30 Days: Day 22-Favorite city
I don't think I have a favorite city. I like plenty of places for different reasons and for memories that I've made there.
My favorite American city that I've never been to but has so much I want to see and do is New York City. My favorite city outside of the US for the same reason is a three-way tie between Sidney, Australia, London, England, and Paris, France.
I love San Francisco for many reasons, but mostly because during summer visits to my grandparents in Oakland, we'd take the BART to the city and spend the day. I loved it and I would love to take Shell there someday. It seems silly that we've never gone, but it just hasn't happened yet.
I really love the city we live in now. My kids have grown up in this area and have attended the same school since kindergarten. I love the climate and love their school, which I probably wouldn't be saying if we hadn't moved from where we grew up in California. There are cities that I enjoy visiting or would really like to visit someday, but when it comes right down to it, my favorite place is my home. I like it that way. :)
Friday, May 13, 2011
Day 20
30 Days: Day 20 - A Picture of You
Here's a recent picture of me (and Shell) that I don't hate. We both look pretty good actually. This was taken by the very nice lesbian who sat in front of us at the Janet Jackson concert last month. The place was FULL of gay men and women. We deduced that at least half of that audience was family. It was so fun!
Here's a recent picture of me (and Shell) that I don't hate. We both look pretty good actually. This was taken by the very nice lesbian who sat in front of us at the Janet Jackson concert last month. The place was FULL of gay men and women. We deduced that at least half of that audience was family. It was so fun!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Day 21
30 Days: Day 21-Nicknames
I haven't really had many nicknames and the ones I've had or have now are ones I don't really mind. When I was very young, my dad nicknamed me Shorty and he continued calling me that through high school. Now he writes it in my birthday cards, just to make sure I know he hasn't forgotten it.
As a variation on my name, the most common nickname I've had is Tyff, but my family has also exapanded that to Tyffy and Tyffer in the past.
Shell has many nicknames for me which are typically complements to my appearance. She refers to me as Beautiful, Gorgeous, Sexy and the other common names like Honey, Babe and Baby.
One of my favorite nicknames is what my nieces and nephew call me. When the oldest started learning names, she decided that none of us had names she approved of so she picked her own.
Okay, so she just couldn't pronounce them correctly and what she did call us ended up being our new monikers. Aunt Tyffany is a mouthful, so she simplified it for herself and I became Timmy. Sometimes they call me Aunt Timmy now too.
My favorite nickname of all is Mommy. My kids are 12 now, and they both still call me Mommy and I don't take it for granted. I'll be sad to see it go when I become Mom, but I feel like I've had a good long run with the name I grew up knowing that I wanted to be called.
I haven't really had many nicknames and the ones I've had or have now are ones I don't really mind. When I was very young, my dad nicknamed me Shorty and he continued calling me that through high school. Now he writes it in my birthday cards, just to make sure I know he hasn't forgotten it.
As a variation on my name, the most common nickname I've had is Tyff, but my family has also exapanded that to Tyffy and Tyffer in the past.
Shell has many nicknames for me which are typically complements to my appearance. She refers to me as Beautiful, Gorgeous, Sexy and the other common names like Honey, Babe and Baby.
One of my favorite nicknames is what my nieces and nephew call me. When the oldest started learning names, she decided that none of us had names she approved of so she picked her own.
Okay, so she just couldn't pronounce them correctly and what she did call us ended up being our new monikers. Aunt Tyffany is a mouthful, so she simplified it for herself and I became Timmy. Sometimes they call me Aunt Timmy now too.
My favorite nickname of all is Mommy. My kids are 12 now, and they both still call me Mommy and I don't take it for granted. I'll be sad to see it go when I become Mom, but I feel like I've had a good long run with the name I grew up knowing that I wanted to be called.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Catching up on Day 14
30 Days: Day 14- A picture you love
For our Christmas pictures in 2006, we went to the mall and had them done at a studio. The pictures turned out pretty great, but this one was my favorite. The photographer whispered in my boy's ear just before taking the shot and my girl had no idea what she told him. It's perfect.
For our Christmas pictures in 2006, we went to the mall and had them done at a studio. The pictures turned out pretty great, but this one was my favorite. The photographer whispered in my boy's ear just before taking the shot and my girl had no idea what she told him. It's perfect.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Day 19
30 Days: Day 19-Something you miss
I'm noticing a pattern in the way I respond to these topics. For instance, today's is asking for "something I miss", but I look at that and know that I'm going to answer with "somethings I miss" in bullet form. I'm not good at making decisions and I guess this just confirms that. I wonder if that makes it more frustrating for people reading, like "geez, just pick one thing. I don't need to read a list..." or if they're like me and see a list and think "yay! more ways to learn about this person who I've come to like so much even though I've never met them and quite probably never will!" Which side do you fall on?
So on to the list of somethings I miss...
I miss:
I'm noticing a pattern in the way I respond to these topics. For instance, today's is asking for "something I miss", but I look at that and know that I'm going to answer with "somethings I miss" in bullet form. I'm not good at making decisions and I guess this just confirms that. I wonder if that makes it more frustrating for people reading, like "geez, just pick one thing. I don't need to read a list..." or if they're like me and see a list and think "yay! more ways to learn about this person who I've come to like so much even though I've never met them and quite probably never will!" Which side do you fall on?
So on to the list of somethings I miss...
I miss:
- being in high school. I know that sounds weird, but let me clarify what I mean. I miss the butterflies I'd get thinking of Shell and how her face would break out in the hugest smile every time I'd see her. I miss getting notes in between class from her and other friends and then writing notes during class to distribute. I miss walking home with my best friend. I miss being in choir and singing every day. I miss the innocent certainty that being an adult was going to be great compared to being a kid/teen.
- being pregnant. I wish that I had seriously considered being a surrogate before I got too old to do it, because I'd really love to be pregnant again without adding to my family.
- having time to read. I haven't read a book for pleasure since I started school last fall and I'm pretty sure it has been the longest time I've ever gone without reading. I'm seriously starting a book the day after my last final. I can't wait any longer!
- seeing my extended families on holidays.
- spending time with my best friend. A lot.
3 more days to the end of the semester!!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Day 18
30 Days: Day 18-Something you regret
I try really hard not to have regrets. Everything that has happened in my life, good and bad, has brought me to where I am today. Do I wish somethings had happened differently? Sure, but even so, I don't regret that they happened. For example, our kids were born when we were 24 years old. That sounds young, but we had been together for 6 years by then. While I'm thrilled in most ways that we did have them so young, I sometimes wish that we had more time before them as adults to develop ourselves as a couple before adding kids. We were 17 when we got together and 18 when she graduated and we moved into an apartment with friends. We moved into our own apartment a year later and lived there for a year. It was just us and it was a time that we still think about very fondly. At the end of our year lease, we moved to Colorado and right into my parents basement where we lived for about 6 months. My sister, brother-in-law and niece lived with my parents then too. It was a full house. We moved out of my parents house when Shell was promoted to manager of the Motel 6 she worked at and we moved into the manager's on-site apartment. It was connected to the front lobby area through a hallway, so there were frequent interruptions. When she left that job, it came with the consequence of no longer having a place to live so we moved to my sister's basement while we looked for somewhere to live. During that time, we were also trying to get pregnant which happened while we were living with them. A new apartment complex was being built nearby which would fit into our budget, so we put our name on one. We moved in at the end of May and had 2 lovely months as just us before our babies were born.
Needless to say, there has been very little time in the 19 years we've been together where it was just us. I prefer to look forward to the time when it's just us instead of regretting not having more of it before the kids came. And I really am glad we had our kids at the age we did, I just wish we could have had more "us" time before it happened.
And I just realized that I do have a regret. I regret not managing our finances better and making bad choices that screwed up our credit. I'm very grateful that Shell took charge of things when she did, but I wish I hadn't let it get so bad before she did.
I try really hard not to have regrets. Everything that has happened in my life, good and bad, has brought me to where I am today. Do I wish somethings had happened differently? Sure, but even so, I don't regret that they happened. For example, our kids were born when we were 24 years old. That sounds young, but we had been together for 6 years by then. While I'm thrilled in most ways that we did have them so young, I sometimes wish that we had more time before them as adults to develop ourselves as a couple before adding kids. We were 17 when we got together and 18 when she graduated and we moved into an apartment with friends. We moved into our own apartment a year later and lived there for a year. It was just us and it was a time that we still think about very fondly. At the end of our year lease, we moved to Colorado and right into my parents basement where we lived for about 6 months. My sister, brother-in-law and niece lived with my parents then too. It was a full house. We moved out of my parents house when Shell was promoted to manager of the Motel 6 she worked at and we moved into the manager's on-site apartment. It was connected to the front lobby area through a hallway, so there were frequent interruptions. When she left that job, it came with the consequence of no longer having a place to live so we moved to my sister's basement while we looked for somewhere to live. During that time, we were also trying to get pregnant which happened while we were living with them. A new apartment complex was being built nearby which would fit into our budget, so we put our name on one. We moved in at the end of May and had 2 lovely months as just us before our babies were born.
Needless to say, there has been very little time in the 19 years we've been together where it was just us. I prefer to look forward to the time when it's just us instead of regretting not having more of it before the kids came. And I really am glad we had our kids at the age we did, I just wish we could have had more "us" time before it happened.
And I just realized that I do have a regret. I regret not managing our finances better and making bad choices that screwed up our credit. I'm very grateful that Shell took charge of things when she did, but I wish I hadn't let it get so bad before she did.
Day 17
30 Days: Day 17-Something you’re looking forward to
This is very appropriate for just this moment in time.
I'm looking forward to:
This is very appropriate for just this moment in time.
I'm looking forward to:
- the end of this semester! I've submitted all of my final assignments, am taking my Colorado History final Thursday afternoon, taking my Pre-Algebra final Thursday night, taking my Human Sexuality final on Friday and wrapping it all up with my American Government final on Saturday. This has been a tough semester and I'm REALLY looking forward to some time to get some things done around my house and maybe even read a book for pleasure.
- getting my boy's new room in the basement finished. My dad built the frame for his new wall last weekend and we'll probably have that part done by the end of this weekend. Then we'll move his furniture down and arrange it. He'll have to deal with the curtain that's already down there for now and the overhead light, then once we recover from the wall costs we'll personalize the space for him.
- seeing my aunt next month. She's never been out here and even though we see her when we visit California, it's very infrequent. Plus she's my favorite of all my aunts and uncles and she'll be here for a week!
What I'm looking forward to long term:
- Making all this work worth it when I get my degree. AA first, then on to the BA. Maybe someday I'll do the Master's program too. Maybe.
- At the same time as I'm dreading it, I'm also looking forward to seeing what my kids are like as teens. I'm really hoping for it to be mild, but the anticipation of not knowing makes me worry about it more.
- the time when the kids are out of the house and it's just Shell and &.
- having a career and getting paid for something I'm passionate about.
- seeing my kids go to college.
- legally marrying my wife in the state we live in. Big dreaming there, but I have to believe it will happen.
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