34 before 34

I think I mentioned that my 33rd (otherwise known as "Jesus") birthday was a couple weeks ago.  Since then, I've been thinking about what my goals are for the coming year...what things do I want to complete before 34?  Some of these are Big Ones...some are small, but most are doable. There are a few that might be a stretch but sometimes just saying/writing things down plants a seed that eventually grows up into awesome.

1.  Run a half-marathon.  My goal is the July 4th half in my hometown next summer. Done!  Ran the Horsetooth Half-Marathon in Fort Collins, CO in April 2011.  2:03!!
2.  Journal (more) regularly with an actual paper and pen.
3.  Organize family photos.  Ugh.  Bane of my existence.  I am so NOT a scrapbooker.  Its all I can do to make sure everything is uploaded to a photo site and prints dumped in a shoebox.
4.  Try mountain biking.   Done!  2 girlfriends took me up with the Husband's old bike last night.  We did 6 miles of rocky trails at twilight.  It was brutal but awesome.  My wrists and ass are freakin' sore.
5. Run a 10K - Registered for one at the end of the month in MO with my dad.  Done!  But not in MO- did it in hot, humid TX instead.  52:35!!
6. Organize Otto's artwork by age.  I got an accordion folder and labled sections "Age 1, Age 2," etc.  It will work for now and it forces me to do some triage and only keep the really awesome stuff.
7.  Get a new job.  Done!  I start my new position on Monday.  A promotion/transfer that has me both nervous and excited. 
8.  Start knitting again.  I need socks!  And there's a felted slipper pattern that has my eye...
9.  Learn at least 5 new songs on the ukulele.
10.  Take a road trip to visit a friend.
11.  Snowshoe at least once this winter.   Went snowshoeing a handful of times and even tried back country skiing.  (Not my deal, but at least I tried it!)

12.  Brush the dog at least once a week.  Poor thing, she gets so matted.  We're doing pretty well on this front.  We got her shaved in April and so far, so good!
13.  Get a massage.
14.  Go on more dates with the Husband...once a week seems hard but maybe once a month?  We're really trying to take more time for eachother and we took our first weekend away from the kiddo over Memorial Day.  It was glorious!
15. Purchase and learn new piano music.
16.  Learn how to (really) swim.  I can tread water and dog paddle but I want to learn how to really swim so that maybe I can
17.  Try a Triathlon.  Seems a little out there right now (given #16) but a sprint tri might be doable...just putting the idea out there for myself.
18.  Buy hard copies of the Hunger Games trilogy to save for when Otto is old enough to read them. 
19.  Watch Dr. Zhivago again because my mother insists that I should love it. 
20.  Keep moving towards eating homemade/ local foods.  We're doing well so far: local farm eggs, local honey, making our own bread...
21.  Run the Warrior Dash.  How fun does that look!?!
22.  Buy a small deep freezer.  (Probably used.)  For storing local beef/bison!
23.  Start a charity giving family tradition at Holidays time.  I want to start doing something yearly with our family where we together choose a charity and together shop/find items.
24. Actually prepare and cook a whole chicken.  I know!  I've actually never done this...we always just get boneless/skinless chicken breast.  But I want to learn the art of a simple roast chicken and explore all the things you can do with it.
25.  Attend more yoga classes.  I do yoga at home fairly regularly but the classes provide benefits beyond what I can do at home.  And they are fun!
26.  Organize my kitchen cupboards.  Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh.
27.  Meditate for at least 5 minutes a day. 
28.  Take Otto to the children's museum and the zoo in Denver.
29.  Visit my little brother and soon to be born niece/nephew in Hawaii.  Hey, a girl can dream!
30.  Start Otto on beginning piano lessons.  Taught by me! 
31.  Have a garage sale.  Might be too late for this year, but next spring I know we'll be ready to unload some "treasures."  Just slid in under the wire!
32.  Go to a major league baseball game.  I'm not a huge fan, but Otto and the Husband would have a wonderful time.
33.  Try Zumba!  This scares me but I want to give it a shot...if only to do something outside my comfort zone.
34.  Sleep more.  Goal is 7-8 hrs. a night.  I'm actually doing pretty good with this one.  One day (night) at a time.

Gifts

Yesterday was my birthday.  It was a good day.  I took the kiddo to daycare (his first day in a new classroom- he was so. excited.) and then grabbed the dog and headed up to the mountains for a long trail run.  No ipod or cars to distract me.  Just my breath... my heart beating in my now 33 year old chest...my footfalls hitting the dirt trail in a rhythmic, hypnotizing beat.

I also got a lot of gifts.  From the Husband, a Nike Sportband, something I'd asked for and will use almost daily.  From parents and parents-in-law, money for clothes.  I've gone down almost 3 sizes since this whole running nonsense started and none of my fall/winter clothes really fit well anymore, especially pants. 

The most touching gift, however, was one from a person I barely even know.  In my volunteer job see this woman, we'll call her Shannon,  from time to time- a single mother who works two jobs to support herself and an infant son.  I've been privileged enough to share information with her a few times and I feel like I've helped her have a successful breastfeeding experience so far.  She also sells farm-fresh (delicious) eggs to help make ends meet (which I am SO GLAD we buy- no salmonella worries for us!). 

Anyway, we don't know each other too well but Shannon noticed on facebook that it was my birthday.  While most friends, and frankly even close family were content with a "Happy Birthday!" on my wall, I got a text from her yesterday saying simply "I have a present for you! I'll bring it by tomorrow." 

Today, she came by my day job with her baby (soooo cute) and presented me with a card.  Inside of it was $6 in cash.  "It's not much," she said.  "But I wanted to get you something and I know you said you were asking for money from your parents for clothes."

Honey, you just gave me Everything.

I hugged her.  Told her how sweet it was, realizing that this small amount could very well represent almost an hour of work for her.  I never thought about refusing it...that seems insulting after she went to so much effort. As she drove away, I teared up a little, wondering if I will ever bring myself to spend this hard earned, selflessly given $6.

I'm still not sure.

(Some of the) Things that make me Weird

For some reason, I've been getting a lot of (half-joking...I think)  "you're so WEIRD's"  in the past few days from friends and family alike.  Usually, its as a reaction to my warped sense of humor or my random quoting of movie lines that gets this reaction.  But then I start thinking...maybe I am really weird?   

1.  I love voting.  I don't know...is that weird?  Primary elections are happening here today and I hit the polls before work and savored every little bubble I got to color in.

2.  In the same vein, I also love filling out forms.  Of any sort really.  The doctor's office, tax forms, whatever.  I see a clipboard coming my way, I get all anticipatory and start rubbing my palms together like a comic book villain.   I loved playing school/secretary as a child and would gleefully design and then fill out my own forms.

3.  I really, really, REALLY hate to have the bottom of my feet touched, especially the arches.   I'm super ticklish and it makes me feel all violated and ooky.  Consequently, I am not a person who enjoys foot massages.  I know!  Weird.

4.  I love Neil Diamond.  Dudes.  Sweet Caroline is the SHIZ.

5.  I hate Tom Cruise.  Although, maybe that's not that weird.

And just for fun, here's a picture I took this weekend that was supposed to be of the fog rolling over the mountains as I drove up over the summit, but just turned out to be a picture of my dirty car window.  You're welcome.

Selling out. And more diet blah blah blah

Some housekeeping: So I've been fucking around with layout and stuff and I ended up adding just a little advertising over there, to the right. Yeah, I know its hard to miss. I hope its not too disruptive but I like BlogHer and what they do for women bloggers. When I got the invite, I thought "why not?" If I get a little change for decaf mochas out of the deal what's the harm, right?

Now I just wish I could afford to go to the BlogHer conference in NYC...it sounds so fun!!

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Speaking of mochas (or lack thereof), I'm on day 2 of the No S Diet. The No Seconds thing wasn't hard. The No Snacks part was kind of tough. The No Sweets thing, however, was brutal yesterday. I didn't realize how completely hooked I have been on a little something sweet after lunch. And dinner. And in the middle of the afternoon if I happen to forget my piece of fruit that I usually snack on. Ouch.

I think I'm going to cheat a little and keep the mid-afternoon snack of either fresh fruit or veggies. I really need a blood sugar boost around 3pm to keep from going completely mental on my co-workers and/or sweet family.

And just to clarify, I'm not trying to lose weight. Not really. I could probably stand to be 10-15lbs lighter but I am right in the middle of "normal" (whatever that is) for my height. What I am trying to do is tone up and get healthy(er). I really want to be stronger. I already exercise pretty regularly (30-50 min, 4-5 times a week) but I feel like curbing my bad eating habits will help me feel better about myself and ultimately help me to really firm up.

I've actually been wishing lately that I could take some sort of martial arts or self-defense classes. There aren't a lot of options around here and the karate club that I see advertisements for around town seems intimidating...anyone know of any good DVD's /at home workouts that teach that stuff? I know that's no substitute for an in-the-flesh instructor but I'm shy. And mainly have to do any working out at 5:00am, which cuts down on my options of scheduled classes just a bit.

"....And the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'....

...Ah don't know if Ah'll see tomooooorooooorow!"

Ah, Journey. Is there really any of life's moments that cannot be captured in a Journey song?

Otto is going through some kind of sleep regression (probably the 18-21 month one that Moxie writes about) and we've been up a lot in the night. And you know how when you're awake late at night and the house is all still and quiet, your brain can kinda veer off into strange territory? I've been up nursing the boy at 2, 3, 4am and I've been thinking all kinds of weird shit, laying there in the dark. The past couple nights its been the passage of time and how some things can seem to take forever and some things are over in the blink of an eye. Doesn't sound that trippy in the light of day, but at 3am it will fuck with your head.

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This week is going by in a blur. Feels like my brain is in several places at once: At work, at daycare, at home, mentally packing a suitcase. The kiddo and I are flying out on Saturday to visit my grandparents in Texas. I'm looking forward to the heat, strangely enough. The warmest its been here lately is 63 degrees (yesterday, the high was 46) so I won't mind a couple of days being able to wear flip-flops and short sleeves.

(Although I'm actually going to do 3/4 sleeves because my new tattoo goes right down to my elbow and while I don't care if my parents/co-workers/strangers see it, my granddad has very old fashioned views about this sort of thing and he's so old that he deserves to be spared the stress of worrying that his only granddaughter is the spawn of Satan. Or something. Its just that we're only going to be there for 3 days, who knows when we'll see him again, and I just don't want there to be drama.)

I think I've got all my ducks in a row for the plane trip: books, toys, snacks, coloring books, sling, umbrella stroller, extra clothes in the carry-on (for both the kid and me), ibuprofen (for my inevitable airplane headache)...what am I missing?

* * * * * * *

Lastly, I'll leave you with some photos taken on our trip to our hometown over Mother's Day weekend. It was a chilly, clear day and we had a great time hiking and throwing rocks in the river.

Lots of Used Tissues and Dirty Cereal Bowls

Well, I've come out on the other side of a nasty, nasty headcold, resulting in a sick day spent on the couch alternately sleeping with my mouth open and watching reruns of Jon and Kate plus 8. This is my life.

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In other non-snot related news, I'm so excited to watch the debate tonight I just might pee my pants a little. Just kidding. (Although now that I've had a kid, sneezing does have small risks if my bladder is full. TMI? Pardonez Moi.)

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We are totally out of food as neither of us has been grocery shopping all week. We are basically surviving on cereal, frozen blueberries and hamburger buns. I think a meal out this evening may be in order.

Hi!

Twit for twat...oh wait.*

So, yeah. I'm on Twitter now! Just for fun really. And because all the cool kids are doing it. You can follow me by clicking the link in the sidebar and let me know if you're on as well. We can be twit buddies.

*I crack myself up.

Lip my Stocking. Lip it!**

A few things:

1) The Olympic lip-syncing 'scandal'- sure, I feel sorry for the 'un-cute' little girl. Who cares about crooked teeth? If she has a beautiful voice then let us see her! The perfectionism thing is seeming a bit desperate and silly, no?
-But is it really the front page worthy new item? I mean really. People are dying in Georgia.

2) In completely unrelated news, (except for maybe a small 'un-cute' connection, ha ha) my 31st birthday is rapidly approaching. Somehow, its not quite as depressing as I thought it would be...30 was the big milestone and really, what's one more year? Nuthin'.

When pressed for gift ideas, I have requested the most boring of all: money for clothes. It IS depressing how few of my pre-baby clothes fit my new body. While I am only 8 lbs. heavier than I was before the little dude (and not likely to lose this until we wean, I hear), things are all disproportionate or something. Grrr. So I'm putting together a list of must haves:

Jeans that actually fit and don't make me want to kill someone because they are so tight in the waist
Button up shirts with collars
A few well fitting t-shirts/blouses
Cardigans
One pair new shoes (maybe something along these lines )
Socks, preferably funky

What else do I need for fall??


3) One last kid-related note: So yeah, Sunday's golden moment? Fleeting. While he is not spitting like the baby on today's Ask Moxie post (LOVE Moxie!), Little O is definitely going through some kind of developmental leap. And you know what? It is ANNOYING. Whiny, wriggly, throwing food, waking up at 5 FUCKING AM annoying. Say it with me: This too shall pass.

**I love Mr. Bob Harris

Here Comes the Sun.

After a cold, kinda cranky weekend, guess what the high temp is today.....69 degrees!! Woo-hoo! Its about damn time. The sun is out, the birds are singing and Otto's hives are gone. Life is good.

Speaking of Otto- his tooth is so cute! Its just barely poking out of his gum and I can feel its sharp little edge with my finger. It doesn't seem to be bothering him too much- he might be slightly crankier than usual but he's handling it like a trooper. And, its warm enough today for him to wear a short-sleeved shirt and I know this sounds weird but his fat little arms are freakin' adorable. I haven't gotten to see much of them because its been so cold.

In other news, I bought a piano this weekend! Piano was my first instrument as a kid (I think I got my first lesson at age 3 or so) and its something I've really missed. Last week, we FINALLY sold the organ that my grandmother left me in her will*, so I had some money to spend that was earmarked for a music-related purchase. I ended up with a Casio Privia PX-100 Digital Piano which probably doesn't mean that much to you, but to me it means that I can play again on something that feels like a REAL PIANO as opposed to the dinky keyboard I've been playing up until now. Its nice and streamlined and will be a breeze to move compared to a "real" piano. Playing music is something I grew up doing and something I have not done enough in my "adult" life of late. I can't wait to get my chops back and (eventually) to give Otto lessons.

Its rare that I would say this and actually mean it but...Happy Monday!


*The organ is super cool in theory- it is a Hammond B3 from 1956...but it doesn't work. My grandmother meant well, but it was huge, cumbersome, and would have cost a fortune to repair. So the fact that someone was willing to buy it (for $1200.00, no less!) was pretty freaking awesome.

Beddie Bye.

The Husband and I have had it. You hear me? Had it! With our bed that is. We bought our mattresses right after we got married in 2000. From what I'm reading online, mattresses generally give out after about 7 years or so and boy are we feeling it. Each morning we wake up stiff and achy with back pain. We've been in denial about this for some time but NO MORE! For today, we are going mattress shopping.

I can safely say that there are about a BILLION other things I'd like to be spending our tax return on, but sleep is so important- especially to the husband. If he doesn't sleep well, we all suffer.

So wish us luck. Hopefully by this time tomorrow we will have a new bed and a new back pain-free lease on life!