I’m going to fail this challenge. And fail it hard. If I couldn’t/wouldn’t/didn’t do these tasks in the past (1,001) – (45) days, I’m sure as heck not going to complete them now.
Oh yes, I’m awesome and I can start a blog and publish a book, but I guess I can’t just do everything I set my mind to, huh?
First, I’m going to see if I accidentally on purpose did any more of the things on my list. Next I’m gonna flat out give up on some (can I cross those out? probably not). Finally, I’ll try to squeeze one tiny bucket item in per day week (c’mon, I work full-time, have two kids, and write this site!)
Ok here, goes:
Personal
These are the ones that are left:
4. Read 15 books just for fun (or book club but not parenting!) – I’ll have to give it some thought. I will also have to decide if audio books count. Thinking… hmm, yes, they count.
5. Tour a factory – shouldn’t be so hard; there’s a sake factory within a couple miles of here; I wonder if they give tours.
7. Schedule a mole patrol – I really ought to do this one.
Romantic
Not too bad.
13. Have a weekend (two nights!) away with Alec – check! I forgot to mark it off, maybe because it wasn’t so romantic. But it happened and there was even an airplane involved.
14. Wear a wig and surprise Alec out – check! I forgot to mark this one because, somehow, wearing a garish blond wig wasn’t as sexy in real life as it was in my head. Romantic? Oh, hell no!
16. Go to a drive-in movie – I’d go if I could find one.
17. Go to a play – check! We saw, and loved, American Idiot.
18. Start/finish art project with Alec – unlikely, leave it on.
19. Take dance lessons with Alec – kinda sorta done. While I imagined us experiencing the joys of tango or flamenco, we had a swing lesson at Ashkenaz. I’ll take it.
So, if a drive-in movie presents itself, I’ll surely go. Otherwise, I’m ignoring this category.
Family fun
And now I’m starting to think I suck.
21. Take boys to the circus – nope. didn’t do it. not gonna do it.
22. Build a snowman – highly unlikely. they did see snow and make snowBALLS
23. Ride a roller coaster – nope.
24. Go camping – (yes, yes we did! Summer 2008 see photo above for proof)
25. Find some local caves to explore – I don’t think so.
27. Get a dog – also, not gonna do it.
28. Create a new 101 list with the family – great idea – keep this one!
Let’s see. We’re going on a vacation soon and I’ll let them help me make the next list. That’ll have to be good enough.
Friends
Starting to feel like a sucky friend.
29. Throw a kick-ass birthday party for self. Not exactly. 🙁
30. Keep in touch better with my childfree girlfriends. Debatable.
31. Have a weekend away with friends each year. Yes! Yes! Go me!
If I can manage to plan a kick-ass birthday before this ends, I will be thrilled. My actual birthday is not until after my challenge ends.
Sports
These are not going to be impressive. Too bad I didn’t commit to training for a relay race with twelve virtual strangers friends.
32. Ride my bike 50 miles – nope.
33. Run 5 miles – yes, last week!
34. Surf – not since 2003
35. Snowboard – not since 2000
36. Go kayaking – not since 2004 honeymoon
37. Go rock climbing five times – not ever
38. Go scuba diving – not since 1996
39. Complete a small tri yay! did the Mermaid last year.
40. Do the swim for an Ironman – nope.
Ugh. So, I need to completely re-evaluate this part of the list for stuff I felt like I should do and stuff I really wanted to do. Because, come on, if any of this was truly important or interesting, it would be done.
Travel
I might start crying now.
41. Leave the country once a year starting in 2008 – nope.
42. Take a road trip vacation with another family – not even.
43. Take the family to Europe – yes! We’re going to Denmark in March the day this challenge ends!
44. Visit Cuba – ha ha, not even close.
45. Ride a train up (or down) the California coast – no, sorry Holden.
46. Do a one month family sabbatical abroad – not gonna happen.
We’re going to keep up with our agreement to leave the country once a year, but we might need to accept a little flexibility. In a pinch, we can amortize our honeymoon. (Yes, #geeky I am)
Compact
So while I’ve been so busy not traveling and not working out, I guess I’ve been composting?!
49. Sell the crap in our shed – yes, mostly! I just need to purge some windows and doors and I’ll feel really good.
51. Try some audio books to see what I think – totally! Audio books = good. Easy reading with car commute. Yes, please.
52. Use the library instead of buying all books – Amen. We’ve totally cut down buying books (except, you really should still buy my book) and visit the library regularly.
All good in this category.
Food and Drink
C’mon Heather, show us where your priorities are.
54. Eat at French Laundry – not yet
55. Eat at Gary Danko – yes! we did this about a year ago when my mom came to watch the boys. It was a Monday night. I felt totally “bridge and tunnel” getting all dressed up to go to the big bright city. Food was divine. Thank you GD.
56. Learn to make rice from memory – check! My husband about freaked out when he saw me make rice this way — without measuring cups — but I can do it now like magic. Remind me to tell you some time.
57. Make a signature cocktail – no. I tried to mix Guinness and champagne this past NYE and it was gag-inducing.
58. Make a chocolate souffl̩ Рholy crap. I want to learn this. Must. Make. Priority.
59. Make homemade jam – yes, nearly forgot about the jam plan!
60. Make olive oil infusions – not yet, only if its easy
61. Roast coffee beans ”“ cover with chocolate – same, only if its easy.
Like with my crafty aspirations (below), if I can get some friends to pitch in, I might cross a few more off my list. Karen and Marnie, my eyes are on you!
Learning
62. Learn to knit – nope.
63. Learn about the Simpsons TV show – nope.
64. Research Watergate enough to explain it – between me and wikipedia, we should be able to do this. This got on the list based on a random conversation/debate with my husband that I have long since stopped caring about. Hell, we even saw Frost/Nixon together last year.
Where else do you find knitting, Nixon, and Homer Simpson on the same list? At least I’m eclectic.
Crafty
These are not going to happen unless some wonderful and crafty friend comes over with a basket, some ribbons, yarn, and a little craft glue. What do you say, girls? Is it a party?
65. Customize my cruiser bike
66. Reupholster dining room chairs – YES! Thanks to my mommmy, this is done.
67. Knit a hat
68. Decoupage something
I get by with a little help from my friends. Stay tuned.
Photos/video
One big bucket of pathetic, here.
70. Make a family photo wall
71. Make a Polaroid transfer, frame it, and hang it
72. Edit our wedding video
73. Compile a year one Holden dvd
74. Compile a year one Milo dvd
75. Compile a year two Holden dvd
76. Compile a year two Milo dvd
77. Compile a year three Holden dvd
78. Compile a year three Milo dvd
79. Recover the monstermoon blog
80. Recover the monstermoon photos
Umm, if someone with mad skills takes pity on me, the raw data is all there. But that raw data needs some love before it turns into anything I can bore my friends with.
Family work
‘Nother big bucket of pathetic. And these ones are important.
81. Assemble my family tree
82. Get life insurance
83. Get the boys passports (done! Easter 2007)
84. Write a will
85. Update and consolidate my family medical history
86. Assemble an earthquake kit for home (ooh, this one’s done!)
Ok, ok, I’ll try to get at least two of these done. Promise.
Home/ Garden
A place where we’ve spent our time and money rather than taking fabulous trips, I see.
93. Move to Chicago – no, sorry Chicago friends.
94. Build an upstairs addition on our house – no.
Professional
101. Open a shop in our neighborhood – umm, no.
Here’s the master bucket list of 101 things to do in 1001 days for reference.
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