The Dirty Thirty Inventory

I found this this morning at Fumbling Towards Normalcy - Shana stole it from Krysten at After I Do, who stole it from Glamour magazine. As I'm about 9 months from my 30th birthday, I thoght it would be fun to take inventory of the 15 things Glamour says every 30-year-old should have. Here goes:


1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you've come. Half of this is easy. I most definitely have a boyfriend who reminds me of how far I've come. In fact, I have more than one. I definitely don't have one I'd go back to, though. They're all exes for a reason, and I married the man I married because he was nothing like any of them in the greatest possible ways. Call the answer a cop-out, but it's true.

2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by someone else in your family. Check. I've been fortunate enough to have been gifted most of my "adult" furniture, including my bedroom set, couch, and kitchen table. Dan I bought our first custom pieces of furniture earlier this year.

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour. Hmmmm, I've got the man of my dreams outfit covered, but I'm in need of a new business suit. However, if I were to switch careers and some fabulous bakery were to call and want me, I've got aprons. We'll call this one a 75% check.

4. A purse, suitcase, and umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying. Sure. Got it. I've got a number of under-stated handbags. I'm not embarrassed of any of them. I used to travel for work, so I'm set on suitcases. And umbrella? I've got a simple black one somewhere in my car. We don't have much need for them here.

5. A youth you're content to move beyond. Absolutely. The best parts of my life are ahead. Consider me moved on.

6. A past juicy enough that you're looking forward to it in your old age. I wouldn't say I had a scandalous or juicy past as a whol, but I had my moments. I've got some good stories that'll knock my future old lady friends off their rockers, literally.

7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age - and some money set aside to help fund it. Yes, I'm aware I will get old. Dan and I will someday be grandparents and we'll probably wear matching terry track suits at some point. Hard to envision, but it will happen. I've been working on the 401K since I started working 5 years ago, so the money aspect is a WIP.

8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account- all of which no one has access to but you. Check, check, check. Part of this is trust in my relationship. I don't have access to Dan's email, facebook, etc., and he doesn't have access to mine. Our money sharing habits have already been documented. My checking account is mine, and mine alone.

9. A resume that is not the slightest bit padded: I'm fortunate to have gotten great experience and been given a good amount of responsibility so far in my career. No padding needed.

10. One friend who makes you laugh and one who lets you cry. I definitely have more than one of each of these. I may not have a huge group of girl friends, but I have a handful of truly exceptional ladies in my life.

11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra. Surprisingly, the one I don't have is the black lace bra. Hmmmm.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it. Perhaps my car qualifies, though it wasn't terribly overly expensive (it's a car, after all) and I don't feel I deserve it, per se. I'm a cheap-ass, so I don't spend a lot of money on myself. I can't even think of what I would buy that would qualify as "ridiculously expensive." FAIL.

13. The belief that you deserve it. I probably do. I work hard. But I also believe that me AND my husband deserve peace of mind and the house we want to buy with our current sacrifice. Expensive purchases will come in time, and we'll deserve them then.

14. A skin-care regimen, and exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30. Yeah, here's where I fail. I've been blessed with incredible skin, truly. I wash it daily, but I don't do things like exfoliating or facials. I don't exercise. I need to, and now that the weather is nice, I've been taking the pups on longer walks. I always say I'm going to do better, but let's face reality. I suck. As for the "other facets," I'm a believer that a little nip, tuck, and lift later in life can be a wonderful gift of self love for any woman. I know people won't agree, but I'm not opposed to a little rejuvenation in my later years.

15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better. While I don't really know that tax is what I want to do the rest of my life, it does the trick for now and the forseeable future. I have a great marriage with Dan, and by the time I'm 30, I hope some other things will be falling in to place, like a house and a family. I'm off to a good start.

So I didn't do so bad. I've mostly nailed it, but I've got a little bit of room for improvement. I'm certainly further along than 21-year-old me or even 26-year-old me would have believed. My 30's certainly seem to hold some promise.