'sorted

I'm thirty.  And nothing feels like thirty than having a patch (seriously - a patch) of silver hairs cropping up at the crown of my head.  Not okay. 

I'll be in Atlanta for the weekend, thanks to my first ever successful purchase via Priceline (negotiators!  Go Branding!).  I'm excited - K. and I deserve a night away, even if this trip does combine a few errands. 

K. might have some interesting news coming up here, shortly.  I hope shortly.

In other news, the Florida Bar has narrowed down its focus into his past life and we see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Thank bejeezus.

I'm loving my kindle.  As in, I would totally marry it in a special commitment ceremony in New Hampshire.  I love the fact that I can bounce between reading steamy historical stories to beautifully, well-written novels.  I am in serious heaven, but must come up with some sort of way to curb the spending.

Is it bad that I'm stocking up on novels this month (for, y'know, the kindle), in order to make it through the long February of no spending?

I made tikka masala tonight for dinner and it was delicious.  And by made, I mean I bought some simmering stuff from EarthFare and cut up some chicken.  I also microwaved basmati rice.  Win, right?

Sometimes, when I'm cooking in my comma of a kitchen, I pretend I'm on a FoodTV network show.  K. is convinced I'll be discovered someday.  Could I be the Cooking-in-a-robe-Countess?

can we do it?

We're halfway through January, and here I am - planning for the next month.  A few weekends ago, I woke up late and missed Click & Clack and instead had to endure the money segment on NPR on my way to Saturday Morning Starbucks (it's a tradition in our house).

They were talking about a no-spending month.  It perked my interest - although what would my barrista think if I didn't come visit her every Saturday?  Could we do it?  Could I go an entire month without spending any money - no morning diet cokes, no decent pizza, no pedis or dog toys or shopping (or, oh holy moly, no new books for my kindle)? 

Could we?

Well, I may be scamming the system by choosing the shortest month of the year, but yes, I think we can.  I'm resisting the urge to buy! buy! buy! in the next two weeks, although I might shore up the freezer a bit.

Here's to not buying anything for 28 days.  Anyone want to offer up the over/under on whether we can actually do it?

on surviving republicans

I attended the Annual Meeting of the Republican Party of Florida last weekend.  Before you get all hot under the collar, let's remember that K. himself is a craz-o Repub.  (Holy crap, I married a craz-o Repub!)

My husband's boss ran for Treasurer of the RPOF and, he won.  I had a small hand (perhaps for a giant) in his election and it was quite fun to design collateral that would resonate in the minds of Republicans (albeit not that difficult).  I was almost pushed over the edge when I was asked to plan the Hospitality Suite. 

But, let's face it - I love a good Hospitality Suite.  And I adore K.'s boss, so it wasn't really that hard to agree.  I didn't say anything that outright agreed with any of the Republicans, but I did say "them" when referring to Democrats.  I wore a hair shirt the next day, don't worry.

Honestly, it made me sort of homesick.  I loved our conventions in South Carolina.  I'm not homesick enough to throw my lot in with the other side, but it did make me want to try to get involved with the Leon County party again.  Who knows, can you see K. manning my hospitality suite someday?

on my birthday: the big 30

I turned 30 today.  Or, I suppose I am turning 30 all day long.  I plan on celebrating the new decade all the way to 11:59 PM.  And then - y'know - the whole year.

It's been a laid back sort of day.  We went for brunch, ran some errands and I'm curled up in front of a fire watching Mean Girls.  Seriously perfect day.

Last night, as I lay reading and K. was playing around on his computer (ahem, reading), I realized how relaxed I was about this birthday.  I love my birthday - I used to celebrate with wild abandon.  It was so incredibly important that my birthday was perfect.  One day, all mine.  (And, like, duh.  Not hard to figure out that one out.)

I made an important realization this year.  I don't need my birthday to be perfect.  I don't even need a day that is all about me.  My life is about as perfect as I can handle.  I get more than my share of days that center around things I like, need, want.  I don't have to fight for attention, or to be heard, or to be valued.

It's part me, part my husband, part growing up.  If this is how my thirties are starting -- I couldn't be more excited.


*Also, best present ever: extra large tervis tumbler with a lid and a straw.  It's a grown-up sippy cup.

there's a moment

When you realize that the person you've been busy being isn't exactly the person you want to be.  There's a moment.  I think the moment has sort of tapped me on the shoulder in the past, but I've never stopped to notice.

Trust me, at this point in my life, I've stopped to notice.

So this is not a New Year's Resolution post, or anything like that.  Perhaps it sort of is...  I haven't posted in forever at m&mdc so please forgive my rambling.  (Always forgive my rambling).

I wish there was something like a diet version of a regret.  There are things I wish I had handled differently.  And some I wish I had repeated more often.

Here's to 2011 to figure it out.