, and i got getter after about a week. and felt better. all is well. Wait...no...*cough, cough, COUGH*....i still have a cough. It is bad. it gets worse everyday as the day progresses. I have to take Mucinex every evening to keep from feeling like my lungs are gonna explode. I have been told this is what is known as a "dry cough." It has been going around work. But still...4 weeks later! not cool. i have also been told that maybe it is bronchitis. none of these diagnosis's are by doctors, so no worries. i should go to the doctor. i just don't have one here, and i would have to take time off work...blah blah blah. i just want it to go away.

on top of that, i am on the phone all day for work. that is what i do. talk. and it is hard to do that all day. my voice is sure to cut out at least once while on every call. it is so awkward. hate it . ugh. i am complaining. i know. but at least i am updating my blog, no matter how boring. so that is a bonus. yea me!

*cough, cough*

Tattoos

"Don't judge me." I got that phrase, oddly enough, from my coworker Brodrick, who is the person I just so happen to be blogging about. But seriously. Don't judge me. I have been working with Brodrick since January, i think. He is a cool kid. He has several tattoos. He got a pretty big one on his the inside of his bicep a couple of months ago. Ever since my coworkers discovered I could draw, he has been bugging me to draw him a tattoo. I felt a little weird about it, given that I don't have any tattoos...and think that it is best to not get them. Ya know, that whole "your body is a temple" thing. But he kept bugging me about it. Then the other day he was like "really, Alison. I am getting one today and I neeeeeeeed you to draw it for me." I got sucked in. Yeah, i sure did. What can I say? He is cute, and well....I got nothing. So, he told me what he wanted and i drew it for him. He said that he loved it. Which i double, triple, and quadruple checked with him. I mean, lets be real. I cant have him hating me in two months, when he never really liked the tattoo in the first place. Anyways, I just drew out his first to initials (BT) to put on his triceps, with some swoops and an outline...no biggie.

He sent me a picture later that night after he got them. I couldn't believe he actually did it. I mean I believed him, but then there it was, my artwork forever on his body. Crazy! He also told me that the tattoo artist was really impressed with my drawing and said I should really look into tattooing. lol. Apparently you can make pretty good money doing it. I just laughed

and told Brodrick that if I ever lose my job and get desperate then I will consider all my options.

My drawing. It is a rough sketch, knowing the tattoo artist would clean up the lines, and such. And i was under a time crunch with only a pen and sharpie to work with.

As you can see, he changed it a little, but still. And when it heals it will have a gradient from dark to light.

September

I am stealing this idea from Amy. I give her credit. She blogged about her current and past memorable Septembers of her life. So here are mine.

September

1999: It was the beginning of a great school year for me (Junior). im not sure why but something changed in my life that school year. i decided that year that i didnt care so much what others thought of me and i was going to be more outgoing and excited about life. i probably got stared at a lot for being loud and stupid, but again...i didnt care anymore.

2002: I had just said goodbye to a lot of friends who were all off to college all over the country and i had just started a new job at Catherine's. My dad was still recovering from surgery and i spent time taking care of him. I was also anticipating going to school myself at BYU-I in a few months and getting more and more excited as the days passed.

2004: I had just starting going to Purdue. I had probably by this point figured out how to get to all my classes...and on time. I was feeling good and just realizing what i had gotten myself into with Interior Design. I felt good about my life. I was busy and enjoyed my hands on classes.

2008: I had just graduated from Purdue and was still working at the bank. I has just been promoted to full time and a Back up Manager. I loved it. I had just moved into my new apartment and was living alone for the first time. At this point i was still scared by every thud creak, and squeak that sounded in my ears. (i eventually got over it)

2009: I had just moved to Texas a few weeks earlier. I was still lonely

and missing my friends back in Indiana. i made a surprise trip back to indiana for a long weekend and had fun seeing their faces when i showed up at their doors. :)

2010: Today is Sunday. I typically looooooove Sundays. I spend my sundays going to church (and enjoying it) and spending the day with my friends. it is usually great. today is not a bad day, just different. It was hard for me to focus in church today. i just find myself in uncharted territory in life. i have never been in my current mind set before. it scares me. who am i?

Like in Amy's blog, i could not have guessed in each of these previous years what the next september would hold. i wouldn't have believed i would end up at Purdue, or living alone, or in Texas...ever. But as with much of life, we don't get to see too far into the future. We make plans and take steps forward, and hope for the best. Im still hoping for the best.

This is me in San Antonio last September. It was a great trip!

It's official

I have Internet!!!

So many new things

I feel like I have so many new things in my life right now. First lets talk about the picture at the top of my blog. i love the picture...but blown up like that, might be a bit much. what do ya think??

Second, I have a new computer. and love it. I just signed up for internet today and it gets installed on 09/15. who's up for some Skype?? i'm super stoked so see my peeps in real life again. okay...not really real life. but closer...

In addition, i am still learning things on this mac. still a little lost, but once i do figure them out...i'm always like "ooooooohhhh, i get it. totally makes sense. love it"

Third, i finally finished my shower curtain. it looks sooooooooo good. promise. Thanks again Amy and Nicole for the awesome bathroom scheme and fabric. it looks so put together.

Fun Times

Lori, Joseph, Dewey, Alex, Al

Joseph got the ball...meaning they just got a point scored on them...

That's Lori's game face...haha. She hates this picture. Sorry Lori!!!

We spend a lot of time at our friend David's house. We play foosball. Watch movies. Watch sports. And take pictures!!

The Temple

The day I went to the Temple!!!!Lori, Alex, and Me before
After....
Add Lindsey...
Add Dewey, Brother Kassallis, and Charley
We is so silly!

Fun pics on my mac

Haha. That is so embarrassing.

Love it!!!

Brodrick's Bday

My coworker Brodrick had a birthday party last weekend. Alex and I went. It was super fun. It was a club in the basement of an old bank. there was a vault and still had the lockboxes in it. This is Brodrick me and AlexCandy and MeAntonio and MeManny and Me. Manny is completely sober. Although he doesn't look it. He doesn't drink. :)

new apartment party

I moved to Arlington two months ago and had a "New Apartment Party." It was super fun. A lot of people showed up. More than i thought. Probably about 18 people were there from my ward and other places. We had food and played games and laughed and talked. Good times.

Alex and meLori and MeAlex and my 'dead faces'Four boys in my bed??? Awesome. Dewey in the back. David in the middle. Joseph in the other back, and Chinmay (pronounced like Chin-May :)) on the right. And me!