by Sarah | Dec 23, 2017 | 45 before 45, 50 before 50, All About Erik, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Personal, Redefining Perfect
I am a total ghost geek.
I watch every ghost hunting show that comes along. I don’t stick with them all, but I take a gander to see if I like it.
So one of my bucket list/45X45/50X50 items was a ghost hunt.
And I managed to swing my way into a ghost hunt right here in Indiana at the Randolph County Infirmary.
It was through a company, and though there were issues, it was a really cool way to spend my 40th birthday weekend.
There were 40 of us there (issue primo uno). There was instruction on the devices, and a session with their psychic.
Then we went on our hunt.
I willingly went alone into a very dark, creepy, boiler room to do a solo EVP recording where I got pushed on the shoulders (so cool). Unfortunately my EVP session was contaminated by the people talking super loud in the next room, and the people walking heavily up and down the stairs.
I caught orbs in my pictures, and got to use EMF detectors and Spirit Boxes. It was awesome.
I’m not one of those people that got mopey and depressed over my 40th. Even through the rough year I was having…but this?
This was an awesome way to spend my birthday. I want to do it again. With less people, in a more notorious place.
Hubby is all in with me.
Next stop…Waverly Hills. Next year…hopefully.
by Sarah | Aug 21, 2017 | 45 before 45, 50 before 50, All About Me, All of Us, Personal, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
Some years ago I created a 45X45 list of 45 things I wanted to do before I turned 45. Over the past six(ish?) years I’ve revised it several times…adding things and taking others away.
This year, I turned 41. I’m creeping up on 45 faster than I like to think about, mainly because I didn’t feel I had enough of the items on the list done. Of course, there were a few things I wanted to add as well.
So I sat down with my list, looked it over. Once again I did some trimming, cut a few items, then I added some more.
I’m super excited to tackle the list. There are at least two items that I get to cross off within this next month, which will be really cool. The solar eclipse is a given, and I’m going to where there will be 98.99% coverage, so bonus! Then, at the end of the month hubby and I are heading to Disney World (which we will return to in December…woot)…which, since I went to Disneyland in May, will put me in both US based parks within a one year span!
After that…there’s a lot of options ahead of me. Take a look at my new list:
50 X 50
Take a real vacation. (Not to Buffalo, not w/ the kids) (Done 4/23/12)Take my kids to Disney World. (Done, thanks to Make-A-Wish 10/28/14)See my name in print (get published, e-zine, paper-zine). (Done 6/24/12 – Sirens Call June 2012 Issue)Have a novel published. (Done 2/8/13 – Changing Tracks & 17 more times [so far] by 7/18/15)- Get my Dominion Falls books series in front of a producer.
- Completely tidy my house [w/reference to KonMari]. (Started w/ my clothes. Lots left to do)
- Take a photography class (or 2 or 3)
Perform on stage again (done 12/4/15 – Violet Grey in A Charlie Brown Christmas)- See Colorado
- Camp – really camp in the Rockies
- See Yellowstone
- Go skydiving. [Yes, I feel slightly insane here]
Go to a blogger’s conference. (done 4/23/12)- Sit at a book signing.
- Get on a regular exercise regime & stay on it for more than 3 months.
Hand craft (knit, sew) 1 item for ME for a change. (DONE 4/1/12)- Make a complete Victorian era dress from skin out. (underthings complete, corset 50% complete)
Get some crazy color in my hair (purple, blue, pink highlites/streaks) Done 2/11/12- Read the Harry Potter series aloud to my girls. (2/3 of the way through by 8/4/17)
- Sing Karaoke
- Get up close with the wolves & photograph them at Wolf Park.
- Move to Florida.
- Pay off debt.
- Get a car that is less than 2 years old
Run a 5k. Done 9/22/12 Do something daring (paragliding, zipline, etc.) Done 7/14/12See the butterflies at the Indy Zoo (Done 3/19/13)- Learn sign language.
- Go on a road trip with a girlfriend
- Go on a hot air balloon ride
See Cirque du Soleil (Done 6/27/2012)- Ride a horse – not a trail horse. A real ride on a horse.
- Volunteer
- Stop drinking pop
Visit Disneyland (Done 5/2/17)Get a tattoo (Done 7/16/11)- Go on a Cruise [preferably Alaskan, but I’m not picky]
Go on a wine tasting (Done 10/16/10)- Get a Henna tattoo
- Take my husband to swim with sharks
- Fly first class
- Read at least 50 of the 100 Greatest Novels (I am saying the book can be from either of the 2 lists there. In total I have read 8/50 at this point)
Have a real spa day (Done, thanks to Hubs, 7/2014)Visit a real haunted location (Done 7/16/16)- Sell a photo
- Visit Salem, MA
- Visit both US based Disney Parks in one year.
- See a solar eclipse.
- Have one of my pictures on the Indianapolis Zoo website.
- Go through a sweat lodge ceremony.
So, I have to pick one to do next. Which would you choose?
by Sarah | Jul 18, 2016 | 45 before 45, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
Today I turned 40 years old.
I didn’t fear this day.
I still am not upset. I don’t feel like I’ve crested a hill, or that anything is going downhill.
This weekend I ghost hunted.
Went to an exotic animal sanctuary.
Spent time alone with my husband.
I am not where I plan to be in the future, but I am good where I am.
I am about to have one of my birds fly the coop, and the other two are out of elementary school with eyes on the future. I have a husband to whom I’ve been happily married for nearly 14 years. I have a dog, and a fish, and I’m able to work the job of my dreams (writing) when I can.
I am working on my 45X45 list, and have knocked out a few of those dreams this year. Now that I’m 40, I may take another gander at it to see what I may wish to change.
Either way, I am 40. I am embracing it without fear or upset.
Because 40 is awesome. 40 is when I feel like I’m coming into my own.
Hello 40.
by Sarah | Jun 13, 2016 | 45 before 45, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Bucket List, Random, Redefining Perfect
I turn 40 in about a month.
I’ve been blessed in the past couple of years to be able to unintentionally fulfill a few items on my 45 X 45 list, and have my sites on a few more in the next couple of years.
However, this past fall-into-winter, I stumbled into a role in the local community theater.
One of my customers at the bank was the producer and urged me to audition.
It was A Charlie Brown Christmas, so of course I did.
Say hello to Violet Grey.
Also in the cast was Shermy (my hubby, Erik), and a couple of Woodstocks (Kennedy & Molly)…and backstage you could find Denver helping out.
For two months we rehearsed.
Sang.
Roller skated!!!
I had forgotten how much I loved doing theater.
Plenty of excuses not to.
This turned into a family affair and was the perfect way to dip my toe back into the theater pool.
More auditions are planned (this month! Eek!).
Though my available time has waned in recent months, that theater bug has re-seated itself into my blood.
This was about more than knocking another item off of my bucket list.
It was like coming home.
I won’t go all crazy 4-shows-a-year-so-I’m-never-home again.
But I won’t go too far away from home again.
This time, though, it’ll be just me.
by Sarah | Jan 31, 2014 | 45 before 45, All About Me, All of Us
*It should be noted that if my mom knows I put this out there, she’ll probably kill me. So mom, on the off chance you’re reading my blog today, so sorry–but it had to be done!
My wish for ink started when I was young. From the time I was sixteen I knew I wanted a tattoo, even if I was afraid of how much it could hurt. However, I always said I would not get one at 18, no matter what. I didn’t want to get a tattoo I might one day regret.
My brother, being older and in the military, beat me to the ink. He started with a panther (high school mascot) on his shoulder. I’m not sure just how many he has now, but he didn’t stop there.
My mother? HORRIFIED! How dare he get a tattoo? How could he do that to himself? OMG, it was awful.
Two and a half years ago, on my 35th birthday, I finally got my ink.
It’s a butterfly, a running theme on my website that I use to represent my kids growing beyond their labels. It’s purple, my favorite color. It has all three of my kids initials. Can you see them?
My only regret with this tattoo is that because of the location, I actually forget I have it sometimes. I love it. I’m so glad I waited until I was 35.
My mother by now? Her reactions were not as severe as they were years ago when my brother got his. However, I got the chastising glance and the disappointed shaking of the head. The heavy sigh of “Where did I go wrong?”
Fast forward to two months ago. My dad brings by their dog so we can dog-sit while they go on a cruise.
In casual conversation the subject of tattoos comes up. I mention that I’m itching for another one and he just throws out the statement:
“Well, your mother has one.”
Said like it was no big deal. I screech to a halt and say, “WHAT?”
“Yeah. She got a flamingo.”
(Side note-my mom has been obsessed w/ flamingos for years).
Of course, I had no choice but to confront her the next time I saw her. She tried to deny it with a shocked “Who told you that?” And then I got “Well, you’ll never see it.”
I just shook my head and I’m still shaking my head. After all the fuss she threw over my brother and I getting tattoos?
I don’t know how to take it. My friends mom? Sure. She’s getting a full on sleeve, and that’s cool. I mean, I’ve met her mom and this doesn’t shock me.
My Mom?
WHAT?
by Sarah | Aug 5, 2013 | 45 before 45, All About Me, Blogging Life, Bucket List
*I’m totally re-exposing my nerd status with this post, but I don’t care one bit.
When I was 12 years old, I was one of those girls…
With New Kids on the Block posters taped ALL over my walls. The pictures ripped out of magazines, the buttons, all of it.
One thing I never got to do that I always wanted to, was go to a concert.
Last night (thanks to the help of a twitter contest from Bohlsen Group) I got to achieve that life-long teenage dream.
Totally bucket list worthy…and so much fun.
Of course, it helped to go with a fellow big fan – Heather…who was my date since I didn’t wish to torture my poor husband.
Indianapolis was the last stop on the package tour, so we got to see BoyzIIMen and 98* (98-who? The crowd thinned out at that point for bathroom breaks, etc…both Heather & I had trouble recognizing anything beyond 1 song, I think).
The sound quality wasn’t very good (I even had trouble recognizing very well-known NKOTB songs sometimes)…but still, just being there and being able to clearly see these men on stage was amazing…
And I have to say – they have gotten BETTER with age. I’ve always had a weak spot for Joe Mac…but now? He’s totally on my list (sorry, Hugh Jackman, you are no longer the sole person on ‘the list’).
My 12 year old self is so happy with my adult self. Finally achieving a silly dream that still just made my year. Seriously.
One of the best concerts I have ever been to.
Bar none.
(my 12 year old self says it IS the best ever…she’s a bit biased)
I am a total ghost geek.
There were 40 of us there (issue primo uno). There was instruction on the devices, and a session with their psychic.
