nyc ballet

First to do for 2012 is done! My friend Sandra is in the middle of her 30 list and she wanted to go to a dance performance. She narrowed it down to the NYC Ballet, so I decided to add the ballet to my 2012 list since I’ve never been.

We made our way to Lincoln Center to watch Firebird, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux (from Swan Lake), and Who Cares? It was a selection of performances that ranged from classic to a bit more modern.

I’ve never been to the ballet and didn’t ever have a particular interest in going, but I’m glad I decided to tag along with Sandra and her friend Casey. I’m definitely no expert when it comes to the ballet, but I did enjoy myself and thought it was beautiful. I’m a bigger fan of the theater, but it was nice to see a different type of art. Especially since the requires such a level of athleticism that I know nothing about. I consider myself an athlete and there is no way in hell I could do some of the stuff the dancers were doing—not even close. I would tell you that running a marathon is easier than doing a pirouette or any other move.

I will go to the ballet again—just not anytime soon. It’s a once in a while type of thing—mostly because it can get a bit pricey, but I also have a lot of other interests that occupy my time. Maybe next year I'll finally get ot the opera. I'm getting more and more cultured as every year goes by.

notes

#12 on my list is to send out 12 handwritten notes this year. Who loves getting mail? I do. Usually my mail is full of credit card applications, but I love seeing a colored envelope (usually a Christmas or birthday card) and seeing what’s inside. I love it even more when there’s a note inside. I remember when I was a kid and had a pen pal from France. Getting those letters were sooo much fun. Although I was not so great at responding.

It’s 2012 and we live in a technology-filled world. We all 'write letters' via gmail, facebook, twitter, and our blogs—at least those are my main lines of communication. Over the last couple of years I’ve heard about people, including friends, making more of an effort to send out handwritten notes. This year I wanted to take that extra step to send cards to my friends and family throughout this year. My goal is to send one a month over the course of 2012.

I’m not going to tell you who I’m sending them to (it’s a surprise!), but I will let you know how my progress goes. My first note is now in the Chelsea post office waiting to be sent out!

girls are faster than boys

Ok. That may not be necessarily true. Boys have always beaten girls in running events. I mean, Usain Bolt is the fastest person in the world. However, there are a lot of girls out there who have beaten a lot of boys. And this particular girl is faster than some of those boys. I’m no Shalane or Kara, and I personally know a lot of people who are way faster than me, but I can hold my own. My 400m record from my junior year of high school still holds (at least I think it does). My first and only timed mile was done in 6:20 and that was in the middle of an 18-miler. I can run a 7:16 5k. And last fall I ran a 3:39 marathon. So yeah, I’m no slouch.

So to the douchebags that I constantly pass in Central Park, grow a pair. Seriously. I know when I’m passed by someone faster. It’s clear right away and it’s cool. They speed off into the sunset and I salute them. For those who I pass, and then realize that a girl is running by them, so they speed up—grow up. It’s 2012. Get over your egotistical mentality that guys are faster than girls.

And guess what? This infuriates me and what does that make me do? Run even faster.

more books

As most of you know, I’m an avid reader. I can’t even tell you how many books I’ve read in my lifetime, but way too many to count.

Last year I chronicled the 10 classics I read throughout the year. I don’t have any books on my list for 2012, but I still want to highlight any good books I read throughout the year. As a personal goal, I’d like to do what my friend Andrea does every year—read at least 30 books. So far I haven’t started and finished any books in 2012—it is only the 6^th. But in the last couple of months, I’ve read some good ones and want to share.  

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

As a reward for reading 10 classics last year, I took a break from literature and enjoyed some Young Adult fiction. Most of you have heard about the trilogy and have read them, but if you happen to live in a bubble, you need to read them—asap.

A teenaged girl takes the place of her sister in the Hunger Games—a yearly challenge that the government orchestrates in order to keep society in check. Districts have to provide 2 tributes—a male and female—and one person comes out as winner. To become the winner, you have to kill off the other competitors. Yeah, sounds messed up. And it is. Oh and they televise it—talk about reality TV at its worse.

The books were a quick read, with a combination of love, war and revenge — typical literature themes. Definitely a page turner. I’m really looking forward to the film release in March. I already put the date in my blackberry.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My friend Pam and her book club chose to read The Night Circus last month. Since I was able to attend, I downloaded it and read it in a week. This was noted on many sites as one of the top books of 2011, and I was definitely a fan of it.

Two competitors are chosen to magically compete in an arena—the night circus—and again, only one is able to live, however love gets in the way. The book goes back and forth between different points during the 30 year span. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the flip flop of years at the beginning, but started paying attention and got a handle on it.  

This was just a good overall read and I recommend it. I do like stories that go back and forth at various time points and gradually come together—something like The Time Traveler’s Wife. Some think there may be a sequel but I’m not so sure.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

My friend Sandra put Dracula on her 30 list and since I had downloaded it on my Kindle, I decided to read it at the same time. We both finished within 12 hours of each other. I’ve never seen the movie or read the book, but everyone knows it’s about hunting vampires. And who doesn’t like vampires?

The book was actually relatively easy to get through, after you get used to the style of writing. The book is comprised of letters, diaries, ect from the different characters and all comes together to form the story. I learned a new word and this type of format is called epistolary.

Like with many books, I now want to see the movie. Good thing it’s winter!

Next up is finishing Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (I’ve read this like a million times) and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (going to see a discussion with the author later this month).

Here are a few books I’ll attempt to read this year:

-       The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

-       The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

-       The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

-       The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet

-       Anthem by Ayn Rand

-       1984 by George Orwell

If you have any recos, please send them my way!

election year

This is not on my list of New Year’s resolutions, however since it’s an election year, I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to be more informed.

They tell you not to talk about politics or religion at the dinner table for a number of reasons. And if you are in my family, then yes, things will get heated. We have a lot of Republicans in my family—come on, it is upstate New York. However, a few of us have broken the mold. But no matter what political affiliation we have, we all have an opinion and aren’t afraid to voice it.

I am a registered Democrat and have been since I turned 18. I have done my civic duty and voted for Gore, Kerry, and Obama. Third time’s a charm. I think I’m a pretty intelligent person and make good choices. And usually I do. Every election term, I vote Democrat, because that is what I do. And because I usually oppose whatever platform the Republican candidate is running on.

With the Iowa caucuses last night, I’ve decided that I need to be more up to speed in political and current news. With facebook, twitter, and other social media, I am pretty aware of the top headlines—at least the news that everyone makes fun of. However, I don’t really take the time (or just don’t have it) to go a bit deeper.

This year, that will change. I will make a bigger effort to read more. I will also make a bigger effort to watch the debates (I’m usually multi-tasking during them). I will continue to vote, but I want to be sure that I have all the info that I can get, and try to set an example for others. If you have something to say about any current issue—especially an opposing one, get your ass out there and vote or do something about it. Otherwise, I don’t want to hear it.

Don’t worry, I’ll pretty much guarantee Romney or Santorum will not be getting my vote November 6^th. But it will be a very informed, well-thought out decision.

it’s a new year—12 in 2012

It’s officially 2012. It’s almost been a year since I started my 30 Before 30 list. And over a month since I completed the list and turned 30. And what a year 2011 was!

In the last 5 ½ weeks, I’ve tried to relax a bit—I was able to catch up on all TV shows, which was amazing. Last year was beyond hectic. With all the traveling for work (I spent more time over the Atlantic then most have ever done in their entire life), the workload I managed, and checking off my 30 things, it was incredibly busy. I barely had a spare moment to do anything else. So doing nothing has been a lot of fun. But now I'm getting bored.

I reflected a bit on the past year and was starting to think about how I want this next year to go. And honestly I’m not sure. Last year I had a plan and that didn’t really pan out. It ended up being slightly unpredictable and as much as I like to be spontaneous, I also like to plan—I am the queen of planning. So who knows what will happen this year, but I will have fun figuring it out.

Ok, so it's now 2012. What should I do this year? No, I’m not going to do a 31 Before 31. But maybe a few goals here and there aren’t a bad idea. Plus I really enjoyed #1 and need something to blog about. So I’ll just check more things off my life list that’s hopefully worth writing and reading about.

So here it goes! 12 in 2012:

1. Go to 3 new states (29 left to go) and do something ‘local’ there

Alabama

Arkansas
Delaware
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Texas
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

2. Get a tarot card reading
3. Go to a music festival
4. Go on a blind date
5. Do a trivia night
6. Go to Atlantic City
7. Go to a spring training game
8. Take a cooking class
9. Go to the ballet
10. Go zip lining
11. Take a NYC bus tour
12. Send out 12 handwritten notes

I will not only continue blogging about accomplishing my 2012 goals, but write about what else is interesting in my life. Which will be traveling, running, reading, and living in New York City as those are the things I do best.

Come on 2012. May it top 2011.

P.S. Here’s a photo of how I kicked off 2012!

Angry Birds run the Midnight Run

My list last year was pretty ambitious and I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to finish it. But I was 100% sure that I was going to try my damnedest. Throughout the year and even recently, I talked to a lot of people about finishing the list and how they've been inspired to come up with their own list of things to do, including my very first best friend Patti. It’s great to see my friends and family coming up with their own lists of things to do whether it’s before 30 or stuff to do in 2012. Go have fun!