Hello.
Did you have a nice weekend?
I did. It was wonderful taking Friday off from work and having a full three days to relax, eat and drink.
That’s really all I did this weekend: eat and drink. I also, very reluctantly, dressed up as Waldo.
I spent the weekend in Fire Island with a group of my college girlfriends. Fire Island in the summer is warm and wonderful. Fire Island during a ridiculous October weekend is, apparently, very very cold. Thank goodness for leg warmers, which I wore nonstop (I really didn’t commit to my Waldo costume at all — unless there’s a version in which Waldo wears stretchy pants and blue slippers).
Halloween has never been my thing. I don’t like costumes. I’m sure I enjoyed the holiday when I was little because my mom is creative and hooked me up with great outfits, like the one year when I was a picnic table. That was really comfortable and easy to Trick or Treat in. Thanks, Mom.
But beyond Trick or Treating age — which comes a bit before high school in my mind — dressing up on Halloween just isn’t fun for me. Maybe that’s because I spent my whole life dressing up in dance costumes so it lost its appeal on other days? I’m not sure.
In college I sucked it up senior year and wore a black dress and some ears and was “a cat.”
My plan was not to be a “slutty cat,” but looking at this photo I’m thinking I could have benefited from a dress that actually fit up top. Oops.
My favorite Halloween was in 2009, when I got to dress up as a bridesmaid.
It was a perfect fall day, and my brother and his then-fiancé got married in New Hampshire.
Ryan and Michaela: Happy Anniversary!
This weekend, though, my friend Lauren hosted us all at her Fire Island house and she wanted us to dress up, and so I did, because I like her. The plan was to go to a big Halloween party on the island on Saturday night, but the sideways rain, hail and freezing temperatures kept us all warmly bundled inside the house. Fine by me.
Overall the weekend was a great escape from the city and it was so good having all the girls together, since we kind of live all over the northeast now. It’s gotten way too difficult to get everyone in a room at once since graduating from college, so I appreciated being together, even if it did mean I had to wear a half-assed costume.
I also have a few other lingering thoughts on my mind after the weekend. Do you want to know about them?
There are few things in life that feel better than putting on a huge, cozy sweatshirt on a cold day.
When I packed for Fire Island, I contemplated putting together some nice little jeans-and-sweater outfits. And then I was like “screw it,” and threw on the biggest sweatshirt I could find. I was much happier that way.
Space heaters are really smart inventions. I spent most of the weekend sitting directly in front of one and I was impressed with how warm it kept me.
This leads me to my next point, which is that I really want to invent something.
Fact: If you put apple cider in a pot on a stove with some mulling spices and cinnamon sticks, and then put Bourbon in it, and then you pour the concoction in a hollowed-out apple, it is good.
I obviously had nothing to do with this creation beyond consuming it. Not my brain child. I get no credit.
Apparently when you play Apples to Apples, the green cards you end up with are supposed to “describe you.” I’m not sure I agree with this little theory, but it was fun having it in the back of my head…
…because apparently, according to the rule, I am loyal, swollen, impulsive and expendable. Swollen, yes. For sure. Even Brian has finally — very kindly — admitted that you can see “signs of Steroid face” in my photos. I can’t wait to get off these drugs.
I don’t know how I survived college. I drank a lot. I ate a lot of Pasta Sides and 5 am omelettes. How did my body not shut down on me? And how did I never get flare-ups in college? This weekend, I got drunk far too quickly and easily. It was kind of pathetic.
On Saturday night I fell asleep repeatedly on the couch while everyone else raged around me, and I was the first one in bed. I also had a hangover on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Strong showing, Ali.
Running around Fire Island is always amazing. When I went out this summer, I would go for runs on the boardwalks, along the bay, up by the ocean and out by the lighthouse.
In an effort to shake off my little hangover yesterday, I went out for 5.25 miles, and they were lovely. I bundled up but actually got warm fairly quickly and stopped back at the house to shed some layers.
And to use the bathroom. But of course.
During my run — which was surprisingly fast and I was giddy about my pace — I saw tons of deer. One even ran out right in front of me and I wanted to pet it but I mostly just screamed a little.
In college, my hangover cure was a bacon egg & cheese sandwich. Now I cure hangovers with runs, and it works shockingly well. I don’t mind this lifestyle change.
My stomach keeps waking me up at 3 am. It doesn’t matter what time I go to sleep. At 3 am, every night, I wake up in pain. I’m pretty sure the past few nights this was due to the wine consumption, and I deserve that, but oddly 3 am seems to be the “Ali Loves Crohn’s/Colitis” hour.
My final random thought of the day: People change and they grow up and sometimes they grow apart. And that’s OK. When we were in college, my friends and I had everything in common, because “everything” at the time was a love for Velveeta shells and cheese, Franzia boxed wine and local bars.
Now, we’re all coming into our own and figuring out what we want to do with our lives. We’re starting to become the people we want to be when we “grow up,” and I think that’s fun and exciting. This weekend I thought a lot about the fact that my friends and I have all taken very different career paths and are settling down in different places. Our interests and passions are different — I don’t think they all look at marathon running and think “fun” quite like I do, but they still support me and my choices — and as nice as it is to have friends who share your passions, it’s also nice not to. It keeps things diverse and interesting.
I’m really excited to go back and read this post someday and be like, “Ali, you should have kept those thoughts in your head. You are not cohesive. This all made no sense.”
But for now, I’ll wrap up this rambling by saying I feel very happy to have such wonderful people in my life. Some of you get me and some of you don’t, but you stick around anyway. So thanks for that.
ANYTHING ON YOUR MIND? Share your lingering thoughts! Bonus points if they don’t make any sense!
0 Responses
Thanks for this post! My best friend from college (who is still probably my best friend but we have only seen each other twice in three years) is coming to visit me and I am very nervous. You see, she parties, I don’t. I never really was a partier past sophomore year but I live a very, very tame life these days. I run, I study really tough things and I crash. That’s it. I’m starting to doubt I can be fun. Sigh.
And I haven’t done anything for Halloween in three years… and I don’t miss it
I hear you on “not feeling close” to your friends. Since I moved to the US it’s been very difficult to keep up with my friend’s life back in Germany and I feel oftentimes disconnected. But instead of worrying about that, I accepted it. That’s life, I guess. I started to appreciate the very few friends I have, with whom I feel like we just saw each other last night 🙂
Some of my closest friends are the ones from Junior high and high school. We are still friends. And some of us have common interests (running) and some don’t (they think we are crazy for running.) But still, to have genuine people in your life who know you and how you came to be the person you are (at 36, for me) is priceless. Cheers to old friends that stick around!
Those apples look amaZing!! And I know you aren’t a fan of dressing up but I do love that Waldo costume! Here’s to a pain/crohns/colitis-free HOLIDAY season coming up! (My tummy has been all sorts of out of whack too lately. Doctor’s office is NOT my favorite place!)
xo Marie
Chocolate & Wine
Halloween’s not my thing either. I teach kids and by Halloween I am ready to shoot anything that looks halfway like a ghost, witch, or pumpkin.
I usually love dressing up for Halloween, but spent the weekend snowed in with the boyfriend, sadly. Can’t complain because at least we have power unlike most of the state. I guess it’s kinda good though we couldn’t go anywhere because I had no time to put together a costume this year, unless an anxious-new-york-marathoner-to-be counts?
I agree about college. I’m not sure how I survived. I cannot “hang” anymore! Its sad, but I am happy with my current lifestyle. 🙂
I love that you were “Where’s Waldo?”
I’m the opposite, I’m a dancer who LOVES dressing up! But I’m also a costume designer so, making my costume is always fun for me!
And- apple cider in hallowed apples?? GENIUS! I’ve gotta try that!
I hate getting dressed up for Halloween because costumes are always so damn uncomfortable. Until I figure out a a way to wear oversized sweats and Ugg slippers, I’ll stick to staying inside watching Hocus Pocus and drinking beer…
I adore that ending thought, mainly because it’s a conclusion I’ve come to myself very recently. None of my friends have the same interests as I do (when it comes to running or baking or even reading), but we love and support each other regardless. That’s what’s really important in the long run.
I was Where’s Waldo my freshman year of college! I don’t go too crazy with Halloween costumes (I refuse to actually buy them), but I do enjoy coming up with fun or funny ideas, & getting crafty with the costumes!
Apples to Apples is the best. THE best. I can play (and have played) for hours.
Also, I like hearing your lingering thoughts! Actually, sometimes when I write posts, I have a random totally unrelated thought that I feel like sharing at the very end, but I basically never do. Maybe I will now, though!
I concur on the dressing up for Halloween. I’m over it. It was fun at 5. Not at 25.
Hmm…my lingering thought this week is that even though I still can’t run, I want to soak up all the enthusiasm surrounding the marathon and enjoy the whole experience. I don’t want anything to rain on my parade.
My mama used to work on fIRE Island back in the day.. looks awesome! Love the Waldo costume, but I think Katy Perry wins of the group haha.
I also hate dressing up for Halloween too! This year was the first year in my entire life that I didn’t get dressed up and go out. Instead I wore pajamas and read my book and cleaned my apartment. Best Halloween Ever.
That sounds like my perfect Halloween.
That was such a great post! I loved every word of it, and it really made me think about my friends and the different paths in which we have taken as wel!
PS LOVE the Waldo Costume
Awesome post. You make me want to go to New Hampshire, STAT! Orlando is currently rain fest.
Oh, and your hollowed out apples: delicious! I might be stealing that for our Halloween Party tonight!
sick Thomas the Tank Engine costume..really wish I didn’t rip that thing apart and throw it into the woods.
You think trick or treating as a table was hard – try doing a race dressed as one! I did Bay to Breakers this year as one of six tables. We walked the race (of course), but still – that’s a long way to go in costume!
damnit and by dispise I mean despise…….
Hello Ali, I HATE dressing up for Halloween. Like literally DISPISE it. I also have always attributed it to wearing too many dance costumes and with too many quick costume changes I do not know. But regardless, THIS GIRL was forced to dress up for Halloween… and not only did I dress up but I had to attend a party in one of the newport mansions… where people DO NOT JOKE around about their costumes. Since I had to match someone else… I had no choice but to be a dog. Yes, a dog. In a full-out furry brown velvet costume with ears and a bone around my neck with the name “Puddles.”
Sigh.
Glad you had a great weekend… and got to see all your college friends- I hope you all had a blast 🙂
I’m glad you had a great weekend! Your deer photos reminded me that this weekend when driving to our friends’ house we saw a deer with HUGE antlers! I was thankful that he didn’t run in front of our car.
I also don’t really like Halloween, this year I didn’t even dress up! My husband went as Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory though (and ironically another couple dressed up as Sheldon and Amy, I’m glad that I didn’t dress up as Amy!)
Ok that hollowed apple idea is genius!! May have to use that one day (and by one day I may mean my dinner party this weekend?)- did it leak?
Nope, it didn’t leak! Maybe because I guzzled it down so fast…but it was pretty solid!
Lingering thoughts from a newlywed wife who spent the weekend traveling 2 hours home for 2 surprise parties, one a birthday on Friday, and one for Halloween on Saturday, then back to the city for another Halloween party Saturday night and another birthday party on Sunday.
1. I’m all partied out. I want to sit at home tonight in my stretchy yoga pants and hang out with my husband.
2. It’s always cold on Halloween. It doesn’t matter how nice it is the day before or after. On Halloween, it’s cold.
3. I’m really really happy the Cardinals won the world series. Molina is a tiny obsession of mine, and though I now live in Royals country, I’m a Cards girl through and through.
4. I love that I have a “job” to tell people about now when they ask if I’m still out of work.
5. Little kids are way more excited about their birthday parties than adults are. Which also begs the question of why do we stop having theme parties. I say if someone loves Spiderman, have a Spiderman themed party. You’re never too old for action figure cups, plates, and napkins. Any just-turned three year old would agree. I should know, I just went to a Spiderman party and it was awesome.
There, those are my thoughts. And they have nothing at all to do with what I need to do today, but it was fun thinking them just the same.
http://thenewlywedwife.wordpress.com/
My gem of the day, not all friends come with a lifetime contract.
Oatmeal with pumpkin pie spice in it and a few raisins is really quite awesome.
I hope your able to kick the steroids pretty soon… they really do blow.
First of all – that “cat” costume…totally inappropriate. Secondly, somehow that wasn’t the laziest/worst effort in the picture – whoever dressed up as a “Red Sox sweatshirt” – laaaaame!
Maybe the lesson here is that alcohol/drinking doesn’t CAUSE flare-ups, maybe it CURES them! That would explain why you never had flare ups in college (I guess Australia would be an anamoly)….Christmas Eve – let’s test that theory (sans video cameras this time).
Lastly – thanks for the shoutout, hard to believe that 2 years ago on this day, it was 70 degrees out. How’s that for random thoughts?
PS – Animal Planets also has a show Too Cute – Kittens. Not nearly as good as the puppy version. Best part was when some cocky pug picked a fight with a bunch of terrified kittens, then got it’s ass kicked by the mom cat. puppies > kittens
The deer is SO flippin’ cute! I would totally scream first and then want to rush over and become best friends with it. So pretty and sooffffttt, I want to patttttt youu deeer!! haha. 😉
Sounds like an awesome and much-needed relaxing and SUPER fun weekend!!
I have to agree with you on friendships – it’s interesting when you start to see friendships evolve…some friendships grow stronger, others fade away, some are moment-in-time friendships, and others are forever friendships. but it usually takes time to figure out which ones are which, if I’m making any sense at ALL right now (I hope I am!)
You can’t mention your picknic table costume without posting a picture, that’s totally not fair!!!
I couldn’t find one! I tried!
Cute deer! Looks like a beautiful place to run! I totally get what you said about friends growing apart and that being okay. It is a natural progression of things. I will always be friends with certain people from earlier in my life, but we don’t necessarily have that much in common anymore, but we will always be supportive of each other. It is nice to have friends that “get” running which I consider to be a pretty big part of my life right now! 🙂
My sister was Waldo for Halloween last year, which I thought was a really creative costume until we saw 3945 other Waldo’s out. I’m with you- Halloween doesn’t do it for me. I don’t really like dressing up at all. The last time I dressed up, I went as “the devil” with a black dress and devil horns headband.
Sounds like you had a great weekend! 🙂
Haha I remember thinking of the Waldo costume back in college and thinking I was a GENIUS. Turns out, lots of other people are geniuses, too.
Looks like you had a fun weekend with your girlfriends. My friends and I are going to Boston in a few weeks and I can’t wait to spent some quality time with my college girlfriends!