It wouldn't let me put in a title! Weird.

So, about a year and a half ago, I made this list of things that I wanted to do before I turn 30:

1. Get a master's degree.
2. Learn Spanish - or, at least, get a good start on learning Spanish.
3. Purchase and learn to use a real camera - not a digital, or an automatic, but the real McCoy. I am really drawn to black and white photography.
4. Hike rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon.
5. Learn (and frequently make!) my grandmother's cherry pie recipe.
6. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
7. Go to Hawaii.
8. Be well on my way towards licensure.
9. Stay in a yurt on the Oregon coast in the winter time and watch the storms.
10. Participate in National Novel Writing Month.

Since I now have less than 6 months before I hit the big 3-0, I thought I'd take stock of where I am on this list...

Here are the goals I have accomplished: 1,7,8
Here are the goals I have not accomplished, but have a plan in place to accomplish before the Big Day: 4,6,9...and maybe 10
Here are the goals I have not accomplished and have no plan in place to accomplish before the Big Day: 2,3,5...and maybe 10

Number 2, learn Spanish, I have no plan to accomplish because, when I made this list, I wasn't thinking clearly. I just got out of grad school a year ago -- I am not eager to jump right back into being a student, even if it is just one class, 2 nights a week. I have tasted freedom, and it is good.

Number 3, about learning to use a real camera, has proven difficult because...um...money doesn't exactly grow on trees. Cameras are expensive, film is expensive, classes are expensive. As mentioned above, I only finished grad school a year ago...and, since that time, I bought a house. It seems kind of frivolous to spend all that extra money on a camera that I likely wouldn't use much, since those kinds of cameras are heavy, and, when I go hiking, I like my pack to be as lightweight as possible. As a compromise, though, I have been thoroughly reading the manual for my new digital camera and using as many of its cool features as possible.

Number 5, learn (and frequently make) my grandmother's cherry pie recipe, has proven nearly impossible because, simply put, no one has the recipe.

Number 10, participate in National Novel Writing Month, may or may not happen this year. We'll see how I'm feeling in November.

All in all, though, I think I'm doing pretty well. I've gotten 3 of those goals under my belt, and I have a plan for 3 more to get done, too, maybe 4. 6-7 out of 10 isn't too bad, I think.

Damn, I'm Good

I recently got this via e-mail, and, well, I'm bored right now. So, I'm posting it to my blog.

About Me!

Name: Vicki

Age: 29 (and a half - today is my half b-day!)

Job: Child and Family Therapist

Favorite flavor of ice cream: Hmmm...this changes regularly. Right now, I'd have to say Chocolate Therapy, which you can only purchase at Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shops.
What did you do last weekend?: I went hiking, laid in my hammock, and went shopping (ugh).

Favorite TV Show: Hmmm...well, the only show I make a point of watching every week during the season is Scrubs. But, I think that Six Feet Under is one of the best TV shows of all time.

Favorite Song: "Where the Streets Have No Name," by U2 (of course)...however, I also have a fondness for the song "Midnight Train to Georgia." While I like most versions of that song, I am particularly fond of the version the Indigo Girls did on their "10,000 Curfews" album.

What are you wearing right now?: my pajamas, which include blue cotton capri pants from Victoria's Secret and a blue t-shirt from my Alaska days. My t-shirt says "Hardcore Alaskan" on the front and "Alaska, the Fun State" on the back.

If you could have your dream job, what would it be?: I'm pretty sure that I have it right now...although, perhaps in another life, I would love to work as a curator or exhibit-creator (is that a real job?) in a museum, either within the anthropology or American history departments. OOh - the Smithsonian museum of American History. Or, the Field Museum of Natural History. Or, I could go back to my high school dream of being a writer.

Who is your hero?: Hmmm...I'd have to say that I don't really have one. I think that real people, living their lives as best they can, can be quite heroic. Like, the single mom who eats only beans so her child can have enough to eat, or the single mother of 4 who has been faced with just about every challenge life can throw at someone, but who still manages to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude about life. Those are the kinds of people who inspire me.

What do you most look forward to in the future?: Wow - these are deep questions for such an early hour. Um...I just look forward to what life will bring me, the new challenges and beautiful moments. Those are the things that shape me. As much as it can be painful, I enjoy personal growth. At least, I enjoy it in retrospect.

Do you prefer summer or winter?: At this point, I'd have to say summer.

What are you listening to right now? Um...the song "Useless Desires" by Patty Griffin is currently playing. My ITunes is on shuffle.

What did you have for dinner last night? Ha. I'm trying to eat up old food in my freezer, so I ate some frozen chicken nuggets. Then, I went to Baskin Robbins and got an ice cream cone. So, I had chicken nuggets and ice cream for dinner. But, the rest of my day was full of healthy meals.

What are your plans for the day? I have a doctor's appointment this morning. Then, I'm going to work. Mike and I are going out for dinner tonight, to celebrate my half-birthday.

If you could be any age, what age would you be? I want to experience every age...and I would definitely NOT want to re-live my adolescence.

Okay, that's not all the questions, but I have to get a move on.