List of the Day - New Things and Change

For me, it's not the act of changing or experiencing new things that I'm afraid of. It's the unknown. What if I don't like it, what if I fail, what if things are better the way they already are. I've been making it a point to do new things lately. Here are some of them:

1. Thai Food. I never wanted to try it before. I'm a steak and potatoes kind of lady, and that's just what I like. My best friend likes all difference types of food, so when he asked me last week if I wanted to go for Thai with him, I figured what the heck. I must say, on the whole I wasn't impressed. It was edible, but not something I would choose on my own. The highlight of the meal? The Thai Iced Coffee. Yummy!!! There was something else I liked, too, but I can't remember the name of it.

2. Rented a suite downtown. I have never done anything like that before, but spoiling myself just for the night was worth it. The hot tub was a blast and the two-room suite was magnificant. It was worth every dollar.

3. Weber's Grill. I've walked by it hundreds of times because it's a few blocks from my office. I love steak and wanted to try it. The atmosphere was nice, the waiter was nice, the wine closet was beautiful, but the food was only mediocre. I can't say I'd try it again, but the company was good. I just don't think the experience was worth the hour and twenty minute wait.

4. A family birthday party for my child and not inviting my ex-husband. This is kind of big for me. Since the divorce, I've always taken care of everything for my ex-husband and included him and his family in every holiday or every gathering. And why? Because I felt guilty. It hit me, finally, the other day. WE ARE DIVORCED!!!! I am not obligated to invite him or his family to anything. If they want to have something for one of the kids, then they need to do it. I shouldn't have made my family and my boyfriend and, most importantly, MYSELF, uncomfortable because I had some misappropriated sense of guilt.

5. A new train station. I took the train from the "new" station yesterday for the first time. I have been commuting downtown off and on for 8 years. Yesterday was the first time EVER that I have gotten off the train and been happy. I didn't worry about my car all day. I didn't have an annoying train ride with loud voices talking on their cell phones and ring tones with what I feel is inappropriate music blasting. I got off the train and didn't have to walk through a dirty street/parking lot wondering if I was going to get run over or propositioned. It was a very good experience, and I'm glad I made the decision to change my train station.

6. Getting my oil changed. My ex-husband is a mechanic and he has been taking care of my cars for 9 years. Even after we got divorced, he was the only one I would let work on my car. I swore up and down it's only because he's the only one I trust. That is partially true. But more of the truth is that I was too set in my ways and too cheap to find a new mechanic. Tomorrow I'm going to take my car to a Jiffy Lube or somewhere and have my oil changed. And you know what? I can do this.

7. Redfish. It's a bar/restaurant across the street from my work. I never thought about trying it because it looked pretty dingy from the outside. I went in yesterday for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised. I sat at the bar because I was alone and didn't want to take up a whole table to myself. The bartender was nice, friendly and more than happy to offer her suggestions. The place has a New Orleans theme to it. The best part is they have sweet tea. Being originally from Tennessee, it's hard to find places in Chicagoland where you can get sweet tea. You just grow accustomed to drinking it bitter or adding sugar that never disolves. I ordered the crab artichoke dip which is also something new for me. And it was delicious! I think I'll go there for lunch again today.

8. Paying a disgusting amount of money for a pair of jeans. I like nice things, but for some reason I have a problem paying a lot of money for an article of clothing unless it's a pair of shoes. I needed some new jeans and I went to Buckle last weekend. It was one of the best shopping experiences I've ever had. The staff if friendly and helpful without being in your face. They make suggestions and tell you if something looks good or bad on you. I ended up with one shirt, three camis, a sweater and two pairs of jeans without even checking the price tags. When I got home and was removing the tags from the jeans, I discovered that I paid $77 for one pair. Oh well, it was worth it.

9. A horse drawn carriage ride through the City at night. I hadn't done this in years, since my daughter was an infant in fact, and it was wonderful. It was romantic, enjoyable and the weather was perfect. I'd like to do it again when there's a light snow falling and I can be under a blanket.

10. Going to the museum alone. I'm uncomfortable doing things like that by myself. I don't know why. Probably because I'm such a people person. But right now there's no one in my life that would like to go with me, and there's an exhibit that I really want to see, so next Saturday I've decided that I'm going to go the the museum by myself. And I've decided that I'm going to have fun doing it, too.