Happy Birthday to Me! (aka List #6 Birthday Wish List)

What better post on my birthday than my current big ticket item wish list! In no particular order...

1. MacBook
2. Garmin 310XT
3. Nikon (D40 or similar) or Canon (EOS Rebel or similar)
4. 2 months off work to travel
5. Kindle
6. iTouch
7. Net book

33 Things To Do Before I Turn 34

Happy (almost) Birthday to me!! Which means it is time to unveil my 33 Things To Do Before I Turn 34 List! I look forward to checking off as many as I can. I am also in the process of creating a Life List, so stay tuned for that...

1. Cook once a month
2. Go to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens at Christmas
3. Improve my 5K time
4. Purchase a Disney timeshare
5. Buy a DSLR
6. Take a class to learn how to use DSLR
7. Read 5 books
8. Finish my 2009 Photobook
9. Go to a Husky game
10. Go to a Sounders game
11. Visit a new place (city, state, country...)
12. Go to trivia night
13. Frame some vacation photos
14. Try a spinning class
15. Buy a foam roller
16. Set up an IRA
17. Go up to either Victoria BC or Vancouver BC for the weekend
18. Take a dance class
19. Try a new restaurant
20. Seriously look into buying a house/townhome/condo
21. Run 12 5Ks (the goal is once a month but this may morph into complete 12 races of varying distances)
22. Consolidate my personal email accounts into one
23. Buy a Mac Book
24. Learn how to use the Mac Book
25. Visit the beach
26. Go kayaking
27. Run in the 2011 Princess Half Marathon and stop for more photos
28. Purge my closet
29. Complete 3 Sprint Distance Triathlons
30. Convince myself to try broccoli (it can’t be as bad as I remember it, can it? )
31. Remember to bring bags with me to the grocery store
32. Buy a Garmin watch (or something similar)
33. And one I’ll keep to myself for now!

Final 32 Things Update

Time flies doesn't it? Looking at my list I didn't finish nearly as many things as I would have liked, but I did get a few things knocked off. Stay tuned for the 33 Things To Do Before I Turn 34 List!! Yikes, I'm turning 33!!!

1. Travel to a country I've never been to before. Done – Greece and Poland!


2. Run (or walk) a half-marathon. Yup, it has been awhile since I've done a half-marathon so I guess it's time to try again. Done – I am a Disney Princess Half Marathoner!!


3. Buy a new laptop.


4. Take a photography class.


5. Be a better correspondent (i.e. keep in better touch with my friends).


6. Try out a new recipe. Done – Italian Stuffing & Black Beans & Quinoa
   
7. Start consistently doing a weight-training or strength-training program, either with a trainer or on my own. Done – I stayed after kickboxing a number of times to take the strength training class.


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


9. Visit the Olympic Sculpture Park.


10. Make it through a hot yoga class doing all the postures. Done – As long as it is an hour class I seem to do okay!


11. Travel to one new city in the US. Done - Playa del Carmen, Mexico (it's my list so I can modify right?)


12. Write a chapter for my novel.


13. Start seriously looking at buying a house/townhome/condo.


14. Go to an athletic shoe store where they look at how you walk and recommend a type/style of shoe.


15. Run (emphasis on run) a 5K. Done – Valentine's Day Dash


16. Attend a dance class.


17. Take a wine-tasting class. Done – it wasn’t a class but wine tastings at Chateau Ste Michelle & Columbia Winery.


18. Go to an acupuncturist. Done (11/3)


19. Go to an outdoor movie. Done


20. Go kayaking.


21. Go to a Husky game and go to a Sounders game.


22. Treat myself to a facial. Done (7/25)


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


24. Get a manicure every couple of months. Done (6/13, 8/22, 3/12)


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. Go to trivia night. I used to do this fairly regularly but then life got in the way! Let's see if I can start up the tradition again this year.


27. Get the most out of my annual Walt Disney World pass. That's right folks, I got me an annual Disney pass this year. Done – let’s see I went in May for the triathlon, in July just because, in October for the Tower of Terror 13K, in January because Jana & I didn’t go to London over President’s Day weekend, and in March for the Princess Half. I think that qualifies!


28. Buy a new camera. This really has to happen now as I broke my camera in Greece!! Done – I am now the proud owner of two cameras. But I really want another one.


29. Set up an IRA.


30. Ride Tower of Terror. Done – twice with Michelle & once with Jana.


31. Go to the podiatrist. Done (9/28)


32. And one I'll keep to myself for now. Done

Five Senses Friday

I seem to like the themed Five Senses Fridays!! This episode is all about Jana & Ben's wedding, which took place in Mexico. Hopefully I'll post a little more on that later...

Seeing

• Jana & Ben getting married!! And Jana looking absolutely beautiful. Congratulations guys!!

Hearing

• The waves crashing on the beach.
• Rain, lots and lots of rain.

Tasting

• Pineapples, mangos, papaya, oh my!

Smelling

• The salty sea air

Feeling

• Itchy - why do the mosquitoes love me so?

For more five senses, check out abby try again

Hello Hills

So while nothing has happened on the swim and bike front, the run is slowly coming back into focus. This morning I decided to get a quick run in before church, a haircut and work. Yup, a busy day! I went to a different park than normal, one with lots of hills. Now I haven't run hills in I can't remember how long. I think I need to start working on hills again! I conquered one and took a few strategic walk breaks halfway up on the others.

There were signs of spring all along my run - daffodils, tulips and lots of blossoms!

And you might not hear from me in awhile as I'm off to Mexico to celebrate Jana & Ben's wedding!

Five Senses Friday #17

Seeing
* Jon, Nolan, Kyle, Brian, Lance, Coach K et al celebrating their win!! WOOHOO!! Duke is the 2010 National Champion! I am so excited!! And it was such a good game.

Hearing
* “Your dress is here.” Jana is getting married very shortly and my dress still hadn’t arrived. I was starting to get a little nervous but it arrived and is now being altered.
* The angry beep as I tried to enter the work bathroom code into the hot yoga bathroom key pad. Oops!
* One Shining Moment - my favorite part of the entire NCAA Tournament is when they play that song. It brings tears to my eyes! Not a huge fan of the new Jennifer Hudson version, but still I love this song.

Tasting
* Cajun jambalaya – my very talented cooking co-worker brought in another tasty dish and I had to try it.
* Duke celebration cupcakes! I’m not sure how it started, but ever since the Sweet Sixteen if Duke wins I’ve been bringing in cupcakes.

Feeling
* Frustrated, followed by happy and a little guilty. The person in front of me in the Starbucks drive through was taking FOREVER and I was getting a little irritated. But then it was finally my turn and I drive up and they had paid for my latte! Which made my day, but then I felt bad about being so irritated...so lesson learned. And I continued the trend and paid for the person behind me. Whoever you are that paid for my coffee – thanks, you really made my day!! And I’m sorry for being irritated.
* Ecstatic, excited, exuberant over the Duke win! It was an amazing game and being a Duke fan for 20+ years, there was no way I was switching to Butler, no matter how compelling their story was. I do feel bad for the Butler team to have come so close, but I have no doubt they will be back.

Smelling
* Popcorn – people have made it every day this week and sitting close the kitchen I feel like I am smelling it constantly.
* Alright, we need a Duke themed entry for this category as well...it is cliché but the best I can come up with at the moment – the sweet smell of victory!

If you are interested in more Five Senses, wander over to abby try again.

Dear Motivation

Dear Motivation,

I am still missing you. Three weeks of inactivity (partly due to being sick) have taken their toll on me and and I'm seeing the scale start to creep north.

But I am now trying to find you, rather than waiting for you to find me.

I signed up for the Kirkland 5K. And I sat down and started planning out my triathlon training schedule.

I started back at hot yoga and kickboxing.

I went for a run today, my first one since the Princess Half. It was only a 3 mile run, but I thought I might meet you on the trail. I found a lot of wind on the trail!! But I thought I saw a glimmer of you.

I know you haven't left me Motivation, you are waiting for me to catch up.

Love,
Emily

Five Senses Friday #16

Seeing

• An ex co-worker at hot yoga – not the best place to run into people in my opinion because of the sweaty factor but it was good to see her.
• Very angry storm clouds
• Diane!! I hadn’t seen her in awhile so it was great to catch up.

Hearing

• The splatter of rain against the windows. Hello, spring storm!

Tasting

• Yummy, homemade chicken noodle soup! I have a very talented co-worker who is also very generous in sharing her leftovers.
• Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding – Diane & I had to split this dessert when we saw it on the menu after all the sticky toffee puddings we ate in London. And it was quite delicious!

Feeling

• A little foolish after falling for an April Fools’ joke.

Smelling

• Still not a lot because my nose is still a little stuffed up, although there was some weird smell in the office earlier this week.