Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Come this far, might as well keep going

This blog inspired by Chiada's latest blog. I find that people get contemplative around their decade-type birthdays, or when the weather turns from one season to another, or when their lives change in significant ways (marriage, family, moving, death).

So here's a quick run-down of, oh, lets say, the last decade or so.

16- Broke up with boyfriend who was moving to New Zealand. Quit the job I'd had (opticians' office) and started working for a florist, doing big weddings including huge floral arrangements and giant lit ceilings and writing the contracts for my boss, who'd only been to ninth grade, thus stumbling into part of my beloved job. Didn't get along with my friend Danis' new boyfriend.

17 - Graduated high school, started dating someone new (lets' call him Cornholio, shall we?) that I ended up with for the better part of the next three years. My favorite relative (dads' dad, named "Pampa" by me) died in April - our family went up to Montana in July to scatter his ashes and see where my dad grew up. Worked at places like a wearhouse (boxing up gloves and T-shirts with a bunch of guys I'd been friends with for years- fun!) and once got stuck at work due to flooding. Met Scott on a cliff above Summerland Beach (where we were married). Took my first big trip to England in September, for a month and became more of a rabid traveller than I'd been already. Hang out a lot with Chiada and have great times. Still didn't like Dani's boyfriend. Return from England to find all my stuff packed up, because we moved to a house around the corner.

18- Started working at an insurance brokerage, ended up staying there for five and a half years and managing the office. Learned that I really, really do not like working under florescent lights, with no fresh air, eight-to-five, five days a week, fifty weeks a year - even though I loved working there and am still close to everyone there. Still dating Cornholio, who did not get along with my family very well, but had great times with Dani (continued dislike for Dani's boyfriend, who became her fiance.) Didn't clue in that this might be important. Knocked a guy off a bike and onto the ground with a single punch (he was trying to grab me on a dark street) and felt really, really good about that. Went to the gym a lot, discovered I hate the gym.

19 - Dani and her fiance get married, I'm in the wedding, which was beautiful, even though I didn't like the groom. Ha! Still working at the office a lot, but also doing flowers for weddings as well. Still dating Cornholio, with rough patches due to his being not-so-nice of a person and my reticence to deal with that. Friendships with Scott, Chiada, Dani, and a host of other great people are all going strong. Move house again, around another corner - am now closer to the home I was born in than I had been before (Ages 0-19, all the houses I lived in were within a four-block radius. Small town girl I am.). Chiada meets and marries her hubby - I do a lot of stuff for the wedding. Incidentally, Scott was my date for the day since Cornholio was out of town. One of our friends remarked to him, "Dude, that's going to be your wife someday." Innnteresting. We went out for (coughs) margies after the wedding.

20 - Twenty was a busy year - I was still dating Cornholio, things are not going well. January 9th I get a chance to go to Costa Rica for a month. Leave nine days later, am gone for almost a month. Arrive home to a big Prada box (cute purse), a sorry letter of apology and the absolute mental clarity of someone who has spent a month in the tropics, doing exactly what they want to do (swimming, snorkeling, running, horseback riding, eating and sleeping). Dump Cornholio immediately on return, keep the purse. Decide to date casually, should any interested become available. Several interested parties become immediately available. Come to the conclusion that I am not a big fan of males ages 18-29.5, but forge ahead.

Friday, March 31st - Go on first date with Scott, am not aware that it is, in fact, a date. Remark casually that I'd like to move to Costa Rica, thus accidentally causing a "Don't leeeave mee! I, umm, like you, ahhh, a lot" reaction from Scott. Get engaged three weeks later. Purchase wedding dress the next day, take parents to dinner the day after that, pour two bottles of wine down their throats and announce Shocking News.

June 4th - Get married, everything goes well, meet The SightSpeed Guy and his lovely wife, who was a travel-buddy of Scotts' for years before they met either of us. Honeymoon in Hawaii, return to work and make a bunch of new friends in Northern California, get first family pet, Moss as a wedding present. October - My parents and sisters move just outside of Aspen, Colorado. I am not amused. Very disturbed when I'm two months late and notice I'm getting really porky. A doctors' visit determines that a) the Pill sucks, no matter what form I take it in b) my thyroid has quit working. Determinedly cheery nurse comments, "Ohh, you look great, usually people figure this out when they weigh two hundred pounds!". I am not amused, but refrain from manually removing her heart. Hate taking medicine every day, but do it.

(November 2000- Finally turn) 21 - Go out with Scott and my dad - dad ended up passed out on our couch. I was fine. Visit SightSpeed guy and his wife up in Berkeley/San Francisco, eat copious amounts of garlic, hang out at a number of fine establishments.

21 - Visit Australia with friends, love it, want to move there - lots of great food and wine. Still working at the office. Great friendships abound After our first anniversary, people start asking me (not him) "When are you gonna have a baaaby? When? Wheeen?", which I refer to as "The Question." I have no answer for them, and none for myself, either.

22- Return to Costa Rica with Scott in tow, visit friends of his there. Still completely rabid travelers. Notice that many of our friends are moving away, feel very sad about that. Self-wean or completely dump all medications of any kind and feel much, much better. Still fat, but happier when not on the meds. Still don't like Dani's husband, who is proving to be quite a jerk. Start to really loathe working at the office, and am often busy through the summer doing flowers for weddings, and figuring out that I'm planning many of them. Harassed by Questioners continually, feel persecuted.

23- Work. A lot of work. Really hate work. Friends, family and things roll along. Chiada and E move away. This is very sad, even though they are only an hour north of us. My continuing dislike for Dani's husband (always hidden) starts to have an actual foundation in reality. People keep asking me The Question. I hate them for being so relentless.

24 - Quit office job to officially start business/save sanity/stop barking orders at Scott/plan parents' surprise twenty-fifth anniversary. Discover that it is really difficult to work from home. People still keep asking me The Question. I hate them for not listening to me. Sad because Dani and husband split up, but still don't like him. Dye hair black, no one notices. Have fabulous party for parents, who are incredibly surprised. Go a little stir-crazy from being in the house. Plan weddings, love it intensely. Visit New York, Denmark and Finland, am surprised by how much I love the city. Aquire Fynn, who immediately becomes the darling of our household.

25 - Have a small 'quarter-life crisis." Plan more weddings. Dani moves away (its a real theme around Santa Barbara) Start blogging (on another site) work on my yard. Start going really crazy for friends that don't have to move away, start hanging out with Christie more. Lose some more weight, still not quite happy with self, but decide not to obsess about it. Do hair red and blonde. No one notices. People persist asking me The Question. I hate their nosiness with the passion of a thousand burning suns.

26 - Have great times in Monterey, do hair dark red, proclaim it loudly, but no one really notices. Move blog to Blogger, am humbled by the incredible void where my html skills are. Visit parents in Colorado, remember that I hate snow, cold weather, ice, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoes, and any other winter-type activities that don't involve leaving for a warmer climate. Get Edie, who is the princess of the house. All houseplants are immediately demolished. Continue work on the yard. Consider re-doing hair, but realize no one will notice unless it is in a shade of tangerine or bright pink. Love my work, my husband and this town. Celebrate six years of wedded bliss. Still answering the damned question. My husband is stalked by Paul Walker. Ok, not really, but we do run into him everywhere - its a bit funny, actually - he just got in from the guitar store (second time today) and said, "hey, so I was talking to Paul just now, he says to say hi..". Declare myself (officially) a Crazy Cat Lady after I get tadpoles to amuse our cats with.

8 comments:

Kay Cooke said...

I enjoyed reading about your life - what great recall!

Dawn said...

Just found your blog. Great!! I live in SB for 9 years and loved every minute of it. Spent 6+ years slinging beers and food at Cold Spring Tavern and The Biltmore.

Maya said...

Hi Chiefbiscuit! Thanks for being a loyal reader through my little novella!
Dfinley- I think you're the first person who I don't know IRL that has come by - what do you do now? Come on back when you get a chance.

Peter said...

the sightspeed guy will make no comments on weight gain, only that getting older sucks because now when i fall, it hurts. badly. doing stretching videos every other day. shouldn't i not have to do that til i'm 50?

oh, and the word verification is hzvyvh.

Maya said...

The Sightspeed guy is welcome to make comments on the weight gain, but should be advised that I've shed a bit since the last time we saw you guys (thank goodness). Hzvyvh, huh? Stretching is good - I follow the example of my "stretching coaches", Fynn and Edie. Cats are the best stretchers out there.

Unknown said...

Meepers out-does me again. Wait, that's cuz she has the ability to blog from home on her own time and can therefore formulate thoughts & sentences in a clever and amusing way!! LOL :P Cool thoughts. I should have started out when I was 16 instead of 20 - it'd be faaaaar more juicier than it is. Hee!

<3 Chiada

Eris said...

You know what I loved about this post? Now I have an idea. Now I am intrigued. Now I know enough about you to want to check in with your blog regularly.

Also? I HATE THE QUESTION. But I get mine in relation to lost fertility, not marriage, because I am not married, but do have girl part problems. Bah. Stupid question. When you have a nice answer that shuts them all up please post it.

Maya said...

Chiada, you tard! YOU inspired ME, silly girl!

Desiree - thanks much, when I find the Perfect Answer I'll be sure to ... rename my blog. That is how much I'd like to find it. Gah! Thanks for comimg by - check back and don't be shy to comment.