50 Books

I love to read. Loooooove it. When I was a kid I read all the time, sometimes I'd even get into trouble for reading too much. As I got older, I got busier, and the reading slowed down. By the time I got to college, I pretty much had to eliminate reading for fun. Mostly because when I get hooked on a book, I won't do anything else until I'm done. This proved to be not very compatible with my classload. Now, I'm not in school anymore, I have a little more free time on my hands, and I'm rediscovering my love for books.

One of my 101 in 1001 goals is to read 50 books in that time. I have no idea if this is a reasonable goal, if it will be really easy, or unattainable. But it sounded like a good fun number, so there ya go! I will keep track of everything I have read since June 11, 09 here.

1. Taking Lottie Home by Terry Kay
2. High Five by Janet Evanovich
3. Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
4. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
5. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
6. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
7. The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
8. Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund

101 in 1001

I've seen this idea floating around for a while now: 101 Things to do in 1001 Days. About a month ago, during a boring day-long meeting with no internet access, I decided to make my own list. And put in a decent effort at completing it. Some of the goals are a little silly, some quite serious. There are 1 or 2 that you might even say I have no control over. A few have random durations assigned to them, not because that's all I want to accomplish, but rather to define a measurable goal that can lead to habit changes.

The list was started on June 11, 2009, so I'm going to count that as my starting point. A few items have been tweaked since then, and I reserve the right to do a little more tweaking in the future. It's my list so I can do whatever I want :) Anyway, my 1001 days end March 8, 2012.

First, some basic info about the idea, then my list.

The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Finished (2 of 101)
In Progress
Not started

1. Create a website for spachulas
2. Be hired for an event by someone we don’t know
3. Create a wedding album
4. Renovate the bathrooms
5. ‘finish’ unpacking
6. Go to Africa
7. Start volunteering somewhere
8. Read a nonfiction historical book
9. Eat dinner at home every day for 2 weeks
10. Tell my grandparents I love them
11. Write a letter and mail it each month. (0 of 33)
12. Weigh less than my husband
13. Finish crocheting my blanket
14. Knit gifts for everyone at Christmas
15. Learn to knit in the round
16. Learn how to shoot in manual mode on my camera
17. Take a romantic weekend trip with my husband
18. Repaint the living room
19. Make a lease for our renters
20. Run in another 5k
21. Sign up for a class at a community college
22. Take a bubble bath with wine
23. Go on a backpacking trip
24. Move the piano to our house
25. Go to church every weekend in a month
26. Plant a garden
27. Make salsa solely from the garden
28. Start TTC, or at least have a plan
29. Relearn Rachmaninoff
30. Get a business license
31. Get employee of the month
32. Finish the FAS model project
33. Lead an ERB
34. Buy a suit
35. Learn 5 new crock pot recipes
36. Go on a 20 mile bike ride
37. Track food in sparkpeople for 1 month
38. Finish a new cross stitch
39. Go on a US vacation each year
40. Go swimming in the ocean
41. Buy disability insurance
42. Sneak into a movie
43. Read 50 books (8 of 50)
44. Blog more regularly – 50 new posts (4 of 50)
45. Write a comment to every friend on facebook
46. Apply for something
47. Have a board game night
48. Host a mystery dinner
49. Help someone else move
50. Give away something that I could’ve sold
51. Get my car windows tinted
52. Learn to make a roux
53. Use coupons every week for a month
54. Pick 5 charities to donate to each year
55. Sing in the shower
56. Make my own cheese fries
57. Go to the gym twice a week for 2 months
58. Take a walk in the rain
59. Build a snowman
60. Hike on a glacier
61. Pray in 15 different churches
62. Read 5 books of the bible
63. Reassess the market and selling my house
64. Whiten my teeth
65. Visit 2 friends out of state
66. Go to the everglades
67. Go to lakeridge winery
68. Sing Christmas carols
69. Get money back for Portugal tiles
70. Take new pictures in my wedding dress
71. Learn to sew
72. Make a scrapbook from old pictures
73. Learn 5 ways to cook fish
74. Try 5 new restaurants around our house
75. Blow up and frame wedding photos
76. Watch my husband’s top 5 favorite movies
77. Take my brother to the movies
78. Go on vacation with in-laws
79. Make cookies from scratch
80. Take a road trip
81. Get up early to go garage sale-ing
82. Have matching aprons made
83. Assemble 24 cookbook
84. Teach Penny to use litter box in garage
85. Make cute baby gift for friend’s new baby
86. Go to a UF football game
87. Renovate the florida room
88. Get 6 new stamps in my passport
89. Get 2 more astronaut signatures (1 of 2)
90. Try 5 foods I’ve never tried before
91. Listen to a book on tape
92. Go 2 weeks without tv
93. Spend a whole day in pj’s watching tv
94. Develop a mail filing system
95. Treat our parents to dinner
96. Go one month without fried food
97. Go one month without alcohol
98. Create a will
99. Hike 100 miles
100. Create a family budget
101. Write a new 101 in 1001 list

I bought a plane ticket today

And then I cancelled it. And then I bought another one. Super exciting story huh? I've been trying to get up to Baltimore one weekend this month and the flights keep changing on me. One minute there will be nothing available, then the next everything is on sale, then by the time I go to buy it it's not there anymore. sooooo frustrating!


So this morning I stupidly just bought the first thing that looked decent, without checking the other airlines first. Luckily, it was with southwest so it was easy to cancel. Props to Southwest for having a friendly cancellation policy.

I bought my new ticket on airtran. In addition to the better price and better flight times, I had recently seen this promotion which gives you $25 off any flight to or from Florida. Check it out if you're looking for something like that.

Why am I going to Baltimore you ask? To visit my friend Laura of course, who currently has a little peanut growing in her belly. I am so super excited for her!!! woohoo for new babies :) Here's a picture of her helping me set up for the wedding.

Coke

Coca Cola, oh how I love thee...
There is nothing I love more about my mornings than the soft pop of a new can being opened, and that beautiful cool refreshing first sip. mmm......

not pepsi, not diet coke, none of those imposters.

But, I think I'm going to give it up, at least for a little while. I know, this is like the terror of terrors. But I have plans, big plans, like this:

We will be camping and hiking in the beautiful Alaksa wilderness for several days. And I won't have access to any of my precious cokes. I'm terrified of withdrawal, of the headaches that I know will come. But as much as it sucks to go through that, I don't want to go through that while I'm here:

I have no idea how I'm going to do this. I have no idea if I even can do this. But I'm going to try. Wish me luck.

i had an ultrasound

just my doctor checking on things, no i'm not pregnant.

yeah they told me to drink 32oz of fluid before i got there. yeeeeahhhh... they ended up making me drink about 90 oz of water in about 40 minutes. it was seriously the most uncomfortable thing i've ever been through. and then throughout the ultrasound they are pressing on your bladder. argh. i was seriously in tears by the end of this. acording to the tech, who really didn't want to tell me anything, there's nothing wrong. i'll find out the rest next week.

i just don't get it...

marriage takes a lot of work. marriage is tough. marriage requires compromise. all things i heard and knew before actually entering into it. but really, i dont think i had any clue what those meant. and i'm sure i'm only just hitting the tip of the iceberg. we've been married for 3 months. and we are learning and adjusting everyday.

but i swear there is one thing about darren that i just dont understand and i dont know if i'll ever get it. he is the kind of guy who if he's said it once, it doesn't need to be said again. ever. like, for example, "you're beautiful". or even "i love you". seriously, you think since you've told me you love me once you never have to tell me again? ever? really? i cannot for the life of me wrap my head around that one. are we really supposed to go for the rest of our lives without telling each other, without hearing from the other, that we love them?

obviously there's more to loving someone than just saying the words. but if i'm going to live with you for the rest of my life, you'd darn well better plan on saying those words.

No it is not it is a space shuttle

I remember back when I first started working, I couldn't get over how cool it was to travel for work. I mean, they pay for my airfare, they put me up in a fancy hotel, they give me a rental car, and then they even give me money for food. what could be better, right? Well I think I am finally reaching the point where I am getting tired of it like everyone else in my office. In the past month I have been to Denver twice, Atlanta, and El Paso. And I just found out I'm going to CA next week. I am so sick of planes. My body aches a little even thinking about sitting on that flight. I miss homecooked food. I miss spending time with my husband and friends.

The one bright side is the reason I am going. Most work trips are for incredibly boring meetings. This one will also involve some snooze-inducing meetings, but the primary purpose is to work our next launch. Which is cool. It's one of the few things I actually like about this job.

just what the doctor ordered

tonight i ran myself a nice hot bath, poored a glass of cabernet sauvignon, and settled in with a good book. what more could you ask for?

Penny!

We finally adopted a kitty last week. She has been hanging around the neighborhood for several months now, ever since her previous owners moved and left her behind. She is just the sweetest cat, and it didn't take long for us to fall in love with her and want to take her in. We took her to the vet to get her checked out and get shots and everything, and it looks like her previous owners had her declawed, but not fixed, and then left her. how awful!

this is seriously the friendliest car I have ever met. when she was living outside, she would run up and greet us at our cars whenever we pulled in the driveway. she follows us around everywhere and comes when we call her.

This is our first cat, and she's going to live at Darren's house for the time being, since that's where i'll be moving after the wedding. Here are a few pictures!

Little Leah

As part of a project I'm working on for the wedding, I've been collecting old pictures of me from throughout my childhood. Man I was a cute kid! haha! Here are some favorites.