And just when you thought I was done for the year

I don't have a lot to say, but I did come across something that I COULD NOT PASS UP SHARING! My friend Jessica is a Patriots fan all the way, and she and I have arguments discussions about NFL players. She thinks Tom Brady is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I beg to differ. Now I know that all my points were valid. May I present to you...



After you've finished laughing, you may go forth and resume living your life. Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

31 Things To Do This Year

I recently had a birthday (hint: my new age is in the title of this post!), and while I don't believe in making New Year's Resolutions, I'm cool with birthday resolutions. Here are 31 things I'd like to do in the next 359 days in no particular order.

1. Go somewhere I've never been before.
2. Go to at least 1 UT football game this year. I need to celebrate the Butch Jones era!
3. Have my dishwasher installed. It's just sitting there not plugged in. NOT HELPFUL!
4. Sell my house.
5. Spend the holidays doing something I want to do. Usually I get roped into visiting other people's families. BTW, your crazy family is only endearing to you. To outsiders they are barely tolerable. Please don't inflict this on others on Christmas Day!
6. Get back into church.
7. Read more books and see more movies that are not necessarily "my style".
8. Go someplace where I need to dress fancy. I have so many clothes and heels that are neglected because of my mundane lifestyle!
9. Forgive and forget.
10. Get more pedicures, facials, massages, whatever. I used to treat myself all the time when I was young. Now I could actually use the maintenance.
11. Make my home a place that I enjoy being. Too often I use the kitchen table for a catch-all or pile things in the garage.
12. Enjoy time away from work without worrying about work.
13. Write. Write. Write. Revise. Then write some more.
14. Try Indian food.
15. Learn something. I love taking classes. I want to acquire new skills!
16. Explore my city like a tourist. I grew up here, but there are tons of things around Knoxville that I've never done or seen!
17. Downsize my stuff.
18. Rediscover my love for yoga. I took a class yesterday, and today I'm stiff. I used to take 2 or 3 classes a week and never felt anything but wonderfully rejuvenated. Gosh, I miss those days.
19. Have quarterly game nights with my friends.
20. Pay off some bills. I'm looking at you, Student Loan!
21. Get outside.
22. Do activities that make me uncomfortable. Not terrified (like skydiving) but out of my comfort zone (like indoor skydiving).
23. Figure out what I want out of life. I should know by now, but I don't yet. I'm pretending that's normal.
24. Cook more. I'll start on this just as soon as #3 is taken care of.
25. Remember to call DirecTV and have ESPNU added to my channels. (I need something I can mark off today. It makes me feel accomplished.)
26. Give my cat his hairball medicine on the regular so I'm not awakened by the sound of him hacking at 4:00 AM.
27. Learn to use a sewing machine once and for all! I'm really good at it for 5 minutes until I break the thread, need to change the bobbin, or otherwise destroy it.
28. Wear my jewelry. I have a ton of it. (It's all fake. Don't get excited, thieves.) I just never remember to put it on in the morning.
29. Never fight via text.
30. Be nicer to my mom. She's really good to me, and sometimes I take my frustrations out on her.
31. Blog more often!

Five things to love about August

August is by no-means my favorite month, (Hello, October? I love you.) but it is pretty great. Have doubts? Dig this:

1. Your summer tan has kicked in. Usually by August I have a gorgeous glow that has been earned both from working and playing outdoors. This year it is not quite fully developed, but I still have another month.

2. There are no national holidays. I love holidays, but in the retail (or resale) business they are pretty much consuming. August is great because you can celebrate the smaller things that may have been overlooked in a more jam-packed month. Tennessee's tax free weekend is intended for back to school, but I see it as a version of summertime Christmas except I only buy presents for myself. It is practically my duty to buy clothes, shoes, and office supplies that I don't need! Also, my birthday is in August which is great because hardly anyone has plans otherwise. What is there to do in this heat anyway?

3. Fall is coming. It seems wrong to look ahead when I'm all about celebrating the present, but sometimes I can't help it. You can feel it on the breeze. The mornings and evenings are cooler. The mosquitoes have all died from heat stroke. Kids are back in school. In June and July it's easy to take it for granted, but by August you know the summertime is coming to an end.

4. Football is here. Preseason games, high school games, and finally on the last day of the month, University of Tennessee games. I love football. Why? People can sit for weeks and analyze what will happen. They can use past stats and prior meetings, but in the end it all comes down to heart and talent. You never know what is going to happen in football, and sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes that's a very bad thing.

5. It is the month of possibilities. You could make straight As this year and keep your locker organized. Your team could go undefeated. You could start your Christmas shopping early. You could start your diet early so you'll have earned a "cheat day" by Thanksgiving. Maybe you'll become a better person. Maybe you'll try harder at work. Summer is ending and it's time to get down to business. Maybe this will turn out to be the best year ever. You still have time!