I am a thirty-something woman with a boyfriend, no children, and one of the most adorable dogs on the planet. So, what's a girl like to me to about Christmas cards?
Well, as you may have already guessed, I decided to buy a tiny little Santa hat, talk my boyfriend into giving the dog treats while trying to keep her still and the hat in place, and took some photos. It was not an easy task, but I am pretty satisfied with the results.
It does feel a little odd to send a holiday card with pictures of my dog. I only ordered 20 (the smallest amount available), and only my closest friends and relatives will be receiving one.
I feel like I've started turning from a hermit into a social butterfly recently. I've found myself saying yes to things I hadn't been saying yes to for a while.
I was invited to a house-party at a co-worker and friend's house. I decided to go, alone, even though I was going to know very few people there. I am normally very shy and going to a party alone where I would know almost nobody was very out-of-character for me. I ended up having a wonderful time and stayed until 1:30 in the morning. I met some new and interesting people. I learned a new game. Needless to say, I was very happy with my decision to go.
I was invited to a girl's lunch with 5 or so other ladies at work and decided to go. I was so busy laughing the entire I had a hard time actually eating. :)
Another co-worker/friend invited me to go with her over to her new house during our lunch hour this past Friday. Even though I typically don't like one-on-one time with people I'm not really close with, I decided to say yes. I enjoyed spending time and talking with her, seeing her new house, and playing with her new puppy.
I made an impromptu trip to Syracuse this past weekend to visit my sister and ty on bridesmaide dresses. If you know me, you know I don't do impromptu trips. I am all about organizing and planning ahead.
My company organizes a bowling "tournament" every year. It's just one of many activities sponsored by my wonderful company, which I typically decline to attend due to social anxiety. A co-worker/friend really, really wanted me to come and be her partner so I said yes. That will be coming up next month.
After reading the Hunger Games Trilogy I decided to get a bunch of the girls at work to also read it. I'm also talking them all into going to the theater to see the movie made from the first book when it comes out on March 23. Maybe do dinner beforehand. I almost never organize outings. If someone else organizes something I will sometimes go, but rarely initiate.
I can't remember what prompted me to read the first book from the Hunger Games Trilogy at the very beginning of this year. I had dozens of unread books loaded on my kindle to choose from. Nonetheless, I DID choose to make that my first book of 2012 and oh man, did I make a good choice. I started reading it and read all through the night. I didn't want to stop reading. I didn't want it to end. Ever. When I finished the first book I wanted to start the second immediately. Unfortunately I also really needed to sleep. The book is incredibly engaging. The characters were incredibly likable and relatable and the scenery was described so well that I felt as if I were in the "games" with them.
My friend notified me yesterday that the movie was going to be out in the theater on Friday, March 23rd and that we were going. I contacted 2 other girlfriends today and said they had to read the book(s) and they had to come to the movie with us on that opening weekend. In talking with one of my friends later she laughed at me and said, "You didn't take a breath the entire time you were writing that email, did you?" Haha. I think she was correct. Yes, I am a wee bit excited. :)
Here is some more info. on the 3 books (from amazon, affiliate links, download Kindle version for free if you are a Prime member!):
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
The other night I was looking at some of the searches people had done that landed them on my little site here. I came across a question and I immediately felt my heart drop and knew I had to answer.
The question was, "i have turners syndrome and i got my period with hormone replacement will i be able to get pregnant"
I know how this girl feels. I know, because I was her a number of years ago.
I was a young girl around the age of 8 when I was diagnosed with Turner's Syndrome. I was told I would be abnormally short, and that I would most likely be unable to have children. I would need hormone replacement in my teenage years in order to "develop secondary sexual characteristics". How well do you think an 8 year old girl can process that? Yeah, let me tell you, that does not make much sense to such a young girl.
After that day, not one doctor I had talked to had ever really talked to me about fertility. In fact, nobody at all really talked to me about fertility, not even my family. I consider myself a fairly intelligent woman. I was in the Honor Society in High School, did quite well in college, and always aced any biology or genetics classes. Yet, I still questioned. I wanted it so bad I convinced myself that maybe it was still possible for me to have children. Maybe IVF? I already knew the answer, yet I sought out a reproductive endocrinologist to tell me the answer to the question above out loud. THEN it would be real.
If you get your period with hormone replacement, that is good. That's what's supposed to happen, anyway. I no longer take the hormones and therefore no longer get my period (yay!). Unfortunately, most women with Turner's Syndrome are infertile because they have severly underdeveloped ovaries. They don't function properly and do not produce viable eggs. You get your period which sheds the uteran lining (and helps prevent cancer?) but, sadly, it does not mean you are able to conceive. :( From one Turner Syndrome woman to another... I am truly sorry. I also encourage you to contact a reproductive endocrinologist to get a professional medical opinion, and to talk about possible options for you.
Also, please feel free to contact me if you have more questions or just want to talk with someone who at least has some idea of what you are going through. I wish you all the best.
I haven't been running very much lately. Mostly, it's because I just haven't had the motivation. The winter weather has ben extremely mild so far, so that hasn't really been the problem. I am incredibly grateful for the lack of snow and much higher than average temperatures, but running just isn't fun anymore. At least right now it isn't. Each run seems harder than the last. It's a struggle. It's a chore I do because I feel I should or have to. That wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be fun.
Even with the mild weather, I am very much looking forward to, and longing for, brighter, sunnier, longer, warmer days. I'd really like to be able to shake things up again, like I was doing during the warmer months. I'd like to go for long walks on my lunch hour, go for 15-20 mile bike rides on the weekends. I'm just hoping I'm able to continue eeking out a few miles a day, a few days a week in the meantime.
Stories, advice, and random thoughts from a thirty-something female.
Many people in their thirties are dealing with common issues and concerns. Some of these include buying a home, establishing a career, starting a family, and dealing with aging parents.
I will blog about all these things as well as other every day stuff as I make my way through this third decade of life.
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