BLOGSWAP this is madelyn

I'M A GUEST BLOGGER. I'm Alison's sister. We had planned to do this a long time ago but we're both lazy and busy and whatever else so it's been put off until JUST NOW. As I type, Alison is typing. We're on the same couch. It's weird.

So I'm here to give you an unbiased (not really) look at Alison. Unfortunately, I'm very used to writing about ME that I'm pretty sure I'll get sidetracked. I'll try my best to stay focused.

HERE WE GO


Alison is almost done with school. She wants to be a farmer. I think this is dope, but she still thinks she might need a different plan. Graduation is GOOD because she's nearly done with this less than glamorous college thing, but it also means that she has to be even more of a grown-up. That's seriously scary. There are many questions to be addressed, such as WHO will pay for the cell phone? and groceries? Will the parents still support the kid? Will they be resentful about it? When will poor Alison be given the financial BOOT?
Unfortunately it seems that every landmark we hit just means we gain responsibility and lose the excuse to screw around. Alison has never really been one to screw around, though. We just had a big talk that sprung from a question I had about her feelings toward college early on. For those who don't know, she's attended five universities in the past three/four years. So I was wondering if she had also invented hair-brained schemes about running away from school. Turns out, she had wanted to buy a farm and live with friends in rural Minnesota. I feel like it's a good thing she didn't do that.

So now she's nearing that finish line. But she doesn't really know what it means to finish college. Neither do I. Anyone? Ideas?

Alison has been having some trouble with her sister. While Alison has been STRESSING out about school and graduation and everything, her dopey sister (yes, me) has been playing music in a band and staying out late and just basically being a free spirit (though I assure you that the stress is just being hidden, and is building up to a breakdown). Free spirits and dedicated students tend to clash a little bit. Or a lot. Mostly, we both have predisposed ideas of the other's life. For example, Alison thinks I'm kind of a flake. I think that Alison's kind of bossy. But these feelings are old, old feelings. That's part of what it means to live with your sibling after high school I guess. We're dealing with a lot of the same issues we've been dealing with our entire lives. Except it's harder to get Mom or Dad to settle things for us (the potential phone calls are tempting).

Alison likes to make soup. She's made a couple of batches recently and I approve. But for some reason she's always like DON'T BE CRITICAL OF WHAT I MADE. But I'm not, Alison. Food is fantastic. You make all the food you want, so long as you share and you actually clean the dishes.

THIS IS ABOUT BOTH OF US: Alison doesn't always clean pans and cookware thoroughly. This is like the worst possible thing in the world for me. Like AIGHT, I was making a cake yesterday, and I went to get the measuring spoons and they were OILY, and dirty stuff was stuck to the oil. That's not alright. I'm just saying.

Alison is nice. We argue a lot. Tonight we decided that we've both been kind of crappy sisters. I can, however, blame it entirely on school. Alison has very high expectations of herself. That's just how it is. But here's a secret: We're both kind of sucking at school lately. Nobody's grades are in serious danger, but it's always nice to be reminded that nobody's perfect. Not even super-older-sisters. But this is the thing -->Alison has a note from a doctor that makes it IMPOSSIBLE for her professors to dock her points for missing class in the morning. I don't have that. But it's about time Alison got some kind of break, don't you agree?

Okay this is almost turning into a competition. She's writing WAY more than me, and I think she's sticking more to the point than I am. What do you want to know about Alison? For real, I don't know what to write. Brutal honestly?

IS IT TIME TO BE BRUTALLY HONEST?

Alison should have some Minneapolis friends. This is okay for me to point out because I also desparately need some Minneapolis friends. But it's really hard to make friends when you move around as much as we have lately. That being the case, and even though we live off-campus, and even though it's her senior year and she's freaking out about school, I still think Alison needs some Minneapolis friends.

OKAY ALISON JUST FINISHED SO I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD FINISH TOO

ummmmmm. Alison is going to be A-O-K. Life goes on. She might be a farmer, she might not. Either way I'll probably still think she's bossy. But no matter what WE ARE SISTERS and I will love her and support her til I die. That's part of the deal. So I guess that's all I have to say right now, because I'm a younger sibling, meaning I MUST follow my older sister's lead and end this post right now.

LOVE,
Madelyn

P.S. ALISON IS A GREAT PERSON (I need to make this clear)