10 posts tagged “101 in 1001”
I have completed #51 on my 101 in 1001: Make a clothing item for squishy baby. When I made the list "squishy baby," my youngest nephew, was not yet born. Now he is almost big enough to fit in the outfit I made him (below). Overall I am happy with the way it turned out, although the snap opening is not done correctly. I have ripped it out and re-done it twice and it is still not right. It is functional and he is a baby and can't complain, so I think it will be okay.
I definitely think that I chose a project that was too difficult considering it was the first project I have done with my new machine.
I have also made a cat bed. I just decided on a whim to do in on Saturday. I wanted to see if I could make it in the time that Prince E showered and shaved his head. I just about made it too! It is really just a flat pillow and none of the cats has gone on it yet, but I have hope!
Here are some things that I have been up to, in fun bullet form.
- The official eight-week training program for my triathlon has begun. I will be documenting it over at Princess Runner.
- We saw the documentary Body of War over this past weekend. I think it should be required viewing for anyone thinking of voting for McCain this fall.
- We volunteered over the weekend at a fancy event for charity and I was again reminded that organization is key to a successful volunteer experience. The lack of organization and immense amount of frustration nearly caused me to walk out, but that would not have been very charitable. I am looking forward to getting the survey to complete about my volunteer experience so that I can tattle on the team captain who blatantly lied to another volunteer in order to cover her own ineptitude.
- I was very excited a couple of weeks ago when I learned that my work was having an old cell phone drive. This was because "donate old cell phones" was on my 101 in 1001 list. I spent about 20 minutes trying to find the bag that had Prince E's ancient cell phone and my phone from three phones ago. I have been holding on to it for about two years and they actually moved with us. When I couldn't find them, I asked Prince E and he reminded me that we had already donated them about 8 months ago when I had my old computer recycled. I didn't remember because he had been the one that had actually taken them. I guess that I will leave this one on the list because I am sure that before 2010 it will be time to donate my emergency back-up phone that I am holding onto for the (very likely) event that I lose or break my current one.
- If you check my 101 in 1001 list, you will notice some changes. I have called "learn to use clipless pedals" completed because I used them for the third time yesterday and I finally didn't fall once!! It was quite a proud moment. I also marked one item "failed" because it was something I was to do every week and I missed two weeks already.
As part of the preparation for my upcoming triathlon (as well as an effort to knock another thing of my 101 list), Prince E attempted to teach me how to use the fancy clipless pedals on my bicycle last weekend. Being that I am chicken, I opted to wear one regular shoe and one bike shoe, so that my right foot remained unconnected to the bike for safety.
We got out into the driveway in front of our apartment building and Prince E explained how to get my left foot in the fancy pedal. He said he wouldn't go too fast and then started up the sidewalk. I got my left foot hooked into the pedal, tried to move forward and promptly fell over onto the driveway.
I wanted to go upstairs and get my other regular shoe and give up on the whole thing, but he convinced me to keep trying. I eventually was able to get going and managed to ride around pretty easily. He also explained to me how to stop, which I practiced a few times in the neighboring church lot.
We then decided to bike to his work because he needed to pick something up. I made it there fine and without incident. Then it came time to stop. And I fell over again. The second fall was a bit worse as it scraped a bigger part of my leg and bruised part of my hand. Luckily though, nothing was broken and I managed to miss hitting my head on the nearby garbage can.
Undeterred I rode laps around the parking lot of his work, periodically stopping just to make sure I could. We had brought the other bike shoe with us and I tried, briefly, to use both shoes. We soon discovered though that there was some kind of defect, because even with all of my might, I could not easily get my right foot unhooked, even though the pedal was at the loosest setting.
I certainly did not feel safe enough to ride around with both shoes attached to the bike where there was a very good chance I wouldn't be able to easily get out of it when I needed to stop. So, we stopped the lesson and went to Dairy Queen.
Yesterday I rode my bike to the library, using two regular shoes and that was fun. I like the idea of being able to have an option to driving, especially to places like the library that talk to long to walk to. When I got home, I got out the step ladder and put my bike away all by myself way up onto the second rung of the bike rack. I was so proud of myself, I jumped down from the ladder with glee...and promptly caught the side of my thing on the hard back part of the couch, resulting in a nasty looking and even nastier feeling bruise.
Did I mention I also burned myself with a cookie sheet on Sunday? It has just been a klutzy kind of week. I realized today talking to my mom that I probably inherited it from her when she revealed that she badly bruised herself while changing the filter of her vacuum. Sounds like something I would do.
I got a pretty good haul at the library today. I love when I go and find all kinds of good things to check out. This particular trip was most successful because I got some things that are going to aid me in working on three of my 101 in 1001.
Here is a photo of the items I checked out if you want to try to guess which goals I am working on. (Not all of the items pertain to a goal, only four of them do).
Yesterday I completed #88 on my 101 in 1001 list. This was another easy one. I have a bad habit of buying books and then not reading them. I like reading. It just took this bit of motivation to get it done. I highly recommend both of the books that I finished.
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, finished 4/5/08
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, finished 4/12/08
Below is a re-enactment of me reading the second book.
I completed #94 on the list tonight. It was a fairly easy one.
I have been unwilling to part with all of my law school text books, mostly because they look pretty on my shelf and I spent so much money on them, I hated to get rid of them. There is also something to be said about it making my bookshelf reflect a more intelligent person. Then I thought: "What is so intelligent about moving heavy books multiple times (some have been moved three times already) when I am never going to read them again and they are not even in my field of practice?"
So out they went, along with a slew of novels and other books that I have read already and don't plan to read again.
Although there are 15 books in that photo, I actually donated about 25, although I didn't count them.
My mom came for a visit this past weekend and I made her some chocolate chip cookies. These qualify as a new kind of cookie, however, because they were gluten free. I used this recipe and they came out really well. Everyone who tried them agreed that they don't taste any different than the typical white flour made cookies.
Here are some photos I took to document the process:
I managed to cross a big one off the 101 in 1001 list tonight. Be sure to log-in to see our recreation of the moment we were on hold with the bank waiting to hear the good news.
Also, I spent most of the day recovering from the completion of #45. Apparently there is a family history of shellfish intolerance that I was not aware of.
Today I completed #45 on my 101 in 1001 list when I tried scallops. They were deep fried, so they were quite yummy. I still want to try them without the breaded goodness, but I am marking it off my list. Photos below (you have to log-in):
I decided not to count it as one of my three new local restaurants (#49) because I have been to another branch of this same chain. It was in the early-mid nineties and it was in Georgia, but it makes it not technically "new."
Also, they weren't on the list, but I also tried clams for the first time. They tasted like deep fried breading and not much else.
Here is my list of 101 things that I want to complete in the next 1001 days.
Deadline: Friday, December 17, 2010Completed, In Progress, Failed
Travel
1. Portland, Oregon
2. Visit a new state (besides Oregon)
3. Take Prince E to a game at Comerica Park.
4. Grand Canyon.
5. Visit a new town in Illinois. Sleepy Hollow and Dundee, April 5th, 2008
6. Visit cottage on a weekend that is not a holiday.
7. Take a road trip that involves at least one overnight stop.
8. Starved Rock.
9. Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois.
10. Go to a Llama or Alpaca farm.
11. Go to a fair. Rotary Fest, June 14th, 2008
Adventure
12. Go ice skating.
13. Go sledding.
14. Ride a roller coaster.
15. Ride a unicycle.
16. Ride a tandem bicycle.
17. Go skydiving.
18. Go horseback riding.
19. Go white water rafting.
20. Climb an indoor rock wall.
21. Ride in a hot air balloon.
Health/Beauty
22. Complete a triathlon.
23. Swim 1000 yards. June 3, 2008 (39:55)
24. Participate in Bike the Drive.
25. Finish another marathon.
26. Lose 10 pounds. (8/10)
27. Keep weight off.
28. No diet pop for a week. June 11-June 18th, 2008
29. Get a radical hair cut or dye my hair.
30. Dry my hair at least once per week.
Trying something new
31. Take a dance class.
32. Try yoga. Yoga for Dummies DVD, May 12, 2008; Yoga Wii Fit May 2008-present
33. Learn to use clipless pedals. April/May, 2008
34. Learn sign language.
35. Eat out for dinner on a weekday.
36. Go 48 hours without television.
37. Go 48 hours without the internet.
Food-Related
38. Try Korean food.
39. Try an additional kind of cuisine.
40. Make a cake from scratch.
41. Try one new vegetable and one new fruit. Fruit: 5/10/08, Cherries; Veggie: 5/11/08, Cauliflower
42. Make a new kind of cookie. 3/28/08; gluten free chocolate chip cookies
43. Taste sushi.
44. Try lobster
45. Try scallops. Ate five at Joe's Crab Shack, March 23rd, 2008
46. Take a cooking class.
47. Cook 10 new dishes. (3/10) 5/27/08, Scrambled Eggs; 6/01/08, Maplelicious butternut squash mash; 6/02/08 Turkey meatloaf
48. Try different teas until I find one I like. 3/27-Lipton Herbal Apple Cinnamon (I put too much ice I think)
49. Dine at three new (to me) local restaurants. (0/3)
Crafty Things
50. Put together wedding album.
51. Make a clothing item for squishy baby. 06/28/08
52. Learn a new crafting hobby.
53. Sell something on etsy.com.
54. Print digital photos and put in albums or organized photo boxes.
55. Finish GR Marathon collage.
56. Hang already framed photos/collages.
57. Make artwork to hang in our apartment.
58. Sell items at a local craft show.
Financial/Big Deal Things
59. Reduce credit card debt by at least half.
60. Sign up for deferred compensation at work.
61. Save $XX/paycheck to deferred compensation.
62. Get pre-approval for a home loan. 3/24/08
63. Buy a condo or townhouse.
Arts/Entertainment
64. See a new musical.
65. Attend a professional hockey game.
66. Go bowling with Prince E.
67. Go on a picnic.
68. Finish Tomb Raider on Wii.
69. Go to an opera.
70. Attend a play.
71. See 10 new movies on the 2007 version of the AFI 100 List. (2/10); Annie Hall, 4/13/08; Sophie's Choice, 4/19/08;
72. Go to a Chicago museum I haven’t been to before.
73. See a movie that I don’t want to, but Prince E does.
Good Things for Others
74. Donate blood.
75. Donate to one of the shelters where we got a kitty.
76. Donate bicycles to charity.
77. Teach another class.
78. Get certified in CPR.
79. Volunteer 20 hours of my time. (4.5/20) 5/17/08 Discovery Ball
80. Donate $1 to charity for every item not completed.
81. Do a random act of kindness for a stranger.
82. Donate old cell phones.
Reading/Writing
83. Write something fiction (at least 10 pages).
84. Launch new blog in the works.
85. Read two new books from Prince E's bookshelf.
86. Make a pop-up book.
87. Submit an article to a law review or legal magazine.
88. Read two books that I already own but haven’t read. (2/2): Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, finished 4/5/08; Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, finished 4/12/08.
89. Write a poem per month. (I totally forgot I set this a due per month thing. Oops. I will consider it complete if I write enough poems between now and end goal that equal one per month)
90. Write a story for each nephew.
91. Blog everyday for a month in a non-NaBloPoMo month.
Clutter Reduction
92. Get rid of all non-essential VHS tapes. Complete 4/15/08
93. Sort through and donate unwanted clothing.
94. Donate at least 15 books to the library. 4/7/08
95. Go through still unpacked boxes in closet.
96. Reevaluate what things are mementos and which are garbage.
97. Organize old print photos.
Miscellaneous
98. Change to married name on passport.
99. Stop biting fingernails.
100. Carve a pumpkin with Prince E.
101. Make a new 101 list to do for the next 1001 days.
