American Idol - Week 2

I didn't love American Idol this week. Usually the girls blow me away, but they weren't so great last night. If I had to choose two ladies to go home, I'd pick Amanda Overmeyer and Kady Malloy. My favorites were Brooke White and Carly Smithson.

David Archuletta was by far my favorite of the week. His voice is incredible and he rocked John Lennon's song "Imagine". David Hernandez and David Cook were also fabulous. Do you think if I name my firstborn "David" he'll be able to sing like any of the Davids on this season of American Idol?

I can't take much more of Luke Menard's whiny voice. I'm hoping that he and Jason Yeager will be the guys to go home tonight.

Last week I went 2 for 4 when it came to eliminations. We'll see what happens tonight...

Sam's Family

When I got to work this morning, Sam told me about the snow globe he made at school on Monday.

Me: What did you put in your snow globe, Sam?
Sam: Mrs. Allison, Toby, Mommy, and Daddy! 'Cause that's my family!

Just to let you know, I'm officially a member of the Waller family :)

So priceless...

6 Quirky Things About Me

About a month ago, my fellow Elevators Marybeth and Erin blogged about quirkiness. Not just quirkiness in general, but 6 quirky things about themselves. At first I had trouble thinking of 1 quirky thing about myself (which is precisely why I didn't follow their lead and blog about it a month ago)...but I've thought of 839 quirky things about myself since then. So I'll share just 6 of them with you:

1. I absolutely LOVE folding laundry. I know it sounds weird, but I think folding laundry is somewhat of a stress-reliever for me. I should warn you, though - I'm very particular about how my laundry is folded. Ask my husband. I won't even let him help me fold laundry because I'm so psycho about it. The laundry must be straight out of the dryer (warm and wrinkle-free!), organized into stacks once folded, and put away in the proper spot in the closet or drawers.
2. I frequently eat cereal out of a coffee mug. I think I developed this habit when I was in high school (and it eventually rubbed off on my mom). Instead of sitting down to eat breakfast, I exercised my innate ability to multi-task. Although eating frosted mini-wheats while driving probably isn't the safest idea, it works. One of the first days I stayed with Sam and Toby, Sam saw me eating cereal out of a mug and said, "Mrs. Allison, you're not supposed to eat cereal out of a cup!" And that's precisely why it's quirky, little man.
3. I'm a reality TV junkie. There. I admitted it.
4. I have never colored or dyed my hair. I saw lots of girls in high school and college who spent hundreds of dollars every 6 weeks to get their hair highlighted or colored...and I always wondered why they did it. Is it really worth all that money to change your hair color (and then have hideous roots 6 weeks later and have to repeat the process all over again)? Maybe I just don't get it since I have "virgin hair" (as my hair guy Anthony calls it). Don't get me wrong - if it wasn't insanely expensive and labor intensive, I might try it. I plucked the first gray hair from my head at the ripe old age of 15, so I definitely see hair dye in my future. I'm just not sure I'm ready to try it yet. Once I start, I won't be able to stop.
5. I don't eat red meat. Long story short, I went to Romania on a mission trip when I was 14, became sick with a strange parasite (it took my gastroenterologist 10 months to find it), and it ravaged the inner lining of my stomach and intestines. After taking 8 pills a day for 10 days, the parasite died and could no longer do damage to my body. There was no way, however, to reverse the damage the parasite did in the year before my treatment. In the process of figuring out what was wrong with me, I was put on lots of different diets to determine how different foods affected my GI tract. Red meat, cheese, and fried foods killed my stomach. Solution: I stopped eating them. If you ever have me over for dinner, please don't be offended if I don't eat red meat with you. I'm pretty sure I'd die if I ate it.
   
6. I'm narcoleptic. Well, not really...but I like to use it as an excuse when I fall asleep during EVERY movie I attempt to watch. This little problem has gotten worse over the years, too. I used to only fall asleep at movies when I was watching them in the comfort of my own home. Now I fall asleep during any movie, no matter where or at what time I'm watching it (a friend's house at noon, the movie theater at 8pm, a drive-in at Winthrop on Halloween, you get the point). This little tidbit of quirkiness is especially annoying for my oh-so-patient husband who loves to watch movies and wants so badly for me to enjoy them with him. This is probably the only quirky thing about myself I would change if I could.
   

OK. Now it's your turn. What classifies you as "quirky"?

Hickory, NC Is SO Overrated...

Aaron and I had a busy weekend!

On Saturday, we went to Hickory, North Carolina (i.e. "the furniture capital of the world") to look for bedroom and living room furniture for our new home. We started looking for furniture in Charlotte a few weeks ago and found a few things we liked at Ashley Furniture...but we wanted to go to Hickory just to make sure we weren't missing out on any great deals. Aaron and I like to do lots of shopping and research before we buy anything. After going to two of the 40-acre furniture marts in Hickory and not finding one piece of furniture we liked (or could afford), we decided to go with what we had found at Ashley. We purchased the furniture on Saturday and it should be delivered to our house on March 14th. We're so excited! Here are some photos of what we bought:

We purchased a chest-of-drawers for our bedroom instead of the armoire.

This coffee table might be my favorite piece of living room furniture we purchased. The top is split down the middle and each side slides horizontally to reveal LOTS of storage space. I love the detail on the sides. And I love that it looks like a treasure chest. We also bought the sofa set that's behind the coffee table. Aaron's favorite piece of living room furniture is the "chair-and-a-half" and ottoman that comes with the set.

This is the end table that goes with the "treasure chest".

We're really happy with our purchases. When we decided to buy furniture, our mentality was: "Since we can afford it, let's do it right the first time. We won't ever have to buy furniture again (or at least not for a really long time)."

After church and small group on Sunday I came home and unpacked a few more boxes. We're finally beginning to see the floor and walls in our bonus room! I got a little more painting done last night, too!

Our house is becoming a home, slowly but surely...

Adjustments

I knew that getting married would entail an adjustment period, but I didn't know I'd still be adjusting 6 months into it.

I was expecting adjustments like:

• learning to live with a boy
• learning to make the most of the time Aaron and I spend together in order to avoid getting on each other's last nerve
• prioritizing my time between Aaron, work, friends, church, and other activities

I didn't, however, expect to have to make adjustments in my friendships just because I was married.

When Aaron and I first got married, we kinda disappeared for a while. We spent a lot of time with each other and not much quality time with friends and family. I think it was OK to do that for a month or two, but we became so lost in each other that our friendships with long-time friends and other couples began to suffer. I felt like I was losing my identity as an individual.

I began to feel disconnected from the other 5 couples in our small group during this past holiday season. Aaron and I were still in honeymoon mode and everyone else had their own stuff going on for the holidays. We kept floating further and further away from the people who had been there for us before we were married, and I didn't really know how to become reconnected with the ladies I loved and missed so much.

Going to small group wasn't fun for me anymore. I felt like I had missed out on so many fun times while Aaron and I were off in LaLa Land together. As much as I loved the closeness Aaron and I had developed since we had become married, I felt left out and alone without my girlfriends.

This past weekend at small group I decided to do something about the disconnection I was feeling from the girls. After our meeting was over, I asked to ladies if we could have a pow-wow and talk about some things. After lots of tears and talking, I felt much better. It was really hard for me to speak up and let them know how I was feeling, but I'm really glad I did. Summer, Lindsay, Kerri, and Alex have all been in my shoes before. They've all had to adjust to being young and married, too.

I've decided to make a conscious effort to spend more time developing female relationships in my life. I need and desire female friendships. I need to make a conscious effort to contact my friends and set aside time to spend with them instead of always expecting them to come to me.

I've also realized that I need to take better care of myself in order to properly care for others (Aaron, Sam, Toby, friends, etc.). Something as small as going to the gym by myself a few times a week helps refresh my mind and body to the point where I love, work, and live more passionately.

Thanks, ladies, for loving me just as I am. I know I'm a mess sometimes, but I truly desire deep, life-long, and meaningful relationships with each one of you.

Thanks, Aaron for always loving me unconditionally and putting up with me day in and day out. I know it's not always sunshine and roses being married to me, but you love me in spite of all of my flaws. Thanks for being so wonderful! I nub u.

Adjusting isn't always fun, but it's a necessary part of life. Now I know that being married isn't about making it through one adjustment period - it's about adjusting constantly. Without change, we would stay right where we are. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to grow.

American Idol - Week 1 (Girls Night)

Here's my best and worst list from last night's show:

Best:
Carly Smithson
Alaina Whitaker
Ramiele Malubay

Worst:
Amy Davis
Kady Malloy

American Idol - Week 1 (Guys Night)

Here they are my fellow American Idol junkies - my picks for best and worst of the night:

Best:
David Archuleta
Michael Johns

Worst (and hopefully going home):
Luke Menard
Garrett Haley

Who topped your lists?

Sam's Girlfriend

Sam is very fond of a little girl in his class named Grace. For the past few months he has referred to her as his "girlfriend".

He's four.

I thought girls were supposed to be "yucky" when little boys are four.

Sam usually figures out some way to incorporate Grace into many of our daily conversations. Even when Sam talks to Aaron, he talks about Grace. Here's a conversation they had today:

Aaron: Hi boys!
Sam: Hi Mr. Aaron!
Aaron: How are you?
Sam: I have a girlfriend.
Aaron: You do?
Sam: Yes. And her name is Grace.
Aaron: Well, I have a wife (he points to me and makes a silly face).
Sam: Yeah. I'm gonna marry Grace one day.
Aaron: Oh. Have you told her that?
Sam: Yeah.

When I woke Sam up from his nap today, the startled look on his face told me he'd been dreaming about something.

"Were you dreaming?" I asked him.
"Yes," he replied.
"What were you dreaming about?" I inquired.
"I was dreaming about marrying Grace," he said.
Of course he was. All 4-year-olds dream about getting married, right?

Sam is head-over-heels for Grace...and evidently it's getting pretty serious :)

I'll keep you updated...

Anytime Fitness

I am officially an active member of a fitness center again! I visited Anytime Fitness in Fort Mill yesterday after work and was extremely impressed by:

1. The facility. All of their equipment is top-of-the-line and brand new. Every cardio machine is equipped with an individual TV screen and headphone jack so I can watch any channel I want. Everything is kept extremely clean and sanitary.
2. The staff. The owners of the Anytime Fitness franchise in Fort Mill are a father and son team. They were very kind, helpful, and didn't harass me with a sales pitch (which is one of my biggest pet peeves EVER). They even gave me a promotion that expired last Friday: one free month added to my 12 month membership as well as 3 FREE months of tanning. Sweet.
3. The other members. Everyone was so friendly. Because Anytime Fitness is smaller than most other gyms, it seems like everyone knows everyone else. I love the atmosphere there.

I got my butt kicked at the gym last night. A trainer worked with me for an hour to show me a few new exercises to tone my muscles.

I felt like a big bowl of JELLO when I went home last night.

I felt like I had been hit by a train when I woke up this morning. I'm not complaining, though. It feels so good to be sore again.

It's amazing how exercise changes so much more than just my body. A great work-out gives me more energy throughout the day as well as a better attitude and frame of mind. It's been almost 6 months since my body has felt so refreshed...and I'm officially addicted to exercise again.

Let's Pretend I Posted This Yesterday...

Here are just a few reasons why my husband ROCKS my socks off:

• he knows exactly what I like and showered me with every bit of it yesterday
• he (usually) doesn't get too annoyed when I fall asleep during every movie we watch together (Sorry, Baby!)
• he brings out the nerdy side of my personality like no one else can
• he likes to snuggle
• he's so darned handsome
• he watches American Idol with me
• he tells me I'm beautiful every single day
• he's really cute when he talks about having a baby of our own one day (He'll be such a great Daddy!)
• he encourages me to be the best woman I can be
• he works really hard
• he leads us
• he loves the Lord with all of his heart

The list goes on and on and on...

I love you, Seet Pea! Thanks for a memorable first Valentine's Day as husband and wife :)

Crazy Corbett Kids

Two of my favorite children in the world are Ella and Austin Corbett.


The first time I met Ella she was about a year old. I was working in the nursery one Sunday morning at Elevation and she wanted me to hold her. She laid her head on my chest, I rocked her for a bit, and before I knew it she was out like a light. She fit perfectly against my torso and it felt nice to sit back and hold her. She and I bonded that day - and she's had me wrapped around her little finger ever since.

I really got to know Ella's mom Amy a few months before the birth of her second child, Austin. Since Amy sang on stage every week at Elevation for all 3 services, she needed someone to take care of Austin while she couldn't be with him. As you know, I LOVE children...so I volunteered to be Austin's caretaker for most of the day each Sunday.

I started watching Austin when he was 2 weeks old. Fifteen months later, he has me wrapped around his little finger, too. Week by week, I've watched him go through all of the major milestones babies reach: smiling, cooing, rolling over by himself, sitting up on his own, eating baby food, eating solid food, feeding himself, walking, running, climbing, talking, and so much more. Watching a child grow the way I've watched Austin for his entire life is probably the closest I'll come to feeling like a mom until I have my own children.

Ok...enough reminiscing. Let's talk about the present.

I'm babysitting Ella and Austin tonight. They've been absolutely bonkers since I showed up at the door. Here are some of the highlights from our evening together:

• I think wrestling an alligator would be easier than trying to pin Austin down long enough to put his diaper on him.
• As soon as I released Austin from the torture of putting his pajamas on, he headed straight for the toilet (which I had luckily just flushed). He got a few splashes in before I could catch him. When I directed him out of the bathroom, he stopped by the tub, picked up the wash cloths I had just wrung out from their bath time, looked directly at me, and threw them back into the tub full of water. Nice.
• Ella and Austin managed to roll their daddy's desk chair all the way from the front room to the kitchen table - without me noticing. I swear I'm a good babysitter. Those two are just sneakier than most other munchkins.
• Imagine 1-year-old Austin pushing his almost-3-year-old sister around the house in a stroller made for a baby doll. I know, I should have taken a picture.
• Austin used his "little man recliner" to climb into the real recliner where he situated himself perfectly in the middle, picked up his book about farm animals, and proceeded to "read" quietly.
• While I was intently watching American Idol to find out who the final 24 contestants would be, Ella climbed into the recliner (with an Elevation Church backstage pass around her neck), curled up like a roly poly, and began to snore. At the next commercial break I picked her up, carried her to her room, and tucked her into bed. She's the only child I know who plays so hard that she falls asleep in the midst of it.
  

I love babysitting the Corbetts. As crazy as those kids are, I couldn't imagine loving them more.

Thanks, Chunks and Amy, for letting me love your children as if they were my own. I can't wait to see who they become as the weeks and months continue to come and go.

Memories of Hiking

(The Shenandoah Valley, Fall Break '04)

Aaron gets to go hiking this weekend.

I'm very jealous.

For those of you who don't know me very well, I'm not your average "girlie girl." I like to dress up and be cute on occasion, but my outfit of choice is usually a t-shirt and jeans. I LOVE backpacking, hiking, getting sweaty, and romping through the woods. I don't even mind not showering for days or peeing in a hole in the ground (too much information? Sorry...).

So, needless to say, I was a little grumpy when my husband reminded me that this was the weekend he was escaping to the wilderness with the other husbands from our small group.

Guess who gets to stay home and paint the house?

I experienced my first backpacking trip during Fall break of my sophomore year at Winthrop. Aaron and I had been dating for 2 months, and it was nice to get away from school and spend some quality time together.

Aaron, Orte, Mani, Liz, Naomi, and I drove to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, dropped our cars off at a parking lot next to a trail head, and spent 3 amazing days and nights away from everything but each other and the great outdoors. The scenery was beautiful, the hike was challenging, and the company of my friends was priceless.

We each had our own backpack filled with only the essentials: non-perishable food, shelter, a sleeping bag and pad, water, and a change of clothes (which I never used). One or 2 guys also carried a stove (the backpacking kind), a small gas tank, a first-aid kit, and a water filter. It was nice being able to carry everything on my back that I needed to survive.

At night, after the sun went down at 6:30pm, all 6 of us would crowd into Aaron's 2-person tent to play card games (and keep warm!). Aaron put his head-lamp into the net at the top of the tent so we had just enough light to see our cards. Some of my favorite memories from that trip were made when we were all together in his tent.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the many college hiking trips my friends and I went on together:

Blackwater Falls, WV: Fall Break '05

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway: April '05

Vegetable Jambalaya

I cooked the first "real" meal in our new kitchen last night! After searching the Betty Crocker website for new recipes yesterday, I found this one:


Vegetable Jambalaya

1	tablespoon vegetable oil
1	large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1	medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2	garlic cloves, finely chopped
1	cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
1	can (14 ounces) vegetable broth
1	cup frozen whole kernel corn
2	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8	teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1	can (15 to 16 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1	can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is light golden brown. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.

I always double every recipe I make because Aaron loves to eat leftovers for lunch. This also prevents me from having to cook every night during the week. By doubling the recipe, I can usually get away with cooking only 3 or 4 nights each week.

I don't eat red meat (for health reasons...it's a long story), but Aaron does - so I try to cook dishes in which I can add meat to his portion at the end. In a separate skillet, I sliced and cooked a package of Hillshire Farm's reduced fat Smoked Sausage and added it to Aaron's jambalaya before serving.

I love cooking for my husband because he always raves over every dish I make.

"This is the best dinner you've ever made!" he exclaimed last night.
"You say that every time I make dinner," I reminded him.
"Yeah, but I mean it every time."
He's so sweet.

Try the Jambalaya. It's excellent. And quick. And easy.

Whew...

What a weekend!

In addition to my regular work week, I stayed with Sam and Toby Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so Mike and Liz could go to Asheville for a romantic weekend away. The boys and I had lots of fun and stayed extremely busy. We went to Cooper's birthday party on Saturday, registered Sam for summer camp on Sunday morning, and played outside all weekend because the weather was so beautiful.

Aaron worked on the house all day on Saturday. Some friends from our Elevation small group came over to help him clean and paint. We're very thankful that they were able to take time away from their busy schedules to help us! Joey - thanks for helping Aaron take out the mound of trash that accumulated over the past week! I'm glad y'all were able to get new air filters, too! They smell lovely :) Will & Kerri - thanks for getting the paint started in our bedroom! We can't wait to move in there soon :)

Attending Elevation's 2nd Anniversary CD recording last night was the best finale to the weekend I could have imagined! Aaron and I were recruited to take photos to document the evening - and it was very special for me to share one of my greatest passions with my husband. Aaron is extremely creative, but because I'm always doing photography or videography, I'm usually the only one who is seen as being "artsy". We both got some great shots last night and had a great time working together. Let's do it again soon, Love!

So here I am - back at work this morning. I hope the boys don't get tired of me by Friday...

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

On this day 19 years ago, my brother Bryn was born. I didn't know it then, but he would become one of my best friends in the entire world.

For the first 6 years of his life, I treated Bryn the way most big sisters treat their little brothers - I tortured him (partly because I was insanely jealous of him and partly because I was bigger than him). I used to pinch his nostrils shut when he was about to sneeze. I used to pin him down, straddle him, and tickle his chest with my chin. And the funny thing is - we have it all on video.

Then Bryn grew bigger than me. And the torture was returned ten-fold.

We fought about everything. I think one of the most frustrating fights for my parents when we got older was who got to sit in the front seat of the car. We were supposed to take turns, but there was always some reason why one of us felt jipped on our previous turn. We even used riding in the front seat as a bargaining tool with each other. I have no idea why, but it was a war that persisted until I was almost old enough to drive.

When I was 16 and Bryn was 12, we finally realized that fighting over stupid stuff was keeping us from having the best relationship with each other that we could possibly have. No matter what friends came in to and out of our lives, we would always have each other. Besides, it was easier for us to work together instead of against each other.

Bryn and I became very close during the summer before I went off to college. We spent a lot of our free time together and had the relationship I wish we could have always had. We had our normal sibling arguments every now and then, but I really regretted not spending more time with him while I had the chance. It killed me to know that I would miss so many important days in his life (his first day of high school, pitching in his first varsity baseball game, going on dates with his first girlfriend, his first prom). Although I feared that the progress our relationship had made would disintegrate when I moved 3 hours away, it only got stronger.

I spent most of my holidays home from school with Bryn. He took me hunting for the first time. He let me hang out with him and his girlfriend (whom I absolutely adore), he took me out on his boat, and we went to the beach a lot. I always hoped that my brother and the man I would marry one day could get along well and be friends. Bryn and Aaron are so much more than friends - they truly are brothers.

One of the hardest days for me was saying goodbye to Bryn a few days before he entered The Citadel as a Knob. I knew it would be the most physically, mentally, and emotionally draining experience of his life...and it scared me. I knew he would never give up no matter how difficult the circumstances became, but I also didn't want anyone to hurt him or be mean to him (which is pretty much the point of The Citadel; they break you all the way down and build you back up from ground zero). I broke down as we were saying our goodbyes, and he just hugged me and told me not to worry. "I'll be okay," he said. "You and Aaron just keep me in your prayers."

Now my little brother is a grown-up...and I couldn't be more proud of him. He's doing great at The Citadel. He works extremely hard (and plays hard, too!). I've watched his relationship with the Lord grow by leaps and bounds since August. He's a wonderful son, brother, friend, and boyfriend. He's everything I could have hoped for him and so much more.

So here's to you, Buddy, on your 19th birthday. You're such an inspiration to me in so many ways. I love you more than you could ever imagine and I'm so incredibly proud of the young man you've become. Keep up the good work and never give up. Keep chasing after the Lord and let Him continue to work in your life. Aaron and I love you so much!

Sam's Bad Dream

Sam: "Mrs. Allison, I had a bad dream last night."
Me: "Oh. Do you want to tell me about it?"
Sam: "Well, a big green ooey gooey monster came to my door and he knocked and I told him to go away and he didn't. Then my teacher gave me some grown-up scissors and I chopped his finger right off and then he went away. And that was my bad dream."

I forgot about the days when my bad dreams consisted only of injuring big green ooey gooey monsters with grown-up scissors. A child's innocence is so sweet :)

Still No Refrigerator...

We've been living in our house for 7 days. And we still don't have a refrigerator.

No, we're not slackers. We actually ordered a fridge 2 Saturdays ago and it was supposed to come in this past Friday.

Evidently they forgot to order it.

And then they forgot to send a floor model to hold us over until tomorrow.

At least we have a 2 gallon cooler to use until our refrigerator finally arrives.

Even though we still don't have the refrigerator, the money came out of our account the very second Aaron gave the salesman our debit card number 2 weeks ago. How convenient. I'm starting to wonder if the great price we paid for our refrigerator was a trade off for the awesome (or at least acceptable) customer service we should be receiving. Hmmm...

I spent way too long at the grocery store last night trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Since we don't have a way to keep leftovers cold, I needed to buy something that Aaron would eat all of so there would be no leftovers. I finally decided on one of those skillet meals from the freezer section. Not the most creative meal ever - but sufficient for our crazy life at the moment.

I can't wait to start baking again. I think I'm having withdrawals. Seriously.

Move over, paint brushes and rollers! Cookies and cakes will soon be taking your place on the kitchen counter...

Take A Break

Aaron and I are such rebels.

We decided not to do any work on the house last night. Zero.

We had all these grand plans of clearing out the apartment, finishing the trim in the kitchen, and putting all of our kitchen stuff in its new place.

Instead of following through with our rigid plans, we went on a date to Captain Steve's seafood restaurant (2 tenths of a mile from our house) and went to bed really early. Aaron and I had awesome food, great conversation, and a chance to finally relax and think about something other than work and moving. It was marvelous.

Sometimes you just need a break - no matter how much you think you need to keep going.

On a different note - I definitely DO NOT need a break when it comes to exercising. I worked out like a maniac all through college and for the 5 months leading up to my wedding. As soon as we said "I do," however, my desire to exercise went out the window. I haven't had a good workout in 4 months - and it's killing me. I'm ready to start working out again.

My membership at OMNI expired 2 months ago, so now I need to find a new gym. I don't want to spend tons of money every month, but I do want a clean facility with state-of-the-art equipment and great cardio classes. Let the search begin...