"the list" in review...

With Nov 5th marking my 2 year anniversary of "the list" I've decided to finally recap the open items. Sorry this is so wordy but it's a fair synopsis.

4. Plan a trip with my Mom – Most likely an actual trip is not going to happen because of health issues/recovery and budget with the fact that my dad is currently unemployed. However, the goal of this item was to spend some one-on-one time with my mom and I’m wondering if I can consider this complete with my visit to FL in September while I was sitting with her in the hospital. It was more “together time” than active time but I don’t think I could really top that with her. Opinions?

5. Plan a trip with my Dad – I kind of feel like I was able to complete this item recently and unexpectedly. Again with item 4 and my mom's surgery, I went down to spend some time with her while she was recovering in the hospital. During a large portion of the beginning of the trip my mother was pretty heavily medicated with limited visiting hours so my dad and I were able to have some very special time together. We talked about things going on in our lives, did some shopping (which he thoroughly enjoys accompanying me on), had several meals, and test drove a CAMARO!!! :) Again, this time together is kind of what I was intending for this particular list item but I’m not certain if it truly qualifies since it wasn’t technically a "planned trip" for just the two of us. I feel that this time fulfilled my requirements but I’m not certain. Once again, an opinion would really be appreciated :)

6. Find 20 World Series Cards for Dad (4/20) – I really need to get on this. I’ve just been a little lazy or something with this item. No real excuses. My dad LOVED this gift and really was surprised. I need to work on finding some more of these cards for him. Unfortunately some of them are pretty expensive…we’ll see how many I’m able to get. Not really wanting to spend more than $45-50 on a baseball card and that would have to be a REALLY special one or possibly two.

9. Visit Roomie – This one had turned out to be a lot harder than I would have expected. I even specifically signed up for a work trip in Tucson hoping that I’d get to visit the kins but of course that was one of the weekends where she was out of town. With the ridiculousness of both of our schedules I feel like I’ll be pretty lucky to fulfill this item by August of next year. We’ll see.

10. Make 5 new friends outside of work (4/5) – It amazes me how slow I am at this item. I would have thought that this would have been one of the faster items to complete but my crazy shyness is turning out to be pretty inhibiting….

13. (Private) – This item is done. The irony of timing in this world is killing me but I’ve completed this item after a couple of unexpected inquiries required me to complete this item.

14. (Private) – So I’ve completed 2/5 of these and with the 3rd to happen very shortly. The inquiries into this item are what forced me into action on number 13.

15. Start a Graduate Program – I will complete this item. I have every intention of starting a program next fall…but that will require some serious investigation on my part starting pretty soon.

16. (Private) – Another area where the irony of the world is just amazing me. After 4 years in this particular area and not getting myself truly “tied” to anything I start dating a guy here…who owns a house! And has family who live “close”! Grr! Why do I have to like him so much?!?! We’ll see what the future holds but this is definitely throwing a wrench in the system.

19. Buy a designer pair of shoes – I’ve come to realize that several of the items on this list contradict #77, #75 and ultimately #71…so I think a couple “spendy” items probably won’t get completed because the others are more important. Ah, tough decisions…but I guess that’s part of growing up. But this doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping my eye out for the perfect pair ;) If only Puma’s counted…they’re a designer…but that’s not what I had in mind here.

22. (Private) – This item will be completed. I’m just looking for the right thing :)

23. Learn CPR – Kind of forgot about this. I will look into it. I think it’s an important training…you never know when you may be in a situation where this knowledge is needed and it would be so sad to not have this done because of a lack of effort on my part.

26. Get a Pet – After some discussion this weekend I think I’ve figured out a strategy of how to complete this item. 1) Talk to landlord for “pre-approval” 2) Start defining search criteria (I didn’t realize I had any but thanks to J’s quizzing and comments I realized that I did) 3) modify the guest bathroom to accommodate the litter box...which was my major hang up.

27. Get a pedicure each Spring before I start to wear sandals (2/3) – Definitely will be completed! I love pedi’s and there’s no reason why not to get one when the feet are coming out of hibernation :)

28. Lose 25 lbs (17/25) – A work in progress. I need to get back into my regular routine…especially since the boyfriend has recently started P90X. Not fair that he gets to work out over lunch and has the quick shower option…it’s just not that easy for me. The morning workouts are difficult to do every day and I feel bad leaving the bf alone for 1-1.5hrs and then being sweaty all evening :-?

31. Do sit-ups and push-ups each night for 3 months (1/3) (ONGOING) – I started this up again on November 1 and I’ve done really well so far…EVEN with traveling! I may not be doing a ridiculous amount but I’m doing some…and more than 30 push-ups and 80 sit-ups each night. My plan is to increase this number and I know that I can; I’ve just been exhausted at night when I remember this so I’ve done the best that I could

32. Learn how to make 5 soups that I like (5/5) – I just recently completed this item with recreating my family chicken soup recipe! I’ve tried this several times since I’ve been out on my own but only this last time did I get it just right! This is so wonderful in my world…now I need to make another batch so that I can freeze some for when/if I get sick I will have the PERFECT comfort/healing food :)

38. Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity (ONGOING) – I’ve tried. I may need to expand my potential work zone to be able to get this done because the group in my county only seems to do one house a year and it’s only in the early Spring. I’m on the e-mailing list but it’s just a little discouraging that all summer long I wasn’t able to make it to any of their work days. That’s just sad. I need to make this a priority when the opportunity is available.

39. Find a community clean-up group in the Warsaw area – Sadly thus far this has been a bust. I really do want to find something like this but without having the paper…and not knowing the right people I just seem to be out of the loop, if in fact such a “loop” even exists in Warsaw.

40. Volunteer at Our Father’s House – Another item like CPR that I’ve kind of forgotten about. I need to give them a call so that I can find out what type of work they need done.

45. Start doing Stained Glass – So this particular item requires a fairly substantial investment in tools…which takes $$$ so unless the necessary tools are gifted to me I probably won’t be completing this until after 77 is started and 71 and 75 are done. Even though I would REALLY like to get back into this…it’s so much fun to be able to zone out making some really fun stained glass…for myself or for a gift :)

46. Finish my stained glass project at J&C’s – So this item is linked to 45 in that I need tools AND I need to retrieve the project from J&C…why did I not do that on this trip down?!?!? I think I’m going to need to see if they’d be willing to bring this up with them when they come up in December…another motivator for me to have to go to J’ville ;)

47. Blow up 2 pictures per year (2/6) – This is just LAME that I haven’t completed this item! I have several pictures that would look wonderful blown up. I have one idea for a gift…and I’m guessing that after Costa Rica in Dec/Jan I’ll have several more that I want to get enlarged. So perhaps the “2 per year” won’t be accomplished but I WILL have 6 blown up pictures (and framed) by the time this list is up!

49. Buy a digital SLR camera – This item WILL happen by the end of November. I’m going to Costa Rica in Dec/Jan and want to have one of these cameras…and I NEED to make sure I have time to practice with the camera and potentially (ideally) get number 50 completed before I go.

50. Take a photography class – Tied to number 49. HOPE to have this done before Christmas. I need to contact some local photography stores to see if they offer some short learning courses in using digital SLRs :-?

53. Learn to Wakeboard – So when I made this list I honestly thought this would be a “low hanging fruit”…but with my ridiculous schedule I haven’t been able to go out with friends on their boats during this summers…I know, LAME! We’ll see what this coming summer holds.

55. Learn to drive a Manual Transmission – So on my trip to CR we will be renting a manual vehicle. My friends have offered to let me “learn” in the rental but I’d prefer to have a couple of trips out before being in a foreign country, I know, CRAZY ;) I did recently find out that two of my other friends both have manuals and are willing to “teach” me on their vehicles…so hopefully I can do that before Christmas :)

56. Go on 2 century bike rides (1/2) – When the ride that I went on last year came up again in 2009 I was already busy…this just means that I’m going to need to seek out another such ride earlier in the summer so that I can get this accomplished prior to Aug 2nd….

57. Go for a bike ride in Chicago along Lake Michigan – I have to complete this item. I love Chicago and there is no reason why I haven’t done this yet…well except that when the weather is nice I’m already booked to go out of town somewhere. I think I’m just going to block off a weekend now for next year THAT should allow me the time to do this ride. I KNOW I will enjoy it :)

58. Attend a wine tasting class – I haven’t really looked into this in my area. I need to see what I can find out. And I’m pretty certain that several of my friends would be interested in participating in this with me.

60. Go to Las Vegas – This item clearly conflicts with 75 and 77 but I’d really like to go. And now J has it on her list AND the bf really likes it so between the two of them I’m bound to get there at some point.

63. See the Northern Lights – So I should have researched this a little better before I put this on the 101 list. I’m changing this to a life goal and I’m not going to be disappointed if I don’t get it completed prior to Aug 2nd. The only real way I see this happening is some fluke that I happen to be somewhere WAY north at exactly the right time…you never know though :)

65. See Niagara Falls – Once the bf gets his passport (which he has to get before June of next year) I’d like to make this trip to NY and Canada. I think it would be a lot of fun and REALLY pretty.

71. Purchase a new car – Yeah, yeah. I’ve talked about this forever but since I’ve been SO bad about 75 and 77 I’m my own hindrance on this. I think I’ve gotten it narrowed down between two different vehicles…now I just need to work on the $$ ;)

73. Learn about investments – I’ve done this a little bit through an online program called iVillage / iLearn but I need to do a better job.

75. Reach a savings goal (52%) – This is actually a bit sad. I should have completed this LONG ago. I need to do a better job of getting on #77 in order to help me with this item and 71.

77. Follow budget for 3 consecutive months (0/3) – I’ve started this several times but apparently I don’t set it up realistically. The whole goal is to create a workable situation; apparently thus far the ones I’ve created haven’t really been that. In January (after the holiday’s and my CR trip) I’m starting this.

78. File taxes by the end of February (2/3) – Work in progress

79. Make a will – I really haven’t looked into this at all and I think this is mostly because I don’t really have that much to “Will” anyone. I suppose it is important though.

82. Go out to a REALLY NICE dinner – This is another item that directly conflicts with 75 and 77. I’m going to leave this one up to work and if I don’t get there by Aug 2nd then I won’t be hurt. I’ve had PLENTY of really nice dinners and I know that there will be many times in the future where this will be an option but for now, I have other things to focus on. (Mature me speaking ;)

86. See a Professional Orchestra Performance – Another item that should be completed by now. FW has a decent symphony and also draws in several major groups…I just need to research this better and plan a night out :) Oooh, and I could dress up and everything ;)

88. No TV for a week (9/10) – I’m going to have to talk to the bf about this one if it doesn’t happen while in CR (which it should). This shouldn’t be that difficult to complete but I can’t make any claims to "no tv" during football season…or if I do that just means that I’m going to have to be somewhere else during game time.

90. Go to a Saluki Men’s Basketball Game – I need to look into their schedule but this WILL happen before the list is over. I really enjoy watching them play…or any college bball.

93. Find a piece of art for the large wall in the Living Room – I feel that this item is too specific to my current residence…and conflicts with #16. Most likely anywhere else I would move will NOT have a wall this big so I’m not going to seek out a particular piece to complete this item. If I happen upon something that’s great, but I’m not going to be heartbroken if I don’t.

96. Send someone flowers at random (3/4) – Still ongoing. It’s more difficult than I thought to do something completely “at random”. No matter when you send flowers to someone there can always be a reason for why they need them. I’m still looking for a great opportunity to surprise someone with flowers…just who and when only the future knows but this will be completed.

97. Send at least one card per month (24/33 months) – Ongoing and enjoying it. This item has never felt like a task. It just helps to remind me a little bit (if necessary) that it’s so great to send out cards :) Perhaps I’ll work on making my own…if I get REALLY ambitious ;)