90210: Prime Time

So this year my birthday just happens to fall on "90210" (Sept. 2, 2010), and I reeeeeaaaaallly wanted to have a 90's throw-back party with awesome 90's pop rap music, Fresh Prince-inspired clothing, etc....but since all my energy was funneled into the listen.read.love.repeat. event this past weekend, my super-awesome 90's party will have to wait for another year! Instead I plan to celebrate 29 in a manner that's become somewhat of a tradition in my late twenties...at a place that involves both a "2" and a "9"... :)

However, just for the heck of it...I thought I'd share a few early 90's photos:

Can we just talk about all the awesome hairstyles?  Btw...I'm the little blonde runt third from the left on the front row, casually wearing the wrong color shorts.

Feathered bangs. Enough said.

Just in case you were curious, here are some fun facts about 29 via wikipedia....

• It is the tenth prime number, and also the fourth primorial prime. It is also the sum of three consecutive squares, 2² + 3² + 4². It is an Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part and real part of the form 3n − 1. Since 18! + 1 is a multiple of 29 but 29 is not one more than a multiple 18, 29 is a Pillai prime. 29 is also the 10th supersingular prime. (which I interpret to mean that I'll be in my super single prime...) 
• The atomic number of copper
• The New General Catalogue object NGC 29, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda
• The lunar month is very close to twenty-nine days.
• Saturn requires over 29 years to orbit the Sun. 
• The number of days February has in leap years.
• The number of letters in the Turkish,^[1] Finnish, Swedish,^[2] Faroese,^[3] and Norwegian^[4] alphabets.
• The highest possible score in a hand of Cribbage.
• An album by Ryan Adams.^[6]
• The track the Chattanooga Choo Choo leaves in the Glenn Miller song.
• The amount of attributes existing according to The Strokes in You Only Live Once.
• The number every woman in the "wrong age" claims to be. According to "The Nanny". (ahem....not so, b/c I really will be 29)
• The number of Knuts in one Sickle in the fictional currency in the Harry Potter novels

A little preparatory reading to consider reading before September 2, 2011 (not really......ok....maaaaybe):
29 & Counting: Chicks Guide to Turning 30
30 Things that Everyone Should Know By 30
Midlife Crisis at 30

brotherly love

My older bro turned 30 this past weekend...to commemorate the Big 3-0, here's the card I gave him:

[My message says: 'For your 30th birthday, I thought I'd offer you the gift of perspective! You're 1/3 of the way there! :)]

While I was looking at all the numbered birthday cards, this card caught my attention as the only appropriate option...especially considering that I gave him a "Happy 30th" card last year only so I could write "oooops....that's right, this year you're hanging on to 29!"

I've set myself up for much ridicule this year (and next)...but it's been worth it!  :)

---------------------------------------

It was also my mom's birthday this past weekend...and I had several conversations with my younger bro (regarding a gift for our mom's birthday) that went something like this...

me:   "Hey...so what's this gift idea that you've got mom?"

TK:  "She said she really wants a new shirt." (obviously satisfied to pass along such vital news)

me:  [crickets]

TK:  "You know...a shirt to go 'out' in..."

me:  [intrigued/confused silence] "...what do you mean by 'out' exactly?"

TK:  "well...like to go to Beaumont (the nearest city to my hometown) and stuff, but not to wear around the house or to church..."

me:  "hmmmm...." [my bro still is oblivious as to how ambiguous this description still is]

[silence]

me:  "soooo, maybe I should just take her shopping...?"

TK:  "yeah, that works too."

three reasons...

why this past Friday rocked:

1. I got a call from the Sustainable Food Center to say that they want listen.read.love.repeat. to be a part of the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market (instead of just occuring in an area near it)...exciting stuff...

2. I got a semi-private office space...after a year of being hidden behind a printer at the end of a hallway! No more awkward convos from people waiting for their documents to print... :)

3. I got to hang out with Meagan's little fella, Hudson! Isn't he a cutie?! I think most of our office was anxiously waiting for his visit.

Life 301: Lessons in Dating

This past Saturday, I got to enjoy a lively dinner with my fam (including people who might as well be family). The large party involved my parents and younger bro...two of my good guy friends...one set of their parents...and some of their siblings. 

My friend's mom commented that as I get close to 30,  that I'm gonna have my pick of these guys.
[when I was a teen, I made "back-up" plans with multiple guy friends (a la Phoebe from Friends)... therefore securing my options early on]

I laughed and joked that it was my all part of my master plan....I've just been waiting for the ball to be completely in my court before I finally settle down.

One of the guys, who tends to occasionally suffer from "foot-in-mouth" syndrome, remarked, "well B, out of everyone I know, you're the ONLY girl over 27 who's still single.......sooo you're looking preeeeetty good right about now!!"  (I sincerely wish you could hear the way my friend said this b/c it was hysterical...while it was a compliment, it sounded like a complete burn.)

[The table (with me included) erupted in laughter.]

Amidst the giggles, I leaned over and told my friend that he has a thing or two to learn about women. Like...

lesson #1: never reference a woman's age
(especially in a way that suggests she's some sort of sideshow freak)

Later in the evening, this same guy friend was wildly gesturing (like he's scarfing down food) at the waitress to indicate that he's waiting for his food to be delivered....I casually dropped this hint:

lesson #2: sometimes talking is necessary....
(a given should be when you're trying to communicate with a waitress)

And as he's waiting for his food to be delivered, he pointed out that my large piece of chicken looked like it had been genetically altered and therefore could result in my gaining an extra toe....hence, my quick (and fairly comedic) follow-up to #2:

lesson #3: but more often than not, silence is golden.

It was at this point I quipped that I wished I could record my friend's comments and play them back to him...and, with a goofy grin, he commented to my parents that he thinks I've told him that before (which I have...many, many times). 

There were several other "lessons" that popped up through the course of the evening...such as watching out for ladies with "crazy eyes" (I was immediately informed that all women have "crazy eyes"), never talking about a woman's weight, checking the crazy/hot scale standing, etc.

My parents were practically in tears from laughing so hard at the whole conversation (I think my dad about lost his tea at least twice)...especially given the timing, quick chatter and funny looks involved in it all. And my other guy friend was making the situation even more humorous by trying to work the other end of the spectrum by saying things like, "B, you know, I've heard that a woman really comes into her own during her 30's...it's when you really grow in your own beauty"....only to be put on the spot (by his mom) as to how a woman in her 50's could be perceived.  Poor guys couldn't catch a break...


My final tip for the evening...

Lesson #??: Don't take dating advice from a single gal (ie. me).
;)

from a mustard seed...

Back in 2008, I wrote a blog about a little gem of an idea. Over time, that idea got pushed aside...brought back up...tweaked and refined...and most of all given a clear cut purpose.

I'm thrilled to say that this August, we'll get to witness the culmination of this project. Right now donations are being gathered for listen.read.love.repeat....but the real goal is for people to come purchase these donations, and (through that purchase) donate to the American Cancer Society.

To stay up-to-date on the latest listen.read.love.repeat. news (including how you can get involved)...check out the website and facebook page!
Website: recycle2love.org
Facebook: facebook.com/listen.read.love.repeat

I'm excited to see how this all plays out...and I'm already plotting for future endeavors... :)