1. At the beginning of my senior year of college, my then-boyfriend asked me "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" After a few seconds and not much thought, I responsed with "the Canary Islands." He asked me where they were, and I explained that they were near Africa and belonged to Spain. Nothing else was every said about the Canaries. On Christmas, after opening a lot of gifts from him, he told me I had one more. I felt a bit guilty since I hadn't gone overboard like him. I unwrapped a box to find a travel case, which contained my passport....and then I found a ticket to the Canaries for ten days (my spring break). The trip was really cool, and I loved Gran Canaria. He proposed while we were there, and I said "yes." It wasn't that exciting though; I totally knew it was coming because he'd walked around all day with the jewelry box in his pocket (I could see the outline against his pants). Plus he'd been weird about me not looking in his carry on bag, so I had totally known what was up.
2. I once went through a huge domestic phase in which everyone thought I'd been brainwashed (I now know). I read cookbooks all the time, made big meals most days, and went to the grocery store almost daily. Perhaps that's a hazard of being a stay-at-home-girlfriend. Anyway, that passed. Oh well, at least I know where you can find cream of tartar and chutney in the grocery store now.
3. I worked for UPS one Christmas. The driver was a sexist, so I didn't do much because he didn't think I could handle it. Once he realized I had run cross country with his son, his confidence in me increased and he let me carry a few packages.
4. I was a negotiator from a young age. One day my mother caught me saying "damn" repeatedly as I hit a stick along side a fence when I was three or four years old. She told me that I would be getting a spanking for saying a bad word, and I replied with "Can we talk about this?" I then proceeded to negotiate a deal that permitted me to say "damn" once a day in my room so long as no one heard me.
5. I almost always take the stairs, and I feel a bit guilty taking an elevator. Oddly taking an elevator down (several flights--not one) doesn't make me feel as conflicted. I've always been fond of stairs and walking in general, so I've even climbed as many as 38 floors when in a large hotel. But I really noticed the stairs thing in law school when my classmates took an elevator to go two flights. It was particularly noticeable because (1) they'd wait for the elevator and it took longer than taking the stairs and (2) one of our professors was in a wheelchair. And every time I saw him waiting for the elevator he had to take, the more resolved I became about taking the stairs. And internally, I'm a bit judgmental about this towards the elevator users. It just seems really lazy to me (not if they have bad knees, a broken ankle, etc.) to take the elevator to just go a floor or two, although I'm sure I do things every bit as lazy. I was at the courthouse with a criminal client not long ago, and as we were chatting, I veered to take the stairs down one flight. She said "I'll call you later; I came this way [gesturing to the elevator]." She's 22.
Happy Friday!! And is Grey's making everyone else cry too? This is the second time in a row!
19 comments:
I keep forgetting you're a runner. I think you'd totally give up on it if I wasn't around to guilt-trip you into going to the gym. :P
I thought the conversation about stairs was quite entertaining. The elevators here at work are notoriously slow. I work on the 9th floor in this building, and I always take the elevator there. The company is also on the 8th, 10th, 12th and 14th floors. I'll take the stairs to any inbetween on one condition: I'm wearing my running shoes. Otherwise, I will only take the stairs UP (and never down) if in my dress shoes. Walking down the stairs in dress shoes is a recipie for disaster and I've damn near broken an ankle doing it. I know it sounds cooky, but that's just the way I am.
I love all of those! It's fun learning new things about the people I read everyday:)
#4 is really cute and funny. Oh, and #5?! I am totally the same way!
YES, Grey's Anatomy made me teary... for like, the 5th week in a row.
Have you ever noticed the folks who will use the elevator for one floor trips are usually a little more "round"? :)
I've always wanted to go to the Canary Islands. I'll definitely have to get your tourist advice before my trip though. It stinks that the guy wasn't sneakier about the proposal. I would really want to be surprised. But A for effort though - that's an awesome location to ask!
You are full of interesting little stories, Allison! I love the negotiating one too...I've never been good at that.
Have a GREAT weekend!
Allen: Well, let's just say that my first year at work several people complained about their weight and compared themselves to me--even as we parted ways for them to take the elevator and for me to take the stairs (alone).
Brookem: The show is good, but I'm tired of crying during it!
Aaron: I feel the same way about going downstairs in heels, which is why I often take the elevator down but not up. Of course, the only time I've fallen (spread eagle and thankfully alone) was when I was going up the stairs.
38 floors? That might qualify as mildly OCD... I would say I usually have like a two floor maximum. I will take the stairs up two floors, but more than that and I will probably wait for the elevator. But down, I would probably say it is at least three floors.
I too took always took the stairs in law school - all five flights to the library. I swear sometimes that was how I stayed so thin.
What is the story with the engagement?
Kimberly: I'll be happy to tell you everything I remember, although it's been 8 years. Gran Canaria has it all--city life, lush vegetation, beautiful beaches, and sand dunes. And you can drive everywhere in one day if you want. Hope you have a super weekend too!
AM: I live on the third floor of a building (without an elevator) and work on the fifth floor, so I'm used to that many flights. And yes, I'm a bit OCD.
e.b.: I said yes (I was only 20 my senior year) and then called it off about 7 months later. Nothing had been planned insofar as a wedding. We moved to his hometown, and he changed tremendously (began smoking, drinking, and hanging out with his high school friends who were racists and completely different than his friends in college--they even called him by a different name). Definitely weird, although in all fairness, I should have known from the get-go to say "no."
I think you meant that you were at the courthouse with a client that has been ACCUSED in a criminal matter. :)
You must think she's guilty. Lol.
I am shocked you can use the stairs in your courthouse. Ours are blocked where only courthouse personnel can use them for "safety" reasons.
My law school was the same way, folks would wait 10 minutes for an elevator rather than hike up a flight of stairs. Of course maybe it was because they had those DAMN (sorry Ally's mom) rolley bags. I hated those things.
Billy: Well, I meant criminal vs. civil, but she had just pled guilty when we had this conversation (and she had pled guilty to aggravated assault before that charge). So she was definitely a criminal:)
Oh my gosh--those suitcase things were awful. Why not just use the lockers they gave us? Oh yeah--because that would require someone to walk to the lockers....
two Grey's ago was very teary.... but what about the last Grey's was teary? I'm having a hard time remembering. I watched it half asleep, but I don't remember reaching for a kleenex. I did laugh a couple times though.
You were engaged??? I missed a story or two somewhere.
I have to watch Grey's on my laptop this weekend b/c Bat & I went ice skating and to dinner Thurs pm. Last night we watched the hockey game on TV. My sister told me I'd cry. Bat will be LOL at me again.
We have only 2 floors where I used to work. EVERYONE, including myself, used the elevator. The door to the stairwell was difficult though. If you didn't punch in the right security code and turn the key at the exact right moment, an alarm would sound. It always scared the residents.
Jordan: I don't want to give much away for those who haven't watched, but it was the scene where the Amish parents of the girl come in her room and the mom reaches out to the "shunned" friend.
FC&F: Yes, engaged, bought a house and two dogs, etc. But that was about 7 years ago. Grey's has been great lately. Happy viewing!
It's Just Me: Well in a situation like that I don't blame everyone for passing on the stairs.
I am glad that I managed to watch Grey's before reading the comments! I was wearing my glasses while watching and got my lenses all splatter with tears and I bawled my eyes out.
I'm all for stairs too. I lived in a walk up in NYC - which were always fun when I'd go home drunk. Now that I don't have stairs to climb, I make a point to use them whenever possible.
I worked for the UPS one winter as a loader. That was a great job!
Ella: I try not to say too much about Grey's since I know some of you guys have delayed viewings--it was SO sad!
Croaker: UPS pays so much better than any other school job, so I agree.
oh yes yes.. THAT scene... Ok, that was touching. I didn't expect them to reach out for her even though she encouraged her friend to go home... I figured the parents might give her a "kind" glance, but to actually hug her.. I was surprised.
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