A Baltimore Birth Day

There’s this certain not-so-nice little boy I know. He’s a friend of Ryan’s and apparently loves to torment me. He delights in trying to convince Ry that I’m, “not a nice lady” amongst other things. And he loves to say, “Ha Ha…” followed by some sort of boast or put down, sounding just like the bully from the Simpsons. But a few weeks ago he said some really funny things…I happened to mention something about my husband in front of him. And he proceeded to say, “Ha ha, Jenn’s just a teenager and she has a husband!” As though making fun of me for being a child bride. And then a few days later, again, “Ha ha, Jenn has a husband and she’s just sixteen!” It seems his five year old brain is having a hard time with numbers—but I’ll take it—as yesterday I turned 31!

In the morning Keith and I walked along the harbor boardwalk to my favorite French bakery for breakfast—an amazing strawberry tart. Then we went to the Farmer’s Market for lunch and lettuce and cukes and baby bok choy. And for dinner Keith surprised me and took me to the sweetest, most delicious restaurant--Woodberry Kitchen. If you live in Baltimore, you have to go! We had a drink with vanilla vodka and sarsparilla, chevre and tiny fresh strawberries, flatbread with sweet wild onions, marjoram and feta, plus main courses. Everything was so fresh and wonderful!

Okay, here’s my list of things I want to do/accomplish in the next two years (giving myself just one year for some of these things might be a bit unreasonable as I’ll be in Asia all next year):

1) Visit Tibet
2) Learn to speak enough Tibetan to be able to talk to my teacher without a translator
3) Learn how to use the sewing machine Keith bought me for my birthday two years ago
4) Make clothes with said sewing machine
5) Learn how to knit mittens, socks and booties
6) Become more calm and patient
7) Stop getting so many headaches
8) Finish my ngondro
9) Exercise (this one I don’t really want to do but feel I should)
10) Take a photography class/become a better photographer
11) Publish at least a chapbook
12) Write a travel book (stories)