Twenty Year Tag

20 Years ago I was:

1. 5. Oh my goodness I can't believe I've been alive that long.

2. Living in AZ at my old house, the one with staples in the carpet.

3. Beloved co-owner of our calico family cat, Lickety, short for Lickety split, named so by my 7-year-old sister because she licked a lot.

4. Winner by fluke and fraudulence of our school wide coloring contest. Our school put on a full-scale circus one year and this contest was a major part of the festivities. Everybody entered. I don't really remember what the picture was, a clown with balloons maybe. My sister colored hers so cute and I copied it. Then I won. If that wasn't enough, I also got to blow the whistle to start the circus. The ringmaster, whose daughter was in our carpool apparently told her father I was an amazing whistler after hearing my "fake out," which was humming through puckered lips. She was younger than me and evidently found it very convincing. Once again, my sister was cheated as she was the actual whistling talent. I not only was awarded a plaque of a trapeze artist standing on an elephant, AND a multi-colored ribbon dancer, which ended up being one of the most prized toys of my childhood, I also got the praise and attention of being called up twice during the circus for special recognition. When this memory came up again recently while my parents were visiting, my dad looked at me solemnly as he remembered what a difficult thing this was for my sister, I guess the severity of which I didn't realize until that moment. Despite our colorful growing up years, I always wanted to be like her.

5. The baby in the house. Don't really remember what that was like.

6. A regular patron of the M&M food mart and my friend Jennilyn's house.

10 years ago I was:

1. 15 years old

2. Still in AZ.

3. Entering my sophomore year in high school and having nightmares two consecutive weeks in a row in anticipation of all its terrors.

4. In choir and my third play with my to-be husband: Guys & Dolls. He played the drunk, I played a missionary.

5. Not old enough to date and hating it.

6. In Mrs. Barker's English class meeting our good friend, Jared Cardon.

5 years ago I was:

1. The big 2-0.

2. Finally receiving my first kiss (from formerly mentioned to-be husband) in the blazing sun just outside our garage. Oh so romantic.

3. Delightedly awaiting aunt-hood of my sister's first-born. She doesn't know it yet, but it is SO cool to have a sister have a baby.

4. Competing in the Miss Arizona pageant which, make no mistake, actually does take a lot of work.

5. Finishing my sophomore year of college, auditioning for my major and the musical theater touring group for the second time, rooming with my awesome cousin Amelia!

6. Beginning what would be my last year at home

3 years ago I was:

1. 22 years old.

2. Beginning my senior year of college, having just finished performing in the "Music Man" and (finally!) successfully auditioning for that blasted musical theater touring group. ;)

3. Celebrating a happy second anniversary with my darling hubby Jake, complete with a trip to our favorite bed and breakfast.

4. Teaching a full schedule of dance for the summer and applying to assistant teach drama at a local charter school that fall.

5. About to get the coolest surprise Christmas present ever from my sweetheart with two tickets to Disneyland!

6. Awaiting the birth of my sister's second little piggy, Miss Eve.

So far this year I have:

1. Begun my second year working the music at the hospice.

2. Lived and commuted through what I hope will be the worst winter weather of my life. (fingers crossed.)

3. Celebrated the long awaited graduation of my husband from college! No homework and no real change since, but it's done and I'm so proud!

4. Been cast in a movie and a major stage production, two of my big goals this year.

5. Sluggishly read through the first Twilight book. I'm sorry, I'm 100 pages in and I'm still not feeling it. How long's it gonna take?

6. Seen the movie WALL-E twice. Jacob and I love it! Our first real date after Jacob came home from his mission was going to see Finding Nemo. Pixar's dear to our hearts.

Yesterday I:

1. Slept in and did NOT exercise.

2. Did some serious catch up shopping, including buying gift cards for three weddings I'm late for. For some reason I tend to view the wedding date as a relative deadline to send off the gift. Actually, I take that back. If I send them off in the next two weeks, one of them will get there on time. Pat on back.

3. Cooked dinner. Jacob has taken over this responsibility and has been ever-faithful and I have not so much as turned on the stove in months. I asked him the other night if he missed me cooking for him. He said, "no." I then foolishly asked him if it was because he enjoyed cooking so much or if it was because he didn't like my cooking, to which he replied, "both."

4. Did my usual Tuesday things: work, mutual, try to hurry home in time to see Jake before b-ball.

5. Watched some late-night What not to wear.
6. Can't remember what else I did. It's now almost a week later (July 15) than when I started this thing, and it's tough enough coming up with 6 things when they're fresh!

Today I:
1. Put away my laundry that's been collecting for two weeks. Scratch that. It's just folded. And now I'm blogging. But it WILL be put away. Just like I will mail out those wedding gifts that are still sitting on my back room table. :)
2. Ate an ice cream sandwich for dinner. Ah, the wearying duties of working with the youth.
3. Finally dropped off new short hair head shots to my agent. Don't even ask how many tries it took to get a decent photo. I'm picky and Jacob's even worse.
4. Just watched my honey walk through the door from basketball! Hooray!
5. Put out a little note for Jared's girlfriend who is staying with us tonight because . . . she moved here! As of today, Jared and Adrienne are finally living in the same place for the first time since 2006! Jared always counts down by days and hours how long it is until he sees her again. I think it's so cute. But now, no more ticking widgets. Hooray hooray!
6. Forgot to get gas today: did not put my "get gas" sign on my steering wheel.

Tomorrow I:
1. Will wake up singing to my birdie friends, exercise, and get to work (without traffic) by my goal time.
2. Will keep dreaming.
3. Will promise myself all day, like most days, to get a nap and more than likely disappoint myself later by not doing it.
4. Will eat a better dinner.
5. Will think fondly of my upcoming vacations later this month.
6. Will be done with this post!

In the next year I:
1. Will meet my new niece!
2. Will enter my late twenties.
3. Will see John Mayer and Celine Dion in concert.
4. Won't be so scared of a long winter with snow as it's obvious that I'm not thinking about it at all--no never--and have not mentioned it twice on this blog which indeed shows a great measure of progress.
5. Will blog about my trip over the 4th of July.
6. Hope to be as happy and healthy as I am right now! And just a little less tired. Good night!

. . . Okay, one last thing. I haven't known this guy for quite 20 years, just since jr. high, but Nathaniel and his delightful wife Rachel came to visit this weekend and were nice enough to spend much of their Saturday (which would be the 12th since I know you're all confused) with us. It was SO FUN to see them, I thought they deserved a special mention. And, you know, thought this post could use some extra stuffing. :)