Ali Oop oops

Kitchen remodel - complete

2011-09-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

It took a bit over a month, but it's finally done. Please see after pictures. Cabinets are knotty alder, floors were just refinished and stained, countertops are Caesarstone, and the backsplash is glass and travertine tiles. I kinda love it. The only thing that I want to do to finish it off are some colorful pillows for the benches. Yaay!!!

A tailgating virgin no longer

2011-09-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've been to a few football games in my time, usually at the beginning of the season in sweltering Arizona heat. Sounds fun right? When I'd walk to games with my parents, I would always kind of eye the tailgaters with a little bit of envy. It seemed like a good time to hang out, grill, much more fun than the game itself. But I somehow made it through 4 years (alright 4 1/2 shhh) of college without tailgating. I was pushed into a group of people by a drunk friend picking a fight with a bunch of Marines, but no tailgate parties.

Today was my first. It was pretty fun, although the 20-30 mph winds and clingy little girl hanging on my inseam weren't pleasant. The game was great, the stadium walls blocked the gusty winds and just allowed a breeze to come through. A bag of popcorn brought Maggie and another little girl together and I got to sit and take it all in. Air Force football is different for sure, I missed the Arizona band and the people didn't seem nearly drunk enough. Nobody screamed You Suck at my little girl (that happened to my niece and I at a U of A vs. ASU game). It was... nice. Next week is TCU, which should ramp things up a notch in the drunk and disorderly category.

And next time I know not to bring muffins to a tailgate party. But I mean, seriously, who tailgates and eats brats at 10 AM? Oh crap, that WAS me.

Nothing to do, nowhere to go

2011-08-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I am loving this weekend. Since we've moved to Colorado, we've either been moving in, entertaining (I use that word loosely) guests, or going somewhere. And finally we have a weekend with nothing to do. Actually I'm lying. We did go to the Nature and Science Museum in Denver, but it was just the three of us and it was free. So it didn't really feel like a chore, a mandatory exploration, just something to do on a lazy weekend. I love these weekends, they don't happen very often. I'm even contemplating doing a Halloween craft, picking my laziness up and going to Joann this afternoon. Just the fact that I have time to peruse Halloween crafts is my kind of awesome. I don't know though, a nap or reading a book sounds kind of right too.

It looks like a kitchen again!

2011-08-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Progress, finally...I was starting to feel like I would never have a kitchen back. Cabinets were installed today, there's still some additional things that need to be done, including putting in the kitchen table, which will be built into the nook in the back in the first picture below. The electrician is coming on Monday to hook up lights, the fridge, and the oven. So even though I thought I'd get to make cookies this weekend, I'll have to wait. But it's nice to have a light at the end of the tunnel. Now it's time to think about what to purge, maybe the half-million plastic cold cuts tubs we have, although Maggie and I made a sweet rocket ship out of them this afternoon.

Here it is: Progress

Floors, floors, floors

2011-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

The floors are for the most part done now. Good thing because the stench was killing me. It was so bad I ended up taking Mags and sleeping in the basement. Yuck. Ben was not affected, but the smell was so bad it gave me a headache. Not good. Anywho, they're done now and look pretty good I think. The effect was like a face lift for the kitchen. It looks 10 years younger now. The pics don't really do the after justice, but they look a lot better in real life. Before they were light pine and after they are a walnut color.

For your viewing pleasure, the before, during, and after:

Before:

During:

After:

Travels in Colorado

2011-08-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

You know when fans chant OVER-RATED at college basketball games, when a top-rated team is getting crushed by an underdog? (Think last year's Duke v. Arizona tourney game.) That's what kept running through my mind when we went to Vail this past weekend. Beautiful? You bet. I'm sure there's good skiing too. And if getting dressed in your finest workout gear and having your hair in a full blowout is your thing, you'd love it. Me, not so much. I don't think I've ever been under and over dressed at the same time. It's an interesting feeling.

They did have a gondola that went up to the top of the mountain, we rode it 3 times because Maggie thought it was a rollercoaster. We didn't have to drive anywhere, also a plus. And lucky for us it was hot, because I forgot regular running shoes for me and a jacket for Mags. I'm not sure how I forgot that, but luckily we didn't even need it. It just wasn't a good fit, and I don't know how else to explain it.

We did drive back through Breckenridge, which was WAY more our style. We will be back to see you soon Breck.

Please enjoy the eye candy of both Vail and Breckenridge:

Vail

Breckenridge

Demolition done

2011-08-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Ben and friends were kind enough to demo the kitchen, saving us over a thousand dollars. Love that we repurposed almost everything too. Here are some pics of the destruction:

Electrician came out after the demo last week and left us without power to our little garage, and the contractor came in and replaced some 2 x 4s and whatever else it is that they do. This week the electrician is back to finish up, and we're supposed to have the floors refinished. Early next week we should have base cabinets and hopefully upper cabinets as well.

Kitchen remodel - the beginning

2011-08-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

When we bought this house, it wasn't because of the kitchen. I didn't particularly like it, but it was ok. After we got moved in, I realized something. The kitchen was not made to handle little kids. The island is small and little hands reach over the top and touch hot burners. It's hard to play defense on all four sides while still trying to cook. Plus, it's just in the way and not functional, no prep space, etc. I'm also not a fan of using floor tiles as countertop material, especially when installed with no longer light-colored grout. It just always looks dirty to me. Wah wah wah, right? Yes, it's true. Nothing, with the exception of a couple of cabinets, is falling apart. I just don't like it. So, we're remodeling. Enough justification, just down to business. Here is our kitchen before. Ben and friends are going to demo today. One friend is taking most of the cabinets for a new basement, and Habitat for Humanity is taking the oven and microwave combo. Dishwasher and fridge stay with us, so the only appliance we're throwing away is the cooktop, which doesn't work very well anyway.

So here it is....The before pictures:

This is the view from the entry way of the kitchen. You can see the island, aka death trap, in the middle, just being in the way.

This is the view from the weird office space in the back of the kitchen. When all done, this will be bench seating and table. The round table goes to the basement and the light fixture gets sold at the community garage sale.

That went well

2011-08-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ah, the dentist. I actually used to love the dentist. I looked forward to it, mostly because I didn't really have any trouble with my teeth. I got a sticker and a toy, along with a new toothbrush.

Maggie's experience wasn't quite so golden. She fell and hit her tooth on the ground at daycare and her tooth turned gray. Awesome. I should be glad it didn't fall out. Scratch that, I am glad it didn't fall out, but it's also kind of funny looking. Maybe I could turn my frown upside-down and turn it into a Halloween costume idea? Hmm...probably looking at a gray toothed princess this year.

As for the actual dental appointment itself, it's always nice to hear about how wrong you are. A glorious moment in which you find out "they" changed all the rules when you weren't paying attention. What do you mean I was supposed to take her to the dentist after she got her first tooth? Sorry what? No goldfish crackers? Leading cause of cavities huh? Pinning her to the ground and shoving a toothbrush in her mouth won't traumatize her? I guess you really do learn something new every day. Funny enough, if it wasn't for Maggie falling and hitting her face, I wouldn't have taken her until she was three.

Oh yeah, and she didn't have any cavities either. But that's really not the point is it?

Pikes Peak, Colorado

2011-07-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Now that we're settled in and don't have anyone visiting, we decided to finally give Pikes Peak a go. It's beautiful and I'd rather show pictures than write about it. It's beautiful and supposedly the inspiration for America the Beautiful, that should tell anyone all they need to know.

Driving up is fairly intense, I think next time I'm going to take the cog railway. Maybe when I'm in better shape, I'll hike up. Ah, a girl can dream.

Long time no write

2010-08-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

I started thinking about how I used to post on my pregnancy and about how I haven't posted since then. Not like I haven't had things going on, but my kid does some cute stuff and I should probably try to capture some of it.

Maggie is 20 1/2 months old now. She's adorable and charismatic, and I love her to pieces. Anyone who reads this is going to be familiar with her, but I wouldn't mind doing a play-by-play of the all of the months of her life so far, mostly so I have a record for myself.

So, until I'm caught up, I'll choose a picture from each month and try to remember what happened, especially if there were any memorable milestones.

I made it...Third Trimester, it's official

2008-08-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: This blog is meant to be sarcastic and not angry. I feel like I should mention that so no one thinks I'm being pissy.

Today marks the official beginning to the end of pregnancy for me. I reached the third trimester today, at least according to some of the baby book experts. According to my calculations, 40 weeks divided by 3 is approximately 13 apiece, with one extra week. Therefore, I'm doing it. I am making the leap. Besides, it's harder to sleep, my ankles get puffy by midday, and it's hard to tie my shoes. Isn't that really what the third trimester is all about? Other symptoms include extreme absent mindedness, baby kicks to organs I've never felt before, and hip pains that wake me up in the dead of night. The peeing hasn't ever stopped, at least 2 trips in the nighttime.

I feel a little slighted with this pregnancy. I mean, no huge boobs, no beautiful glowy skin or nails, I mean what's up with that? Although, no morning sickness, no puffy face or skin conditions. I think I'm the annoying preggo who sports a basketball under her shirt. The nurse yesterday told me that I was too cute. She did that after she weighed me, so that's probably not terrible. So, I'll take the small boobs, after all, at least I don't have to wear two sports bras (sorry to the person who told me she did, I feel for you).

And, miraculously, no belly touchers yet. I have yet to smack some little old lady because she felt my belly.

Have I mentioned yet that I'm absent minded? It sort of relates to my rambling plot.

Moving in

2008-08-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

So I think we're as moved in as we can be. We moved in to a bigger house than we're used to so there's lots of empty space at the moment. Not much else to report other than I updated my belly shot today so you can scroll down to that post to check it out. You could say that I've definitely popped.

Moving update--in progress

2008-07-29T13:26:00.001-07:00

I don't really have a way to update pictures at this point but if anyone wants an update on the move progress, here it is. We moved out of the house on Wednesday July 23. We sold the house officially on the 25th of July. Hung out on base, which is always entertaining, over the weekend. Tuesday July 29 we let a fat redneck named Chad put our car on a truck to ship to Las Vegas. One of the first things he said was, if I drive through a hailstorm and the car gets beat up, it's not my fault. Always nice to hear.

Ben had his last flight yesterday with his squadron. I've never been to this deal before but they hose him down while he's getting off the plane. I've never seen Ben run that fast, it was highly entertaining. If the battery hadn't died, that video would be up on YouTube.

As for me, I am attempting to work the rest of the week until Thursday afternoon, when we leave for Las Vegas. Trying to do anything unrelated to the military on a military installation is a lesson in futility. The wireless internet went out shortly after we arrived on base, due to "large downloads" from some unknown party. Can anyone say internet porn?? Then I went to the library, which does have a fast connection, but the added pitfall of lots of kids. I have listened to several meltdowns by several kids. When you tell people that you work remotely, they think Mary Kay. I heart the AF.

Also, is it bad when your boss tells you that you sound tired on a conference call?? I've heard that I need a nap several times this week. I miss being able to be at work where people think it's funny when I'm bitchy. So it goes. I'll update if anything else truly interesting happens along the way.

That's it for me, Bitchy McBitcherson. More info to come...

House hunting in the Vegas

2008-07-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

First day highlights: We got to see how the other have live. We saw the Summerlin area on the first day. Summerlin has all of the good stuff that you could hope for, shopping, restaurants, parks, all that yuppie goodness. Except that it's truly impossible to buy a house there unless you have serious money. I know what people say about the market, but take out short sales and other sketchy real estate practices, and you're left with...not much. We saw a good house in a very good location, but it backed to a busy street. We went into a house that smelled very strongly like cat pee, a spa that had green slime growing in it, and a pool with all of the doors punched in with an air hockey table as an added bonus. All in all, we were not very optimistic about finding anything where we wouldn't have to spend $20K right off the bat to make it liveable.

Second day: Centennial Hills and North Las Vegas. Right now this area borders on the middle of nowhere but it is much closer to the base for Ben and has the stuff I'd need on a daily basis so as to not go crazy. We saw quite a few good houses, one ridiculous house that apparently had already sold when we looked at it, and our backup house in Club Aliante. We also saw one house that I fell in love with because of the backyard pool and upgraded inside. This was the house I was going to fight for...except as we were leaving Ben looked up and said, Did you see those high tension power lines? Oh crap. It's never a good sign when the realtor says, You know, there's no solid data either way that power lines like that cause cancer. I think I might have to jump off of a bridge if I gave poor lil' Tupac cancer before she was out of the womb.

Little did we know that after the house hunt was over that the fun would begin. Later that afternoon on the Fourth of July, we found out that a pretty decent house had just come up for sale in Club Aliante, our preferred neighborhood in the area. So we got excited. Then, at 7:45 in the morning of the 5th, we found out that the house we originally put in an offer on had popped back up. This one is still a short sale, which equals sketchy, but the people who outbid us originally backed out literally a day before they were supposed to close. Which means that we, the lowly backup offer, now have a shot. This house is nice, upgraded stuff, good insulation, and the small backyard (They are all small fyi) overlooks the golf course. The golf course gives way to views of the mountains, so that's a plus.

So this should be the week we find out if we have a house somewhere in Las Vegas. So when you visit and people tell you they're giving away houses in Las Vegas there are so many, please, for me, punch them in the face. 90% of houses are short sales. Less than 10% of short sales work out FYI.

If you'd like to see pictures of this adventure, please visit our Flickr site at
http://flickr.com/photos/63633934@N00/sets/72157606009876156/

It's a ....(spoiler alert)

2008-07-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

So we are having a baby girl. No surprise to people who have heard the rumors about pilots making girls left and right. I don't know what the radar does to them. We are very happy and included the ultrasound pictures below. We are well aware that they are hard to read and the one with the baby facing front looks like we have created some kind of demon spawn. But, what do you want? She's not done yet.

Click on the picture to see a bigger version. It's the only way you'll see anything good.

This is the money shot, and oh yes, that's her mooning us. Also, a little creepy that we have a picture of an arrow pointing at our baby's whoo hoo (I'm practicing to make up words for giggly body parts).

This is the demon-like picture. If you look really closely, in one of them you can see a creepy ghostly grin. And I also know I shouldn't talk about my baby that way.

News soon to come

2008-07-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't yet been able to tell everyone that I wanted to tell in my immediate family so the big news will have to wait. What is this big news? Ben and I changed our minds about finding out the sex of the baby. We decided this morning, the day of the big ultrasound, that we wanted to know after all. This is mostly just a teaser post and soon you'll know what we're expecting.

But I will say that the ultrasound was really fun, and the next post will have a couple of pics, although the baby looks demonic in a one of them. You'll see when you see the pictures. We also got a DVD which I have not seen yet, and will try to post a part of on the blog. In case you're curious, if you're not, you aren't forced to look at it. Chances are, I wouldn't really want to see your baby ultrasound video either, so don't feel bad.

Pregnant belly shots-view at your own risk

2008-06-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

So I am going to try and start documenting the belly progress. I started at 15 weeks, mostly because I never thought about taking a "Before" shot and I don't appear to have any to show. So hopefully I will remember to document the progress of Baby Heslin.

15 Weeks

17 Weeks

19 almost 20 weeks

26 1/2 weeks

Trip to Sunnyvale CA

2008-06-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

I should start by saying that I like my job. We get to do some cool stuff and the work isn't terrible either. I flew out to Sunnyvale the first week of June to meet my new group, who seem to be pretty great. The last day I was there we did an off-site team building thing. I didn't have to tie rope or build a bridge, but we did go to a place called the Mystery Spot.

Something about weird gravitational forces that cause people and buildings to lean towards the center of this spot. I dunno if it's fake or not but it did make me dizzy and sort of sick to my stomach. After that we went to a restaurant on the beach in Santa Cruz. That was probably the highlight of my trip.

Baby pictures

2008-05-21T05:21:00.001-07:00

I've been a bit neglectful on the baby front, mostly because there's not much to report. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday where I "had" to have a sonogram because my uterus is tipped so far that they couldn't find a heartbeat using a handheld doppler. I was fine with that since it meant I got another picture. No one said anything about weight so I am assuming I'm doing ok with it. I'm allowed to play volleyball for the time being.

I don't know if all baby docs are like this guy, but he didn't even sit down, just walked around the ultrasound room and didn't say much. I got the feeling I was making him late for a golf game or something. A little annoying though, I was in a compromising position in the ultrasound room, you know, the kind with the sheet over my "lady bits", and he proceeded to walk right over and stand in front of me. What the eff doc!!! It reminded me of that episode of Friends, as all things seem to do, when Rachel kept telling Ross to stay at her head and not travel downward.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures, I posted both of the ones that I have.

The first one is the baby a month ago, at around 10 weeks.

This one is from yesterday, almost 14 weeks.

First Doctor's Appointment

2008-04-22T10:47:00.001-07:00

The first doc appointment isn't really the same as the others. I had the routine "woman" stuff done and they drew a bunch of blood. Apparently at the others they berate me about any weight gain and I have to pee in a cup. Only joking about the weight gain, but I received explicit instructions on how to pee in a cup. I wouldn't have thought them necessary but maybe I'm not the lowest common denominator.

Next week I'm scheduled to go back so they can use a doppler to hear the baby's heartbeat and determine my real due date. Right now, it's somewhere between Nov 21-29. I was actually kind of glad that I couldn't help them with that though, because otherwise they wouldn't have been able to do the doppler-sonogram thing. Our insurance is super cheap and normally only pay for one of these per pregnancy, but they deemed this one medically necessary. Pretty exciting, they were going to try to do it today, but my body was uncooperative.

Other than that, I got some free magazines and some kind of free baby planner that I won't use. No copy of What to Expect...I sort of thought they'd give me one. That's alright though, I think I'll live. That's it though, I wish I had a more exciting story, but then if I didn't, something would probably be wrong.

Busted at Babies R Us

2008-04-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Not much new to report on the baby front. Only that I can finally fill out my bra. That's kind of nice. Anyway, Ben and I went to Babies R Us today to look around, mostly because I figured that we should start looking at this stuff now. Reasons for this: 1) Ben will need to go back and look at everything at least 2 more times in addition to online research and 2) We'll get busy with the move and then panic at the thought of filling a nursery with baby stuff.

So we walked around, I was totally puzzled at the whole car seat and stroller thing; you can do the combo package and be one of those warriors who walk around expecting people to move out of your way or they'll bang into you and look at you like it's your fault. There are way too many choices and the more I was in there the more confused I got. I can't possibly have been the only one; they do seminars on buying a car seat.

But I got busted walking out of the store. As we were leaving, a guy who I had seen walking around the store, but otherwise did not recognize, asks, hey don't you work at NetApp??? Um, yes I do, you do too then? So I have a feeling that now the whole place will know that I'm pregnant. I found this interesting mostly because he recognized me enough to ask, or clarify rather, that I worked at the same place as he did. I've NEVER seen him before, or least I don't remember seeing him before. I can't recall working anywhere where people knew who I was and I had no idea who they were. Maybe it's working with all men, I dunno.

Best Day Ever

2008-03-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday March 20, 2008

This was the day that Ben and I found out that I'm pregnant, or we're pregnant, whatever. I don't know how that works. Anyway, I got the blood test back and it was positive. So I made it the hour home in order to start calling people. I called my mom and she was really happy. Actually everyone was really happy. My sister Nanner had the best reaction on my side, just because she screamed and her voice went up a few octaves. It's really not fair to Cindy since I got her at work. But the best reaction by far was Ben's mom. She did not believe Ben when he called. I sat and listened because I knew it would be good, or at least interesting. We really weren't sure if she'd be happy or sad that we were moving before it happens, but she was so happy. I think it's the best thing that happened to her in a long time. I gotta say though, I think that may have been one of the best things about being pregnant, telling people the good news. I hope that I always remember the day, because it's the best one I've had by a mile in a long time.

101 update 2/18/08

2008-02-18T13:15:00.001-08:00

8. Play in grass/sand volleyball tournament--Did both and several times last summer. I will do this again in May when it starts up again.

15. Go snorkeling--Done on the cruise while in Cozumel and in Nassau. I loved it and want to do it again and again.

20. Buy pair of designer jeans or handbag. Did both and developed a crush on Joe's Jeans. Love em, bought another pair today.

25. Grow my hair to shoulder length. It is amazing what I thought to put on my list, but this one is done, mostly so I can put it back up again.

33. Cruise to the Caribbean--Hated the cruise for the most part but at least now I know. Parts were great, but being herded on and off the ship--annoying.

51. Get a good paying job in my field--Oh the irony!! I have a great technical writing job which I will soon leave. Damn you 101 list!!

55. Professional writing certificate--Don't have the certificate yet but I finished it. Woot woot!!

66. Learn to like sushi. I am still trying and will continue to try. This one may be undoable.

76. See an AVP tournament game. I saw one in Chicago, the semi-finals. I'll probably get to see more in Vegas.

85. Carve an intricate pumpkin. It didn't look great but I think it qualifies. I did spend a few hours on it and had to use a special tool. See below...

90. Replace all old lamps in the house. Ben actually did this for me but it's still done.

95. Repaint the kitchen. Again, I didn't actually do this one, but I delegated?? Thank you Kathy and Charlie!

96. Repaint the half bath. Ditto numero 95.

98. Cultivate an herb garden. I grew all of the herbs that I was given. Thank you Cindy, they grew, I used them and then the drought killed them all. Maybe this spring they'll grow back.

101. Organize the closets, throw out stuff we don't use. Did this and donated anything salvageable to Goodwill.

Without realizing it, I'm doing pretty good!

Ha Ha...Suckers

2008-01-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

So I didn't put up a tree this year. I didn't put up any ornaments or decorations, I couldn't even manage a wreath. So the whole month of December I felt guilty for being the Grinch in my oddly Stepford-y neighborhood. I walked the dog and saw every variation of lawn oddities, the blow up snowmen, the lighted choo-choo trains, the manger scenes, and of course the life size reindeer. Last year Ben and I were tempted to arrange the reindeer into compromising positions; this year it only occurred to me once.

I felt fairly depressed the entire month. And then came January. It was a beautiful day and again, I was walking my dog. What do I see but more than one irritated husband (it's the South after all) taking down all of the Christmas lights, the lawn decorations, the bows and the garlands. I walked by the carcasses of poor Christmas trees waiting to meet their official end. And I was smug. I didn't have to open the door to my attic, lug boxes up and down stairs, climb up on a step stool to take down the star at the top of the tree. I just kept walking and feeling good. I smiled at the poor beaten down husbands who weren't out playing golf or watching football. He he. I need my small victories.

And then...I went to Target and all of their Christmas stuff was 75% off. I bought bows and ribbon and wrapping paper. Now I can't wait for next Christmas. But really only because I got a bag of wrapping bows for 24 cents. Ah, the circle of life.

I'm back!!!

2007-11-30T13:54:00.000-08:00

So some people pointed out that it's been several months since I've posted. This is true, mostly because no one reads this, or so I thought. And then I realized that the blog isn't about people reading it necessarily but it is a way for people to involve themselves in my weird little world if they want. And I suppose that I could get things off of my chest if I were so inclined. So eventually I'll provide an update as to what I've accomplished on my 101 list. Eventually. This is really just a post to let you know that I plan to post more. More of a pre-post really and it doesn't say much at all. So if someone is reading this, you just wasted precious seconds out of your life. But it's all a part of the stream of conscienceness that is my mind.

101 List update 3/13/07

2007-03-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my list and I've made some more headway.

2. Play in a more competitive volleyball league. The Cary league is way more competitive than the one I've been playing in, but I'm not sure how long I'll last with my team.

23. Buy a pair of Converse for Project Red. DONE!!! See pics on Flickr.

70. Eat at 10 restaurants that I've never eaten at before. 1 down, 9 to go.

72. Fully train Emma. She's better, but not yet done.

80. Learn one new software program per year. I'm calling this done, I learned Teamsite.

81. Take more pictures of everyday life. This is in progress.

94. Reorganize the kitchen cabinets so they make sense. Now that the counters are in, this one is done.

101 list update 02/16/07

2007-02-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

I've done a few things right so far...

11. Take Emma on walk everyday. Call me the US Postal Service. Rain, sleet, snow and ice. I did it in quite possibly the worst weather month in North Carolina. I received more motivation for this when I found out that she gained 7 pounds since her last vet trip. I don't know why she got heavy, but since she's the dog and I'm the human, I guess I can share my part of the blame. This one was completed but she still goes for walks every day, provided that it's not snowing, raining or otherwise horrible outside.

68. No fast food for 6 months. This one is still in progress although since I still don't have a kitchen counter, it's getting more and more tempting. Lean Cuisine can only last you so long before you want to kill your microwave.

2. Play in a more competitive volleyball league. This one could happen in late March, it just depends on my team. Since I'm missing this season because of my lovely job, it would be nice to play again.

22. Lose 5 pounds by the time I see Ben...no longer in March. I've lost the 5 pounds but I don't want to count it until April rolls around.

23. Buy a pair of Converse to support Project Red. I plan to do that later on today.

59. Get over my fear of the dark. This will take some time but I have learned to sleep alone with the light off and I can walk around the house without fear of being grabbed by the ghost of an old nice man who lives in my house. I even forgot to look under the bed before I got in the other night. It's progress.

61. Find a good Mexican or Indian restaurant in Raleigh. I may get to cross this one off tomorrow when Ben's mom comes to town. Supposedly the best Mexican restaurant in town, the owners are from Columbia???

72. Fully train Emma. This is going to take a looooong time. We're in a class but it's just started and she's still a spaz around other dogs.

80. Learn one software program per year. Currently learning Teamsite/Homesite for John Deere internship and Chameleon for SPCA. Not crossing it off since I haven't used much yet.

So far so good. I'm a work in progress.

101 Update 1/21/07

2007-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I am making progress although I haven't finished any of my tasks yet. However there are several in progress:

11. Take Emma on a walk every day for a month--In January it's harder than it seems. I started on 1/11/07 and I've been going strong. Only 20 more days to go.

68. Eat no fast food for 6 months--Considering that I have an unfinished kitchen, I feel like I am making good progress on this one. Started on 1/11/07.

79. Watch a classic movie once a month--For January it was Citizen Kane.

94. Reorganize the kitchen cabinets so they make sense..This is half done and will be completed when the countertops arrive.

My 101 list

2007-01-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

THE MISSION:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

THE CRITERIA:

Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. 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 organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

I began this 10 list on January 5, 2007. My 1001 days ends October 2, 2009. I think I have that right anyway.

My List….Wish me luck!

PERSONAL HEALTH

1. Learn to do the splits, both ways.
2. Play in a more competitive volleyball league.
3. Learn how to ski and/or snowboard.
4. Learn to water-ski.
5. Learn to dance or at least learn rhythm.
6. Start hiking again.
7. Learn to snow ski or snowboard.
8. Compete in a grass or sand volleyball tournament.
9. Learn pilates or yoga.
10. Run in a half-marathon.
11. Take Emma on a walk every day for a month.
12. Learn to belly dance.
13. Go camping.
14. Learn how to scuba dive.
15. Go snorkeling.
16. Work out 4 times per week for 4 months.
17. Try rock climbing.
18. Clean my car and keep it clean for a month.

THE SHALLOW STUFF

19. Look good in a bikini.
20. Buy pair of designer jeans and/or handbag with own money.
21. Get rid of my shorts tan forever.
22. Lose at least 5 pounds by the time I see Ben again in March.
23. Buy a pair of Converse one stars for Project Red and get my name sewn on them.
24. Save up and finally buy Ben the Breightling watch I promised him when we got engaged.
25. Grow my hair out to shoulder length.

TRAVEL

26. Go to the beach once a month during the summer.
27. Go skydiving solo, not tandem.
28. Go to Hawaii or Bali.
29. Travel to Costa Rica.
30. Travel to Switzerland.
31. Go to Loch Ness.
32. Take a whale-watching trip.
33. Go on a cruise to the Caribbean.
34. Visit Canada.
35. Go to NYC and do all of the touristy things in the time allowed.
36. Convince Ben to go on one big roller coaster. (NOT the Tower of Terror)

COMMUNITY SERVICE

37. Find a way to get involved for international humanitarian effort like World Hunger, AIDS, etc.
38. Buy hybrid car myself with my own money.
39. Donate to a non-profit once a year.
40. Complete 10 random acts of kindness.
41. Get certified in adult and infant CPR/first aid.
42. Sell all unwanted DVDs and CDs and donate the money to a local animal charity.

PERSONAL GROWTH

43. Be nicer to myself and tell myself one nice thing about me everyday for a month.
44. Refuse to say anything mean about myself everyday for a month.
45. Learn Spanish again.
46. Make at least 2 new friends in the next year and so on…
47. Get dressed up for Halloween and not just talk about it.
48. Go caving and/or spelunking to get over my claustrophobia.
49. Stop drinking soda forever.
50. Get a new hobby that Ben and I can enjoy doing together.
51. Get a good paying job in my field.
52. Change my state and voter registration.
53. Learn how to make jewelry and make myself something.
54. Complete (or make my best attempt) one hard crossword puzzle per week for 2 months.
55. Finish the professional writing certificate I’m in the middle of.
56. Have a baby.
57. Create a Fozzie themed baby room when it’s time.
58. Learn sudoku
59. Get over my fear of the dark.

FOOD

60. Learn to use chopsticks.
61. Find a good Mexican or Indian restaurant in Raleigh.
62. Learn how to share food.
63. Try one new food every month for a year.
64. Try all of the foods that I used to hate.
65. Get all cookbook recipes on the computer so I don’t need the books.
66. Learn to like sushi.
67. Make a very fancy dessert and make it taste very good.
68. Eat no fast food for 6 months.
69. Fix a real dinner at least 4 times per week for the next 3 months.
70. Eat at 10 restaurants that I have never eaten at before.

HOBBIES

71. Learn to sew and sew a piece of clothing for myself.
72. Fully train Emma.
73. Organize our iPhotos so they make sense.
74. Scan all regular photos and put in computer.
75. Read 10 classic novels that I’ve never read before.
76. See an AVP tournament game.
77. Read at least 2 non-fiction historical books per year.
78. Help to coach either a volleyball or softball team.
79. Watch a classic movie once a month.

MISCELLANEOUS

80. Learn one new software program per year. Done for 2007.
81. Take more pictures of everyday life.
82. Volunteer to help with two “wives” things per year, even though I hate them.
83. Create my own Christmas card next Christmas.
84. Send flowers to three people who will appreciate them.
85. Carve an intricate (aka hard) pumpkin for Halloween and make it look good.
86. Create a blog so that I can post this list. Completed January 5, 2007
87. Have a real snowball fight, something that I have never done before.
88. Stay home next Christmas and don’t feel guilty about it.
89. Learn to decorate a cake so that it looks professional.

HOME

90. Replace all of the old lamps in the house.
91. Redecorate the guest bedroom.
92. Buy a real dining room table
93. Redo the faucets in the guest bath and master bath/remodel master bath
94. Reorganize the kitchen cabinets so they make sense.
95. Repaint the kitchen.
96. Paint the half bath.
97. Stain the back deck.
98. Cultivate an herb garden.
99. Make my house as energy efficient as possible.
100. Learn how to fix things around the house like easy plumbing stuff and fixing things.
101. Organize all of the closets in the house and throw out/donate stuff we don’t use.