So, Here Are My Thoughts On This Last Day of November

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Hi guys! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Since tomorrow begins Reverb 10 (so excited!), I thought I'd wrap up November with a few cliched little bullet points because a) I'm lazily drinking my coffee in bed and don't have much motivation to write up a legit post and b) I like bullet points, damn it.

On the Ali's Life front...

• I actually cooked something for Thanksgiving this year. And while Butternut Squash Pasta with Spinach and Blue Cheese isn't a conventional dish for this holiday, neither was the fact that I cooked at all. I probably should have planned on cooking for my audience (no one in my family likes butternut squash...whoops), so it wasn't the most successful. But it's delicious! More on that another time.
• Finished The Joy Equation! Again, more on that later, because I have lots to say about it.
  
• The first night of Hanukkah is early this year: Wednesday! I returned back to my apartment yesterday, and am heading right back home tomorrow. Good thing the commute's only a half hour, or my little Corolla would run away from me. In other news, Hanukkah! This includes the best brisket that ever lived (and then died, sorry) -- my mom's, family and friends, a menorah and a few prayers, gifts and all around happiness because the holidays are officially here!
• I'm off to San Francisco with my friend on Thursday to see our friend in Pride and Prejudice (she's Elizabeth and if you're in the area, go!). I haven't been up to one of my favorite cities in forever, so I'm really looking forward to it.
  
• Starting next week, I'm -- get this -- working! I know I told myself I was done with freelancing/independent projects but, well...I lied. In a way. Because while this is not a full time job (it's for a few months at best), it does involve something I'm very interested in and have been job hunting for, and that is computers. So yes, I am getting somewhere. And more importantly, I'll be busy doing something I enjoy! WIN.
• I bought an owl.
  

On the Stuff On Ali's Mind Lately front...

• Have you experienced this "See Friendship" link on Facebook? It's semi-new, creepy and oddly addicting. Especially seeing which picture Facebook has slapped on there of the two people in the friendship. Uh...
  
• RIP Leslie Nielsen.
• Saw 127 Hours yesterday. Mind = blown. If James Franco doesn't receive an Oscar nom, I'll hunt the Academy down. Also? Tears.
• I'm sorry, but I think the Taylor/Jake thang is cute.

Tomorrow: December! Holiday time! I love it all, I really do. And I'm ready for a new month, a fresh start. Bring it.

So tell me, what's going on in your life/mind lately?

So, This Is My Thanksgiving Post

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A short post. Short and sweet.

This year has been full of some incredible ups (I'm looking at you, BiSC, lovely apartment o' mine and the best trip to Europe that ever there was) and some shitty downs (a friendship lost, saying goodbye to Molly and the oh-so-fun-except-notsomuch Quarterlife Crisis...you will not be missed!). But through it all, I'm happy to say that I have not forgotten how much I have to be thankful for. The list could go on and on, but that wouldn't make for the short and sweet post I had in mind, would it?

So on this Thanksgiving, I just want to keep it simple, and say...

I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. As my friend Cat says, eat it all!

So, Ten on Tuesday (Is Fun)

So this Ten on Tuesday...thang has been making the rounds lately (little whore), so I figured why not hop on the bandwagon (hi Jenni and Doni!)?

1. What is your favorite breakfast pastry?

Delish.

Oh, breakfast is one of my favorite things. And I don't mean favorite meal, it's actually one of my favorite things in the history of things (think reading/writing, traveling, breakfast...). As far as pastries go, I'm going to have to go with the reduced fat coffee cakes from Starbucks. Paired with a cup of coffee? Done and DONE.

2. Were you ever in a Thanksgiving or Christmas play?

I actually don't recall being in a Thanksgiving play, though I'm sure I was. Wasn't everyone? Maybe not. Despite the fact that I love, love, love Christmas, I definitely wasn't in a Christmas play (l'chaim). But plays? Oh, I've been in plays...too many to name.

3. What is your favorite clothing accessory?

Scarves. This is a semi-new development, and I'm not sure why I haven't been obsessed with them all along. They really add so much to any outfit (pajamas included, what?).

4. What is your favorite item of clothing?

Heels. That counts, right? I love them. End of story.

Wish this was my closet...

5. What is your favorite color and why?

Bliss, no? YES.

Turquoise, turquoise, turquoise. Have any of you seen this blog? It satisfies that craving. Oh wait, why is it my favorite color? I really couldn't tell you. It's, uh, bright and happy and I just so happen to love bright and happy colors? There ya go.

6. What is your favorite type of Christmas cookie?

Gingerbread? Chocolate chip? Pumpkin? You name it (unless it's oatmeal, nahsomuch a fan of those), chances are? I'll eat it.

7. What is your favorite scent (food/perfume/lotion)?

Okay, promise not to judge me? I love the smell of gasoline. I'm convinced it's hereditary, because both my dad and grandma love it as well. Blame it on them, alright? But I can't lie, I lurve it.

8. What is your favorite household cleaner?

Those disinfectant wipes are genius.

9. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? And what did you actually grow up to be?

Oh, gosh. From the ages of 5 to 19 (college major: Drama), I wanted to be a Broadway actress. Then reality decided to slap me in the face (hard), and I tacked on a Journalism major because I wanted to be a writer, and I still do. After graduating, I worked as a freelancer in television production, sprinkled with a bit of social media (for a life insurance company). And now? Well, after deciding on a whim that I wanted to go back to school for teaching and then realizing (when I returned from Europe) that I was pressuring myself to choose a career path (that I didn't truly want after all!)...right now, I'm unemployed. And on the (job hunt) prowl, once again. Life is...fun?

10. What is the last song or album you bought?

I don't buy albums very often anymore, but after seeing last week's Glee (amazing), I had to download those mash-ups. I really want Taylor Swift's new album though.

Okay, who wants to entertain me and leave your answers in the comments? You know you want to...

[last 2 pics from my tumblr]

So, Here's What You've Been Missing (Sarcasm Very Much Intended)

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So since for one reason or another, I rarely find myself mustering up the motivation to blog from my apartment, I'm sitting here at Starbucks (where I fed a latte's worth of coins to yet another meter), sans makeup (this generally doesn't bother me since it doesn't matter half as much when you're not in the working world but today, well...today, it does and I couldn't tell ya why) and not even planning on ordering anything since I've had my coffee for the day and am trying to save money where I can. Does this make me a Starbucks imposter? Gasp.

Things around here are...a-okay, I suppose. Not being at home has helped me deal with Molly's passing immensely (thank you all so much for your comments, they mean so much). And I'm still head-over-heels in love with my apartment. Anyone know when this honeymoon phase is over? I mean, I've lived here for 4 months already...

Oh! Speaking of my apartment, guess who got stuck in the elevator again? This girl. Seriously folks, I don't know how I manage to pull these things off. But I do. And I did. Again. In the same elevator. This time, with an Asian man named RV. (I thought it was Harvey the entire time and only after looking at his card did I realize I'd been pronouncing it wrong the entire hour we shared together in that stupid, stupid elevator.) I was actually heading down to visit Jenn (we live in the same building now, and I find this very fun). The initial discovery that RV and I were trapped went something like this:

Me: No. No, no, no, no, no.

RV: What?

Me: We're stuck.

RV: What? No, we're not.

Me: Oh trust me, RV. I'm a stuck-in-an-elevator veteran.

RV: Oh.

He was nice, but unlike Gary (other Asian man who was my partner in crime during Holy Hell, I'm Stuck In An Elevator debacle numero uno), RV was dead set on getting us out of there...himself. By that I mean that he pushed, poked, prodded and grunted in an attempt to play superhero. And for that, I commend him (though at the time, I was convinced the door would open, RV would fall out and we'd have a biiiit of a situation on our -- my -- hands). I also commend RV for pulling out his iPad and playing Star Wars for us while we waited for help to arrive.

I'm taking the elevator that's not from 1972 from now on. Or the stairs.

Aside from that little issue, no complaints. I'm nearing the end of The Joy Equation (tear...no seriously, tear; I've been learning a lot and enjoying every minute of it), and doing my best to take what I've learned/am learning and put it all into action (I'll share more of this soon, I'm sure). It has been just what I needed at this point in my life. Hooray for timing. For serious.

However, I am getting antsy. I don't do well sitting still (hi Mom!), and I've been doing it long enough for my liking. I'm also extraordinarily good at putting a crap load of (unnecessary) guilt on myself, and that's just...stupid and irritating of me. But I'm working on pushing that aside and taking solace in the fact that there is a plan for me, and soon enough? I'll discover it. And rock the hell out of it.

And speaking of guilt, would I be a horrible person if I just asked the Barista to give me change for a few bills so I can do laundry? Hypothetically, of course. Uh...

So tell me, how are you doing these days?

So Sweet Dreams, Molly

Last night, we had to put Molly to sleep.

Typing that doesn't feel right; I don't think it's completely sunk in for any of us, Emma included.

It was time. The cancer took its toll on her in just 48 hours. But knowing that we were doing the right thing didn't make it any less difficult to say goodbye.

Molly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you being the best worst dog for the past 11 years. I love you beyond words.