101 things in 1001 days

it looks like we made it to the end or day 1001

2011-12-15T10:19:00.001-08:00

holy shiznit. it's day 1001. who knew? i will admit that i got kind of slack about writing blogs in the last year, but that doesn't mean i wasn't still doing stuff. here's the end total:

63 items are finished
25 items were not finished or in some cases, even started
11 items i changed my mind about (that may sound like a co-out, but i think it's valid)
2 item could not be achieved because either the location was inaccessible (going to green mountain) or the even did not happen (blur reunion show...at least not in the US).

if i we being graded on this using a traditional scale, i'd get a D. but, i prefer to look at it as 63 things i did to improve myself, no matter how small or large of an accomplishment it was. here are some of the major highlights:

-i lost 10 lbs and kept it off

-i then lost 10 so more and am going to keep going

-i went to austin. twice.

-i addressed the issue of scott's future care with my parents and as a result, scott is on a waiting list for residential placement and day programs. plus he is also receiving his social security disability pay. in looking into this, my parents discovered that my mom was also eligible since she was the parent who retired and stayed home with scott. she is also receiving SSD payments now.

-i moved to an accessible apartment, applied for handicapped parking (which i haven't received yet, but it's coming), and in effort to achieve the goal of being on time to work more often than not, am now taking ADA paratransit to and from the library.

-i found a venue (or 2 or 3) to sell my art and it has been really successful.

-minus a few unexpected bumps, i've gotten my finances in better order. still not great, but far and away improved from 1001 days ago.

-i paid my car off. of course, i then bought a new one, but still.

i changed my mind about:

-cooking at home more regularly (physically, cooking is not that easy for me, so i'm focusing on making better choices when i eat out)

-reading more (i really could not be less interested right now)

-growing my hair out (it looks better short)

-doing something real with "fan of the banter" (i lost my partner, so no point)

-find a new band to get into every month (see "reading more")

-get drunk once (hadn't done it in the 37 or so years before i wrote this list, why do it now?)

-learn photoshop (i did try this. i hated it.)

-join a gym (not practical given my abilities and i have all the equipment i can use at home)

-advance a level in my job (whatever. at this point, i'm happy to have not been laid off)

-sit on my patio (really? i'm not that fond of the outdoors)

5 things that i haven't done that i'd like to continue to try to do are eat less fast food, put my pictures into photo albums, go to england, take an accessible yoga/pilates class, and visit a water park in winter.

so, there you have it. thanks to anyone who is reading this and may have read the blogs over the past 1001 days. this was a fun project.

big ones or day 796

2011-05-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

holy smokes! some stuff has gotten done in the last month or so. lets' review.

#2. exerbycle 2-3x/week.
for the the last 5 weeks or so, i have been faithfully riding my bike at least twice a week. i find it relaxing and getting easier to fit in a couple days a week. enjoyable even. i've also started free weights again too.

#5. lose 10 lbs and keep it off.
i always lose 10 lbs. it's usually easy. and then, i gain it back. in the same 5 weeks that i've been exerbycling, i have also been journaling (honestly) about what i eat. and so far, i've lost 16 lbs. onto goal #6, which is to lose another 10-40 lbs. i'm not sure what my end goal is, but i know i'm not trying to be thin. just smaller.

#15. get the ball rolling on scott's future care.
wow. this one is so very huge and has been with me for such a long time. i never thought that it would end up coming together somewhat easily. long story short, i have always struggled with my parents in trying to talk about this topic. i know it's hard for them and that my relationship with my brother is much different than theirs. there were obstacles and set backs 16 years ago when they tried to get him placed in a group home the first time and they kind of gave up after being denied enough times. unfortunately, this put a lot of stress and worry on me, because the more time went on, the more it looked like one day, scott's care would fall on me. well, several events lead to this topic finally being addressed. all of the pieces aren't yet in place, but contacts have been made and at the very least, we are in a place where when my parents are gone, scott has a place to go. i can't explain how much better this knowledge makes me feel.

#16. discuss scott's care with my parents.
when i wrote this list, i assumed that i'd be doing all of the work to get in contact with facilities and lawyers and what have you. turns out, i was wrong. happily wrong.

#64. pay my overdue library fines.
seriously. what kind of librarian am i? i had a $36 fine on my card for 5 years. 5 years. it went on the list because i knew it would take that to finally pay them. and i did. i can actually check something out now. i don't even know where to start.

#83. pay car off.
this one is kind of funny. not really haha funny. i got into an accident and although my damage was not major, my insurance company decided that the car was totaled. i freaked out because i was fairly certain i couldn't get a loan and i really didn't want to start over with car payments. after getting my head around it, i realized it was a win/win. so, my old car is, in fact, paid off. i did get a loan and bought a 2008 scion xB, which is bigger and works much better for getting my walker in and out. in addition, i took some of my insurance settlement and got hand controls put in. i didn't think i'd need them this soon, but my foot slipping off the brake is how i got into the accident to being with. so, it was time.

vertigo-go or day 761

2011-04-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

#75. apply to sell at renegade (or the like). last time, i mentioned that i had submitted work for consideration to art-o-mat (check them out: http://www.artomat.org). well, they accepted me! yay! i'm calling the series "vertigo-go" and it will be little collage pieces. i have to make 50 of them and i will get $2.50 for each one i sell. so, you know, not quitting my day job or anything, but that was never the point. i just wanted to put something creative into the world in a slightly more "official" capacity and i believe this is it. #86. get plates renewed on time. done. this is the last one for this list.

holy slacking off or day 733

2011-03-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

wow. i haven't updated this since october. i think i am my only reader (except maybe when i also post on facebook), but i'm still a little ashamed of myself. on the other hand, heartbreak's a real bitch, so screw it.

because i am going to put this on facebook, i'll start with the more exciting stuff and leave the boring updates for later, ok? good. then i shall proceed.

#70. go to las vegas.

and how, i sure did. what started out as a spa trip for 2 to wisconsin, turned into a vegas trip for 4. after several weeks of planning and a facebook thread with at least 150 messages, therese, lorna, shelley, and i embarked on a 5 day trip to be filled with showgirls, sunshine, hot pink hotel rooms, guns, prince, and so much more.

thursday: we took cabs, almost lost lorna to not feeling well, ate questionable airport food, flew and landed.

therese got champagne on the plane and i was possessed to kiss it.

i was (thankfully) met at the ramp by a wheelchair once off the plane and escorted through the airport and on a tram to the car rental desk. we rented a much bigger car than expected, but it was roomier and i suspect all passengers were more comfortable than they would've been in a compact. we headed to the flamingo and checked out our rooms:

these are the newer "go rooms". i really wanted them because the bathrooms are hot pink. they are very cool and just slightly naughty. the headboards are padded white vinyl and the light fixtures above the bed are mirrored.

then went to peppermill for dinner:

i'm not sure what i'm so giddy about, except maybe the fact that i matched the peppermill.

i had never eaten there, i had only even been to the lounge. the food wasn't half bad actually. we intended to go to the lounge after, but we were pretty darn tired. so we returned to the flamingo and called it a night.

friday: croissants and juice were procured by therese and we got ready to check out the wicked spoon buffet at the cosmopolitan. this was easily the best food on the trip as well as the classiest, most elegant atmosphere.

they had so much food and most of it was amazing. the dessert looked beautiful, but was a little disappointing. the polish sausage and "pomme puree", aka mashed potatoes, were heavenly. they had mini el pastor tacos, creamy polenta, wine infused button mushrooms, several pastas, sushi, carving stations with prime rib, chicken, and, i believe, duck. so, so delicious. i'm making myself hungry now.

after a long and leisurely lunch, we stopped at the art-o-mat machines located outside the buffet. i had never seen one and was very excited to get a piece of art for $5. they look like old cigarette machines, like this:

i loved it so much, i was inspired to submit work to be sold in one of these, but more on that later.

we checked out the cosmopolitan a little more. so gorgeous. the lobby and elevators have changing video installations. it was jellyfish when we were there. the area where you drop your car off for valet has shiny silver flecks in the marble on the ground and light fixtures with crystals embedded in columns. stunning. we made our way back to our hotel, if not somewhat begrudgingly now that we were all in love with this place.

it really was quite stunning.

back at the hotel, i think therese went for a walk, lorna napped, shelley and i shopped for souvenirs. i actually came away with a bracelet to wear that night. we eventually made it back to our room and watched a show about what to do in vegas before getting ready for purple reign.

so then, purple reign. this is a prince impersonator show and it really is fantastic. musically, he and the band are incredibly talented and put on an amazing performance. shelley is not a huge prince fan and she was blown away. there was no photography allowed, but before i knew that, i took this picture:

so it's totally illegal.

after the show, we grabbed some food at the casino restaurant called mad onion. the casino was hooters, btw. not as awful as you'd expect, but they totally have a vince neil tattoo shop. once again, we had planned to go to peppermill that night, but we failed. we are librarians, not rock stars, apparently.

saturday: red rock day, though it turned out only to be the spa day. we postponed the canyon drive until sunday because we got sucked into the pearl shop outside the elevators at the flamingo. you wouldn't think it could happen, but it did. no matter. we all pretty much came away with something lovely for ourselves or our moms. once we had gotten ourselves together and away from pearls, we headed toward the canyon and stopped for lunch at schlotzsky's. this was all for me. and i got the biggest sandwich they have. delicious.

after, we made our way to the red rock spa for massages. this place was also gorgeous. i think i will come back and stay here, at least for a night. it was one of the better massages i've had. lovely steam room and dry sauna. they screwed lorna on a discount we all should've gotten, but she got that fixed relatively easily. that's probably my only complaint about this place. i wish i had some pictures of it, but i forgot to take any.

the plan had originally been to stay at the resort for bowling that night, but we all agreed that perhaps that was not the best post-massage activity. we decided instead on dinner at the bellagio buffet. sadly, i was fairly unimpressed. the food was fine, but the atmosphere was so disappointing compared to the buffet at cosmopolitan. in fact, the entire bellagio was a little bit of a let down after that. still, not an awful time at all. after dinner, it was already pretty late and although we had planned to go to bonanza for some tacky souvenirs, we were too late. again, we had also planned to go to the peppermill, which therese and i did on our own, after dropping a tired lorna and shelley off to get some sleep. the peppermill was pretty hopping and i forgot, as i do every time, that the virgin strawberry daiquiri is far inferior to the virgin pina colada. oh well. at least there was whipped cream. we left and it was actually pretty cold and drizzling. not too different from how we left chicago.

sunday: red rock canyon drive. very pretty. it was a good sunny day for it too.

this is me driving through the canyon.

these are the ladies in the canyon.

it had been a long time since i'd seen a sky that blue. much better than the overcast of the day before.

after we drove the scenic loop, we headed a little further up the mountains to see if we could find a place for lunch. we saw signs for bonnie springs resort and decided to have lunch at their sort of hilarious, fake western town restaurant. lots of wagon wheel fixtures, but a delicious hamburger for sure. plus, there were wild burros, who came right up to the car. very cute. also, our waiter was kinda hot. i kinda wish i had a picture of him.

after an afternoon of nature, we drove back to the neon and over-the-topness of the strip, passing a store called obama's pedicure and colonic, stopping at a 7-11 staffed by young meth-heads, and thru an area that could've been an arts district or a place to buy drugs. or both. we finally made it to bonanza, although i found it disappointing compared to past visits. still, i found a package of lucha libre action figures for richard, so that was worth it. i believe several magnets and other tacky trinkets were purchased by the ladies.

we had left sunday night open to see what we felt like doing and with the help of buy one, get one coupons, we decided to go see jubilee, a topless vegas showgirl extravaganza. oh my! so glitzy! so massive! so, um, topless! this was 90 minutes of glamour, entertainment, and some inadvertent laughs (seriously, how do you not laugh at a showgirl revue of the titanic?). plus, they had very delicious virgin pina coladas.

after so many naked boobs, we were winding down. it was our last night there and we wanted to go out with something good, so we had a quick drive thru dinner and headed to frankie's tiki room. sadly, once at frankie's we saw the fukuburger truck, which seems to be a weird marriage of burgers and sushi, like the tamago burger with egg. oh well, next time.

once inside, frankie's did not disappoint. except for the chairs that were basically whittled out of a log. those was a little disappointing. there was a love-o-meter type machine designed by shag that told you what your vice was for a quarter. mine was shopping, which isn't terribly accurate, but i was ok with that. the bartender made lorna and i very delicious non-alcoholic, fruity drinks, while therese had a polynesian piledriver and shelley had the lava letch. if we had gotten there earlier. we would've stayed and had many more drinks, i believe. the vibe was mellow and the clientele was much more male than i would've expected for a tiki bar. they were playing a great montage of video clips too, including some from ghoul-a-gogo (check it out: www.ghoulagogo.com) and sean connery era bond movies.

we said goodbye to frankie's and went back to the flamingo one last time to pack and sleep. we left vegas having accomplished almost all of our goals. the major thing that we had planned but did not get to do was shoot guns. when we lost track of time on saturday and missed out on the canyon, we decided to forgo the guns on sunday in favor of driving the scenic loop. we can shoot guns at home; however, we cannot see mountains here.

phew. that was a lot, so i'll briefly touch on the other accomplishments.

#69. sean tattoo

got it.

#24. start paying student loan again. doing it.

#78. stop incurring overdraft fees. not one since the new year.

#75. apply to sell and renegade of the like. i *may* have found a perfect fit for this, if i am accepted. in vegas, we saw art-o-mat machines, which sell little pieces of art for $5. when we got home, i checked out their website and found that they are always taking submissions. i am working on my prototype now and-fingers crossed-they like it and i can make many more. i'll keep you posted.

no one's ever watered me the way you do, revisited or day 580

2010-10-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

#59 be open to affection/kiss more boys

remember when i said that i received heaping mounds of affection and that i kissed a boy and that, although the directive was to kiss boys plural, i'd stick with the one and thought he'd stick with me too? yeah, that didn't happen.

so, while i'm not going to give up on #59, i am probably going to stay away from it for a bit.

stupid daisun.

everyone who came before you or day 554

2010-09-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

i have a few not very exciting updates. well, there are things on the list, so maybe they're a little exciting.

#24. start paying student loan again. paid it last month, fingers crossed, i'll do it again this month.

#31. pay off credit card. i've been sending $100 instead of minimum for a few months now. this might be accomplished by early 2011.

#48. get new boots. well, i got my old ones re-soled and dyed, so i think that counts. plus, it saved me roughly $100.

#65. water aerobics. i'm now signed up for my 7th and 8th sessions. go sandie and val. after not going for spring and summer, i NEED it.

#80. get manicures monthly. july, august, and september have been polished.

no one's ever watered me the way you do or day 544

2010-09-08T15:42:00.001-07:00

#59, be open to affection/kiss more boys.

this one, which always seemed like work and i refused to force it, has suddenly come effortlessly. i've received heaping mounds of affection and lived to tell and have kissed a boy. i know the directive was to kiss boys, plural, but i'll stick with the one :). i think he's willing to stick with me too.

roughly 3,000 or day 526

2010-08-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

59. be open to affection/kiss a boy.

i'm working on it.

:)

3 part road trip or day 483

2010-07-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

#12. go to austin

and go to austin i did. and san antonio. and memphis. it was an 8 day road trip, with rotating passengers, and sadly, a non-working ipod charger. i can break it into 3 sections; section 1: the emily portion; section 2: the emily and richard portion; and section 3: the richard portion.

the emily portion

we left chicago on a wed afternoon, narrowly missing the horrendous storms and tornadoes that came thru the area a bit later that day. for us, it was only sunshine and fields of corn. we drove 9 hours to west memphis, arkansas. there aren't any real highlights from that day, except for emily wanting to kill people at mcdonald's somewhere in the middle of illinois and me having taco bell for dinner. oh and watching the video for "are you ready for the sex girls" on emily's phone while driving, somewhere in missouri.

the next day, we stopped at a diner for breakfast that also had a buffet. already we knew we were in the south-the "y'alls" and "darlins" had begun. i, for one, enjoyed it. somehow, i skipped the breakfast buffet and ordered pancakes. the drive that day was the rest of the way to san antonio or about 12 hours. we ate at olive garden in texarana, tx, as is our road trip tradition. we saw a flying saucer gift shop in italy, tx called "starship pegasus".

sadly, it was not open. but when we pulled in to take the picture, a young man emerged from a shed behind the saucer, gave us his card, and asked us to please e-mail him any pictures we took. the gas station across the street had a sign boasting free samples of the best beef jerky in texas. oddly, i did not go in. we stopped at dairy queen and had a funny conversation with the young girl behind the counter about all the cool things to do in san antonio. the six flags water park and "big movie theaters" were among her list of must do items.

we hit a bit of a snag in the last hour of driving when we stopped at the world's slowest mcdonald's drive thru for professional sodas. i think we sat there for literally 30 minutes. and before you ask why we didn't just leave, it was the kind of drive thru you couldn't get out of once you were in. i wanted to be anywhere but there. the people in the car in front of us were drunk and it seemed like the workers in the store were too.

the second snag came when we got to san antonio. we arrived at the motel 6 where i had reserved the room and found that our room had been given away. it was frustrating and moods weren't good, but we did find a travelodge for that night, and although it was less than savory, it sufficed and no one perished.

friday morning, after checking out of the travelodge and a quick run to the motel 6 to make sure our room was secured for the rest of our stay, we headed to the "daisun recommended" blue star brewery. we got there too late for breakfast, which kinda bummed me out, but they did have 6 different, housemade craft sodas in their gun, so i couldn't complain. i got fish and chips and had a bite of emily's coconut cream pie. after lunch, we drove around the area and tried to see if there was any fun shopping, coffee shops, etc. we didn't really find anything and soon we were in the suburbs. so we went to target, of course. we also passed this awesome, old ass pizza hut sign:

after getting some fruit, sunblock, a box of wine and 2 liter of coke (for emily) and vitamin water (for me) at target, we decided to check into the motel and spend the afternoon in the a/c. it was 105 degrees out and humid. i had chosen this particular motel 6 because it was one that had a groovy new, mod makeover. it really did look like this:

i spent the afternoon eating grapes, laying on the bed, and watching a "say yes to the dress" marathon (i don't have cable, cut me some slack), and emily went to the pool. we decided to get an early dinner at another of daisun's recommendations, a mexican place called jacala. it was kinda out of the way, but worth the trip. we ended up sitting outside, under a covered patio that was semi-air conditioned by a ginormous, freon pumping fan. that was fine with the exception of the flies. but the ramp into the restaurant looked dangerous and a huge party was arriving, so it seemed like the best option. i ordered the #7-ladies special, which consisted of 2 beef puffy tacos (think masa patties deep fried) and 2 cheese enchiladas. emily had some sort of chicken thing, which she wasn't impressed with. we also split an order of pork tamales, which were tasty. everything we had did seem to be covered in hormel chili, but i didn't mind so much. i finished with flan, which was just fine.

we called it an early night partly because it was really still oppressively hot out and partly because the next day was going to be kind of early. i'm sure emily went right to sleep and i'm sure i watched some questionable show on cable.

saturday was spa day at the watermark. we got there early to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. this time i wisely chose the buffet and had delicious french toast, pastries, eggs, bacon, and sausage. plus never-ending orange juice. we were still pretty early once we were done, so emily got a margarita, which they are apparently known for, and i had, well, more orange juice.

we finished and went upstairs to check into the spa. we shared an elevator with an older, sunburned drunk man who stumbled in and then seemed to forget what to do once the doors opened again. as we were standing in line waiting to check in, he caused more trouble trying to buy a bottle of sunblock, not understanding why he needed to wait his turn to be rung up. either way, it was too late for sunblock and him anyway.

we did wait our turn, quietly, and were escorted up to the changing area, given robes (i hate a robe, btw, but at least this one actually fit me), and shown to the relaxation area/waiting room. i sat down on a puffy settee and read about a paragraph of an interview with anna paquin before i was called for my massage. the massage was lovely. 80 minutes, spanish rosemary, no talking. the music was hilariously new agey, but it always is. then back to the relaxation room for some grapes and water before i was taken for my manicure. the manicure was eh. i get better ones at bien assorti at home for less than half the price. but, this was about pampering and the end result was that i had even more massage, my hands were extra moisturized, and my nails were painted. unfortunately, i ruined that in less than 20 minutes. but, i'm not particularly precious about these matters. c'est la vie.

i wish i had taken a picture of the shower stalls. they were like little turrets and you felt a little like you were in a castle. anyway, it was in getting dressed after my shower that i ruined my nails. stupid zipper. i went down to the spa shop to look at over-priced baubles and waited for emily to finish. when i checked out, i was told that my car had a flat, which didn't surprise me, as it looked low the day before. with help from the valets and a can of fix-a-flat, we were on our way to get richard at the airport.

the emily and richard section

the airport is laughably small and we found richard immediately outside. notably, there were no workers in yellow reflective vests telling us to keep moving. that was a reminder that we were not at home. we got richard checked into his motel and moved onto dinner. the plan for the night was to go to a steak house. i had researched them the night before and found a couple that seemed suitable downtown. sadly, we found that neither of them were accessible. so, we decided to head out a bit toward the suburbs where we had passed a mall with a bunch of restaurants earlier. we ended up at a place called the county line, a small chain serving bbq and steaks. locals probably hate it, but i loved it. the decor was busy like a friday's, but it had more personality than that. it was like a roadhouse. (i'm sure it was nothing like a roadhouse, but that's how i imagine it). we got a bbq sampler as an appetizer, which had turkey, brisket, sausage, baby back ribs, and beef ribs. the turkey, sausage, and baby backs were divine. i got a steak and veggie kabob for dinner, with garlic mashed red potatoes (mmm) and an order of homemade wheat bread with honey butter for the table. for dessert i had pecan pie, which was a little disappointing.

while waiting for me to get out of the bathroom, emily and richard made a friend:

i believe his name was mike. he was the restaurant security guard. oh yeah, that was something we noticed: san antonio restaurants had security. we weren't sure whether the be happy or sad about that.

we headed back to san antonio and decided to try to drive by the alamo. we eventually found it, it's very small. during our search, we also found hemisfair park, which contained a space needle similar to the one in seattle. emily looked it up and it turns out that it was erected for their world's fair in 1968. we were very sad that we didn't know about the restaurant in the needle prior to eating dinner, although i did really enjoy county line. we dropped richard off at his motel and made our way back to ours for sleep and more bad cable.

sunday morning, emily was leaving for home, so it was another trip to the airport. we checked out, got richard, and attempted to find some breakfast. this was surprisingly difficult, as restaurants, even those serving breakfast, seem to not open until 11, likely after church. we ended up at the cafe in a whole foods, which turned out to be just fine. afterward, we dropped emily off and headed to walmart for another can of fix-a-flat, just in case. thankfully, we did not have to use it. emily called to let us know her flight was cancelled, but she got a later one and all was well.

richard and i headed to live oak for a wrestling show, which was the original reason for this trip, aside from going to austin being on this list. we stopped for lunch at a fairly nondescript chain, although they did give the option of fries, onion rings, or a mix of both for a side and then onto hooligan's (kinda trashy, suburban bar) for the show. This was ACW's Queen of Queens, so mainly women, with some men's events thrown in for entertainment's sake. i do not pretend to know anything about wrestling, as this was my 3rd show. i can tell you that there was no blood this time, which was nice. i was in the line of fire for that last few matches, namely the main event, where the ladies were literally wrestling against my chair. i'm sure there's a picture forthcoming. basically, it was spending the afternoon in a bar, drinking diet cokes, and watching more people in spandex than the average day. richard had many lone stars and made friends with a guy named bowie (bew-ie). sadly, i didn't think to take a picture.

after hanging with bowie for a bit, we said our goodbyes and headed to austin. and we got kinda lost. not really lost, but we weren't on the right road at all. we were going the correct way. 2 gas station stops for directions, a twix, and lone star later, we made it into austin. we checked in to our motel and headed for yet another off the daisun list, casino el camino. while walking to the bar, we saw an alley cat, which richard promptly (and drunkenly) chased in hopes of catching. this did not actually happen. i had left a facebook message for chad saying i was in town and got a swift response saying he'd meet us. within 10 minutes, chad and his friend, anik joined us for hot dogs and drinks. chad also told me that casino el camino was the sister bar to delilah's back home. nice. we hung with them for a bit there, moved down the street to another bar called the jackolope. after 1 more drink, we said goodbye and headed back to the motel.

in the morning, richard and i headed to juan in a million for giant breakfact tacos. please observe:

delicious, although i ate *maybe* 3/4 of one of those. very filling.

we spent the rest of the day driving randomly. we stopped in a few stores, including toy joy, which daisun described accutately as uncle fun on steroids. they also had vegan frozen yogurt. the flavor of the day was pink lemonade and it was refreshing. we checked out the capital and the university (in a driving by kind of way). we decided to get a jump on traffic, so we left around 4 and headed to dallas (technically, grenville). on the way, oh my god, i was so excited, we stopped at SCHLOTZSKY'S! i couldn't believe my eyes when we first drove into texas and saw that they still have them there. emily hates it or i would've gone already at this point. richard had never tried it before, so i was hoping he'd like it. and he did. i was in heaven. i wanted to get 2 sandwiches, but i knew that would just be bad. so, i settled for 1-my favorite-smoked turkey. they didn't have horseradish, but they did have black pepper potato chips, so it didn't matter. we left, with me in a state of schlotzsky's euphoria, and headed to greenville. i don't remember much that was terribly eventful about the drive except for the fact that greenville was farther past dallas than i had thought and that we had to stop at a lowe's to pee. then it was another motel 6 and probably more random cable tv.

tuesday, we were off to memphis to see daisun. the drive was again, uneventful. i can't even remember what we ate on the way. the main thing to know is that once we got there, these things happened: #1 daisun came to our hotel and picked us up, which was awesome since i'd been driving for 7 days at that point; #2 i had the BEST fried chicken of my life; #3 richard had 2 40s with said fried chicken, and #4 i had the most fun i had had on the whole trip having diet cokes with daisun, his friend scott, and richard at a bar called murphy's. it was a lovely way to end it.

wednesday, we drove the remaining 9 hours home with cheap trick on the stereo, a stop at culver's, and a surprising rush of cool air once in the chicago area. that was a welcome change from the 100 degree days we had been experiencing.

sorry it took me a month to get this up :)

crack free, suckas or day 458

2010-06-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

oh, it's been over a month since i wrote anything. sorry val. i don't have a lot to report, although i did accomplish goal #95, which was to replace my cracked windshield.

not too shabby, right?

i've done more research about green mountain and discovered that the facilities are not accessible. this lead me to more weight loss spas and i found that most of them are also not accessible. what the fuck, man? can a disabled fatty get a break?

oh my heart and lungs! or day 419

2010-05-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

it's spring which can only mean it's time again for the annual doctor parade. and a parade it is! last week, i had my annual cardiologist and pulmonologist appointments, which were #20 and 21 on the list. my heart and lungs are fine, as i has expected, but it's nice to have hard evidence. plus, i got to put a thing that looked not unlike a nipple clamp on my nose, sit in a weird chamber, and blow into a apparatus to measure my lung capacity and strength. this doesn't happen every day. this week, i went to my muscle speialist, which doesn't fulfill anything on the list, but i thought i'd mention it. i'm apparetnly stronger than i was 2 years ago and more or less have permission to never walk up stairs again if i don't want to. i felt like a wee bit of a failure because i couldn't last weekend at val's, but i was assured that my muscles have been deconditioned since i moved and don't use stairs anymore. when asked if i felt like i needed to, i realized, no. no i don't. screw you stairs!

#12 on the list is to go to austin. i've updated that to in process because i have a road trip planned for the end of june. it will include a spa, bbq, wrestling, and daisun-although not all of these things at once.

1 song per disc or day 400

2010-04-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

not too much to report, but i wanted to update the little bit i've got. #35 was to read 10 books in 2010 (which is not many) and i started my first one this week. it's an uncorrected proof of a book being published next month called "my name is memory". i like the premise, but it might be cheesy. basically a teenage boy remembers all his past lives and keeps falling in love with the same girl, but their love is always thwarted somehow and in this life, he's determined to be together. i dunno. it reminded me of "time traveller's wife", which i loved, so i'll keep you posted.

#93 was to get my computer set up and start downloading music and making cds. it is set up and i've started to download. i've even tried to make cds, but i'm having a problem burning more than the first song on the list. will try to troubleshoot this weekend.

really? or day 382

2010-03-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

#86-renew plates before april 1st-DONE! with 2 days to spare.

i'm writing this in my kitchen or day 381

2010-03-29T00:11:00.000-07:00

#94-get internet access at home-DONE! i finally cleaned out my spare room and unearthed my computer. richard gave me a usb cord today and when i got home, i set everything up and was delighted to find that someone close by has an open wifi connection. woohoo! free internet in my kitchen. i will probably try to set this up elsewhere, as the my monitor is sitting on a chair and my mouse and keyboard are on a tv tray. for the moment, it's fine.

#47-buy $300 dream shoes-DONE! and i got them on sale for $222! that plus $10 shipping and my trippen vivennes were at my door in 4 days. they are spectacular.

also, i got a manicure in march, so living up to once a month for the year. this week, i will get my new license plate sticker before the end of the month.

ooh! i've also made food at home a little. last week was polenta with fresh mozzarella, roast peppers, mushrooms and eggplant. i also made a pizza with the same basic ingredients. by the time i got around to eating taht, it was kinda gross though. this week was tacos and tomorrow night, spinach and pico enchiladas.

362 days or day 362

2010-03-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

in my last two blogs, i went through the entire list and wrote about what i'd accomplished, failed to accomplish, still have to accomplish, had excuses for why i can't accomplish, etc. here are the numbers:

30 items have been completed
16 items are in the process of being completed
8 items have been attempted and failed and it's OK
47 items need to be started

so there you have it.one thing i accomplished this week is opening a savings account, so i have a whole $20 saved so far!

where was i or day 358

2010-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

onward...

53. go to green mountain retreat. this one is one of the huger (is that a word?) ones both because of the cost and the amount of dedication and possible life changingness of it. green mountain is a weight loss spa and retreat in vermont. i found them when doing research on getting myself into a biggest loser type situation, but not televised and, perhaps, less mean and aggravating. it sounds so good. you can stay anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks and it's essentially rehab for dealing with food issues. my plan is to stay for 2 weeks. 3 would probably be better, but it's so expensive and i know myself well enough to know that i'll probably start to lose my mind after 2 weeks anyway. my goal is to be able to do it by october-november of this year.

54. do something real with "fan of the banter". this one is kinda sad. it's been downgraded to tried and failed simply because my partner in FOTB is not really around anymore. there was a brief glimmer of hope last summer when he suggested we apply to do a show on CHIRP, but that never happened.

55. drink 8 or more glasses of water a day. this should be basic and i used to be really good with it. i am reaching for my water bottle as i type.

56. straighten and tidy apartment before it becomes a project. this one i think is a success. i always have things that could be put away, but in my new place, hanging my clothes up is easy, so no more bathroom piles. my kitchen table is still a holding area for items, but with the pantry right there, those items get put away much more quickly than they would've before.

57. buy a skirt. i'm thinking a denim pencil skirt, but we'll see. i might do something a little fancier, since i need something for susana's wedding.

58. find an everyday necklace. i go through this yearly and usually about this time. i want a necklace, although i haven't worn one regularly in many years. i see lots, but none are quite right. i used to have this great green stone necklace. it was just small beads but i loved it. i lost it soon after i got it.

59. be open to affection, which used to be kiss more boys. eh, i dunno. i'm not against it, but it's been a very long time since i met someone i'd bother with. i don't know if that's because of me or them. it's not a really strong desire but at the same time, kissing and affection are pretty nice things. i guess i'm at odds about this one.

60. try to find a new band/music to get into every month. i think i will expand that to also buying a new cd every month. again, this used to be like breathing for me.

61. get drunk once. this one has also be demoted to tried and failed, although i didn't even try. when i made this list a year ago, there was a certain camaraderie involved in this item. that seems to have fallen to the wayside and i don't think i ever really intended for it to happen anyway.

62. eat wendy's less often. this one was fairly easy because wendy's got kinda gross. i do have to eat far less fast food in general though.

63. wake up and get out of bed at least an hour before i have to leave. urgh, hate it. but, trying.

64. pay overdue library fines. i swear, next paycheck.

65. take a water aerobics class. well, since i wrote this, i've signed up for a total of 6. val and i have been going for the last year and moved up to twice a week in fall. woo hoo.

66. learn photoshop. this is another tried and failed. i just don't get it and i've decided that it's ok that i don't.

67. put all loose photos into an album. i'm actually in the mood to do this. i just need some time and some albums.

68. get massages seasonally. from spring 09-winter 10, i accomplished this and plan to do it again this year.

69. get allemande left tattoo. i've been thinking about this lately and might try to do it in may.

70. go to las vegas. ok. hopefully with lisa.

71. do one crazy, random spur of the moment thing that comes up. i don't think i've done this yet. i'll keep you posted.

72. visit traci in england. it would be nice, but too expensive for this year for sure. maybe 2011.

73. organize desk and personalize. done baby, with pictures of miles hunt to prove it.

74. see a blur reunion show. this kinda depends on blur. it looked like they might tour after the shows in london last year, but i haven't heard anything about it in some time. i should go look and see if there's anymore info.

75. apply to sell stuff at renegade. this year might be too soon, both for $ and production, but i will certainly keep it in mind for 2011.

76. make a shadowbox. i did and gave it to lorna.

77. become better with direction. i'm not naturally good at knowing where i'm going, but i'm getting a little better. plus, i added google maps to my phone. when i got lost in pittsburgh, i mean desperately lost, i managed to find my way back to my hotel thanks to that.

78. stop incurring overdraft fees. i went for a couple months without and then i was in the hospital and missed work, so i got below again. this pay period, i did not have one and i'm hoping to start a trend.

79. find a pilates or yoga class that is adaptable to me. i haven't done this yet and i think it would be a nice thing to add this summer.

80. get manicures monthly. i got one in january and a pedicure in february. looking forward to one in march.

81. masturbate more. really? yeah.

82. become a better public speaker. last year, ILL did a presentation for ASID, which was scary, but i did it. we had to take a day long workshop, which was really helpful and i think i mostly conquered my fears. i guess i did alright because i was asked to be a reviewer for presentations this year.

83. pay car off. slow and steady, but it will happen. i think i have 2 more years at the current payment. hopefully, i can get to the point of paying more.

84. go on a serious spa weekend. read 2 blogs ago.

85. go to an indorr water park in the dead of winter. i've missed that for this winter, but aiming for next and again, with lisa most likely.

86. renew plates on time. that's coming up at the end of the month. will write myself a note.

87. join a gym. this would be nice and i haven't looked into it in awhile. will do so after this.

88. advance a level in my job. eh. this seemed more appealing when i was excited about the potential for applying for the head of reference job. the more i thought about it, even as nice as the money would be, i'm happy here in ILL for the moment.

89. start keeping track of food in a journal. i did this and realized after 3 months that it doesn't really make me think one way or another ab out what i'm eating. and i also discovered that even on the days when i went "over" what i should've been eating, it wasn't by very much. so, this is another one that is done.

90. take a random weekend trip to a place i've never been. ok, it wasn't random as such, but i did go to pittsburgh, which is a place i had never been.

91. find a recipe for fudge foldovers and add to x-mas repitoire. i found the recipe, but haven't made them yet. i didn't even made rumballs this year. stupid vertigo.

92. figure out how to make hopscotchies. ditto.

93. get computer set up and make mix cds. i keep saying i'm going try doing that. maybe after work today...

94. get at home internet access. i'm hoping to "steal" wifi in my building, but we'll see.

95. get windshield replaced. seriously. i've gotten 5 cracked windshiled tickets. i should really do this.

96. sit on front patio/back yard. well, i no longer have either of these things, so i guess that's a fail.

97. buy chairs for patio. ditto.

98. buy a new matress. i did and i wish it were a little firmer, but yay.

99. visit kim in indiana. i tried really hard to make this happen, but she seems to be very busy.

100. start thrifting/vintage shopping again. indeed. lorna has asked to do this with me so i think as soon as it's a little nicer out, we'll make a day of it.

101. create 5 things for people before the end of 2009. i did 4. jarvis for therese, luka for shelley, shadow box for lorna, and pasties for saro. i never made anything for eva. sorry eva.

ok, that's the list in (almost) a year review. i've done 30 things and have several more in process. not too shabby. looking forward to doing this in an another year and seeing how much more i've done.

half the list after (almost) a year or day 348

2010-02-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

i'm a couple weeks early on this, but i was in the mood to look at the list after pretty close to a year later. although i've written about what i've accomplished throughout the year, i wanted to go through all of it. also, i made some of the more vague items more specific. so, here goes:

1. write list. obviously that one is finished. i think it took 2 days.

2. exerbycle 2-3x/week. well, yeah. i've been REALLY bad about that over the last year. my only saving grace is that i have been fairly diligent about water aerobics instead. but, i have the bike and i really should get on it more often.

3. swim a couple times/month. i'm at the pool twice a week and try to spend a little extra time swimming around before class. this one was easier when water aerobics started at 6 and we had time to stay in the pool afterward.

4. put together DJ/band?crafty bazaar. emily and i talked about doing this a few years ago and i'd still like to try. maybe late fall/early winter, before the holidays?

5. lose 10 lbs and keep it off. i ALWAYS lose 10 lbs. i NEVER keep it off. i go through phases every year where i'm careful about what i eat and then i go through phases where i don't think twice. i'm currently coming to the end of a "don't think twice" phase, so we'll see. also, there's green mountain, but i'll talk about that when i get to it.

6. the lose 10-40 more lbs. again, green mountain.

7. renew passport. still haven't done it.

8. write in journal at least 4x/week. this is one that i made mopre specific. before it was just "write more". i'm not sure if i want to write fiction or prose or essays. so far, just writing every week has been good.

9. take a food road trip. i definitely want to do this. i may try to do a mini one in july.

10. write about that. perhaps i will, in my journal :)

11. go to montreal. this one had been to visit A.C. in montreal, but since she's back in chicago, i'll just make it a goal to go. and i'll get a drink with mark jones. maybe it can be the end point for the food road trip.

12. go to austin. there is talk of me and richard doing this in summer. there will be wrestling involved. hopefully not with chad, haha.

13. cook at home 3x/week. this was also changed from "cook more things, more often". that was WAY too vague. at the moment, i'm hoping to start cooking things to bring to work for lunches. frozen stuff is getting me way down.

14. finally have people over for moussaka and not default to ordering pizza. yay, i did this one. i had therese, dan, val, hannah, and lorna over. it was a hit. i had also made moussaka for the work holiday party and was pleased that the ladies loved it. also, moussaka goes well with rice-a-roni.

15. get the ball rolling on scott's care that hopefully can start before our parents are unable to care for him. well, i have some names of lawyers and want to start calling for consultations soon. that part will be easy; the rest, i'm not so sure.

16. discuss that with said parents. i've already told my dad that i'm planning to do this. he seemed happy about it. again, that part was easy. when i come to them with all that they (we) have to do, i'm not so sure.

17. get 7-8 hours of sllep at least 5x/week. i've accomplished this too and i really do feel better. i'd still rather not have to get up early, but it's gotten better.

18. walk 15-20 4x/week. although i don't set out to just take a walk, especially in winter, i realized that between walking from wherever i'm parked to work and then walking around work, i almost always accomplish this goal. in spring and summer, i will return to walking a lap around the building on lunch or a break.

19. put of a one off cover band, ala covers for cover. if i had known that there would be a covers for cover in 09 earlier, i would've tried to be a part of it. alas. if it happens again this year, with the help of lorna and shelley and whomever else, i would like to front a cheap trick cover band. oh yes.

20. go to cardiologist. this is something i need to do yearly. i went in april 09 and have an appointment in april 10.

21. go to pulmonologist. ditto.

22. save $10-20/paycheck. yeah, that hasn't happened yet. pretty much every time i get to the point of being able to save, something dumb happens like i end up in the hospital with vertigo and don't get paid for a week. i am trying.

23. set up payment plans for medical bills. i've got one down and now i need to make a few more calls for the others.

24. start paying student loan again. i really wonder how many times one can use forebearance. i've done it at least 5 times already. my next payment is due on 4/15 and i want to start paying it off finally.

25. get new tires. i did, in august.

26. frame more paper to decorate with. i have a sheet at home waiting to be framed. i haven't put a lot up since i moved. the collage wall kinda took over my decorating time. hey, that's also decorating with paper!

27. go to the haskell free library and opera house in vermont-quebec. i'm hoping to do this when i'm at green mountain.

28. pay off law suit. i don't even want to talk about this one.

29. do more painting. although this one was vague, i actually did do quite a bit. i have a few more painting projects in the works after i'm done with the collage wall and getting the rest of my pictures up around the apartment.

30. clean and organize spare room/assess and organize craft stuff. i did this and it was great. i think it took me a whole weekend, but i got it done and threw a lot of stuff away. i had no idea at the time that i'd be moving anytime soon, but i'm glad i got that out of the way before packing started.

31. pay off credit card. it's a stupid $300 credit card too.

32. move to a more accessible apartment. i did! and just in time for winter too. with the exception of having to take my laundry to be done, this move has made my life at least 187% better. no stairs to deal with, i can access my closets so my clothes actually get hung up, a much more acccessible bathroom, including a grab bar next to the toilet, and a bedroom that fits more than just my bed.

33. be more proactive at work. this one was vague too, but i don't have specific goals, really. i like my job, so getting out isn't a thing. i think i'd just like to continue to make contributions when i can, like help solve problems and suggest priojects (damn OCLC book). i think maybe helping there be more follow-through sometimes would be a good goal. we have lots of good ideas and projects that fall to the wayside, so staying on top of those might be good.

34. be on time more often than not. much like wating well, this goes in phases. i am trying to be on time always and hit the mark, oh, 75% of the time.

35. read 10 books/year. last year, i read 4. that's just pathetic. i miss it and i'm not sure why, especially considering where i work, that i haven't made it a priority. i have overdues, but i should take care of those and get some books!

36. start a blog about something. well, this counts. i'm also considering starting one for a year that details the inappropriate questions i get asked by random strangers. i think i would be interesting to have a record of that.

37. get liver enzymes and cholesterol checked yearly. i got this done in 2009 and for the first time in a decade, my enzymes were normal. take that!

38. go to gyno yearly. yep, went in feb 09 and was fine. also had my first mammogram. all good.

39. buy a tricycle and ride as weather allows. part of why i haven't done this already is because in my old apartment, i had no easy way to store one. now, i have a shed outside my back door that involves no stairs! i'm gonna price them as soon as i'm done with this!

40. get handicap signs for street parking. i put this on off too and i'm glad, sicne i moved. the parking at my new place is so much easier, but i think i may still do it. there are a couple spots that have walk ways from the side walk and if i alwasy got to park at one of those, my life would be again, 187% easier.

41. change sheets more often. basic, but i had to remind myself.

42. try to establish a realistic budget each month and stick to it. i've done well and poorly with this. it's a stumbling block and i'm trying to get better.

43. see 3-5 plays/year. thanks to dave awl mostly, i accomplished 3 in 2009. let's see what i can do in 2010. i'd actually like to go see a broadway production at one of the big theaters.

44. attend 2-3 art exhibits. i should've done better last year, but i don't think i even went to one. for shame.

45. go to pla in portland march 2010. other more important uses of money came up for this year, so sadly, pla got downgraded to failed. it's ok pla, it's ok.

46. visit tom j. in seattle. this was going to be done in conjunction with pla. alas. i will do this eventually. i've never gone to seattle with seattle as the main intention and i think it deserves a looksee.

47. buy $300 dream shoes. in the next month, i can feel it.

48. buy new boots. this one's a lot harder than it sounds. i bought a great pair of motorcycle boots, that ultimately didn't work out for me. i wanted to buy the exact same pair of gripfast boots i have now, but my size alludes me. i'm keeping my eye out, but also thinking i'll get these boots i have now re-soled after winter is over.

49. buy new non-boots. i did that. got a new pair of earth solars in plum.

50. look into taking a rowing class. over the summer, i did find a class, but the cost, the time it was offered, and the accessibility were issues. i tried to find an indoor class using machines and found that they don't exist in chicago. i also looked into buying my own machine and that is where i'm headed. but, it's kind of on the back burner.

51. take more advantage of physical therapy. i think i did. i finally stopped going in august and replaced it with an extra day of water aerobics. it was really good, but started to feel routine and not as helpful. i very rarely do the exercises at home.

52. grow hair out just to see. yeah, no. never again.

ok, i'm getting typing cramps, so i will finish this next time. well start with green mountain...

massaged, waxed, pedicured, whirlpooled, steam roomed, and full of filet mignon or day 341

2010-02-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

yay #89! i took a serious spa weekend! emily and her friend rehka invited me to go with on their trip and since it was on the list and my tax return was on the way, i said, "indeed"! we went to heidel house resort and evensong spa in green lake, wi. it's about 180 miles away and about a 3 1/2 hour drive. here's how i'll break it down:

the setting
it really was kinda in the middle of nowhere. once off the highway, we took county roads that were only named by letters to get to the hotel. once there and after some bad, not terribly accessible directions to my room, i settled in to decompress after the drive while emily and rehka went to k-mart. this resulted in a video of a billy bass singing the filet-o-fish song and 3 jars of pantene pomade for $10!

the room
aside from being kind of a pain in the ass to get to, it was pretty damn good. it was almost a suite, with a sitting room and a balcony that overlooked a lake. the lake was, of course, frozen and snow covered, but that was still kinda pretty, and despite being about 20 degrees out, i did stand on the balcony for a few minutes each day. it was oddly comforting. the bed was king size and had something like 6 pillows and a bolster. there was also a duvet that weight roughly as much as me. that had to go (along with 4 of the pillows) right away. i had a tv that was about the size of my car with cable (alas, no porn). i had a whirlpool tub in my bathroom and although i was too afraid to get in for fear of not being able to get out without assistance, i did fill it up and take a shower with the water whirling around my legs. also, the toiletries were fantastic. and there was room service!

the amenities
i never made it to the arcade, which bums me out, but we did go to the pool and whirlpool after fish fry. there was much debate on the way back to our rooms about how we would dress to walk to the pool, which included me considering putting my pj bottoms on under the skirt of my bathing suit. once all was said and done though, i remembered that i'm not that modest, that i used to take my clothes off on stage in front of people, and i walked down in the suit alone.

the spa day
again, not the most accessible in that it is across the street from the hotel (and in this case, across the street is about 1/2 mile), but once i was inside, so lovely. it is definitely the nicest spa i've been to. my massage was perfect. the oil she used was almost sandalwoody, but milder. she massaged my face, which i love and it rarely happens. i should've gotten the head massage add on. next time for sure.

after my massage, i had lunch in the cafe in my pjs. because i was in wisconsin, i made sure everything i ate involved cheese. in this case, it was a dill havarti quesadilla with roasted veggies. there was also a chai smoothie.

then i waited in the relaxation room for my next appointment, which was an eyebrow wax. the room looked out onto the forest. it was a sunny day and the snow made it really quite beautiful. unfortunately, all of the chairs and chaises in there were really low to the ground. so, i opted to sit on the arm of one of the chairs while i waited. i had made the eyebrow appointment that day and wasn't sure what time it was scheduled. after i had sat on the arm for about 20 minutes, my ass started to fall asleep, so i decided to get up to get my carmex (which i had forgotten to bring with me, if you can believe that). in doing so, my bare feet, which were freshly oiled from my massage, slipped on the floor and i ended up falling off the chair instead. and, because i was in a room full of people who were serenely laid back after massages, i didn't fall gracefully and noiselessly as i usually do. oh no, i hit the chair, which then knocked into the table, which made the framed menu of services fly off and into the wall. right on. but, i was next to a low ottoman, so i was able to recover quickly and not 20 seconds after i did, the girl come out to get me for my waxing.

after that, i went straight to my pedicure. there were massage chairs that tilt and lower for you to get into, plus they could be adjusted forward and back. i got the deluxe pedicure, which included a milk bath soak, brown sugar scrub, and a pepperminty clay mask. i had it finished off with "bold & beautiful" polish (blood red). i also read about carnie wilson in people magazine.

my spa day was coming to an end, so i decided to sit in the steam room for a few minutes. dear me, i love a steam room.

the food
on friday night, emily was hellbent on finding a fish fry and on the way back from k-mart, she found one across the street. it was this funny, northwoodsy lodge, in which we were the youngest patrons by at least 20 years. the fish was ok. the chocolate mousse cake was spectacular. as was my sip of emily's pink squirrel, which was totally my grandma olga's drink.

saturday morning before i went to the spa, i ordered room service. nice french toast and eggs. i just love ordering room service, really.

saturday night we went to the fancy-ish restaurant at the hotel, called grey rock. they were a bit overwhelmed since it was valentine's day weekend and usually things are pretty dead at this time of the year. i had french onion soup with gruyere, filet mignon with mashed potatoes, and aspargus, and chocolate lave cake. the bread selection came with 3 spreads, a garlic butter, olive tapanade, and a cucumber dill yogurty thing. all delish. we attempted to have breakfast at the hotel before we left, but there was a buffet and it was really crowded. since we were in 2 cars, emily and rehka ended up at mcdonald's and i ended up at arby's. i love arby's, especially on a road trip.

so, there you have it. #89. this actually also helps my goal of getting massages seasonly, so i can cross winter off the list.

i just checked and saw that my new earth maryjanes should be waiting for me at home, so that's #47, i think.

the $300 dream shoes will have to wait along with the windshield. i opted to pay parking tickets first and that was a decent chunk.

tax return! or day 329

2010-02-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

here are the list items i'm hoping to accomplish this month with the help of my tax return check:

#47 to buy $300 dream shoes. yes, they are in my sight. and in yours too:

#48 was to buy new boots and although i technically did that already, those boots were kind of a fail. so i will buy a new pair of my old boots:

and #49 was to buy new non-boots. this will come in the form of the solar maryjane by earth:

#84 was to go on a serious spa weekend. said weekend had been booked! i'm going to evensong spa in green lake, wi with emily and i'm going to have a lovely aromatherapy swedich massage and then some crazy pedicure that involves more massage, a foot mask, and other things which sound fantastic. i will report back on that next time.

also, #64 which was to pay my library overdues (i know! i know!) and #95, replace my windshield. yay!

new year or day 313

2010-01-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

well hello there. it's been awhile. my goodness time got away from me, didn't it? but, i wasn't all sitting on my ass about it. i accomplished some shit. and had vertigo, so, naah.

in and among moving, holidays, and the aforementioned vertigo, i did manage to check #14 off my list, which was to make moussaka for people and not default to just ordering a pizza. i have attempted 2 other times to have people over for moussaka and we ended up eating giorodano's. not that giorodano's isn't delisious, but it's not me making the food of my people, now is it?

i also got a manicure. i will aim to do this once a month. oh and i exerbycled and started my 5th and 6th water aerobics classes. go me.

ok liver or day 269

2009-12-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

i forgot last post that my blood test results came back and although my bad cholesterol is a little high and my good cholesterol is a little low, my liver enzymes are normal! they haven't been normal in at least a decade. yay!

no stairs or day 262

2009-11-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

#32, moving to a more accessible apartment,has been accomplished! today, when i left for work, i walked right out the door and my car was right there. it took roughly 3 minutes. back on augusta, i *may* have cleared the first 3 stairs in that time. the move itself went very smoothly and i was thanked for being organized, so i guess i did an ok job of getting my shit together. the walls are (mostly) painted the colors i want them to be and now all i have to do is a thorough cleaning and unpack. the important stuff is set up, like my bedroom and living room. dizzy's still a bit shaken up, but i think he'll get over it. despite his crying and hiding yesterday, he did come sleep with me like usual and our morning routine was unchanged.

moving has lead to looking 3 other goals. #94, which was to get internet access at home. i will attempt to do this by "stealing" wifi, if anyone in my building has an open connection. if not, this will have to wait for a bit, but at least i have all the required parts. #96 was to sit on my front patio/backyard in summer. well, i didn't do that this past summer and now i don't have a patio or yard. i guess i kinda have a patio in back, but i still updated this one to "failed". it's ok. #97 was to get chairs for the patio, so that's a fail too.

in reading the list over to see what i could update, i saw #18 which was to walk 15-20 minutes 4 or 5 times a week. it dawned on me that i achieve this goal with just the walking i do to and from my car at work. yay me. and i wanted to mention that i didn't know about this year's "covers for cover" or else i woulda been on that shit. next year, they better do it again! i will be cheap trick (or blur) with my ladies!

the end of my years of living dangerously or day 243

2009-11-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

so, this week, i think i have accomplished my first *big* goal, #32 moving to a more accessible apartment. well, i won't accomplish that for a couple weeks, but i have secured said apartment. i will have no stairs to contend with, more ample parking, and a bathtub that i think i can actually get in and out of without fear. it's smaller and yet somehow more expensive, but i don't care. knowing that i can literally just walk out my door and go is worth the extra $50 a month. since i made the decision, leaving my house everyday has been like dealing with a relationship that has ended. i see the stairs and remind myself that i only have to do it X number of times before it's over, haha. it's that feeling of realizing that you don't have to put up with something anymore and wondering how you managed to put up with it for this long.

also this week, i completed #37 (for 2009) and got my blood drawn to test my liver enzymes. results to come. also, under the banner of #13, cook more things more often, i tried my hand at pumpkin custard pie. it was delish, if i do say so myself. i'm already thinking of variations to try for thanksgiving.

a few items got updated to "tried, failed, and am OK with it". #45, was going to PLA in portland, which isn't until march 2010, but i didn't renew my ALA membership and don't plan to before the deadline and i'd have to pay twice as much without it. plus, i have better goals for saving money now. #61 was to get drunk once. granted, i didn't actually try to do this, but i realized that i also don't really care to. i'm not sure i ever did. and #89 which was to keep track of food in a journal or sparkpeople. this one i did try in earnest, but it's never really a motivator. what was nice about it though, was i was able to see that i kept on track about half the time and the other half of the time, when i went "over", it was generally not by much. i found my measurements in a journal from last novemeber and took them again and found they were exactly the same. some people would consider that a failure, but i think it's success. i will still save up to go to green mountain, as i would still like to lose some weight.

what's up debbie downer or day 229

2009-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

so, i read my post from yesterday and i have to say, wow, i was really in a down and foul mood. and that translated into a really dull blog. my apologies to val, my one and only reader.

i got the bathing suit yesterday and it was too small. this bummed me out a little, but i blamed it more on weird sizing than sudden and seemingly overnight weight gain on my part. i mean, it was really tight and it should've been perfect. today, as i was packing it up to send back, i glanced at the tag and saw that it was in fact 2 sizes smaller than what i had ordered. yay! not only i am not a size 30, but i get the new one sent to me immediately! meanwhile, i wait anxiously for a speedy UPS delivery and hope that my old bathing suit can hang on for 1 or 2 more classes.

i reviewed the list again and made some changes. goal #40 was to by a vespa trike or tuk tuk. nice as that sounds, i don't think i really care enough about either of these items to save the money for them. so, i changed that goal to getting handicap signs for permanent street parking by my apartment. much more reasonable and also necessary.

goal #53 was to talk to karin. this goal had already been demoted to the back burner and the more i think about it, the more i realize that it would be kinda pointless. i am sad in some ways that we've parted company, but in others, i'm sort of relieved. i think she probably feels the same way. you never want to think that a 20 year friendship will end, but sometimes it does. a thought that kept coming back to me last week was that just because you have a past with someone, doesn't mean you have a future. that sounds dismal, but it's realistic.

which brings me to #54, doing something real with fan of the banter. fan of the banter no longer exists. that's pretty much it for that. it has been relegated to "tried, failed, and am OK with that", although i'm still working on being OK with it.

i have accomplished a few things too. i exerbycled last week, woo hoo! i have really decided that wendy's is gross, except for the frosty. they are still delicious. i have kept to my 1 massage per season schedule and have winter lieft for this year.

sometimes you have to make the choice or day 228

2009-10-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

completed: i bought a new mattress. it will be delivered on sunday. i can't wait. i also bought a new bathing suit which is sitting in front of my door at home even as i type. or at least, it is according to UPS tracking.

i don't have much else inspiring today. that's it.

things i would like; a pictoral or day 212

2009-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

a new winshield.

a new bathing suit.

a new sofa (this is frivilous, but that's ok).

dedicated handicap parking on my street.

a new mattress.

the new mattress and parking should come with my next paycheck. bathing suit and possibly winshield after that. the sofa might be a tax return splurge.

fat farm or day 205

2009-10-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

i was watching "the biggest loser" this week and although i kinda hate that it's a competition and that people get voted off, it did make me think about finding a weight loss spa, if you will. a place where i can be away from my life for a few weeks and re-learn how to eat and exercise. and that isn't like a boot camp. i don't need it to resemble high school gym class and i also need a place that understands that i'm willing to try stuff, but that there are some things i know i can't do. well, i did some looking and i think i found the place. i keep forgetting the name, but it's in vermont. it's expensive, but i figure if i try to save up to do it, i'll see how badly i really want it. i wish i could go this winter, but it will likely be next fall or winter at the earliest. plus, it's about a two and a half hour drive from the haskell library and opera house, so maybe i can take a drive up there and cross another item off my list. which will require me to have a passport, which is another item off the list!

that's all i've really got this time. my new boots are good. i'm still breaking them in, but they seem to be getting better with each wear.

see you next time.

polenta, sopes, tamales or day 191

2009-09-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

it's almost 200 days? damn.

it's been a couple weeks of taking stock. not necessarily doing anything with said stock, but considering the stock none-the-less. are there hyphens in none-the-less? i dunno.

in this vein of taking stock (vain?), i'm realizing that although i do need to lose some weight and i do need to consider what i eat, nothing really changes when i write things down. i look back at the month and see that, for half the time, i stick to the program and the other half, not so much. i did also see that even when i go "off" what i should be doing, i don't usually do it in great excess. i'm not giving up on the idea of weight loss, but i know that i need to find a way that actually works for me. and well, yeah, i probably need to put a little more real effort into it to (rolls eyes). at the very least, i'm still taking water aerobics twice a week. yay!

continuing on in trying out fiscal responsibility, i made a full payment on my student loan, which i believe is the first time since, oh, maybe sometime in 2007. i plan to make full payments each month. this fulfills one for goal #24. i did have an overdraft this pay period, which really bummed me out. but, it was only one and i had 2 pay periods prior without. i will continue to try to avoid them.

i bought new boots, which was goal #48. i haven't received them yet, so hopefully they fit and are comfy, etc. i hope so, because they are super cool:

i added to my #33 goal of being proactive at work by completeing the last of my 3 online classes that i signed up for. it was on being an active listener and proactive manager. really lame, but it's done.

finally, my apartment is in an almost fresh slate state. goal #51 is to keep it tidy before it becomes a project. this is what i will aim to do. the bathroom especially.

for next time, for real this time, EXERBYCLE! also, hopefully, new winter coat and bathing suit.

allegheny, something that starts with m, and the other one or day 177

2009-09-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

over the weekend, i went to visit emily in pittsburgh. my dad called me last night to ask me how the trip went and i told him that the rivers make it hard to get around. he asked me if i could name the rivers and my answer was, allegheny, the one that starts with m, and the other one. so, you see, perhaps i should make one of my goals to be better with geography.

my trip to pittsburgh *kinda* fulfills #90, which was to take a road trip to some place i have never been. i say *kinda* because the directive was to randomly pick somewhere on a map and go. so, it was pre-meditated, but, i had never been there before. i will still try to do the random one.

i wrote in a couple blogs back that i had gotten names of lawyers to try to start sorting scott stuff out, which i haven't delved into yet; however, i did tell my dad that i was planning to start. this conversation could've gone badly and had i planned it, it probably would've. but, i was able to sneak it into a conversation we were already having and he seemed receptive. not sure i'll get any help from them, but it's a step.

#42 was to create a budget and stick to it. for a month now, i've done just that. i've gone 2 pay periods with no overdraft fees (that's 2 for #78!) and am working on a third. by next pay period, i should be able to start getting stuff i want/need like a mattress and new bathing suit. at this point, i will change this to a completed goal.

#56 was to straighten/tidy apartment before it becomes a project. i'm slowly getting the project part done with, so that i can move onto the tidying part. my front bedroom got an overhaul on monday. i even got dizzy a new cat box. so, now, the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom are the 3 left to finish. with the librarian party coming up, it will get done!

sherman loves pandora and i'm sick or day 169

2009-09-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

last week, i made a budget and damn if i haven't followed it. it's been a little tight this week, but ultimately, this will lead to...wait for it...not getting an overdraft fee! so, not to count my chickens before they hatch, it would seem that i will successfully make it through 2 pay periods with no fees. if my plan works, things should start looking up financially by the end of september and i can start doing things (also on the list) like replace my windshield and buy a new mattress. oh and maybe some new shoes and clothes, since i've been wearing the same everything for too long.

another future purchase will be a rowing machine. since i can't seem to find a class that i can take, i started pricing rowers to buy. i found a rower that i've used before for $350, which is pretty reasonable. i'm hoping to get that by late fall/early winter.

last week, i had set 3 goals for myself to accomplish and i managed 2 of them: i did paper one of the canvases i bought and hung it in my room. i still have the other one to do and think i might even get to that this week. i also cleaned the hell out of my living room. there was dusting and ceiling cobweb removal involved. it still needs a little more organizing, but i feel i did enough to list it as a finished goal. i did not exerbycle. this week for sure!

now, if you don't mind, i'm going to go home early and get back in bed.

guarana antarcrica or day 159

2009-08-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

it's been a couple weeks, but here's what i got:

#3 was to swim at least twice a month. val and i have been going to water aerobics since march and there is usually some swimming/water walking done post class. starting in a couple weeks, we'll be taking the class twice a week. i want to try to get more post class swimming in on those days. this will mean i'll actually swim 6x/month. yay!

#15 was to start getting the ball rolling on scott's future care. well, i have names of lawyers and am doing research into who might be best. i know i'll have to be in the right place financially to really do this, but i have to start somewhere, right?

#25 was to get new tires and yesterday, after 3 hours in the pep boys waiting room, i got 4 new tires. in the time i waited, i wrote about my feelings, plucked my eyebrows, went to the bathroom 3 times, updated my facebook status twice, renewed my car insurance for the next 6 months and set up automatic payments for said insurance. none of this has anything to do with my 101 things, i just wanted to mention it.

#42 was to create a budget and stick to it. actually, i came up with a budget while i was at pep boys too, come to think of it. this pay period was the first in way too many in which i did not incur an overdraft fee (satisfying at least 1 for goal #78). i planned out everything i have to pay and came up with how much i can spend daily. it's a little tight this 2 week period, but i think i can stick to it. i'll let you know around day 173...

#50 was to look into a rowing class. i did this and it seems cost and/or time prohibitive, but i will keep it on the list as i've wanted to do this for about 14 years.

#51 was to take more advantage of physical therapy. as i mentioned in an earlier post, me and my therapist decided that i have probably done as much good as PT is going to do for me. i had my last session last week, but am armed with exercises to continue doing and an open invitation to come back if i feel i need to.

#91 was to find the recipe for fudge foldovers. i found it and will make them at least by x-mas.

goals for this week or two include doing something with the paper and canvas i bought for decorating, thr thorough cleaning of one room (not sure which yet), and exerbycling.

you win some, you lose some or day 140

2009-08-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

did i clean my spare room this weekend? you bet your sweet ass i did. i should've taken before and after pictures to post here. it took from about 4 to 10:30 saturday afternoon and evening, but it's done. no more dried cat puke (ew, i know), you can see my futon, clothes have been hung up, craft stuff has been WEEDED and organized. i moved my craft drawers to the kitchen, since that's where i do my craft stuff anyway.

aug 1 was my projected date to have lost 10 lbs by. well, i weight exactly the same. i know where i've fucked up and the week i was off work, i wasn't really monitoring. plus, i'm pre-menstrually bloated. none the less, i do have to try harder. so, i begin again in earnest. we'll see where i am on oct. 1.

also, i changed #25, the frivilous goal of making careless whisper my bitch to getting new tires. WAY more important.

37 or day 137

2009-07-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

i was off the week of my birthday, which has absolutely nothing to do with this update.

#13 was to cook more things, more often. this one is technically still on the back burner, but i did make a quiche the other night. it wasn't very good, so i'll have to revisit that (and, perhaps, look at a recipe), but i was happy to have attempted it. the problem was egg beaters. i wanted real eggs, but, as i was doing the shopping and carrying in myself, i thought that was a bad idea. live and learn.

#22 was to put away money each pay period. well, that's not happened, but i did get a piggy bank from richard for my birthday and i am happily putting my daily spare change in it. not quite the $10-20 each pay period that i was trying for, but it's a start.

#24 was to start repaying my student loan. technically, i was starting that i march, but um, i didn't. i will be starting in august. this time, for sure.

#41 was to change sheets more often. i bought really awesome pink paisley ones and will change them this weekend.

#51 was to take more advantage of PT. i think it's actually time to quit. i've debated this on 2 other occasions and stuck it out. i think now, i'm really at the end of the good it can do. well, without being boring. so, my proposal to myself is to take 2 water aerobics classes per week instead.

#59 was to kiss more boys. a lesson i learned this week, wait for someone who is interesting.

#61 was to get drunk once...eh.

#68 was to get massages seasonally. i'm on track with this. i received my summer massage last week.

#76 was to make shadow boxes. i made this:

it was also #4 of 5 projects, in this case, for lorna.

this weekend, my goals are to swim or bike, frame paper i bought for my bedroom, and *gasp* clean my spare bedroom.

holding my breath or day 121

2009-07-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

#43 on my list was to see more plays. so far since writing the list, i've seen 2 partly dave shows and another dave awl endevour, in your facebook. while these weren't "plays" as such, they do count as "theater" and i intend to see more of it in the coming months.

in your facebook lead me to meet tekki lomnicki and read about her class on writing a one woman show. who knew i even wanted to do this? the cost is a bit prohibitive, but i'm still considering taking it. it will end with a showcase, which means i'll be getting up and talking in front of people. so, not only will i be furthering the goal of becoming a better public speaker, but i'd also be helping #8, which was to write more. i'll keep you posted.

#50 was to take a rowing class. i've been looking and the one that sounds feasible is still kinda spendy and i'm not 100% sure how accessible they are. i will write to them and i ahve also written to someone regarding an indoor class on a rowing machine.

finally, i completed project #3 of 5...pasties for saro:

i have a choice or day 115

2009-07-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

stuff.

after 27 days of writing down my food, i lost 1 lb. looking back on the 27 days, i counted that i went over my ideal calorie/fat intake 13 days, which is a pretty bad average. but, at least i was honest and didn't skew my numbers so that i really could see how often it was. i did lose a pound though, so i look at that as success. i will work harder this month to stick to eating within the realm of what i should and see how that goes.

i got my hair cut yesterday, so happy. here:

yay.

i saw a speedball block printing kit today and got some pretty great ideas for projects. i'm hoping to get that soon. it also reminded me that i have a gocco printer at home that i could do even cooler things with. i just have to see if i need anything more than bulbs and films. yay more art projects!

giving up the ghost or day 108

2009-07-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

i was really, really pissy yesterday. really pissy. and it was basically because i was trying to fight things that don't work. why do that? so, i came home from work, after getting my tire repaired and i did this:

project #2 of 5 things: shelley's dog luka. i wasn't initially pleased with this one, but i re-worked it and i am pretty happy now. shelley seems to like it too.

today i decided that growing my hair out is. essentially, fighting something that doesn't work. my hair isn't curly or unruly by any stretch, but it is uncooperatively wavy in humid weather. in that it is now july 1 in chicago, i'm looking at nothing but that. so, to that end, next tuesday, i cut my hair. naysayers revel in the fact that you were correct. i will update my goal of growning my hair out to "tried, failed, and am ok with that" and add the new goal of not deciding to grow my hair out.

also, i had to send my new shoes back. sadly, they didn't really fit.

screw you photoshop or day 102

2009-06-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

#66 on my list was to learn photoshop. to this end, i signed up for a self-paced, computer class through work. what i discovered is that photoshop is still as complicated and headache making to me as it was when i was in college. i have no real need for it, i just thought i'd like to learn. nope. don't care. this created my new legend category of "tried, failed, and am ok with that".

i created another new category, "not as motivated to do now as i was when i made the list". i have put some items there, hopefully temporarily. cooking more things, more often really doesn't appeal now that it's roughly 90 degrees everyday. taking to karin, eh. fan of the banter seems to be on indefinate hiatus, so doing something real with that is unlikely right now.

but i did accomplish #49, that being to get new non-boots. i bought a new pair of mary jane earth shoes in bordeux (say it like a drag queen). i also got a pedicure.

oh and i still haven't cut my hair :).

pucca and garo or day 92

2009-06-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

#29 on my list is to do more painting, which coordinated nicely with #101, which was to finish my 5 projects before the end of 2009. to that end, i give you completed project #1: jarvis.
i'm pretty excited to start my other 4 now.

#32 on the list was to move to a more accessible apartment or make my current apartment more accessible. sadly, the apartment i had hoped for did not come through; however, i did ask my landlord to re-do my front stairs and that has been done. they aren't ideal, but they are better and safer than the monstrostities that were there before. this weekend, i gave up my parking spot in the garage. i haven't used it in months and the stairs are just dangerous, even for the able bodied. i gave it up so i wouldn't even be tempted to use it and today, i will apply for dedicated handicapped parking on my street in front of my apartment.

#56 was to straighten and tidy my apartment before it became unmanageable. last weekend, i cleaned the bathroom and this weekend, i tidied the living room. it's a work in progess, really.

#62 was to eat less wendy's. well, i've still been eating it, but have found the last 3x to be really gross, so i think they may be off the list for a while.

#73 was to organize/personalize my desk. last friday afternoon, i got a sudden bug to do this. it's also a work in progress, but i did get some pictures up and am going to continue organizing today.

#89 was to keep track of food in a journal or sparkpeople. i like sparkpeople, but because i cannot update it on my phone, i find that i end up writing things down anyway. so, i started a journal, wrote in the dates and calories/fat allowances to help me keep on track. i hate, i reallly do, but i gotta.

you're outta here or day 86

2009-06-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

#18 was to walk more and #89 was to keep track of food. on sunday, i walked around my block and i intend to walk to dinner tonight. yesterday, i started a notebook to write down what i eat. i hate this, but i know i need to do it.

28 days later or day 64

2009-05-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

here's what i've done:

1. i accomplished #20 and #21 in one day-going to the pulmonolgist and cardiologist. i found out that i'm only using 71% of my lung capacity (normal is 80%) and that i have a heart murmur. i was given a sleep oxygen test that came back normal, so i don't have to worry about that again until next year. i guess that 9% isn't all that importnat. i have to get a echocardiogram to see what's up with the murmur. would've done that last week if i hadn't contracted swine flu...will makew appointment after i'm done with this blog.

2. i took part in an ILL presentation for our all staff day. in preparation for this, i was required to attend a workshop on public speaking/effective presentations. after seeing myself on video and practicing a lot, i discovered that i'm actually not a terrible public speaker. this accomplished goal #82, to become a better public speaker and enhanced the ongoing goal #33, to be more proactive at work.

3. i'm making progress on #52, growing my hair out. here's were it is as of today, about 1/3 of the way to goal #1:

and here's goal #1:

4. val and i completed the first session of water aerobics, only missing 2 classes (and for totally valid reasons). we are signed up for the summer session, which starts in june. in between, we are going to continue to meet and swim on thursdays. this helps with #3, which is to swim a couple times/month.

5. i changed my sheets last night. not doing too well on doing that as often as i should. it had probably been a month and a half. still working on #41.

6. finally, i changed my #101 goal from participating in the 365 project to completing the 5 things i'm supposed to make for people by the end of 2009. i have some of the supplies for those projects now too.

the 3 things i would like to work on now are keeping track of food, exerbycling, and making the most of P.T.

i have been remiss or day 36

2009-04-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

it's been a couple weeks since i checked in with this and i was pleased to see that i've accomplished a few things. i've also been kinda bad about some things. i have my cardiologist and pulmonologist appointments this week. i cleaned the fuck out of my kitchen, bedroom, and front spare room last night. living room, bathroom, and the dreaded back bedroom (aka chupacabra) are next and hopefully tonight. the front bedroom is where the exerbycle is and now that the floor is no longer riddled with cat litter, it might be more inviting. i charged my ipod for this purpose too.

oh and i managed to get my hair trimmed without lopping it all off again. progress.

revisiting list or day 19

2009-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

looking abck after almost 3 weeks, i'm pretty pleased with what i've done so far. i've exerbycled once, which isn't a great track record, but i'm hoping to do it again tonight and maybe even tomorrow.

val and i started water aerobics last night, which is the perfect pace and the instructor played songs like "ladies night", "i can't go for that", and "get down on it", which is totally awesome. he also taught us a new vocabulary word, "disencouraged" and gave us "helpful" diet tips like don't eat after 7 and instead of eating fried foods, eat strawberries and blueberries. ah well. good thing i already know some things about nutrition (i said i know them, not that i utilize them). his name is william, but i'll secretly call him willy.

i got a $25 ticket for having a broken windshield. this is on my list of things to get fixed. sadly, an oil change and wheel realignment are first in line.

i heart carrie brownstein or day 11

2009-03-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

hair

so, i said i would grow it out, just to see. here's an example of my 1st hair growing goal. i give you carrie brownstein:

i forgot about carrie for a bit. she's one of my hair heroes. she appears to have a similar texture to mine and eventhough i cut it all off again, like last month, and i was pretty much half way there, i will begin again. all the nay sayers can shut up right now.

valid plates or day 9

2009-03-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

i got my vehicle sticker on sunday, which was 8 days before my old one expires and about 9 days earlier than i usually get it. yay not getting a ticket for expired plates!

i put money aside with this paycheck. i'm not going to "yay" it until i see that i can actually keep a hold of it until next paycheck.

today, i plan to exerbycle and my challenge for the week is to not have wendy's AT ALL. i love you wendy's, but this relationship is abusive.

i heart wendy's or day 7

2009-03-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

so, in the last few days, i've continued to accomplish stuff from the list. here's what i've done:

#17 was to get 7-8 hours of sleep most nights. i can happily report that i have gotten at least 7 since i started this. yay me!

#33 was to be more proactive at work. i started a project that has been in my head for about a year and shared it with others. now we are all working on it. it's not a huge project, but it's something that needs to get done. i have a bunch of these that i'd like to start with others too. yay teamwork! (did i really just say that?)

#65 was to take water aerobics. i have signed up to take water walking with val starting next week. yay water wings!

#82 was to become a better public speaker. this actually was inspired by the fact that my dept is doing a presentation at our all staff day this year and i had to go to a day long workshop on presenting. i thought it was going to be awful and boring, but it was actully very helpful and i feel pretty confident that our presentation will not only not suck, but will be enjoyable. yay seeing a videotape of myself speaking!

#101 was to participate in the 365 project. to that end, i've taken a photo everyday since thursday. i will create a blog to post those and link that here. yay camera phone!

next is exerbycle and not eating at wendy's so much. i've been pretty bad about that all week.

list is finished or day 4

2009-03-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

i finished my list! and i've gotten to work on time 2 days in a row, which is pretty good considering that, for about a month, i was being dropped off. i'm surprised i fell back into the mindset of leaving earlier and looking for parking. yay goals! sleeping until 8:05 was pretty sweet for awhile though.

today i will start keeping track of what i eat on sparkpeople again and try not to lose interest in doing so after 3 months as i usually do. i have my sights set on starting to exerbycle in the next couple days too.

here i go...

hit the ground running or day 2

2009-03-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

ok, so here's what i've achieved since yesterday:

i went to bed at 10:45, which is about 2 hours earlier than usual. i was asleep by 11:30 and woke up at 7:30. woo hoo, 8 hours! i can't tell if i feel better, because i've been out of meds since friday essentially and i feel a bit...off. but, meds will be procured shortly and here's hoping that another 8 hour night makes a difference!

i did get up early enough to sit and eat breakfast. i had rice krispies and a hot dog. i never said that the breakfast had to make sense to everyone.

i made appointments to see both the cardiologist and pulmonologist for 4/24. sadly, i have to go all the way to bannockburn for these. happily, the doctors are in the same office space and i was able to get concurrent appointments. yay scheduling!

i called about my student loans, which i was moments away from defaulting on, and set up automatic payments. yay another bill to pay! wait...

and finally, i started looking at tricycles on ebay. i'm gonna have to save some $ to get one, but they're pretty cheap and i should be able to have one by the time the weather is actually nice enough to ride, not just a huge tease like today it.

not too shabby for day one. next: looking into the water aerobics classes, printing pool schedules for swimming and packing bathing suit and accoutrements in trunk.

the list

2009-03-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

1. write list
2. exerbycle every week
3. swim twice/month
4. put together DJ/band/craft bazaar with emily
5. lose 10 lbs and keep it off
6. lose 10-40 more lbs.
7. renew passport
8. write in journal every week
9. take food roadtrip
10. write about that
11. go to montreal
12. go to austin
13. cook at home 3x/week
14. finally have people over for moussaka (and not just default to ordering pizza) 15. get the ball rolling in scott's future care
16. that with parents
17. get 7-8 hours of sleep at least 5 nights per week
18. walk 15-20 minutes 3-4 times/week
19. put together one off cover band (ala covers for cover)
20. go to cardiologist (2/3)
21. go to pulmonologist (2/3)
22. open a savings account.
23. set up payment plans for medical bills (athletico down, various hospitals to go)
24. start paying student loan
25. get new tires
26. frame more paper to decorate with
27. go to haskell free library and opera house in vermont-quebec
28. pay off law suit. stupid law suit.
29. do more painting (painted jarvis, luka, graham. moved onto collaging)
30. clean and organize spare room/assess and organize crafty stuff !!!!
31. pay off credit card
32. move to a more accessible apartment (or if that's not possible, make current apt as accessible as possible)
33. be more proactive at work (i.e. help think of solutions to problems, suggest projects, etc.) 34. be on time more often than not
35. read 10 books a year (4 as of 8/22/09. kinda sad.) (0/10 for 2010 so far) (started 1st book 4/15/10)
36. start a blog about something or everything
37. get liver enzymes checked yearly (09/10/11-being done on friday)
38. go to gyno every year
39. buy a tricycle and ride as weather permits
40. apply for handicapped parking
41. change bed sheets more often (seriously, i go months)
42. try to establish a realistic budget each month and stick to it
43. see 3-5 plays a year (3 as of 8/22)
44. attend 2-3 art exhibits a year
45. GO TO PLA IN PORTLAND 2010
46. visit tom j. in seattle
47. buy $300 dream shoes
48. buy new boots
49. but new non-boots (earth maryjanes)
50. look in to taking a rowing class
51. take more advantage of physical therapy
52. GROW HAIR OUT JUST TO SEE-this changes to stop deciding to grow hair out. it just doesn't work.
53. GO TO GREEN MOUNTAIN-SADLY, THERE ARE NOT AN ACCESSIBLE FACILITY.
54. DO SOMETHING REAL WITH "FAN OF THE BANTER"
55. drink 8 or more glasses of water a day
56. straighten and tidy apartment before it becomes a cleaning "project"
57. buy a skirt
58. find an everyday necklace
59. be open to affection/kiss a boy
60. try to find a new band to get into/month
61. GET DRUNK ONCE
62. eat at wendy's less often (it's gotten gross, except for frosties)
63. wake up and get out of bed an hour before i have to leave
64. pay overdue library fines
65. take a water aerobics class(es)-1 session down, starting another. starting a 3rd and 4th. and now a 5th and 6th. 7th and 8th.
66. LEARN PHOTOSHOP
67. put all loose photos into albums
68. get massages at least seasonally (4/4 spring 09-winter 10) (1/4 summer 10) (again, slacked, but got winter 11)
69. get sean tattoo
70. go to las vegas
71. do one crazy, random spur of the moment thing that comes up (like "let's go to vegas tonight", not "hey, let's go to karaoke tonight")
72. visit traci in england
73. organize desk at work and personalize
74. see a blur reunion show
75. apply to sell at renegade (or the like)
76. make a shadowbox
77. become better with direction
78. stop encurring overdraft fees
79. find a pilates or yoga class tailored to special needs
80. get manicures monthly (january 2010-done!/february, march, may june-done!/july/august/sept-done! slacked for several months, but feb 2011, done!)
81. masturbate more (seriously, i've almost lost interest and i don't want that to be the case) 82. become a better public speaker
83. pay car off
84. go on a serious spa weekend-possibly far away
85. go to an indoor water park in the dead of winter
86. get license plate renewed on time every year
87. join a gym
88. advance a level in my job
89. START KEEPING TRACK OF FOOD IN JOURNAL OR SPARKPEOPLE
90. take a random weekend trip by looking at a map and choosing a place close enough, but somewhere i've never been
91. find recipe for fudge foldovers and at to x-mas repetoire (or just whenever)
92. figure out how to make hopscocthies
93. get computer set up and make cds
94. get at home internet access
95. replace windshield
96. SIT ON FRONT PATIO/BACKYARD-now that i've moved, there is no patio or backyard. i guess i missed that opportunity.
97. BUY CHAIRS FOR PATIO-see above.
98. buy a new mattress
99. visit my cousin kim in IN
100. start thrifting/vintage shopping again
101. create 5 things for people before the end of the year

legend: completed in process and ongoing TRIED, FAILED, AND AM OK WITH THAT