Today is the day.  I am officially 30.  I thought I would be pretty messed up about it, but in all honesty, I think I prepared myself for it quite well.  So it's here, I slept late YAY for that, and later today the family and friends will be coming over for a visit and birthday party.  By damn there is going to be a nerdy girls night to be reckoned with tonight.  I wonder if I can force someone to give me a pedicure since it is my birthday!  MUAHWAAAHAAA.

I've been thinking a lot of the last days days of things I learned between 20 and 30 years of age.  I thought I would share a few of those things.

20 is a dumb birthday.  You can't drink yet, and nothing of majoe importance happens except you are no longer a teenager.  However, you should enjoy it anyway!

21 is a stupid birthday.  However, being able to go into a casino and have someone bring you free drinks while you shake your fist in anger at a slot machine is kind of fun.  It's more fun when you go back another time and actually win some money.

22-25 you will be tempted to get married and start popping out kids.  Take your time with that and finish off some of the other life goals you have.  It's harder to go back to college as you get older.  Finish your goals off while you are younger and those all nighters don't hurt quite so bad.

Don't spend one second of your time worrying about what ANYONE else thinks of you.  The only person you have to answer to is yourself, and as long as you are doing what is right for you, everyone else can take a flying leap. 

Appreciate the mistakes you made at a young age and learn from them.  They happened for a reason.  Don't insult yourself by forgetting those mistakes and repeating them over and over.

Getting drunk a time or two is kind of fun.  Do it while you're young because hangovers last a lot longer when you are older, and stuff hurts a lot longer.

Be responsible with money.  Nothing will cause more heartache in your life more than money problems.  You can have everything your heart desires than can be purchased with money, but if you have to work all the time, you'll never get the chance to enjoy them.

Appreciate nature.  It was a gift, and taking 20 minutes out of your day to watch a bird, squirrel, or a butterfly floating by are worth it. 

Laugh until your cheeks hurt and you are squeezing your stomach with your arms.  Joy is one of the best things we can ever have.

Leave your work at your job unless it is something you love.  Bringing home bad vobes from the office do nothing but keep you up at night and miserable.  Work to live, don't live to work.  I certainly wouldn't want my tombstone to read "Worked and forgot to live"

Find something, anything, that makes you passionate about it and never let anyone take it from you.  One hobby, one simple joy that is only yours will get you through a lot of things.  If you get bored with it, try something you have never done before. 

Read.  Read a lot.  There is nothing that will spark your mind or teach you more in life other than reading.  You gain new knowledge and will possibly find something else to spark your life.

Take some time every single day for yourself.  No matter who or what else is going on in your life, everyone needs a little me time.  If the people in your life won't give it to you, demand it of them. 

Watching Comedy Central is a good way to get rid of stress.

Learning how to really cook will make you a better person, but learn it for yourself.  If someone else enjoys the fact that you can cook great, but let it be for you.

Do not let fear control your life.  Only you can decide if you need to take a risk or not and only you hold yourself back.  Sometimes the risks are worth it.

Remember to spend time with those you love.  One day they will be gone, and your heart will miss them.

Animals can be so funny, take the time to appreciate them.  They do great things for us in our times of need.

Remember that living is more important than a clean house. 

Smiling at someone doesn't hurt them or you and you might just make someone's day with just that simple hello.

Love is all around us in many different ways.  Appreciate the love you receive and freely give the love you have to share.

Ahhhh, there is nothing like having a hair stylist who will come to your house and do your hair before your new job.  Go Kara!

Kara does hair in a flurry! And apparently we needed to take out the trash in this photo....yay for not Photoshopping.

But, sitting there for a few hours is pretty boring, and makes me sleeeeeeepy.

This is the new do slick and straight with Kara's kick ass blow drying abilities that apparently only happen if you go to school for hair.  Oh yeah, so shoot me for not having make up on at 10:30 pm...

And this is my crazy curly hair that I managed to get fixed  up this morning, with make up!

It's kind of hard to tell in the photos, but it's a really pretty coppery brown with some serious highlights.  I think what I like the most about it is I look tan without having make up on.  That part is pretty dang cool.

OK, off to go and do the pain in the butt paperwork stuff.

I feel like I have been MIA from Xanga forever.  This weekend and today have been some very oddball days.  Today, I sat down with the hubby and started filling out the official divorce paperwork.  It had to be done today, so we could get it turned in tomorrow, since we probably both will not have a weekday off again for quite some time at the same time.  It's a weird thing to sit down and go "yup this is good, yeah yeah, oh you forgot this" and sign away 8 years of your life.  Well, technically 10, but still it was odd.  Tomorrow we actually go and file it.  I did make a last minute decision when filling out the paperwork though, and haslle though it may be, I am going to go back to my maiden name.  I have no good reason for wanting to do it, other than at the time I did it, it felt like the right thing to do.

Tomorrow I have to go get a new drivers license too since that 30th b-day is looming over my head...Saturday is going to come all to quick I think, and by damn I better get a good dl picture this time, because going from a super sexy one, to the crap I had last time was annoying as hell, and by damn, I don't want it again.  So, in an attempt to keep that from happening Shearhappiness  came over and did my hair.  OMG I think the new color is sexy as hell.  Love love love love love it.  I actually don't look pale without make up on, so I am pretty damn happy about that!

Let's see, new job, new hair, new clothes, start of a single life, new roomie....I think life is pretty damn good at the moment.  Oh, did I mention Saturday is my 30th b-day?  *glares at the calendar*

And now I am going to go and try to force myself to go to bed early, so I can get used to the new work schedule before Thursday!