Time Goes By So Slowly

This could very well by one of my longest posts to date, seeing as it's 3 pm and I'm not free for another 4 hours. Ah, one of the many joys of being an adult...

As I travel (ever so slowly) down this path called adulthood, there are certain...things, if you will...that I'm just not as willing to put up with as I used to be. I think they call this intolerance.

A few examples of some of these things (I'm so specific, I know): flakiness, self-absorption and lying, to name a few. These things have all been dealt with separately, during different periods of time. But only now am I allowing myself to sweep them all up in the metaphorical dustpan and throw 'em away. To state it simply: I'm more aware of it, I'm more discontent with it and therefore, I'm less willing to put up with it. My intention in writing this is not to be mean at all, but rather to state an observation I've noticed in/about myself.

Whoa there Ali. Are you growing up?

In other news (and perhaps backtracking on that whole growing up thing), I'm a bit scared of this swine flu. Yes, yes - I know you can't live your life in fear and bladdy blah blah, but I am one of those people who tend to go a bit haywire when things like this happen and become the talk of the town (or the nation). Illness - any kind, really - often scares the bejesus out of me, and I suppose this is no different. However, I have no intention of buying a mask or running around screaming, "Run for your lives! Down with the pigs!" I'm paranoid and slightly hypochondriacal (yes, it is a word), not nuts.

Actually, I think that's up for debate. Anyway...

I bought a Skor today. You know, the candy bar. I never buy candy. But I did today. I had a craving, I mozied on over to the 7-Eleven near my office and I didn't buy just one candy bar. Oh no, I bought two...for the price of one. A Skor and a Hershey's bar. $1.79 for any two candy bars?

"This is why America's overweight," I told the not-so-English-speaking cashier.

I got a confused/intimidated/'Why are you talking to me? Just pay me and leave please' smile and that was that.

Sometimes, I wonder why I feel the need to open my mouth sometimes. But then it magically opens again, and I don't think it has any intention of closing anytime soon. Oh well, worse things have happened.

This story is killing me. For anyone who knows me well, this should come as no surprise.

This picture never ceases to put a smile on my face.

San Francisco, Spring Break 2004.
Danielle, Lori and me.
How time flies.

An assumption of some of the thoughts going through our head at that moment in time:

• I love San Francisco!
• I wish our boyfriends back home could see this.
• We're gonna be best friends forever.
• Where should we get our prom dresses?

It's amazing how much we've changed from that picture (I wouldn't be caught dead in a Von Dutch hat today!), yet remained the same...all the same. I know I must sound like the cliche to end all cliches, but it's true. We reunited this past New Year's Eve and while each of us has clearly evolved, our cores are unchangeable. And that, to me, is pretty lovely.

What remains unchangeable to you? I'd love to hear about it.