31 Things to do Before I Turn 32

I had thought about doing a list like this last year but never got around to it so I'm going to do it this year! A lot of these things are activities I've been meaning to do but never got around to it so I'm hoping this list (since I love crossing things off a list) will be the impetus needed for me to actually do them! I'll keep you updated on my progress.

1. Travel to a country I've never been to before.

2. Make it back to Houston a couple of times.

3. Improve my triathlon time.

4. Take a photography class.

5. Take at least one picture a week (I would say more frequently, but knowing me one picture a week could be pushing it some weeks!).

6. Try out a new recipe (no time frame associated with this one - I would be happy to do it once!).

7. Back up my pictures on CDs. If I'm really ambitious catalogue and organize!

8. Organize all my flotsam and jetsam - either to be scrapbooked or to be disposed of.

9. Visit the Olympic Sculpture Park.

10. Bring my lunch to work (again no time frame associated with the one as I would be happy if I did it once!).

11. Travel to one new city in the US.

12. Write a chapter for my novel (which I still haven't figured out what it is about).

13. Attend a theatrical event (musical, play, ballet, etc.)

14. Eat at several restaurants I've been meaning to - Greenlake Bar & Grill, Z Tejas, Boka and Salish to name a few.

15. Play bingo in Houston.

16. Attend a dance class (hip-hop, salsa or styling). I've been meaning to do this for awhile but haven't.

17. Take a wine-tasting class.

18. Attend either an Anti-freeze or Space City Mixer event (or something similar).

19. Go to an outdoor movie.

20. Go kayaking.

21. Frame several pictures I've been meaning to frame.

22. Set aside some money and invest in the stock market.

23. Take a couple of weekend trips (Oregon coast, Vancouver B.C., etc.)

24. Take a cooking class.

25. Organize my file cabinet. It was organized once upon a time, but since then I've gotten behind and I need to catch back up.

26. Finish up my 2005 photobook.

27. Take a yoga class. (Technically this one is already done since I attended one on 4/20, but since I planned to put it on the list before I took the class I'm leaving it on. Plus this way it will motivate me to take another!)

28. Buy a new camera.

29. Set up an IRA.

30. Go for a hot air balloon ride.

31. And one I'll keep to myself for now.

Tulips

Friday I drove up to Whidbey Island to visit my friend Kathy. She moved up a few years ago but for the longest time every time we made plans one of us would have to cancel. It was a joke that we saw each other more in Houston even though we were both living in Washington. My theory is that we live just far enough apart which made it difficult. In a twist of fate, we had originally thought to get together last weekend to see the tulips but that wasn't going to work so we moved it to this weekend. It ended up being perfect since last weekend we had snow and this weekend was beautiful, well Saturday was anyway. The first field we went to had a very interesting orange tulip - I was very intrigued by this color. I'm not always a fan of orange, but this was a really vibrant, beautiful color of orange. Kyle (Kathy's son) was much more interested in playing with and eating the dirt than the tulips. It was a really fun day! The only bad part about the weather being so beautiful was that everyone had a similar idea. But we still had a great time!

Oh - Kathy introduced me to Chicken Artichoke Pizza from Papa Murphy's - so yummy!! It's like spinach artichoke dip on a pizza. I think I might have a new favorite pizza! :)

Training - Week 6

No snow this week!! Wednesday I did my first brick (2 activities in the same workout). I hadn't really done any walking/jogging since the 10K in March. I had figured training for a 12K in December and the 10K in March the 2 mile portion of the upcoming triathlon would be a piece of cake! But apparently it doesn't take long for the training to wear off. The "my legs feel like a ton of bricks" feeling passed after the first quarter of a mile or so.

Thursday was a swim day at the pool. I'm still not ready to brave the lake quite yet. Friday was a swim (pool) and a bike ride. Sunday was another bike/run brick. The run portion went better than Wednesday, which is a good sign. Not much longer now!

Training - Week 5

The alternative name of this post is "What the Hail?" as it was hailing on Friday! Hail, in the middle of April? And to make it more interesting, it continued hailing and snowing on Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday was a swimming day - at the pool. I think it is still a little too cold, for me anyway, to swim in the lake. Thursday was a bike day.

Friday, I took a mental health day. As I was waiting to get my driver's license renewed, out the window I could see it was hailing. Yes, hailing! I finished up at the DMV and headed for the pool, thinking maybe by the time I finished swimming the hail would have stopped. It had so I decided to go ahead and go for a bike ride. There was no hail but it was pretty windy and I was going into the wind. So it wasn't before long I was thinking I would have preferred the hail to the wind! Of course when it started to hail I changed my tune and really just wanted nice weather. It was at this point I decided 8 miles was going to be enough as I was at the 4 mile mark and I was turning around. Not too long after I turned around the hail abated and the wind lessoned until I was almost back to my car when the skies opened up and it started hailing again. I threw my bike in the back and jumped in my car before I got completely soaked. And on my way home, the sun came out. What kind of crazy weather is this?

I had been hoping all the snow would work itself out on Saturday so I could ride my bike on Sunday. I woke up to about an inch or so of snow and it was still snowing. So no bike ride. I packed up my swim gear and headed to church. About three blocks from my house the snow was non-existent. I should have taken my bike. I changed my mind when I walked out of church and it was once again pouring snow. Good thing I was going swimming in the heated pool! After swimming I met up with my sister for a yoga class.

A picture of our ornamental cherry tree in the snow!

Training - Weeks 2 to 4

Between a cold and then quarter end my training has been derailed. I've had a few bike rides here and there but that's about it. But as of today I am back on schedule. And good thing too since there are only 29 days left until my triathlon.

You know you've been working a lot when you get in your car to come home and on the radio you hear "Welcome to the Morning Show".

It is probably not the best idea to go to kickboxing class when you are very tired. My muscles were about 3 seconds behind my brain resulting in me tripping several times. The last time was the best as I stumbled a couple of steps and did a windmill move with my arms and just barely caught myself on a punching bag. It was a pretty funny sight, if I do say so myself.

The word on the street today? The weather! It was 70+, an absolutely beautiful day. Everyone I talked to, from a barista, to the cashier at Target, to people in the elevator, commented on how beautiful and how warm it was today.

Waiting for my drink at Starbucks I over-listened to a couple of girls talking. One was explaining to the other how she sees her birthday numbers all the time, especially when she looks at the clock. I laughed to myself as I do the same thing. Anytime I see the combination of 4 and 29 I wish myself a happy birthday.