Water water everywhere

"16. drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month"

I don't know why this one has alluded me for the five years since I wrote this list but being that its almost 5pm on March the 1st and I've had two cups of coffee and 1 glass of Crystal Light and ZERO water, I'm going to go for this one this month (which means a lot of water to be crammed in tonight).

I'm the worst at drinking water. Whenever I go for my long runs, I always get a headache that night, and I'm pretty positive that its because of my eternal dehydration.

I also have a wicked fast heartbeat at most times, PRIMARILY when I'm working out. Its been as high as 224! (which would mean I'm -4 if you use the whole deduct your age from 220 to find your max heartbeat equation). Usually it hovers between 190 and 200 when I'm running. Insane, right? After a clean Echo Stress Test last fall, everything with my ticker proved fine and the doctor's conclusion was maybe I wasn't drinking enough water. He's right about that.

So operation hydration in full effect starting right now! Excuse me while I fill up my favorite water bottle.

Life List Update: Almost Four Years Later

With my 34th birthday approaching in a few months, it is now almost 5 years since I had my "where is my life going" funk and made the list that originally inspired this blog. Its also been well over a year since I've posted a single thing and although my world have been busy with sick family members, getting married, and running my own business, I still think about this nutty list often and am always inspired to do some shenanigans from it. So let's bring it back old style with an update:

Of the 111 things on my original list (because I'm an over-achiever who can't stop at 100), I've now conquered 35 of them (76 left!). So let's recap.

Stuff in grey italics are DONE!!! Stuff in blue are hopefully within reach in 6 months!

WISH ME LUCK!!!



STRENGTHEN MY BODY
1. run a marathon :: completed first on October 28, 2007 (Marine Corps in DC - 4:42:44). Finished my second at the New York Marathon in 2008 at 4:28:14. Started training for Nashville in 2010 but was sidelined for a stress fracture half way through. Finished Toledo in 2011 at 4:40:something... that was an injury filled race but I was glad to not do my worst. Too bad I don't get extra credit for finishing three now. Who would have though since I was so not a runner when I started this list.
2. complete a triathlon :: completed at Douglas, MA 5 Star Triathlon on September 13, 2008. Also finished Maumee Bay Sprint Triathlon in 2010. Maybe an Olympic is next???
3. buy a bike :: completed on April 24, 2007. And upgraded in 2010 to a road bike. Score.
4. ride a century (100mile) bike ride in honor of my Uncle Ray :: completed with my sister Tessa on August 31, 2007. Rainiest bike ride ever ended up in the longest bike ride ever. We projected 8 hours but with Tropical Storm Daniel, we finished in 11!
5. run 10 5ks :: 8 out of 10 so far (PR 26:12)
6. learn to swim properly :: finished course at Y on 4/29/08, fluent with freestyle and backstroke. Took some refreshers in 2010.
7. surf in New England
8. surf in Hawaii
9. surf in Indonesia
10. go rockclimbing outdoors
11. run in Central Park :: completed on 8/5/07 during NYC Nike Half Marathon
12. run up the stairs of the Chicago Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower)
13. run a half-marathon in less than 2 hours (PR is 2:00:50) :: SERIOUSLY!? 50 seconds away. Its taken me 7 half-marathons and I have yet to do this but I'm totally getting closer.
14. take boxing classes
15. do a yoga 30-day challenge
16. drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month :: why is this one SO hard for me?!?
17. no soda for a full year :: finished on 10/1/08
18. compete at least three seasons of tennis league

FEEL THE ADRENALINE
19. go skydiving for my 30th birthday :: have to reschedule this... my initial attempt on 4/12/07 got canceled because of weather
20. ride an elephant
21. ride a camel :: completed in July 2009 at Diani Beach in Kenya
22. go skinny dipping :: completed in Fall 2008, not the sexy encounter I was envisioning in my head when I wrote this item but a hilarious memory of a camping trip gone silly
23. gamble in Vegas :: completed on 5/9/07 on a work trip
24. go white-water kayaking and/or sea kayaking
25. scale/belay down a building
26. climb a volcano
27. target practice at a shooting range - this is on the agenda sometime this year with my friend Kristinna
28. play paintball :: finished on 4/13/08 with sisters, Bill, cousin Todd, and Tim... want to do it again!
29. go snowboarding out West :: woo hoo! just accomplished this in January 2012 in Vail!
30. go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef
31. swim with sharks
32. swim with dolphins
33. drive a sportscar around a track
34. go dog sledding
35. climb Mt. Kilmanjaro

SEE THE WORLD
36. climb Macchu Picchu
37. go on an African safari :: Jen & TC's wedding in July 2009. What an amazing adventure. I still cannot believe it.
38. visit the Pyramids
39. drive across America from coast-to-coast
40. visit Japan :: completed on 5/14/08
42. visit 200 places in the "1001 Places to See Before You Die" :: 51 out of 200 so far but I haven't updated this in a while
43. visit Stockholm
44. visit Kenya :: trip of a lifetime!! completed July 2009
45. visit Montreal
46. visit Morocco
47. ride a mule in the Grand Canyon
48. go on a mission trip
49. spend a weekend in a log cabin in the wilderness :: October 2 in New Hampshire with Laura, Braden, and Emily. No running water... no electricity. And the most amazing food and more stars than you could ever ask for.
50. spend New Year's in an exotic location
51. ride in a hot air balloon :: completed on 7/12/08 in Stowe, Vermont (thanks, Steve!)
52. go on a yoga vacation/retreat
53. visit a rainforest :: completed in Belize on 12/24/07
54. fly first class
55. visit India
56. visit all seven continents :: 4 out of 7 so far
58. visit Graceland
59. attend Maine's Lobsterfest
60. attend the Head of the Charles Regatta :: completed on 10/21/07 - thanks Jeff & Sarah!
61. watch the sunset on the West Coast in a romantic setting
62. watch the sunrise on the East Coast in a romantic setting
63. spend an entire weekend on a sailboat
64. take a helicopter tour

FEED MY BRAIN
65. get CPR certified :: accomplished 3/18/10
66. learn to make paella :: completed on 5/26/07
67. read the Bible
68. grow and eat my own herbs + vegetables - I tried and failed in 2011. I'm feeling like this is the year.
69. learn to roll sushi :: classes on 9/19/08
70. learn to pray the rosary (in memory of my grandmother + with her rosary)
71. bake bread from scratch :: completed 9/29/07 (rosemary bread... mmm)
72. learn to chop food like a pro :: finished cooking chopping class on 6/8/08 given to me from Danielle, Kristen, + Liz! I can't wait!
73. learn another language fluently
74. read/reread all 100 of the "Radcliffe 100 Best Novels" :: only 9 out of 100
75. watch all 100 of the AFI's 100 years, 10th anniv edition :: 67 out of 100 so far - 33 more movies? I can do that.
76. learn more about investing - I think I need money to invest first
77. learn woodworking + make a piece of furniture :: finished a lovely teak coffeetable on 1/24/08

ADVANCE MY FUTURE
78. develop a better/stricter budget and stick to for at least 3 months
79. pick back up my contributions to my 401K :: met with a financial planner. IRA, here I come!
80. write a will :: ryan and I are actually working on this. We just need to wrap it up
81. start a new 111 to-do's once this one is halfway finished (21 more to go before I scrap all the dumb stuff on my list and refresh!)

PLAY UP MY CREATIVITY
82. learn at least three songs on my guitar
83. take up art more regularly (though drawing, painting, photography, or mixed media)
84. commit at least three balloon animals to memory :: almost!
85. knit an entire sweater
86. sell some type of art/product
87. teach a class :: I think I technically did this last year, I lectured 5 different high school art classes on what I did! WOO HOO!
88. be in another play or musical
89. write/illustrate a children's book and submit it to a publisher

GIVE BACK
90. convince someone else to start a list of life to-do's :: completed on 7/29/07, Lori and Missy
91. adopt a family for thanksgiving or christmas :: adopted two families with the Householder family in 2010 and another one with some friends in 2011
92. volunteer once a week for at least 6 months
93. organize a charity event
94. be someone's mentor
95. donate hair to Locks of Love charity (I realized I'm a triple whammy and this will never be completed... I knew they didn't take bleached hair and I have periodically highlighted my hair maybe once every other year or so... plus they don't prefer curly/wavy hair or blonde hair. DAMN!)

SACRIFICE UNNECESSARIES
96. give up coffee for at least 3 months :: finished 1/1/08
97. go to bed no later than 11pm every weekday for a month
98. one week without a single curse word - I've probably done this and not known it since I don't have nearly the potty mouth I had when I originally wrote this.
99. go one week without complaining a single time
100. no computer for one whole week :: completed week of 5/14/08 while in Japan, Vancouver, Seattle

OH YEA... SUPERFICIAL STUFF TOO
101. buy a car
102. buy a house/condo/2-square-foot-of-land!
103. own a pair of manolo blahniks or jimmy choos :: completed on 9/16/08 (thanks, you know who you are!)
104. wear a bikini and feel 100% gorgeous + confident with my body
105. eat at a Michelin-rated restaurant
106. be on a silly TV gameshow (reality TV shows DO NOT count)
107. do a keg stand with both my sisters :: completed on 4/12/08
108. kiss someone in the pouring rain (a la The Notebook... *sigh*) :: completed on July 31, 2009. First weekend reunited with Ryan... stuck in the Ryan trying to get to dinner with my sisters as our cabbie got pulled over by a cop for a wrong turn and we chanced trying for another cab. Umbrella broke. And we were soaking wet. It was frustrating as hell but every moment with him that weekend was still romantic and magical.
109. throw an old-school all-girls pajama party sleepover :: completed on 4/26/08
110. go to the movies once a month for a full year
111. go on a picnic complete with basket, blanket, wine, and a cute guy :: got the basket and the guy... now I just gotta make it happen once the weather warms up!

New Years Resolutions and such...

Ok... I know there are a lot of folks out there that shun the whole New Year's resolution thing. And, yes, it is overhyped... but obviously as a girl with a strong life-list goal, I buy into the hype. I make resolution on my birthday in April as well, for Pete's sake. So I have a few... and I'm publishing so I stick to 'em.

1. Get in better shape/run a marathon: God bless the two-fer's. I already feel a little unaccomplished from my 2010 running resume. I only started running in 2006 and I'm very proud to have 6 half marathons, 2 full marathons and two triathlons under my sometimes very-snug fitting belt. But last year... I attempted the Nashville marathon only to be sidelined by a stress fracture. Then I tried the Dayton Air Force half marathon and despite being FULLY ready and fit for it, I collapsed for no explainable reason at mile 7.

So I need redemption people... and the fact that I have a wedding in August where I wanna be a supa hot bride is not enough motivation! I need a race besides... its the competitiveness (with myself really) that makes me workout. I hate running... no lie. But I love that feeling of accomplishment.

So I signed up with a local running store (Dave's Running) to train for the full Glass City marathon in April. Although the training is more runs per week... they're much smaller sessions than I'm used to. And this will be the first time I incorporate strength training which I think will be essential to losing weight/improving my time/remaining stress-fracture free. I'm pretty excited to train... for now. ;)

2. In my business, I need to start self-marketing myself. Finally update my super outdated design portfolio website. Start pitching myself to businesses (especially local ones). Making nice business cards and joining some small business groups locally. I'm actually pretty good at pitching myself to new clients... so I should actually start doing it even though I was lucky enough to be successful alone last year based on word-of-mouth from other clients.

3. I also want to become a more integrated part of the Toledo/Whitehouse area. Obviously after buying a house last year and with plans to marry my wonderful fiancee this one, I ain't going nowhere folks. And although I have a few wonderful friends here, I need to network more and meet some more great people. I think the running group, and the business groups will help... but I'd also like to start volunteering as well somewhere. Its a lot harder here to find the opportunities as it was in NYC and Boston, but I'm a pretty determined lady, you know.

That's it for now... but its an evolution. I'm sure there are a few items on my life list that I'll knock out too. Let's pick a few to push for now, shall we? How about these:
13. run a half-marathon in less than 2 hours (PR is 2:08:59)
16. drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month
27. target practice at a shooting range
67. read the Bible (I started this in 2010 but it has dropped off a bit)
68. grow and eat my own herbs + vegetables
70. learn to pray the rosary (in memory of my grandmother + with her rosary)
75. watch all 100 of the AFI's 100 years, 10th anniv edition :: 67 out of 100 so far... I think I can knock off the last 33 this year esp now that we can now order Netflix on demand with our Blu-Ray
78. develop a better/stricter budget and stick to for at least 3 months
79. pick back up my contributions to my 401K/IRA
83. take up art more regularly (though drawing, painting, photography, or mixed media)
86. sell some type of art/product
104. wear a bikini and feel 100% gorgeous + confident with my body
111. go on a picnic complete with basket, blanket, wine, and a cute guy

Take Those Chinese Fortunes SERIOUSLY!!

Check out the message from the Chinese fortune cookie I got about 4 months ago. Ironically, I actually think I got it at Bangkok Kitchen in Maumee (although, do Thai places give Chinese fortune cookies? That doesn't seem right... shouldn't they give Thai fortune cookies?)

Nevertheless, we had literally just started house-hunting when I received it and now today we are closing on our wonderful "treehouse" in the lovely village of Whitehouse. We won't be moving in for a month or two because we are giving ourselves also the most wonderful custom kitchen ever (more on our wonderful cabinet company in another post). Photos to come... but I'll just wait until I have the keys in hand. Forgive me if I'm slightly skeptical of a fortune that comes inside a cookie!!! HOORAH!!! Life list item #102 shall be completed in a few hours!

Life List #102: buy a house/condo/2-square-foot-of-land!

Ok -- this life list item is soooo close to being completed. Inspection went swimmingly except for that crazy radon test. But luckily the sellers were kind enough to get that taken care of (or it will be as of this Monday) so thankfully we don't have to deal with that or add that to our ever-increasing budget. Closing on the 29th or 30th. We cannot wait... we've even gone over once in the meantime to spray the bee's hive that we need to nix pre-move. Funny that we're doing all this maintenance already when it isn't quite legally ours!

The kitchen renovation continues... I met with the third kitchen cabinet folk today for cabinet pricing. Stopped at Lowe's to get a quote on this Black Walnut island countertop I'm slightly obsessed with. And we've officially bought all of our appliances except the stupid wine refrigerator. Such a pain trying to find an undercounter/built-in version with hopefully dual zones that is actually cheaper than our full refrigerator. WHO KNEW?! But I think we've saved so much money on the other items that a few extra hundred will be well worth it.

Anyhow, with the pre-planning I've done and sketches and research, we will most likely be ordering these cabinets the day after closing and hopefully installing a mere month later. Knock on wood... literally.

So, if any of you friends or blog-readers out there ever need a kitchen re-do, please consult me... I ask more questions than should even be legal, so I can tell you the upcharge for those roll-out pantry trays, or the paneling on the other side of the refrigerator, or those super nice soft-close doors and drawers. And I can also give you the tips on granite savings, where to shop for appliances in Toledo/on-line, differences between frameless and framed cabinets (not to mention overlay and inset) and the costs as well. I've even discovered that not only can you make a cool grand off of selling pre-existing cabinets on Craigslist... you can also sell them to a contractor who prefers to remove them carefully and correctly themselves (saving US a ton of extra work!). I'm a damn kitchen nerd. And thankfully for my lovely fiancé's sake, I'm adoring every second of it.

Check out my pre-planning sketches!!! Talk about ridiculously specific!!!

Life List #13: Sorta???

This weekend's half marathon in Dayton, Ohio was... well, interesting. In all technicality, my race was finished in 1:16. So I (sorta) completed my goal of doing one is less than 2 hours. Of course, there's a hitch. Just around mile 5, I started getting one helluva headache. Weird. Around mile 6, I was slightly nauseous and a bit light headed (I'll tell ya what, if you're feeling dizzy, having hundreds of runners passing you is not so helpful). Just shy of mile 7, I turned a sharp corner and my body kinda kept turning. Until I was collapsed on my bootie and sitting on the grass sobbing. I knew I wouldn't finish and I had NEVER quit a race. I felt defeated and embarrassed. As the Air Force cadets and the medical team rushed to help me and take my vitals (an hour after sitting on a cot and my heart rate was still well into the hundreds), I kept insisting that I'm not a quitter. When I started getting the chills and I put on my New York City 2008 marathon t-shirt one cadet goes: "You've done a full marathon?! Don't worry about people thinking you're a quitter then. You're just having an off day." that made my feel better.

Also I kept insisting that I had to get transported to the finish line to meet up with my fiancee and my cousin. Many hours later, I finally did with the other lady in the tent that dropped out from knee problems... only to find my poor fiancee roaming the crowds looking completely freaked out more than two hours after I should have finished. He's never hugged me so tightly in my life and he insisted "Who cares about the race... I'm just so glad I have you again!" So although it was sad and I felt horrible that he worried so much... it was a beautiful moment in the end.

Off day it was. Although I'm not scratching that item from my to-do list obviously, it is still ironic to think that somehow I did actually complete that item. Not what I had in mind!

Columbus half marathon in October! I need redemption!!!

Memmmmories.... like the corners of my minddddd

Hey bloggie. Sup?

Remember me? I bet I've lost all of my viewers. I've neglected them and you for so long, bloggie. I'm a horrible blogger. But I have a job. And a fiancé. And a house. For Pete's sake.

But after sending a good friend my "life list"... I'm inspired again to come back to you more regularly. I know you've heard this before so just support me and I'll do my best.

So as an FYI, I am now up to 33 items done on my list of 111 (78 items done). Done in the last few months:
65. get CPR certified
102. buy a house/condo/2-square-foot-of-land! (swoon... more details to come of my lovely "treehouse" in Whitehouse)

I'm also still chipping away at a few others, such as:
13. run a half-marathon in less than 2 hours (PR is 2:05:07) :: doubtful, but I do have a half-marathon tomorrow... maybe a miracle will happen (or I'll find a shortcut)
67. read the Bible :: I started reading it around Lent. Its slow-going with my busy schedule but at least I've started
75. watch all 100 of the AFI's 100 years, 10th anniv edition :: now at 66 out of 100 so far
78. develop a better/stricter budget and stick to for at least 3 months :: I'm at a month and a half of monitoring Ryan's and my bills and allocating them to line items. Granted with wedding planning and house renovations/decorations, it will be out of whack for a while. But the key is, I have a system and so far, its nice to track everything and just know.
111. go on a picnic complete with basket, blanket, wine, and a cute guy :: next warmish Fall day, maybe I'll take Ryan into our beautifully landscaped new backyard for a picnic and some champagne to toast our new purchase/new life! Oddly enough, his back up proposal was to have a picnic set up for us when we were out for a run... his actual proposal was perfect as is, but I can't help but swoon over how awesome he is and how well he does know me and what I love.

Cheers! Have a great weekend... post a hello to show me you're still here and encourage me to post more entries soon!

Sometimes I Think I Might Just Be Crazy

Seriously... tomorrow I venture on the MS Bike to the Bay Challenge with my boyfriend and pals Jeff and Kristinna. Its 75 miles each day... 150 miles. Have you noticed yet that I seem to take a life list item and beat it to death yet?


1. run a marathon :: finished two now in 2007 and 2008. Was attempting #3 for this past April but got a stress fracture. Healing up and getting used to orthotics so I can attempt #3 again for this Fall in Columbus.

2. complete a triathlon :: finished a sprint in Fall of 2008. Just did another this past weekend but I was slow as heck so I'm now shopping around for a new bike and looking into my next races.

4. ride a century (100mile) -- finished 100 miles with Tessa in August of 2009. Now I'm doing 150 this weekend even though its already been checked off my list.

Its kinda annoying that I'm not repeating things like visitng Japan or Kenya! But at the very least, all these repeat life list items above are helping me get one step closer to this one:

104. wear a bikini and feel 100% gorgeous + confident with my body

I do have to report that although I have bought some BEAUTIFUL swimsuits recently before my last vacation... my wonderful boyfriend does actually do a great job and making me feel gorgeous even when the mirror doesn't. However, I want definition in my stomach and to svelte down my legs/hips and to just lose that 10 lbs of Ohio weight I've put on (no more beer or fried foods!).

Running on the Brain

As I head into my 32nd birthday which happens to be on the exact day of the Nashville Marathon that I was SUPPOSED to be running, I'm naturally a little bummed to be sitting on the sidelines (although I'm wicked proud to cheer on my dad, sisters, boyfriends and pals).

So let me just take a few seconds to pat myself on the back. When I made this life list, it was April of 2007 and I hadn't ever done longer than a 5k race at that point (although I was training for my first half marathon). I put run a full marathon as my number 1 item on this life list... and here's where I stand today (even without that stinky hilly thunderstormy marathon this weekend):

2 full marathons (2007 Marine Corps in DC and 2008 NYC // PR = 4:28:14)
6 half marathons (3 in 2007, 1 in 2008, 2 in 2009 // PR = 2:05:07)
1 7.5 miler (PR = 1:15:00)
2 10Ks (PR = 55:31)
2 5-milers (PR = 46:44)
6 5Ks (PR = 26:12)
1 Sprint Triathlon (PR = 1:30:24)

THAT'S EXACTLY 20 RACES!!! I can't believe the world's most unathletic and clumsy girl has accomplished so much. Two stress fractures over the years is a small price to pay and with the new custom orthotics I'll be fitted with next week, hopefully the next three years will be with even less injury!

So, I guess I'll get over sitting this one out. But don't think I'm not spying a whole list of triathlons and running races for the rest of 2010 as I recover and try to regain my fitness level back!

Out to run 3 measly little miles. Although with two months off, its actually pretty tough. No wonder so many runners still don't think they can run a full marathon (you can! you can!).

HAPPY RUNNING!!

ACCOMPLISHED: #65: Get CPR certified

After learning all sorts of CPR and first aid for adults, children, and infants, I am officially certified (perfect scores on both tests, thank you very much). It was a full day of life-important lessons! And hopefully, it means that by being prepared, I'll never be tested (much better than the alternative of being in a scary situation and knowing I keep MEANING to take that course).

I highly recommend everyone to get a similar course like this so they know what to do! You don't need to be a medical professional to do what you can!

31 items on my list done. Only 80 more to go!!!

Life List #112: Check!

Ok... if you've been following me, you know I only have 111 life list items. And I'm not just making up items as I do them so there really isn't nor will ever be an item #112. But after the last few days attempts and fails, this morning's triumph seemed like it should be listworthy.

Yes... you will laugh when you realize that a 31-year-old who has always been known to her friends as a pretty darn good cook & baker with some pretty over-the-top dinner parties on her record, did not know how to make an sunny-side up egg until this morning. I can roll sushi, bake bread from scratch, cook mussels, and even fry my own handcut truffle french fries. But even after resorting to google for tips on the "dippy" eggs (as I used to call them as a little girl), I could not master it! This morning -- done! I feel like I've been so productive today and its only 8am and I am just turning on my computer! (It may have to do with the website I designed in the last few days and my great response from the client last night though too).

Wow. I hate to be all cocky but as a breakfast-making, marathon-running, bible-reading, butt-kicking business entrepreneur over here, I'm getting so good at my life list, I'm now accomplishing things not even on it! ha!

On a side note: my good friend Carrie sent me this Sandwich Sprinkle spice mixture a few years ago to make her famous stuffed jalapenos with. Its ridiculously good on eggs -- "dippy" or not.

Move over Sheryl Crow

As I weigh my days wondering "To Run, or Not to Run" and start getting seriously bummed at the fact that my ankle/leg pain, while not getting worse, does not seem to be getting better... I'm looking for good distractions. Being in Ohio in an uber-small town with all of my friends a phone call or plane ride away, the idea of not being able to train for this marathon is a pretty big bummer. I'll find out more on Thursday when I go to the sports doctor -- stay tuned!

So I'm looking through my list... and checking it twice (Tee hee. Sorry.) for some ideas to pre-occupy myself.

I've already signed up for my CPR class, might as well do something that could (but hopefully won't) put it to the test... so I just signed up for a Masters Swim class at the nearby YMCA. A good workout since I'm sitting around and trying to stay off my leg. And although I've checked off "#6: Learn how to swim properly" and "#2: Complete a triathlon", I'd still like to keep moving forward on those items and improving both!

And because that class will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45-10pm, I noticed there was Adult Beginner Guitar classes on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm at the same Y. So there you go: "82: learn at least three songs on my guitar."

We're making progress people...

Soon All Will Be Safer in My Presence

Life List #65. get CPR certified

This will be happening on Thursday, March 18. 9-6pm. That's one long day of resuscitating dolls of adults, children and infants!!!

This item was put on my list a long time ago not for the actual overarching idea of helping my fellow man (although that IS pretty clutch), but because four years ago, I actually almost choked to death on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was the day before my 28th birthday and I was just hanging out in my apartment on a lazy Sunday morning after a night out. I made myself a basic PB&J (smooth PB -- I've now switched to crunchy). On literally the first bite, it got lodged deep in my throat. I didn't quite chew it enough (I SAID it was a lazy Sunday, didn't I?). I scurried around my apartment trying to find countertops to push myself into in an attempt to dislodge it -- I had seen my older sister do this once at my parents' house long ago. It wasn't working and although I had considered running into the hall to my neighbors apartment, I was just in a t-shirt and underwear so my weird twisted idiotic logic said "I can't go out in the hall while I'm choking with no pants on!!!" Funny now... pretty stupid then. Or not... I still don't know.

In any case, I went into the bathroom (this had to be over a minute or maybe even two) to try to push myself on that counter with its rounded corners and as it wasn't working, I looked up and saw a purple scary face peering back in the mirror. My panic took control and I literally bent over and puked my guts out. That reaction literally saved my life... my airway was free and I had avoided death by PB&J. However that next week I literally couldn't even take a sip of water without excrutiating pain. Turns out after a visit to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor, I had pretty severely "burnt" the inside of my throat from the friction of the lodged sandwich. In any case, I learned my lessons: 1. Its a pretty good idea to take a CPR class at least once so I have some sense of what to do in an emergency. 2. Take smaller bites and chew them obviously. And of course, 3. Put some pants on, for Pete's sake.

So I'm really looking forward to this class and just knowing that I have the power to do something in that sort of scary situation God forbit it ever happened again.

Also, on a side note: why is it that the Toledo-area seems to have so much more First Aid/CPR classes than all of Boston and NYC areas? Do they realize its a lot smaller population? I've been looking into taking this class for years and not only do I suddenly have tons of options, but its also ridiculously cheaper!

Be inspired yourself -- take a CPR/First Aid class if they are available near you (Red Cross, Salvation Army, YMCA, local hospitals). Sadly, you never know when you'll need it!!!

Lenten Sacrifices & Ashy Wednesdays

Last night I actually went to Ash Wednesday service for the first time in about 3 or 4 years. It was nice and a de-stresser to sit there in church after dark. Of course, poor BF of mine had to work late bc his company's president was in town for a 5pm meeting so I blessed him by touching his forehead to mine when he got home and sharing some of my ashes! I know it doesn't technically count but I also know he would have gone if he could.

I admit... my faith has sort of took a backseat in the last 10 years off an on. I've been put through hell and back with awful jobs, loss of loved ones, erratic schedules, repeated heartbreak and just general cruddiness. But that's no excuse because I've also been blessed with amazing friends and family, inspiring trips, and amazing accomplishments to make it to where I am today. So looking back on my life list, there are two spiritual items that are an effort to pick up on that religion that has inspired and driven my parents, grandparents, and ancestors to make me who I am today. Obviously my spirituality and beliefs are very personal and its always hard to make sense of it all in this modern world but if I don't start making a bigger effort to learn about it, how will I ever truly and not hypocritically be able to teach these things to my children someday.

So without going on a tangent of what I believe and getting all preachy (especially since I respect and am equally inspired by different religious ideals as well), I'll simply report what my 40 days of sacrifices are:

1. No candy. This isn't a huge issue for me actually but I learned that the BF has this weakness occasionally. So I'll do the same in solidarity.

2. No cursing. Hello!!?!?! Life list #98! BF is as well doing this in solidarity for me. I don't think I'm necessarily the sailor that I was before when I had such a cruddy job and entire situation going for a year or two. But I do slip up occasionally (proven when a "beeper" slipped out of my mouth while I had two teeny guests under 3 over the other night -- I'm hoping the dinner I cooked them and children's books I read them made up for it!).

3. And my third, rather than give something up, I'll do something I don't usually do: I'm starting to read the Bible. I have a great study version with lots of Cliff's notes and maps and timelines (and additionally the world's SMALLEST type ever -- this may take a LOT of lent seasons to get through!). Yet again, BF is on board with this one and really excited about it... so maybe I have to give him a nice bible to help him out! So there it is: Life List #67 as well! Anybody have any tips for reading it? Do I really just start at the beginning or is there a better order (New Testament first, perhaps?).

Runner up sacrifice: I considered giving up beer and pizza but since those seem to be the official food & beverage food choices of the state of Ohio, I decided now's not the time. I will however, try to limit it as well as make better eating choices across the board! Maybe a whole-grain home-cooked pizza is in our near future...

So I'm pumped for Lent (that's not a phrase that people usually utter, is it?). And although the homily last night was about sacrificing without doing it just to brag about it and focusing on the idea that He will know even if your sacrifices are secret... I'm still broadcasting it on my blog. Partially because, is anyone reading this thing anyhow? And partially because I need some accountability to help me stick to it.

So, if you need the accountability to... tell me, what's your 40 day sacrifice(s)??

Life List Update 2010

Last time I've done an updated list check in was September of 2008. Since then I've moved to NYC for a year and then back to my roots of Ohio. And had conquered 21 of the items. Now... I'm at 31 done!!! So let's recap!! Stuff in italics are DONE!!! Stuff in blue are hopefully within reach in 6 months!

WISH ME LUCK!!!


STRENGTHEN MY BODY
1. run a marathon :: completed first on October 28, 2007 (Marine Corps in DC - 4:42:44). Finished my second at the New York Marathon in 2008 at 4:28:14. And I'm currently (I cannot believe it either) training for my third on my birthday: April 24 in Nashville! Do I get extra life list bonus points for completing above my
2. complete a triathlon :: completed at Douglas, MA 5 Star Triathlon on September 13, 2008
3. buy a bike :: completed on April 24, 2007
4. ride a century (100mile) bike ride in honor of my Uncle Ray :: completed with my sister Tessa on August 31, 2007. Rainiest bike ride ever ended up in the longest bike ride ever. We projected 8 hours but with Tropical Storm Daniel, we finished in 11!
5. run 10 5ks :: 5 out of 10 so far (PR 26:12)
6. learn to swim properly :: finished course at Y on 4/29/08, fluent with freestyle and backstroke
7. surf in New England
8. surf in Hawaii
9. surf in Indonesia
10. go rockclimbing outdoors
11. run in Central Park :: completed on 8/5/07 during NYC Nike Half Marathon
12. run up the stairs of the Chicago Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower)
13. run a half-marathon in less than 2 hours (PR is 2:08:59) :: next half marathon will be Churchill's in Maumee, Ohio on March 21, 2010
14. take boxing classes
15. do a yoga 30-day challenge
16. drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month :: why is this one SO hard for me?!?
17. no soda for a full year :: finished on 10/1/08
18. compete at least three seasons of tennis league

FEEL THE ADRENALINE
19. go skydiving for my 30th birthday :: have to reschedule this... my initial attempt on 4/12/07 got canceled because of weather
20. ride an elephant
21. ride a camel :: completed in July 2009 at Diani Beach in Kenya
22. go skinny dipping :: completed in Fall 2008, not the sexy encounter I was envisioning in my head when I wrote this item but a hilarious memory of a camping trip gone silly
23. gamble in Vegas :: completed on 5/9/07 on a work trip
24. go white-water kayaking and/or sea kayaking
25. scale/belay down a building
26. climb a volcano
27. target practice at a shooting range
28. play paintball :: finished on 4/13/08 with sisters, Bill, cousin Todd, and Tim... want to do it again!
29. go snowboarding out West
30. go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef
31. swim with sharks
32. swim with dolphins
33. drive a sportscar around a track
34. go dog sledding
35. climb Mt. Kilmanjaro

SEE THE WORLD
36. climb Macchu Picchu
37. go on an African safari :: Jen & TC's wedding in July 2009. What an amazing adventure. I still cannot believe it.
38. visit the Pyramids
39. drive across America from coast-to-coast
40. visit Japan :: completed on 5/14/08
42. visit 200 places in the "1001 Places to See Before You Die" :: 51 out of 200 so far
43. visit Stockholm
44. visit Kenya :: trip of a lifetime!! completed July 2009
45. visit Montreal
46. visit Morocco
47. ride a mule in the Grand Canyon
48. go on a mission trip
49. spend a weekend in a log cabin in the wilderness :: October 2 in New Hampshire with Laura, Braden, and Emily. No running water... no electricity. And the most amazing food and more stars than you could ever ask for.
50. spend New Year's in an exotic location
51. ride in a hot air balloon :: completed on 7/12/08 in Stowe, Vermont (thanks, Steve!)
52. go on a yoga vacation/retreat
53. visit a rainforest :: completed in Belize on 12/24/07
54. fly first class
55. visit India
56. visit all seven continents :: 4 out of 7 so far
58. visit Graceland
59. attend Maine's Lobsterfest
60. attend the Head of the Charles Regatta :: completed on 10/21/07 - thanks Jeff & Sarah!
61. watch the sunset on the West Coast in a romantic setting
62. watch the sunrise on the East Coast in a romantic setting
63. spend an entire weekend on a sailboat
64. take a helicopter tour

FEED MY BRAIN
65. get CPR certified
66. learn to make paella :: completed on 5/26/07
67. read the Bible
68. grow and eat my own herbs + vegetables
69. learn to roll sushi :: classes on 9/19/08
70. learn to pray the rosary (in memory of my grandmother + with her rosary)
71. bake bread from scratch :: completed 9/29/07 (rosemary bread... mmm)
72. learn to chop food like a pro :: finished cooking chopping class on 6/8/08 given to me from Danielle, Kristen, + Liz! I can't wait!
73. learn another language fluently
74. read/reread all 100 of the "Radcliffe 100 Best Novels" :: only 9 out of 100
75. watch all 100 of the AFI's 100 years, 10th anniv edition :: 60 out of 100 so far
76. learn more about investing
77. learn woodworking + make a piece of furniture :: finished a lovely teak coffeetable on 1/24/08

ADVANCE MY FUTURE
78. develop a better/stricter budget and stick to for at least 3 months
79. pick back up my contributions to my 401K
80. write a will
81. start a new 111 to-do's once this one is halfway finished

PLAY UP MY CREATIVITY
82. learn at least three songs on my guitar
83. take up art more regularly (though drawing, painting, photography, or mixed media)
84. commit at least three balloon animals to memory :: almost!
85. knit an entire sweater
86. sell some type of art/product
87. teach a class
88. be in another play or musical
89. write/illustrate a children's book and submit it to a publisher

GIVE BACK
90. convince someone else to start a list of life to-do's :: completed on 7/29/07, Lori and Missy
91. adopt a family for thanksgiving or christmas
92. volunteer once a week for at least 6 months
93. organize a charity event
94. be someone's mentor
95. donate hair to Locks of Love charity

SACRIFICE UNNECESSARIES
96. give up coffee for at least 3 months :: finished 1/1/08
97. go to bed no later than 11pm every weekday for a month
98. one week without a single curse word
99. go one week without complaining a single time
100. no computer for one whole week :: completed week of 5/14/08 while in Japan, Vancouver, Seattle

OH YEA... SUPERFICIAL STUFF TOO
101. buy a car
102. buy a house/condo/2-square-foot-of-land!
103. own a pair of manolo blahniks or jimmy choos :: completed on 9/16/08 (thanks, you know who you are!)
104. wear a bikini and feel 100% gorgeous + confident with my body :: P90X and marathon training?1? come on... it HAS to happen.
105. eat at a Michelin-rated restaurant
106. be on a silly TV gameshow (reality TV shows DO NOT count)
107. do a keg stand with both my sisters :: completed on 4/12/08
108. kiss someone in the pouring rain (a la The Notebook... *sigh*) :: completed on July 31, 2009. First weekend reunited with Ryan... stuck in the Ryan trying to get to dinner with my sisters as our cabbie got pulled over by a cop for a wrong turn and we chanced trying for another cab. Umbrella broke. And we were soaking wet. It was frustrating as hell but every moment with him that weekend was still romantic and magical.
109. throw an old-school all-girls pajama party sleepover :: completed on 4/26/08
110. go to the movies once a month for a full year
111. go on a picnic complete with basket, blanket, wine, and a cute guy :: got the basket and the guy... now I just gotta make it happen once the weather warms up!

I've Missed You Too...

Hello, blog. Have you missed me? Special shout-out to Mademoiselle Danielle over in Paris who has been begging me to re-visit you. For all you blog-fans, you better thank her!

Well, its been an eventful 6 months. Crap, has it been that long? And the 6 months before that I was kind of a slacker blogger with little substance. But its a new year and lots of new changes are beginning so its a good time to reinvigorate my favorite family, friends & follower updater (sorry Facebook status updater. I do love you too.). So... I will re-hash a quick 6 month summary of my personal life so I can resume without guilt.

- THE MAN & THE MOVE: Okay, so this isn't in particular an item on my life list so I'll try not to gush or start rambling too much about my love-life. But in June of 2008, I got a lovely LinkedIn message from a past love from about 10 years ago. We had lost touch and hadn't emailed in about 6ish years. I had often thought of him over the years and vice versa. Oddly enough, I thought of him a lot when I was in the pain of mourning my cousin last March. I guess deep in my mind, he was more than just an old flame and my subconscious knew he could comfort my sadness. LinkedIn messages led to a few emails and photo exchanges which led to a week of daily 2 hour phone calls... and pretty much daily calls since and visits to Ohio/NYC/and in-between every other week over the past 6 months. We knew pretty quickly that this was a big re-connection. And although I've always been convinced I didn't need a man to be happy (and still do), I've never been happier in my life than in the last 6 months. Soon, I made the decision I swore I never would... I moved back to Ohio. And you know what? I could not be happier that I did.

Its funny... I spent the last ten years playing big city hotshot. Getting glammed up. Shopping at Saks for designer ensembles. Rocking stilettos so high that they should really have a health-advisory-warning on them. Climbing the ladder at work and in the design world. And just trying to be as glamorous and far away from the little farm girl I grew up as. Deep inside, I knew I shouldn't hide that friendly & sentimental Midwesterner who missed her family and the quiet of the country and small towns. But it took a man from the past to remind me that although its fun to play dress up, I'm just as special being the same person I was way-back when. He loves me no matter what I wear, where I live, or how successful I am. And finally... I do too. What an amazing man that can show me that.

- THE JOB(S): dbox has been great to me. Like every company recently, we've had a few bumps in the road but because of their quality, much less so it seems than pretty much any other agency out there. And, even better, unlike my previous gig that left my insecure and unconfident, they've made me feel capable and talented to rock any project. I don't want to sound conceited by any means but, damn it, I've been designing a long time and my eerie good memory along with my attention to details has made it inevitable that I would become one of the best at what I do. In most cases throughout my whole career, I end up the sole art director/designer on most projects because I earn the trust from both my boss and client to be able to do it all. So its time to retire the insecure and scared designer and embrace my new life and my new business finally. Its scary as hell but somehow without any effort or push or requests for referrals, I've got new business requests flying at me -- and amazing dream clients at that! I've worked hard to get here and I'm finally more than ready and entirely inspired.

- THE RIDE: I did it. #4 on the list. Ride a century bike ride (100miles) in honor of my Uncle Ray. My Uncle Ray passed away a few years ago from cancer but not without leading a life that inspired. He struggled with spina bifida his whole life and despite having been told as a child he would never walk... his determination and persistence made it inevitable that he eventually did. Beyond that, he additionally went on to ride TWO century bike rides. For a man that I walked with a severe limp his whole life, I sat at his funeral and listened to these stories and thought about how I should try a century ride too... I didn't even OWN a bike then either. And he could join me as my angel and ride in his third century ride. So on a very rainy day on August 31, 2009, my sister Tessa and I taped photos of my Uncle Ray onto our trusty bikes and took off to ride 100 miles out to Montauk from Babylon, Long Island. We were tested for sure... Tessa had three flat tires and though we started out tentative, by our third flat we were practically an Indy 500 pit crew. We had our tears, irritations with one another, sang songs along the way, and I think I prayed about 40 exhausted Hail Mary's during the last 10 miles uphill. I've never been so muddy, cold and wet. And our 8 hour prediction turned into an 11 hour reality with the weather and tire problems. Ironically, the rainy storm was remnants from Hurricane Daniel. So apparently the angel of our lost cousin Danny decided to also join us and play a trick on us that day... that's just like him too. But we enjoyed it nonetheless... and finished proudly and without injury.

What else...
I'm training for my THIRD full marathon. Who would have thought? Do I get extra credit for finishing #1 on my life list three times?!? When I wrote this list in April 2007 I hadn't even done my first half-marathon and I had only been running for about 4-5 months. Who would have thought the little unathletic, clumsy girl would become a runner?!? I'm still unsure of it... we'll see how many marathons it takes before I finally feel like a real "athlete" rather than some sneaky regular person posing as one. All I know is that this marathon will be on my 32nd birthday. What a great way to assert how young I actually I am!

Lastly, life is just good all around. Friends and family are healthy and happy. My life is on the cusp of finally finding a better balance and peace with the patience and help of some amazing people in my life. And if you would have told me one year ago, that my life would be what it is now and I'd be so happy... 1. I wouldn't believe it. 2. I would be pretty proud of myself.

Although I have to do better on my blog updates, I know. Life can't be perfect now, can it? I'm making a list now of other things to update you on from the past 6 months too -- weddings, design projects, vacations. So stay tuned. I swear I will write again before another six months go by!!!

Life List #12: Run the Stairs of the Chicago Sears Tower

Update: Not possible. Boooo... I put this on my list after becoming interested after raising money for the Damon Runyan Cancer Research Foundation in 2004 by running up the 1062 steps (63 flights) of Boston's Hancock Tower. The Chicago Sears Tower beats that at 2109 steps (108 flights). However I just saw this from the DRCRF:

Go Vertical Chicago Announcement
After seven terrific years, we are greatly disappointed to announce that as a result of a decision made by Sears Tower building management, Go Vertical Chicago will not take place in 2009.
With many thanks,
The Go Vertical Chicago Team

So I'm making my FIRST swap to my life list, and change #12 to now by: Run the Stairs of the Empire State Building. Being a New Yorker now, there does happen to be a very cool race to the top of the Empire State Building. This race has 1,576 steps and 102 stories. Its a bit harder to get into since it is a shotgun start and has a smaller field of runners (rather than releasing runners every 10 seconds as the Hancock Tower did where the field is unlimited). Luckily, it HAS to be a little easier to gain entry to this race than the now defunct Boston Go Vertical (Hancock Tower) and Chicago Go Vertical (Sears Tower). See ya at the top... maybe in 2010???

12 Angry Men and a Lady

Maybe being on a jury just seems so glamorous to me because my friend Sally was recently on one with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Thom Filicia.

But I just watched what could easily be one of my top five favorite movies from the AFI Top 100 List (Life List item #75). 12 Angry Men. 1957. Starrying Henry Fonda. Black-and-white (dang I love B&W movies). Absolutely riveting. I picked it tonight because I have a lot to do and thought the plot sounded interesting enough to keep my attention while I cleaned my apartment and finished up a few things. WRONG. I couldn't look away. In fact, I had my dinner finishing up as I started the movie and I ended up eating it cold!


Here's an attempt at my top five movies of the 40 I've seen on the list (in no order between them):
12 Angry Men
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
West Side Story
To Kill a Mockingbird
Vertigo
Honorable mention to the Godfathers though . . . I liked those way more than I expected to


And here are five I could have gone without seeing (oh boy, I know I'm opening myself up to some serious backlash):
Raging Bull
Dr. Strangelove
Midnight Cowboy
A Streetcar Named Desire (not so bad, and definitely at the very least worth it to see a hot young Marlon Brando)
Raiders of the Lost Ark


And here's the most up-to-date:
1. Citizen Kane (1941) WATCHED SENIOR YEAR IN COLLEGE
2. The Godfather (1972) WATCHED 09-30-07
3. Casablanca (1942) WATCHED 09-08-07
4. Raging Bull (1980) WATCHED 04-01-08
5. Singin' in the Rain (1952) WATCHED 12-31-08
6. Gone with the Wind (1939) READ BOOK FIRST!
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler's List (1993) NEED TO REWATCH ITS BEEN AWHILE
9. Vertigo (1958) WATCHED 01-05-08
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977)
14. Psycho (1960) WATCHED 8-3-08
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
117. The Graduate (1967) WATCHED 1-08
18. The General (1927) WATCHED 05-12-08
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
20. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) NEED TO REWATCH SINCE ITS BEEN AWHILE
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959) WATCHED 2-08
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940) — READ BOOK FIRST!
24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) WATCHED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) WATCHED 9-10-07
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944) WATCHED 12-5-07
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974) WATCHED 10-08-07
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) REREAD BOOK FIRST!
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
35. Annie Hall (1977) WATCHED 9-22-07
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964) WATCHED 9-2307
40 The Sound of Music (1965) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969) WATCHED 12-14-08
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934) WATCHED 12-30-08
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) WATCHED 12-18-08
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) WATCHED IN THEATRES
51. West Side Story (1961) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. The Deer Hunter (1978)
54. MASH (1970) WATCHED ON 10-6-07
55. North by Northwest (1959)
56. Jaws (1975) WATCHED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
57. Rocky (1976) WATCHED ON 10-1-07
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973) WATCHED 2-08-08
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) WATCHED 9-29-07
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982) WATCHED 9-23-07
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971) READ BOOK FIRST!
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998) WATCHED IN THEATRES
72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967) WATCHED 9-14-08, MAY NEED TO REWATCH, DON'T REMEMBER MUCH (I WAS PROBABLY MULTI-TASKING)
76. Forrest Gump (1994) WATCHED MANY MANY TIMES
77. All the President's Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
83. Titanic (1997) WATCHED IN THE THEATRES WHEN IT CAME OUT
84. Easy Rider (1969) WATCHED 10-31-07
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957) WATCHED ON 1-2-09
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie's Choice (1982) — REREAD BOOK FIRST!
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994) REWATCHED 9-27-07
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989) WATCHED 4-08
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)
100. Ben-Hur (1959)

Oh Yea . . . That Crazy List!

Sweet Baby Jesus forbid that the world wide web should forget my mission with this blog, I did originally start this as a journal of my mission to accomplish as many items as possible on my Life List. As a reminder, I don't truly plan to accomplish everything on this list because lives change, people evolve, and, frankly, I really don't care anymore if I really do run up the stairs of the Chicago Sear Tower (#12). That's why I cleverly wrote item #81 so that I could make a new list and keep/delete whatever ones I haven't already done. I'm smart, eh?

Anyhow, life has distracted me with new jobs, more marathons (who would have thought I would accomplish list item #1 TWICE?!), and moving to fabulous new cities... but I've still checked off 16 items in 2008. However I haven't really been working towards any lately beyond my movie and book lists (#74 and 75) since I've moved over a month ago.

So since its so much of a motivation to declare my goals to the world . . . I will now share with you the items I'm thinking of tackling next:

15. do a yoga 30-day challenge :: since I haven't joined a New York gym yet and I'm not currently training for any other races, I may just make use of one of the yoga studios deals for these 30-day challenges in January or February. Plus those are both really good cold months to be in the mood for the hot yoga I love.

16. drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month :: this may sound easy but I am a camel. Yesterday, I didn't pee once during the day (sorry to reference my pee schedule). And its because I hardly ever drink water. Which means that on my recent budget, I'm not drinking the juice and sparkling water I love so much either. Just lots of coffee at work. . . which as we know for every one coffee you need to drink TWO waters. So I've poured myself a glass now and I'm going to actually start counting. Now's as good a time as any. . . with the holidays, there will probably be a lot of hangovers that need hydrating!

78. develop a better/stricter budget and stick to it for at least 3 months :: really in this economy, who ISN'T on a budget? I definitely have been but not as formally as I'd like to. More lists here I come (sorry, I ain't sharing my expenses list with ya'll though).

85. knit an entire sweater :: totally. I need a good sweater and the super cute knitting store I discovered on my lunch break today is definitely urging me to start now.

98. one week without a single curse word :: I haven't really established that I have been trying to conquer this but I rarely cuss at all any more (I think its because I'm no longer at my last job. tee hee.) so let's start now! hopefully I can scratch another item off on December 23!

99. go one week without complaining :: gosh darn it (see life list item #98. . . I'm starting already), I am SO in a good mood with all this holiday cheer and they super fluffy snow today. Let's start this one now too and see where I am on December 23. call me out if you hear me complaining or cussing (or probably both since they do seem related).

And best of luck to all of you on your lists and/or New Year's resolutions!

Another Life List Item Complete: No Soda!

I write this post as I happily sip a root beer. Oh, how I have missed you, my dear friend.

So near the end of September 2007, I vowed to give up soda for a full year (number 17 on the life list). It was a dumb weakness of mine. A horrible habit. And probably partially to blame for my crappy teeth problems. So I completely rid myself of it for 365 days (although I do confess to a single can of ginger ale when I had a tummy ache in February. . . but ginger ale is a borderline soda in my opinion).

Now I shall not withhold myself from it eternally, but I will not nearly drink it ever on a frequent basis. Or ever buy it for my home. Its a slippery slope, folks. I shall reserve it for special occasions — such as a Vanilla Coke at a diner or when I am forced to eat fast food on a Bolt Bus stop (such as now).