Today is a _______ day

Glasses-wearing. Warm. Hair straightening. Chip-eating. Procrastinating. Cold. Musical. Funny. Lotion-lathering. Laughable. Sun shining. Wind howling. Letter writing. Chatting. Busy. Mail delivering. Walking. Quiet. Dull. Sprinkler spraying. Beautiful. Book reading. Ring wearing. Fantastic. Piano playing. Typing. Running. Baking. Delivery. Blogging. Amazing. Perfect. Sleepy. Library visiting. Family visiting. Friend calling. Quick. Fortunate. Wonderful. Glorious.
Today is a day.

Observe: The Skater

He was skateboarding by himself in the Circuit City parking lot.
I watched him through the passenger window as I was stopped at the red light.
There was something quiet, beautiful, and slightly pathetic about this lone skateboarder. Why was he alone? And in the parking lot of a closed Circuit City, of all places. Where were his friends? Don’t skaters usually travel in packs? I continued to watch him. He didn't notice me staring. He was alone in his own world.
The boy looked like he was lost in his own thoughts. I wondered what might be going through his mind at that exact moment as I stared. I almost wished I was close enough to see his face. What would those eyes reveal? The possibilities were endless. I lost myself in concentration. Who was he? What was he thinking? What was he doing?
Maybe he was having girlfriend problems. That would definitely drive a teenage boy to detach himself from the world for a while. Did she break up with him? Did he break up with her? Maybe it was just a little argument. They'll make up tomorrow. Or maybe it was just not meant to be. This fight will never be resolved. Maybe she cheated on him, begged for forgiveness, and he just needed some time to consider things and be by himself. Maybe.
Perhaps the trouble was a little closer to home. The poor boy had to do something to get some time away from his siblings; a disliked relative was visiting; he needed some peace from the constant noise. The dog chewed up his skating shoes. He didn't finish his homework. His phone fell into the sink and wouldn't work. He woke up late and missed the school bus, causing him to miss (and fail) an important test. Could it be more than that? Perhaps his parents were going through a nasty divorce, or his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, or his father was laid off, or his youngest brother was in this hospital. Perhaps.
It could be possible the skater was contemplating life in general. What was right? What was wrong? Did it matter? Did he care? Did they care? Was it worth it? What should he do about this? How would he accomplish that? How could he accomplish it? People everywhere telling him he's wrong or not good enough. Not smart enough. Not strong enough. He could be considering running away. He must want to escape the everyday stress and worry that seem to be so standard in our lives. It's possible.
And yet, maybe he wasn't thinking about anything at all. Just the flip of his board or how much air he could get. Landing the kickflip. Seeing just how much air he can catch. Trying that new trick he saw on Youtube. Feeling the sun warm his skin and the wind cooling it at the same time. Completely content and living in that one moment. Maybe he was just there for the ride.
The car in front of me suddenly moved forward, breaking my reverie. The stoplight had switched to green. I stole a last glance before driving away.
He was still skating.

Cravings

Someday I'll be pregnant. Pregnant women have cravings, right? I just hope, with everything I have, that I crave strawberries. I love strawberries. Beautiful, ripe, red, sweet strawberries. I bought some from Smith's last night, and they are lovely. I love strawberries.

One Year Older and Wiser, Too.

This is my year.

I am officially two decades old. Twenty years. This is a big deal (to me, anyway).

My parents are constantly telling me things like, "Take every opportunity to enjoy yourself," "Life's too short to be unhappy," and "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

Why don't I listen to them? This is my year. I'll gain some wisdom and start following their advice.

I'm going to wear my hair curly. I'm going to go to concerts by myself, and dance like a crazy person. I'm going to paint my toenails. I'm going to run until I pass out. I'm going to laugh at nothing. I'm going to stay up late reading a good book, just because I can. I'm going to learn how to do new things; cook and bake, decorate, paint, sew. I want to make a quilt. I want to crochet. I want to learn how to change the oil in a car and replace a clutch.

I might even try sky diving. I'm going to talk to strangers. Get out of my comfort zone. Out of my shell. I'm going to watch movies and listen to music. I'm going to discover who I am again. It seems I've forgotten.

I'm a year older, and determined to be wiser. No more sitting back and watching my life pass me by. No more being afraid. No more looking back. Look ahead, I'll tell me. Don't look at the past. Do reminisce. Do learn from mistakes. But don't regret. I've spent too much time regretting and wondering, "What if?"

Life is too short for that. I don't have time to wonder. I only have time to live and learn. Laugh and love. Be crazy. Be silly. Dream. Think. See. Do.

This is MY year.

A New Hobby

I've been in a cooking mood lately. Wontons, tortellini, tomato soup... I've been to the grocery store at least 4 times this week. My hotmail inbox is filled with recipes I've looked up and sent myself. Fortunately, everything has been a success.

Except my tomato soup. I used organic tomato juice, heavy cream, and some spices. I forgot that usually tomato soup is sweetened. Whoops. It was beautiful, too. A lovely little bowl of tomato soup (complete with a chunk of cheese melting at the bottom) sitting next to a lovely little grilled cheese sandwich. I picked up my spoon and took a sip of soup. Nasty. I ended up dumping it all down the drain. Later it occurred to me that I could've added some honey or something and it probably would've been fine. Slow brain.

Tonight was a success, though. I bought some wonton wrappers, bok choy, mushrooms, and carrots. I carefully chopped up the vegetables and loaded them into the wrappers, closing them up tight. They steamed for about 25-30 minutes. And they...were...bee-yootiful! I probably should've steamed 'em a little longer, but I got too excited. I set them in a little dish and poured some soy sauce over them. Dee-licious. Oh man. I'm going to have to experiment with those. I wonder what else I could put in them? I've had them with ground turkey, but lately I've been leaning away from the meats. If you have any ideas, please let me know. The checker at Smith's suggested cream cheese and crab meat. And I'm thinking, "Uh, ew, gag me, please." Yeah. No.

My next adventure will be tomorrow night - vegetarian stir fry. Tofu, snow peas, carrots, onions, peppers, etc. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time! I certainly hope it turns out. Stay tuned.

Aaand yeah.

That is all.

A Note.

Once upon a time I went on a date. And then another. And another. And another. All these dates certainly were with very different boys (I use the word "boys," although they were all over the age of 22), however they all had a similar fault: each failed to walk me from the car, to the front door.

This might not seem such a big deal to some, but to me it's a major issue. Has common courtesy and gentlemanly behavior ceased to be an important and necessary characteristic in men? Is it now acceptable to overlook substandard dating etiquette? Are there any men left that are actually aware of the little unwritten rules of dating? I certainly haven't found any in quite a long time. I am astonished at the behavior of some of the returned missionary, college student "men" out there, and I'm even more shocked that they even need a reminder of how to treat a girl on a date. Especially a first date. I believe there is a standard that is not being met.

Whether the date is casual between friends or more serious, certain actions will score major brownie points with the girls. Ready for your refresher course, men?

Walk your woman to the door. Don't drop her off at the curb. Don't leave her at the Trax station (especially at midnight in the middle of a big city). Show some respect. Take her to the front door and make sure she's safely inside before taking off. Failing to do so shows a complete lack of concern for her feelings and safety. I've officially made a personal rule that if a guy won't walk me to my door, he won't get a second date. Enough is enough.

Make the effort to talk to your date. A first date is awkward enough. Don't make it even more uncomfortable by forcing us to sit in silence. I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck squirming in my seat because the one-word answers to my desperate attempts at conversation wouldn't stop. Don't put yourselves (and us) through that. Speak!

Another huge concern is the dreaded appearance of your ex-girlfriend. Ready for this? If she shows up, it's probably best to avoid sulking in a dark corner with her while the rest of the group runs around playing laser tag. That is guaranteed to not score you another date. And we'll probably be less than civil towards you if we catch a glimpse of you two in that secluded corner.

Yet another point: let us know what you're planning ahead of time. If it's a "surprise," at least let us know some of the details. We wouldn't want to show up for a hike dressed in a skirt or sandals. Be reasonable.

These are just a few of the simple guidelines that guys should already be aware of. Yes, it seems like a lot. Girls have rules, too. We just tend to remember them. Be a man. Men who have been dating for years shouldn't need to be reminded of these little rules. It's rather distressing to me that guys in their 20s are still having problems with this. Step it up a little. Earn some points in our book. We'll appreciate your assiduity and in return we'll be more inclined to like you. A little respect and courtesy goes a long way.

That is all.