But this next should be even better. Can’t wait.

Philly…here I come! (And I’ll send my heart to Boise)

Girl has GOT to get out more.

1. I’ve recently been trying out neighborhood gyms because all the snow and ice made me afraid that running in the Park would be a health hazard. Me running on ice equals no bueno. So of course I try to run to a class at the gym last weekend and slip on the icy curb, plummeting into slushy mud. Alas, I did provide some nice laughter for the 10 people waiting for a bus across the street…and still made it to the class and only got about five bruises.
2. Later that day I accidentally punched a girl in the face while playing basketball. Add a bruised knuckle to the earlier bruise collection.
3. When I got off the train in Jersey last night, I walked more than a mile in the wrong direction. Luckily a friendly gal gave me a ride to the right place (and, yes, I took a ride with a stranger).

Let’s hope the long weekend provides me better coordination/direction.

Yowsa.

Best Movie By/About Americans Watched: sadly Slumdog Millionaire can’t fit into the American part of this section. So I’m thinking that maybe 27 Dresses is the winner…it’s probably the only romantic comedy that’s ever been recommended to me by more than one guy
Best Book By/About Americans Read: Sold by Patricia McCormick
Best New American Pop Song: “Womanizer” by Britney Spears
Best Piece of Americana Found Abroad: probably finding the “Butterfly Song” in the hymnal in the small Indian town where nobody spoke English

Number of Americans Met While Traveling, That I Actually Have Kept in Touch with: 2
Number of Non-Americans Met While Traveling, That I Actually Have Kept in Touch with: 9
Number of Times I’ve Been Asked “Where are you from? No…where are you REALLY from?” (or an Equivalent): approximately 365
Number of Newly Used Pages in My Ol’ Blue Passport: 6
Number of Unexpected American Celebrity Sightings/Encounters: 3 (Rider Strong, Levar Burton, Tyra Banks)

A Quick Comparison
New Year’s Eve 2007: listening to a live concert, had a white-wine toast with colleagues after missing the midnight chime because we were driving around in a car
New Year’s Eve 2008: at a friend of a friend’s place…and despite my fear of missing the midnight toast for three years in a row, we rang in the year with Anderson Cooper…then off for a fun night/early morning at a local pub

the girls at the pub

The All-American Year Behind
(or How US, US, baby did on those things we were looking forward to in 2008)
-returning to the friends and family in the US (check!)
-seeing the Sex and the City movie on its release weekend (saw it later that week)
-voting in a swing state in the presidential election (darn that MO voting law!)

The All-American Year Ahead
(or What US, US, baby is Looking Forward to in 2009)
-letting life take her where it will
-seeing what the new president’s first 100 days are like
-running a pretty long race in another state or country
-finishing the Twilight series
-getting to watch some of March Madness

So, Jack over at 67 Degrees has given me my first blog tag. It’s one of those things where I share stuff about moi, and then I pass the spirit stick on to others to do the same.

The deets:
- List six things that I do for joy
- Pass the award on to 6 more creative bloggers
- Link back to the person who gave me the award
- Link to the people I am passing it on to

Here’s My Super Six:

1. Competing
Although I hate losing, I love competing…and watching others compete, too. And anything from flip-cup to basketball to tests is a competition for me. Although it’s sometimes a little unhealthy for me to look at everything as a competition (and want to beat everyone at everything), I have to say, I truly enjoy it.

2. Photography
There’s something about the realness of photos that can’t be achieved through words, paintings, or video. I think the two photo-j classes I took in college were my favorite ones in the school. Just as much as I like taking pictures, I also like looking at them. Photo exhibits are one of the only things I actually enjoy at museums.

3. Running
I hated running when I was in high school. Now, I love, love, love it. Although I’d tried my hand at it a few times, it never really stuck until I got home this year. I guess after trying running in a few countries and not feeling safe enough to do it, I felt like I had to take advantage of it here. I’m doing it 3-4 times a week and loving it. What I love best is running in a new place and seeing, hearing, and smelling everything there that I can’t from inside a car. It’s also one of the few things I can do by my lonesome and not feel anti-social.

4. Watching crime shows
When I was little, I was addicted to Murder, She Wrote. Now, I can’t get enough of the new crime shows. Favorites include CSI, CSI: New York, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, Numb3rs, and Life. I think it’s the part of me that always wanted to be a lawyer…and loves that it really doesn’t matter if you miss an episode or start it in the middle of the series.

5. Exploring
I love discovering new things. Whether it be places I’ve never been, or something about a person I know well. Getting to know the unfamiliar is one of the most exciting things there is.

6. Pulling pranks
You know I think you’re a top-notch person (or an easy target), if I’ve pulled a fast one on you. And my closest friends, I find, are just as prank-happy, and uneasily offended. But if I’ve never asked you to “smell this” or de-pantsed you, beware. You’ve had a fair warning now. And I really hope that ice cream comes off your shirt.

I’ll pass this onto:
-Nicole, who is an ex-RLife publisher and current super-entrepreneur
-Kyle, who was also once a Lost Girl
-Vincent, whose responses I’ll probably only half-understand
-Remi, who I fear may be stuck in a Mexico prison somewhere and hope this tells me otherwise
-Melanie, who writes far too little about herself now that she has a little one
-unhipla, who’s actually pretty hip

On a side note. I found out there really is a Forks, Washington. I kind of want to go visit there.

Either way, I bet kids there will say “I go to O High.”

Monday: “Jayna, are you pregnant?”
Today: “Jayna, how can you only be 27? You look so old. You look like you’re at least 40.”