Singledom

Jason: So you're back on the market then?
Becky: The Meat Market!
Me: Ugh.

Singledom, Singleness, Singlehood. It's funny how people treat this part of our lives. Many people treat Singleness like the plague-- they want to avoid it at all costs. We're all striving to find somebody and we're not content until that void is filled, even just temporarily. Do you know what I mean? We can have great relationships with family and the most supportive friends, we can go out all the time and have full social calendars, and still feel unfulfilled. What is it that compells us into romantic relationships? I've often wondered this even when I'm in the middle of a relationship myself, and perfectly happy. When I'm dating someone, why do I always think about them and want to spend all of my time with them, why do I chose this person over my best friends? My first impulse is to answer "because I'm crazy," but I really don't think that's it (at least not all of it). I think most people act this way when they are in a dating relationship. In fact, the emotions of love, lust, and infatuation are known to inhibit the rational decision making parts of the brain (so it's not just me!). And if there are any guys reading this, don't just chalk it up to me being female, I know plenty of guys who would rather be in a relationship than single-- in fact, I'm having a hard time thinking of any guys I know who would choose a life of bachelorhood. So it's not just the ladies who want "someone special."

Now, I don't personally believe in "the one" theory. In fact, it really bothers me. I don't think there's one particular person meant just for me and all I have to do is find them. Although if that were the case, I guess it would explain the high divorce rate. I mean, how easy would it be to find that one person? Not very. There are more than 6 billion people on this planet! Even if I narrow it down to just California, that's 35 million people or so that I have to sort through. And what if he gets tired of looking and settles for someone who just happens to be around? Lame for all 3 of us, right?! Nope, I don't like "the one" theory. I like to think of love as more of a choice, rather than destiny. I choose the people I date and I choose who I'm going to marry. I choose to stop looking for some other potential and choose devotion and loyalty instead. Does that sound unromantic? Maybe. But to me, it sounds lasting, and I think a love that lasts is very romantic.

If you have any theories on why we all strive to be in a romantic relationship, I'd love to hear them. I have some of my own so perhaps I'll share those another time. xoxo, Alison

New Friends

Wow! I am really getting bad at this blogging thing. Micro-blogging is taking over my life! But anyway, if you haven't stopped checking my blog for updates, I'd like to share something fabulous with you. My friend, Brad, introduced me to this family and I think they are simply hilarious. Meet The Fuplers!

For the Love of...

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world-- the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches-- comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever." 1 John 2:15-17

I have been thinking about loving the world a lot lately. Well, really, I guess I've been loving the things of the world a lot lately. I want a nice new car, I want more clothes and shoes and things for my apartment, I want to go out to nice restaurants and bars. But aren't these all desires of the flesh and pride in riches? And besides that, I just can't afford this kind of lifestyle! But let's just say I get a better paying job. Or let's say I get an extraordinarily good paying job. Then how do I live? Where does the line cross over from comfort into excess or greed?

I don't think God necessarily wants us to live in poverty, to be like the medieval monk who sat on top of a pillar for weeks exposed to the elements and starving. Or even the little hermits who lived alone in caves with only a candle and a Bible. I think God has a lot of blessings to give out, and that He likes giving to his people. It's all over the Bible, like with Solomon and David and Joseph and even Job. Job had it good, then was tested by being put in absolute destitution and misery, and then was given everything back ten-fold. I mean honestly, I hope God doesn't feel like testing me like he did with Job because who knows what I would do or if I would be as faithful. Plus, being covered in boils would just be uncomfortable! But how does God want me to live here and now?

I think He wants me to be responsible with what I have been given. So, ok, I can't go try a new restaurant every weekend and go out to lunch every day and buy new clothes all the time. That is not what I have been given. I also think He wants me to be satisfied. I have a nice apartment and nice things and I'm taken care of. I can still go out and have a good time. There are more satisfying things in life than possessions. Friends, family, nature, grace. I can find joy in the simple things instead of the complex and expensive things.

Alright, if you've stuck with me this far, I appreciate it. And as a reward here are a couple interesting and related links. First, this guy has been living on $0 a day for a decade! Also, this song is great!

Thanks Again Twitter!

Recently, I have seen a number of interesting links posted by people I'm following on twitter. First, @ksalazarthomps linked a review of twitter written in 140 character increments. The author I think tends to have a fairly idealistic take on twitter, even though the tone is nonchalant and sarcastic. Of course, I liked what he had to say and agreed with him for the most part. An interesting read if nothing else.

I also started following @sacbee_news to keep updated on current events around Sacramento. Most of the time I find it really depressing-- news about terrible budget deals, deaths, fires, unemployment on the rise, that sort of thing. However, today there was a brief but intriguing article about a proposed bill that would allow the sale of marijuana in order to generate revenue for the state. I have mixed feelings about that but nonetheless, here's just a teaser from the article:

"California is considered by federal authorities to be the nation's top marijuana producing state with 8.6 million pounds a year, valued at $13.8 billion, making it one of the state's largest agricultural crops..."

Surprising! Read more here.

The Mysteries of the Dead Sea

Did you know that the Dead Sea is the lowest spot on Earth?** True fact! The extremely low elevation can have interesting health benefits because of the increased atmospheric pressure and the reduced UV rays. Did you know that the Dead Sea is shrinking? Also true! It has shrunk by a third since the 1960s! This shrinkage (if you will), has been creating dangerous sinkholes that can suddenly burst open and ruin roads and beaches and even swallow people whole! I read all about it here in a fascinating article. I learned even more from wikipedia. Read it-- you'll learn something new.

** The Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean is the lowest spot on the planet's entire surface, while the Dead Sea is the lowest spot not in an ocean.

Social Media: My Take

Oh. My. Gosh. It's been over a month! I'm so sorry little blog and to all those who have checked only to find nothing new and interesting! With that, on to the writing!

When you hear the words "social media" what do you think of? Maybe things like twitter or facebook or myspace or bkite or.... There are so many social media outlets! There are so many feelings that go along with sites, too-- people have a lot of varied opinions. Some people are absolutely addicted and participate in as many as they can find whereas others scoff and pick and choose. There was a very funny article that I read in the Sacramento News and Review about how twitter is an example of everything that is wrong with the younger generation and where people are headed. Is it a good thing that we're sharing the miniscule details of our daily lives with friends and, often, complete strangers? Another side to the coin is that we can keep in touch with friends and know what is going on in people's lives in detail with very minimal time and effort (and I mean that to be a positive point). So, what do I think?

Well, I am on facebook, I have this blog (obviously!) and I recently joined twitter. It's hard to keep up with! I used to obsessively check facebook and now instead I'm obsessively checking twitter. What kind of information am I sharing with my "followers"? Mostly pointless (but hopefully clever) thoughts. It takes up a lot of time! Also, facebook and twitter can be very creepy! And I'll be honest, I'm just as creepy as the next person when it comes to this. 'Oh, he was cute, I'll see if he's on facebook!' Or, take it one step further, 'According to Facebook, his relationship status is single! Giggle, giggle!' Then there's all the looking through people's photos and learning where they work or what their favorite book is. While this person has technically given me permission by accepting my friend request, would they feel creeped out if they knew that I was looking at every single one of their pictures at least twice? Then there are the random guys who start following me on twitter. Who are you? We have nothing in common... Weird.

Still, here I am. I'll admit that it's a little bit of an addiction, and that's one of the reasons why I'm still participating. But, I do think there are benefits to these sorts of things. I can keep in touch with friends and family who don't live near me much better. And even if we're not writing to or calling each other, we have the option of checking in and seeing what's been going on. Also, it is a bit of an outlet for creativity-- I'm able to demonstrate just how witty I am to the greater masses! Plus, I can follow some of my new favorite sing-songwriters on twitter. Anyway, I think I'll just stick to the 3 social media sites I'm currently involved in and that's plenty (or perhaps too much) for me.

A week later, and a year older!

So. It's official. I'm 25 years old now! Would you believe it? It's true, and so far 25 has been so good! Last weekend was dedicated to celebrating! Here's some of the highlights:

Friday: Dinner with Tori and Rachel at Tapa the World for amazing tapas and my favorite Sangria in the whole world!

Saturday: Breakfast and shopping with Mama-- I got an ipod! Now I just have to sync it... Then party with the Graff's that involved delicious appetizers, wine tasting, and interesting Liquors. Finally, a bar hopping extravaganza that actually only included two bars: Whiskey Wild (just had to) and de Vere's (a new favorite). I stayed out too late and drank too much and had a great time!

Sunday: Brunch with the church crew at Capitol Garage then a movie night in.

Thanks to everybody who shared the celebration with me-- it definitely would not have been as fun and meaningful as it was without you! Everybody has been so wonderful and I am definitely blessed to have such great people around me all the time. 25 is going to be a great year, I can tell already!

Annual "I Love Springtime" Post

I've been watching it coming for a little while. All of a sudden I was driving down Riverside and there were billions of magnolia trees in bloom! Then it was the daffodils, then the stinky white blossoms outside of my apartment, and camelias! Now it's lilac, tulip, and calla lily time! And as of last Friday, it's my favorite season of the year-- Spring. First of all, Springtime represents new beginnings, which I think is neat. Also, my birthday is in the Spring (more about that later!). But really, my favorite thing about Spring is all of the color. The bright, fresh green and the flowers of all different types. It just looks pretty! There's no getting around it! Fresh and new and pretty. So, Happy Spring everybody! Go outside and enjoy it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Most of us know St. Patrick's Day as the Irish drinking holiday, but where did it come from? Who was St. Patrick, and why is it celebrated on March 17th? Well, let me tell you!

St. Patrick was not actually born in Ireland-- he was born in Wales. The first time he went to Ireland was not by choice; when he was 16 years old he was kidnapped and forced to be a herdsman. He escaped and returned to his family only to be called back to Ireland a few years later by God through a vision in which the Irish people said to him, "we appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us." And so St. Patrick began his missionary career.

Another thing that St. Patrick is known for is chasing all of the snakes out of Ireland. Well, most people agree there probably weren't snakes in Ireland to begin with, but this could have been some kind of metaphor for converting pagans who used a serpent as their symbol.

And why do we celebrate on March 17th? That was the day that St. Patrick died. He is believed to be buried in the town of Downpatrick in Ireland.

And what would this blog post be without a factoid about alcohol?! Did you know that more Guinness is consumed in Britain than in Ireland? It's true. But even more interestingly, the second top consumer of Guinness in the world is Nigeria, with Ireland coming in third.

Weekend Update

I had a great weekend! Here are some highlights:

Friday: Costco run with Rach and Heather right up until they closed. We got eco-friendly laundrey detergant, toilet paper made from 100% recycled materials, and St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc which I didn't know they sold outside of the winery.

Saturday: Slept in (woohoo!), went to captial nursery to get necessary items for a potted herb garden (hopefully I won't kill everything this time!), then dinner and dancing for Alicia's birthday!

Sunday: 6th grade girls at church are a great way to get the morning started, ultimate frisbee with some great people (good exercise + new and old friends = sooo fun!), movie/dinner/hang out with Andy.

All in all, it was a really great weekend.

On this Day in History...

On this day in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from the island of Elba where he had been exiled for less than a year. While on Elba, Napoleon was given sovereignty over the 12,ooo inhabitants, and he was able to retain his title of Emperor. In the few months he spent on Elba he created a small army and navy, upgraded some agricultural methods, and developed some iron mines. I guess he really believed that "idle hands are the devil's tools." That or he was just an egotistical work-aholic.

Turns out Napoleon was a fascinating person, and not as short as many people believe. If you want to find out more, click here.

Super Sappy Valentine's Day

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone. It's a day that has never really bothered me. Sure, I've bought into the whole "it's cool to hate Valentine's Day because I'm single" thing every once in awhile. But really, to me Valentine's Day is just a commercialized holiday that makes people compelled to give each other chalky little heart candies. I feel just as love-sick (or just as happy) on Valentine's Day as any other day of the year.

One thing I can appreciate though, is the history behind Valentine's. The day is named after St. Valentine who, legend has it, continue to perform marriages even after Roman Emperor Claudius II banned marriage in the third century AD, and was martyred for doing so. That's how the holiday got it's Christian name, but the celebration goes farther into pagan Roman history. It has it's roots in the festival called Lupercalia-- a celebration in which naked men would whip young ladies in hopes of increasing their fertility. Those crazy Romans! What didn't they do?

If you want to check out more fun facts and history about Valentine's Day, go here. Ok, love you! Mean it!

Happy Spainiversary!

Tomorrow, my sister and I are headed down to Oakhurst, CA to visit one of my very best friends, Tori, for a celebration we call "Compostella Day." January 28th, 2007 I completed a 500 mile pilgrimage with these two women in Spain: the Camino de Santiago. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I'm going to spend the next two days reminiscing about it. If I haven't ever told you about it (which is unlikely) please ask! I love sharing the stories. For now, Buen Camino a todos!

Resolve (or lack of)

So. New Years. Everybody makes resolutions, right? Come the end of December, I was actually feeling pretty negative about making New Year's resolutions. Alison? Being negative?! Yes, it can happen. So, there I was looking forward to a new year and thinking about how pointless it generally is for me to make resolutions. I just break them after 3 days anyway! And then I'll adopt a new resolution or two, and that'll last about 5 days and then I'll get lazy or busy or something and that'll be the end of that. Plus, why for New Year's? What about the rest of the year? I make resolutions every other week, so why should I make them especially for January 1st?

That's how I was feeling. But usually I'm able to see the bright side and as I thought about it more I was able to appreciate the beauty of New Year's resolutions-- the symbolism of a fresh start. So, I decided I might make a couple of my own! I resolved, first, to get to work on time. Ok, so the process is on-going. Resolution 1, part B is to not abuse the snooze button as much as I used to. Yeah, about that... My second resolution is to make myself a budget. Hopefully I'll be more successful than the government of California. We'll see. It's a New Year!

A Factoid, to start the year off right!

Many months of the year have Roman origins for their names, like August (after Augustus Caesar) and October (after Octavius). Did you know that January has Roman origins as well? January was named for the Roman god, Janus, who had two heads-- one that faced forward and the other which faced backward. It seems very fitting for the first month of the year, to reflect on the year that has past and to look forward to what the new year might bring.

But actually (?!), March was originally the first month of the year, because this was the time when planting began and it was time to go to war (March being named after Mars, the god of war). So why did it change? The Romans decided that instead of inaugerating their new consuls in the busy month of March, why not the boring, uneventful month of January? So there you have it, another way the Romans shook things up that still prevails in Western society today.

(Source: http://ngm.typepad.com/pop_omnivore/2009/01/how-january-wen.html)