39 Things...

This was Emma's birthday cake (February, 2011) made by Catherine.



It's that time of year again when another birthday rolls around. Yay! I love celebrating my birthday and don't have too many qualms about the whole growing older thing. As my dad says, it's better than the alternative. So why not embrace a day that's all about me? In fact, why not make it a whole weekend of celebrating? I'm celebrating today with:

- toast and hot chocolate for breakfast
- seeing "Water For Elephants" with Catherine
- lunch at Iggy's with Catherine and Jon
- reading....a novel - no studying for boards today!
- making potato salad in preparation for our weekend in Torrey
- birthday wishes from family and friends
- a bottle of Perrier Jouet champange (thanks, Eileen and Steve!)
- sushi at Takashi....there's food, and then there's sushi

With that, I want to share a list of things...39 things, to be exact, that I plan to do before I turn 40 in exactly one year. Some are easy, some will take some work. Some are already planned, some will need to be worked into the schedule. I will keep you updated as I progress through the list.

39 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40...(in no particular order, except for the last one):

1. Pass my NP boards (7/10/11)
2. Start a new job (7/18/11)
3. Visit Germany (June 19-26)
4. Start Spanish lessons - Rosetta Stone? Ugh. Just. Do. This. Pronto!
5. Do some volunteer work  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (8/2011)
6. Take a photography class - didn't happen
7. Visit a high school friend - wasn't in the cards
8. Take up a new exercise…barre classes sound really fun played community rec basketball! (12/11-2/12)
9. Visit Yellowstone - didn't work out this year
10. Go on a backpacking trip (9/30-10/2/11)
11. Organize the storage closet (8/2011)
12. Make one new friend made a couple
13. Try a ballroom dance class
14. Frame my diplomas
15. Make a will - actually have this planned for June
16. Visit the Oregon coast - but got a trip planned for possibly this summer! yay!
17. Buy myself a bouquet of flowers - for no reason! Umm...sadly, didn't even do this! What a goofball!
18. Have professional portraits taken of me and Mark - not sure who to go to
19. Take a sewing class - did an online tutorial. Count it! (2/12)
20. Update one section of my wardrobe Can you say, "sock drawer"? Done! (3/12)
21. Throw a party - had a few dinner parties..does that count? Sure! (11/11, 12/11, 3/12, 3/12, 4/12)
22. Buy an “investment bag” (Thanks, Mark! 9/10/11)
23. Try dim sum (8/20/11)
24. Get ripped shoulders and arms - didn't even try
25. Buy a dress for everyday wear (and wear it)! (5/12)
26. Learn to change a bike tire
27. 39 scrapbook layouts Think I only did 15 at most
28. 39 cards - well, I made all my xmas cards, so that covers that! (12/11)
29. Watch a sunrise (4/12)

30. Watch a sunset (5/12)

31. Read the plays of Shakespeare Read one....gave up.

32. Visit a state I’ve never set foot in (South Carolina! 5/12)

33. Go on a horseback ride

34. Take a gun safety class - got some info on it, though. 

35. Write and send 39 letters/postcards (not including xmas cards or email, of course)

36. Buy a new desk chair - didn't do this, but I did fix my old one! 

37. Do 10 pull-ups (right now, I can't do a single one) - didn't even attempt this

38. Go to tea at the Grand America

39. Celebrate all of this with a bottle of Dom Perignon on my 40th birthday! It was amazing!

Now I'm off to pack for our trip to Torrey!