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June 05, 2003

32 ways to today

1. In a pink dress with a little curl.
2. Learned to read via Sesame Street, Electric Company.
3. Climbing up the rails of grandma's stairway, being scolded asking why I do it when I've been told not to... "My heart made me do it."
4. Caught chicken pox weeks before my brother was born. My other grandmother came to stay with us and she wouldn't let me play in the wading pool (hot hot July) because my sister had it--she wouldn't listen to my argument on fairness, in that she got to play in the pool while I was sick.
5. Only kid who could read in kindergarten. The teacher, Mrs. Magnus, used to make me do the storytime so she could get a break. She used me--smart teacher. They took Stephanie, my best friend, out of my class because we fought so much.
6. First grade, favorite student of Mrs. Miner in a brand new school. They moved me to 4th grade reading books right away.
7. Second grade, when I met Joel, who, until I moved to the East coast, was my only knowledge of Jewish kids...he was an oddity. He didn't celebrate Christmas and he could take out his glass eye and show everyone.
8. I fell in love with a little boy named Chris. At the end of the school year, Mt. St. Helens lost her top and we were out of school for 3 weeks and had to wear surgical masks for a good two months so we wouldn't breathe in ash. It was piled up high on the sides of the road like plowed snow.
9. Mrs. Ellis was the worst teacher I ever had. She used to space out in front of class, let us self-grade our SRAs and let us look at the gradebook whenever we wanted. I can't tell you how many F's for not turning in my homework that I drew a line across to change to A's...
10. I went through a phase where I thought no one liked me at all. Self-fulfilling prophecy that was. Straight A's and won every VFW essay contest there was. 4th place in regional spelling bee. I was teased because every year when the lists of words came out, I studied them religiously.
11. I went from no one liking me to being fairly popular, mostly because I was good friends with the popular girl, BJ. I started my period that summer. I skipped the training bra.
12. Marching band--Trumpet..Yes yes, band geek.

Read on for...

13. Played every sport available to me, softball, basketball, volleyball. Still a band geek.
14. Moved to the big junior high school in town. Space Shuttle Columbia blew up. An ex-nun was my geometry teacher. My Duran Duran mania was full-throttle.
15. Moved to Boise, within the space of a month had great new friends, new boyfriend, was popular, all set. Within three months, when it became plain that I wouldn't convert to Mormonism, I lost them all. Joined the school newspaper and became a geek there.
16. Adopted punk-rock, waver, bat-caveism. Best friend is gay. Was at the new high school, editor of the paper (usually reserved for seniors). My father and I stopped talking to each other because I wouldn't tame down my look.
17. Senior, lots of good friends, barely any of whom go to my Mormon high school, editor of paper, AP English, father still not talking to me, my mom a wreck because I'm going away for college. After I graduated, I went back and saw Mrs. Miner, twelve years later. She had a book of her first class--pictures of people that I still knew.
18. First year at college, journalism scholarship, family in shambles because of money and some serious life issues that won't be divulged here. Roommate is gorgeous and looks like a young Kirstie Alley. None of the phone calls are for me. Discovered radio.
19. Switched major from journalism to English. Became Music Director of station, which begins to absorb my life. Free CDs, concerts, backstage passes, what more could you want.
20. Program Director of station. Life consumed by it...met Johnny Rotten, Mick Jones, David Byrne, Michael Stipe, The Posies, Live, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and a bevy of other bands. I loved college.
21. Worked at Virgin Records and at Disneyland. Lived on Newport Beach. Graduated with no fucking clue what I was going to do with my life because being a woman in the record industry was equivalent to being dirt poor. Met my future husband.
22. Married, lived with no money. Had mother-in-law who was, I still believe, evil incarnate. Miserable, unhappy until we moved to Seattle, found some piddly job. Discovered the Internet.
23. Worked for glass and plastic company, then a business telecom firm. Sad, unhappy but didn't know why. Acquired the lover kitty. Main love was being in Seattle.
24. Still working piddly jobs, this time for a mutual company. Separated from husband for six months, but for some reason got back together. He was a really nice guy, what can I say? Moved from Queen Anne to Greenlake area of Seattle.
25. Up and moved to Boston. Life was strange. Was here for 8 months without my husband...I should have told him to stay, but didn't. Job with now defunct software firm, Open Sesame. Began crystallyn.com.
26. Settling in, still at Open Sesame which looked like it was going to be purchased by a company called Bowne. Made fast friends with the rest of the Cubers at that point.
27. Working at Bowne, boss was in Canada, starting to travel for work as I was in charge of all their tradeshows. Boca Raton, Vegas... Still unhappy in my personal life. My sister has her first child, Cameron.
28. Recruited to work at Event Zero. Started with scratch and worked my way into creating the entire department. Finally feel like I have stable friends. Jack is first of cubers to really move away...to New York. Discovered Everquest. Began to spend more and more time online as an escape from how I was going to figure out how to divorce.
29. Pushed out of my job at Event Zero by the new VP (who they fired 3 months later for burning through my $7 million budget frivolously). Divorced in the beginning of the year--he moves back to Spokane. End of the year, met Joe (woohooo!) and went to work for the even more evil boss over at e Maven. Still playing EQ. Misty gives birth to Nicholas.
30. The year of hell. After three months, let go at e Maven and began the year and a half travail of being out of my career. Started temping and consulting to get by. Very depressed, very melancholy. Had neigbors from hell. Landlady raised the rent $300.
31. The year to make up for the year of hell. Landed killer job and was promoted twice in 5 months. Have incredible new apartment. Joe asked me to marry him and six months later, I did--in Vegas. Loverkitty is vocal and happy. My parents finally coming to Boston to visit this year. My new in-laws are AWESOME.
32. We'll see...so far, rain, not traveling like I expected, brand new reddish cherry angioma appeared on my left cheek under my eye. Looks like I cut myself. The sales rep I hate started my day with a shitty email (he's fond of praising you then telling you that it isn't good enough). But to counter that, my oldest Everquest friend, Philip, in Switzerland, sent me a really wonderful uplifting email:

You're not old, get over it. And there is not even a need that I am saying this. You're not old when your bones hurt after two weeks of snowboarding, you're not old when are too tired to go out with friends and rather stay home and have sex or slay some everquest dragons, you're not old when your mom asks you if she is gonna be a granny anytime soon, you're not old while you have your own cool looking webpage and write poetry. I tell you when you are old, you are old when don't like the music your grandson listens to. You're old when you are the only one in town who remembers who Robbie Williams was.

Except that I don't know who Robbie Williams is... ;-) Well, I've heard of him, but what does that mean? I just don't keep up with pop music--it all sounds the same to me. No innovation in music these days, but that's another blog all together.

Otherwise, he's right.

Posted by crystallyn at June 5, 2003 06:35 AM

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Anyone who really knows me also knows that lists, statistics, and 'counting' are Things Reid Likes. The following was inspired by this from Crystal Lyn, and something that happened 45 years ago today. [Read More]

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Comments

A very happy birthday to you, Crystal! (from a shy someone in Croatia who's been reading - and enjoying - your blog and your poetry for 2 years now, also a fellow 32-year-old-to-be in 3 months.)

And no, we're NOT old.

Posted by: Ljerka at June 5, 2003 12:28 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRYSTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Sean at June 5, 2003 01:11 PM

Happy Birthday Crystal! :)

Posted by: Annu at June 5, 2003 02:37 PM

Happy, happy birthday!

Posted by: Sharyl M. at June 5, 2003 02:41 PM

Happy Birthday!

Posted by: Sean at June 5, 2003 03:42 PM

Welcome to 32! Enjoy it - you've got 2/3 of you life left! ;-)

Posted by: niki at June 5, 2003 04:22 PM

Happy Birthday! I also just had my birthday on june 3rd! And to think that after all that's happened in those years, i didn't get a mention. :P Just kidding. :)

Posted by: Bill/Malicin at June 6, 2003 01:21 AM

Happy (belated!) Birthday!!!!!

Posted by: Redpanda at June 6, 2003 09:40 AM

Happy birthday. You're neat even nearly old yet!

Posted by: ancarett at June 6, 2003 10:11 AM

Happy Birthday Crystal!!! I have no idea how to reach you, so please e-mail me back with your contact info. Old Open Sesame Intern Josh. =)

Posted by: Josh at June 6, 2003 12:28 PM

Yikes I missed your actual birthday. I am so sorry. We should go out for drinks to celebrate.

Posted by: paulette at June 7, 2003 11:45 AM