Quote of the Day

“There are two things to aim at in life; first to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it.”

~ Logan Pearsall Smith

Quote of the Day

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

~ Judy Garland

Quote(s) of the Day

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

~Bill Cosby


"People may habitually turn to you for particular tasks because you have, in effect, trained them to do so."

~Alan Lakein

Finally Friday

My 30th birthday celebration was a success. Well, maybe I should say "celebrations" - I was terribly, wonderfully spoiled by my friends, family and coworkers over the course of several days. This has been a long, and very busy week, but if my 30's are going to be anything like the last week has been, then I'm fine with that!

(Minus the broken (but now fixed) air conditioning. Not fun in the DC early summer heat.)

I had the pleasure of caring for my friend's cat this past week. I was nervous about the responsibility, anxious that I might have lost my touch with cats in the years since my family's own furry beasties passed away, but ultimately, it was wonderful to have a cat in my home. Even if he does weigh just over 20 pounds. And woke me up by lying on my torso this morning, purring (and drooling, which he does when he's happy) kneading his claws into my chest, fur and pudge draped over my sides. (I emailed a terrible iPhone pic to my family and a friend, saying "I'm TRAPPED!")

Here's Gatsby, not looking quite so plump, in my bathroom:

His mom took him to another foster family this AM, as I'm off to a conference in Phoenix for a week and the cat can't quite be returned to his family -- they're waiting to find out if their kids are allergic -- but I might end up fostering him for a while upon my return. I hope he can go home soon, though.

So, I leave for Arizona on Sunday. I expect the conference will thoroughly exhaust me, but I expect it to be a great experience overall. I'm leading a discussion with a smaller group on one day, but the trip will be mostly be about attending different sessions and networking. And taking extensive notes on EVERYTHING.

I also have tentative plans to meet one of my boyfriend's sisters -- which, surprisingly, I'm not anxious about at all -- and hope to see some of my friends who live in the Phoenix area. There will be cocktail hours, receptions and meet-and-greets after the official sessions are over each day, but I do want to get out of the hotel and conference center at some point; those places can get tedious, as well as really cold. (Oh, note to self: pack a few more cardigans.)

I hope to have some interesting stories to tell after this trip, although, since it's a tobacco control conference, they may only be of interest to MOI.

I'm off to a National's game with some coworkers. Lets hope the game isn't too awful and that the seats aren't completely soaked!

Last Day in My Twenties

Tomorrow, I turn 30. As I've said before, I'm pretty excited about the next decade of my life.

In the past week, I've been told "30 is the new 17", "your 30's are the new 20's", as well as "are you SURE you're ready for 30?" (I realize, too late, that I should have responded to the last one with - "Do I have a choice?")

Seems like a lot of people (women, actually) found turning the big 3-0 traumatic. Brilliant public health professional that I am, it has only really begun to dawn on me that the emotional trauma that women experience with aging is a social and biological issue. But this hasn't been the case for me -- I had never been the kind of gal who needs to get-married-have-kids-settle-down-in-the-suburbs (although my mother and sister do remind me that I did have some strange baby angst towards the end of high school, which I really can't explain).

Edit - I realize that I did say "had".

Having spent most of my 20's in a difficult relationship and only really focusing on the whole "what I want to do with my life" issue for the past three (or is it four? man, how long was I in grad school?!) years, I feel that my life is much more focused now than it ever has been. One of those "growing up" things, I'm told.

I feel as though my achievements of the past two years are a big part of the reason why my 30's will be fantastic:
~ Started working at my current job, where I have flourished
~ Made the big move out of the parents house - and became acquainted with the true meaning of "personal fiscal responsibility"
~ Ended the aforementioned relationship and learned the joys and terrors of dating in DC
~ Finished my Masters thesis under extreme circumstances (and I've said it before and will say it again - I thoroughly believe that the broken foot was bestowed upon me in order to finish that thing)

All in all, I'm damn proud of myself.

Here's to my 30's being amazing!

Quote Of The Day

"I count it as a certainty that in paradise, everyone naps."
~ Tom Hodgkinson

I think this quote is appropriate for the vacation I'm going on tomorrow, as I expect to be napping a great deal in a (tropical) paradise. I'm accompanying my boyfriend to a wedding in St. Kitts and I can't wait... I expect to have fun pictures and stories to share upon my return!

More evidence that smoking is worse for women than men

Smoking Packs a Tougher Wallop for Women: Research suggests greater female susceptibility to carcinogens

"Women may be more vulnerable than men to cancer-causing ingredients in cigarettes, according to a new study ... Swiss researchers found that female patients tended to be younger when they developed the disease, even though they tended to smoke significantly fewer cigarettes than men ... The results add to growing evidence that smoking poses greater health risks to women than men ..."

Considering the number of young women that insist that they are "just social smokers" (i.e. they end up smoking much fewer cigarettes than their male counterparts), and the fact that the tobacco industry knows that women are so eager to smoke in order to conform to social norms, this study both infuriates and depresses me.

.....

In other news: I think Mother's Day was a success. The weekend was delightful overall (even though the Caps lost to the Pens - an extremely frustrating game to see in person!) and it would have been lovely if the beautiful weather could have continued. Although I'm not sure if I would be any more bright-eyed and busy-tailed at work this AM if it were bright and sunny...

My 30th birthday is approaching, with more speed than I realized. But considering that I'm more excited than depressed about this event, I suspect I won't write much about it here until after I've celebrated this milestone. Some people say it's lame and/or uncooth to throw yourself a birthday party; but I say "If I don't throw a party for myself, who will?" So arrangements are being made, friends are coming from various locales to join me, and I expect a grand time will be had by all!