I'm Feeling 33!

Happy 33rd birthday to me!  In honor of my 33rd, and also the 2nd anniversary of Run, Yinzer, Run, I have a couple of fun new ideas up my sleeve.  Stay tuned next week for some of my new features, but, in the mean time, I wanted to spend the day celebrating and reflecting on 33 accomplishments, facts, and goals from my past, present, and future!


Looking Back - 11 Accomplishments

1. Sept 2012 - Completed the first 5K of my adulthood at the Run For Your Lives zombie 5K.

2. February 2013 - Completed my first half marathon at the Disney Princess Half.

3. May 2013 - Completed my first full marathon at the Pittsburgh Marathon.

4. August 2010 - Accepted a job with Apple, Inc.  Almost 6 years later, this is the longest and happiest I've ever been at a single employer!

5. October 2013 - Became an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician.

6. Spring 2002 - Won an Ossip award for Nonfiction writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

7. 2004-2005 - Served 1 year term with AmeriCorps, focusing on mentoring and tutoring youth in Homestead and Pittsburgh.

8. Fall 2008 - Opened the Propel Andrew Street Charter High School as an instructional aide and founding staff member.

9. September 2013 - Raised over $500 for Team Fisher House to support the friends and family of veterans receiving treatment in VA hospitals.

10. February 2010 - Adopted my dear corgi, Spencer!

11. March 2016 - Celebrated my 6th anniversary with my husband, Greg, and on to many more!

Looking Forward - 11 Goals

12. Complete a triathlon.

13. Run a marathon or half marathon in all 50 states.

14. Expand my volunteer experiences with local animal rescue and youth education nonprofits.

15. Improve my cooking skills, knowledge, and control of my kitchen.

16. Specifically, learn how to cook with beets.  I love beets.  They're a staple of my native Ukranian cuisine.  But I never know how to cook with them!

17. Write a book.  Don't know whether it will be something I share and publish, or just a story for my own reading, but this is a task I've long wanted to complete!

18. Complete the Rachael Carson Trail Challenge - a 34 mile trail event in my hometown.

19. I'd like to finish my Bachelor's degree, but, 15 years post-highschool, I'm still not entirely certain what I want to major in.

20. Raise funds for Parkinson's research and treatment by running as a charity partner with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

21. Participate in an Apple Retail New Store Opening event.

22. Complete the Dirty Dozen bike ride.  Part of me feels that this is a total pie-in-the-sky, unattainable goal, but another part of me really wants to conquer the hills, and complete the ride with my dad!

Past, Present, and Future - 11 Facts

23. I share a lot online about being active, but I spend a lot of time in front of Netflix.  I've seen my favorite shows 30 Rock and Arrested Development at least 5 times each.

24. I love every food except mayonnaise.  And I will even eat that in small quantities!

25. I was born on Friday the 13th and consider it to be a lucky number and lucky day!

26. I don't own a car.  My husband does, but I get 99% of the places I need to go on foot, bike, or public transportation.

27. I made my own wedding dress.

28. I'm currently learning American Sign Language.

29. In my teens and 20's, I had a very hard time managing my anxiety.  As I've gotten older, a handful of techniques, including a focus on exercise, have helped me feel less a victim to that anxiety.

30. Despite the fact that I don't play much any more, I'm trained as a cellist, pianist, and vocally as a soprano.

31. I can read music and sight sing.

32. I'm always warm when I sleep at night, no matter the temperature.

33.  I've had childhood birthday parties at ChiChis, The Ground Round, and Pizza Hut.  As an adult, my most recent birthday was celebrated at Primanti Brothers.



Happy shared birthday to Stevie Wonder, Bea Arthur, Dennis Rodman, Stephen Colbert, Lena Dunham, Joe Louis, Iwan Reheon, Richie Valenz, and all you other magical May 13th birthdays!