Holy Slacker-ness, Batman!

I have not abandoned the project, but I did put it on the back burner...and kind of forgot it was simmering back there. It's been kind of a crazy year, but I'm trying to get things back on track, and resuming this project is part of that. After reviewing my goals - sadly, I couldn't remember most of them - I see that I haven't made a lot of progress on them, but I'll do my best to piece together what I can remember accomplishing since March.

***Warning: This is kind of a long one. Apparently, I made more progress than I thought. Plus, I'm long-winded.***

 Goal # 3 (Participate in at least 10 volunteer projects): I helped the NCA Promise (a scholarship program for the local high school) by volunteering at a concession stand during the 4th of July celebration in Hermansville, and helping set up for the annual Halloween carnival. Codi and I went together and adopted a little girl from the Salvation Army's Christmas Angel project, and I'm doing several hours of bell-ringing for their fund-raising campaign as well. I'm also thinking about organizing a book drive for the Hermansville library, but we'll see...At any rate, I've got 4 out of 10 completed.


Goal #9 (Read 5 Biographies/Autobiographies): While I have done a lot less reading than I would have liked over the past several months, I did manage to read a few memoirs recently. "Naked" by David Sedaris was excellent, and I definitely plan to read more of his writing in the future. He's one of the few writers who has actually made me laugh out loud while reading (Thankfully, I was alone in the house at the time, with only my landlady's goldfish to give me funny looks.) The second was "If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)" by Betty White. It had a lot of very short chapters and a number of pictures and was a quick easy read, especially since I adore Ms. White. I also read "Goodbye Jumbo, Hello Cruel World" by Louie Anderson, which I enjoyed as well. I am currently reading "Fat Girl" by Judith Moore, which I am having a few issues with. Not because of the writer's skill, but because her viewpoint bothers me a bit. Still, 3 1/2 out of 5 isn't too bad.


Goal #11 (Book List): I haven't made nearly the progress on this goal as I would have liked. I did read "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, which I really enjoyed, even though it was tough to take at times. I got a good part of the way through "A Farewell to Arms" before setting it aside - I'll probably have to start it all over again. And I have picked up a number of other books from my list, but I keep finding more interesting things to read instead. So right now, I'm at 1/10.


Goal #12 (Movie List): I have watched quite a few new-to-me older movies since I last posted (i.e. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" & "Meet Me in St. Louis") but apparently only 3 of them were on my list - "A Clockwork Orange" (weird as crap), "Singin' in the Rain" (loved it, think I need to buy a copy), and "Gone With the Wind" (Good, but I kind of preferred the book.) Which puts me at 14/20 - so, I'm in good shape on that goal. Of course, that's one of the easiest ones I have.

Goal #19 (Postcrossing): I love this project - I've sent 15 cards (only 13 were registered as received, and I have 2 more that need to be sent out) and I've gotten 15 postcards from all over the place. I want to start an album of my postcards. My profile at Postcrossing can be found here http://www.postcrossing.com/user/ngearhart

Goal #22 (Try 5 new foods): I'm sure I've tried a number of new things, especially since I've been staying with Pasqua, who has much broader culinary tastes than I do, but the only things I can recall at the moment are avocado, which Nancy actually introduced me to, and I like quite a bit, and kale, which I tried at a culinary class at the Bonifas Art Center that I attended with Pasqua. It was not bad, but not something I plan to rush out and buy. Also, I've been trying to be better about eating tomatoes, which I like in sauces and cooked as part of dishes, but not so much when they're raw - this isn't a "new" food for me, but it is a pretty big step for me to voluntarily eat raw tomatoes. Anyhow, with avocado & kale, I've got 2/5 down.

Goal #23 (Eat at 5 new restaurants): While I was in Lansing, a friend took me to supper at a Mexican restaurant called "El Azteca."  No t very high-end place, but really good Mexican food. (1/5)

Goal #29 (See a movie in 3D): I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 3D. This actually wasn't too difficult, since this year has seen the whole 3D movie thing explode. 

Goal #39 (spend a day with each sibling): Codi and I went to Appleton this summer after I won a certificate for a free stay at a hotel there. We went out to supper, had a drink at the hotel bar, hit the mall a couple times, had a lot of fun at this huge arcade near our hotel, and got totally goofy with this stuffed animal that we got at Build-A-Bear. It was a lot of fun, and a time-out that we both needed. I knew Codi'd be the easiest one to accomplish with this goal though - the boys are going to be a bit trickier. But I'm at 1/4 now.

Goal #40 (Visit Sam & Liv): Made another trip to WI this summer for Sam & Herb's wedding, where Codi helped me take pictures. I was very happy to be part of their special day.

Goal #48 (Attend 5 Concerts): Thanks to Roseanna's VIP connections at the casino, I'm WAY ahead on this one. This year I've seen Fab Four (Beatles cover band), Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker, Billy Currington, The Zack Brown Band (Kenny, Kracker, Billy & ZBB were at Lambeau Field together for the "Goin' Coastal Tour"), Randy Travis, and LeeAnn Rimes. Plus, I saw Carrot Top and Ron White perform. Not exactly concerts persay, but I'm counting them anyhow. Add Little Big Town to the mix (mentioned in a previous post), and I'm looking at 8/5 (or 11/5 if you count each of the Goin' Coastal participants separately.)

Goal #50 (Take at least 1 art class): Gotta love the Bonifas for this one. I took a class on triple-strand necklaces this summer, which helped out when I was working on the jewelry for Sam's wedding. I also went to two art appreciation classes, both part of the "I Love the Great Masters" series - one on Portraits and one on Landscapes. Very interesting stuff.

Goal #66 (Meal plan): I managed to create a weekly meal plan that I stuck to once this year, as part of a Diabetes education class I was taking. But hopefully I can get my act together and be better with it once I get myself settled in one living space. So, 1/10.

Goal #68 (Exercise 30 mins 3x week): I began working out at the YMCA's fitness room 3-4 times/week (always for at least 45 minutes) shortly before staring my Diabetes education class, and reduced that to once or twice a week once I started taking water aerobics twice a week (a 45 minute class). An extremely irritating leg infection has kept me away from the Y for the past month and a half, but I'd like to get involved again at some point. Anyhow, I had over 4 months there, but I'm going to be a bit conservative, I'm going to say 16/25.

Goal #71 (Visit downstate Family and Friends): Codi, Jae and I went down to the Finley Family Labor Day celebration, so we got to see pretty much all of the downstate family there, which was awesome. I also got a chance to have supper with Sue Katzman, who has been a friend of the family since I was in elementary school, when I went to Lansing for a work conference.

Goal #75 (Try 5 new mixed drinks): I got a chance to try some of Pasqua's homemade Limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur) which was very good. Not sure that most people would call it a mixed drink, but I'm counting it anyhow. 1/5

Goal #81 (Try 3 types of wine): A local winery provided beverages at the art appreciation classes at the Bonifas, so I was able to try their Cherry Wine and a white wine called C Marie, both of which were very good. I also had a white wine at Dad & Roseanna's wedding, which was NOT very good - in fact, it was pretty terrible, even according to the folks there who like wine enough to drink it on a regular basis. I also got to try some champagne at he wedding, which was MUCH better than the wine. I also picked up a bottle of Sangria, at one point this summer which I enjoyed as well. So I'm 4/3 on this one, but I think I'll be trying more as I go along.


So, I think that about covers it. And I really am going to try to be better about keeping up with this from now on - both by actually working on my goals, and updating things more regularly. Maybe I'll make that this year's New Years Resolution. :)

AFI's 100 Greatest American Films - 2007 List

This is the list that I am basing Goal #12 on. I have seen some of the movies prior to starting this project, and am not including them in the 20 that I am supposed to see as part of my goal. I have marked previously-viewed films in blue, and will mark films viewed as part of "101 in 1,001" in red.

1. Citizen Kane
2. The Godfather
3. Casablanca (1/4/11)
4. Raging Bull
5. Singin' in the Rain
6. Gone With the Wind
7. Lawrence of Arabia
8. Schindler's List
9. Vertigo
10. The Wizard of Oz
11. City Lights
12. The Searchers
13. Star Wars
14. Psycho
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey
16. Sunset Blvd.
17. The Graduate (3/1/11)
18. The General
19. On the Waterfront
20. It's a Wonderful Life
21. Chinatown
22. Some Like it Hot (2/6/11)
23. The Grapes of Wrath
24. E.T. The Extraterrestrial
25. To Kill a Mockingbird
26. Mr. Smith goes to Washington
27. High Noon
28. All About Eve
29. Double Indemnity
30. Apocalypse Now
31. The Maltese Falcon
32. The Godfather Part II
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
34. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs
35. Annie Hall
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai
37. The Best Years of Our Lives
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
39. Dr. Strangelove
40. The Sound of Music (1/28/11)
41. King Kong
42. Bonnie & Clyde (1/8/11)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1/18/11)
44. The Philadelphia Story
45. Shane
46. It Happened One Night
47. A Streetcar Named Desire
48. Rear Window (1/13/11)
49. Intolerance
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
51. Westside Story
52. Taxi Driver
53. The Deer Hunter
54. M*A*S*H*
55. North by Northwest
56. Jaws (2/10/11)
57. Rocky
58. The Gold Rush
59. Nashville
60. Duck Soup
61. Sullivan's Travels
62. American Graffiti (1/27/11)
63. Cabaret
64. Network
65. The African Queen
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (2/4/11)
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
68. Unforgiven
69. Tootsie
70. A Clockwork Orange
71. Saving Private Ryan
72. The Shawshank Redemption
73. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
74. The Silence of the Lambs
75. In the Heat of the Night
76. Forrest Gump
77. All the President's Men
78. Modern Times
79. The Wild Bunch
80. The Apartment
81. Spartacus
82. Sunrise
83. Titanic
84. Easy Rider (2/14/11)
85. A Night at the Opera
86. Platoon
87. 12 Angry Men
88. Bringing Up Baby
89. The Sixth Sense
90. Swing Time
91. Sophie's Choice
92. Goodfellas
93. The French Connection
94. Pulp Fiction
95. The Last Picture Show
96. Do the Right Thing
97. Blade Runner
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy
99. Toy Story
100. Ben Hur

**Note: There are a few on the list (like 12 Angry Men & Raiders of the Lost Ark) that I think I may have seen years ago...but since they obviously didn't make much of an impression at the time, I'm considering them "unviewed".

101 in 1,001

Back in college, I discovered something called the "101 in 1,001 Challenge." The basic premise of this project was to come up with a list of 101 personal goals to complete in 1,001 days (or just shy of 3 years). While I didn't really follow through with my first try, I've decided to give it another shot. The start date for this challenge will be January 1, 2011, and the end date will be September 28, 2013. Also embarking on the challenge will be my best friend, Sammo, and my sister Codi.

So, here's "The List":

1. Visit another country
2. Donate blood
3. Participate in at least 10 volunteer projects - 4/10
4. See "Wicked" performed
5. Write a children's book
6. Make a full-sized quilt
7. Complete a scrapbook
8. Take a "Photo Road Trip"
9. Read 5 biographies/autobiographies - 3/5
10. See 3 plays in a theater
11. Read 10 of the books from my "To Read" list - 1/10
12. See 20 of the movies from "AFI's 100 Greatest American Films" (the 2007 version) - 14/20
13. Lose 25 pounds
14. Get a pen pal
15. Get a pet (and keep it!)
16. Make lasagna
17. Participate in NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/)
18. Submit to "PostSecret" (http://www.postsecret.com/) - 12/20/11
19. Send a postcard to PostCrossing (http://www.postcrossing.com/) - 1/25/11
20. Complete a "26 Things" List at http://www.sh1ft.org/
21. Adopt another soldier/unit - 1/29/11
22. Try 5 new foods - 5/5
23. Eat at 5 new restaurants - 2/5
24. Cook/Bake 10 new dishes - 2/10
25. Have a booth at a craft show
26. Music month! Find a new artist to listen to every day for a month
27. Create a cookbook of my favorite recipes
28. Create a journalism portfolio
29. See a movie in 3D
30. Go to a comedy club
31. Make a list of 101 things that make me happy - 11/101
32. Keep a journal - write at least 3 entries a week for a month (x3)
33. See a ballet
34. Sleep under the stars
35. Visit 3 museums
36. Learn how to play chess
37. Keep my car clean for at least a month
38. Go without fast food for a month (Feb 2011)
39. Spend a full day hanging out with each of my siblings - 1/4
40. Visit Sam & Liv (my bestie & my goddaughter) in Wisconsin (2/25-2/27/11)
41. Send Christmas cards out (on time)
42. Host a dinner party
43. Create a "Swear Jar" anytime I swear I pay a nickle
44. Visit a psychic (just for fun)
45. See Niagara Falls
46. Write 25 notes & put them in random places
47. Do 5 Book Crossing drops (http://www.bookcrossing.com/)
48. Attend 5 concerts - 11/5
49. Learn to play a song on the guitar and/or piano
50. Take at least 1 art class
51. Join a book club
52. Go an entire day without insulting anyone
53. Take inventory of my books
54. Take inventory of my movies
55. Go a week without soda (10x) 3/10
56. Get certified in CPR
57. Keep track of EVERYTHING I spend money on for 2 weeks
58. Start using a planner to stay organized
59. Keep my checkbook balanced for a month (x3)
60. Clear my craft table & use it for CRAFTS
61. Drink nothing but water for a week
62. Read the Bible cover to cover
63. Fast for 24 hours
64. Send a random gift to a friend
65. Pay for a stranger's meal
66. Create (& stick to) a weekly meal plan (10x) - 1/10
67. Keep a food journal - complete every day for a month
68. Exercise 30 minutes 3x/week  (25x) - 16/25
69. Take Jae (my niece) to the Circus
70. Write & submit a feature article to a magazine/website
71. Visit downstate family & friends
72. Take Jae to the U.P. Children's Museum
73. Go to an aquarium
74. Learn to knit or crochet
75. Try 5 new mixed drinks - 1/5
76. Write a letter to someone I admire
77. Write a snail-mail letter to a friend (10x)
78. Purchase a piece of art
79. Go on a picnic
80. Encourage someone else to do "101 in 1,001" (Two people, actually  - Sam & Codi)
81. Try 3 types of wine - 4/3
82. Take meds daily for a month (10x)
83. Write a will/living will
84. Learn to play poker
85. Ride in a hot air balloon
86. Get another tattoo
87. Buy an amethyst ring
88. Ride a train
89. Donate 30 clothing items
90. Complete the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind"
91. Get a bonsai tree
92. Participate in a Trivia Night
93. Make a Time Capsule
94. Sit & watch a sunrise/sunset
95. Go to an event/festival/convention I think is weird
96. Take Jae to a "real" zoo (with giraffes, penguins, elephants, etc.)
97. Spend a technology-free weekend
98. Learn to say "Hello", "Goodbye", & "I Love You" in 10 languages
99. Get my hair dyed by a "pro"
100. Go to a planetarium
101. See an orchestra perform