my life as ali...
ali

good vibes and high fives...

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April 9th, 10:33pm 1 comment

smh...

in case you have been living in a bubble for the past few years...
SPOILER ALERT: abbrevs: they really are sweepin' the naysh (nation). i wouldn't kid about something like this. abbreviating words is a fascinating thing. there is even a facebook group dedicated to such a hobby. i'm a proud group member. a few of my personal fave's (favorites) include...
hilar (hilarious)
perf (perfect)
deets (details)
beaut staysh (beauty station) (story behind "beaut staysh"... my friends jodi, lexi, cathy and myself spent quite a few summers working together at a supper club resort in northeastern wisconsin. i bartended and waitressed. we all waitressed. and the kitchen (abbreviated as "kitch") was hotter than hell. literally. it's a fact. so hot, in fact, we also came up with the abbreviation SUL (sweaty upper lip). and our SUL was what we had to constantly wipe before entering the dining room and greeting our customers. real classy. but we're getting off topic... sometimes we'd feel like getting ready with more than our usual ponytails and chapstick so before work we'd spend extra time getting glammed up by playing "beaut staysh". we'd pretend it got us better tips as the mascara distracted people from our perma-SUL, but who really knows.)

those were the good days. the good abbrevs. simply shortening words... exactly what i believe an abbrev is supposed to be. now-a-days the youngsters have a whole new world of abbrevs that come with texting... lol, rofl, lmao... blah blah boring!  i don't like it. however, last week i learned of a new abbrev. i was at work and told one of my high school kids something that he clearly thought wasn't very hip so his response was just simply "smh, ali. s...m...h". we shared an awkward laugh and he left. i immediately got on my phone to text a few of my buddies... i needed to know what "smh" stood for. and NO WAY was i going to show defeat and ask a high school kid. please.... i'd never hear the end of that. and i refuse to be that uncool. after few "WTF", "noooo idea" and "beats me" responses, a good friend (whom shall remain nameless per their request for knowing of such "teeny bopper drama speak"), it was brought to my attention that "smh" stands for "shaking my head". now, come on, WHY is that even thought to be an abbrev? and who would have ever guessed that?? and if that would have been your guess or you already knew it, well then excuse my language but.. .bitch, please.. smh? really? get a life.

my annoyance had subsided and i had moved on and had almost forgotten about my refusal to acknowledge "smh" as an acceptable form of communication... until this past friday. it was just like any other friday at school... everyone was glad it was finally friday. and to make the day even shorter, we had a scheduled assembly. assemblies are usually pretty uneventful for me, but i will admit there are usually numerous fairly entertaining coversation topics that come out of them. friday was no exception. prom court was announced, kids ran around smacking other kids in the head with a dead fish trying to break an egg (don't ask!). and then the unthinkable happened... there was a surprise concert. i was fingers crossed that def leppard or justin bieber (don't judge) were going to bust through the gym doors. no such luck. however, it was our new senior transfer student straight from compton (i swear, you can't make this crap up) and his real life rap group. recording contract and all. you have got to be kidding me! this isn't normal. the kids went wild. i felt like the only person on the planet who had never heard of "savii inc". really, i was almost speechless. i had a million thoughts in my head but all that i could muster out my mouth was "smh. s...m...h". it was the only thing that seemed appropriate. it was the first, and last, time "smh" will cross these lips.

now don't worry. i did you all a favor and youtube-d "savii inc" and will post the video of one of the songs they performed. and lexi, i swear if you call me and say something like "OMG, gates, that rap group is hilar... blah blah blah rap names... blah blah blah regulators" ... i will probably just hang up on you.

i assume most of my followers will have a similar "smh" response. incase you are uncertain to what that reaction might consist of... here are a few examples...

Bitch_please
Disagrement
Bitch_please2

and now, please welcome to your screen, for your viewing pleasure.... savii inc.

were you aware the plural of finger is fingahz??

you can thank me later.

Posted
April 4th, 9:47pm 0 comments

spring break '11... or not...

let me get right to the point of this blog. going to work this week... major buzz kill!! (Major Buzz Kill (salute)). you see, all of my athletic training friends around here are on spring break. i, however, am not. apparently we are the rebels of south orange county and will be spring break-ing the last week of april by ourselves. yeah yeah, i know.. when it's actually me that's on spring break, everyone will be jealous blah blah blah. that doesn't really help. who will i hang out with? again, yeah yeah, i know... my parents and holly will be here during my spring break. i can't wait. but that fact doesn't help me out now either. and again, yeah yeah, i know... i'm 29 and that's too old to be excited about spring break. so in the whiniest voice i can muster up... "i wanna be on spring break nooooooow"

as this week carries on and i continue to get the "i loooove sleeping in", "we're at the beeeach" and "happy hour is soooo awesome" texts... my inner thoughts will be this...

Fuck_you_couch_dave_chapelle

but what i'll show on the outside... well, first of all i'm gonna get myself a big fancy bedazzled cup.  then i'll buck up and proceed accordingly...    

Tumblr_liyfv5iubo1qa2osao1_500

Posted
March 24th, 12:38pm 0 comments

gut check...

gut check.
 -noun. a test of one's nerve, courage, or determination.

it's day 24 of 60 in my INSANITY! journey... i'm 2 days past the point where i gave up last time. this week has been a struggle... a struggle to keep going when last time it was just so simple to stop and not look back. i stopped before because i was sore. this time i had better prepared myself to start up again and thought it would be easier. well, spoiler alert: i'm sore again this time. 3 more workouts this week, 1 day rest, then a full week of recovery workouts. i look forward to recovery week, although if i know INSANITY! like i think i do, "recovery" isn't a term to be taken literally... i'm still gonna get my ass kicked. but just the name "recovery"... it's what i need. what my body needs. and what my mind needs. then starts the last half of maximum training. and from what my buddy sam tells me, i'm afraid. very afraid.

so day 24, and i'm at a gut check point. i'm stronger this time and i've been trying to focus on the positive things i'm gaining out of this insane (pun intended) journey. so here goes... my face looks slimmer, i had to tighten my watch and i've been sleeping better. and who doesn't like to sleep?

and frankly, without the long distance motivation and support of my workout buddies, my friends, tracey and randy, well... i honestly don't know if i'd be here almost to the half-way point.

so here's to it: T minus 36 days and two thumbs up...

Insanity_3

Posted
March 20th, 11:37pm 3 comments

what's in my...

everyone loves tv, right?? well, recently a friend of mine was telling me the story of how the new girl he's dating doesn't like tv. and i mean doesn't like ANY tv. she doesn't watch movies. and she doesn't even watch (gasp) sports!! ridiculous, right?? frankly, i didn't know such people even existed. i mean, what is their purpose?
since then we've spent a lot of time discussing how this could potentially be a "deal breaker" in their relationship... my personal thoughts - end it. now! ok ok, i know that sounds a bit harsh. sure she's a fun gal and lovely to be around... but what kind of crazy person doesn't at least have one favorite tv show?? you know, the show you can turn to that provides stupid humor and countless laughs for when you are down in the dumps. or a show full of drama that lets you escape your own life's reality for an hour. or find me the person who doesn't want to spend one hour a week watching cast-aways slowly going insane, all the while starving, in attempts to outwit, outplay and outlast each other for the chance to win a million bucks. it's time well spent, people!! time. well. spent.

and you know those times in life when you really need to make your point and you use a famous tv/movie scenerio for an extra punch of emphasis?? (bueller? ...bueller?) well, those non-tv watchers will still just be staring at you blankly not grasping your full enthusiasm. then you'll get super angry and probably go all bobby knight on their ass (another famous sports tv reference they won't understand) and that just won't be good for anyone involved. so let's stop prolonging the inevitable... dump her. immediatly.

now that i've gotten that off my chest... step into my living room, have a seat on my couch, bring your comfy blanket and let's curl up and review what's in my dvr. those of you who don't own a dvr (or tivo)... come on, it's 2011, catch up. the dvr (or tivo) is quite possibly one of the top 5 inventions of all time. seriously. you can say good-bye to your days of channel surfing to find sometime decent to watch. with a dvr (or tivo) you can always have a stockpile of shows you enjoy ready and wating for you and your viewing pleasure. does life get any better?

i'm always into new suggestions...
but for now, here's what i record:

DAILY:
ellen
oprah: the farewell season

MONDAY...
cake boss
how i met your mother
gossip girl
mad love

TUESDAY...
biggest loser
ncis
ncis: los angeles
parenthood
tosh.o

WEDNESDAY...
survivor
better with you
law & order: svu

THURSDAY...
big bang theory

FRIDAY...

SATURDAY...
cash & cari
cantore stories
when weather changed history

snl

SUNDAY...
brothers & sisters
sports zone (local sports chats and updates: GO HAWKS

SUMMER TIME:
my boys
drop dead diva
covert affairs


those of you who also follow the miss alexis blog i recommended last year (if you don't...fools!) already will know this fantastic knowledge that i'm about to drop in your lap... but coming this fall, nickelodeon will be airing "the 90s are all that" programming block from midnight to 2am (this is where a dvr (or tivo) would come in handy). if you were a teen in the 90s, brace yourself, because some of your favorite sitcoms will be returning.  i think entertainment weekly says it best... "finally, nostalgia gets its reckoning and and everyone will have a chance to see if their old favorites hold up, or if their taste in television, if nothing else, really has matured." here are the oldies i'm looking forward to...

clarissa explains it all

Clarissa

rugrats

Rugrats

the adventures of pete and pete

Pete_and_pete

also included are re-runs of "the amanda bynes show", "all that" and "kenan & kel". fingers crossed nickelodeon also decides to throw in "blossom", "salute your shorts" and possibly some "california dreams".

until next time, hombres, be kind to one another...

and that's the way it is...

Posted
March 14th, 12:52pm 1 comment

defying gravity...

last night was girls night. we had dinner, drinks and went to WICKED! i had been wanting too see it for years. it was fantastic. a MUST SEE for everyone! i even snuck in my camera for an undercover shot for my "project 365" album. facebook friends, you can see it posted there... (and besides, who doesn't have facebook?? all the cool kids are using it)

to my blog followers who have already seen wicked... lets get together, have a drink and chat all things that defy gravity.

those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure... "wicked tells the story of elphaba, the future wicked witch of the west, and her relationship with galinda (later glinda), the good witch of the north... their friendship struggles through their opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, their reactions to the wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, elphaba's public fall from grace. the plot begins before and continues after dorothy's arrival from kansas, and includes several references to the events depicted in the 1939 film "the wizard of oz" as a backstory." 

watch this preview and you'll instantly be searching for the next wicked production nearest you. you won't be disappointed.

for those of you close to me in laguna (or those looking for a time to visit)... here is a list of the upcoming broadway shows i'd like to see. if you are interested, let me know! i welcome good theater company..

9 to 5: the musical (shows may 10 - 15)
american idiot (may 29 - june 3)
mama mia (june 21 - 26)
mary poppins (july 14 - 31)
west side story (september 6 - 18)
blue man group (november 8 - 20)
cats (january 2012)
come fly away (february 2012)
les miserables (june 2012)
la cage aux folles (july/august 2012)

Posted
March 9th, 7:27am 1 comment

the final rose...

another season of the bachelor is upon us... on monday brad will hand out the final rose.

i know..i know.. you all can't believe that i actually watch the bachelor (or can you?). to explain, i have to go back to the beginning. it all went something like this...
(a few months back)
jess: did you see the previews for the new bachelor?
ali: yes, it's brad's re-return. i'm not watching
jess: we always say this...
ali: this time i'm serious. i'm out. 

jess: i'm totally in. i've decided to stop fighting it and just accept that i'm watching.
ali: ugh, fine... i'll talk to lex.

ali: lex, jess says we just need to accept our fate and watch the bach.
lex: good point, i'm in. i heart jess tan.
ali: crap, if you're in, i'm in.
lex: i'm pretty sure jodi is in too. 
ali: totes in

ali: we're in.
jess: i knew it.

and so here we are again... another season come and gone. as of now i will state with confidence that i won't be watching next season (but we all know how that's worked out in the past...) i give up. bach, to you, i surrender.

my guess for the final rose: sadly, i think emily is in for the heartbreak of a lifetime. the show is setting her up perfectly to be the next bachelorette. in my mind, brad chooses chantal. you'll see.

so here i am... beyond ready for monday. soon i'll be sending out my usual bachelor pre-finale text... WHO WILL HE PICK? WILL HE PROPOSE? WILL SHE SAY YES?

in the MOST dramatic season finale ever... dun dun dun.
i. can't. wait.

Bachelor

Posted
March 8th, 9:56am 0 comments

INSANITY! (day 8)...

the worst part about the INSANITY! lifestyle is not being able to globe jump thru the tv screen to punch those over-achieving skanks who keep yelling at me to DIG DEEP. ugh...

none-the-less... INSANITY! workout day 8... complete!

i'd also like to give a shout out to my friend smadar! yesterday she started her own INSANITY! journey. you are officially crazy. i welcome you! stay tuned for day 8, sister, here's what you have to look forward to... FML

A

Posted
March 3rd, 11:50pm 0 comments

storm's a coming...

this season of survivor adds another level of gameplay... redemption island. when people are voted out at tribal council, they are sent to redemption island where they have one last chance to stay in the game - make it thru a dual match each time another castaway is sent there. the winner stays. the loser goes home for good. eventually, one player will return to the island and will be back in the race for the title of "sole survivor". the most recent cast off is headed to redemption island... (cue the scary music...)

host jeff probst: "well you just voted out one of the most successful players in the history of survivor. the question is... will this decision come back to haunt you?"

i've mentioned him before and i'll mention him again... jer, my survivor soulmate. tonight i re-lived one of my favorite past times... jer and i watched survivor together. and by watched together, i mean cued up exactly on our dvr's and watched over the phone. (you see, jer finally (and thankfully) updated to a dvr. he used to do this vhs record bullshit... don't even get me started) i'm in laguna (pacific standard time). jer is back in michigan (eastern standard time). it was wonderful. we watched, we yelled, we laughed, we analyzed, we ranted, we strategized and we dictated how our personal gameplay would differ from the crazy business these two tribes are trying to pull (clearly we could outwit any of these fools. it's an absolute shame the producers of survivor haven't yet realized this)

here's proof: (wave hello, jer!)

Me_jer_survivor


survivor fun fact:
the first thing a true survivor fan constantly craves is a good blindside. now, i don't believe tonight's cast-away could be considered a true blindside, but what the vote did produce was the second thing a true survivor fan constantly craves... the next great catch phrase. tonight's comes from stephanie. after russell was sent packing, stephanie shoots julie a death glare and states her fury... "storm's a coming"

so until next time... grab your torches. head back to camp. goodnight.

Posted
March 3rd, 10:56pm 0 comments

"murtaugh list" update...

if are one of my true blog followers, you'd be making regular re-checks back to my very first blog entry titled ready... set... bloggy blog? to keep current on the adventures of my "murtaugh list" (thank you ted mosby).

those of you who don't spend your free time stalking my blog (i assume all of you. shame on you!). well, here is your moment...

*get a library card (as of 8-2-10 @3:33p i can OFFICIALLY cross off my first "murtaugh" WOOO!! tracey, thanks for the little nudge to get me started!)
*become more "green" (9-9-09 to 9-9-10... marked the 1 year mark for, anything i need, me always "bringing my own bags")
*teach a spin class (8-6-10. it was purely luck. our regular spin teacher didn't show and everyone still wanted a class. the guy next to me said "you are a regular why don't you go up and lead us?" it took a little encouragement...but i did it! it was a total blast!)
*go to a superbowl (2.6.11 superbowl XLV in north texas at cowboy stadium. i attended with my dad. world champions: green bay packers!! packers 31, steelers 25. it was a dream!)
*visit the father of the bride house (2.21.11 my friend sarah and i had sweet plans that fell thru... our back-up wasn't too shabby - hollywood tour of celeb homes. FOB house, we found it!)
*see the northern lights (i'm from the upper peninsula... it's common, IF you know the secret places to catch a glimpse)
*get something published (i was a research assistant in undergrad for one of my professors. early 2011 "cultural competence in sports medicine" by lorin cartwright and rene revis shingles was published. in that book (page xiii), you will find the acknowledgement for my contributions. although someday i would like to be published as a solo act... for now, this will do)

you're welcome.

Posted
March 1st, 9:45pm 0 comments

it's all just INSANITY!...

hello blog follower-folk, it's tuesday, march 1st... today i'm embarking on a painful (yet, hopefully very rewarding) journey. i'm beginning the 60 day INSANITY! workout. i've tried once before and made it 22 days. this time i've enlisted an old college friend, tracey, as a long-distance workout buddy. we plan to motivate each other to last the entire 60 days. so far, 1 day in, we've done a lot of swearing and laughing. it should be an interesting journey... i will keep you all updated.

our reasons for attempting 60 days of INSANITY! are different...

mine: i have a wonderful family and a fabulous group of close friends. i have a job that i absolutely love. i'm overall pretty happy. later this year i will turn 30. it's about time i make the "me" now an even better "me" heading into my 30s. besides, i'm still single. and as determined by my fellow single gal pal, lexi, and myself... this IS "the year of the bf"... so, INSANITY! here i come because i might as well be looking good while hunting down the fellas! :)

tracey: back in college she was one of toughest people i knew, both physically and emotionally. she probably still is, but she just doesn't give herself the credit. she has been through a lot over the years and is still one of the happiest, most genuine people i know. she is a 28 year old wife and mother... but she's lost herself a little over the past years. tracey has always taken great care of everyone around her and she now deserves to take great care of herself.

randy, tracey's husband, is attempting to join us in this journey. (i only say "attempt" because after today's first workout randy had a few "choice words" that leads me to believe he might throw the tv out the window if he continues for the next 59 days... but here's to you, randy, i'd love for you to stick it out with us. you can be our comic relief. i'm not sure whether i'm more sore from the actual workout or from laughing at your comments about the workout).
either way, i'm glad to have you both to share this with. cheers to our next 59 days. and that's one helluva CHEERS because we are definitely gonna need a shot (or ten) when we finish this. xo


INSANITY!: every 2 weeks i will take the same "fit test" to track my progress. and this blog is where i will tell the world (and by world, i clearly mean my 27 followers) my results. if you don't understand the exercises, just assume my day 1 totals are not impressive. and watch as i, fingers crossed, get better as the 60 days goes on. (motivating emails, thoughts, texts and calls will be appreciated. and i thank you in advance)

here goes........................
day 1: fit test
switch kicks: 71
power jacks: 29
power knees: 51
power jumps: 22
globe jumps: 8
suicide jumps: 10
push-up jacks: 16
plank/knees: 28

day 1 post-workout photo....

Insanity_day_1

(stay tuned for updates)


A SPECIAL THANKS TO:

sam gay: for introducing me to the scary scary world of INSANITY! and more importantly, for teaching me that when speaking of INSANITY! it is to be referred to in no other way than in ALL caps and always concluded with an exclamation point. a painfully perfect description.

nnamdi gwacham: for making me not only one, but two, copies of the full dvd INSANITY! set. ok, and i secretly enjoying blaming you in my mind for all the times when i think INSANITY! will be the death of me. you are too kind, my friend!

Posted