Its my birthday!
The social committee at the preschool where I work left Tigger on my desk and my friend Abby put balloons on my cubicle.
When I got home from work, I had a surprise from my Visiting Teachers Kristen and Shelley:
The kitty was pretty distressed about the balloons, but I thought they were great!
Today, I am 29. I don't quite know how to feel about this. A part of me wants to mourn because its my last year as a "twenty-something". Another part of me is glad to say so-long to the YSA stage. My thirty-something coworkers all tell me that life starts at 30, so I guess there is plenty more to look forward to.
On this day, I thought it would be fun to record answers to a few questions and see if they change at all next year or in 5 years or 10 years (when I'm facing 40! Scary!)
So I did some Googling and here are the questions I found (and decided to answer):
How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
It sort of varies. When I lived at home, we got to choose a favorite meal for dinner and I always requested either grilled cheese and spaghettios or BLTs. When I was in college/grad school and had roommates, we usually had a party and someone made a cake. Since I've been living roommate-free the past few years, its been low-key and I like it this way.
Do you ever lie about your age?
Nope!
Have you ever completely forgotten a birthday of one of your close friends or family members?
Ha! Totally! My best friend in middle and high school shared a birthday with her twin brother and also with another friend of ours (who also happened to have the same last name but was no relation). We jokingly called them the triplets. One time I forgot Barbie's birthday and she tried to give me a hint by asking me if I knew what the previous day was. I didn't so she reminded me it was Franny's birthday. It still didn't click for a few days, but when it finally did we had a good laugh over my obliqueness and I let her pick out her own gift.
What was the most memorable birthday party you’ve attended?
Maybe my own, when I was 6 and my stepmom, Kathy, taught my friends and I how to swing a potato, hanging from a string around our waists, with our hips and knock over soda cans. I thought she was so neat for coming up with that idea!
Are you upset if someone forgets your birthday?
Not anymore. I was pretty miffed when my mother forgot my Sweet Sixteen.
Would you rather have a pinata or a cake?
Is banana cream pie (sans merengue) an option?
When is the best time of year to have a birthday?
Its not October! I've always resented having to share my birthday month with Halloween, my least favorite holiday.
Who was the first person to say happy birthday to you this year?
Tigger!
Where are you now?
In my 350sq ft. studio apartment in Sherwood, OR.
What is the date? What is the weather like?
October 16, 2013. Its been a cloudless, sunny day with a high temperature in the 60s.
What’s the last movie that you saw?
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.
What are you listening to on your iPod?
I don't have one!
What do you wish you could own right now?
A house.
What do you want your next vacation to be?
I'd prefer a staycation; I'm kind of a homebody.
What are you most worried about?
The calamities that precede the end of the world (I'm actually serious about that; its scary!).
What is one amazing thing you expect to do in the coming year?
Umm....
What were the top 3 accomplishments from the last year?
1. Got accepted into the Ed.D. program
2. ...
3. ...
Well, I'm honestly not sure I've done anything blog-worthy. Besides start a blog, anyway.
What made you laugh the hardest most recently?
My co-worker Mary makes me laugh almost everyday.
What are you best at? What do you think are you greatest assets and skills?
Writing.
How much do you think gas will cost at the end of next year? In 5 and 10 years?
Ugh. I'm so afraid to even guess. I do remember when it was 97 cents per gallon, long before I started driving!
What are your wishes for the upcoming year?
Health, Peace & Contentment. Happiness would be good, too.
What do you think you will be doing this time next year? In 5 and 10 years from now?
Next year: still in my Ed.D. program. Hopefully still working at TECC.
In 5 years and 10 years... I have no idea!
Where will you be living next year? In 5 and 10 years from now?
Next year, I'll still be here. And I'm buying a window air conditioner next summer! In 5 years.... anybody's guess. In 10 years I will own a house. With a basement. And air conditioning. It will probably be in Oregon or Washington.
What is one piece advice would you give your future self?
Hmmm. Its not my own but something I read recently and liked: Treat your body like you're going to need it for 100 years.
What is your purpose in life?
Ha! If I knew that I'd hurry up and do it so I could move on to the other side!
