Glasses

Haircut!

PHX

Headed home for the holidays. The shuttle comes at 2:30 in the morning to pick me up. I think I'm probably going to sleep in the airport and then on the flight. Going to take out the trash and then try for a nap before I wake up to leave. *yawn* I will miss my Seattle friends and Dave though. I can't wait to see any of my friends and then come back and get to curl up next to him in bed again. :)

Finals???

So I should be studying for my crim law final right now, but I have lost all motivation. I almost feel like I'm done with finals with how good my mood is. Well the mood has decreased a bit because I'm watching the Seahawks game and the 49ers just scored a second touchdown. Either way, finals so far have gone pretty well. I've ended up being a lot less stressed then I expected. I may just be repressing it and taking it out in other parts of my life, but I'm still not applying it to school which is good. I guess only time will tell about how I've actually done on the tests, but I feel pretty decent about them.

I'm excited about the next few days. After my final is over tomorrow I'm going out to drink with kids from school. Hopefully tomorrow night the drinking will continue. Saturday is when Dave is celebrating his birthday with friends. I'm sure it will prove to be a fun time and a lot more drinking. Sunday is dinner with his parents for his birthday. Monday Maria, my mentor, has offered to take me out to lunch and give me a tour of her office. I'm looking forward to finally meeting her since things keep happening and getting in the way. After meeting for lunch with her I'll come home and get all packed and then see Dave on his birthday.

Tuesday the shuttle is coming to get me at 2:30 in the morning. My flight is at 5:30ish and I will be in PHX by 9:00. Then lots of fun in PHX. I'll be home right before New Year's Eve which means even more fun. Hopefully everything will be enjoyable and I'll have a nice relaxing break. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all that to everyone :)

Final #1

So my first final of law school is today. I really feel like I should be a bit more stressed than I am. Really I studied yesterday with some friends for about 4 hours and ran over note cards and hypos. I've made my own note cards and we can bring in one sheet, front and back, to the exam. Really I'm more concerned about whether I'll be able to write for 3.5 hours and making sure I spot all the issues. Once I have all the issues, I have no doubt that I will be able to analyze them well. I was truthfully expecting there to be this huge stress on me since my finals are worth pretty much 100% of my grade in each class, but really the stress isn't there. I'm actually a little stressed due to my lack of stress. Who would have guessed that I'd be perfectly relaxed the morning of my first law school final? Maybe something is wrong or maybe I'm just going to screw it up so bad or maybe I actually have confidence in myself and know that I'll be fine. Either way, not being stressed about this will be a huge advantage when I walk into that room. I think my biggest fear is today won't go as well as I expected and I will be stressed for the rest of them. The nice part being that once today is done, I only have 4 finals left. :)

November Snow

A picture of a car after it had been snowing for a while in Seattle, in November. Yes, snow in November. I mean what the heck, I was told it didn't snow in Seattle!!!

Concert

Concert

Life in General

Well it is that time of year when everyone starts getting stressed out. Finals are just around the corner. I can hardly believe that the first semester of law school is coming to a close. I just have to survive the first round of finals now. I've got most of my reading done for the classes and now it's all about finishing outlines, relearning the stuff I didn't really know how to learn back in August, and somehow fitting all of it into my brain. So far my classes don't seem too bad and hopefully that will continue over to the final. Right now I'm sitting in Civil Procedure listening to my professor inform us that she's not directly answering a question because that's what the court did. It's great. Okay, time for me to take some notes and attempt not to fall asleep. That's the problem when professors decide to start class 30 minutes early. It makes the day seem that much longer!

Oooohhh on a high note I'm going to see Happy Feet in IMAX after classes today. Then I have the entire weekend to outline, make flash cards, and sleep! What a beautiful thing.

No Time

I really want to post more, I just lack the time. Homework is getting done but the free time has diminished greatly. Oh well. I guess that's the way of life. In one month I'll be 1/6 of a lawyer. Next semester has a much better schedule. Well it's just about the same but it's a bit more open with not having criminal law anymore. Hopefully that will help me get some more work done and I might even find some time to go to the gym.

Favorite Day in Seattle

This is a picture from one of my favorite days in Seattle so far. It consisted of making sandwiches, driving up to Bellingham, stopping in Larabee State Park, eating sandwiches, walking around Bellingham, eating at a brewery, and driving home. I believe the rest of the night was spend relaxing. It was just an all around good day. I love Seattle and Washington. I recommend you all visit, but then go home. People shouldn't move here. 

Halloween

Well, not quite. It was Saturday night. That's Steve on the right. He threw on the costume really quick when Dave & I showed up to pick him up, but you really can't tell that from the picture. Speaking of Dave, that's him on the Right. He's Speedracer. I'm hiding behind the hat and cracking up. Probably good because I would have looked high as I normally do in pictures. Oh well. I was a Catholic School Girl and the night was all good times. :) There's not a lot more pictures, but that's just because we had so much fun there was no time for cameras! 

Halloween

Not dressed up, feeling a bit overwhelmed. So much going on. I don't have a lot of free time anymore. When am I supposed to enjoy the wonderful land of TV?

Play time?

Dave being silly

Watching tv....like normal

Close up.

New...

New format, new beta interface, almost a new month, new city, maybe that means more new posts soon....

Helmets

Aww how cute. It looks like our helmets are kissing.

Hmmm....

....why I haven't posted more is a mystery. I am bored up in Seattle and don't have much to do, yet find no motivation to write blog posts. Hopefully I'll find some time and sit down and work on a major update on my life. I know all the readers out there are dying for an update. So far since I've been up here, I've successfully decorated my apartment, made a few new friends, and stared out my window a whole lot.

Actually, I walked to Pike Place Market the other day. I knew it was about 1.5 miles, but never stopped to factor in the hills before hiking there. It was a lot of fun, but took a lot of energy. I considered going into the aquarium, but there was a huge line. On Sunday, I went with Sam to pick blueberries. It was beautiful out in the field and a lot of fun. Hopefully I'll put up some pictures soon.

I have most of my textbooks. Let me tell you, they don't look very exciting. I also have a lot of my first week assignments and may attempt working on them later this week. I just got some new books from Amazon though, so we'll see how that actually goes. I guess I better get it done before school actually starts.

Anyway, living up here is still a little surreal. Sometimes when I wake up it's strange that my windows are open, and sometimes I'm a little chilly. It's strange that sometimes when I look out my window I can see Mt. Rainier. Who knew a mountain could come and go so easily in the distance? Especially one that's so big. Okay I'm going to go watch the Daily Show and then read some before bed. Sweet dream all.

It's official

I officially live in Seattle now. My parents and I flew up here yesterday. Given the flight took a bit longer than we expected (like 2 hours due to delays), we could not have chosen a better day to fly. The whole trip was completely clear. The view of the mountains, the terrain, and everything else was spectacular. I finally got to see the Grand Canyon, given from above. When we got over Washington we could see all the big mountains out in the distance. The pilot flew us really close to Mt. Rainier and it was very impressive. It was really neat to be able to see everything. Once we landed we found the hotel, which is interesting in itself. It's an extended stay hotel and the parking lot is at such an angle it makes it difficult to get in and out of the car doors. I guess I better get used to that. After a while we headed over and saw my apartment. I really love it. I'm excited to be able to live there. The placement of furniture will be slightly tricky but once I get it down, there shouldn't be any problems. Pictures of the empty apartment will follow soon. Ohhh and out my window, if you're right up against it you have an awesome view of Mt. Rainier. I can already see myself getting distracted by staring out the window. Then it was time for sleep. (Please excuse any typos, the spell check is not working.)

Bad me

So I've slacked and posting and really don't feel like it now. I just thought I'd annuonce that I haven't forgotten about my little blog. Someday soon there will be a whole big update on my life and how my summer has been a roller coaster. I bought a new digital camera so hopefully that means there will be lots more pictures and such floating around on here sometime soon. I haven't actually moved to Seattle yet (I think the official date will be July 31) but I expect to be taking lots of pictures of that. Until the update, enjoy your summer.

Bad me

So I've slacked and posting and really don't feel like it now. I just thought I'd annuonce that I haven't forgotten about my little blog. Someday soon there will be a whole big update on my life and how my summer has been a roller coaster. I bought a new digital camera so hopefully that means there will be lots more pictures and such floating around on here sometime soon. I haven't actually moved to Seattle yet (I think the official date will be July 31) but I expect to be taking lots of pictures of that. Until the update, enjoy your summer.

Surprises

So today I worked and then there was supposed to be a work party afterward. Last year my co-workers threw me a surprise birthday party, so I figured since the party was a few days after my birthday there would probably be a card or something for me. Normally everyone gets a card signed by all the employees (since there' s only 5 of us). Well I showed up and it turns out it was a graduation party. I love my co-workers. I'm going to miss them all so much when I move away. They really are more like friends and family than people I work with. Sure, I'm not as close with some of them, but others are great. I really think of Kellen as a big brother, well kind of. We jokingly flirt a lot but nothing would ever come of it since he's married. Bonnie has been more like my substitute mom in Tucson than anything else; I even get frustrated and angry with her like a mom. May is like the crazy aunt I see every month or so and Chuck, her husband, is like the nice uncle that tries his hardest to relate even though we don't have a ton in common. Though I had a decent birthday weekend, I don't think it would have been as wonderful without the party. Kellen even brought me the most delicious cake I've ever had from his father-in-law's bakery. I appreciate them all so much :)

I just haven't had time

to write. I've been so busy and sick. I have spent most of the month of April recovering from a severe cold and pink eye. Let me tell you, it has made my last month of school super fun, including many nights of falling asleep at 8 PM, not going out, and watching more movies then I thought I could in a week. I also have succeeded in writing 3 papers in the month April. One was on the Puget Sound (and I did a presentation on it), one was on Hamas and Palestine and the national security threat they pose, and the last was on Loving v. Virginia and the potential for social change being created by the court system. Let me tell you, it was a good month. Now I have a few days to catch up on reading. I have a final on Tuesday. Then I have a take home final and another on May 9th. I cannot believe I'm almost done.

Here are the final results for the law schools:
1) Roger Williams - Accepted and withdrawn
2) Valparaiso - Accepted and withdrawn
3) University of Oregon - Waitlisted and withdrawn
4) University of Arizona - Waitlisted and withdrawn
5) Seton Hall - Accepted and withdrawn
6) Rutgers @ Newark - Deferred, waitlisted, and I think I'm sticking on this waitlist just to see what happens
7) William & Mary - Waitlisted. I don't know how this happened. I full expected a rejection letter. I'm staying on their wait list and will seriously consider attending if I get an acceptance in the next month.
8) Seattle University - Accepted & most likely attending

I mailed my deposit out to Seattle in the middle of April. A week ago I got a letter that really freaked me out telling me I was officially a student at their school and had a seat held for me.

I should be finishing a study guide but I'm just not focused enough to do so, so I guess I might go to bed and watch a movie because I have to work tomorrow and then go to a work party.

I hope to start writing again more once school is done. This summer will definitely be a roller coaster.

There are good people

Read this story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060417/ap_on_fe_st/homeless_man_wallet

It makes me smile.

Sick

I hate being sick. I just want to be better. I wish my ear would stop hurting. That's all for now.

My List

I am Ali.

What more could you ever want to know?

Let me try to answer all your questions.

I'm a super busy student that occasionally finds time to sleep.

I like to read as long as it's not textbooks.

I want to go to law school some day and that dream is quickly coming true.

If I wasn’t doing that I’d get a master’s in Higher Education.

I'm a dreamer and an optimist.

I love coffee and studying at coffee houses.

I love meeting the new, interesting people at coffee houses.

I make friends wherever I go with strangers.

I like to procrastinate and do it more than I should.

I now live with one of my best friends that I've known since 5th grade.

I'm a red head and so is my roommate.

I like to ramble (as you can see).

You've probably already stopped reading this but it's okay.

I'm learning to love cooking.

I love to drive during the summer with my windows down.

I just like driving with my windows down.

Sometimes when I'm feeling sad or lonely or just bleh I go for a drive because it makes me happy.

I miss the days of going for drives with Andrea in HS and looking for rain.

I'm lost without my cell phone.

I love to sing even though I am terrible at it.

Even more, I love to dance (I'm bad at that too).

The simple things in life make me smile and I'm learning to appreciate that more.

I love chocolate (maybe that's why I work in a chocolate store).

I was born in NJ and moved to Phoenix when I was 10.

I’m almost done with my undergrad work in Tucson.

I don’t know where I want to spend the rest of my life anymore.

I'm totally terrified of going away to law school alone and being in a town where I don't know a soul.

I'm also excited about getting to move to a new town and making new friends and seeing new things.

I want to get a passport even though I have nowhere to go.

I love being in college but I'm not digging classes anymore.

I'm tired of going through silly motions just to get a piece of paper that says I'm smarter than I was 4 years ago.

Most of what I've learned really hasn't been sitting in a classroom. I

love meeting new people and trying new things even though sometimes I'm not as willing as I should be.

I love my friends to death and I'm sad that we will all be in different places next year.

It scares me that so many of my friends are married or having kids or living with someone.

It's okay though because I know I don't want that yet.

I could go on with this forever.

I like to lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling - there's something relaxing about it.

I don’t like people sitting on my bed unless it's made.

The curtains in my bedroom are really shower curtains.

My toenails are almost always painted pink.

I love wearing skirts but my legs are really white but I just don't care anymore.

When I was little my dream was to one day create a way to get rid of my freckles.

I miss my family back east.

I have 22 second cousins in just one branch of the family.

I'm an only child though.

I love to laugh and smile.

If you can make me laugh I'll pretty much automatically be your friend.

I like to think I'm funny but I frequently make really bad jokes.

I hate fancy food – I prefer a burger and some beer much more.

I like going to bars but hate the smell.

I prefer to stay out way later than I should.

Board games are the best things in the world.

I love cheesy girl movies but then again I love Die Hard and the like also.

I think I need to learn to love fish.

I love sticky notes.

I like to make lists.

I think that will be all the rambling for now.

If you want more (I'm not sure what you could want to know), just ask :)

I wish

I wish we had met sooner.
I wish we had more time to get to know each other.
I wish you didn't have to go back so soon.
I wish we weren't just a fling.
I wish I knew you'd be happy where you are.
I wish I'd know when you returned home safe.
I wish for what I could have never had.

My Secret about PostSecret

Every Sunday night I look forwarding to reading Post Secret. I don't know what it is about the site but it's the one thing that I never forget to do on Sundays. Either way almost every time I read the site I cry a little. Sometimes because the stories of hope make me happy, other times it makes me so sad to know that someone out there has such a painful secret, and other times because the card I'm reading could be mine. When I think about it, there are so many secrets I could share on a postcard, but I'm blessed enough to have friends that I know I can share anything with. Though not all of my friends know each secret, it's good knowing that somebody knows what you feel.

<3

So many things.

First, Seattle was amazing. I didn't want to even get on the plane to come home. Given I had to but I sure didn't want to. I think I will be so happy there next year. I know at first I'll be sad and lonely but once I get a routine and into the swing of things I don't think I'll ever want to leave. I'll miss all my friends and family but I'm beginning to realize it might be the best place for me.

Second, I want to quit my job, quit school, and quit leaving the house. I think I just need a week or two where all I have to do is switch movies out at Blockbuster and lay around and read books. Very quickly I'm getting tired of everything. Senioritis is a complete bitch. After this minute procrastination of blogging I have to go do homework - at 9 PM on a Friday night - awesome.

Third, I met a guy that I hung out with but he left this morning to go back to his post in the Marines. I really enjoyed getting to hang out with him and just having a good time. We didn't' really exchange info or anything so I'm pretty confident I'll never see or hear from him again. The point of it was that the time I spent with him was me smiling most of the time. Sadly, I don't remember being that happy in recent times. I also felt comfortable with a guy which really hasn't happened since Mark. It kind of sucks that I'll never see him again, if he lived in Tucson I would have liked to get to know him better, but it gives me hope. Hope that somebody is out there for me.

Lastly, since both Judy & Terry are leaving Blue Chip I've been asked to sit on the Recruitment Committee. It's actually pretty neat - I'm either the only or one of two students that will represent the entire program when hiring. I feel very honored and hope to make the best selection I can. I've never really had to hire people or do interviews so I'll do the best I can and just hope that they fit in well with Blue Chip.

100 Things You Never Needed to Know About Me

100 THINGS

1: First grade teacher's name: Grrr...I normally can think of this.

2. Last word you said: Will - I was singing along to Teddy Geiger

3: Last song you sang: Whatever that song is called

4: Last person you hugged: Sabrina when I saw her at work

5: Last thing you laughed at?: 'Just Friends' that I watched earlier

6: Last time you said I don't remember: Uhm....who knows :p

7: Last time you cried? Actually cried was last month.....teared up more recently

8: Are you currently wearing a shirt from Minnesota: Nope - a Union Bay sweatshirt that my grandfather gave me.

::PRESENT::

9: What color socks are you wearing: black - I wore a black turtleneck today

10: What's under your bed: Boxes of stuff and probably some junk I've forgotten about

11: What time did you wake up today: ohhhh like 11:30 maybe?? I don't know - whenever the phone rang

12: Current taste: I'm drinking hot cocoa

13: Current hair: Red and long

14: Current thirst: None - see #12

15: Current annoyance: that I have to clean my room after I get to #100 and the Sex and the City that's on was on like last week

16: Current longing: to be in Seattle

17: Current desktop background: My grandfather making a funny face....it changes hourly

18: Current worry: Too many to name

19: Current hate: uhm? That I'm still in Tucson and not out on a Saturday night during Spring Break

20: Current favorite article of clothing: Ever? I don't know.

21: Favorite physical feature of the preferred sex: Eyes

22: Last CD that you listened to: The 92.9 Studio C CD

23: Favorite place to be: The Jersey shore

24: Least favorite place: quickly becoming Tucson

25: Time you wake up in the morning? normally between 7:30 & 9 depending on what I'm doing

26: If you could play an instrument: I can still kind of play the flute. I've always wanted to play the piano or violin though.

27: Favorite color: purple

28: Do you believe in an afterlife: yes in some form

29: How tall are you: 5'4"

30: Current favorite word/saying: echelons

31: Favorite book: well right now I read nothing but textbooks...I love Nicholas Sparks, Roald Dahl, ugh....I don't know....stop asking difficult questions

32: Favorite season: where I am currently it's the fall

33: One person from your past you wish you could go back and talk to: ohhh so difficult...I pass

::FUTURE::

35: Where do you want to go for college? I'm graduating in May from UA for undergrad. I would love to go to William & Mary for law school or Seattle.

36: What is your career going to be like: Intellectual property lawyer specializing in internet issues - hahaa I want to work for Google or Microsoft.

37: How many kids do you want: One or two

38: Where do you want to live? I don't know....Seattle?

::HAVE YOU EVER...::

39: Said "I love you": Yes .

40: Gotten in a fight with your dog/cat/bird/fish: Well my cat has been angry at me

41: Been to New York: Yup...not in a long time though

42: Been to Florida: Yup...last time I was there was last summer

43: Been to California: A few times but not since Senior year of high school

44: Been to Hawaii: Negative

45: Been to Mexico: Negative

46: Been to China: I've never been out of the country, alright?

47: Been to Alaska?: I want to go and see my friend and her husband

48: Dreamed something really crazy and then it happened the next day: Not necessarily the next day but soon thereafter

Where the heck is the next 3 questions??

52: Do you have a crush on someone: *sigh* Yes. A few. Such as the hot bartender at the Shanty. If you happen to read this, uhm yeah :p

53: What book are you reading now? Sadly here is the list: Strategies of Containment (about the Cold War), The Hollow Hope (about the USSC and social change), Prophets of the Hood (about lyrics and poetry in hip hop). There's a few others but those are the main ones right now.

54: Worst feeling in the world: crying and having nobody to hug

55: What is the first thing you think when you wake in the morning: I don't want to go to school/work

56: How many rings before you answer: normally like 2

57: Would you like the chicken or beef: Chicken

where is number 58?

59: Do you sleep with a stuffed animal: *sigh* Yes.

where is 60-63??

64: Do you do drugs: no

65: Do you drink: Yup

66: Is anyone still reading this: Probably not

67: What kind of Shampoo and Conditioner do you use? Depends on my mood when I go shopping

68: What are you most scared of: Making the wrong choice about law school (currently)....or wax figures

69: What clothes do you sleep in? depends on the weather

70: Who is the last person that called you: My mom

71:Where do you want to get married: I don't know...I'll figure that out when I have a ring on my finger

72: If you could change anything about yourself what would that be: Physically....I'd like to be more fit or my knees....in general...to be more confident

73. Who do you hate: Not a lot of a people...the bad drivers in Tucson??

74: Been In Love: Yes and had the heart broken

75: Are you timely or always late: always early...usually about 10-15 minutes

76: Do you have a job: yes I am a chocolatier

77: Do you like being around people? Usually

78: Best feeling in the world: Somebody complimenting you and truly meaning it

79: Are you for world peace: Of course though it's not realistic

80: Are you a health freak: I should become one

81: Do you have a "Type" of person you always go after: Somewhat but I tend to wander

82: Do you want someone you don't have?: *LOL*

83: Are you lonely right now: Not particularly

84: Ever afraid you'll never get married: Sometimes

85: Do you want to get married: I think so

86: Do you want kids? Yes

::IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, HAVE YOU...::

87: Cried: No

88: Bought Something: Too much :( Being alone a rainy Saturday causes for too much money getting spent

89: Gotten Sick: Nope

90: Sang: Yessir

91: Said I Love you: Yup to my mom and Jamie (in the sisterly way)

92: Wanted To Tell Someone You Liked them: Yeah...at the bar :)

93: Met Someone: I don't think so

94: Moved On: Not really, what do I have to move on from?

95: Talked To Someone: Yup

96: Had A Serious Talk: Negative

97: Missed Someone: Of course

98: Hugged Someone: Nope

99: Yelled at Someone: Well not to their face...I yelled while driving at the idiots who think rain requires them to go 15 MPH

100. Someone You Can't Be with out: In the last 48 hours? I don't know :)

Randomness at 12:35

First, I got invited to join Phi Beta Kappa. I know it's an awesome honor but everybody in the family has made a bigger deal out of this than anything I can remember. You know it seems like getting into law school was nothing compared to this :P

Second, I love Coffee Xchange. It's like my home sometimes. I feel comfortable and safe. Today there was an amazingly cute guy there. Brightest blue eyes I've ever seen. Too bad I have no guts and just smiled at him occasionally rather than approaching him. I looked like poo though so yeah. Also, Fred (a.k.a Santa) always makes me smile. I love that he distracts me and chats with me about random things.

Third, I cannot wait for spring break. I'm not really prepared for my midterm tomorrow (probably a bad idea because I think it's worth like 30% of my overall grade). However, Jamie and I are going to the zoo and we will have fun. Seattle just cannot come soon enough. My mind checked out on Tuesday night.

Fourth, I'm angry that Chloe won Project Runway. I think Santino totally deserved it. I loved his dresses. He can design for me anyday.

Fifth, I've gotten the blue screen of death from my computer twice now. Let's hope it makes it until May. :/

Confessions...

...of a somewhat normal person. (not a princess or drama queen because I'm neither).

* I tried to do this last night and my computer gave me a blue screen :(
* I love to sit around in my towels after a shower.
* I really love to dance even though I'm not so awesome at it.
* I'm terrified of graduating in May - the rest of my life hasn't been planned out since I was 4.
* I can't wait to go to Seattle next week.
* I may have made my decision on law schools based on a 48 trip to a city I had never seen.
* It might end up being the best decision I ever made.
* It might end up being the worst decision I ever made.
* I'm grumpy about living in Phoenix this summer.
* I feel like I'm going to have no friends.
* I worry that I'll want to stay in Phoenix and not move because I love everyone in AZ.
* I wish I lived near a beach. Watching water calms me.
* I love the feeling of sand between my toes but hate when it sticks to your skin.
* I use humor to cover up all the other emotions.
* I love to laugh and think the bad things in life should just be laughed at.
* I love cheesy chick flicks and sometimes watch them as a good excuse to cry.
* I think everyone should cry sometimes - it's good for the soul.
* I'm a hopeless romantic deep down inside.
* I worry that I'll never find that perfect person that completes me.
* I worry that I already did and lost them without knowing it.
* I love my iPod and don't care how trendy it is - it's quite useful.
* I have to use compact toothbrush heads because I have such a small mouth.
* I have tiny teeth and big gums and am very insecure about it.
* I have huge ears that are super flexible (they don't have a lot of cartiledge).
* I want to drive a silver Toyota 4Runner someday.
* I love my little sports car and love to go faster than I should.
* I think the best part about being single is I don't have to shave my legs everyday.
* I still usually do though because I like how they feel when they're smooth.
* I'm super pale and that will never change but I really want to try tanning cream.
* I think Phoenix has better fast food than Tucson ever will.
* I love onions and eat them all the time. I eat garlic lots too.
* I like to drink tequila but only do when I want to be super drunk.
* I can now walk in high heels. I feel sexier when I do.
* I miss doing gymnastics and wish I never quit.
* I don't know anything but going to school and having crappy part-time retail jobs.
* I fear what life will be like.
* In 3 years I'll be over $100,000 in debt.
* I don't stress out anymore. I think it might be because I just have stopped feeling some stuff.
* I worry that I won't make any friends in Seattle.
* I want to be in Seattle now.
* I want to learn how to sail and scuba dive.
* If I could do anything on a day off, I'd read at a coffee shop or the beach.
* I want to find somebody to wake up with on Sundays and go to a coffee shop and just read for a while.
* I know what I want to do with the rest of my life - but it changes every week.
* I wish I had majored in something different - maybe accounting or classics or English.
* I wish I had taken more sign language classes and could interpret.
* I think the thing I'll miss most from UA is Blue Chip (besides my friend).
* I believe the bartender at the Shanty is a cutie, but I don't think I'm pretty enough to talk to
him.
* I am truthfully quite insecure and just don't show it. I overcompensate with a bit of an ego.
* I have gained 20 pounds since I started college and want to lose it.
* I want to lose the weight for myself and also because I miss being the "hot, skinny girl"
* I wear an apron at work because I think it covers up how I feel (which is usually ugly).
* I want to go to the zoo and forget about all of my homework and midterms.
* I make lists compulsively, usually just to waste time.
* I make lists that are sometimes super important though.
* I love sticky notes.
* I am anal-retentive and overly organized but somehow I'm still a little messy.
* I really want to drive across the country.
* I think I sometimes missed out on something because I've never been to Europe.
* I want to go on a vacation with somebody I'm falling in love with.
* I miss the feeling of the butterflies when you see somebody you love.
* I miss catching lightning bugs at night in the summers in Jersey.
* I wish for the Jersey shore all of the time.
* I don't think the CDs of oceans sounds ever sound very real.
* I don't want to go do my notecards but that's what I have to do.

Procrastinating with Quizzes

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (46%) medium which suggests you average somewhere in between being calm and resilient and being anxious and reactive. Orderliness (80%) high which suggests you are overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense too often of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun. Extraversion (63%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (24%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (68%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

ESFJ - "Seller". Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses. 12.3% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

Pride & Prejudice

"If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love... I love... I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." -- Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice (2005).

I was thinking to myself....what is it about Mr. Darcy that continually seduces females, generation after generation? I think it is the idea of hope. The hope that love like that exists so honestly in a person. Even if it was just a creation of someone's mind, it still gives those of us hopeless romantics a chance to believe. We can only imagine how amazing it would feel to be loved so ardently by someone so loyal.

In all reality a lot of the cheesy romantic movies leave me feeling empty and like I'm missing a piece of myself. However, Pride & Prejudice is different. I don't leave feeling like I'm missing something, but rather that I have something to look forward in my life. Hope is an amazing feeling to have. It is just beyond what I feel on a normal basis. Though things are starting to turn. I'm hoping my trip to Seattle will make me feel more excited and alive.

Roger Williams, Being Single, and life in general...

Hmmm....where to start. I so wish I could write more but when I feel the need to write I never seem to be around a computer or one with enough privacy to write what I want to. Oh well, I guess all of my readers (hahaha) just get deprived.

First, I got an acceptance letter to Roger Williams. I so thought I already had received an acceptance from there but I guess not *oops*. Either way they offered me a Leadership Scholarship. Pretty much they offered to give me half of tuition (the equivalent of about $13,500) and then a $500 stipend for textbooks and other course materials. At first it was a very tempting offer but then I stopped to think. I've read some really awful reviews of the school and their bar passage rate is not good at all. I also don't' think I'd be very happy in Rhode Island. I more applied as a back up school, not as a real consideration.

Being single sucks. I miss having somebody to hug all of the time. Mark has a new girlfriend (per facebook) and that caused lots of issues early on in the week. However, I guess it's about time he moved on since he was the one who wanted to date other people. I've dated but nobody really serious. Oh well. I probably wont' until I'm up in Seattle. I don't' want to fall for somebody and just have to move away from them.

Last night we went to Asylum. I definitely got some interesting attention. There was a guy who spent a large portion of the night trying to dance with me - he looked like a member of the Cure Mike said. Also, there was this guy in a plaid vest, high water pants, and glasses. On his way out he walked up and said hi to me and kissed my neck and walked away with two girls in tow. It was very strange. However, it was nice to have some attention. It made me feel better about myself to a certain extent.

Alright, I need to go make some lunch before I go to work *boo*. Maybe more sometime soon.

My inner power...oooh!!

Sensitivity- Your inner power is Sensitivity! You are true to your heart, and probably a hopeless romantic. Everyone loves you for your gentle ways and kind words, and you are brilliant with animals and young children. Youre very sweet and caring, and you have friends who love you, who are always there to support you and hold you when your fragile heart is broken. You are most likely often found daydreaming about your life and your future, and you have a talent for dealing with kids, all of which adore you, even if youve only been around them for five minutes. Youre the one your friends turn to when they need a shoulder to cry on, and a
kind word to get them smiling again. You are shy, lovable, compassionate, and seek to make
the world a better place. You will go far in life for sure. You go girl!

Boy/Girl who will sweep you off your feet: The romantic, sweet guy/girl that every girl
dreams of at some stage in their life. You just love the way he/she treats you as you are the most precious, important girl in the world, and the way you know hell/shell never cheat on you.

Your stone/jewel: Calcite

Your power: Love. You can make the most revengeful person mellow, and have a talent
for being a brilliant match maker.

Your element: Earth

A quote that applies to you: "When you step to the ledge of all the light you have left, and you take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you might believe one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for you step upon, or you will learn how to fly."


What's your inner power? (Girls only sorry. Beautiful anime pictures, lengthy results)
brought to you by Quizilla

Life Lesson

One of the most important things I've learned in college, no really in life, is that the best thing you can do is to leave an imprint in someone's life. It's not when you're trying to make a difference or when you're attempting to make yourself heard that matters the most. It's the small things. It's the days when you're being nothing but yourself and something you do leaves a mark on someone's heart. Most of the time you probably don't even realize it, but those are the things that truly matter. We all know the people who impact on a daily basis - that our lives affect. Our parents, our friends, our roommates. Those are the simple ones. However, when you make a difference in someone's life by not even trying it's the best. A simple smile, an acknowledgement of that person, or just a small gesture. Those are the things that we do everyday without realizing the things it can change in someone's life.

I don't know how more to explain it. I'm sure everyone has had one of those days where nothing seems to be going right, where the world seems like it's out to get you. Then something small happens. A stranger smiles, someone holds a door, someone lets you out of a driveway in traffic, the unexpected. It's the unexpected because it's not what you were looking for that day - it probably was the last thing. However, I know when those days happen to me and the kindness of strangers shows, I realize I'll be okay. It's not about the big things. Everyone remembers the big events that people try for, but it's the unexpected and frequently small catalysts that really make the difference.

It's the people in life who walk around with the smiles on their faces that can change the world. It may never make the news or be in the papers. When you walk around with a smile it's this unifying thing. People smile back. Usually they don't even realize it. It's the people who have smiled at me that make me know things are okay still, even when I feel my worst. So at the end of the day even though I might feel awful inside, I put on a smile. Not because I'm trying to hide anything but because once you start to smile, it's hard to stop.

I don't know what my random rant was really about. It just reminds me as I'm getting ready to graduate and move on in life, it's a good time to tell a lot of people that they mean a lot to me. Even though a lot of the friend's I've made I probably won't talk to in another 5 years, that's alright. The point is they were my friend. They made an impact in my life and I will always remember them. I can't ask for anything more in life. Just to keep moving on and making memories, its' the one thing people really can't take from me. Sometimes they are things I want to share, and other times they're private. All that matters though is that I keep making them. No matter where I end up in a few months, the past 4 years of my life will always be a big part of my life. I know more great things are to come but I think of the simple nights of just eating at a restaurant with a group of friends or doing something silly that nobody else would understand why it was so fun because they weren't there, and I don't know how anything could top some of those memories. Even the nights that were spent shedding tears over one thing or another make me smile in retrospect. Some of those things still hurt, but I smile at the fact that they don't hurt quite as bad because there was always somebody who made the tears stop. Even if it was just that stranger that smiled at me on the sidewalk for no other reason than I existed.

Bad, Bad Me

I've been a very bad poster. I just haven't had any time. I don't want my blog to fall to the wayside. It's something kind of important to me.

Updates: Accepted to Seton Hall. Deferred from Rutgers. Waiting on a letter in the mail from Seattle.

I have a date with a guy named Mark this weekend. We went out earlier in January and had a really good time. I look forward to it.

School is keeping me super busy. Lots of reading and class attending but not too much homework. I have a whole bunch of papers (which I hope to start a bit soon) but only one final during the actual week of finals. The final I expected to be the hardest has been made take home since the scheduled time conflicted with graduation. I know, quite silly.

Leadership retreat was amazing. Hopefully more on that soon. I'm excited to graduate but so nervous about it. Jamie and I decided today to just let our lease run out at the end of May. That means summer in Phoenix. The high will be having air conditioning and not having to pay any bills. The low will be being away from a lot of my friends and not getting to spend the summer with Jamie.

*sigh* Bed time. Not awake enough to continue to write coherently.

Relaxing

Today was relaxing....read more of my book. Watched some 24. Talked to my mom. Went to see a sneak preview of Last Holiday with Queen Latifah & LL Cool J. Was nothing special and actually I was kind of glad it was free. For a cute, cheesy chick flick (in a way) I didn't enjoy it. I liked the characters but the movie just didn't seem to flow all the time. Plus, the crowd in the theater was miserable. Oh well. I did find it quite amusing that my purse was searched & security used a metal detector on everyone to make sure we weren't bringing in video cameras. It wasn't like it was Star Wars or something. Plus there were 2 secuirty guards that stood at the entrances the whole movie. Silly people! Oh well, now I'm chatting online and staying up later than I should. I guess it's what breaks are for!

From A Million Little Pieces

"This little books feeds me. It feeds me food I didn't know existed, feeds me food I wanted to taste, and have never tasted before, food that will nourish me and keep me full and keep me alive. I read it and it feeds me. It lets me see what my life is in simple terms, it simply is what it is, and I can deal with my life on those terms. A second is no more than a second, a minute no more than a minute, a day no more than a day. They pass. All things and all time will pass. Don't force or fear, don't' control or lose control. Don't fight and don't stop fighting. Embrace and endure. If you embrace, you will endure."

I just liked the quote so I thought I would share. He's referring to a book of Tao somebody gave him.

Vent

I want to write and want to vent but I don't have the motivation to do so. There's something bothering me but I'm not quite sure what. So onto random other things.

So today was nice. I woke up and spent about 2 hours just laying in bed and reading my book. I'm still working on A Million Little Pieces and it keeps getting more and more intense. When I started reading the book I thought James, the main character, was much older than he really is. It's tragic to read the book of this man who spirals into complete oblivion and he's only 23. It's scary to think that there are really people out there like him. They start drinking and drugs when they're 10. It makes me so sad to think that nobody cares about these people in a sense. Otherwise it wouldn't take them so long to get attention. Though nobody is frequently to blame, it just makes me want to cry thinking about how many people could be helped.

Once I woke up and dragged my butt out of bed, Jamie and I went shopping. I found this adorable tanzanite ring I want to buy and have sized down to fit on my pinky. I'm going to go back tomorrow and see if Bonnie's (my boss) connection is there. Hopefully I can get a good deal on it. After the mall we went to CD City. A great place. They have old, used CDs at 2 for $5. I found some good CDs in there and a quite attractive guy was talking to me. Then we hit up Albertson's for some food and there was another guy who took notice of me. I made some chicken helper for Jamie & I and we watched 2 awful movies. It was a good night.

Today is one of the days where I look in the mirror and I feel truly pretty. It's not supposed to sound conceited, but I'm sure it does come across that way. I just sometimes look in the mirror and hate what I see and want to change so much about me. Today, however, was one of the days where I truly like what I see in the mirror. I know it sounds silly but these are the days that give me the self-confidence I present but frequently don't actually possess. Maybe that's why people notice me when I'm in a strange place - I have the confidence because nobody really knows me and I don't' have to feel like I'm something I"m not sometimes.

I realized today that if Jamie & I end up at different law schools, leaving her behind will be one of the hardest things I have to do. Moving away to UA was hard, leaving my parents & Andrea. However, I know wherever I go my parents will always be in my life and I will see them. Andrea is still a great friend, even though we're far apart. I know that will be the same way with Jamie but it just seems harder. Maybe it was because though I needed Andrea she wasn't such a support system because I had my parents. Jamie, though, has been one of the main reasons I still have my sanity today. Going somewhere without her terrifies me but I know it's something that will eventually happen. I just hope it's later rather than sooner.

I <3>all of my friends & family and I'm so afraid to have to create a new life. I know I will succeed but I just can't imagine leaving behind the people that I have been so close to the past 4 years. I'm afraid to lose the life I know here. It finally started getting good this year after a kind of sucky last year, and now I have to walk away from it. Even if I stayed here, it would leave me. I think that's part of the reason Tucson is unattractive for next year. I just couldn't bear feeling left behind as everyone else moved away and onto other things. I'd still be here in Tucson, within my comfort zone, and feeling alone. I think I just need to move somewhere new.

Okay so I guess I did have a bit of rambling to do - but then again, when don't I? Off to do whatever now.

First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes

I love this song....I want to find this.

"First Day Of My Life"

This is the first day of my life
I swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed
They're spreading blankets on the beach

Yours is the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you
Now I don’t know where I am
I don’t know where I’ve been
But I know where I want to go

And so I thought I’d let you know
That these things take forever
I especially am slow
But I realize that I need you
And I wondered if I could come home

Remember the time you drove all night
Just to meet me in the morning
And I thought it was strange you said everything changed
You felt as if you had just woke up
And you said “this is the first day of my life
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you
But now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you
And I’d probably be happy”

So if you want to be with me
With these things there’s no telling
We just have to wait and see
But I’d rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
Besides maybe this time is different
I mean I really think you like me

New Year's

New Years was good. I learned something though.

Lots of alcohol + not enough water = very dehydrated Ali.

I feel like I could drink water until there was none left in the tap.

*sigh* I've been up for a long time. Now sleep.