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

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...