When in doubt, smile.

So I found this site last night .. and I wondered if I could possibly ever come up with 101 things that I’d like to do, so I sat down and wrote out about 70 last night and finished the last 30 today. I think this is a cool challenge, especially since I’m not such a ‘goal-orientated’ person .. but I want to try anyways.

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 my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Since my JavaScript thingie isn’t working right .. My time is up for this on:
August 24, 2008

001. Get a hot river rock massage
002. Take a (coordinated) family portrait
003. Take a (unique) self portrait
004. Get an old time portrait on Bearskin Neck
005. Start my own corporation
006. Build my own business
007. Learn how to make fudge (as good as the Magic Kingdom)
008. Get all my credit card debt under 25% of their limits
009. Get down to below 120 lbs
010. Open an IRA and/or 401K
011. Buy stock, any stock
012. Meet Sean’s family
013. Put money away each month to start an investment portfolio
014. Take a darkroom class
015. Get a stamp in my passport - Went to Jamaica! November 2006
016. Finish my college scrapbook
017. Take 1 photo a day of 1 subject for 30 days
018. Tie the knot
019. Eat some non-yellow snow
020. Start my after college scrapbook through 2004
021. Organize my 2005 photos for another book
022. Edit the video of our 2005 roadtrip [Started 12/21/05]
023. Convert all my parents home VHS movies to DVDs so we can share - Dad did this himself
024. Get my tattoo touched up
025. Start a wine collection - Started this when we moved to Grant
026. Install the condo’s switchplates
027. Clean out the condo’s outside storage - emptied out when we moved out
028. Paint the condo’s baseboards
029. Remodel our kitchen
030. Learn css
031. Build my own css wordpress theme
032. Get gallery2 to match my theme
033. Roast a whole chicken, completely
034. Break the GFY habit
035. Tour Sonoma county
036. Go to the top of the Empire State Building
037. Snowboard, or at least ski down a bunny slope
038. See all AFI’s 100 years 100 movies
039. Watch the sunrise and sunset on the same day
040. Photograph the beach under full moon light
041. Create my family tree
042. Lower my cholesterol
043. Archive my digial photos
044. Go to a driving range
045. Use my underwater camera housing - Did this in Jamaica!
046. Build a salt water fish tank
047. Create a will and let family know it exists
048. Donate a gallon of blood (8 pints)
049. Drink 8 glasses of water every day for 2 weeks
050. Laser hair removal
051. Start a tradition with Sean
052. Volunteer at least once a month for 6 months
053. Visit a counselor/therapist at least once
054. Attempt to re-learn French
055. Speak French in Paris
056. Run a mile
057. Run 3 miles
058. Run 10 miles
059. Race for the Cure
060. Update my resume
061. Join the mile high club
062. Practice yoga every morning for a week
063. Practice yoga 4 times a week for a month
064. Attend a Bikram Yoga class
065. Discover the difference between Taoism & Buddism
066. Weekend Detox
067. Detox for a full week
068. Help dad build Endeavor Records
069. Visit what’s left of New Orleans
070. Visit the San Diego Zoo
071. Cover my stairwell in black framed photos
072. Visit the Georgia Aquarium [Feb 2007]
073. Send postcard home whenever I leave town
074. Go on an airboat ride
075. Visit Parot Jungle Island and see the Liger - done
076. See New England in the Fall
077. Camp on a beach
078. Visit The Gallers’ in Tampa - NC (they moved) Hive ‘07
079. Take an Alaskan Cruise
080. See a broadway show on Broadway
081. Cook one recipe from each of the cookbooks I own
082. Learn to sail again
083. Eat a pickle (for Sean)
084. Try sushi again - Still dont like it …
085. Cut up my magazines and organize in binder
086. Buy a king bed that wont keep Sean awake when I toss and turn
087. Organize a household inventory, including storage for warranties & manuals
088. Grow a herb garden (make it last longer then a few weeks)
089. Buy land, preferrably on a lake
090. Own a little sailboat to sail on my future lake
091. Dig a firepit on my land
092. Build a darkroom
093. Feng Shui my bedroom
094. Feng Shui my office
095. Take portraits of all the cats
096. Start photo CD/DVD Exhange
097. Build a site on every domain I own [currently at 6 of 19]
098. Have mom and dad over to the condo and cook for them - done at the House
099. Install my surround sound system
100. Go Geo-Caching and/or letterboxing.
101. On Day 1001, publish a new 101 Things in 1001 Days list

So one of the places they’re dumping the Wilma debris is right next to 95 .. I noticed this rotting smell as i drove by it on my way home from work the other night .. then this weekend I realized the smell is drifting closer to my neighborhood .. I’m going to be soo grossed out if that smell reaches our house! Its truly disgusting.

Just had to mention that ..

Sean and I headed up to Boca to see Harry Potter last night and decided to check out their ‘Premier Level’ I had heard that it was cool, but had no idea how cool First of all .. tickets were twice the price of regular seats, but it is soo worth it. First you get free valet parking (which we didn’t use), and reserved seating .. Then, you go up this escalator and enter their restaurant. Their ‘bistro’ was full of amazing food, nothing that you would expect at a movie theater. If your movie is expected to start before your food is ready, they’ll give you a pager so you can pick up your food and bring it into the theater. Sean had a crab cake and salmon, I had a fried rice that had chicken, crab and shrimp .. we also ordered a bottle of wine. When the time came for our movie, our waiter brought our bottle and chiller to the theater where we were escorted to our reserved seats. The Premier level is basically a balcony .. you have to be 21 to be in the section, the seats are huge and comfy, most are paired up love seats. Instead of just drink holders on the arms you have small tables with drink holders. Oh! and you get free unlimited popcorn! So then we settled in with our bottle of wine and popcorn and had some of the best seats in the house To do the whole experience .. well, its quite a splurge. The restaurant is not cheap. But if you just upgrade your tickets for the free popcorn and amazing seats .. its sooo worth it. We will def. be doing it again.

I really enjoyed the movie as well But I wont say anything to ruin it for everybody else. It is def. more dark, and I really like the director of this one.

Beautiful cool weather today .. and I finally uploaded the NYC pics .. Check them out here.

NYC and back, Orlando and home again .. What a busy week!

Monday Sean and I flew up NYC for an interactive marketing conference. I was a bit disappointed in the size & quality of the show. The place was packed, they had booths lining hallways, AC was off in some areas.. it was just .. very overwhelming. I attended one seminar about Effective Marketing .. which turned out to be a sales pitch for a company that oversees marketing departments, nothing on how to help make your marketing plan more effective. Sean ended up going to a bunch more seminars on Tuesday and actually found one that made the trip worthwhile. Monday night we got to see Times Square before dinner, and passed the Empire State Building and NY Public Library on our way to dinner. Tuesday I actually got to go sightseeing for 2 hours while Sean was at the conference. The convention and our hotel was right in the middle of everything (explains why they call the area ‘Midtown’).. The Carnegie Deli was next door, and Carnegie Hall across the street. During my 2 hours I took a cab to Ground Zero, passing the Statue of Liberty. Then I took a subway to Grand Central Station and walked back to the hotel. I got to see the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, the NBC Studios, and Radio City Music Hall. Tuesday night we stayed in after we both had long days, but then Sean discovered his old roommate was staying the hotel across the street .. crazy coincidence! So he went out and I stayed home and got some sleep Wednesday we met up with Sean’s friend for coffee then got a limo at noon and headed back to the airport. Such a whirlwind trip, but I’m so glad that I had a chance to see some of the famous Manhattan sights.

Thursday I unpacked, did laundry and caught up on bills .. how exciting ..

Friday I had an interview and I’m happy to say I have a new job! I am now going to be following one of my dreams, I’ll be able to have my hands in everything! I can’t wait. I feel so lucky to be able to take this chance, and I’m totally going to get the most I can out of this. So the job starts Wednesday.

Friday afternoon Sean and I went up to Orlando with Mom and Dad to spend a weekend with Liz and Kenny .. one big happy family Liz scored us comp park hopper tickets and invites to a VIP breakfast her company puts on. The VIP breakfast was at the Living Seas in Epcot. It was awesome, a buffet for the 6 of us plus 1 other family .. then when we were mostly done 2 more families showed up .. but it was so nice to have a delicious and quiet breakfast before mixing into the Disney crowds. This weekend was the last weekend of the food and wine festival .. we took our time walking around the worlds tasting all kinds of alcoholic beverages and yummy foods .. we made it around just before our Soarin’ fast pass time .. Soarin’ was an interesting effect .. really fun .. but not worth the 90 minute wait that people were standing in as we walked by with our fast passes. After Soarin’ we got on a boat to MGM, fast passed Tower of Terror and rode the Rockin’ Roller coaster. Then Mom and I headed to Magic Kingdom to pick up some fudge before meeting up with the rest of the family at Epcot to head home. Who knew we’d be able to fit so much Disney in 1 day

After all that traveling its nice to take it easy for a few days before starting the new job. As usual .. pictures coming soon

We had a bright green iguana searching our trees for food today .. poor thing. Our trees are totally bare .. so pathetic .. more pics.

Enjoy!

Sure we’ve got power, we’ve got drinkable water and we’ve got cable .. but somehow .. we’ve lost our high speed cable internet. It started fading out last night .. and we totally lost the signal today .. which means Sean couldn’t work .. so we’re back at Mom and Dad’s house I hope they enjoyed their 2 free days

Lots of laundry and packing to do this weekend .. Next week is going to be a busy week. Our flight leaves for NYC Monday at 6:30am .. we get back around 5pm Wednesday, I have an interview Friday morning, and heading up to Orlando / Disney Friday afternoon. I can’t wait to get out of this town for a little while. All the dead tree piles are starting to depress me.

Well it only took a hurricane to get us to unpack We moved back into the condo yesterday, got in just before 2pm and they lifted the boil water order (finally!) at 2pm. The rest of the day we worked hard to unpack and organize our house. I tackled the office and dining room, Sean took over the kitchen and living room. I hung up pictures in the stairwell, lights & a candle holder in the dining room. Sean got our lights together in the living room, it looks great! This morning we both got up at 7:30 am (thanks to Mom and Dad changing our schedules) .. and I unpacked and hung up all our clothes! This place is almost liveable! 2 rooms left to tackle, laundry room and the outside storage area (which is filled with stuff from the guy who sold me the place!) .. hopefully we’ll be done this weekend.

Went grocery shopping, and now I’m off to attempt to donate blood

.. well belated happy halloween We had about 5 groups of trick or treaters last night at my parents house. We really weren’t expecting anybody .. infact I didnt buy a pumpkin til after all the trick or treating was over with (I wanted pumpkin seeds!) I ended up carving the pumpkin anyways .. and he ended up with a meatwad mouth

We’re off to see the condo .. its been 4 days since we last checked in on it .. crossing our fingers that the power is back, but we’re still under a boil water order .. so we can’t really move back until that is lifted.

Going to NYC next week for a conference Looks like it’ll be a short trip .. all business .. but hopefully it’ll be motivating and inspiring.