17/26

The 26th year of my life was pretty cool. Because I like being reflective and making lists, here are 17 things that happened during it (they are not listed with much grammatical care. sorry):

1 Introduced TEAM SPORTS into my life!
2 Really fell in love with cycling. Bought my first road bike.
3 Magically learned how to do a cartwheel (thank you, Sea of Cortes) after 25 years of being unable.
4 Took aikido classes for a couple months. Learned to ninja roll.
5 Got a gun (thanks, RyDog).
6 Graduated from verbally spelling out German words to actually saying them, in sentences replete with both terrible grammar AND begeisterung.
7 Perfected the art of the Tim Tam Slam.
8 Acquired a sister-in-law.
9 Acquired two dirndls - a $6 extra-small Goodwill find from M. Hammerabi and a more-than-six-euro leather affair from sud deutschland – plus a rockin’ pink unitard and an amazing red sweater dress.
10 Became an EXPERT at Guitar Hero! Rock on, Toasty Bons, my prodigy tutor.
11 Bought things I said I’d never buy: a one-piece swimsuit. Chacos. a swimcap & goggles. a helmet. a watch. I love them all, incidentally.
12 Got two haircuts. Remind me never to visit that crazy Persian lady at Supercuts again, please.
13 Lived with eight different people.
14 Lost my cell phone twice. Germanic things make me lose control of it – thank you, Oktoberfest. Thank you, Switzerland.
15 Learned to jump over a 5’6” wall and realized I can climb a rope.
16 Recorded one awesome CD with Ms. Samantha Farrell & company. Occasionally did rock-star duty at shows in Hollywood with said superstar Sammy.
17 Went to Nebraska – shoveled snow and went sledding for the first time! Also adventured in Mexico (holy dead crab, batman), Las Vegas, Utah, China, Germany, Guatemala, Illinois, Central CA, random hills and mountains, and - drum roll - Iowa.