101 Things in 1001 Days

by Blinkie Obsession

I saw this on Joy's blog, and I thought it was a fantastic idea! Way better than New Year's Resolutions to me; I don't know why. The expanded timeframe, perhaps? Or the fact that I tried really hard to pick things that will require some effort, but I also tried not to set myself up for failure (like "lose 100 pounds" or "eat a fruit and vegetable every day"). Yes, some are easier than others, and some are more fun than others, but that's okay.

And for the record, it took me about 3 days to come up with 101 things. I got the first 50 or so pretty easily. The next 40+ took quite a bit of thought, and those last few (somewhere in the 5-10 range) nearly killed me! LOL The categories shown here are of my own choosing for organization purposes; you don't have to categorize. Anyway, here we go, and I'll try to update my progress every month or so (but notice I didn't make that one of my items).

101 Things in 1001 Days

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Begin Date: April 1, 2006
End Date: December 27, 2008 (might make it Jan 1, 2009, just for the heck of it)

Personal
1. See a dermatologist to have my moles checked.
2. Take a multivitamin every day for 30 consecutive days (hopefully becoming a habit after that).
3. Give blood.
4. Don't eat "fast food" (McD's, Wendy's, etc) for 30 days.
5. Try at least one new recipe per month.
6. Learn to make a pork dish.
7. Learn to make a fish dish.
8. Learn to make a shrimp dish.
9. Learn to make cheesecake (using a springform pan and everything).
10. Learn to make something involving yeast (I have never had a yeast recipe turn out correctly).
11. Learn to make something involving kneading (I have no idea how to knead).
12. Learn some CSS.
13. Revamp my website (changing the graphics *does* count).
14. Revamp my blog template (just changing the graphics does *not* count).
15. Rejoin the workforce (or try; whether or not I get hired isn't necessarily up to me).
16. Start going to church again (defined: attend services 3 Sundays a month for 3 consecutive months).
17. Attend a Catholic mass (I am Protestant, but I've always wanted to go to Mass).
18. Stop cussing; I'm really not bad, but I tend to cuss while driving, and Luke is usually with me (defined: no cussing for 30 days).
19. Call Connie (my best friend) every 6 months.
20. Call Sandy (a friend I greatly miss seeing) every 6 months and try to plan a time to get together.
21. Post comments to at least 3 blogs each week (barring out of town trips, power or computer failure, or a truly serious life issue).
22. Blog at least twice each week (barring out of town trips, power or computer failure, or a truly serious life issue).
23. Send at least one RAK, even if just a card, every 3 months.
24. Have our friends over at least once a year.
25. Go out by myself once a month.
26. Get a pedicure.
27. Get a "real" haircut and style.
28. Buy new undergarments (my current ones are ancient).
29. Wear jewelry once a month (besides the earrings and wedding band that I *always* wear).
30. Primp for a date with DH once every 3 months, including make-up.
31. Find a new shade of lipstick I like (currently only 2 I like, and I've been wearing them for years).

Family
32. Move to a better school district, or have a firm plan in place to do so.
33. Have new family portraits made.
34. Print some photos of Luke and put them in an album (currently, they're all digital only).
35. Go on vacation with my whole family (husband, child, parents, brother).
36. Get away with my husband, just the two of us, once a year.
37. Use the china and crystal at least once a year.
38. Decide if or when we want another baby.
39. Make a will.
40. Bug my family (husband, parents, brother) until each person also has a will.
41. Have DH's cousin and family over for dinner.
42. Visit BIL at his new house (whenever it gets finished being built).
43. Decorate Luke's room when he moves to a "big boy bed."
44. Take Luke to Walt Disney World (he's already been, but we want him to be old enough to enjoy it).
45. Take Luke to a baseball game.
46. Take Luke to the beach (as in down on the sand and water, not just the pier or boardwalk).

Financial
47. Restore our savings account to the amount we agreed.
48. Start a Roth IRA.
49. Start a college fund for Luke.
50. Roll over my 401(k).
51. Buy a new vacuum.
52. Buy new dining room chairs (and maybe a table).
53. Buy a new mixer (preferably a stand mixer, but a new hand mixer would be fine).
54. Replace my ruby earrings (I recently lost one).
55. Start taking the Sunday paper and using the grocery coupons.

Fun
56. Eat Japanese (Hibachi) at least once a year.
57. Go to an NBA game (the only major US pro sport I'm missing; baseball, football, and hockey I've done).
58. Go to the symphony (I've never been; I know, it's sad).
59. Attend a cultural event at least once a year (symphony, opera, ballet, theater, etc).
60. Visit the farmer's market every 3 months.
61. Visit a museum once a year.
62. Visit an Asian market.
63. Go to the Georgia Renaissance Festival.
64. Go to the Georgia Aquarium.
65. Visit Arizona.
66. Visit Texas again.
67. Visit another country (Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Europe, Australia, doesn't matter).
68. Average reading a book a month (12 per year).
69. Read a graphic novel (suggestions anyone?).
70. Read one non-fiction book per year.
71. Read one of Shakespeare's sonnets every month.
72. Average seeing a new movie each month (12 per year; theater, DVD, or television).
73. See all "Best Picture" Oscar nominees before the telecast if possible (they may not play here, and I won't do horror or gory films).
74. Watch Firefly (the series, probably borrowed from Ginny since she offered).
75. Host a stitching get-together at my house.
76. Start stitching again (defined: 5 hours per week for 3 consecutive months).
77. Finish A Midsummer Night's Fairy (been a WIP for at least 5 years).
78. Finish my beaded strawberry fob (again; I gave my first one away, then restarted it before Luke was born).
79. Make a temari every 6 months, each one a different pattern.
80. Get cards for Christmas alphabet scrapbooks organized.
81. Make at least one Christmas alphabet scrapbook a year.
82. Re-learn to crochet and make an afghan for Luke.
83. Take a beginning quilting class.
84. Learn to set up the sewing machine and sew a straight seam.
85. Make a quilt for Luke (I already have the fabric).
86. Ride a new roller coaster.
87. Learn a new card game.
88. Learn to juggle (I gave DH a learning kit for Christmas; defined: juggle 3 balls for 1 minute).

Miscellaneous
89. Correct my Social Security information (just found out part of it is wrong).
90. Renew my passport.
91. Get a copy of my own birth certificate.
92. Back up the computers every 6 months (at least).
93. Burn digital photos to CD every 6 months.
94. Try Firefox (the browser).
95. Update DH's wardrobe matrix (don't ask) every year.
96. Have our foundation inspected.
97. Get my bedroom tidy and organized.
98. Clean out my drawers and closet; get rid of clothes I don't wear.
99. Box up the clothes Luke has outgrown.
100. Frame my Disney lithograph that has been sitting in the closet for over a year.
101. When 1001 days are up, update this list, then make a new list, including carrying over any of these not completed. :-)

Currently feeling: accomplished

The 2006 Spring Training Disney Excursion Recap

by Cheddar Bay

Our 2006 Spring Training Disney Excursion began on Tuesday. We left right after DH got off work, and the trip down to my parents' house that night went pretty well. Luke didn't want to eat much at dinner, so I didn't get to eat much either after taking him outside during a meltdown in the high chair. We sat in the rocking chairs in front of Cracker Barrel and he acted as the greeter, much to the delight of several elderly couples passing by. Got to Brunswick around 11 PM.

We left Wednesday morning to head to Orlando around 9:45. Luke cried when we left (we could hear him screaming from inside the car; this was DH's first time away from Luke overnight, and he (DH) was not happy), but it didn't last very long (according to Mom). Had a hard time getting to Orlando. We were about 10 miles down I-95 when traffic came to a halt (that's about 25 miles from the Florida border). We never got above 10 mph, frequently not moving at all. We were also trapped in the far left lane with no way to see if an exit was coming up or anything. Over an hour after we left, we pulled off at exit 7, just *after* the traffic broke up and cleared. Yes, it took us 80 minutes to go 30 miles. Not fun. Finally got to where we could see what was going on not long before pulling off: one big rig had rear ended another. The one that did the rear-ending had the cab completely crushed. You could see and smell the gasoline all over the road (HazMat crew, sand on the road, all that jazz). The big rig that was hit had the rear trailer support broken. It was being towed, and the trailer was just resting on top of the back tires. You could see the smoke billowing off the tires and smell the burning rubber, pew!! Ate lunch at Sonny's BBQ at exit 7 and finally arrived in Florida 2 hours after we left (should have taken about 30 minutes). ::sigh::

We tool along I-95, coming up on Daytona (from my parents, to get to Disney, you take I-95 south to Daytona and hang a left on I-4 west). We're running about 45 minutes behind (don't ask how fasts we were driving to make up that kind of time), but no problem; there really isn't a set schedule. We lost the radio station we had been listening to since Jacksonville, so I started flipping stations. Found one that you could tell was about to finish up with a commercial, so we waited. Guess what we heard on the pre-music traffic report? "For those of you heading west out from Daytona, be advised that entire sections of I-4 west have been shut down due to brush fires. Traffic should clear after Highway 472." I beg your pardon? I don't know how else to get there!! We pulled off at the next exit, less than 5 miles from the I-95/I-4 interchange. I looked in the floorboards behind the front seats, I checked the trunk, I looked in the glove compartment. I can't believe we are in a car belonging to my father and there is no US Road Atlas to be found. It just doesn't happen! (We took their car and left them ours since it had the baby seat in it.) Technology to the rescue!! What on earth would we do without cell phones and Mapquest these days? I called my brother Jacob, told him where we were, and he gave us an alternate route that put us back on I-4 beyond where they said it would clear. Probably only cost us an extra 10 minutes, and we got to see some scenic Florida (ironically, it looks a lot like Brunswick).

Finally got there around 4 (should have been there before 2, snort) and checked in (can't believe they actually had a room ready). As we were emptying the car, I picked up my pillow and jacket out of the back seat, and lo and behold, there sat the atlas. I felt so stupid!! (See, I told you, every car my father drives contains an atlas.) We finally headed out to Downtown Disney around 4:30. We ate dinner at Rainforest Cafe (barely beat the rush) and did our usual scouting mission of pins and merchandise. This prevents us from buying things in the parks (and having to carry them around) that we can buy elsewhere. Bought a few things at Downtown Disney Wednesday night (St. Pat's pins in case they were gone by Friday evening (our next scheduled trip to Downtown) and a Jedi Mickey plush). Finally end of the day Wednesday. Whew!

We were at MGM Studios before they opened on Thursday; don't think I've ever done that before! Rockin' Roller Coaster rocked, as always, even if I did have to ride it by myself (DH hates roller coasters). Got to tell my favorite "Mom didn't think the ride vehicle racing off was real" story. When you leave the pre-show area, you end up in the queue line, which has a clear view of the "vehicle launch" for the ride. The vehicle takes off, or more accurately is catapulted, reaching 60 mph in 2.4 seconds (literally). When Mom saw that from the queue her first time on the ride, knowing that everything at Disney is not what it seems, she turned to me and said "that can't be real." Oh yes it is! (For anyone who has ridden it, you know what I'm talking about. Best part of the whole ride!) Anyway, most people get a kick out of that story, including the 14 year old girl I was telling it to. She seemed a little nervous about riding (her first time), but the story made her laugh, which was the point (she'd already seen one vehicle take off). I ended up riding before she did, so I don't know how she did; I'm sure she was fine, though.

Met DH at the Villains Shop, then went to the Star Wars shop, and we didn't buy a *single* thing at either place, if you can believe that. We usually drop big bucks at each of those stores, but not this year (and really not much last year, for that matter). Really just nothing worth buying (that we didn't already have; a lot of repeat merchandise from last year, which is unusual). Caught a late breakfast since we had 2:45 lunch reservations at Tony's at the Magic Kingdom (now that they have actual *reservations* and not priority seating, there are very few reserved seats available; only an 8:45 for dinner (um, no), so we did a late lunch instead). Saw the new "Lights, Motor, Action!" stunt show, which was quite fun. Learned a lot of cool things about how stunt cars are tricked out.

Headed out to the Magic Kingdom, rode the WEDway (excuse me, Tomorrowland Transit Authority ::rolls eyes::, it will always be the WEDway to me), and did Carousel of Progress before lunch. Tony's was fabulous, as always. Managed Buzz Lightyear an insane number of times (like 6 or so), rode the WEDway probably 4-5 times (which is not an insane number since it never has a line, unlike Buzz which routinely runs about a 45 minute line, but we use FastPass to maximize our rides), did the newly refurbished "its a small world," and The Haunted Mansion. I think that's it (Pirates of the Caribbean was closed for refurbishment; I hear they are installing a Captain Jack Sparrow AA). Caught the fireworks and the second parade, which was heaven, since most folks left after the fireworks, having already seen the first parade. Had to book it across the hub from Tomorrowland to Adventureland *between* the first parade and fireworks JUST for a graduation gift for Jacob after seeing someone else with one (he'd better like it!). Anyone who has been in the hub during those two events knows what a challenge that was. Running the medival gauntlet would have been easier!

Did I mention I had a blister during all of this? Yeah, that was fun. Yes, me, after all these years of going to Disney without even a hotspot on my foot, managed to get both a blister (I think my sock got wadded up on top of my left pinky toe; had a blister by late afternoon) *and* a sunburn (didn't follow my own rules: used sunscreen from last year (should always buy new each year, as it does expire), and didn't reapply at Noon). A mild sunburn, really. Just a tinge of pink and a touch of sting with the hot water from the shower. Gone by the next day and I didn't peel. Still, not the point. I am very careful to ensure neither of those things ever happen to me, and both did this trip. ::sigh::

Staying for the second parade was the best idea we've had in a long time (we usually leave before the parade to avoid the mob). Virtually everyone vacated the park after the fireworks, most having already seen the parade or thinking the park was closing. Heh, heh, heh! We got to play and shop during the first parade when crowds in the lands thinned out dramatically (everyone was in the hub or on Main Street watching the parade), we caught the fireworks (which are great from virtually anywhere near the hub or Main Street) just as they started, we split a Coke at Casey's while chatting with a very nice couple from Pennsylvania and watchcing the thundering herds vacate the park, and we got a prime spot right on the sidewalk on Main Street with only 10 minutes to go before the start of the second parade, directly in front of The Emporium, leaning against a tree even. Bliss! (For the first parade (or the only, if there is just one that night), you usually have to stake out a prime spot like that 45-90 minutes in advance.) And there was virtually no vehicle traffic when we left. Perfection! Got back to the hotel around midnight.

Slept until about 10 on Friday, St. Patrick's Day, then went to the game (Braves vs. Astros). A little bit warm out, but we've had far worse. Light breeze, no rain, and the occasional cloud bringing much needed sun relief (I did lather up with the good stuff that day, and we left before I needed to reapply). We stayed 5 innings. They were down 2-0, ended up losing 7-0. Glad we didn't stay for the whole thing. Back to the hotel to shower and head out to Downtown Disney. Stopped at the Italian place in the strip mall next to the hotel (we usually stay at this hotel, we'd just never eaten there before), and it was quite yummy! We will definitely be eating there again on future trips. Since we had done the "pre-shopping scouting mission" on Wednesday, we knew what we wanted to buy where (that we hadn't bought at the parks), so it only took about an hour. Caught two movies over on Downtown Disney Westside, V for Vendetta and Ultraviolet, then back to the hotel.

Checked out Saturday right at 11 AM. Had lunch at the Steak 'n Shake next to the hotel, then headed home. Had a bit of a traffic slowdown just south of Jacksonville, but made it in plenty of time for dinner. Luke seemed happy to see us, which was nice, though he sure didn't want to let us out of his sight after that (not surprising). Mom said that he didn't look for us at all until Friday, when he only looked around a little in the morning, but by Saturday, he was seeming a bit distressed at our continued absence. Guess we timed it just about right for his first time overnight sans parents.

Sunday was lunch with my paternal grandparents in Waycross, which is about an hour away, to celebrate PaPaw's 86th birthday, then headed home. Luke did really really well in the car, all things considered. I slept more than he did. Hit race traffic (or I guess non-race traffic, since it was cancelled due to rain) on I-75 around exit 195. That's about 30 miles from the exit we needed, and about 15 miles from the actual exit for the race. Sheesh! Hauled out the road atlas (compliments of my father; remember, we were back in our own car now) and hit some state routes. Trekked through downtown McDonough and Stockbridge before all was said and done. Finally ran into I-675, the road we were aiming for in the first place. Once again, I bow to Dad for teaching us to read a map, and read it well. Got home around 8. Thus ends our Spring Training Disney Excursion for another year.

Currently feeling: mousified

New Movie Musings

I haven't spotlighted these in a while, so I thought I would do so now. I'm trying to get caught up! I did eight tonight, and I have six left to do. I really need to get back in the habit of doing them as soon as I've seen the film, but that seems to be easier said than done of late.

For those interested, if you keep an eye on the sidebar over there, I post them under "Newest Movie Musings" when I do them, even if I don't make a particular post about them. Or you can drop me a line and I'll add you to the list. :-)

* Memoirs of a Geisha
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
* The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
* Casanova
* King Kong
* V for Vendetta
* Ultraviolet
* Serenity

Currently feeling: somewhat caught up

DH's turn

He seems to have some combination of what Luke had and what I had, which cannot be at all fun. Luke's appetite isn't back to normal yet, and he seemed really tired today, but otherwise he seems fine. Except for fatigue, I am generally well. I have started a barky cough, though, which doesn't make me happy in the slightest. That usually leads to bronchitis before it's all over. Can we please all be well in time for the weekend? Nothing planned, really, I was just hoping for some time to kick back and relax. Recouperation wasn't on the agenda.

Currently feeling: tired of everyone being sick

Luke fine, me not

Thanks for all of the hugs and well wishes. They seem to have helped, well, helped Luke at least. He woke up bright and cheerful this morning, like nothing at all happened last night. I woke up exhausted and feeling awful, which I attributed to being up all hours washing clothes (and bedding, which had to be done, because if he got sick again, we were out of mattress pads and pajamas for him, not to mention perilously low on towels). I also didn't get much sleep since I woke up every time I heard him roll over (gotta love paranoid mom hearing). He didn't eat much today, which isn't surprising, but no fever or vomitting today, plus in a good mood and talkative (no, still no actual words, though we have two new sylables: bee and bay).

Like normal, I took a nap when he did this morning. I'll feel better as soon as I catch up on my lost sleep from last night, right? Woke up feeling better, yes, but still not very good. By his second nap, I could barely keep my eyes open. I layed down, and about 30 minutes later, I could not get warm for anything. I was wearing long pants and a shirt, plus an extra blanket or two, and I was still shivering. Hello, you have a fever!! Of about 100 degrees. Joy. Thankfully, Luke slept until DH came home, and he promptly sent me to bed, where I woke every 30-40 minutes either freezing cold or burning up. Woke up dripping sweat and feeling like I was about to incinerate around 7:30 (perhaps the quilt on top of the two extra blankets was a bit much?), so maybe it has broken for good. I certainly feel much better. Temp is currently reading normal. We'll see how the rest of the evening goes. Maybe I'll get around to a trip recap by the end of the week.

Currently feeling: not exactly well

24 hours

Sorry, no cute blinky today. We're back, trip went fine. We enjoyed a couple of days without Luke, going to two movies, two theme parks (in the same day), and a ballgame. My parents thoroughly enjoyed their two days of unrestricted Luke time.

Still no word on the job, BTW. She's supposed to talk to him "late tomorrow," whatever that means.

I think our two days away from Luke were just preparing us for tonight. Roughly 24 hours after arriving home (25.5 to be precise), Luke is throwing up. At least last time he didn't seem upset by it. This time, he is crying and acting like it hurts. No fever, so I don't know what's up. Time will tell, I guess. The only reason I'm even online right now is that I'm waiting for some stains to soak before washing his pajamas and DH's shirt that was hit during a clean-up attempt. More later, when I have time. God only knows when that will be.

Currently feeling: like she can't win

A Blinky Story

Decipher it (admittedly, it shouldn't be difficult), and you know what I'll be up to for the next few days!

by Kari's Blinkies
by Jo's Blinkie Obsession
by Blinkie Madness
by ACR Blinkies
by Blinkie Obsession
by Blinkies by Mel

Currently feeling: ready to relax