Saturday, February 12, 2011

28: A Brief Reflection

Tomorrow, I'm 29.

Maybe I didn't quite accomplish everything I had hoped to this year, but a lot of things have changed and turned around more than once.  I think I'm in a better place now than I was a few short months ago, maybe even a few weeks ago.

I hope my 29th year is amazing.  I hope I learn a few new things; I hope I accomplish some goals.  I hope the love in my life continues to grow.  I hope you guys will all stick around while I keep writing about it.

Happy almost-birthday to me.

How am I celebrating?  With friends and food...and the mutha-truckin' roller derby, baby.  Go Butchers!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A Clean Start

I was anxious as I walked in my front door last night.  Matt informed me as we were road tripping on Sunday that I had a pretty big birthday surprise coming on Monday.  "It's something you've wanted for a really, really long time," he grinned.

"Is it bigger than a breadbox?" I asked.

"Yes," was his response.

"Is it a breadbox?  Because I don't really want a breadbox; I don't know where we'd put it."

"Not a breadbox," he reassured me. 

But what could it be?  The mystery ate away at me, bit by bit.  Was it the Mac computer I've always wanted?  I got a guitar last year, so that's not it.  Is it a kitty?  That wouldn't work out, our landlord wouldn't let us.  A bunny?  That would have to be a big bunny to be bigger than a breadbox.  Another musical instrument?  A TARDIS?

I took off my coat and scanned the living room for anything in a box or anything unfamiliar.  Matt and our friend Shelaine were hanging out on the couch.  "Why don't you go upstairs and change your clothes, then we'll head out to the restaurant," Matt suggested. 

"I don't really care about changing.  I'm hungry!"  I declared.  For the record, I'm almost always hungry, especially after getting home from work.

Matt looked a bit flustered.  "Do you want to change your shoes?"  This is a reasonable question, as who wants to wear their work shoes after they get home for the night?  I put on the pair of shoes that were right by the front door.  He sighed yet again.  "For the record, your birthday surprise is upstairs in the bedroom."

"Ooh, neato!"  I trotted up the stairs and opened the door, expecting a box or something laid out on the bed.  Instead, my jaw dropped.

Our room was clean.  Not everything pushed to the sides or hidden in the closets clean, but actually clean.  The bedside stands we got from Ikea about two months ago had been assembled and put by the bed.  I could see the floors in the closets.  My dresser had been moved to the place we'd intended it to go.  I didn't have to look down to make sure I wasn't going to step on some wayward trinket or mislaid underwire bra.  It was quite possibly the best birthday present I could think of at the moment, and my birthday isn't even until Sunday.  Matt dashed upstairs to hug me.

Is that where all the prep wipes went?!
Our room was out of control, and given the amount of stress I'm under between work, school, and trying to find a new career path, I never have time to clean it myself.  My sneaky husband actually pretended to leave for work in the morning and waited until I had actually left the house to come back home.  He got dressed and drove off and everything!  

The part that everyone in the D-OC will most appreciate?  Every bit of loose diabetes stuff has been contained, and holy guacamole, I have a lot of Cleo tubing.  Unless you just need tubing for Cleo infusion sets, I will most likely be donating a lot of it to Lee Ann for art projects. 

I have my trepidations about turning 29, but this, I believe, has guaranteed a good start for me.

Of course, there are still piles of clothes to sort through for the Goodwill, but at least I have space to work now!