'24' Re-runs (sans Jack Bauer)

24 was a big year. Maybe the biggest. Here are 24 things I did while I was 24:

1.       Got bangs.

2.       Ran a marathon in the time it takes most people to run two.

3. Graduated.

4.       Threw away that 'Tuesday-Night-Seniors'-Bingo' skirt I wore almost daily for 2 1/2 years.

5.       Perfected a Chaco tan living in Belize for 4 months.

6.       Officially have lived in the USA longer than I lived in Canada.

7.       Drove across the country and moved here.

Well, not here.

8.       Lived in a celebrity's closet. Literally, in her closet. #whatIdoforcheaprent

www.mormon.org/sheryl

9.   Forced myself to like seafood.

10.   Learned about politics. A lot.

11.       Hopped on a plane 41 times to visit 9 countries and 16 states.

12.   Earned premiere status at 3 hotel chains. Egh. #welcometoconsulting

13.   Hated my job.

14.   Loved my job.

15.   Got 4 parking tickets.

16. Lost 9 toenails.

Still not sure why people run these things

17.   Learned that the DC and CT tax codes are very similar (and gave CT some extra cash).

18.   Fell in love with Mark Rothko. Again.

19.   Gained weight. And lots of it.

20.   Bought a ukulele.

  

21.   Wouldn't you know, I'm allergic to grass, ragweed, and some trees.

22.   Bought red lipstick.

23.   Got yelled at by the FBI (unrelated to 22).

24.   Started an herb garden. Killed an herb garden.

Made mistakes. Felt overwhelmed, lonely, and even heartbroken. Tripped in heels and put my foot in my mouth. Learned a lot about the world and myself. But it was certainly a year I won't forget. 24, thanks for the ride! Here's to to avoiding 15, 19, and 23 this year. Cheers!

Stealing Wild Honey (or, How My Blog Ideas Tanked)

Swan Song
Swan Dive
Swan Princess
Swan Lake
Black Swan

Choosing a blog name is a tough decision - right up there with choosing a deodorant (have you been in a deodorant aisle lately? Overwhelming). You want it to be clever but not cliche, personal but not overexposing. 'Wild Honey' is by no means a good blog name - it's just the one I happened to end up with when I puttered out of 'swan' idioms. Here's the journey:

Failed Attempt #1


A tale of growing up, moving out, and finally learning how to tame those eyebrows 

A less-than obvious play on my last name and outgrowing awkwardness. But since I'm still plenty awkward, it didn't quite fit. Plus, it sounds more like a pro-anorexia or depression forum. Scratch.

Failed Attempt # 2


[Insert cliche nostalgia caption here]

Sure, it sounds like a before-its-time hipster coffee shop, but the subtle hint at my Japanese heritage is about as subtle as Jimmermania (still) on the BYU campus. Too racist.

And then, my brother told me to listen to this song about a girl who just can't settle down*.

  

"Wild Honey" is the only song from the U2 album All That You Can't Leave Behind without a Wikipedia article. Some of its praise includes

• Considered a "throwaway song" by bassist Adam Clayton
• "It's my least favorite U2 song, but I'll forgive U2 of this sin"
• "The lyrics seem forced, and some of them approach creepy"

Personally, I like the summertime folksy-pop feel, and U2 isn't the only band who had an affinity for wild honey. These guys did,

"Wild Honey Pie" track 5, The White Album

and so did these guys

Wild Honey released 1967, 13th studio album

...and let's not forget this guy

Stole his fair share of wild honey

As if I needed any more celebrity endorsements, I'm stealing 'Wild Honey' for my blog title with the most sincere condolences to those who have used the term in more substantial ways.

So here it is for your that sweet tooth of yours: A Drop of Wild Honey.

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* As someone who had the majority of The Joshua Tree tracks memorized by age 6, I can be pretty easily persuaded by anything Bono says. Judge me.

The Quarter-Centennial

146 years ago, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
100 years ago, that 'unsinkable ship' turned out to be quite sinkable.
And 25 years ago, an ugly duckling came into a family of Swans.

This blog is my quarter-centennial goal to keep a better record of life's potholes, pit stains, and bad hair days (because those are the things that really matter). At 25, let's hope I've outgrown the ugly duckling jokes and see where the next 25 years will take me...

Rules of the blog, Bob:

1. This blog is mostly for myself, but hopefully my mom will at least read. Hi, mom.   
2. Always kiss and tell (Keep It SHORT, Stupid). If I can't say what I want in 300 words, no one cares. 
3. 52 entries, 1 for each week of being 25.
4. Honest to goodness! Be honest, and speak of goodness. 
5. I want this to be social-issues-LITE, you know, the hun-cal version.