$11.88

There's my bank account total.

Sure, maybe this crosses the line as far as personal info goes on the internet...but I'm over it. It's the internet! Freedom! :)

Here's the truth: That $11.88 is gonna last me a week till my paycheck hits the bank. And because of that $11.88 being so low, I was able to buy apples, oranges, cheese, and get my moped fixed. Thank you, Life, for that.

Well, Let's Talk about Things Past

Remember months ago, when I mentioned "OH MY GOD! I WANT TO GO TO HAWAII!"

Right?

Remember that?

Well, it happened.

That's right, ladies, I've been living in Honolulu, Hawaii for the past four months.

First of all, I apologize to the few of you who actually follow this blog for not posting. The guilt kills me, as it does ANYONE with a blog that doesn't post. I'm over it, though. I was just thinking, "Man, oh man, I want to start a new blog." Then I realized that maybe I should take care of the ones closer to home, first. Granted, I thought that missing my payment to the blogger domain would have obliterated this beautiful piece of art, but nay, here it be, and here art I.

So, let's discuss this, yeah?

I went to Hawaii. I started with the idea.

1. "Going to Hawaii will make me happy."

I moved into the plans of it.

2. "Where am I going to get the cash for that? How the heck am I going to make this worth my time?"

Apparently, if I was going to go to Hawaii, I wanted it to have some semblance to do with the rest of my life. So I started researching. What do I do? I act! I'm an actor! There's got to be theatres in Hawaii, right? RIGHT.

So I found one. The BEST one, and I've been interning for them for four months now. What does this mean, exactly? Well, to make a short story shorter, I've absolutely thrown myself into whatever I possibly can with the theatre. I've stage managed, acted in NUMEROUS shows, helped move and build the new theatre, and even been harassed by the homeless, all for the sake of art.

I was supposed to be in Hawaii for 1.5 months. Alas! I did not. I could not leave. So I bopped my little happy rear home to Texas for my brother's wedding, which was GORGEOUS. I shall post on that soon, but then back I was. All this was made possible by incredibly good luck:

A. I was, essentially, an "exchange student" with a family here in Hawaii for the first 1.5 months.
Then, I realized I needed to stay, and I started looking for new housing.



B. I met and fell in love with a heartthrob named Jacin. He's in France, now, and we're not together, but wow oh wow, wasn't he incredible.

C. Jacin lived in a flat in a place called Kaimuki, and his hanai mother invited and okayed me to move in with him. We had a great time! We played all kinds of silly games, decorated the walls and ceilings, slept out on the roof and on the lanai, planned oodles of surprises, and both prepared for the next phases of our lives.

But, wait! What are these phases? (you may ask...) Well, Jacin moved to France. I'm finishing school. And my "new blog" I wanted to start, was going to document the next six months of me, in an art conservatory, finishing it all up, and getting the heck outta dodge. Who doesn't like to hear the trials and tribulations of an artist/a person moving/a funky girl? Right? Right.

D. I've met and worked with incredible actors.

And all kinds of other lucky stuff. I'm driving a moped around now. That I borrow. Jacin took care of the rent for the extra month I'm here. All kinds of things that make my life possible. Thank you, world, you are the bomb.com.

So that's it! I've been in Honolulu for the past four months, without a computer, without a cell phone (I got poor real quick here), and having the time of my life.

Health wise, I was 147 lbs when I got here, and 140 when I met Jacin. After Jacin left, I re-evaluated my life and realized I'd gone soft...literally. I was up to 154 lbs. You know what though, dear blogoworld? This does not phase me in the least. I learned that I was a pushover, previously. I'm gonna meet somebody fantastic in this world, and I'm going to say, "Hey you. Impress me. I'm incredible already--whaddaya got that's gonna change my world?" And I'm going to be strong and beautiful and take care of myself. The world's changing! I'm changing! And it's all quite wonderful.

So, here's to the taking up and documenting of a life. Health is inevitable. Inspiration is inevitable. You ladies are getting an upgraded version of a pretty cool blog (when it's in session.) :)

All my love,
Allyson West

The Friday Find: Milk Ads

I love this campaign! Sometimes the ads are so compelling.

Thursday Things Thin Girls Know, Archive Edition: Leah Watson

Today's Thin Girl is a Miss Leah Watson from Denver, Colorado. Leah maintains a strong, healthy body through constant exercise, a healthy diet, and guilt about drinking malts. She shares her thoughts on being thin with us:

Well, first of all, I know for a fact that I wouldn't have transitioned from childhood through adolescence as successfully as I did without soccer. That definitely kept me from gaining weight through middle school and high school while setting me up for the exercise habits that I have now.

I also know that fitness and a sweet toned body are not things that happen overnight, or because of dieting by itself. It takes time every day (or every other day) and energy--because that's the point, you expend energy and your body responds by toning the fuck up. It's a habit and it won't ever produce results unless you make it one.

The most important thing though is that you figure out a way to enjoy the process of working out, because if your only aim is to be hot (or toned or whatever) then you're probably going to fail-- you have to love the way that it makes you feel after [working out], and then the physical part will follow. But it's not the immediate result. If that's all you're in it for, you won't see the physical results fast enough to stick with the working out.

So-- figure out a way to love how it makes you feel and one day you'll look in the mirror and see the results.

So suck it up and go to the gym or get a friend to drag your ass out of bed.

Miss Watson herself has been that friend to drag my ass out of bed. Our conversations often went something like this:

(There is a knock on Allyson's dorm room door. Allyson is laying in her bed, pretending to not exist. The knock happens again.)

Leah: (in a sugary sweet voice) Come on, little girl. It's time to get up and go to the gym.

(Allyson, of course, still does not answer.)

Leah: Little girl, little girl, come on, it's going to be fun.

(The door opens and Leah enters the room. She climbs on Allyson's desk and begins to poke Allyson, who still has not moved.)

Leah: Little girl, come on. (Poke) You know you want to come with me to the gym. (Poke)

Allyson: Leah! I hate you! Get out of my room!

Leah: (jumping off the desk and pulling Allyson's running shoes out of her shoe rack) Little girl, come on, you know you're going to love it.

Allyson: (throwing a text book at Leah from her lofted bed) NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO! LEAVE MY ROOM!

Leah: Come on, you're going.

Allyson: NO! I WANT TO SLEEP.

Leah: (still in the absolute most annoying sweet girl voice) No, you're not. You're coming with me. (Hops back up on the desk and proceeds to poke Allyson)

(Allyson groans, and rolls her lard butt out of bed.)

^This is an actual event, everyone. I really did yell to Leah that I hated her, and she really did not even care. Guess what? She got my butt to the gym, and I am more than thankful to her for it. She is the person that has set my exercise habits. Thank you, Thin Girl Leah Watson!

Watson Wednesday: Where to go?

"If you aren't living on the edge you're taking up too much space."

I've thrown the usual order to the wind. I'm writing about what inspires me. Last week it was a spirit of perseverance; this week a spirit of adventure and experience.

Last summer I developed nodes in my legs, which, without a proper medical diagnosis, were anything from inflamed lymph glands to Hodgkins Lymphoma. Needless to say, in the several days between the surgical biopsy and results phone call, I hoped for the best-- but prepared for a long bought of chemo and treatment, which, most certainly, would have changed who I was at that moment.

The diagnosis for me was a good one, but for a lot of others it isn't.

Have you ever wondered what you would do, think, or feel if someone told you that you were going to fight for your life or die? I forget sometimes that I very nearly experienced that. Do you want to know what I fear the most? That fear will stop me from doing or being something remarkable. Regret. I fear regret. Looking back I rarely regret the things that I have done, I regret the things that I didn't. I have no need for regret, only for living.

Face the fear, see the view, take the step. You may be surprised how easy it is to fly.

Truth Tuesday: Nutritional Information on the Cheesecake Factory

I went out to eat Saturday with Abby, Jordan, and Mikayla so that we could all have a good cry fest about our lives and catch up. We planned on making dinner and slowly ingesting copious amounts of wine throughout the evening, but we ended up at the Apple store, and then at the Cheesecake Factory, which was just around the corner. Here's what I have to say about the Cheesecake Factory: I'm over it. Sure, the desserts ARE good. But what isn't going to be good when it's full of sugar, butter, cream, chocolate, etc? That makes sense.

What does not make sense is the four pound difference I read on my scale after eating 1/3 of the Fish Taco appetizer, a single avocado roll, and about 1/4 of my Flying Gorilla (which I only got because the name sounded awesome) sans Whipped Cream. Four pounds?! Are you kidding me? I'm over that. Anyway, it was all retention--I'm back down to 143 today, and feeling better about it, but seriously...I am not into doing that with my body. Cheesecake Factory, you are my choice when and only when I need someplace open late to celebrate with dessert. Hell, I could get a just-as-satisfying cheesecake at Meijer (open 24/7) at that point.

Momentary Mondays: Opening

I was reading through my Anne Bogart notes last night, accidentally. The "accident" part of finding the notes ended up being compelling enough that I really hit on some good stuff. For example, Anne says that the best actor training is to pick six really difficult things to do a day. When those six things get too easy, pick six more. Be brave enough to find the challenge.

Later on in the notes, I came across another quote: "When we become satisfied, we begin to die very quickly." Hmm. That may not be the exact quote, but it's along the same lines of find new ways to challenge yourself.

I've been dealing with my fear a lot lately. Not in ways that show my Warrior self bucking up against my Cowering self, but more in ways that show my Serene self looking at the large and vast contradictions I as Myself cannot help but have and create. Those contradictions, and the space between them, is terrifying. But I face it in order to grow.

Today I left the house with a few goals in mind. For today, attend all of my classes, go to yoga, run 4 miles, prepare properly for rehearsal, and have at least four lines of dialogue with another person I will never see again.

The last was the hardest, because I have never really actively attempted it. I opened up to the possibilities, and met Leroy, a construction worker for 17 years in Cincinnati. We talked about yoga. :) So today, do the same. Face a small fear, and conquer it. It's really not so bad. :)

Soapbox Sunday: A String of Somewhat Related Questions, Answered

Hey, Blogoworld! Wow, I've been offline for a couple of days now. I'm telling you what, the first week of classes can certainly do that. Well, here I am, and I'm very happy to be here. Here's a few of your questions, answered. And by "your questions," I really mean, "putting the things I want to say in a fun format for me."

Allyson! Where have you been for the past few days?

Well, Blogoworld, I've been settling into my new life. New classes, new home, new schedule, new relationship status, new braces configuration, new(ish) rehearsals...It's all very time-consuming, and painful (especially in the case of the braces.) I am so sorry for leaving you 26 loyal followers in the dust. :( My computer is also as old as time itself, so blogging is somewhat of a time-consuming task. I am sorry!

That's okay, Allyson. We know things happen. So let's go back to the basics of this blog...why are you the Smelly Girl?

Oh, Blogoworld, how that title haunts me. It harkens back to my freshman year, the year I became aware of nutrition, exercise, and the precarious balance of all of them. I hath not know that girl scout trefoil cookies were so addicting, and I hath not been tested on the perils of thus. I began working out to combat the food. And I was always smelly because I was always coming from the gym

What has your weight loss been like?

Well, it wasn't so great for awhile. It's taken me months to really begin understanding what works for me, but currently, I've been nailing it down solid! I've lost a total of eleven pounds since the beginning of my weight loss journey, and I'm still going strong. I'm thirteen pounds away from my goal weight of 130, and I've got 13 post-it notes just chillin' out on my wall, waiting to be pulled down.

What do you think about the Cheesecake Factory, Allyson?

Gosh, it's a good thing you asked, Blogoworld, because I was just thinking about this. Man...the Cheesecake Factory kind of sucks. I mean, even if you buy the Fresh Fish Tacos (without the creamy avocado sauce), and only eat kind of one of them, and then the guacamole and tomato things, and a little bit of an incredibly over-priced drink, you still feel like you've ingested a month's worth of crap calories. (Crap calorie = anything that does not truly contribute to overall health and fitness). I mean, sure, the Cheesecake Factory is open late, is commercial (so it's easy to sit in), has lots of variety, and seems like a good idea....but it's not. Friends, let's not go there again soon.

Well, Gosh, Allyson! You sound like you're doing pretty well right now!

I sure am, Blogoworld, I sure am. I'm excited for weight loss (even as I treat myself to Easter candy), excited for my life, excited to be living. Cool.

Watson Wednesday: Because I Forgot

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, dear readers. When things get fast and furious, sometimes it is best to just keep it simple. Take time to look. To explore. To discover.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

Look up and dream big. The stars are the limit.

Going to a BBQ? I wish!

Know what's in your sauces as you reach for them.

• Kansas City: Thick, tomato-based sauce with lots of brown sugar. Use sparingly.
• Memphis: A well-balanced sauce made with both tomato and vinegar.
• North Carolina: Vinegar-based sauce with a kick of spice from cayenne pepper. Go nuts.
• South Carolina: Also tangy, but made from mustard; a little sweeter than its northern cousin.
• Texas: Spicy tomato-based sauce blended with peppers and cumin.

Momentary Monday: Love Thineself

Today, like every day here at http://www.asmellygirl.com/, is an especial day for self-love and appreciation. If you felt like serenading, serendade yourself. Poetry is especially welcome, and all forms of flattery appreciated.

Here's your task for today.

Make a list of all the reasons why you are especially scintillating. Do not stop until you run out of things. Once you do run out of things you are good at/like about yourself/just kinda think are interesting, pause....get some lemonade, then come back and write down all the things you thought of while you were having some lemonade.

If you'd like to be entered to win this cute pair of earrings, publicly follow my site using the "Follow" tool on the right side of the page, and list your top five reasons for being as fantastic as you are. The most interesting, determined by my roommate, will win the ear gear!

Have a happy Monday, blogoworld.

Allyson

Saturday Success Story: How to Not Spend a Night Frozen in a Car in a Blizzard Outside your Pal's House

Hello Blogoworld! I promised this great story, and here it is.

So, here we go. First and foremost, I've spent not as much time as I would've hoped with the dear Leah Watson from our very own Watson Wednesdays. We've done much great fitness work within that time! Apparently, CorePower Yoga offers a free week of classes to any and all, and we certainly have made great use of this within the past few days. God, yoga is something we've got to talk about soon. Discipline. Training. Focus. Intensity. Things I love. We took a hot yoga class last night, and just let me tell you that I sweated my balls off.

Secondly fantastic about being with the Miss Watson is the wonderful chemistry that allows us both to really get our goals set, regardless of the topic. We discussed our "five year goals" (with her mom, no less, another kick ass woman of exponential proportions), and I really am set to go for the next month, life-wise. Here's what I've got coming up:

1) since I'm on the go, anyway, all the time, packing my food conclusively in calorie-labeled containers. I want to know what I'm eating, and I really want to learn how to budget my eating based off of my body's needs. I like this idea, but am a wee bit hesitant to run with it. I'm sure it won't be a problem...but anyone got any advice to share? That might help me refine this idea, and it certainly can use some refining.

2) Getting a yoga pass. When I was in high school, oh so many years ago, I was the captain and number one in command of the Farmersville Farmerettes Drill Team. Yes, it IS as intense as it sounds. :P Anyway, I loved the discipline and focus of practicing every day, the stretching and resistance that came with movement, and I am pumped to now find another option that allows me to fulfill what I liked most about dance. Yes, I have done yoga before. No, I have never regularly attended classes. Here we go!

3) Hey! I'm signed up for cardio classes at school! Again! It's the greatest way to really work on what is important to me and my career--my body. I'm pumped.

And now...on to the title of this blog post.

Two or three moons ago (and by "moons," I mean days), I made an asshole out of myself in Portales, New Mexico on the tail end of my break-up, and finally came to terms with the fact that the healthiest thing for me to do was leave. So I left. Watson herself wasn't due in to Denver until Wednesday afternoon, and it was, in fact, Monday morning. I trailblazed my way up to Denver, anyway, eating guacamole and chugging water. Eventually, that combo wasn't quite satisfying, as I am sure, you, dearest, fittest, reader understand. :) Anyway, I ended up staying with some incredibly distant relatives on the fly. For their hospitality and just gosh darn niceness, I am truly grateful. Eventually, it was time to leave their home. So I did. :D

I decided to leisurely spend the day in downtown Denver. I went to the amazing Body Worlds exhibit, looked at some muscles, some lungs, some fat, some hearts, some babies, some organs, and then spent awhile getting in some "exercise" at the Cherry Creek Mall. And then I left.

This is when the blizzard began.

The snow fell. The visibility increasingly got worse. Quickly. I ended up turned around, backwards, flip flopped around in my little suzuki reno (which, may I add--is NOT a great car for Denver Blizzards).

Watson talked me through directions to her house. Her mom had just finished a half-marathon (I told you---KICK ASS) in Moah, Iowa, and was trapped on the highway. Watson's flights were canceled, and she was stuck in Las Vegas. But I was there, and I was given every welcome to park, find the spare key, get myself into the house, and make myself at home.

Here's the thing about Watson's home: It is impossible to get into. Ya see, Watson's dad is a smart man. He proofed that thing within an inch of its life. Furthermore, the snow was blanketing everything. I was given specific directions to the so-called key, and was absolutely LOST in the heavy blankets being thrown on my head and on everything around me. The phrase, "needle in a hay stack" kept popping into mind.......there's something to be said for searching for a key in a blizzard.

Anyway, this story gets more intense. Ya see, I had forgotten, but apparently my cell phone drops any, and ALL, functions within ten feet of Watson's property line. Watson certainly talked me through directions to her house, but as soon as I parked, we dropped the line. I got out, scrambled around, tried scaling the nine foot fence surrounding her house, could not, went back to my car, tried to get ahold of her, realized I had no reception, drove two blocks, parked, and called her back.

Of course, she is hunting down her own back, so I sit frigid and wet in my car for forty minutes till we can touch base again.

She gives me directions to the back of her house, talks me through a three-step procedure while I take diligent notes for getting through the back, we hang up, and I attempt again. No luck. I back track, drive around the block, call her back.

We try again. Now, Watson is in the middle of securing a cheap hotel for a spontaneous night in Vegas (...), playing middle man to her mom who is trapped on the highway up in the mountains because of the blizzard, and trying to get me into her house. She gives me directions again, and this time (upon driving back, of course) I was able to break past the garage, sneak past the falcon tethered there, and start a mad scramble around the back yard for the damn key. NOTHING. The snow has blanketed everything.

Believe me, I searched. There are a lot of details being left out here, simply for the fact that my mind has needed to block such adventure from my mind. But the yard was wrecked. I searched my little heart out.

I trod off to hop in my car, drive away, and call Watson again.

This happens three more times. The first (of many), she asks me to search the front yard. Search the old hiding spots. The second time, I'm given directions to a nearby neighbor's house....who is out of town. The third, we break back through and search every nook and cranny of their damn yard. :)

Each of these conversations is spaced out. We're both flying around, and we have at least thirty minutes between each attempt. The neighbors have called Watson's dad, alerting him to the terrifying shadow lurking on and around their property, and he is helpless. He's working a 24 down at his station, quite some distance off. Finally, I go to a bar. And sit.

And Watson comes up with a master plan! She calls a friend, he agrees, and I drive 20 mph for the next hour and a half to meet and spend the night with a fantastic Brian Kief, my newest dearest friend. :)

Huh. Exercise wise, that WAS quite an adventure. I was frozen, wet, sweating. I was wearing summer jeans, and thank God I changed into my cowboy boots. The whole while, I kept thinking about how funny this entire situation was, and how I would love to share it (and play damsel-in-distress) for the Former Love of my Life. And then, that just seemed too silly to handle. My jack-assery in Portales came about only because I wasn't comfortable with how strong I felt throughout the whole situation. Believe me, I know I can stand on my own two feet...but knowing it while doing it was something I just wasn't used to. Wow. And sitting here in the middle of a Denver blizzard, telling Watson I was perfectly happy to sleep in my vehicle in front of her car, having her respond that I just didn't understand, and knowing that it didn't matter whether or not I really understood, was a great way to remember I was alive, living, and really happy with who I am. Strength is practiced, learned, trained for. I had been training my heart for awhile, and it was ready for me. Way to be a champion. :)