101 Things In 1001 Days

I figured that perhaps it was time to introduce this new feature of my life, proudly displayed for all to see on the righthand side of my blog. I have been working on my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days for a bit now (see Day Zero and Lo's Blog for my original inspiration). I really wanted it to reflect some things I truly want to do over the next 2.75 years, and wanted to choose wisely so I can stay motivated. I'm not going to post the whole list here since it is obviously already posted on the right. I'll just comment on a few of the list items that I feel need commenting:

3. Finish my memoirs
This goal seems overwhelming and impossible to me, but I decided to put it on the list anyway. Why overwhelming? Well, because I've had writer's block (possibly just writer's apathy) for a good 8-10 months and haven't worked much at all on my writings. Why impossible? Well, I'm 21. And in 2.75 years I will be 24. Who finishes a memoir when they are 24? Oh well. It is a good goal to have. And I will make it a point to at least put some good effort into it over the next couple of years.

4. Learn how to give good massages
Ask any good friend or ex-boyfriend of mine. The massages I give feel like a form of torture. I try, I really do. But somehow, I manage to suck at this more than I suck at almost anything else. Truly.

31. Abstain from coffee shops for 2 months
This may be the hardest thing I will ever do. Vanilla latte with half vanilla and an extra shot of espresso? Yes please! Coffee is flipping amazing. Don't you ever forget it.

33. Create a budget
Making this list made me think long and hard about the financial goals that I have, as well as where I need to be financially in order to fulfill some of the travel goals I have. So I've been cutting the fat from my finances, cutting down on things I don't need (yes, even lattes) and while I haven't made a budget yet, I am still quite proud of myself.

42. Donate blood for the first time
I am terrified to do this, which is odd, because needles don't bother me all that much. But I do want to, and I figure it's a good thing to do before I possibly move abroad and am never allowed to donate blood again...

49. Go sugar-less (with the exception of natural sugars) for one week!
I spoke too soon. Screw lattes. This one terrifies me.

50. Give up alcohol for one month
Due to my job and the now excessive amount of alcoholics I know, I put this on the list. I don't have a drinking problem, but I think giving up drinking for a bit would put things into perspective. Like the fact that, as far as I know, my body and mind do not crave alcohol in a way that would make this difficult, like it would be for some people. Like the fact that I can drink, and stop drinking before it becomes excessive. I know many people who wish they could do that. I now look at it as kind of a privilege, that I don't have to deal with the disease of alcoholism. Maybe this goal won't make sense to some people, but it makes sense to me.

52. Quit smoking
My workplace is going smoke-free in January, but employees are required to go smoke-free in October. So there's most of my motivation. But yeah, I suppose it will be good for me too.

71. Move out of state
I changed this from "move out of country" purely because I am a wimp. And because if I don't move out of state at the very least in the next 2.75 years, dear god... someone shoot me.

93. Begin the 12 Steps
Again, this is somewhat related to work. I personally think that the 12 Step program is amazing, and has done wonders in the lives of many people. I also think that the underlying principals (unmanagablilty, control, surrender) apply outside the sphere of alcohol and addiction. I've learned a lot from the program so far, and I'd like to learn how to incorporate the 12 steps into my life.

So there they are. The highlights of my 101 Things in 1001 Days. I think you all should make one too!

Grand Marais Trip '07

Today my little brother Sam and I returned from a 4-day trip to Grand Marais, Minnesota. It has now become an annual summer activity to make the trek with Sam to go and visit my friend Hannah and her family. We had a great time and enjoyed being in the woods, even if for 3 of the 4 days the weather was mostly cloudy.

We went on a scary movie extravaganza... which is very out of the ordinary for me, but enjoyable nonetheless. We watched 3 movies over the course of the 3 nights-- Disturbia (very good, definitely recommended), the Skeleton Key (so-so, not terrible) and Dark Water (terrible, bad plot line, not recommended). I generally hate scary movies, but with the right group of people they can be a lot of fun... many laughs were had.

On Wednesday we went for a hike. It was beautiful out, and the the temp was perfect for hiking. We had purposefully chosen only a mildly strenuous hike on purpose, as I had forgotten my inhaler. However, due to some miscalculations, the way back was almost entirely uphill. It was great exercise, but probably not a whole lot of fun for the rest of the crew, since I have about the stamina of a 400 lb man. I survived and have now been re-inspired to visit an asthma specialist. Pics from our hike:






We also enjoyed some amazing food. We ate at a couple of different locally-owned restaurants, both of which have great organic menus and one of which serves lots of fresh Lake Superior fish. The food was awesome.

On a happy/sad note, my family in Winona is safe from the flood waters that have damaged property and taken lives in Southern MN (though our basement didn't fare too well, but it could have been much worse). However, they've been spending a lot of time helping out friends of theirs who have lost their homes. Sometimes it seems like there's not enough time to recovery from one tragedy before another comes along. I'm just glad that my family is okay.

Last but not least... I've found a roommate! She is a senior at Northwestern and seems like a pretty cool chick. Over the past couple of weeks I've had a lot of people see my apartment, so I feel like I had a good selection to choose from. Yay for splitting the rent!

Vacuum extravaganza

In a previous post, I had mentioned the urges I sometimes have to move far, far away. I'm still thinking about it, but in a more... international sense. No, I wouldn't be moving to Cali (sorry brooke) or Kentucky (sorry D). I would be moving back to South Africa.

The good reasons to do so are endless. There is sunshine, mountains, ocean, culture, and one of my best friends lives there. Of course, I'm terrified of leaving behind my lovely family and great friends here in the states. I'm still weighing things out. So here is the plan: I'm saving up to visit this winter, and while I am there I am planning on looking for a job and a place to live. If these things fall in to place, perhaps it is meant to be. I do miss Africa. But hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. I have some time to think about it.

In other news, I am still working on my 101 things in 1001 days list (see Lo's blog for inspiration). I'm half done with it, and it is turning out to be a harder project than I thought. However, I'd rather take my time with it than make a list of a bunch of things that I don't really want to do.

Also, I recently opened the vacuum cleaner that I got for Christmas and went nuts with it (I had been using my roommate's vacuum cleaner until she moved out). It's bagless and you can see all the dirt that it sucks up... and it is fascinating. Sickly fascinating. I vacuumed excessively yesterday purely because I was having so much fun. And yes, even as I type this I know how lame I sound.

Still looking for a roommate. Anyone need a home?

Pseudo-post

Yes, this is a pseudo-post. Yes, I'm cheating on my resolution to post once a week. Sort of.

Yesterday I was going to write a post, but the bridge happened, and the light and happy post that I had in mind no longer felt appropriate... or light and happy. Today is an overall crappy day complete with a THIRD large spider roaming about in my air conditioner. I will post when I've come to the surface from swimming around in my wonderful mood.