Hey. What’s Up? Hello!

Yesterday, I called to make an appointment to get a spray tan — my first spray tan ever, very reluctantly — because I have a bad case of “summer running” on my back and my wedding dress is not, in fact, in the shape of a Lululemon Cool Racerback top.

The nice woman on the phone, Barbara (I miss Carol), asked, “When is your wedding?”

And I said, “next week.”

That is a thing that is happening. We got engaged last week, and now our wedding is next week. Time flies when your life is reduced to a series of to-do lists.

"I'm on top of the world HEY! I'm on top of the world HEY!" You know, that song?
“I’m on top of the world HEY! I’m on top of the world HEY!” You know, that song?

But here I am today. Blogging. And if you came here for a coherent post, I suggest stopping by another time. Instead, today is a big ol’ life update brain dump. It’s more fun that way…maybe?

Puppies and pizza hats. We'll get to that.
Puppies and pizza hats. We’ll get to that.

BUSINESS FIRST…

Thank you to everyone who entered the HOKA ONE ONE Clifton 2 giveaway! I was so excited to see so many people interested in trying out my fave shoes! But only one of you could win, and the winner is “Jen C.”

YAY YOU DID IT!
YAY YOU DID IT!

Congratulations, Jen! Check yo email. I sent you a little something. It’s…an email.

Confession: You know how one of the super loaded questions on the giveaway was with whom (grammar!) Rory should have ended up at the end of “Gilmore Girls?” Well, I haven’t exactly seen the entire series.

I loved the show in high school, then stopped watching at some point, and recently started DVRing the episodes on ABC Family during the day and catching up on them. But I’ve sort of tuned out, and yeah Dean ends up cheating on his wife and is pretty lame, and apparently Jess turns cool and mature but I haven’t gotten to that yet, or I skipped over it, and I don’t find anything redeeming about Logan, but some of you do. The point: I’m completely unqualified to take a stance on this topic. But that’s America. We do that a lot. #burn

NOW ONTO HEALTH-RELATED MATTERS…

Here I am at the eye doctor, with dilated pupils, AKA being blind. I hate it.
Here I am at the eye doctor, with dilated pupils, AKA being blind. I hate it.

I am getting a little bit better. Kind of. Slowly. But I’ll take it! I had to stop eating jicama, because I realized I always felt horrible after I had it. VERY sad.

Maybe because I went away for a little while? Brian had two bike races on back-to-back weekends: The first in New Hampshire, the second in Vermont.

ILOVERMONT. It's a little too buggy, though.
ILOVERMONT. It’s a little too buggy, though.

Instead of doing that long ass drive back to New York in between, we stayed with my parents in NH for a few days. It was downright blissful. We worked outside, we rode bikes, and in Vermont we stayed at a horse farm with actual horses, both large and miniature.

Byyyyyyye bye Li'l Sebastiannnnnnnn.
Byyyyyyye bye Li’l Sebastiannnnnnnn.

And then I went for a run! After taking several weeks off on account of the ol’ stomach situation (remember The Situation from “Jersey Shore?”), I worked up the courage to try running again! I loaded myself up with Imodium and a Zip-loc full of TP and hit the hilly roads of Vermont for a trial run. Most of my runs up there were very short and didn’t go very well, but I did get to run the day we were in Burlington, which is one of my favorite days of the whole year. I love the path along Lake Champlain.

OH OK.
OH OK.

I haven’t run much since being back in New York, in part because I’m busy and just haven’t been able to cram it in, and in larger part because I’m scared. In Vermont, you have woods everywhere. In New York, you have Starbucks, which now has keypads on all its bathrooms and insists you must “buy a coffee first” to get in. Don’t get me started.

But the views <3 <3 <3
But the views

I am really glad I’m not running a fall marathon. This is my first season not training for something, and wow! Who knew it could be so freeing not to follow a training plan or “have” to run?! I’m sure I’ll be sad come race day(s), but not having to schedule in 20-mile runs has been pretty liberating. I can do whatever run I want. I can sleep in! I love marathon training, but choosing not to race at the same time I’m planning a wedding was a good call.

AND SPEAKING OF WEDDING PLANNING…

I want a crowd braid every day.
I want a crowd braid every day.

Brian and I are basically married. We got our marriage license this morning! First, we went for a bike ride together in Central Park. I felt like this was important.

Our love ride. That's what we will call it. Forever.
Our love ride. That’s what we will call it. Forever.

It was unexpectedly one of my favorite things we’ve done throughout this process. The Office of the City Clerk is the happiest little government agency there ever was. There were so many couples there getting married and there were people selling bouquets, and I wanted to get matching rhinestone hats that said “The Bride” and “The Groom” but Brian kept pretending he didn’t hear me when I brought it up. Four times. It was a surprisingly fun morning in downtown Manhattan! (And really easy: We arrived a little after 10 AM and were done by 10:35.)

The Cristianos! Eventually.
The Cristianos! Eventually.

Brian took his first yoga class. It was the free yoga in Bryant Park, and now he says shit like, “ommmmm” and “open yourself up to the possibility of being relaxed.”

He was so pleased with himself.
He was so pleased with himself.

So I’m not sure whether it was a good thing or not. But he was really sore the next day, and that was gratifying for me. Because I wasn’t. Mwa ha ha.

WILL YOU SPOT MY HANDSTAND? Poor guy, has to do this all the time.
WILL YOU SPOT MY HANDSTAND? Poor guy, has to do this all the time.

I’ve been working really hard on my Wedding Watch list. It’s another project that’s proven to be fun. And since I wrote the episodes out in list form, it’s actually technically a productive task.

Yes, it's taped to the wall, next to the TV.
Yes, it’s taped to the wall, next to the TV.

The highlights:

  • I’m saving Jim and Pam’s wedding from The Office for the night before the wedding, because it’s my all-time favorite.
  • Monica and Chandler’s wedding from Friends isn’t on there because I actually don’t like that episode! Monica wouldn’t have done her own hair and makeup, and the ballroom isn’t Monica’s style at all. Phoebe’s “James, James Brolin?” line is one of my favorites, but other than that, not the greatest episode. Plus I’ve seen it 138 times.
  • Leslie and Ben’s wedding from Parks and Recreation (and the episode when he proposes) and April and Andy’s wedding are tied for my second favorite. They are both perfect.
  • I can’t find Zack and Kelly’s Las Vegas wedding episode anywhere and it’s stressing me out. I also can’t find 90210. Help.
  • While Father of the Bride has always been one of my favorite movies (because yes, all of our dads are Steve Martin, but my dad is Steve Martin, especially during the grocery store hot dog bun freakout scene), but watching it having planned (most of) our own wedding? Totally different. Brian and I were laughing hysterically the entire time, because we could relate to all of it so much more. Namely the part when George Banks thinks he misheard that “you said $150 a head…that can’t be right!” And the response is, “No no, $250 per head.” Exactly.
  • Bryan Mackenzie from Father of the Bride is Charlie from Scandal. IS YOUR MIND BLOWN? Mine was.

I never did any of the pre-wedding workouts I said I was going to do. Literally not even one of them. Boxing and Brooklyn Bodyburn and barre classes? My bad.

I miss getting RSVPs in the mail.

I’m at the point where the main stressors are behind me, and now it’s either, “I can handle that” or “F it.” Mostly the second option. Dance lessons? No time. Too busy trying to find Donna and David’s wedding in watchable form.

We threw Brian an “Office Bachelor Party.”

WEDDING FAVORS.
WEDDING FAVORS.

I plotted with his employees and we got him fun little gifts and, well…it was a Puppy Party.

They were everywhere.
They were everywhere.

We hired six puppies to come play with us for an hour. It was awesome. And Brian was so surprised when he came out of his conference room and saw the office filled with excitable pups.

THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY.
THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY.

Somehow I just wrote so many words, managing to say very little along the way. I am happy to be feeling a little better. I am happy to be getting married next week. I am happy our ceremony and reception are going to be very personal, with lots of personal touches along the way afterward (like choosing to serve only red and pink Starburst and not the crappy flavors — thank you, Fave Reds).

YES.
YES.

What’s new with you?

I love you.

Ali

Ali

33 Responses

  1. Hello Ali,

    I was looking for information about how people live with Crohn disease when I found your blog and specially your post : A few things that you should know about Crohn. Thank you, for your energy ! I laughed and smiled a lot and make me feed better… and then, I learnt that you’re getting to be married soon! so Congratulations, I wish you the best!!! and plenty of Happiness.
    If I was looking for how to live with crohn disease it’s because my son of 23 years has just been diagnosed having this disease and the first exams are not good because MRI identify an anal abcess with fistula and he will have to undergo abcess drainage surgery… Today, I’m have devastated, not only he is going to, physically, have to face this f.. disease but at the moment psychologically he refuses and wants to ignore it. So, I hope that one day he will be like you, full of life and hope and life goes on!!!!

    Kind regards
    Veronique

  2. Happy almost wedding! You and I almost share an anniversary… mine is on the 29th! 8 years! I love your blog and I love your positivity. I’m glad you are feeling better as you get closer to your big day.

  3. You two look RIDICULOUSLY happy and it made me smile enormously!

    New with me is my first century ride this coming Sunday. I am ready but also freaked out and I know I won’t be able to sit down for days afterwards!!

  4. So many things, but I’ll narrow it down:

    1) I got my first spray tan before our wedding too. It was horrifying but then…I loved it. I want more during the ghostly winter months.

    2) That puppy party. I can’t even begin to process.

    3) SO EXCITED FOR YOU! Soak it all in and take as many mental photographs as possible.

    xoxo

    1. ARE YOU COMING TO THE WEDDING? DO IT, I DARE YOU. (Have we not met in real life? I just feel like we have and you should probably be my Maid of Honor. SEE YOU SOON!)

  5. What’s new with me? I started TAP lessons yesterday! It was awesome. 🙂 Love the pic with your wedding license and the puppy party. Have a fabulous week!!

  6. Who knew you could hire a bunch of puppies?? Not me, or they would have been at my birthday party. So adorable!! I’m so excited for your upcoming wedding. It will be a blast. Can’t wait for the pictures of the wedding bliss. Early congrats to you and Brian!

  7. I am happy that you are happy. Excited that you are feeling better and looking good. Not having races planned is very liberating. Cute puppies. have a great day
    bakingrunner.blogspot.com

  8. Love your tv checklist, Pam and Jim was the BEST. I have SBTB and 90210 on tape still though of course, no vcr. Too bad you’re not getting married in NH, you and Brian could have dug your own graves, stood and got married in them, like Dwight and Angela.

  9. What about Ross and Rachel’s wedding? That’s a good episode!

    Ellie and Awesome’s wedding in Chuck is a seriously good episode, too. Actually Chuck is just an awesome show! (At least the first couple of seasons…)

  10. Yay I can’t believe it’s a week away! I’ve followed your blog for a few years now, and had to finally post a comment to say my early congratulations!!! (And love all the “Team Christiano” things). So I don’t have full episodes, but I found you a Vimeo clip of Zach & Kelly’s big moment: https://vimeo.com/24977918
    and a YouTube one for Donna & David: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yriCAdKIQ2w (sorry not great quality). Maybe that can help you cross off/fill in the boxes on the wedding watch list? Can’t wait to hear how the big day goes, and keep on being awesome 🙂

  11. 90210 is on Hulu… I’m currently working my way through the series. I don’t know who David is yet, but I’m very upset Brenda isn’t marrying Dylan (I’m only on season 2). I’m also on season 2 of Pars and Rec so I didn’t know about Leslie and Ben or April and Andy (WTF is that about).. so thanks for that. Ha… shame on me for being so behind on these amazing shows. Happy wedding week, hope everything is perfect for you! 🙂

  12. I’m happy you are happy. And happy you are feeling some improvements with the health. Those puppies!!! So cute. Happy week leading up to the big day! All the best to you Ali!

  13. Congrats on almost being married!!! Definitely taking time off and not having a race to train for during those last couple wedding months was super smart. PS the Zack and Kelly wedding was actually a movie not an episode during the series- but it’s a amazing and I believe I recorded it on a video tape- If I can find it and you can find a VCR it’s yours, haha.

  14. Netflix DVD has those episodes available . . . maybe sign up for a one month free trial?

    Happy wedding! Central Park weddings are the best (I got married at Cop Cot just last month!)

  15. This post is so full of happy! I love it! You are just the cutest, and I hope you have a wonderful wedding day and feel awesome for it and your honeymoon!!

  16. This is so exciting! I can’t believe it’s next week already?! And the Pope is coming too! Ha! Seriously though I hope you have a beautiful wedding day & I can’t wait to read the post wedding blog!!

  17. This is one of my favorite posts you’ve ever written! It’s so real, and happy, but honest and fun! I am so happy and excited for you, eventhough I only know you through the webs. 🙂 I can’t wait to see and “hear” about your wedding festivities! Enjoy the next few days!

  18. I grew up in Vermont, 20 minutes from Lake Champlain and 40 minutes from Burlington. It is the BEST. An old friend of mine took up running and shares #morningrun pics that have given me a terminal case of homesickness, even though I love where I live now and never want to move.

    I am so, SO excited for you. Happy wedding! Congrats and best wishes and YAY, CRISTIANOS!

  19. This post is awesome! I’m so excited for you and Brian for your wedding and looking forward to hearing all about it!

    I’m so glad you are starting to feel a little better. Try to enjoy every little thing. 🙂

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about ali

I’m the creator of the Ali on the Run blog and the host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast. I’m also a freelance writer and editor, a race announcer, a runner and marathoner, a mom, and a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (way better than the first one!), and reliving my glory days as a competition dancer in the early 2000s. I’m really happy you’re here.
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