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!

Everything I know about diabetes I learned from The Babysitters Club

I have come to know quite a few people who are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Of course I knew what diabetes was, but it only happened to people like Wilford Brimley (the actor on the testing supplies commercial) - old and overweight. I also knew there were people with juvenile diabetes like Stacey from the Babysitters Club books I read growing up (and still read sometimes if I am being honest). The people that I know, however, do not fit into either of these categories. They are neither fluffy actors nor teenage babysitters. They are hardworking, normal, and most importantly they are people I love battling a scary and life-threatening disease.

So since finding out that my mom was just diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I decided to learn more. Afterall, people say we are practically the same person. Was it just a matter of time before I became diabetic too? First let's start with what I already know:

1) Your pancreas does not make enough insulin to counterbalance the foods you eat.
2) You must take insulin injections at least once a day.
3) You may not eat sweets.
4) You will have to live with this condition your entire life.

Now, I think author Ann M Martin was probably trying to education young children on juvenile diabetes, and she did a wonderful job, but when it comes to Type 2 diabetes these rules don't apply. My mom will not have this disease her entire life if she can control it with diet and exercise. She does not take pills or injections. And now to the biggest and most devastating myth...it's not just sweets that are bad. Carbs are the enemy? *gasp* A life without bread does not sound like a life I would like to be living. And it ain't just bread. Fruit, vegetable, and dairy all have carbs. Gum has carbs! Cough medicine has carbs! Nooooooooo!

Enough drama. Back to my point. In order to control T2D, one must reduce carbs and exercise. So I am trying it too. I don't want my mom to be in this alone. So this is the beginning of our journey. What to eat, where to shop, how to survive without potatoes and breadsticks. Stay tuned!