33.

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So today is my 33rd birthday. Strange -- I don't feel 33. Not exactly. The older I get, the more I realize how relative age is. There are some days I'll feel 16, caught in the throes of adolescent rage or longing. Other days I'll feel 5, and I'll want to crawl back into the safety of my mother's arms. And then there are the days I'll feel 95, like an ancient tree that's been twisted by the winds of recriminations and regrets.

But it's not all bad. I honestly think I'm young at heart. Teaching high school kids helps with that, and the other part comes from my determination to remain optimistic no matter what, although my optimism was sorely tested these past two months. I'm sure you've noticed I haven't been blogging or tweeting that much. It hasn't just been because of the beginning of a new school year, although that's certainly to blame as well. It's because my boyfriend and I broke up after being together nearly 12 years. I won't pretend it hasn't been awful, but what has helped is the fact that it was in truth an amicable break-up. Despite the unbelieving reaction of our friends, we have remained in contact. The way I see it, he and I began as good friends, so there's no reason why we shouldn't end that way.

The irony of it all is that one of my last blog posts, the last blog post I wrote while he and I were still together, has a title that has an all too eery meaning for me today: "Beginnings are endings are beginnings." Little did I know I would be learning the truth of this statement mere days after writing it.

But that's in my past and right now I'm focusing on the future. I've found solace in my work, in my family, and in my friends, and I have made some adjustments in these areas that have helped my relationships on both a personal and professional level. I'm getting over my fear of driving and have scheduled myself for driving lessons, the first of which I'm taking tomorrow (!). I'm even starting to date again, which is a scary new adventure in its own right.

I was speaking to some friends at work today about how 33 seems to be a turning point for a lot of women, for some reason. I feel (I hope) in my heart that it might be that way for me, too. But no matter what this year brings, I know one thing's for sure -- I'll be walking forward with my eyes clear and open and my head held high.

Wishlist Wednesday! {the birthday edition}

I know what you're thinking -- Annie Cristina finally got her act together and posted her Wednesday Wishlist... on a Wednesday.

I'm shocked, too, believe me. Danielle is probably unconscious right now, having fainted after reading that I posted my wishlist on time.

But the thing is... I've been planning my wishlist for a little bit now, my birthday being in less than in a month (October 10). And since this year my birthday falls on October 10, 2010 -- 10/10/10 -- it's extra special to me. All those 10's, you know. That's pretty cool.

So I guess this is more than a Wednesday Wishlist -- it's a Birthday Wishlist, too. :-)

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What are you wishing for today?

My Twilight Extravaganza of a Birthday

(This was originally posted on my TwiBlog.)

Today is my 31st birthday (cue balloons and fireworks). I think I just might christen this birthday the "Twilight Extravaganza" because I keep getting nothing but Twilight-related gifts. And all these gifts came before my actual birthday. NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINING! ;)

The first thing I got was a little sumthin-sumthin I bought myself: The Illustrated Movie Companion (Of Awesomeness) for "New Moon" plus a bookmark of Robward.

The second thing I got was the following handmade bag of Jacksper awesomeness. This was from one of my coworkers, Tara, who knows about my Jacksper love and wanted to get me something in honor of it. The bag is awesome, as you can see from the pictures below, and Tara bought it from the uber-talented Etsy seller bellasfriendalice. Check her out, she's super gifted.

The third thing I got was a set of two books from another coworker friend of mine, "Greasy." I'm so stoked I own these!

And the last thing I got that was Twilight-related was a complete and utter surprise... a handmade card from some of my students that literally made me want to cry and laugh at the same time:

The Front

(Check out how they managed to get the font right!)

The Inside

(My students are so punny...)

I feel truly blessed to have such great friends and students. And I can't believe I got this embarrassment of Twilight riches before my birthday! It makes me wonder if there's anything else Twilighty waiting in the wings for me... ;)

Do you want to make my birthday EVEN BETTER? Of course you do. Here's what you can do! :-D

• Comment on this week's TDM Book Discussion on Chapters 7-9 of New Moon!

• Join in on the Twilight Movie vs. Book discussion that is currently being held by my bloggy friends Mrs. Vanquish and Betti over at Let's ride the Vanquish!

• Become an official "Danger Magnet" by following this site on Blogger!

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All content on this site is the sole property of Ana Cristina Simon, unless otherwise stated, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

I can has wish list?

Is 30 too old to be making birthday wish lists? Yes? Too bad! *sticks out tongue* I'm making one anyways. :p

I'll be turning 31 this Saturday. Normally I'd be all verklempt about this, googling Botox and trying to "fix" my ID so that it says I'm really ten years younger (hey, a girl can dream), but this year I decided to just enjoy my birthday and let my inner child have a good time.

Hence the birthday wish list of awesomeness.

Here is a sampling of the goodies I want for my birthday this year. To see my complete wish list, go here.

Hello Kitty Toaster Oven

(Why? Why not?)

Looking for Alaska
(I hear good things about this book...)

Revolver
(My favorite Beatles album. Why I don't own this is a mystery!)

Anne of Green Gables
(I absolutely loved this growing up...)

"New Moon" Movie Companion
(Yep, I'm a fan. Oh like you didn't know...)

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All content on this site is the sole property of Ana Cristina Simon, unless otherwise stated, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

My Birthday Trip to Orlando! :)

This past weekend, Ricky and I went to Orlando to celebrate my 30th birthday. I had a free one-day pass for both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, plus Ricky got the same one-day pass for $49.99 thanks to his being a "friend or family" of mine. (These offers are just one of the many perks they give us FL teachers. You know, instead of a raise. But hey, at least it's something.) So Friday, my birthday, we spent at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

We rode all the roller coasters we wanted to ride (I decided the red coaster of the Dueling Dragons is my definite favorite), saw some shows we wanted to see, and were done with both parks by fiveish. We thought briefly about doing Halloween Horror Nights, but we were so tired from having barely slept the night before, plus having drove the four hours there earlier the same day, that we decided to make it an early night. It was just as well we decided to leave early - not long after leaving, the beautiful, sunshiney day became a rainy, wet mess. The weather cooperated the rest of our time in Orlando, really only drizzling for a bit the next day, but overall it was really, really hot. I think I would've preferred it cold, although I was grateful that the rest of the weekend wasn't a wash-out like it was Friday night.

Ricky did something quite sweet that first night for my birthday. Since I was spending my birthday away from home, I would miss out on the traditional cake that my mom always bakes for me. Well, after eating a quick dinner at Boston Market, we went back to our hotel, the Clarion Universal (best pillows EVER!), where Ricky lit a birthday candle for me on a cheesecake we'd bought earlier that evening at Publix (very yummy!). I thought that was just the sweetest thing. :D We were nervous about lighting the candle in the hotel because apparently if you set off the fire detector, it instantaneously begins spraying water into the room -- thereby incurring major water damage, not to mention a $2,000.00 fine (!). But thankfully, we were able to light the candle and I was able to make my wish and blow it out without any mishaps. No, I'm not telling my wish. ;)

It was a good thing that we called it an early night the first day, because the second day was even more tiring. We spent almost 12 hours at Epcot enjoying the Food and Wine festival and experiencing all of the different "countries." Epcot will always be my favorite park, but visiting it during this festival (a first for both of us) was an unforgettable experience.

This was a most awesome birthday, and the best part is that the fun continues this weekend -- I'm planning a night out with some friends beginning at Taverna Opa and finishing at Ricky's family's apartment on the beach. Hey, you only turn 30 once, right? The funny thing is, I don't feel 30. Not really.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

"Marilyn" and Me. :)

No, I don't know why my head is cocked in this picture...

People would not stop commenting on Ricky's shirt! LOL

Chinese acrobat show in Epcot -
this girl could hula like nobody's business. And I thought I was good!

Ricky taking the Segway tour in Epcot.

Saying good-bye to Epcot and our lovely trip.

30

We are almost in my birthday month!

On October 10th, I turn 30. Yikes. 10 years from now I'll be turning 40. Double yikes.

All of my friends who are already in their 30's tell me these are the "best" years. Hearing that is like hearing good things about a roller coaster ride I haven't gone on yet - it's the waiting I can't stand; once I'm on the ride, I'm fine.