101 in 1001

I can’t believe 2009 is quickly coming to a close, and WOW – I’m getting things accomplished on my List. Oddly, I still haven’t done some of the things you’d think would be easiest (Hello, Eat at McDonalds? I’m fighting that, as you can probably tell). I’ve read over 100 books (Yeah, that 250 goal seems a little more feasible now), I just wrapped up putting together the 12 Days of Christmas for Danielle at Extraordinary Mommy (what fun!), I have remembered to send notes to people, take my reusable mug to Starbucks and I even went to a movie by myself yesterday (I saw “Brothers” and cried almost nonstop. Tearjerker).

Little by little I’ll get things done – I’m probably due for a snowball fight with the next big heap of snow we get.

Getting there….

Wow, I feel like I was pretty productive this month. I read A LOT of books, including two “classics” (but not “Count of Monte Cristo” which found a new home in October. I won’t miss it).

Always a sporadic flosser, I made it a habit in October – flossing EVERY day (Item #19). I found ways to make it easy and now, to not floss would just be WEIRD. Sometimes, I floss my teeth at red lights while I’m driving. I don’t think there’s anything remotely attractive about it, but then again, I don’t think there’s anything attractive about gingivitis either.

Of COURSE I took my coffee mug with me at least once this month (#39: Oh, and why aren’t I doing that more often?). I’m in the process of making a mix cd (The theme? Coming of age. It’s all stuff from my high school years – so we’re looking at 1990 – 1994. Yeah. Talk about a trip in the way back machine). I organized all my recipes (#75 – and uh, that probably deserves a post of its own, because holy cow – that was a HUGE undertaking!).

What’s next on my agenda? Well, I’m still reading a lot. I’m about to start scrapbooking my oldest daughter’s portraits into a book – and by scrapbooking I mean, one picture, one page – no funky embellishments or stickers. Soon I’ll announce my plans for my 12 days of Christmas list item (and you’ll probably want to read about it because it involves presents and maybe YOU).

A friend sent me a recipe for what she tells me is a pretty awesome mojito, but now the weather is getting cold – I may be a kooky-crazy girl and try it out in November, even if that’s not really my favorite mojito time of year.

Whoa nelly, y’all. Can you believe ANOTHER month is over? I’ve been at this list for 9 months now, and I’m makin’ some headway in getting things accomplished. In September, I read 11 books. E*L*E*V*E*N. I can’t believe it, either (and seriously: “South of Broad” by Pat Conroy? Best I’ve read in awhile. Check it out).

I’ve gotten about halfway through the 50 states with my state map postcards (I got #26 the other day… I think. I have to look at the list and update it). Got my summer pedi at the beginning of the month (I’m getting the fall pedi tomorrow – yay for weddings! My sis is getting hitched this weekend and she is insisting on taking the wedding party for mani/pedi’s. FAR BE IT FROM ME to say no).

This month, I paid it forward to a friend of mine. A few Saturdays ago, she had posted on Facebook that her daughters were bummed about not getting donuts for breakfast. Luckily the “Donut Fairy” was at the store picking up donuts for her own daughters. The Donut Fairy left a box of donuts on their front porch for them to find later. That was fun – but I made it clear to my OWN daughters – there really IS no Donut Fairy.

I’m starting to get worried about item #36 (two concerts of my choice per year) – I’ve been to one – but so far haven’t seen anything else coming to the area that I want to see. If there is going to be one thing I might not be able to accomplish on the 101 list, I’m afraid that might be it. *POUT*

I made an awesome book of my 365 photos through Shutterfly this month (Item #46, CHECK). It came out so beautifully – I was very VERY pleased with the end product).

I’m in the midst of reading another classic, “To Kill A Mockingbird”. I regret to inform you that “The Count of Monte Cristo” is a lost cause. I cannot, will not do that to myself. I tried. I really really tried. Currently, I’m using the book as a fly swatter/mosquito crusher.

I also started organizing my recipes (#75) – I’m very nearly done. Did you know that I have more cheesecake recipes than ANYTHING else? If you’re surprised, you shouldn’t be. I looooove cheesecake.

That wraps up September. Not sure what October will bring… But you know I’ll keep you posted.

How is it possible that I went to Chicago again without visiting the way up high tippy-top part of the Hancock building for a drink? I’ve now been several times since the beginning of this project and have not yet managed to get there – BUT I WILL. (I’m starting to suspect I’m going to have to make a trip SPECIFICALLY for this purpose because I can’t seem to get myself together to do it otherwise).

July wasn’t a very productive month, though I suppose maybe a smidge more productive than June. I definitely made more progress in that whole book reading thing in July (though seriously, I slow way down in summer. A lot. Who knew?).

I went to the derm for my mole check (hated every minute of it, thanks! But I’m just fine). I’m still remembering to take in my reusable mug. Still putting notes in library books (it’s really my favorite part of it all. I love that part SO much). Still sending cards or postcards or letters monthly (Love that part too – because getting cards and postcards back? That is AWESOME).

There are still so many things I want to do for my project. I need to get cracking on reading the classics (Count of Monte Cristo? I’m giving it two very bored thumbs down. I have “To Kill A Mockingbird” waiting in the wings, but I may need to give “The Count” the boot. I don’t know if I can stand it).

I still need to memorize a poem, but which one. I have many I love – but wonder which one I should choose (my favorite is one by Pablo Neruda – but really don’t know if I want to go for mush right now!). I don’t question my ability to memorize something – I still have bits and pieces of a poem I memorized in eight grade floating around in my head (the first line “I wandered lonely as a cloud…” – if you comment with the poem and the author, I’ll send you… Something. GO!). Any poem suggestions for me to memorize?

I think once summer settles down, I’ll start getting more things done. I would love to start planning trips to visit two states I’ve never been before – that’s about 55-60% of the country, so, shouldn’t be too hard to find someplace new to go – but… where?

Hope your July was awesome – hope if you have a list going, that it’s coming along as well.

Wow, I can’t believe six months of this project are over – especially because June felt like a major slow down for me – especially as far as reading went. School’s out, the kids are home and I’m a cruise director most days, steering them from one activity to another and trying to fight off the evil monster of boredom.

In June, I finished my list of 101 Things that Make Me Happy.  Also, on the list front I completed the list of 43 Things I Like About Myself (this one was difficult, but I did it – it was a tremendous accomplishment for me. Those who know me understand how I can truly be so thrilled about this).

I finally got a post office box set up and am ready to receive state map postcards (check out my list - if you live in a state from which I don’t yet have a postcard and want to send one, I’d LOVE IT! Also, if you want to just send regular postcards, I’d like that too! Mail is fun!). You can comment or connect with me via Twitter, and I’ll let you know how you can send me mail.

Y’all know I finally walked the marathon in June. VERY exciting, and I’m fairly sure I’m going to do it again next year. I was walking with such an awesome group – I’d love to join them again next year… but, I am also debating the location. How awesome would it be to walk in DC or Boston or one of the other locales? Might be pretty cool to try again somewhere new. (And going to DC again? It’s #93 on my list).

I went to a movie by myself in June. Being by myself? Awesome. The movie? Meh. Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all.

July should be another slow month - but maybe I’ll pick up a few more books and get a few more pages read. June crushed my average!

Another month gone and it really went by fast. Wow.

My trip to Chicago a few weeks ago allowed me to cross some stuff off my list: Not getting lost downtown? Awesome. I have yet to partake of a beverage on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building but I am sure I will manage to accomplish that this year – perhaps on a trip without my children. I know it seems an awfully touristy thing to do, and I totally agree. Some of you may or may not know how squidgy I got looking out the window of our 31st floor hotel room while in Chicago. So, adding sixty-some floors to that? It’s kind of a big deal…for me. And yeah, don’t be surprised if I have a drink before I go UP.

Probably one of the areas I made the most progress this month was my list makin’ stuff. Yeah. I have been working on my “43 Things I Like About Myself” and “100 Things That Make Me Happy” – and I’m pleased to report I am making decent progress with both. Frankly, I thought it would be really hard to find 43 things I liked about myself (because I don’t usually walk around thinking I’m so fabulous), it hasn’t been as horrible as I thought – mainly because I am focusing on all the unique things about me versus the physical stuff (which really only will make up a small portion of the list) – things worth noting? I can recite all 50 states in alphabetical order. Useless, right? Yeah! But I love that I learned it when I was my daughter’s age and it stuck with me. Also, it means I will never be the person who makes a list of all the states wondering why on earth I only have 48 and which two are missing.

Good stuff.

The summer is approaching quickly – which means there is much more to accomplish (water balloons, anyone?). Should be fun.

Y’know, with my computer acting defective for most of the month, I got a LOT of reading done. As I just walked TEN (let me repeat that, y’all: TEN) miles today to train for my two day breast cancer walk next month, I am a little tired, a little sore, and a little too lazy to wander upstairs to pull my list of books I read this month. But in the next day or so, I’ll post the newest additions to the books I’ve read (working my way up to 250 – WHOO!).

I managed to get another pedicure (and spent a day at the spa), followed by dinner at the home of the BEST MARTINIS in Grand Rapids. To that point, I don’t really consider a mojito a martini and sadly, I have had better mojitos at the chain Mexican restaurant I love so much, but this one had a nice big kick to it, so it was all fine.

I forgot I said I wanted to write a book, which stinks – I’ll either remember and pick that back up this month (so far, I haven’t), otherwise maybe i’ll scramble at the last minute and write a four page children’s book. In the beginning, my plan was to write 1,000 words a month. I suppose if I get a little verbose at some point between now and the end of this project, I can pick up the slack. Who knows. I’ll make it work somehow. Hell, Miley Cyrus “wrote” a book. If she can do it, so can I.

The biggest goal on the horizon is that I’ll be walking the marathon (and a half!) next month. Given the awesomeness of everyone, I finally hit my fundraising goal yesterday. Family, friends, and people I’ve never even met (whoo hoo for strangers!) donated to this awesome cause to support me and most importantly raise money for breast cancer research. Now that I’ve raised the money, it means that I’ve GOT to get myself in gear to walk 39.3 miles. As I mentioned earlier, I walked ten miles today. I think I also mentioned that I am not really moving much at the moment. I can only hope that pure adrenaline fuels me through the two day walk. Given that it’s part of my project to get this thing done, I’ll need some nagging and virtual kicks in the butt (high fives and “You’re so awesomes” will work too).

I sit here, chomping on a Tootsie Pop berating myself for being so lazy on the update that it hasn’t been posted yet. I’m the kind of person who likes to get things off my plate as quickly as possible and put the ball in someone else’s court (way to mix metaphors) so that it’s no longer my problem.

February was a month of accomplishment for sure.

• I’m more than halfway through my list of things that make me happy
• Started a series of difficult discussions with the Husband (as it relates to his son who is definitely in the midst of struggle right now for sure)
• I went to BlissDom and 1) said hi/made eye contact with peeps, drank a new cocktail, and if I wanted to, i could totally count BD as my yearly “girls’ retreat”
• I scored a few more state map postcards (I know I need to get a PO Box set up for those of you who have offered to send me cards from your states – I will. Maybe this month?)
• I got a pedicure!
• I  paid it forward for the first time
• I’m in the midst of taking 1,001 photos (NOTE: Should it be 1001 TOTAL or one each day? I’m asking you cuz you know about these things… and… because I should have defined that part better)
• I made a book of my photos and am waiting for Shutterfly to deliver it (Free! CODE: PHOTOBOOKS – for just a few days more you can get an 8×8 photobook free. So get to it!)
• I went to a RedWings game.
• I FINALLY finished “Catch-22″. (NOTE: I have read three pages of “The Count of Monte Cristo” – this one is gonna hurt)
• I actually WON some contests – I won a t-shirt from the Hotel Preston in Nashville (though they haven’t managed to ship it to me yet, which is not so surprising) and I won a game in a raffle at BlissDom.
• I sent real cards out with real care packages (I sent out A LOT of care packages in February. A LOT).
• I completed one of my painting projects

So, I’m getting there. Definitely getting some stuff done. Will March be as productive? I guess we’ll see.