Monday, August 10, 2015

Fifth Revisit - 101 Things in 1001 Days

Details: Start date: January 20, 2013. End Date: October 19, 2015
               Document each one as a blog post, as applicable (beginning with #1).

Re-visit every 6 months:
January 20, 2015; July 20, 2015  

101 Things in 1001 Days

1) Think of 101 things

2) Average yoga classes 3x a week 
·         Age makes you more aware of the things you are NOT doing. And this is one of them. Sigh. I will start yoga when I return from my LA trip. No better time that returning from a vacation with nothing but work and weekends in your future.
·         And my butt is getting bigger. I’d like to think it’s from the stairs and walking half of my day around the floor at work - as wishful as this may be, it holds some truth, as my eating is a little better than it's ever been, and I walk a ton now

3) Go see Nationals play in Washington, DC  - May 7, 2014

4) Go see Red Sox play in Boston
·         Hoping this one, #6, and, #8 will happen this year or the next year. I will say, though, that if the Dodgers make it into the playoffs this season and play on the East Coast, then I will be splurging to see them.

5) Go see Phillies play in Philadelphia - August 1, 2013; May 8, 2014

6) Go see Yankees play in New York
·         See #4

7) Go see Mets play in New York  - April 5, 2014

8) Go see Pirates play in Pittsburgh
·          See #4

9) Go see Flyers play
·         Still no hockey, but I think in the place of sports, we’ve gone to multiple ballets, plays, concerts, and book readings.  Fair trade, right? Well, depends on who you ask.

9a) Go see Orioles play in Baltimore - April 3, 2014

10) Have sit down with closet-Determine true casual and professional style
·         She’s there – I know my colors, what works, and what I am. I have a bit of edge, will never actually want to wear dresses (unless wedding or special occasion related) 

11) Buy/Invest new camera
·         Still not yet, though I day dream of the time when I can focus my energies on this again.

12) Send pitches to 20 agencies for For Blood and Wine
·         Still haven’t done this. I seek guidance for this, as I am trying to step outside my comfort zone.
·         The biggest question is how do I make sure my work stays mine?

13) Go to Le Bernardin
·         My 30th turned out to be something more in line with shopping and a beach weekend away. We ARE going to Morimoto’s though on August 21st. Review to come.

14) Raise another pet (fish included) - June 2013
·         Jacque and Buster have both passed away, within 2 months of each other, earlier this year. We have been pet-free for about 4 months now.

15) Attend Neil Gaiman signing - March 2013
·         And Mr. V bought me a print of his for Christmas. Which is still in a column, waiting to be hung. Perhaps I will do that when I get back from LA. Get all my treasures framed. 

16) Host dinner party

17) Read 1 book a month (33/33)
·         I have been doing this, and buying more books. I should probably make a list of the books I’ve read…
·         I’ve already read through 33 books. This was not ambitious enough. It should be 2-3 books a month. This requirement should be almost triple, as this is what I spend a lot of my time doing. 

18) Attend a boxing match

19) Host Game of Thrones premiere party
·         Went to a GOT premiere party – April 6, 2014
·         Sushi party (as far from GOT fare as possible, except maybe the Iron Born) for the 2nd episode of the 5th season in LA with a certain Castro.

20) Go to 1/3 restaurants on my list - EDIT: list no longer exists. Went to ink. (click here). Went to Amis (click here). Went to come Vegas places…find the reviews below.
·         Bouchon – Thomas Keller of The French Laundry fame!!
·         Carnevino – Mario Batali’s place
·         Roku – Of Anthony Bourdain fame in finding
·         Morimoto’s coming up!

21) Blog once a week per blog
·         I’m Instagraming almost once a day for my writing specifically, and trying to overhaul one of my blogs into something I actually want to write on.  

22) Go camping/glamping
·         Summer is almost gone. I brought this up to Mr. V, and we discussed the 3 types of camping:
1.      Parking and walking miles into the wilderness and setting up camp – he’s an advocate for this, though how’d we get the gear for it, who knows.
2.      Finding a campsite and pitching a tent with others around us – I’m an advocate of this type, but he doesn’t like the dust and gravel.
3.      RV’ing or staying at a place that has those small cabins – I’m not opposed to this, as I’ve done it before. Mr. V thinks it’s expensive and would rather get lost in the Poconos.

23) Try new recipe once a week
·         Not so much – work has made cooking dinner take a backseat, and Mr. V hasn’t had an appetite in the evenings.

24) Finish bedroom redesign

25) Create office
·         I’ve been using the 2nd room more and more, but it’s starting to become clear that we need to move for either more storage or another room. It’s hard to focus when things are always surrounding you. But I’ve been making do with what I have.

26) Go to Dewey Beach in summer
·         Went to Ocean City, Maryland – August 2013
·         Dewey/Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - August 8-11, 2014
·         Bethany Beach, Delaware – August 7-9, 2015

27) Master Crock-pot skills
·         I’m probably going to do this more, as fall and winter are coming and I love myself stews and soups. I eat them even when it’s 100 degrees outside.

28) Go international
·         So Turks and Caicos isn’t happening this year. We were to be leaving tomorrow, August 11th, but familial health issues have come about. While hindsight is 20/20 and Turks could’ve happened if we waited, it was the best decision at the time to cancel it. And I got a full refund – and with that refund came time and money for me to visit LA one more time this year to see my mother on her 60th. It also allows for 36 hrs in Vegas.
·         However, that same issue that caused us to cancel may allow Mr. V and I to travel to Paris, France in July of 2016. We’re also planning on Mexico in April 2016 and Japan in October 2016.

29) Go on international cruise (Caribbean cruise with mom – October 2014)
·         See posts herehere, here, and here

30) See Minnesota friends April 2014

·         Nope, nope, nope, and nope. Hopefully at least one more before the year’s out.

32) Get glasses (July 2013)

33) Get a massage (February 2013)

34) Try acupuncture

35) Send handmade birthday cards
·         I just found my packet!

36) Collect all Neil Gaiman works

37) See the ballet (December 19th, 2014 – The Nutcracker, Academy of Music, Philadelphia,
PA)
·         See post here
·         We also saw Swan Lake, the Lion King, a burlesque show, and The Piano Guys in concert.

38) See the opera
·         Not yet! Hopefully this coming season.
·         I’d like to see Phantom of the Opera. I’ve very much liked going into Philadelphia to the Academy of Arts Theater. A symphony perhaps?

39) Find 10 vegetarian recipes [that Mr. V will eat]
·         Well, when you don’t cook, it’s hard to do this. That being said, I think that I may adopt this lifestyle for most of my regular eating (breakfast/lunch/dinner during the week, and if we go out on the weekend, then a slight deviation is called for)

40) Perfect No. 39 recipes

41) Go hiking for the day
·         See camping bullet point – as much as I like to hike, I’m so tired at the end of the day and on the weekends that it’s hard to want to do this.

42) Get a raise - August 2013; February 2014; October 2014

43) Get debt to half –

44) Buy new computer (or help buy new computer for Mr. V)

45) Learn to skate backwards

46) Attend MJ’s wedding (this may seem like a given, but anything can happen, so I want to make it a priority) - October 23-28, 2013

47) Visit LA 3x in 2013 (2 out of 3, March 6-9 and Oct 23-28 – I went to Santa Rosa in June 2013)

48) Visit California 2x in 2014
·         This was too ambitious and just didn’t happen. However, it did make me make more of an effort…so…

49) Visit California 2x in 2015
·         Went to LA in April!
·         Going to LA in August! Review of both will be when I come back


50) Organize books (in preparation for Bucket List item of Build a Library) (July 2013)

51) Attend a football game (college OR pro)  Eagles vs. Jets Preseason (August 2014)

52) Have Maine lobster in Maine

53) Have Maryland soft shell crab in Maryland

54) Have New England clam chowder in New England

55) Learn to roast pork
·         Yes! For Mr. V’s birthday in January, and it turned out amazing. Served it with potatoes and asparagus.

56) Find way to harass Republicans (emails/letters). Repeat. Often.
·         I’ve been trolling Facebook posts, with amazing results

57) Visit the 9/11 Memorial

58) Go to the White House

59) Write President Obama a handwritten letter

60) Write Margaret Atwood a handwritten inspiration letter

61) Give up sweets for Lent – March/April 2014
·         Did this, gave up Facebook instead for a friend’s support
·         Giving up sweets for lent again – I totally broke about half way through. My heart wasn’t in it and I didn’t even realize what I was doing.

62) Do cleanse – February 11-15, 2015
·         Dead to the world the 1st day, okay the 2nd day (didn’t drink the beets one), was happily chugging along for the 3rd day, and then FedEx lost the 2nd delivery.
·         Pressed Juicery sent me a 2nd 5 day cleanse though, to which I’ve found out that I do not like beets… at all.

63) Buy a house (this will probably be more closely to end of 2015, but I was very inspired by a friend’s birthday party last night)
·         Nope. It’s not in my genes yet, as much as it seems an investment, I just cannot find myself owning a home. I’ve never wanted to, and that hasn’t changed. We are looking to move though by October.

64) Volunteer at a soup kitchen [on a non-Thanksgiving Day, and non-work function]

65) Get promoted - July 18, 2013 & October 24, 2014

66) Understand my spirituality
·         At least I know I have a spirit. And possibly a soul.

67) Finish Luca 
·         She’s stalled again. I am in need of guidance. I’m sucking and it’s taking a toll on me.

68) Turn finished Luca into graphic novel

69) Get paid for freelance
·         Nope. Stalled on this as well.

70) Take nude [art] photos

71) Learn Excel
·         Getting a whole lot better. Still so much to learn. Oy.

72) Learn Photoshop  
·         Learning slowly how to edit my pictures. Most of them just need brightening.

73) Give up soda (regular AND diet) for one month - July 2013

74) Read Autobiography: Volume 1 of Mark Twain

75) Make a recipe from Julia Child’s cookbook (Bonus for a special occasion)

76) Be leveled to advanced yoga master

77) Complete a Mud Run

78) Write a love letter once a month for Mr. V

79) Visit an apple orchard

80) Build bar cart with premium whiskey/scotch/brandy
·         If I didn’t drink all that I buy for my bar cart, then I would have this. So it leads me to believe I don’t need a fucking bar cart, just good liquor.

81) Learn to make an over easy egg by flipping

82) Begin running once a week

83) Maintain once a week running

84) Move to 2x a week running

85) Have a friend visit and stay in Delaware  - April 2014
·         Brandon!! This was kind of two-fold with the MN one up a bit

86) Go to Atlantic City
·         This may actually happen in October for a birthday party weekend.

87) Beat Mr. V at a video game (Do the Christmas games count??)

88) Have picnic in Central Park

89) Shoot a gun at a range

90) Learn to make [perfect] apple pie

91) Write a letter to my 30yr year self to open on my 30th birthday  - July 16, 2013
·         Opened August 10th….with a smile that I know myself far more than I think a lot of people know themselves. But never did I once take my own advice.

92) Wear a pink/silver wig
·         One day…

93) Find perfect lip color (and wear it!) August 2013
·         Bruised Plum, Spanish Pink, Vanilla Nude, Hot Coral

94) Own one Tom Ford piece
·         No, but I own two pairs of Christian Louboutins now, which in my view, counts

95) Make signature cocktail
·         Does the Van Keuren count??

96) Go one month (or 30 days) without eating takeout (include Mr. V as much as possible)

97) Spend one weekend unplugged
·         While in Bethany Beach this past weekend, we had no service or internet, so we were as close to unplugged as possible. I watched T.V. and read, like usual. Part of me thinks that this isn’t quite necessary but just being more mindful of what’s around me and how to handle the overstimulation that came come with Facebook Newfeeds and Instagram Newsfeeds

98) Finish Emma
·         Can’t Clueless count?!

99) Watch meteor shower (or spend a night watching for shooting stars)

100) Compile book of essays/poems
·         Working on this, actually! Using Instagram and reviewing all my old stuff to make it more poignant and relevant to my everyday life.


101) $10 for every goal/item accomplished (33/101)