Day 42: Parallel Parking

I sometimes stop and wonder how my friends deal with all my idiosyncrasies. Then I just remind myself that, if it weren't for all my quirks, they probably wouldn't love me as much as they do.

Outings with my girlfriends can sometimes be a hassle, and it's usually my fault. It's not that I'm picky about where we go when we want to go out for dinner, drinks, or a night of dancing... it's just that the place we decide on needs one thing: a parking lot/garage. Why? I can't parallel park. Luckily, parallel parking wasn't on my driver's ed test, otherwise, I would've failed a 2nd time (the 1st time was for running that red light). There have been times when I've made my girlfriends walk a few extra blocks in the middle of winter, wearing short dresses and stilettos, just so I could park in a lot. There have also been times when I've made my passengers switch seats with me so he or she could parallel park my car. Well, after all these years, it's about time that I take the wheel.

So, today, I decided to learn how to parallel park. After sending out a mass text to 10 of my closest and dearest friends, two volunteered to help me out. I'm not offended that my other friends weren't available tonight... heck, if I were them, I wouldn't want to get in a car with me while I was learning something new. One of my best friends, Risa, immediately called me upon receiving my text and volunteered her husband, Jason, for the task. After I got out of work, I drove to their house for my driving lesson. The pressure was on and all eyes were on me as Jason, Risa, Jason's mom, and Baby Sofia stood watch. While it's true that Jason gave me the world's biggest parking spot, I think I did an overall decent job: I hit the curb ever so slightly just a few times and only had to readjust three times. Thank you, Risa, for letting me borrow your husband... and thank you, Jason, for being so patient!

Day 41: Sunset

They say that the best things in life are free.

I don't always take the time to appreciate the little things in life. I would like to give the excuse that I simply don't have the time to do it, but that would be a lie... I simply don't make the time. I think that we're all guilty of taking those little things for granted and, unfortunately, it sometimes takes something big or life changing to make us realize that. I don't want that to be me.

So, today, I wanted to take the time to appreciate a sunset for the first time. My entire life, I've never sat to just watch the sun set. After a quick dinner, I grabbed Fifty Shades of Grey, jumped in my car, and headed to JB Williams Park. I found a grassy area, sat, and read for 30 minutes before the sun began to set. During those few minutes, I reflected on what a good day it was considering it was a Monday: I laughed at the thought of conversations I had all day with my amazing co-worker/therapist, Jenn; smiled in anticipation of my plans for the remaining 19 days; and took delight in knowing that my BFF comes home from vacation this week. While I'm sure that I didn't have the best view of the sunset in town, I'm almost certain that I won the award for most appreciative.

Day 40: EMPOWERed

Sometimes, you just need a little push to see how far you can go.

A recurring theme that I've found over my past 40 days/posts is that I've skipped out on so many opportunities to learn, grow, and just become "better," because I didn't believe that I would do well at said opportunity. I've let past experiences keep me from going the distance, because I didn't think that I was capable of succeeding at X, Y, or Z. In letting go of the past that has held me back, I feel empowered to do just about anything these days.

So, today, Hannah and I went zip lining at Empower in Middletown and it was so much fun! Our tour guides, Josh and Sam, were great... calming us when the fear was evident, and challenging us with "earthquakes." Over the course of 2 hours, we went through five zip lines and chose from two obstacle courses... I challenged myself by picking the more difficult one, which consisted of traversing a cargo net and walking a tight rope, because I'm awesome. While I initially doubted my ability to complete the entire course without crying, I surprised myself... again. No tears, just cheers and smiles the whole time. Today, I realized that I need to start giving myself more credit than I actually do, because I'm capable of so much more than I ever thought. With this change in mindset, my possibilities are endless.

Game face on



Me and Hannah pre-zip lining

Day 39: Singin' in the Rain

Much to my chagrin, it's been raining cats and dogs these past few days.

I've never really been a fan of rainy days or nights. I can be a light sleeper, so the sound of rain against my window keeps me up sometimes. When I hear rain in the early morning hours, all I want to do is sleep in, which can be quite difficult on workdays. On rainy weekends, I typically stay in bed a little longer, and wind up on the couch with coffee and a book. Wearing my rain boots and bright yellow raincoat, I will reluctantly venture out into the rain to run errands. I've never been one to jump into puddles and splash around just for fun. Why? I don't like when my clothes get wet, and I dislike having my hair matted to my face.

So, yesterday, I decided to sing in the rain during my friend Tom's 30th birthday party. Dressed in their full rain gear, Connie acted as the videographer while I sang and danced on her boyfriend's deck, and Ginny used her iPhone to play the summer song that everyone loves (to hate) "Call Me Maybe." Tom was nowhere to be found for the live performance, but I showed my video to him afterwards, and he enjoyed it... well, he said he did. In my defense, I couldn't hear Ginny's iPhone... you'll just have to see for yourself. Anyway, I had a lot of fun for the three minutes I was outside: I  kicked, jumped, and danced on the slippery deck without hesitation; my bermuda shorts were wet for 5 minutes before drying off once I went back inside; and I used my ponytail holder to pull my damp hair back until it dried. In the words of Maya Angelou: If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain. Well, Maya, I just changed my attitude about the rain today.

Day 38: ME Day

Every now and then, I get the urge to just get up and go somewhere... anywhere. Whether or not I actually take myself up on the offer to go is a different story.

My favorite "get up and go" trip was with my "soul sistahs," Andrea and Sarah. We were hanging out on a Friday night and decided to go to Mt. Snow the following morning. It was the week before my 28th birthday and none of us had anything else planned. So, we packed our bags, got up early, grabbed breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts, and started the first of our many weekend getaway trips that year. We drove up and down Dover, looking for a place with vacancy, and ended up at West Dover Inn. It was a blast: we rode the MOOver, went tubing, and ended up at Snow Barn that night.

So, yesterday, I took a get up and go trip all by myself. One morning, a couple of my co-workers were talking about their recent trips to Maine. Since I'd never been to Maine, I decided that I was going to make a day of it. I woke up, grabbed breakfast, packed good music, and drove 2½ hours to the Kittery Outlets in Maine, because I just needed a "me" day. At the risk of sounding shallow and superficial, shopping brings me to my happy place. It's one of the few times when I think of nothing else... just shopping. Does this look cute? Should I get it in another color? Do I really need it? When will I wear this? Does this make my (insert body part) look big/small? Where should I go next? What should I get my mom/dad? With all of these thoughts running through my head, there isn't time to think about the other things going on in my life. What's more, the little that I saw of Maine was so cute that I just wanted to take it all in, and enjoy it. I got in lots of walking, too, going up and down US Route 1. Too bad the walking campaign at work is over. I needed to refuel to continue shopping, and decided on Bob's Clam Hut for my first ever lobster roll... so good! You can't go to Maine without having some kind of lobster. I wound up with two dresses, two pairs of jeans, a top, and a sweater... I didn't want to go overboard. Happy ME Day!

Day 37: "It's What I Drink"

So, I'm getting a whole lot better at giving up some control and accepting change/surprises. Finally, right?

Plan B is one of my favorite places to go and grab drinks with some of my favorite people. Depending on my mood, I will either get a Grape Kool-Aid or a glass of wine... each time, every time.

So, tonight, I went out for drinks with my girlfriend, Ginny. She and I have both been experiencing some stress in our personal and work lives as of late, and needed a good "we" night to let it out. Though we intially planned on trying the new frozen yogurt place in town, Sweet Frog, we opted for our regular spot at Plan B. We plopped ourselves at the bar, where Ginny grabbed a Grape Kool-Aid, and I asked the bartender to give me whatever he wanted: red wine sangria. After the first round, Ginny asked for another Grape Kool-Aid, and I asked another bartender to give me whatever she wanted: "No name, it's what I drink" was a pomegranite mix drink of some kind. Not bad... I'm starting to like surprises, well kind of.

Red Wine Sangria and grape Kool-Aid

"No name, it's what I drink" and Grape Kool-Aid

Day 36: Jigger What, Jigger Who

Like most of the home-cooked meals I've made in the past, I've liked my at-home adult beverages simple: pour a glass of wine, done; open a malt beverage, done; take a shot, done.

I've never been able to mix drinks successfully... I've always added either too much cranberry or too much vodka, or I've mixed an alcoholic beverage with the wrong non-alcoholic beverage; it always ends up being a disaster and someone else has to remake my drinks.

So, last night, I made my first mojito: I used a "jigger" to measure out rum and club soda, muddled mint leaves, added sugar, and poured it over ice. It was delicious and much needed after a long workday, which included a 70-minute presentation on pediatric feeding and swallowing.

Mojitos for two and a jigger