4 Things

Many years ago, my grandmother shared with me an autograph book she had growing up.  In the book were antagonistic comments written by her sister, my Great Aunt Teresa.  (The ones I remember are, "Juliette is so skinny she is going to go down the drain" and "Juliette is going to have as many kids as the...")  It was so entertaining to read the comments because it gave me a very small glimpse into the life of these ladies in their younger years. 

Today, with so many people keeping blogs, making videos and taking tons of photos, our pasts will be so much better documented.  One of the main reasons for my blog is to remind myself in the future of what I was doing so many years ago.  I also hope it provides the same enjoyment for future generations as reading my grandmothers autograph book did for me.  (In other words, so what if I have only 3 loyal readers today? People will be much more interested years from now, so I'm thinking long term.)

In this spirit, I am borrowing some questions that came from chain letter type thing to not only document what I did today, but also catch up from a few years back.  The theme is, "four things." 

Four things I did 10 years ago (1999):

1. I graduated from University of Georgia, leaving the only period in my life when I wanted nothing to change.  I've always been forward-thinking and obsessed with what I would be doing next, but as college was ending, I wanted to stop time and to stay there forever.  My college days were the best and I knew it.  This made it very hard to leave behind.  
2. I moved to Atlanta.  I remember walking into the mall near my new apartment and wanting to cry.  I felt like everyone looked too plastic.  Now, when I go to the mall, I am unaffected.  I wish sometimes I had the same perspective I did 10 years ago.  
3. I started interning at Home Depot and got a part time job at Rio Bravo since I couldn't find a real job.  I remember very little about Home Depot, but recall Rio Bravo was terrible. However, it was probably an important experience to make me thankful for that real job when it finally did come.  
4. I got my dog Abby.  She is still with me and one of the only things I still have from my college days.

Four things I did 5 years ago (2004):

1. I sold my house in Atlanta and moved to Cartersville for a new job at Shaw Industries.  I remember sitting on my new back patio and thinking how quiet it was.  Now I miss the noise (its funny that 10 years ago I didn't want to move to Atlanta and now I want to go back).
2. I got engaged to my husband Jay.  He proposed to me after a day of shopping while I was modeling my new purchases*.  We went out for dinner and drinks that night to celebrate before telling anyone.
3. I married Jay, at our house in Cartersville. 
4. I visited Northern California on our honeymoon and fell in love with wine country.  

* Please note that it only took 5 years to get over the whole mall-phobia thing. 

Four things I did yesterday:

1. I went to the dry cleaner to pick up/drop off clothes.  They know me by name there.
2. I dropped Jay off at Home Depot to pick up some items for the contractors working on our house, while I ran to Walmart for diapers, wipes, toothpaste and mouthwash.  I forgot to get the Coppertone Sports Spray SPF 30 to get Mia's permanent marker drawing off our leather couch.
3. I went to an indoor playground with Mia, Jay and Jay's sister Megan.  We were going to go to the part, but there was no parking.  I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea to spend a 60+ degree day in February outside.  
4. I ate dinner at Papi's, one of my favorite restaurants.  I had a Cuban sandwich.

Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. Lost.  I watched the first three seasons on DVD, spending many late nights saying, "Ok, just one more episode."  Now that I am caught up, I have to wait a whole week for the next episode. 
2. American Idol.  Tivo was the best thing that ever happened to American Idol.  I always record it so I can fast forward through the commercials.  So, its really only 20 min of addiction, not the scheduled 60 min.
3. Super Nanny/Nanny 911.  I don't watch this show often, but always enjoy it when I do, because it lets me know that other people really do have much worse parenting skills and/or children than my own.
4. Intervention.  Again, I don't watch this regularly, but I am always sucked in when I catch it while flipping channels.  Its captivating in a train-wreck sort of way.

Four things I love to do:

1. I love to make things.  This interest has led me to photography, sewing, knitting, cooking, etc.  I haven't mastered anything (or even gotten sort-of good), but that only means there is lots of opportunity.  I am encouraged by the thought that I may hold the potential to be great at one of these things. 
2. Read. I used to read almost a book a week.  Since having Mia, I could count on my hands the number of books I've read, and that includes the four I read while vacationing without her in Mexico.  I am sure one day I'll pick this up again.
3. Plan. I love planning and researching things.  The menu for the week.  How we are going to budget our money.  New furniture arrangement.  Sometimes I pretend to not like doing it, but I am just fooling myself.  The more chaotic my life gets, the more I feel the need to plan, even if it doesn't relate to the choas at hand.
4. Watching TV in bed with Jay and Mia.  Every once in a while, when Mia gets us very early, we can get her to lay with us in bed and watch TV.  This is one of the few times she will snuggle, so I don't even mind the early wake up call.