Monday, June 4, 2012

49! Or, One More Year Until I Need to Change My Blog Sub-Header!

First, let me thank you for all the nice birthday wishes on Friday's post - between that and Facebook, I felt very spoiled!  Which was especially nice since our cell phone carrier (Sprint) went down on Friday, stayed down over the weekend, and I didn't get to actually talk to my kids or my parents. ::shakes fist at Sprint::

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I started my 49th birthday with a bang on Saturday by going for a long run - but the planned 4.5 miles turned into 4.9 after Julia made that suggestion in the comments of Friday's post.  Great idea, right?  More on that run in the WWU, but here's a picture of me holding Jeff's Garmin (I'd paused mine when we hit a long stoplight just after mile 4 and apparently didn't get it restarted - argh!):
 4.9 on my 49th - love it!

After hanging around for a while, visiting and snacking on watermelon, Jeff and I headed out to Blue Baker for our traditional "after the long run" breakfast - with a twist:
A cinnamon twist, that is!  What can I say - it was my birthday and it looked good.  I was nice and split it with Jeff, though.

By the way?  Watermelon, coffee, coconut water, an egg bagel sammie and half a cinnamon twist?  Bit much...I'm just sayin'.

The rest of the day was relaxing - we had a nice dinner out planned, so I hoped I could hold out and not really have lunch, but around 1:00 I was starving.  So we zipped out for a little lunch and a lot of iced tea, and then I opened my presents - yay!  Jeff gave me some cool packing cubes for travel (my mom and Sam have these and love them), and my parents gave me jewelry - a gorgeous necklace AND some beautiful aquamarine earrings!  Plus a nice check, which will be great mad money for when I go to California next month.
 
 Suitcase organization and nicely folded shirts, here I come!
Pretty earrings, pretty necklace - love them!

Oh, and this card that my parents sent just cracked me up:
(I wonder if it's easier to fix your mistakes in Wii Knitting?)

Jeff and I got dressed up and went out to a nice dinner - I was so excited to be able to finally wear these shoes, as I couldn't wear them at all last year because my ankle hurt with any kind of heel:
Along with the thrill of wearing the platform wedges came the additional fun of being tall...I swear, it's a totally different world, going from 5'1" to about 5'4"!

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You know, some people might feel apprehensive about getting so close to the age of 50, but not me.  I made some major life changes in my forties - not ready to go into details on one, but age 40 held a significant change, and then another at age 45, when I started my last diet.  It's been a pretty amazing decade, and I just want to put it out there that it's never too late to make some positive changes in your life.  Quite honestly, on my 40th birthday, I was not a happy person...about six months later, I took a chance on making a change, and while it wasn't easy, it was absolutely worth every tear, every bit of angst, all the money, and all the daily challenges...which later on made losing over 100 pounds not seem quite as difficult.  For my last year of this fabulous decade, I plan on enjoying the benefits of all the work I put into these major changes - taking the time to appreciate everything that I can do now, and having a blast along the way!

38 comments:

  1. xooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
    and lOVE.
    Ive been refreshing your blog as I worked this morning in eager anticipation.
    YOU MAKE 49 look awesome and enticing.

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    1. Thanks...enticing like "come to the dark side, we have cookies"??

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  2. That card is hilarious :)

    Looks to me you had your birthday as a birthday is celebrated: doing fun things all day long. And you are spoiled, I love the necklace and the earrings.

    I agree that it's never too late to make changes in your life. Between 32 and 41 I wasn't that happy with my life either but now I am and I hope to say that this decade will be my best to when I hit 49.

    Here's to at least 50 more years in good health Shelley.

    And let me finish by saying you look stunning in that dress and the shoes.

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  3. oh you are totally awesome :)

    what a great feat you have accomplished and you look stunning in that dress & the platform heels :)

    your fan from india!

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  4. *Ahem* *Cough* Aquamarine is my birthstone if you ever get tired of those earrings. Just saying ;)

    Your birthday breakfast killed me... and reminded me of my mother. When we take her out she order every. single. thing. she wants, even if she doesn't eat it all! I say kudos especially since it was your birthday.

    You look just gorgeous in your dress up outfit - and fit and healthy - and NOT 49!!

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    1. I actually employed your mom's method with my dinner - had an appetizer, the meal and dessert but didn't finish anything. So good that way!

      P.S. You are gonna have to pry those earrings from my cold dead hands...they are THAT gorgeous! ;)

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  5. What a wonderful birthday Shelley! Love that you went the extra .4 to get 4.9 miles in - woot!

    And love the last outfit - you look beautiful! I am with you on wearing high heals. I go from 5.2 to 5.5" and it's a whole new world!

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  6. It looks like you had a great birthday weekend. Happy belated birthday. I love the earrings. Last year I was anticipating (actually a little terrified) about turning 50. That is when I decided to turn my life around and get healthy. You have done really great and had a 10 year start on your lifestyle changes. I know it is never too late, but feeling the way I do now, I wish I had done it sooner.

    That Wii knitting is too funny. I think that is about the only way I could manage to knit!

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    1. Somehow I think if Wii actually had a knitting game, I'd still mess it up!

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  7. What a great birthday day! LOL on a different world in wedge shoes --ahhh those were the days. Does madmoney mean a trip to a yarn shop in CA?

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  8. Sounds like a great Birthday Shelley.
    Loved the card, that's hilarious!

    And I must say that the dress you are wearing is perfect for you. The fit the color, you look gorgeous!

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  9. What a great post!! You have a wonderful attitude!

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  10. You are my inspiration - sometimes I feel like I've waited too long to make changes, but you are proof that it can be done!! Thanks!! :)

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  11. you looked so lovely for your birthday dinner -- those shoes are hot! but you also look so cute and happy in your running pics. you are just lookin' good all around, shelley!

    the wii knitting card is unreal, and perfect for you!

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  12. Awesome birthday! I love the 2-fisted drinks - coconut water and coffee. My kind of drinking :D

    It really is never too late to change or to still keep changing. Bravo to you Shelley!

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    1. LOL - those drinks are right up your alley, and another reason why, *when* we finally meet, it will have to be in a coffee house!

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  13. So happy to hear you had a great birthday! I can only hope I'm as content as you as I ease into my late forties!

    As a fellow shortie, aren't you so happy wedges are in???? I'm buying lots of them while they are "in style" and readily available!

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  14. Absolutely loving the wedges...plus it brings me back to my high school days of wearing them!

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  15. Happy Belated Birthday! Like fine wine you are getting better and better with age. Keep rockin on! Cheers!

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  16. Love the dress and glad you can wear those fun shoes, it is funny how just a few inches makes a huge difference since we are both short! :)

    Happy Happy Birthday!!!!

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  17. My fellow Gemini girl! Happy happy birthday!

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  18. Happy Birthday! Looks like an awesome 49th :).

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  19. HA! Love the card! I love how you decided to spend your birthday. And yep...there's no point in getting freaked out about 50 (it's happening to me in less than six months). I say BRING IT!

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  20. Did you hear? 50 is the new 35? And 60 is the new 40! happy b'day ! Keep running.

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  21. Oh Shelley, I'm only now catching up on your last couple of posts. BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! Sending a BIG hug your way!!! I have the big 5-0 looming soon...most days I have the "bring it on" mindset, but for those other fleeting few days I hear "THIS is your life at 50??" in my head. BUT..it is NEVER too late to make changes...and you are an inspiration in turning your life around. Yay YOU!!!! Have a happy Monday.

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  22. Happy Birthday! I hope to be half as successful as you during this decade of my forties. Oh, and I love those shoes. You looked great all dressed up for your birthday dinner.

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  23. Happy birthday, Shelley!!! Love the birthday run. You have had an amazing decade. Can't wait to see what you have planned next. :)

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  24. Happy Birthday blogger twin ;-) Sounds like you had a great day, me too! I feel the same way, I'm not afraid of 50 at all. Bring it on baby!! I just wish I could have felt this great at 39 as I do at 49. All those years of being overweight and out of shape. But we can't go back just forward, right?

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  25. Happy Birthday blogger twin ;-) Sounds like you had a great day, me too! I feel the same way, I'm not afraid of 50 at all. Bring it on baby!! I just wish I could have felt this great at 39 as I do at 49. All those years of being overweight and out of shape. But we can't go back just forward, right?

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  26. Happy belated birthday! I have to say that you look absolutely stunning! Thank you for the supportive comment, I really appreciate it. :)

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  27. I can't believe I neglected your birthday. waaah

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