new look, same old nonsense.

Things around here have certainly changed. 

Well not really, but hopefully you've noticed that I finally got around to changing the name of the blog and I've given it a logo.  Apparently I'd been unintentionally misleading people for the last couple of years, so I figured it was about time. 

I thought changing the name from Project 29 to 30 - to Project Formerly Known as Project 29 to 30, along with the subtitle, "I did 365 new things before I turned 30 and I'm not done yet," would signify to newcomers that I had already turned 30 and lacked creativity when it comes to blog names.

But I'd constantly get asked, "Are you 30 yet?" and "Are you STILL not 30?," so maybe I wasn't as clear as I thought.  Or maybe people are stupid.   Maybe a little bit of both.

When I turned 32 last month and someone sincerely wished me a happy 30th, I took it as a sign that I could no longer procrastinate making a change.  I enlisted the help of my friend David, a talented graphic designer who helped me figure out what I wanted the new look to be.

There was a lot of discussion over what to call the blog - for sentimental reasons, saying goodbye to Project 29 to 30 was difficult, as it's under that name that I became a blogger. 

 

I started coming up with names on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. I thought my ideas - Spinning my Wheels, Biding my Time, Work in Progress - were pure genius, but when I shared them with others for feedback, I got a lot of disgusted faces and head shakes.  Most of those names conjured up images of laziness or flakiness, my mom pointed out.

"You sound like you don't care," one person said, "Or that you're an idiot." 

I certainly do act like an idiot sometimes, but I'd prefer someone reading the blog not gather that from the title.  Let them get to know me before they draw that conclusion. 

I thought about using my name, and went ahead an bought my domain www.stephaniegallman.com to make it extra legit.  But using Stephanie just felt cheesy - Stephanie Says?  Stephanie Speaks?  Stephanie Sucks?

I kept coming back to the word, "project."  For the sake of consistency I thought keeping that word would make it easier for people to recognize that this is, in fact, the Project formerly known as Project 29 to 30. 

But also because this is my little project, that despite hitting several milestones along the way, remains unfinished.

I hope the words Unfinished Project convey to an audience that as a woman and as a writer, I am forever a work in progress.  Learning and experiencing new things didn't stop when I turned 30 - I'm not done yet.

So, lucky (or unlucky) for you, I'm not really changing the tone of the blog.  I don't think I could if I wanted to.  I'll still share the stories and pictures of me doing fun and ridiculous things.

Like the other day, I was singing that song, "Rumor Has It," by Adele, which basically meant I just kept repeating the words, "Rumor has it," over and over again, when someone said to me, "Is that Bon Jovi?"

"Uh, no.  That was Adele."

Welcome to my Unfinished Project.



Funny enough, the very week I took this blogging thing to the next level, my friend Shelley came to me asking for blogging advice and guidance on how to start her own.  She is a riot and has a super cute family, all perfect for blogging. 

So I guess we could say Day 1114 's thing I've never done before - show someone else how's it done. 
 

pride.

Last week my friend Chuck invited me to the Atlanta Pride Parade in midtown.  Chuck and I are co-conspirators of fun, so I happily accepted his invitation as I shamefully told him I'd never been despite having lived in Atlanta since 2005.

The Atlanta Pride festival has been going on for 42 years and is the largest one of its kind in the southeast. 

I expected a festive environment full of colorful people, elaborate costumes, and fun music and I was not disappointed.  The crowd was lively and so excited to be there and even though I had gone as a spectator, it was difficult not to feel a part of it. 

I didn't expect, however, to feel any kind of deeper emotion.  Yet, when church and other spiritual groups walked by holding signs that said, "I love my gay son," "Love is a family value," and "Jesus loves you just the way you are," the crowed erupted in cheers and applause and I was moved to tears.

Thank God I had sunglasses on - who tears up at Pride?!

Their signs of support reminded me of how much has changed in 42 years, but also how far we still have to go.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of festival freaks and strange people dressed in period costumes - but their weirdness and poor fashion choices had absolutely nothing to do with their sexual orientation.  I've seen way more weirdos at Phish concerts and Dragon Con.

I told Chuck - "I've never worn pants this tight and been surrounded by so many men not checking me out."

But what a good time I had anyway.

Happy Pride!

house divided

When I left South Carolina to attend college at the University of Georgia, I did so not to abandon my Gamecock roots.  I know it sounds crazy for a southern gal, but I wasn't really thinking about football at all.

I never could've imagined what tremendous anxiety growing up the fan of one school and graduating from another would cause me.  But on the eve of the Georgia - South Carolina game, with so much at stake, I am freaking.

The game has literally kept me up at night this week, and when I do finally fall asleep, I dream about the game.

Monday night, South Carolina got beat by UNC Chapel-Hill while my parents and I were at a Neil Diamond concert.  Then after the concert, they went on to completely destroy Georgia and I got pelted with a baseball.

In Wednesday night's dream, Georgia was leading the whole game; I looked away and the game was tied 49-49.  South Carolina beat us in overtime; and then I got into a fight with a Tennessee fan.

Rarely do my dreams make sense, but I don't remember ever dreaming about football games.

This weekend has become both my favorite and least favorite weekends of the year.  I usually spend it with my family and friends - and nothing's better than a fall college football tailgate.  But if the game ends in my favor and I'm happy, it means my family is disappointed.  If I'm disappointed, it's because my family is excited.  

I'm hoping for a good game and solid performances from both teams.  May the best team (Georgia) win.  And if they don't win, may I handle it like the classy, mature adult my Gamecock parents raised me to be.