My very first blog

My name is Allison Margaret Spalding, although I usally just go by Ali. I am 27 years old, although sometimes I feel much older--like a grandma, and sometimes I feel much younger--like a teenager. But no, I'm stuck in that weird world of late 20's. I'm at that age where everyone expects you to know what you're doing with your life, to have direction, to have a plan. I don't think I do. I am a wife to a wonderful husband and a mother to a wonderful 5-year-old son and often I think that it belongs in the category of "...and she lived happily ever after." My life is wonderful, but it definitely has it's challenges, and below the surface is far from perfect.


My husband is very smart and savy and has managed to make an associates degree in nursing go farther than almost anyone would imagine that it could. He is funny and friendly, messy and (at times) cynical...but he loves me for me. He loves me when I am dolled up and smell nice and have the house in order and am the quintessential hostess, and he loves me when I just wake up, when I'm sweaty, when the house is a disaster, when I don't have any time, when I am stressed out and when I am ugly...he still loves me. When I don't understand how or why...he loves me.


My son is an awesome kid. He is 5 and in kindergarten. He is top 2 in his class (I know, I know, it's just kindergarten) and he can read and write and do math. He is good at most sports, although golf is his favorite, and he is really funny. He wants way too much attention all the time and, being an only child, doesn't understand that Mom and Dad's only purpose in life is not to play with him.


I have 2 jobs. I work for Outback Steakhouse. I have worked for Outback for 10 years (minus a 1 1/2 year hiatus). Yep, that's right, the same job since I was 17 years old. I have worked at 4 different Outbacks in 3 different states and I have loved them all. I have been a hostess, a togo server, a server, a bartender, and an assitant manager. I even bussed tables, washed dishes, and made salads from time to time. I love my time at Outback and will hate to see it end as I know it eventually must. I have had so many good friends and good times at those restaurants--People that I will never see again, and people that will always have a place in my heart, if not my life, people that got me through some of the hardest times of my life. Which brings me to my 2nd job. I am a temp at the National MS Society Kentucky-Southeast Indiana chapter. I started here about a month ago and my whole job consists of putting together Bike MS 2010: bike the bluegrass, a 2-day bike ride from Churchill Downs (in Louisville, KY) to Keeneland Race Track (in Lexington, KY). (Anyone in Kentucky or Surrounding areas that rides a bike and is interested in being a part of this event let me know) It is an awesome event and I am honored to be a part of making it come together.

I imagine that this is probably more than enough to start with on my very first blog, but I very much am looking forward to continuing with it and put myself out here on the internet for all to read.