dinner date

One dinner with Sylvia, please. I'm on a first-name basis with her, and love her more than most. I'd have her take me to her favorite local place in London. I'd love to talk to her and try to get a glimpse into her genius. Just a small inkling. If I could write half as well as she could at age eighteen, well, I wouldn't just be writing a blog that who knows how many people actually see. I'd ask her about her poetry and if she liked the version of the cover of her novel. My guess is probably not - too many colors. Anyway, she's brilliant. Read her if you haven't. The poetry is fantastic. The novel is superb. And this crazy thing happens when you read The Bell Jar; you start to think that you're Esther. Then you put the book down and think, "What was I thinking? That's not me." Then you pick it up again and you're convinced over and over that it's you. Seriously.So.Good. You won't be sorry.

25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat? | thirty things

greetings, isaac!

thanks for the thunder and lightning, and all of the pouring rain. though i'm glad i'm not here right now dealing with the really crazy rain, kayaking through the market does seem like a lot of fun.

now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything

No, not really. But ten points and new best friend status to you if you got the reference.

My family dynamic as a child and now as an adult is largely the same. It is a constant in my life. We get along swimmingly. Everyone is there for each other - no hesitations. My grandparents and their children started a legacy in the town I grew up in. Everyone knows us there; if not for our involvement in the community, for the sheer number of us around.

My immediate family is small - just me and a younger brother. But my extended family is large - grandparents, 6 pairs of aunts and uncles, 34 cousins (45 if you count the spouses of those that are married, which I do; 55 if you count their children), and countless more extended family members close by. We all grew up together; literally down the road from each other, and most of us still live in the areas surrounding the place we grew up. There's something to be said about having that support system near by that you know will drop anything to help you if you need it. I don't think I realized how lucky I was/still am to grow up with and live near such an extensive set of cousins until I met people who only had 3, that lived in another city, states away. I wouldn't trade the experience of growing up with so many amazing relatives around me for anything.

24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now. | thirty things

five hobbies of mine

reading/buying books

I have this problem where I continue to buy books even if I haven't finished reading the books I bought on my last jaunt to the bookstore. So much so, that I have an entire bookshelf of 'to be read' books.

music

I've been playing the piano for sixteen years, and the flute for twelve. I love listening to it, playing it, studying it, analyzing it, talking about it. It is so much a part of my soul.

sports

No, not playing them. Had you fooled there for a minute. While I love riding my bike and swimming laps, I'm not the most talented when it comes to hand-eye coordinated athleticism. I love watching sports. More specifically, cycling, anything Olympics related, and college football. And yes, I know the rules and how the plays work.

movies

My family are big movie watchers - we go to the theatres, we watch them at home. I have a pretty decent collection of my own. Apparently it's something in our genes. We.all.love.it. Is there a movie or TV show marathon in your future? Let me know. I'll come party with you.

writing/blogging

Perhaps, most obviously, I enjoy blogging. I like to observe and write down my musings of the world around me. Writing is a great way to figure out what you really think about something.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them. | thirty things

in years to come

In five, ten, and fifteen years, my goals are fairly simple.

I'd like to have started a career of some sort (that I'm still working on figuring out). I want to eventually start a family and live in a house that we own. I'd also like to get a lab puppy. I want to plan and go on family vacations. I want to continue to have a happy marriage.

22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years? | thirty things