Since the world didn't end, it's time for the 2012 edition of Jen's Christmas letter:
Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas! I'm saying that more since an outing with my college friend Liz. She sported a button while we were out with some other college friends that said, "It's ok to say Merry CHRISTmas," so, I guess it's ok to say. Because the button she got at church said so...yeah....anyway....
2012. Wow - where is the time going? This year flew by and really, I can sum up the events of the year with one word: Run. I didn't blog much about it because I didn't want to be one of "those" people (that's what I used Facebook for), but this year I trained for and completed my first full marathon. Marathon training was all consuming. Seriously, particularly in the last month, I was obsessed. Everything in my life - what I ate, what I drank, how much I slept, even (gasp) work - revolved around marathon training. This experience changed my life (in a good way). I cried like a baby when I crossed that finish line after 26.2 grueling miles. Afterward, I went to the home of my parents where I sat in an ice bath for 30 minutes, then moved to a recliner where my ice and icy hot slathered body experienced pain like I've never imagined. It hurt to breathe. I looked at my mom at one point and said, "I know I've never given birth, but I guarantee you, this is worse than giving birth" (really? Clearly I'm no expert on birthing anything.). Like childbirth, the pain is now a vague memory and I am already signed up for my next full marathon (Because, like people with multiple children, I'm insane.).
As usual, I traveled for work - Indianapolis (gag), DC (3 or 4 times?), Atlanta, Nashville, Portland, St. Louis, Denver, maybe a few more places but I can't really remember at this point. I even took a trip of pure leisure - visiting the Ritz Carleton Reynolds Plantation in Georgia. It was lovely but, Georgia, really, what was I thinking? I used to live there. I need take fun trips that are a little more "exotic" in the future. I'm a little bitter right now because we clamped down on work travel just as I was two trips away from keeping my silver status on Delta - I happened to have two trips on the calendar that were cancelled. Now I'm relinquished to peasant status once again....oh, how I loathe boarding planes with clueless tourists.
The travel highlight was a work trip to the Pacific Northwest. I added two personal days and took in as much as possible - Portland, Seattle, Mt St Helens (my friend Lori and I are forever bonded over our harrowing trip up and down the road near that mountain!) and Cannon Beach (aka Goonies beach). My new life dream is to live in Oregon. Seriously. It is beautiful, clean, progressive, they have beer (I attended the Oregon Brewer's Festival), and even the TSA agents at the airport are happy and friendly...I think it is the place for me...so now you will randomly hear me declare my love for Oregon in general conversation.
Even more friends got married (as if this was even possible), so I truly am the last single girl at this point. It's cool - I'm thrilled to not have to deal with the crazy family of someone else at holidays (mine is crazy enough, thanks) but, you know, from time to time (New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, etc.) is can be sort of a bummer being the only single girl. But then I think of my friends with kids, shudder, and realize I'm living the life I'm meant to live (childless).
And finally, I became a certified Citizen Police Academy graduate this year. That's right, while I didn't blog much about it (because of marathon training and a pesky confidentiality agreement) I earned not only a certificate but a teeny, tiny badge (pin). I had the best experience on my "ride along" where "we" solved a crime (a shooting!!), arrested a baby momma beater and saw a hooker (she totally looked like she should be on PeopleofWalMart.com and not working the street corner), all while I wore a bullet proof vest. It was pretty awesome.
Here I am, drinking a Shiner Holiday Cheer (LOVE this beer), Love Actually (LOVE Hugh Grant) is playing on the tube and my three furry children are sitting nearby while I'm watching college kids converge on the house across the street for what I presume is an end of the world party (milk it for all it's worth - just don't burn a couch like we did at Central Michigan University for such parties, kids, ok?). Reflecting on 2012 (yet another Year of Jen, just like 2009, 2010, 2011, you get the picture), I'm thinking this:
Sure, I have a crack in my kitchen ceiling (still) from the bathroom fiasco (the black sub floor the contractor removed from my bathroom nearly made me faint), I lost way too many hours watching a certain soap super couple from the 80s on You Tube (repeatedly), cupcakes and crap still appear in the breakroom at work on occasion to tempt me, I did two things I will never, ever do again (and no, I'm not going to elaborate) and this week I overdrew my checking account with last minute Christmas (not holiday) purchases. Woe is me and my 'first world' problems.
Time to go to sleep and count my blessings (instead of sheep - couldn't resist - love the movie White Christmas).
The single life is still all it's cracked up to be, and I look forward to yet another Year of Jen in 2013.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
Well, Michael Stipe was not talking about 12.21.12. As you are acutely aware, the Mayans were wrong and we're all still here.
Frankly, I'm a little surprised and here's why....
Last weekend while out with friends I met a nice, friendly, attractive, employed, childless, seemingly normal man. It's true. Oh, and I guess I should say the important part - he liked me. That never happens.
Now, he happened to be Canadian (the really far away part of Canada - Calgary) but you know, had we had more time to get to know one another I could have totally moved. Anyway, the fact that an attractive, friendly, educated, employed man actually had an interest in me made me believe in the impending apocalypse. Surely, this had to be a sign of Doomsday.
I spent apocalypse eve at a local brewery debating gun control with a gun-owning, NRA member friend. Yet another sign of end of days, that I would have a gun-owning, NRA member friend.
However, I woke up today, went to the Y and watched soap operas (Robert Scorpio is BACK on General Hospital. Anna's true love Duke is back from the dead - from 20 years ago - my mind has been blown!!!). A truly unremarkable day - good thing it was not my last one on earth.
Last night between debating guns in schools, right to work and the Affordable Care Act, we discussed the end of the world. If the world ended today, what would have been my biggest regret? Not being single, not being broke, not being sort of fabulous....it would be not traveling more. For real.
This is where the Canadian could have come in....he is an energy consultant...I think he could have funded some globetrotting. Oh well.
So, yay, the world has not ended! It's not the end of the world as we know it, and I still feel fine.
Frankly, I'm a little surprised and here's why....
Last weekend while out with friends I met a nice, friendly, attractive, employed, childless, seemingly normal man. It's true. Oh, and I guess I should say the important part - he liked me. That never happens.
Now, he happened to be Canadian (the really far away part of Canada - Calgary) but you know, had we had more time to get to know one another I could have totally moved. Anyway, the fact that an attractive, friendly, educated, employed man actually had an interest in me made me believe in the impending apocalypse. Surely, this had to be a sign of Doomsday.
I spent apocalypse eve at a local brewery debating gun control with a gun-owning, NRA member friend. Yet another sign of end of days, that I would have a gun-owning, NRA member friend.
However, I woke up today, went to the Y and watched soap operas (Robert Scorpio is BACK on General Hospital. Anna's true love Duke is back from the dead - from 20 years ago - my mind has been blown!!!). A truly unremarkable day - good thing it was not my last one on earth.
Last night between debating guns in schools, right to work and the Affordable Care Act, we discussed the end of the world. If the world ended today, what would have been my biggest regret? Not being single, not being broke, not being sort of fabulous....it would be not traveling more. For real.
This is where the Canadian could have come in....he is an energy consultant...I think he could have funded some globetrotting. Oh well.
So, yay, the world has not ended! It's not the end of the world as we know it, and I still feel fine.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
One is the loneliest number
Nope, I didn't keep up with Citizen Police Academy updates. I was training for a freaking marathon and was sort of busy. So sue me. Yep, I'm really feisty tonight.
I had a lovely evening out with my runner friends. We were celebrating the fact that we are all about to start training for another marathon (because we are crazy, apparently) and enjoying a fun night out on the town. I've known for ages that one of my runner friends grew up in the same small town as a college roommate of mine, and always assumed they know one another but never asked if they are, indeed, acquainted. Tonight the subject of their town came up so I asked and yes, my pal knows Cow Katie - the roommate. I feel I need to take a moment here to say I did not seek out Cow Katie as my roommate - it was one of those freshman dorm things that happened. Anyway....
My pal says, "Ew, yes, I know her. She's s weird. She's that little nerdy girl who looks like an albino."
Bingo!
I also need to interject that I deemed her Cow Katie not because of her size or anything but because she grew up on a dairy farm and loved to talk about the cows.
In my usual fashion I did a voice impression of Cow Katie, saying in a whiny, nasal voice, "Yeah....I'm from Free-mont and my daaad is a dairy farmer. I love cows."
My pal says, "Yes, that's her. She is so weird. Seriously weird."
I go on to tell the story about how Katie would turn red at the mention of any male name. For real. My other roommates and I loved this game. We would sit there, look at Katie and just start saying names: "Dave." Suddenly Katie turns Pink. "Steve." Katie is now a bright shade of red. "Ted." Katie is now purple.
Did she know any guys named Dave, Steve or Ted? Nope. But, she was so socially inept when it came to the opposite sex that just the mention of a male name sent her into a tizzy.
Then my pal drops the bomb.
"Yes, she's married now." (Sound of disbelief in voice).
Katie-I-turn-red-at-the-mention-of-a-male-name-Nerdy Cow Girl is MARRIED?!
That's it.
It is bad enough Liz Lemon got married on "30 Rock" this week (seriously, Liz, how could you?) and now this.
Not to mention, I have to go to the family Christmas party in a couple of weeks where I will be the cousin still single except for the 19 year old who is heading off to be a nun soon.
No joke.
Maybe I should just join her.
I had a lovely evening out with my runner friends. We were celebrating the fact that we are all about to start training for another marathon (because we are crazy, apparently) and enjoying a fun night out on the town. I've known for ages that one of my runner friends grew up in the same small town as a college roommate of mine, and always assumed they know one another but never asked if they are, indeed, acquainted. Tonight the subject of their town came up so I asked and yes, my pal knows Cow Katie - the roommate. I feel I need to take a moment here to say I did not seek out Cow Katie as my roommate - it was one of those freshman dorm things that happened. Anyway....
My pal says, "Ew, yes, I know her. She's s weird. She's that little nerdy girl who looks like an albino."
Bingo!
I also need to interject that I deemed her Cow Katie not because of her size or anything but because she grew up on a dairy farm and loved to talk about the cows.
In my usual fashion I did a voice impression of Cow Katie, saying in a whiny, nasal voice, "Yeah....I'm from Free-mont and my daaad is a dairy farmer. I love cows."
My pal says, "Yes, that's her. She is so weird. Seriously weird."
I go on to tell the story about how Katie would turn red at the mention of any male name. For real. My other roommates and I loved this game. We would sit there, look at Katie and just start saying names: "Dave." Suddenly Katie turns Pink. "Steve." Katie is now a bright shade of red. "Ted." Katie is now purple.
Did she know any guys named Dave, Steve or Ted? Nope. But, she was so socially inept when it came to the opposite sex that just the mention of a male name sent her into a tizzy.
Then my pal drops the bomb.
"Yes, she's married now." (Sound of disbelief in voice).
Katie-I-turn-red-at-the-mention-of-a-male-name-Nerdy Cow Girl is MARRIED?!
That's it.
It is bad enough Liz Lemon got married on "30 Rock" this week (seriously, Liz, how could you?) and now this.
Not to mention, I have to go to the family Christmas party in a couple of weeks where I will be the cousin still single except for the 19 year old who is heading off to be a nun soon.
No joke.
Maybe I should just join her.
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