I watched the Ally Mcbeal episode Turning 30. It was a good one!! I had forgotten about it but the first time I saw it I was only about 21 so it didn’t resonate as much as now.

1. Comfort yourself with the fact that medical advances continue to improve the length and quality of life. Thirty isn’t as old as it once was! In fact, 30 isn’t old at all and your 30′s promise greater certainty, clarity and understanding about life.
2. Treat yourself to a youthful indulgence. This could be a big night out, a new outfit or even a new car, depending on your budget.
3. Work out and get in good/better shape. You’ll look like you’re in your 20′s!
4. Consider that many people have turned 30 and lived through it. It’s not the end of the world! Indeed, a lot of people will tell you that they finally discovered themselves in their 30s, that life finally made some sense for them. You become more settled with yourself and more directed about the person you are.
5. Remember that 30 is the new 20! You’re still young!

Be thankful that you’re thirty, some people don’t get the chance to even make it to 30, due to illnesses, or bad things that are beyond their control. Ex. = Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, River Phoenix, and Jim Morrison.

~ Terry MacMillan

I believe that as many women over thirty marry out of fear of being alone someday — not necessarily now but some day — as for of love of or compatibility with a particular man, The plan seems to be to get someone while the getting’s good and by the time you lose your looks he’ll be too securely glued to you to get away. Isn’t it silly? A man can leave a woman at fifty *though it may cost him some dough) as surely as you can leavethe dishes in the sink … The you have it to it all over again as if you hadn’t gobbled him up in girlish haste.

~ Helen Gurley Brown

Miranda in Miranda’s sight
is old gray and dirty;
Twenty-nine she was last night;
This morning she is thirty.

~ Ogden Nash

Now there is time and Time is young.

~ May Sarton

 When asked how she feels about turning 30 years old next year, the “Ghost Whisperer” star (Jennifer Love Hewitt) replies, “I’m so excited! It’s my dream age. I don’t know why but, literally, since my 12th birthday I’ve wanted to turn 30.”

She adds that “there’s nothing more graceful or elegant than the beauty of a female when she has figured out who she is,” and that she wants to be with 500 people she doesn’t know on her birthday next year.

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.

Tomorrow I will begin the fourth decade of my life. This is my last day of being 29.

For the most part I’m ok with it. Age is just a number and blah blah blah. I mean the only thing worse than turning 30 is not turning 30 right? I’m here and I’m alive so what’s not to be happy about? Well I have so many good things in my life but I want to be able to enjoy them better. I want to feel better about them, physically and emotionally.

Right now because of symptoms I experience daily I cannot fully enjoy life. Everything I do feels like a big chore. I am waiting for a moment where I can just rejoice in what I have accomplished and all of the good things that are waiting to come.

When I was a child 30 was ancient. It was unfathomable that I would or could be that age. What it would be like to be that age was a fantasy. I had a totally different idea of what it would feel like to be doing the kinds of things I am now, working, having a relationship, living in my own place, etc. Now it is reversed. The fantasy is to be a child again. To step back into the world where everything is unknown, where each day is a different adventure. But then I do remember some of what that feels like it and I don’t know that I would want to go back even if I could. If I could go back to the child version of myself what would tell her about what life in the future is like? I’m not sure because I’m still discovering it myself and it’s not entirely pretty.

Often I have the sudden feeling that I don’t know how I got here. A serious of choices and decisions have led me to this moment right here where I am sitting at this computer and writing this. I am living in a townhouse in Toronto with my boyfriend and two cats. This is something I wouldn’t have imagined a few short years ago yet somehow it’s happened. I have a good job where I have just been given more responsibility and I am headed in a good direction after suffering serious career defeat just two and a half years ago. So when can I enjoy it instead of always feeling like if I stop to breathe for one moment that it is all going to collapse around me like a house of cards? I feel always as though I am a step behind and failing now matter how hard I work. At home I feel the same as the house is never clean enough and we’re eating out more and more when we don’t have energy to cook. We think about having kids but I worry that I won’t be a good mom and that I’ll be responsible for screwing up the lives of one (or more) children. I can’t even look after things properly now so how will I look after kids? If these feelings aren’t enough to get me down there are many other obstacles that keep appearing to try to bring me and everyone else down further. I was extremely pissed off yesterday when I went to get my new license sticker and discovered that this new Personal Vehicle Tax is $60. This is only required for Toronto residents and it’s just been added as a yearly tax paid when renewing your license sticker. There is no indication as to where this money is going, why we have to pay it, or any of the reasoning behind it. I had heard they were adding a new tax but I didn’t know it would be $60 I mean honestly. Now owning a car is truly a luxury reserved only for the wealthy especially in Toronto with the extra cost we pay for insurance and now this tax. In general it is becoming prohibitively expensive for everyone with the cost of fuel. Plus I’m still making car payments. There is no way that I can get ahead financially with the rising costs of everything. Owning a home, especially in Toronto, is becoming a distant dream. I am banished to renter’s hell. I want to move back to Kitchener-Waterloo but now I’m being given more opportunities at work so I want to stay in this job. But the cost of living here is scaring me more and more. There is no way I can do the drive again and there is no way I could afford that either. It’s a clusterfuck. And scarily I am one of the “lucky ones” in that I could get a car and an apartment in the first place. That I have a job at all. That I am living here. That I am living. I know, I know that there are people who would wish to be in the position I’m in, that there are others in far worse situations, that I shouldn’t complain. But I think I do have reasons to complain especially since our government is being run by a bunch of morons who are doing stupid things with taxpayer’s money and they are in a position to make things better for others like me and people in every type of financial situation. If they stop doing stupid things like calling elections just for fun and spending 8 billion dollars on ridiculous things: http://news.therecord.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/410621.

I am tired of people taking advantage of me, imposing things and taking things just because they can. But I don’t know what to do about it. If I see another ad with Stephen Harper talking about his family or his “values” I’m going to hurl. And the election isn’t even officially called yet!! The mute button is my new friend.

It seems that the City of Toronto doesn’t want people to live here. They are raising the costs of things just because it is Toronto. Housing costs have become completely overblown, car costs are becoming ridiculous, and it’s just never-ending.

While looking up the topic of turning 30 I found this article:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/08/AW29789.DTL

It talks about some of the concerns I listed above. It seems I’m not the only one who feels this way but that is not much comfort. We’re all in the same boat but it’s rapidly sinking.

There are some things in the mix that are little aggravations.

But you have brought into my life the people and experiences I need.

Now every day is a party with my best friend.

Drops of Jupitar by Train is such a great song. I mean really any song that mentions Mozart, tae-bo, and soy lattes is pretty unique.

Now I’m growing up, discovering all that is possible, discovering what I’m made of, reflecting on how the past has got me here, hoping for the best, and planning for the future.

Paul is at a commissaire course today. It started yesterday and ends today. It’s so he can become a biking official at events and such. So I’m home alone with the cats. Paul and I are trying to get our new place all organized and clutter free but it’s a real challenge.

I’m listening to music, making egg salad, drinking coffee, and every once in a while wafts of cinnamon scent from the bowl of pinecones, hits my nose.

 See my letter to the moving company the day after my move:

 Hi Jason,
 
I’m unhappy with several things that went on during my move. I noticed when the movers were here that several of my things had nicks and scratches in them that happened during the move, when I mentioned it to them they said that I needed to take that up with the office. Also, I noticed after they left that my armoire is wrecked. The door is half broken off of it. My end table has a nick in the corner of it, one of my shelves has a nick in it and a piece of my entertainment center has a piece missing out of it. Two of these things I actually heard get dropped and Jeff and Ed were aware of the damage that was caused during the dropping of these items. I’m enclosing pictures of these things.Also the move took way longer than estimated. They were blaming it on the elevator and the walk but it also took a long time for them to wrap everything. It was practically the full estimated time just to wrap all of my items. So the estimate should have accounted for more time to wrap everything given the fact that you probably know generally how long it takes to wrap these items. Also I don’t think that the level of wrapping they did was necessary. They covered everything with tape, and the tape that they took off they left for me in a big pile on my floor. I believe they should have cleared their garbage away when they left. Also I was not aware of the fact that i needed to pay for the tape at $3 a roll. Also when they were removing the tape they asked me for a knife to cut it. Now I think this is something they should have and not something that should be provided by me. I didn’t have one as all of my things were packed up because I was moving! So they were ripping the tape with their hands which takes more time and is harder on their hands.Also, Jeff needed to leave part way through the move which I understand because of the family emergency but before he left and before Ed came he was on the phone a lot of the time to the office and what not. During this time he was not doing much work toward my move, Nick was doing most of the wrapping during this time. I’m sympathetic to the fact that Jeff needed to leave but I don’t think it’s fair that I should be paying that much for really only 1 person during work for a chunk of the time.

Also, I realize that the elevator in my building is small and they complained about this several times but when I asked them if other elevators were better they said that most elevators were the same. So they should be aware of this and prepared for this as movers. Also that should be factored into the moving estimate based on the fact that I have an elevator and it’s the same size as most elevators. Yes, other tenants use the elevator but it was not busy with many others during the time at all. So I don’t believe that the other tenants in my building were a factor.
 
Also Nick was doing most of the wrapping and he said a few times that he hasn’t done it much before and knows that he’s slower at it. Now I understand that people need to learn but it’s not fair that I have to pay for someone who’s slower and taking longer. Maybe if its a flat rate but not when I’m paying by the hour. 
 
I was sympathetic to their issues with the weather, Jeff’s dad, the elevator etc but at the same time I don’t believe it needed to take that long. And in spite of the wrapping they did some of my stuff still got damaged and they didn’t even seem to care.
 
They kept complaining about how tired they were which I understand but at the same time this is the line of work they are and it’s tiring. I was feeling bad for them but in reflection I shouldn’t feel bad because they are movers and I’m paying them to move my stuff. That’s what they do. I wouldn’t want to do it either and that’s why I’m not a mover. Plus I was concerned about how long it was taking because I needed to be out of my apartment on that day and return the key to the office by 6 pm but the move wasn’t done then. I called my rental office and they said I could return it the key the next morning so I was lucky there.
 
Also when Ed arrived Jeff spent some time explaining to him how to do the bill but still when it came time to do the bill he called the office for explanation on how to do it. So this was double time spent on explaining the same thing. Now I understand that if someone is not familiar with the bill system they need to learn but again it’s not fair that I need to pay for their education time. Also I had done the pre-authorization slip with Jeff and Ed had been told about this. But at the end I had to remind him that I had already done this and he had to go “find it” because he wasn’t sure where it was when I mentioned it. This was already signed and everything which didn’t give me a good feeling for a few minutes until he found it. I heard Jeff explain to him how important it was to keep that safe so it didn’t fall into the wrong hands.
 
Also they did not attach my headboard or dresser mirror which they had disassembled for the move. Now I know these are simple to put back on but still they had removed them and should be responsible for assembling back. I could do this but not everyone may feel comfortable with having to do this. Then Ed made the callous remark to me that I could just “have my boyfriend do it when he comes over” He probably didn’t mean it in a rude way but still i don’t appreciate the insinuation that as a girl I am not capable of that kind of manual labour. Now by the end of it I didn’t mention all of these issues I had to them because the ones I did mention they just told me to take it up with the office. So that is what I am doing.
 
Early on in the move things were great. I was pleased with the care they were taking in the wrapping and Jeff and Nick were very personable. It was just towards the end when the other issues occurred that I became displeased.
Most of these things I can deal with but the thing that upsets me the most is that some of my stuff is damaged which is something I was trying to avoid by hiring movers. Now I am sympathetic to the fact that accidents happen but I would like some type of compensation for this.
 
Connie

Good evening Connie,

I will have all the issues you’ve mentioned investigated and someone from the office will be in contact with you by Wednesday

I would like to send a two man crew to your home tomorrow morning to assemble the mirror on the dresser and my headboard.   This service will be at no cost to you.

The two men should be able to arrive at your home between 8:30 and 9:00 am

The crew will also check out the access at both locations and take pictures of the items your mentioning.

Looking forward to your reply

Jason M.

Hi Jason,
 
That would work for me. Thank you.
 
I took photos and I was trying to send them but the email was too big and was sent back to me as undeliverable to your inbox. I am going to shrink them down and send them to you in another email.
 
Thanks for your prompt reply. You have been very good to deal with during this and in preparation for the move, so I appreciate that.
 
Connie Allen

Good evening Connie,

I’ve been in contact with you about all the details since day one

I just spoke with both Sergio and Wade and they both indicated that Sergio spoke to you in the hallway just before leaving the 1^st time and clearly indicated to you the process that will take place.  That being he will service the repairs as needed, assess the access at both locations which he did before seeing you and report his findings back to the office.  He has not provided a report yes as all tasks which you’ve noted have not been completed.

We typically don’t give time slots for a service man to come out between 8:30 and 9:00 or between 8:00 and 8:15 as there are outside elements beyond out control that could cause delays which occurred today and Maria contacted you at 8:05 am that Sergio was going to be arriving around 8:30 am if the new time was going to cause you major grief you could have simply asked Maria to reschedule and she would have been more than happy to accommodate.  On day one Sergio logged in on your claim of incident at 9:00 am it took him until roughly 9:30 to photo the halls, elevator, access and walks at building one. and the same at building 2 and knocked on your door at 9:30 but he was on scene at 9:00 am as you were advised.  As mentioned we take all incidents very seriously and need to investigate all aspects of the dispute to finalize a total view of the whole situation.

Your comment “It is now 9:20 and the crew still hasn’t arrived. I called and left a voicemail message. I need to go to work today so I can’t spend too much time here this morning” was only mentioned after the fact no mention that you had to go to work was stated the day prior, if this were the case we could have postponed your appointment until a different day or requested Sergio to visit your home 1^st which is not preferable incase he needs to ask you questions about the access.