[Backstreet's Back.]

44. Oxynate
19. Backstreet Boys concert

Turns out Oxynate is long overdue-- Andrew and I went to Oxynate as our anniversary relaxation and it was an interesting experience! It is basically sitting on massage chairs for your entire body with a nose-piece in your nostrils. Then you can mute or adjust levels of certain flavors/scents as it blows into your nose- it was a little startling at first but if I just turned down the air pressure it was really nice.

We got to do another one at the oxygen bar with a short shoulder massage and energy boost. Glad I tried it once but I'm not sure I'll do it again!

19. Talk about a dream come true. I have loved the Backstreet Boys since I was in middle school, and I couldn't believe I would ever get to see them perform. Kess bought tickets in January and I was THRILLED. We're not going to talk about how much the tickets cost but it was worth every penny.

I went with some of my coworkers and I had a blast seeing us all freak out over the same thing! Once the lights went down we all jumped and held each other's hands--

The Boys were amazing- being able to dance and sing to every song was thrilling; honestly Beyonce was better but this fulfilled so many of my childhood dreams. :) They all looked so good and I even enjoyed the New Kids on the Block portions!

Check that off the list!

[checkkkk out.]

So maybe I should've added a "get into grad school" list option just so I can blog about it.

WOOHOO one of 2 have rolled in-- Miami University-- and I'm still waiting for "The Call" from Bowling Green. I hope they call sometime soon... I have all of Spring Break to draw up lists and graphs and spreadsheets on how to make my decision and then draw out predicted schedules and costs of said choices. LOL.

I can't wait to go and yet I am not QUITE ready to leave. I can't believe I'm graduating in 2.5 months, less than. It goes by so so fast.

#25

Give ice skating a real shot. I haven't touched ice skates since I was in fourth grade (and even then I lasted about 10 minutes before I politely declined to continue skating). So I figured it deserved a real shot, seeing as I live in Minnesota.


Andrew told me about Science & Engineering Student Board's latest event, Skate with a Date, to happen February 12th. I was already going to sing at it, so I figured I could stick around to make a fool out of myself give it a shot. Jim, Dan, Bailey and Daniel were sticking around also after the gig to goad at me. (lucky me...)

This is indeed like 13 or 14 of us singing into one mic- shockingly I super loved it because we haven't had that much energy in a long time! It looked a lot of fun actually, watching people skate by! (orrrr watching people get bowled over)


Afterward... I had to man up.

This face is effectively hiding how "Oh crap" I was... firstly because my feet are much to wide for these dainty ice skates. Once I got over that I carefully stepped onto the ice.


After standing on there for like 5 minutes in frozen fear I finally shuffled forward-- I was skating!!! I scooted along and Andrew held my hand as I took bigger and bigger glides... I never fell, but I definitely wavered PLENTY of times, flapping my arms around.

Super proud. I loosened up the skates a little bit so my feet would be a little less than bound, and started really skating around the rink-- it was really really freeing to be able to glide around once I managed my paranoia of falling every ten seconds.  By the end I was stopping by spinning in a circle!! (Daniel detested me for getting better than him).


This could be a stepping stone to my trying snowboarding?? Maybe.


I'm also continuing to explore the whole... "Wine" thing:

It's been a good year.


Maybe when it's warm out I'll learn how to change oil. Eh Kevin? :D

#4, #30

Woo! How exciting.


#4: Cut my credit card spending to be just about $300 a month.


Firstly, Jim did NOT think I could do it (still doesn't, I'm sure), but I talked with my friend Collin about how he was doing some personal finance stuff. He took a class with Dave Ramsey and really pushed the ever-famous cash-envelope system. I've never tried this before thinking it just wasn't worth it, that it'd never work for me, blah blah. BUT! I finally decided I had to try something because this wasn't working so far. I declare, SUCCESS! 


Before: 

After:

Boo. Ya.


I'm shocked I even did it. I think I also told myself more strictly, "No, you do NOT need to go to China Express. Nope, don't do it!" and I actually listened to myself. I also walked around Target several times without buying a ton of stuff. 


Now I just have to make sure this keeps up not just for one month but for other months also. This can't just be a short term change. Especially because I'm working less this semester and may not be employed this summer after Ireland (sob).


#30: Read the news more often


So thanks to Mama and Papa Carrot I downloaded the MSNBC news app and in my downtime have been reading up on the news. It's surprising how much more clued into everything when I'm informed! I kinda like it. 

Currently my favorite categories are Tech & Science, Business, Top Stories, Health and Travel. I don't really get into sports and politics, shockingly. How else would I have discovered the depression rates of new moms and the gorilla that can walk on two legs??


<3

In progress...

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson


In light of this quote I have to also document those goals I've set in motion for tomorrow (figuratively, tomorrow):


-- I have purchased my tickets to the Backstreet Boys/NKOTB concert for July 15th!!
-- I am also set to make a cameo at Andrew's event, Skate with a Date, where I will give ice skating another try. Yeah, we'll see how this goes. Check back February 13th!
-- I have also been inspired by my friend Collin to try the cash-based system for spending. So far it's actually been working! Stayed tuned for March's update with my new credit statement, haha!
-- I'm also supposed to be going snowmobiling before winter is over. Yes.


Hopefully this turns out to be something exciting for me! I'm going to make this a "100 before 30" to keep this blog interesting...

#20 part 1

The reason why this is on my list is because I'm usually not into having alcohol. For some people, getting a drink is really ritual and relaxing-- usually for me and my enzyme deficiency, it means feeling kind of weird and ill if I have the wrong kind or too much. But I'm hoping that for wine's case, I just need to create a palate for it, similar to my growing taste for coffee.


So I finally found a wine that I super love. I already had liked the Reisling that Katie had me try a while ago, so I was excited to find another sweet, white wine to try!


So for Christmas, Andrew and I went in on a collection of gifts for Amy (his sister) and one of those gifts was a nice bottle of wine. She still had some left when we went to her going-away party so Andrew and I split what was left. He even put it in a nice wine glass for me, straight out of the box that she clearly had never unpacked, HAHA sorry Amy.


Anyway, this isn't the exact bottle but whatever!:

Moscato D'Asti! I am always a little wary trying new alcohol, especially wine, because usually it burns in a way I'm not used to (hence why I'm trying to get a better palate for it). But this was *delicious, wet, sweet, and fruity. It didn't make me feel icky like other alcohol does, either. I was actually sad I only had that half glass! I'm going to have to investigate further and make sure it wasn't a fluke! (Stay tuned for that post...)


Someday, I'll try a red wine that I like. That's not a sangria (though Sue makes a realllll good Sangria).

List crafting... (updated)

I really should add "making peace" on my list of to-dos, because it's such a healing thing to take part of, to really embrace understanding with someone else instead of doing the easier thing of avoiding it/them and allowing it to grow into this monster... In light of the deaths of two friends in the last month, there really isn't any time for that kind of bullshit (in my eyes).


So let's keep chugging along with even creating a list.


1. Snowmobile
2. Make a meal for someone without any help
3. Build a bookshelf
4. Cut back my spending to be 300$ per credit card bill (woof, I know)
5. Decorate and own my own Christmas tree
6. Snorkel
7. Read through all my Real Simple magazines before buying any more
8. Parasail
9. Hangglide
10. Go camping for at least 3 days
11. Ride my bike as a means of transportation somewhere (I hate bikes)
12. Compile giant photo albums of the albums I already have on Facebook
13. Learn how to change oil in a car
14. Re-attempt snowboarding or downhill skiing
15. Go sailing
16. Go to Florida or Hawaii (one or the other is fine!)
17. Watch these movies: My Best Friend's Wedding, Shawshank Redemption, Slumdog Millionaire, Blind Side (and sooo many more people bother me about seeing)
18. Go to a Backstreet Boys or Justin Timberlake concert.
19. Hem/mend my own pair of pants (in essence, re-learning how to use a sewing machine. Scary.)
20. Develop a better taste for wine
21. Learn how to drive a stick shift vehicle
22. Purchase my first real person car
23. Learn to make at least 2 dishes of my momma's cooking (on my own)
24. Learn how to play basic piano
25. Give ice skating a real shot
26. Visit California to see my family at least three times
27. Participate in at least one service project a year
28. Try a Brazilian Wax (I am petrified of this)
29. White water raft somewhere
30. Read the news more often- let's start with at least once a week (which is a huge step up from 'almost never')


Runner ups:
31. Complete a newspaper crossword
32. Finish a scrapbook
33. Install my own shelving
34. Sew myself some article of clothing
35. Go to a drive-in movie
36. Take a photography class
37. Holidazzle
38. Go to the Sculpture Gardens
39. Go to the Boundary Waters
40. Ride the best rollercoaster at Cedar Point (has been on my list for years)
41. Try Snuba (snorkel + scuba)
42. Go fishing. I've only been ONCE. Bonus: actually catch a fish
43. Juicy Lucy
44. Oxynate
45. 


Any of these are subject to change as I decide what else comes to mind, haha. Of coures I will celebrate other things I push myself to do, also since I don't just have 30 goals for my entire life.


SUCH A GOOD MOOD RIGHT NOWWWW. <3