+4 Things

First, an addendum to my "Things I Love about Living in Peoria" list:

7.  Re-becoming friends with Michelle!  We've been friends since first grade, but we only hung out for two lunches a year while we were in college.  Now that we're starting up a semi-weekly thing, it's this awesome combination of comfort (we've known each other since we were six...how can we not be comfortable together?) and newness.  Like finding an old pair of jeans in the back of your closet that you forgot just how much you love them and how perfectly they fit.

I told her about living in the back apartment of my house, which is where we (plus Lacie and Rachel) had a sleepover back in grade school, before my grandpa moved in.  There are so few friends in my life with whom I have such far reading memories.  It's kinda nice.

And I never feel like such a girl!  We ate at Olive Garden, giggled at the weird noises passing waiters made, pointed out when old men were checking us out, discussed how we really need to work out more often, and caught up on boys and friends and marriages.  I love being a girl, y'all might not know that.  And so often I am surrounded by boys or families.  Which is fine!  I love getting outside the girl bubble.  But it's been a long time since I've had a girly friend, and I am quite enjoying it (because Michelle is all the right kinds of girl without any of the drama).

AND my dear Ashley Pashley is engaged!!!  YAY!  I am so incredibly happy for her, and even more so for Stephen, because he gets to live with Ashley for the rest of his life!  I cannot wait for their wedding, because I know it's going to be all kinds of aesthetically pleasing.

AND I went looking for my life goals list that I made sometime around freshman year of college.  I am pleased to announce that the following are life goals that I have since met! 

-visit the Hagia Sophia (Mr. Beckman, instigator of my dreams)
-be a Sunday School teacher (haha, didn't know I'd made this goal...hilarious)
-read the entire Bible (thank you, chronological daily Bible)
-practice yoga (I'm counting four months of p90x yoga)
-get someone famous's autograph (even if I also asked Donald Miller why he wasn't rocking a handlebar mustache)
-get a real Christmas tree (after 22 years, it happened!)
-pass a song in DDR on "heavy" level (some of my dreams are not so extravagant)

My favorite ones that I have left to accomplish:

-see a site from Lord of the Rings in New Zealand (YES PLEASE)
-see the Aurora Borealis
-sleep overnight in a castle (omg where did I come up with these awesome ideas)
-ride in a hot air balloon (this must have been before my fear of heights kicked in, but!  it is on the list!)
-stay up all night (HAHAHA my poor baby self)
-celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary (better get on that, huh)
-dedicate one room in my house as a library (probably won't happen since I gave away all my books...)
-go to a poetry reading in a coffee shop (although Michelle said I dress as though I belonged at one, so that almost counts!)
-publish some form of writing
-learn the Thriller dance
-take a martial arts course (so I can be awesome like Buffy and never fear for my safety!)
-learn how to swing dance (yes please yes!)
-change a car tire (missed that opportunity a couple months ago)
-go to a symphony in an evening gown (ACK YES!)
-buy an original painting (do....gifts from my friends count?)
-experience weightlessness (how did I think of this??? YES!)