2 midterms down, 2 to go. Yesterday's biology was the toughest (Communications, unfortunately, is every bit as worthless as I'd imagined. Were I 18 years old and without a BA in English, maybe I'd find it useful but here we are). Today is Geology and Park Planning. If I haven't mentioned, Park Planning is the best class I'm taking. It's where I discovered the 'and Recreation' in Parks & Rec. For our final project, we're taking a kit provided by the City of Cupertino and creating our own master plan for 60 acres of parkland that I know pretty well. I'm totally stoked about doing this, it's shaping up to be the coolest thing I've ever done in school.

In other news, I'm working with San Jose State at the Continuing Education booth at the Parks & Recreation conference today and tomorrow. It's a great way to get to know folks who work in parks from throughout the state as well as the SJ State department. Not only that, i got a sporty free t-shirt. Woo!

Here's to aceing the last two midterms of the week!

Not one but 2 midterms are waiting for me today. Tomorrow, it's the same story. Wish my old ass luck!

30
Greetings from a new decade in my life, where I can no longer pretend I'm in my 20's. Maybe it's time to stop dressing like a punk ass skater kid and dress like a grownup. Maybe it's time to stop laughing at farts or making jokes about cemen-tation in geology class. Maybe it's time to drive a 4 door sedan (oh wait...), own a house and have steady girlfriend, to love then lose not one but two amazing dogs, to watch my grandmother's health continue to fail, to listen patiently as my mom shares how hard it is dealing with her siblings these days, to pursue a crazy dream of working in parks, to be well respected among my peers.

You know, I think being all those things already gives me license (not that I really needed one) to be a little crazy and fun sometimes. You could easily spend your whole life trying to act grown up, to never do anything silly or a little nuts (nuts, Andrea, nuts) but then where would you be? If you can't laugh at exlax (even if you need it) or poise pads, what's the point?

As my 30th birthday grew closer I found myself growing increasingly maudlin about it, drinking more in the week leading up to today than I had in months. As the Pabst flowed, I was asking myself all the usual questions: what have I done with my life so far, why aren't I a famous writer by now (you could argue that the 4 people who read this blog give me some degree of credibility, and while I'm grateful for your loyal readerness, I'd always imagined I'd write some suave novel that people would learn about when Teri Gross interviewed me for Fresh Aire.). Fame will come, not can't-leave-the-house fame but being recognized once in a while as the woman who wrote that really great book.

That hasn't stopped the steady flow of long-overdue introspection, why should it? As long as I'm breathing, I'll keep asking and trying to do more with the time I'm given here on earth.