27 at 27 Update

1. Visit a place I've never been.  

2. Take a Class. Photography 1 complete!

3. Write a rough draft of a novel or short story. 

4. Get in the shape I want to be in. 

5. Eat healthier. 

6. Try a new vegetable. 

7. Go to a concert. A few weekends ago I attended a Shania Twain concert. It was not quite what I expected. She was definitely not the Shania Twain I remember (what with the blonde hair and Vegas-style outfit choices) but it was entertaining. And she sang all of my favorites, which is the most important thing.

8. Save more money than I did last year. 

9. See a play. 

10. Try my hand at photography. Kinda killed two birds with one stone on this one by taking my class. It's still a work in progress but I'm improving!

11. Do a wine tasting. 

12. Eat at a restaurant I've never eaten at before.  


13. Try new kinds of sushi. 

14. Run a 5K.  

15. Watch Breaking Bad. 

16. Make a craft and attempt to sell it on Etsy. 

17. Make a T-shirt quilt. 

18. Attempt a new activity. 

19. Have at least one themed party.   

20. Bake a new kind of pie. 

21. Make a crafty map of the United States. 

22. Learn how to curl my hair. 

23. Go to a drag queen show. 

24. Go glamping. 

25. Do something that scares me. 

26. Re-organize my closet area.   

27. Blog more! 

I have around 4 months left. I'm worried about some of the items on the list, but I'm going to try my best!

Photography!

As part of my 27 at 27, I decided to take a photography class at a local college. The classes are offered on week nights at 7. I've had to re-arrange my fitness schedule, but other than that, it works out great. Well, except that I've had to kill 2-3 hours the last few weeks on Tuesday evenings between work at class. (My class is just down the road from my job and I live 35 minutes away so I felt it pointless to drive home just to come back.) My last class is tonight, but I start Photography 2 in a few weeks!!

I've finally learned how to use my camera, at least the basics, and have taken some pretty cool shots. 

I know I still have a ways to go before I can call myself a photographer, but hopefully I will get there someday. 

A New Book is Out, Must be Tuesday

Have you ever wondered why most new books come out on Tuesday? 

Well, I have. But never before did I use my favorite trusty search engine to find out. Until today.

I glimpsed on Twitter where Felecia Day's new memoir is coming out today...Tuesday. And for once I actually wondered 'why Tuesday' enough to look it up.

According to one source, book sales (like TV ratings) are measured by Nielson. And Nielson measures weekly sales from Tuesday to Monday (for some unknown reason). 

Another source stated it was so that retailers didn't have to unpack new items on the release date (Monday) and that Tuesday was the next closet day or something.

Other blogs and articles say there is no reason. Or simply that no one knows. 

Regardless of the reason, I plan to go out and purchase a new book today. And memoir just happens to be on my 52 week reading challenge. Speaking of...

I have made fairly good progress with my reading list. I'm over halfway there (having read 29 of 52 books). The problem now is that I'm running out of categories that fit the books I most like to read. Chick-lit! 

Here's a list of the books I've read so far and my rating out of 5 stars!

Getting Rid of Bradly	Jennifer Crusie	3
A Rural Affair	Catherine Alliott	3
The DUFF	Kody Keplinger	4
Don't Turn Around Trilogy	Michelle Gagnon	3
Fangirl	Rainbow Rowell	5
Everlast	Chad Michael Murray	3
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus	Mo Williems	5
When in Doubt, Add Butter	Beth Harbison	4
Hidden	Catherine McKenzie	3
Choose Us	Caylie Marcoe	4
Switched	Cassie Mae	4
The Gift	Deb Stover	4
Her Mistletoe Protector	Laura Scott	3
Love Thy Neighbor	Belle Aurora	3.5
Parting Chances	Caylie Marcoe	4
The First	Lisa M. Green	3
Shiver	Karen Robards	5
King Sized Beds and Happy Trails	Becca Anne	3.5
The Heir	Keira Cass	5
Beach Blanket Bad Boys	Linda Miller	4
What Alice Forgot	Liane Moriarty	4.5
Can You Keep a Secret	Sophie Kinsella	4
Day Shift	Charlaine Harris	4
Unexpectedly You	Cassie Mae	4
His Best Friend	Melanie Marks	2
A Dark Lure	Loreth Ann White	4.5
It's In His Heart	Shelly Alexander	4.5

Bear in mind that my rating is largely based on whether I personally liked the book, not simply if it was well written. For my reviews on these books, you can check out my Goodreads page. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18323405-mallory

Only 23 more to go! According to Goodreads I am two books behind schedule. Oh well! The rest of the list may be a bigger challenge, but I'm up for it.

Anyone know a good book that came out in 1987?

Dear Madam, Can you Change a Tire?

Women can do a lot of things. Anything we put our minds to.

But I realized last Monday that there are several important things I do not know how to do. And it's true that I didn't think of all of this just now (I already knew I didn't know how to change a tire) but being stranded on the side of the road will really get you contemplating.

I have had exactly two flat tires in my nearly 12 years of driving. The first happened about two miles from my house so it wasn't difficult to find someone to drive over and help me out.

The second happened today. On a highway. At 7:00 a.m. 30 minutes from my house.

As I sat there, looking at directions on how to use a carjack, I wondered/hoped someone would take pity on me and stop. After they didn't and I spent a bit second guessing myself and my ability to handle this crisis on my own, I called a co-worker to come and help me. He kindly obliged (and even took me to a gas station to put air in my spare tire after we discovered it was flat :/ ) and I really appreciated the help. 

But it left me wondering if I could have done it on my own. Now, in this instance, that probably would have been a no since I couldn't walk to a gas station and pump up that tire, but in a general sense... Could I change my own tire if there was no one to help? If no one stopped?

This also lead me to think about other things I don't currently know how to do. Like sewing a button on a shirt, running a lawn mower, repairing a leaky sink... I depend on other people to do certain things for me but what if the day comes when I am the only one around? Or I am the adult who is supposed to fix the problem?

I'm making it a goal to learn these skills (and others). If I do make a 30 under 30 list, I know what will be number 1.

Below is a Buzzfeed article I found on things every woman should know how to do. It's entertaining if nothing else:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/catesevilla/46-things-every-grown-woman-should-know#.ovlxpQWmP