This post is not about the song. It is about me and my last day in my 20s. I want to record a little long and detailed time capsule of this day. We woke up this morning to a call from the Home Depot folks. Our new fridge would be delivered in a few minutes. Daniel hopped out of bed and started clearing furniture so they could get it through the house. I stayed in bed and nursed Tigerlily. Then Daniel went to the store to get milk for coffee (since our fridge was broke we have been buying little cartons each morning) while the guys installed the fridge. They didn’t know the baby and I were in bed and one of the delivery guys went to the bathroom (haha) and said to the other guy, “Someone who lives here must be an artist.” They left. I got up and admired the fridge (while wishing the money had gone to a new bathroom instead!) and had some coffee. Listened to A side of She and Him Christmas. Then I rode Daniel’s bike up and down the block a few times because I was feeling the weight of the end of a decade. It felt great to peddle around and the sun was shining and the air was so clear and blue. Then Daniel went to co-write and I played with the baby for a few hours (walked around the yard, showed her leaves, etc.) Tiger went to sleep and I worked on stocks for a bit was just about to start painting when Daniel came in and said we need to redo the studio. It feels like a hoarders room because we just crammed a ton of stuff into what was our guest room to make the old studio a nursery. So we spent hours going through my books and getting rid of maybe a 100-150? I was in school for the majority of my twneties, so it feels kind of freeing (and terrifying) to get rid of so many. I kept special or hard to find books, the rest I will supposedly get at the library if I miss them. Got the mail and my Aunt Donna had knitted Tiger an adorable baby winter hat with a pink pom pom and ear flaps. Lucky Magazine came and I was pumped because I was just thinking I’d like to read one tonight. The new editor is doing a bang up job, even if Jessica Simpson is on the cover (no offense Jessica! I just would like some new cover ladies. Sienna Miller? Lucy Punch? Natalia Vodianova? Or go really wild: Cindy Sherman!) Mom stopped by to drop off some swag she got at this CMA awards thing. Some jewelry, Lara bars, lots of fancy hair products, a tee shirt and guitar strap for Daniel, and lots of chocolate truffles which I partook of immediately. Jay came too and they looked through the books and picked out what they wanted and took the ones that I’d borrowed. Then we loaded up the car and the baby and went to McKay’s (this used book store where you can get cash for books.) I looked for Charlie Brown’s Christmas on vinyl but no luck. Then to Whole Foods where I dashed in and got an enormous amount of holiday scented Mrs. Meyers products and eggnog. Then over to Whole body for Jasons apricot deodorant (two) and a Christmas candle (Paddywax Blue Spruce.) Mad dash into Anthropologie for a better Christmas candle, but got overwhelmed by choices and back out to car. We tried to go get wall paint for the studio, but it was closed. The wall color is kind of light blue right now and I’ve disliked it since we moved in and it is the only room I’ve not repainted. I should go white, but I’ll probably do a very pale pink. After two years at UVA where I wasn’t allowed to paint the walls on the Range, I swore I’d never have white walls again. It is one thing in college, but a twenty something who can’t paint their walls is tragic. (My first bedroom after UVA was Betsey Johnson hot pink. Everyone unanimously hated it but me.) Then home. Gave baby a bath and nursed. DT turned on the Fantastic Mr. Fox soundtrack. Daniel was amused that I’d not gotten anything at the grocery we could turn into dinner, but he managed anyway: beans and peppers on toast with broccoli. Surprisingly worked. Then Daniel lit the Diptyque candle because I guess it is just hard to beat. Put the baby in her little fun chair and she is whacking the shit out of the little plastic things. Now Daniel has the baby in her little carrier (he sang “I’m gonna put you in the sack” to the tune of Keith Urban’s “I’m gonna put you in a song”) and he strapped her in the little koala pouch. We are listening to Don Williams. How do I know every word? (Oh what a feeling, it must be love.) Now about to wrap this up. I’ll probably spend the rest of the night totally emptying the studio to get ready to paint it tomorrow. Baby will go to sleep and Daniel and I will play around the house a bit and then cuddle down in bed and talk about turning 30. I was in London when I turned 20. I made the boy I was dating cry in the lobby of a theater where he took me to see a play. But I didn’t even really care. In the back of my mind, I knew I was too young to be tied down and I had a lot of things to do, places to go and people to see. And I definitely did all that in my 20s. All in all, my 20s were pretty damn fantastic. I travelled all over, got my party on and learned a lot about what is really important to me, what my values are and how to be good person. Even though I’m much more settled now with my perfect husband and perfect baby, there still is so much unknown, just as there was at 20. If someone had told my 20 year old self about all the amazing things I would do and see and all the fun I would have, I would have been pretty impressed/surprised/interested. I loosened up a lot and really enjoyed everything. Luckily, I’ve always been a pretty happy person, so my hope for my 30s is that there will be lots more fun and plenty of surprises. I feel very happy and blessed to have such an amazing group of friends and family and that makes turning 30 way easier. Oh and why choose “Lady is a Tramp?” We listened to the CD on the way to McKay’s. Lady Gaga and her bangin voice and hilarious rendition of the song just cracks me up. I love when she yells “I’m a tramp!!” And I was singing it to the baby while I changed her (cloth!) diaper and she was laughing every time I said “tramp.” Ok now the song Daniel has turned on is making him cry. Got to go and enjoy my little family.
Lillie! I am loving every minute of this! Happy Birthday beauty! I reckon turning 30 must be one of the best head trips life has to offer. And you are killing it! xoxo, rachel