Email sent to friends and family on my birthday:

It's my birthday today (a cool three dozen), and I got to thinking about the things that I've lived through in the past year. I normally don't do this, but for some reason I got to thinking, and well - when I get to thinking I also get to writing and this is the result.

Within this last year:

• Changed my last name back to my maiden name of Absher. This was my birthday present to myself last year, but it took about a month to become official so it goes in this year's list of things I've done.
  
  
• My daughter turned 16. I remember being 16 - and her father was my first "official" date. Wow I can hardly believe it.
  
  
• I traded in my silver 2001 Impala for a maroon 2004 Impala. Also met a pretty neat car salesman (I know, hard to beilieve ;-) ) that keeps me up nights (no, not THAT way....)
  
  
• Found three more gray hairs. Really! My mom gave me a birthday card when I turned 30 that was an old woman lamenting that you're truly old when your daughter starts complaining about gray hairs. Well I haven't started complaining yet, but it does seem weird to see my own.
  
  
• Took my daughter on a two-week road trip from my home in Salem, Oregon to Stillwater, Oklahoma and back. My daughter drove some of the way. We went to visit my extended family on my dad's side. Before my grandfather's funeral in November 2003, I hadn't seen them in 20 years or so. This trip was an odyssey of sorts - get to know both my daughter and my extended family, as well as other learning events along the way. I regret those missing 20 years, but I also am delighted to have known them once again. I plan another visit soon.
  
  
• Saw "Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera" (movie) twice in the movie theater. Despite what the critics say, I absolutely loved this movie. The DVD is on my "must own" list.
  
  
• Got a promotion at work, sort of. I'm now "lead worker" of the help desk team. While I enjoy the 5% salary premium, it's not always candy & roses.
  
  
• Joined Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) and have helped "save the planet" in my little corner of the world.

That's enough for now. Basically I just wanted to say thank you for the
part you played in my life this last year, whether small or large. TTFN.

Allison
A Truly Remarkable Woman
Searching for my MIP