This List Whooped My Butt Today

I had to ride my bike today or risk a major fail on one of my "monthlies". Seeing as today is the 31st of August and goal #41 is to ride my bike at least once a month from May - October each year. Oy. I only rode for about 20 minutes, but I am seriously whooped. And okay, technically it was probably more like 15-18 minutes since I had to stop about half way for a couple minutes to walk a bit... My thighs are not used to this kind of torture.

I've been trying to go through and fine tune my list, adding things like "once a month" and so on so I can actually keep track of progress. I'm trying to decide my goal on this whole kitty litter thing. LOL! I am doing really well with it since starting this, but I don't really have it clearly defined so that I know when I can cross it off... It's not like the litter pan will eventually send me a thank you note or anything. I'll figure something out. Or maybe I'll just end up changing that one completely. Who knows.

While I was outside tonight I finally checked the picnic table, and I did give it a full coat, but it definitely looks like it could use another. So I will leave that goal right where it is.

A Very Exciting Update!

I think it is anyway! :) #'s 7 and 8 on my list go together. #7 is to finish putting our wedding pictures in our scrapbook. I didn't finish that yet. But # 8 is to then order a photo book that will look nicer... and that I did today! One of the girls on MLW posted a coupon code for picaboo (for a free book if you're a new customer! The code is BDBATH-184 if you're in the market. I have no idea how long the code will work.) So I ordered an awesome 20 page book with a leather cover for $8.99 - the cost of shipping. Righteous! And!!! You can look at it if you want by simply clicking here:

1 down, 100 to go!

Dude. I totally get to cross one whole item off my list now. YAY ME! It's not at all what I expected to be first, but it still counts.

#92: Blog about a weird/silly/awesome dream I had!
Click here.

I also just made my first real change to my list. Number 47 went from love more (which is still a goal of mine, just not one that I can seem to think of a better way to qualify - which makes it a bad goal for this list) to Get a filing cabinet, and use it to file all important documents. It seems odd to replace "love more" with something so tangible, but it is still a good goal to have.

FIRST EVER LIST UPDATE!!!!

That might be one too many exclamation points... what do you think?
If you look at the list in the side bar you'll see I sort of crossed of part of #55. It's kind of cheating though.

#55: Play a Wii - or buy a Wii, and then play it.

Sunday night we went to Best Buy. And they have a Wii display... and I played it. But only for about 30 seconds of actual playing... the other 3 minutes were spent trying to figure out how to move the wheel thingy so I could actually start the game. (Which I'm pretty sure was MarioKart.) And there were Best Buy guys standing behind us making me feel all weird, so once I crashed the first time I moved on. Stupid Best Buy Guys. But... it makes me feel better to have something at least partially crossed off my list. I won't cross it off all the way until I get a whole minutes worth of play time though. That totally seems fair.

I also started on #82 last night, by starting the first part of Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, which is Sense and Sensibility. I'm not far yet at all, though. In my defense I first read the introduction by Karen Joy Fowler (who wrote The Jane Austen Book Club - movie of choice for #83). Normally I totally skip introductions, but it was actually pretty interesting. I may decide to read the actual book before watching the movie. No promises.

And I have to double check... but I might have to come up with a new #19. I thought I had to finish staining the picnic table still, but now for some reason I think maybe I did actually finish it already... Was I going to do a second coat or something? I'm not sure. But I will check out the table and if it's already done I obviously won't count that.

Look at me making progess! Maybe I have half a chance after all.

The Complete Original List

I realize I'm posting this on August 20th, but I just decided today start a separate blog just for this challenge to help keep it separate from the rest of my ramblings (which are here: Where the Sarah Things Are). I'll be using the drop down list in the side bar to update as I complete or make changes to items. So without further ado... Here is the original list in it's entirety!

CRAFTY-ISH THINGS
1. Learn how to read and follow a crochet pattern, then…
2. Make a turtle.
3. Make a roly-poly pig for my mom.
4. Make a roly-poly frog.
5. Make a roly-poly dog.
6. Make a hat and booties combo for a baby. Any baby. Pick one.
7. Finish putting pictures in wedding “scrapbook”.
8. Then order a wedding photobook online that won’t look as crappy as my scrapbook.
9. Fill an album with our Niagara Falls (honeymoon) pictures.
10. Take more pictures. Actually print said pictures and put them in albums.
11. Start and complete holiday craft challenges.
12. Sculpt something.
13. Draw something.
14. Paint something.
15. Learn to sew.
16. Paint or otherwise re-do the headboard/shelf/thing.
17. Get hinges for the hope chest lid, and actually put them on!
18. BUILD something.
19. Finish staining the picnic table.

FINANCIAL THINGS
20. Keep my car running as long as I can. When I do need to replace it – make an informed decision, and make A/C a requirement. If I should randomly win some $$ and get a new car before this one dies – GIVE this car to someone who NEEDS a car.
21. This one’s private. Bwah-haha!
22. Get renters insurance.
23. Buy a house. (I’ve got almost 3 years…. It could maybe happen.)
24. Save $ each month – opening an actual savings account is optional.
25. Save $1 a day so I will have $1,001 at the end of this challenge!
26. Pay off all credit card debt.
27. Start putting money into 401k - as soon as I hit the one year mark so work will match.

LIFE THINGS
28. Maintain the illusion of cleanliness a little each month. (0/33)
29. Clean/organize both closets.
30. Be better about the litter pan. :gag:
31. Organize desk. Try to keep it that way!
32. Get “more desk” somehow so the laptop can live in harmony with the desktop.
33. Organize the junk drawer!
34. Buy a new couch. Or at least get a couch slipcover thing.
35. Have a yard sale.
36. Keep car at least MOSTLY cleaned out. It’s not a junk drawer.
37. Become uber-organized. At least at work. Mostly.
38. Throw things away (or give them away) when I/we no longer need them. Hoarding is bad.
39. Be more patient with Dale. Or teach him to be more patient in general. Which ever comes first.
40. Try a new food just once during each year (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011). (1/4)
41. Ride the bike I had to have at least once a month from May-October each year. Starting now. 8/08, 9/08, 10/08, 5/09, 6/09, 7/09, 8/09, 9/09, 10/09, 5/10, 6/10, 7/10, 8/10, 9/10, 10/10, 5/11 (0/16)
42. Cut back on the caffeine for awhile. Some. Not all.
43. Eat more vegetables. Or start taking vitamins at least.
44. Spend some time outdoors at least one weekend each month. Even in winter ones. Even if it’s only 15 minutes and I’m shoveling.
45. Make sunscreen a priority – no bad sunburns! (1/3 summers)
46. Make a friend.
47. Love more.
48. Speak up.
49. Become a morning person.
50. Get more work clothes. Multiple colors of the same Old Navy polo shirt, 3 pairs of “dress” pants, a sweater, and some fleece vests shouldn’t count as a “work wardrobe”.
51. Require slightly more maintenance. Aim for “low” as opposed to “non”.
52. Be more conversational/social/whatever you call it.
53. Send a thank you card.
54. Cook more.

FUN THINGS
55. Play a Wii. Or buy a Wii – and then play it.
56. Karaoke! (On the Xbox counts)
57. Date more. Maybe at least one outing that counts as a date every other month. (0/16)
58. Buy an instrument.
59. Learn to play it! (I’m thinking guitar or keyboard… It’s a tough decision!)
60. Hang out with my mom more. Just for fun.
61. Build a snowman.
62. Get a fancy SLR camera.
63. Make my own ice cream.
64. Have a game night.
65. Start a Christmas village!
66. Get a massage. A real one!
67. Find another new-to-me writing or photo blog challenge that sounds interesting – and complete it! Make sure to update this item with the challenge you chose.
68. Vacation in a state I’ve never vacationed in before. (driving through doesn’t count.)
69. Go to Green Lakes! Have a picnic. Rent a paddle or row boat! Which lake is negotiable, but the picnic and boating are not.
70. Go to a Drive-In! (Or other “movie under the stars” that is non-drive-in-able.)
71. Apparently there is a 100ft. waterfall in Oxbow Falls Community Park (Canastota). Who knew?! Go see it. Take pictures.
72. Go somewhere crowded. Don’t freak out. (AKA don’t take it out on Jeff)
73. Go camping. (Real camping. In our own tent, or possibly small pop-up.)
74. Go to Lights on the Lake - finally!
75. Go to Critz Farm. Don’t forget to buy Apple Cider!
76. Go to Feats of Clay and paint own pottery!
77. See a comedian.
78. Try a new restaurant.
79. Go ice skating.
80. Go to a play.
81. Keep reading, and keep track of what you read!
82. Read Jane Austen: The Complete Novels. (0/7)
83. Then watch that Jane Austen Book Club movie.
84. Read at least one book from this list each year. (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) (0/4)

RANDOM THINGS
85. Win some money. Anything over $20 counts.
86. Get a plant. Don’t kill it.
87. Blog at least once every other week. Two in a row to make up for missed posts is totally allowed.
88. Successfully finish NaBloPoMo (blog every day in November) once.
89. Try every year.
90. Successfully complete Holidailies (blog every day in December) once.
91. Try every year.
92. Blog about a weird/silly/awesome dream I had!
93. Write a story.
94. Have a surprise birthday party. Preferably not one I have to plan. Hint, hint.
95. Take a really great nap!
96. Teach someone something.
97. Donate hair to Locks of Love.
98. Buy and donate items to an animal shelter.
99. Buy and donate gifts for the (is it Toys for Tots?) tree things at a store each Christmas. (’08, ’09, ’10) (0/3)

LIST THINGS
100. Celebrate this lists’ milestones! Do something special after you complete a total of 25, 50, 75, and the final item(s)! (0/4)
101. Check off items on this list as I complete them, and blog about it! Or at least blog the bigger items.