(Unless it's possible for me to get away with claiming that title, and have the "something" mean decade. :) Although, it would then say, 20-decader, and that would make me 200 years old. Sheesh!)
I remember, as a kid, thinking that I'd have done so much by the time I turned thirty.
Y'know: gotten really awesome grades in college, graduated with an awesome degree, traveled the world, been in a wonderful career for years, bought a house, gotten married, had children...
Funny how life doesn't always work out that way. :)
I did get really great grades in my community college: I was on the President's List for straight A's for three of my four semesters (and the Dean's List for nearly all A's on the other semester). I did earn a degree -- an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. I've been to England and the Bahamas. Next month will mark two years in my current position. I'm living in an apartment that I'm happy to be in for years to come -- and the payment is the same amount as a mortgage, just without the added cost of having to replace any appliances that might break down. Jake and I have been together for eight and a half years, and we have an amazing furry daughter named Bailey.
So it's not like I've been idle while the world has passed me by. I've done some shit. :o)
There's been a random-facts style post rambling around in my head for the last few weeks, so why not make it a list of thirty random facts about me, to celebrate my recent milestone?
- I miss embroidery. Recently, on a trip to Joann's Fabric Store, I bought a fun set of iron-on patterns. We need kitchen towels, so why not make them myself? (Plus, the iron-on patterns can be applied to much more than just flour-sack towels, like canvases and wood, so the DIY-able use is nigh-infinite.) I'll get the other supplies (towels, floss, needles, etc.) after payday next month.
- I've noticed a distinct lack in photo-prop supply stores in Colorado. I have a (probably futile) desire to change that by starting one myself.
- I really need to get back on the meal-planning track. Since Jake and I moved in together in mid-April, we've just been throwing food together quickly by running to the store and finding something that looked good or (shamefully) going out to get food. It's not a smart plan financially (or healthfully) to maintain. (I'm now back up to my pre-mindful eating plan weight.)
- Every summer, I develop insane cravings for fresh tomatoes. This summer has proven to be no different.
- Next season, I want to be a member of a CSA. This will feed my desire to get into canning and preserving. But for now...
- Going to the farmers' market on the weekend is one of my favorite things. Locally-sourced produce, honey, and more is not only smart for the environment, it also helps support the local economy. Win-win!
- My desire to go camping has gone completely haywire the last few weeks and I'm not sure how many more weekends I can wait before heading west.
- I told Jake that, next year, I want to go on an actual trip somewhere, like to the Pacific Northwest. (That's where my soul feels at home.) I'd be perfectly fine going to LA instead, or to the Northeast if it were autumn, but we'll decide when we get to that point. (If we choose to even go anywhere.)
- I recognize a number of things I need to do to live a life close to that which I've always imagined. These include always bringing groceries home in reusable bags (this shouldn't be a problem: we have plenty, and even have reusable mesh produce bags), taking public transportation more often or biking (especially handy since stadium construction has started and put an even tighter squeeze on on-campus parking), and going completely vegan (which is kinda my plan anyway, eventually). In fact, all of those things have been on my radar for a while, but in the periphery. I should start bringing them to the fore.
- There was a time in my life when I thought about selling all my possessions and moving to LA. This is a theme that runs throughout my life and has most frequently manifested as a vagabonding experience through Europe by living in a cheap flat and working as a waitress. As I don't yet have children, and my partner has a gypsy soul, it's not entirely out of the question.
- I am a student again. One of the benefits of working for my university is that full-time employees get 9 credits/yr for free. I transferred in 84 credits from my various institutions of higher learning and figured that if I take 3 credits per semester (including summer) I can have my Bachelors degree in four years, only having to pay for books and extraneous class fees. The degree I'm seeking is anthropology. I have yet to narrow down a concentration, though I'm stuck between cultural, archeology, and forensic. They all look good to me. Perhaps my degree will allow me to further pursue the previous bullet point? (That's the hope, anyway.)
- I started writing this post the day I turned 30 (June 7) and have added to it as the time has passed.
- Language is something I have always been innately good at, whether that's a foreign language or long or complicated words in English. Perhaps that will play a larger role in my life in the future?
- Expanding on that last point, one of the postdoctoral fellows that we just said goodbye to at work was born in Japan and taught me a few conversational phrases in Japanese. One of our senior staff counsellors with Japanese ancestry was also in on my learning of it and so will continue with phrases every now and then.
- I have 15 pages to go in "Outlander". My goal, which is attainable, is to finish the book before class starts on the 24th. (The way I've been soaking this book up, I'll be finished with it by tonight, unless I actually do some of the chores and other tasks I've been neglecting, in which case it will be finished tomorrow.) :)
- I believe in homeopathic solutions to things, especially when it comes to cleaning. For example, I cleaned my entire apartment upon move-out with vinegar and ammonia, and I got all of my deposit back. The one area I haven't explored in homeopathic treatment is that of human ailments. Some were used in my family as I was growing up (a poultice made of egg yolk and salt was a common treatment) and I would love to explore them further. (The book I'm reading has a lot of herbal cures for things, and I would like to look into similar treatments.)
- I would definitely raise a dog from a puppy again, but I'm in no position to do so any time soon.
- I want to start a Makeover Monday weekly post on my vegetarian blog, but I have been so busy every weekend that I've only done one post. It's photographed but not written. I don't know if the series will ever take off, but I'd like it to.
- I love old dishware. For the entire year that I was living solo, I was eating on inherited Harlequin plates and bowls that I was given by my grandma 15+ years ago. I was lucky to score some random vintage pieces from my grandma's expansive collection this past weekend. My grandma also has a bunch of vintage Fiestaware that I hope to one day inherit. I would love to adorn my kitchen walls with vintage utensils, like hand-crank mixers and the kin. (In truth, I'd be just as likely to use them in place of the fancy new contraptions.)
- Tacos are one of my favorite foods, ever.
- I am perfectly happy staying in this apartment for the foreseeable future and moving into a house, if that's what we're meant to do, directly from here.
- All these 'coloring books for adults' make me giddy. I have never stopped loving to color, and the fact that now I have fewer limitations beyond the latest cartoon figures is amazing.
- I still (!!!!) have boxes in my car from moving out of my old apartment. It's been three months.
- Allergies have been kicking my ass this year. One medicine worked for a month until it didn't. My doc recommended another, which didn't work any better than the original. Now I'm on a prescription and it's not working at all either. It's so frustrating.
- I miss the quiet and beauty of the country, but I do not miss the bugs.
- The drawer in my bedside table contains my pills (morning dose on one side, night dose on the other) and warm comfy socks in various styles.
- My given last name is Scottish.
- Since we've all been living together, Bailey has shown more attachment to my partner than before, and that makes me happy.
- I'm not sure who knows this about me, but I have red hair and a large number of freckles.
- I sleep best with blankets that have a satin edge on them. When I was growing up, these satin edges were called 'silkies.'
Phew. It's only taken me nearly two months, but this blog post is now in the bag! Hope you've enjoyed getting to know your blog writer a bit more.
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