Watch out, Marilyn's got a gun!

I ddin't get a picture of me actually shooting the gun

but I figured this was pretty close.

I mean we could be twins...right? (FYI I'm being sarcastic)

Getting through my list of 30 New Experiences by the time I'm 30 isn't nearly as hard as finding time to blog about them. But I promise I will work at being better about keeping you updated.

My first 30BY30 experience actually took place about 3 weeks ago while visiting my uncle in Jay, Oklahoma. We were sitting around visiting when my cousin looked and me and said, "Wanna shoot a gun?" As fear covered the face of my husband I smiled and said, "YES!" It's no secret to anyone that knows me that I'm a proud supporter of the 2nd amendment. I feel that everyone should be able to protect themselves against anyone and anything. What they might now know is that I've never actually shot a gun outside of my husband's Red Rider BB gun or the plastic gun you use for Duck Hunt.

My uncle lives on several acres so we found a good open spot and set up a plastic jug to use as my target. He went over the basics about gun safety and how to line up the site. After I felt comfortable with holding the gun and using the safety I lifted it to aim at my target. Gently I pulled the trigger but wasn't prepared for the loud noise or jolt of adrenaline that would shoot through my body. It was even more awesome to find out that I hit my target. I pulled the trigger four more times hitting the target each time.

It is certanly something that I will be doing again!

Other Monumental Birthdays!

As I pause to focus on my upcoming birthday I can't help but take notice of other monumental birthdays being celebrated.

Today my friends, Scott and Jenny Williams, welcomed into the world a baby girl named McKenna Rian. I can only imagine what is going through the thoughts of the William's family as they celebrate her first day in this world. She is begining a wonderful journey and I can't wait to celebrate her 30th birthday with her!

Last week I was honored to have my "experiment" mentioned by my friend and neighbor Jennifer on her wildly popular blog http://www.jenx67.com/. She also mentioned an article in the Journal Record by Louisa McCune-Elmore (Subject to change: Lordy, lordy, we’re 40) which gives a great account of what goes through the mind of someone turning 40.

Finally, while in Tulsa today I stopped to place flowers on the grave of my grandparents and was suprised to notice that this year my grandfather, Rev. William T. Roberts, would have turned 100 years young. Even though he won't be here to blow out the candles I will still secretly celebrate his birth. 

Can you imagine the changes that have taken place between 1910, when my grandfather was born, to today when little McKenna arrived into our lives?  

Part 2 of my 30By30 Challenge

When I looked up the word ‘age’ in the Thesaurus here are some results that came up; decline, deteriorate, get along, grow feeble, grow old, grow up, mature, put mileage on, ripen. To quote a popular movie from my generation, “As if!”

If this is how our society defines ageing then there’s no wonder women are upset about getting older. It’s hard to think that you could describe me turning 30 as “deteriorating” or “growing feeble”. I hope I handle growing older with more grace than a tomato left out in the hot Oklahoma sun.

Growing old should be an adventure! I look at my husband’s 86 year old grandmother and think of the stories she could tell; the things she’s seen; and the people she’s met. I watch as she embraces her age and chooses to live her life rather than sit in a rocking chair waiting to die. Because of this attitude she will probably outlive us all.

People tell me, “30 is the new 20!” That's great, but I don’t want to be 20. I like being 30. I like looking at college age girls knowing I have more knowledge than them. I like being able to brag about my accomplishments and how far I’ve come; and, most importantly, where I’m going. I like having a steady job and extra money to splurge on something fun. I also like waking up on a Saturday morning and not feeling the results of the night before.

Some people find ageing as scary because they think it signifies the end of a fun, fancy-free youth filled with partying and late night trips to Whataburger and that they’re oh-so-much closer to death. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sure I’ve probably experienced my last ‘all-nighter’ that doesn’t include feeding, burping and changing diapers. But I’m fine with that. Instead of spending Friday nights at a bar filled with smoke trying to yell over the music, I’ll hang out on my front porch drinking a glass of wine and actually getting to hold a conversation with the people I care about.

You see, when you get older the fun doesn’t end. The definition just changes a little.

This leads me to the second part of my 30BY30 challenge. I've challenged myself to EXPERIENCE 30 NEW THINGS BY THE TIME I TURN 30. It's a great time for me to break out of my comfort zone and start my 30s off right.

Some of the things I'm thinking about are:

• Go salsa dancing
• Ride a roller coaster
• See an NFL football game
• Learn to row in the Oklahoma river
• Play a round of golf
• Attend a real Hawaiian Luau
• Go to a rodeo
• Go to a pow wow

The last adventure I want to tackle is seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Which happens to fall on my 30th birthday this year!

So let the adventure begin! I'll be posting updates on my volunteer time and new adventures so you can follow along with me and keep me motivated to succeed.

Marilyn’s 30BY30 Challenge Part 1

It was about August of last year that it really hit me that I’d be turning 30 this year! Wow, 30? Already? But it feels like I just celebrated 20 last week. Then I began to wonder. What does one do when they turn 30? Does it mean I have to trade in my high heels for supportive flats? Am I no longer allowed to wear low cut shirts or tight fitting jeans? Do they automatically send me my membership card to the mom jeans club? This is my first time being 30; do they send you an instruction manual?

Once I calmed down and realized that nothing was really going to change I began to contemplate how I would handle such a monumental birthday. Should I have a big blow out party? Cut off all my hair and dye it blond? Get a tattoo? Slow down, it’s too early for a midlife crisis. How about I do something challenging that would make me a better person?

At the time I was already in the midst of a weight loss mission but didn’t really have a goal that I was working towards. So I thought, ‘I’m going to loose 30 pounds for my 30th birthday!’ Not only would I be healthier, I’d overcome a huge challenge. Before starting my weight loss I was the kind of girl who ate ice cream sundaes for lunch and cupcakes two at a time but couldn’t figure out why I was gaining so much weight. Food was a crutch for me and something I used to curb anxiety and stress. If I kept up my old eating habits I would have easily topped 250 pounds by my 40th birthday. For someone whose father died in his 30’s from a heart attack I should have known better.

This challenge proved to me more successful that I thought. Not only did I get my husband eating better and exercising (he’s lost 70 pounds), but I met my goal by April 2010. 7 months early! I remember standing on the scale celebrating my success but then thinking, ‘Now what?’ Getting that high from stepping on the scale every week and seeing my success was addictive and I wanted something else to do. So I sat down and created 2 more lists of goals for me to work towards before my 30th birthday in November.

The first is I WILL DONATE 30 HOURS TO A NON-PROFIT. I’ve always loved volunteering and hope that this will give me the chance to experience some new non-profits in my community. There are a couple of rules. 1) I can only donate a max of 5 hours per charity; 2) It has to be a 501(c) 3; 3) I can’t do something that I’m getting paid for; and, 4) it can’t be for the American Heart Association. So if anyone knows of volunteer opportunities out there send them my way!!

(You didn’t think I was going to share it all with you in one post? Come back tomorrow for part 2 of my 30by30 challenge.)

Why turning 30 is great!

This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes Andy Rooney says:


As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?". She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.

Our current health care system is not serving women

We know that the health care crisis impacts every American, but our mothers, daughters and sisters are paying a particularly heavy price. Today, 21 million women and girls are uninsured. Women who try to purchase insurance find that the private market is often stacked against them. Premiums in the private market for young women are often higher than they are for men. In some states, insurance companies can legally discriminate against women, and leave them with higher health care bills or inadequate coverage.

Today, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the HHS Office of Health Reform are releasing a report, Roadblocks to Health Care, that shows how our current system is leaving too many women without the care they need. Read it here. Then call your member of Congress and let them know that we need better and more affordable health care for women.

Oklahoma Stay-cation

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I traveled to Southwest Oklahoma for a stay-cation. We both just started new jobs and wanted a little bit of a mental brake. So we woke up early on a Saturday, hoped in the car and just drove.

Cool theatre in one of the towns we drove through.

This photo is not zoomed! This is how close the buffalo got to the car.

AHHH I'm going to blow away.

Myles on Mt. Scott in Lawton

"I think I can see our house."

You can't tell but I was trying to take a picture of the windmill farm.

Oklahoma is so beautiful. We want to go back when everything is green.

Mount Scott before we went up.

What I've been up to...

So it's been almost 6 months since my last post and there has been a lot happening in the Davidson household. Those of you who know me know that I love to tell stories through pictures so I will spread my catch-up through several posts.

• I lost my job this past October. I worked for a non-profit that unfortunately felt the strain of our wonderful economy. But I'm happy to say that after 4 months of searching I found a job that I LOVE! We'll get there I promise.
  
• Our beloved Poppy Troy passed away after battling cancer. We miss him sooo much.
• Jenica moved to Florida. I still can't bring myself to read a note she left me because I cry every time I think about it.
• My friend Kate is having a baby! 
• My baby sister is moving to California :( Boo
• My older sister is moving to Tulsa. 
• We finally got rid of that nasty tree in our front yard. I'm sure it doesn't sound like a big deal to you but it was to us.
• Myles started a new job!!!!!

First, let's back up a few months. This past December Myles and I traveled to NYC with Myles' parents for some R&R and a little Christmas shopping.

Macy's!!!!!! I wanted to skip through the store like a little kid but I didn't want to embarrass Cindy.

Alexander Hamilton's grave outside of Trinity church. This is the church in National Treasure and also where the firefighters slept during the 911 recovery efforts.

This is the front of the New York stock exchange.

In this picture I'm grabbing the bull by the horns but my husband chose to cut me out. Apparently he doesn't get my humor.

Me, Cindy, and Marc on the Statue of Liberty ferry. It was cold!!!! This was also shortly after Myles broke the boat. He he.

Radio City Music Hall the night we went to see the Rockettes.

It was cold and rainy but so worth it. 

This was also the night we heard the little boy yell "Put me down you a*#hole!" to his dad. We laughed about it for a month.

Myles and I in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree. 

He really was excited, but there were a million people there and our shoes were filling up with freezing cold water.

Rockefeller Christmas tree. It was cold and rainy but I think it made the tree look so pretty.

This tree was in the hallway of Radio City Music Hall and was made of thousands of Swarovski crystals. If it would have fit in  my purse I would have stolen it. 

View of NYC from the ferry.

Statue of Liberty at sunset. This picture is just amazing.

Lady Liberty....you are beautiful!

Hire me!

In case you haven't heard I am in the market for a new job. If you know of anyone wanting to hire an brilliant, energetic, and massively creative marketing genius please direct them to www.marilyndavidson.com

Funny how things happen

It's funny that my last blog post was about slowing down and giving more attention to friends and family. Well now I have as much time as I would like to spend with them. Be careful what you wish for :)

Seriously, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. It may drive me crazy but I have no control over what happens in my life. Yes, I have control over whether I'll wear a read or blue shirt today. Or if I'll eat a sandwich or pizza for lunch. But on the grander scale I really have no say. God has a plan and I have to trust that everything will work out.

He has already shown me in several ways this weekend that he is going to take care of me and he is in control. I couldn't control the fact that sitting 3 rows away from me at the OU/TX game was someone who was on my list of people to call for a job, God did that! Or the fact that a friend of our friends who was tailgating with us happened to know the person hiring for the position I had just sent my resume in for. That was ALL God. Or that I received a call from a high school friend this morning who I haven't talked to in almost ten years and she provided yet another opportunity for me to make some money....hello God I know you're there.

Its sad that God has to knock me on my butt to get me to shut up and listen!

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."