January comes to an end

The last day of the first month in a brand new year. Bittersweet. For those who have been wondering, yes, it is Justin Timberlake's birthday. He be 30. That little bit of information makes me feel old. Why? If anything, I would think he would feel more old than I should. But I feel old because he is a reminder of my youth, listening to *NSYNC tapes in the minivan on the way to school. Those days are gone. That is a horrible way to start out this entry! Perking up, or trying to...

I have not seen much of January. This is what I have done with my time this month:

Started out strong with a couple of adventures. Came back from the Disneyland birthday adventure on the first day of the year (that was something new and different). Went to work for a couple of weeks and then went on a rather impromptu trip to Reno with my mom and brother. Left lots of money in Reno, but had fun and the rest of the trip was relatively cheap. Sounds like a good start to a month, right?

Somewhere between Reno and the next time I was scheduled to work I got sick. And not your average cold because it's that time of the year kind of sick; I got a cold + strep throat from I don't know where. Strep throat: it's miserable. The first time I went to the doctor he didn't even bother to get a swab because he could see it was strep. I then got some antibiotics that weren't working (did you know Azithromycin is only effective on about 40% of the population?) and had to go back to see my regular NP who took one look in my throat and immediately averted her eyes. It was that bad. And painful. And I couldn't breathe through my nose because the congestion level was (and still is!) so high that nothing, I mean NOTHING was working its way through the sinuses. This illness meant I would continue to not be able to go into work for about two weeks.

When I am sick I enjoy laying about. Let's be honest; I enjoy laying about any day of the week when I'm well. This is the first time I've actually laid in bed during an illness. What did I do while in bed? Watched a lot of TV. Lots of movies. The movie I always watch when I'm sick is The Full Monty. I recommend it next time you're under the weather. Started a book that I'll actually finish called The Piano Teacher{. Almost finished a scarf. Did some laundry. Took some naps. Took lots of medicines. And had extended romp time for the ratties because what else was I going to do.

Which brings me to the end of January (today). I have spent quite a bit of the month on airplanes, as well as in bed where there is literally a Kristen-shaped dent in the mattress. Oh! I spent a day in the City (which anyone who's anyone knows means San Francisco). On New Year's Day I was one of the first people inside Disneyland, and literally Megan and I were the first ones to ride Buzz Lightyear's Blaster Game that day. And I did assist in the moving of a dear friend Megan and boyfriend to some new digs. But other than those highlights, I'd say January was the longest month this year so far.

As soon as these ears open up there are big plans for the rest of the year. A new place to visit every month! Well, maybe not new, but definitely an adventure each month to do something and go somewhere. Portland can be quite dreary.

P.S.: If you haven't yet watched IFC's Portlandia, you should get on that. Especially if you've ever lived in Portland or know people from Portland. Adult Hide and Seek League, need I say more. Plus, they get our beloved mayor, Sam Adams, to cameo! And there is a shout out to JetBlue, which always warms my heart.

The age of Aquarius is over

Apparently someone realized we were using the wrong system for determining astrological... stuff. Instead of 12 signs there were originally 13 in the age of Babylonia. This guy explains it perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLbbhHq_xls"

So, yeah. I don't know what that means for the world. Basically they'll have to reprint everything that has only 12 of the signs of the Zodiac, so yay for the printing and publishing business of the world. And we'll have to ignore everything Cosmo (the lady bible the world over, though I choose not to read it) has ever told us about our horoscope, because those were inaccurate. And our entire existence up to this point has been a lie, so bummer.

The thing that bothers me about this - and boy, I loved being a Capricorn, so I'm bummed about that - is it feels like it was a slow news day and someone thought they would change the way the world operates. Does that make sense? It's like when they said Pluto is no longer a planet and that the Triceratops never existed. But what do you mean those things are not true? They have always been true as long as I have been alive. You can't change 25 years of history and knowledge on a whim! Granted, it apparently was researched, but still, that's a tough sell!

In case you're wondering if you have a new star sign, these are the correct ones (because everything was wrong between the time the Babylonians threw out the new/old O word).

NEW ZODIAC SIGN CHART

Capricorn: January 20 to February 16

Aquarius: February 16 to March 11

Pisces: March 11 to April 18

Aries: April 18 to May 13

Taurus: May 13 to June 21

Gemini: June 21 to July 20

Cancer: July 20 to August 10

Leo: August 10 to September 16

Virgo: September 16 to October 30

Libra: October 30 to November 23

Scorpio: November 23 to November 29

Ophiuchus: November 29 to December 17

Sagittarius: December 17 to January 20