11 through 1

the countdown continues. and, in response to complaints from my father, this time it’s complete.

11/10: health & wellness/sibling bonding

topping off almost everyone’s list each new year is a health related resolution. in my own efforts to boost health and wellness, i agreed to go on a run with my brother – fitness king Keaton – during my winter break.

‘it’s perfect!’ i thought to myself. ‘two birds, one stone – health/wellness and sibling bonding. the ultimate combo, right?’

wrong.

here is the distinct issue that i should have thought of beforehand: a run for taylor is a true run/walk (or ‘ralk’). i stop and go as i please, building up my stamina and abilities.  a run for keaton, on the other hand, is a non-stop action. no breaks. no water. NO WALKING.

put the two together and you have mayhem. here is a little peak at our fitness adventure:

things started off fine (unfortunately our running attire is not quite this fancy)

after a while, i started getting TIRED and i started looking a little like this. stopping was out of the question though, so we (and by we, i mean i) powered through the tiredness.

finally, once I started feeling like this, i made Keaton let me walk. but before long we were at it again.

the scene below was us, two blocks from home with me practically laying in the street, and Keaton pulling my arm, insisting i run home.

miraculously, i made it back in tact and feeling accomplished, despite the nausea that lasted around for 11 hours.

unfortunately it’s at least two months before i can experience such torture again.

when that day arrives, i’ll be ready.

9. my schedule

i am super excited for this year (specifically the next three months) because I have a bomb-tastic schedule for my job. with nine locations all over the US of A and our neighbors up north, expect fresh stories, new embarrassments and, as ever, spectacular recounts of the clowns i meet/observe/stalk at airports.

quite possibly even more exciting is that among those nine visits, some are repeats. i’ll revisit some of my old haunts and scrutinize some of the cultural norms that continue to baffle me.

 8. mccall turner

2012 blesses us all with another year of everyone’s favorite turner: mccall. maybe it’s just me, but i laugh at nearly every other sentence that comes out of her mouth. over winter break, she game me gems such as:

‘i used to not know how to spell alien. but now i do.’

 ‘is it a new year everywhere?’

‘they said you were prettier than me, but they were obviously joking.’

here’s to another year with our pint-sized princess.

7-5: turner technology

this is a MONUMENTAL year for the turners in terms of technology, for three reasons:

3.  i am FINALLY beating the great debbie d’agostino in words with friends. sweet, sweet vengeance.

2. my clumsy father spilled coffee on my computer (RIP), so i get a new one in 4 months

And for number three..drumroll please….

1. RICH TURNER FINALLY UPGRADED HIS PHONE

this may seem insignificant to most, until you hear that my father has been using the same cell phone for SEVEN YEARS. it’s the same phone that i had when I graduated…high school. while it was a classic and vintage model, (see picture below), he has finally become friends with the 21^st century and upgraded to the iphone 4s.

siri +rich = BFF

4. reunions

2012 will be the first full year that my friends and i are all out of school. we survived the first six months of post-grad life. we braved the job searches. some of sacrificed the sweet freedom we had in college and moved back home, while others tasted the reality of monthly rent and utilities payments. we are off in the real world, miles and miles away from the lovely city of orange, california with one thing to look forward to: a reunion.

that’s right folks, everyone’s favorite group o’ six, bobcat city,  is reuniting this summer in the place that loves us best: las vegas.

3-1. new adventures

i have three big adventures ahead including…

3. NYC with my homegirl BBB

2. a European escapade

1. an employment search!

in my all-to-frequent day dreams, here is how these adventures tie together:

while in new york, i happen to begin a delightful conversation with the head honcho of a leading international organization. we get to chatting and, naturally, my quick wit and conveniently printed resume lead him to offering me a job in London. they will DEMAND the british government offer me residency and will even offer to pay the fees for me to move over there! i’ll have a posh flat in the city with plenty of room for guests and will lead an utterly fabulous lifestyle.

is that really so much to ask??

happy new year everyone!