Life at 26: Day 2

Most days I don't even consider how old I am unless someone asks, but birthdays have a way of suddenly bringing the subject to one's attention, which is unfortunate.

I'm still questioning whether I was ever 25, let alone whether or not I am, in fact, now 26. I don't feel 26... some say I don't look 26, so am I really that old? Not that it's old as in elderly, but I almost tell people I'm younger than I am when they ask - not because I want to lie about my age, which is silly - but because I really believe it. "So, Stacie, how old are you?" "Twenty-tw-- uh, twenty-fo-- I mean, twenty-six." It's weird, but it happens sometimes.

And I now have more of my twenties behind me than in front of me. 30 is around the corner, and I'm still not convinced it's all true. My sister and I have devised a way to keep me in denial (which also aids in my forgetting my age at times)... since my 21st birthday, we've decided that I'm having "Annual 20th Birthdays." So, yesterday, I celebrated my 6th annual 20th birthday, which just sounds better!

All of that said, I just know this is going to be a great year! My life is on the move, and there's some momentum building, which is really exiting. I suppose the only way to live a really long time but never get a year older is to go to Heaven, so I should just stop resisting and keep aging for now. :)

It's National Pistachio Day!

You just gotta love those silly little lesser-known - no, obscure - holidays like "National Pistachio Day." Personally, I think these holidays are great and should be celebrated. In fact, this one in particular is dear to me because 1) I love pistachios, and 2) because.

Why are pistachios so special, you might ask? It's actually quite simple - because they're green AND they taste good. Since when does food that's green - save, maybe the avocado, which arguably deserves its own holiday - cause such a craving at times that it would make one break down & pay $3.50 for a bag of approximately 20 of the little shelled bits of delightfulness? None other than the little green nut we honor on this day, the 26th of February. Pricey, yet hard to resist. Good for you, but maybe not if you have too much. Dare I go so far as to say that pistachios may be wine's crunchy, edible counterpart...

So enjoy what is left of National Pistachio Day, and please feel free to send me a bag in honor of this very special holiday. Thanks.

Reunion...

Let's go ahead & get the word out - I'm hopelessly sentimental and nostalgic. I enjoy things like a quick note to say "hi" from a friend or family member, or a phone call from someone I didn't think ever thought of me. And the thing about me & friendships is once I've developed a bond with someone, it can hardly be broken. I will keep friendships across oceans and continents because I can't imagine just letting a friend go. So, that said...

Today is a diamond among rocks, a rose among thorns -- a happy day amidst a week of incredible stress and anxiety. Today I found my friend Bill. That's not actually his name - his name is Guilherme, which is "William" in Portuguese, so when he was an exchange student during my high school years, we called him "Bill." My B-F-F and I have looked for him for years, intermittently searching the Internet - trying to find a trace of this friend we once had. Well, today I'm so happy to say, we found him! I love the Internet, and I love email - two of the most incredible inventions of our time. Ahhh.. what a great day...

Free Rice

I just found the coolest website for the nerdiest among us - freerice.com. It's a fun word game where you have to guess the meaning & for every right answer, this organization will donate 20 grains of rice to hungry people around the world. You should check it out!