Busy Busy Life

I apologize for being absent for the past like week or two. Life has been a little hectic...between work, and traveling and oh yeah...this little guy :)

Tanner just chilling out next to me.

Tanner is the newest man in my life. And it seems he's taken to living the "only child" life.
He seems to be really enjoying himself when I'm home and is a little bit of a nut. But I think he fits right in.Odds are that I'll start just taking pictures of him and be posting pictures up.

Tanner is a bucket list item. Even though I did not get him just to cross off an item, I still can now that he's officially mine.

44. Have a pet

In other news, life has been a little hectic at the moment. Between work and just trying to get life a little more settled has been difficult. I've been trying to figure out what I want to go back to school for as well. I want to get my masters but trying to figure out in what has been the hard part. I love being in the business world, and for that reason, I think I need to do something with business. But a part of me would still love to have my masters in math. As you can see, I'm pretty confused.

GO GIANTS!

I'm a Giants fan. Not a fair weather fan. A born in NY, my parents are fans, Giants fan. I am SO excited that they are going to the Super Bowl this year. The bad part is, is that we're playing against the Patriots. Who many of my friends support. So we may have issues watching this in a few weeks. But with their win, I'm going to have to go out and buy myself a new shirt to support them February 5th. :)

Ted Mosby and the blue french horn.

I also want to say I have some of the BEST friends. They all went in (as poor college students) and got me for Christmas a Blue French Horn. In order to understand why this is so amazingly AWESOME, you have to know about How I Met Your Mother and my obsession with this show. I watch this show religiously. I watch it when I'm sad. I watch it when I want to laugh. It is my favorite show. Ever. And as such, I've converted all of them. But watch the pilot if you've never seen the show and you'll understand the blue french horn.  But if you're one of those 4 reading this, thanks for understanding my crazy.


-Allison

C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A! Goooooo Cocks!

Alshon's Hail Mary TD leap in
 Monday's win. #BeastMode

We witnessed a miracle on Monday. South Carolina came up with a win in a bowl game for the first time since 2006. More of a "Thank the good Lord we didn't mess this up" kind of a win in my opinion. But for the first time EVER, South Carolina won 11 games in a season. Even with all the adversity this season, we still "won anyway". So now that this season is over for my boys, I start to think about next season.

With the schedule that came out almost a week ago, I think that even though people say that we're screwed aren't looking at this with the right perspective. Yes, we play LSU and Arkansas, two of the best in the Western division, the entire SEC and in my opinion, the nation.

But think about this.

In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. LSU definitely proved that this year. They beat Oregon, the 2012 Rose Bowl winner, in the first week of the season when Oregon was ranked #3. They beat #3 Arkansas, and pretty decisively. They beat #2 Alabama, IN TUSCALOOSA, in OVERTIME. And odds are, they'll beat them again for the National Championship. So looking at it like that, in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. And in order for Carolina to be the best next year, we'll have to beat the best.

The Ole Ball Coach always has a plan.

Obviously, our hardest game next year is LSU in Baton Rouge. But once again, LSU was able to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. So who says that it isn't possible to beat LSU in Death Valley? Who says we can't beat Arkansas? Who says we can't be at the top? I see Spurrier and he seems much more giddy these days. Almost like he has the same twinkle in his eyes from his Florida days. To me, that means he knows he has something special here. He wouldn't sign on to do another 4 seasons if he didn't a) have it in him and b) think that he could really accomplish something special. Honestly, it might even mean he's got someone in mind recruiting wise. Which would mean he's got a plan. 

If you haven't noticed from this post, college football is an important part of my life. Not just for the sport but for everything that revolves around it. It gives you a chance to meet new people that support the same team as you (or even root for the other team). It gives me a chance to spend time with my friends tailgating and even going to the game. It brings me happiness, it brings me heartbreak. College football isn't just something that I watch on Saturdays throughout the fall, it has a part of my heart.

Christmas Break/New Years/Bucket List Update

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and/or a very Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to you all! Hopefully, 2012 is going to be a great year for us all! :)

I was extremely grateful for being able to spend a lot of time with my family and it was so good to see my family. They loved their Christmas gifts which to me was the most important thing! 

Jordan did get to take my family on a really awesome tour of CNN now that he's working there, and we did get some quality family shots.

The fam.

My Journalist :)

Bucket List Update - because really, this is quite needed.
In October, I was able to god to Scarowinds (Carowinds version of their Halloween celebration) which was so much fun. But since half is in South Carolina and the other half is in North Carolina, I was able to stand in two states at once. So number 92 is official crossed off :)

Half South, Half North

My sister is amazing and knows how to knit. She’s incredibly good at it and I don’t know how she does some of the things that she can do. So I have on the list, learn to knit. Well for Christmas, she got me some yarn. So I’m officially learning how to knit. Which means in a few weeks (hopefully) I’ll be able to say that I’ve made something. I think I’m going to wait to cross it off until I’ve finished making something.



A few days ago, the SEC released their 2012 Football Schedule. MInd you, as a huge college football, SEC and South Carolina fan, I was on the website the minute it came out. So now that I have to plan out how I’m going to be able to go to the maximum games possible (which would be great if I could cross off this other item on the list - 103. Go to every Carolina game in one season -  but I doubt that THAT’S going to happen any time soon. I’m just out of college! I’m still too poor for most of this stuff.) So if anyone wants to donate to me a couple seats that way I can save money to go to away games/ a couple of roundtrip flights. I’d be much obliged.  

GO GAMECOCKS!

So that’s a wrap on my planning at this point. Hopefully once everyone starts getting back to their normal routine and I can figure out when I can take some time off, I’ll be able to start planning for some trips and for other items to get crossed off!



-Al

Two weeks

I have pretty much two weeks until 2012.

Two weeks until the start of a new year.

A fresh start.

And with every year, I try to think of my resolution for the year. And yes, most years, I'm like most people. I think of a resolution, say "I WILL accomplish this this year!", do it for about two weeks, and then quit. But this year, I'm doing something different. I WILL accomplish my goal this year. Because what is my resolution? To be better at blogging. That at first, may not seem like the best resolution. But you see, I've decided to restart this blog not only as just something to get me through my first year of life, but I've decided to make this so that I actually complete things on my bucket list. But not just that. I'm going to make sure that at least one thing gets to be crossed off the bucket list EVERY month. 12 things at least this year. So world, be prepared.

Shits about to go down.

The end of an era.

Friday morning. At approximately, 2:15 am, I finished watching what I invested 12 years of my life into. Harry Potter finally ended. And as such a part of my life did as well. I began reading the series when I was 9/10 years old, in the 5th grade and really having trouble understanding life. But as I grew up, along with my classmates, Harry Potter grew up with us. And it always seemed that the things he was going through as a teenager, albeit a little differently (he was a WIZARD for lords sake), there was still the same feelings he had as "normal" teenagers. Liking someone and not sure how they feel about you. And trying to keep your friendships intact. Little things in life that we all end up having to conquer. And so now, as Harry has seem to grown up, I feel like I have to grow up as well. And its scary to know that you have to grow up. But I guess that's life right? So thank you JK Rowling and Harry Potter for the past 12 years. You've given me so much and I'll never forget the lessons I've learned from you

Number 78.

So last night I went through the bucket list again and realized that I could cross something off.

So I may not have actually brought home any money (I actually lost 40 dollars). But(!) at one point I was up on the cruise. And therefore I had won at a casino :)

78. Win at a Casino.

What. A. Week.

So for the fact that I have been on a cruise the past few days is why this may end up being a very long post.

A) Something that would be of good knowledge to most:

When you and your roommate are making margaritas, and the ice is frozen together, sanitize a hammer and go crazy.

Second on the list: College World Series. As a Gamecock fan I would like to say congrats to the South Carolina Gamecock Baseball team and that I was pacing the living room and making my roommate nervous. Heres the picture of me after it was official.

Way to go boys...Back to Back!

Part 3. Cruise with the BF
Thursday, Jordan and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Fascination. We went to Nassau and Freeport which was a good way to get Jordan acquainted with the Bahamas as this was his first cruise. This was my fourth. So for Jordan's birthday and as his gift from me, we ended up doing a catamaran and snorkeling in Freeport. He saw a Barracuda...and failed to tell me that that was part of the reason he got out of the water while I stayed in. Always good right? We ate and ate and ate. We drank. We laughed. I can already tell you that we're ready to start planning the next trip. (That will probably be a decision that needs to be made in the next few months or so)

I've already decided what ship I want to go on next :)

This ship was actually used in Pirates of the Caribbean 3. So therefore, its pretty awesome.

The things that they can make out of coconuts...

One night at dinner. Pastels are awesome. 

Got back to our room and this was our towel animal...I think it was a seal...

Outside of the ship in Nassau