9/4 Update

Well, baseball season is almost over, so that means I get to go back to a normal schedule. Getting back to a normal schedule also means more time to work on my 39 things in my 30s. One of things I really want to concentrate on is reading the 500 books. So far, I'm up to 23 completed (I also forgot to update since May so I could be missing a few books).

If you want to see the list of books I'm reading, or have read, you can check out this list. As you can see, I also forget to mark dates. If I remember books I've read this summer, I will put them on there.

If you have any recommendations, please send them my way!

By the end of 2016, I would realistically like to get to 50 books. I would also like to accomplish a few other items on my list such as getting my passport and finally figuring out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. Every time I try, I always take a BITE!

I also want to get back to studying Spanish. Maybe I can buy a book on Spanish! I can work on two things at a time (work easier not harder).

Well, it's time to continue reading The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson. (Pretty interesting story so far)

#33 Done!

I haven't updated the blog in a while, but I did get to accomplish another thing on my bucket list!

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 6 p.m. (ish) I was able to get my second tattoo!

Yup! That's right, I got an arrow on my middle finger! So you might be asking, why an arrow tattoo? Well, my dad had a small part of Native American in him (according to my grandma, we're related to an Indian Warrior Princess). So when I look down at my finger, I get to think of my dad.

The arrow also symbolizes my time spent at Florida State. Florida State's symbol is the Seminoles! I got my Bachelor's and Master's degree from Florida State and worked there from the time I was 18 until I was 29. I'm very thankful for the time I spent at Florida State and I'm very proud to show off something that was a major part of my life and to give me so many opportunities.

Also, an update on #30 on my list (making 30 new recipes). I finally tried a new recipe! I made Slow-Cooker Cilantro-Lime Chicken this week because I started the AdveCare 24 Day Challenge on Monday. This is what I made for the week to bring to lunch and it is Ahhhhh-MAAAAY-zing! It was so juicy. One recipe down, 29 more new ones to go!

Maybe I'll go get my passport next! Mark another thing off my list!

#38 - DONE!

Merry Christmas!

Thank you so much to my brother David and my sister-in-law Maghen for the awesome Christmas gift of Diet Coke and Mentos! I'm so thankful I was able to cross off another item on my bucket list! 

Why did I have this on my bucket list? Because why not! Life should be fun! 

Also, having a bucket list helps people buy Christmas gifts. Thank you to my mom and siblings for getting me movies and books that I want to read! 

#16 - Amy Poehler and My Mom

Recently I had my mom write down about the day I was born. I know that sounds really out there, but I will tell you why. In my task of reading 500 books, one of the books I've read is "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler. In the book, she let her parents write about the day she was born.

I thought it was a very personal story and I loved reading it. She set aside some blank pages and said "If your parents are still alive, call them today and ask them to describe the day you were born. Write the details down here, on the following pages. Tell the story every year on your birthday until you know it by heart."

So that got me thinking about the day I was born. There were a few things I knew: I was early, my mom had toxemia and we were killing each other. there was a helicopter waiting on the top of the hospital to go to Boston and the doctors told my dad he might have to choose between one of us. 

So I asked my mom to write it out for me. Here is the (unedited) story.

"For most people the birth of their first child is a very clear image in their memories. I'm sorry to say not for me. I had already been in the hospital for a week. I had a severe case of toxemia. So severe we both came close to dieing. 

I'm not sure why your dad wasn't with me when I awoke that morning. I remember he spent so much time with me in the hospital. But that morning, the morning of your birth I was alone. You see it wasn't planned for you to be born that day. You were so small the doctors were trying to delay delivery as long as possible. 

I remember laying in the hospital bed. The room was dark as it had been for a week. The doctors allowed no stimulus, no TV, closed windows, and minimum light. I buzzed the nurse. She was irritated that I asked her to come to my room. She wanted to know why, but it was hard for me to explain. I told her my heart felt funny. 

I don't remember much after that. Things happen so quickly. It was time for you to be born. We were literally killing each other. I remember a helicopter was dispatched and waiting on the roof to rush you to Boston because the doctors believed your lungs were not developed well enough for you to breathe. 

The next thing I remember is waking up and asking what did I have? Is she okay? Your Dad said I awoke and asked that question half a dozen times. Then fell back asleep. I had recovery to do. 

Prayers had been answered. The helicopter was sent away. You could breathe on your own. The babies are scored on a 1-10 scale when they were born. You scored a 6. But them it quickly went up. Seven, eight, ten. All you needed was to be on your own. (Note from MJ: Apparently that hasn't changed at ALL). 

You spent some time with me in my hospital room, but not a lot. Our mother-daughter bond was interrupted by the recovery. I laugh now but I even questioned in my head if they could of possibly switched babies on me. I was very relieved to find your birth mark on your back. The same birth mark as your Dad. Same shape, same spot. It was the proof I needed to know you were mine. 

It took about 2 weeks for the mother-daughter bond to kick in. Breastfeeding wasn't an option with my recovery. You were so tiny, so beautiful."

 In her words

I have to say, I was not expecting that. I'm very happy my mom was able to write this and share it with me. 

The reason I started my 39 in my 30s was not to cross things off a list, it was to accomplish things while creating memories and learning about myself. Needless to say, this was something I learned about myself.

I wish I could have asked my father this same question (he was probably way more lucid than my mom). If you knew my dad and he ever told you about the day I was born, I would love for you to let me know. 

This is my challenge to you, "If your parents are still alive, call them today and ask them to describe the day you were born. Write the details down here, on the following pages. Tell the story every year on your birthday until you know it by heart."

#16, #18, #21, #25

It has been almost a month since I put together my new bucket list of 39 things in my 30s, so here is an update about what has been going on.

When I found out I got my new job with the Blue Wahoos, I was ecstatic! But then reality quickly hit me... I can't get out of my lease and I need a place to stay. After 11.5 years on my own, I had to call up my mom and ask if I could live with her. Needless to say, I didn't even have to finish asking the question before she said yes. The last time I lived at home, I was 18 and thought I knew everything. I returned home just 2.5 months shy of 30...still thinking I knew everything.

It's also really crazy to think that the last time I was at home, my little sister Alexia was five. She's basically lived her entire life without me living in the same town as her, let alone the same house.  While my mom had the joy of raising me for 18 years, my sister had only lived with me in the house for 3.5 years (and probably didn't remember much since she was, you know, a toddler). Although we all struggled at times, I'm very appreciative of my mom and sister. They let me invade a space that was theirs.

So THANK YOU to my mom and sister. I really love and appreciate you for helping me out. With that said, it's time to move out of my mom's next month and return back to living on my own! #Yes
#WelcomeBackIndependence

So without further ado, here are some updates on my list.

#16 - Read 500 Books! No, I'm not finished, but I had read quite a few. So far, I have read SIX books! Yes, I know... 494 to go!

 Illuminae: The Illuminae Files_01

The latest book I read was "Illuminae: The Illuminae Files_01" by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.... READ IT NOW! Yes, Amazon has it labeled under 'Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction & Dystopian Romance", but it is amazing. I loved the different way they told the story. The authors told the story through files, transcripts, etc. I loved the story and read it in three days! 

Another book I read was "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler. It's her autobiography and I left like I knew her when I was done reading it. And to be 100% honest, I didn't realize there would be so much drug use talk, but I loved how raw she was talking about her emotions through her divorce, having kids and being a female in a male dominated world. 

I have a few books I'm getting ready to read, but if you have any recommendations, send them my way! 

#18 - Listen to 1000 songs - I've listened to 165 songs of 1000!!! WHAT??? That's awesome! I got to listen to a lot of musicians and bands beginning with A's (Abba, Aerosmith, Al Green, Aretha Franklin) and B's (BB King, Ben E King, Bing Crosby, Black Sabbath and Bob Dylan).

#21 - Watch all the Adam and Derek movies - I've watched three more movies on the list since my last update. I finally watched Top Gun (RIP Goose), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Dammit, Janet!) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (nothing like the Disney cartoon). 

#25 - Give up soda - I haven't had soda in like 3 or 4 weeks... except to try a sip of Funnel Cake Soda. Which was a mistake... why would anyone ever want to drink this? I don't know if this should be crossed off my list yet, give me another month of no soda and it should be off the list! 

Ewwwww

See you all later! 

#21

So you might have noticed an item on my list that didn't make sense: #21.

If there is one thing I have realized recently, it is that I haven't seen a lot of movies. So my fellow press box posse of Adam and Derek (who I consider the masters of all things pop culture), put together a list of 53 movies I need to see. Some of these are on the AFI Top 100 list, some of them definitely are not.

I started the list off today with Dr. No, the very first James Bond movie. I had never understood the fascination with Sean Connery, but now I do... WOWZA! What a fox! I can't wait to watch the rest of the James Bond movies on the list!

(Sean Connery is my new favorite fox)

Here is the list of movies that Adam and Derek think I should watch. What do you think?

1 Top Gun completed 11/8/15
2 Ghostbusters 8/7/17
3 Ghostbuster 2
4 Dr. No  completed 10/24/15
5 Skyfall
6 Goldfinger completed 12/15/15
7 Citizen Kane
8 Godfather
9 Rocky completed 12/25/15
10 North By Northwest
11 Sixteen Candles 1/3/16
12 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (got for Christmas)
13 Young Frankenstein 8/18/17
14 Man on Wire
15 The Terminator 11/23/15
16 Aliens
17 How To Train Your Dragon
18 Raiders of the Lost Ark
19 Back to the Future completed 9/25/16
20 The Right Stuff
21 Fight Club
22 Wayne's World
23 Groundhog Day
24 The Fugitive
25 American Beauty
26 Pulp Fiction
27 Saving Private Ryan 8/20/17
28 Up 10/14/16
29 Shawn of the Dead
30 Million Dollar Baby 12/12/15
31 Argo
32 Rocky Horror Picture Show completed 10/31/15
34 Avatar
35 Wolf of Wall Street 12/4/15
36 The Life Aquatic 1/28/17
38 Casablanca
39 Jaws
40 Metropolis
41 Big Trouble in Little China
42 Chef completed 9/14/16
44 Karate Kid 7/22/2020
47 Mallrats 12/25/15
48 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
49 Mad Max
50 Mad Max: The Road Warrior
51 The Sting
52 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves completed 11/6/15
53 Tin Cup
54 Gone Baby Gone 8/6/17
55 Blood Diamond
56 Gran Torino
59 An Office and a Gentleman
60 Bambi 1/3/16
61 Mulan 11/20/15
62 Lady and the Tramp
63 Saturday Night Fever
64 The Kingsman 10/1/17
65 Die Hard
66 Hot Fuzz
67 Dumbo 12/13/15

In My 30s

So, it looks like I didn't finish my 30 before 30 list.

However, I did get to accomplish a lot of things. I went vegetarian for a month. I applied for Big Brother (sadly I did not get on). I found a wine I like, I talked to my mom everyday and I wrote letters to people who matter to me. The biggest accomplishment from the list was I grew my hair out and donated it to Wigs for Kids!

Some big things in my life happened before I turned 30. After 12 years in Tallahassee, I left and moved back home. I spent 10 amazing seasons in Florida State's Sports Information Department, but it was time for something new. I'm now working in the crazy world of minor league baseball for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos while living with my amazing mom and sister (who graduates high school this year!). I also get to be closer to my brother and sister-in-law. I love it!

But, now it's time to make a new list. 39 things to do in my 30s. My next milestone is 40, and since it's far away, it gives me a chance to actually accomplish the items below. If you have any tips or want to be a part of any of the things on my list, just let me know!

Disclosure: Sure, there are things I want to do that aren't on the list, I want to get married, have kids, etc., but this is a list of things to do that I can control. As crazy as some of them sound, I can do them and I can control if I accomplish it or not.

Traveling
1) Get my passport 10/23/2017
2) Visit all 50 states
3) Visit Mexico 11/15/17
4) Stand in four states at one time
5) Ride a train
6) Go on an Alaskan cruise
7) Visit five continents
8) Visit the Grand Canyon
9)  Visit Ireland and meet my relatives
10)  Visit one of the Great Pyramids
11)  See the Northern Lights

12)  Go on a roadtrip with my sister (roadtrip with my sister neighbor) June 2020 

13)  Go to Niagara Falls

Sports

14) Visit every Major League Baseball park
15) Finally go to a NFL game accomplished 12/6/15 Jacksonville at Tennessee

Movies/Music/Books
16) Read 500 books
17) Finish a book in one sitting
18) Listen to this whole list of 1000 songs
19) Watch every AFI top 100 movie
20) Read the entire Bible
21) Watch all the Adam and Derek movies

Personal Accomplishments
22)  Do a 10k
23)  Take boxing lessons
24)  Learn how to speak Spanish
25)  Give up soda
26)  Pay off my student loans  2019
27)  Work on buying my first house April 24, 2019 I bought my house!
28)  Learn to drive a manual car
29)  Own a pair of Jimmy Choo Shoes
30)  Make 30 new recipes

Personal Relationships
31)  Handwrite a letter to 12 people who have inspired me or helped me in my life July 2020

32)  Get rid of anyone negative in my life, forgive them, and move on

Something Fun
33)  Get one more tattoo 2/9/16
34)  Hold a panda

35)  Treat myself to a massage 3/14/17 - Thanks Heather! 

36)  See Cirque du soleil 10/22/17

37)  Finish a coloring book

38)  Put mentos in diet coke 12/25/15
39)  Find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop 11/10/17 (396 licks)

Time to get started!