(80) Drink only water for one month

And...scene. So I was right. This was difficult and I've decided to try this again next summer when water is essential (lazy, I know). It's really hard to try to stay warm at an outdoor-ish venue downtown at night drinking cold water. I finally had to break down and get a cranberry juice & vodka to warm up. And when we're in New York next weekend (wow, it's really coming up quick!), I know I'll want to have some hot chocolate or something as we're wandering through the city in 40 degree (and below) weather.

But on a positive note, I've at least been successful at abstaining from soda (and even diet soda) so that's a step in the right direction. I'm really loving those little single-serving crystal light-esque mix tube packets. Cranberry Ice is one of my favorites.

Anyway, until next time...

(80) Drink only water for one month

What am I thinking?? I'm not sure, but I'm definitely going to try to drink only water for the entire month of December. This includes our trip to NYC, Christmas and New Years Eve. I'm not too concerned about NYC because that'll keep the costs down, but I'm not sure if I can keep it up through the holidays. As much as I don't like changing the rules, I think I will allow this to include Crystal Light type drinks, especially those 'on-the-go' type packets you can mix with your bottled water. The nutritional value is still the same (if not a few calories difference), there's just some flavoring involved there.

So, here goes - wish me luck! :)

(54) Movie List

Chinatown

I've been on a movie watching kick lately and it feels good to get these knocked off the list and my life a little touched by each one. There are so many movies on the DVR and I have no clue what the available memory is so I knew I needed to start getting through those soon. The problem is that they are/were all in the top 100 IMDB movies so I can count on them to have depth and complexity so it takes a certain level of attention to fully appreciate them. I don't do well with those so I have to make sure I'm getting a good variety when I watch them. The older movies tend to have more humor and/or lightheartedness so I prefer those over the more deep, reflective ones of recent past.

Anyway, on to the movie. I've got to say, I was a little hesitant to watch this one because of Jack Nicholson. When I hear that name, only one character comes to mind - The Joker. Then a few other movies sprinkle in - The Shining, As Good As It Gets, Anger Management, etc - but none of those are as significant in my head. I was pleasantly surprised at his character's dry wit and cynicism. Sure, several of his roles have involved that type of personality, but I really haven't had much exposure to most of his movies so it wasn't over the top for me. I do enjoy the occasional crime drama type show/movie so this had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. I will say though, I've never seen someone be cut into their nose like that (see above pic) so yeah, that was a bit painful to watch, but I guess it could've been worse. The ending definitely left me with a bad taste in my mouth though...I won't ruin it, but let's just say movies aren't made (or don't end) like they used to.

As with all the movies I've watched so far, I definitely recommend it, but it mostly appeals to those who like (or don't dislike) Nicholson and enjoy crime drama type movies.

(54) Movie List

The Sting

I can't get over how similar Robert Redford and Brad Pitt look alike! They really need to play the father/son roles in something. They did have a movie together though - Spy Game. Anyway, I was extremely excited to see that Alamo Drafthouse was playing this at the location closest to our house (there are 4 in the Austin area and this one is maybe 10 minutes from home). Normally the one downtown plays the older stuff so I knew I had to check this one out since it was so close.

I had read a little bit about the plot beforehand to get an idea of what kind of movie it was and knew I would probably be a little confused with the characters here and there. I tend to get names and roles mixed up sometimes, but Chris helped me keep up with those. The acting was great (as expected from Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw, etc) and the plot kept me interested and laughing through parts of it. I loved the elaborate 'acting' scenes they did to trick Shaw's character - so clever. Other than my general problem with keeping up with names, it was an excellent movie with an excellent group of actors and I'm so grateful I was able to see it on the big screen. :) Oh, and I couldn't get "The Entertainer" out of my head for a few hours afterwards...but it was worth it.

(54) Movie List

In an effort to try to get through everything, I'm going to try to keep these movie "reviews" short. Also, I had mentioned some of the repetitive goals that I'm having trouble doing on a regular basis (once/week and once/month things). Jenn suggested that I shift those goals a little bit and rather than trying to do those from day one, I could work on making those a habit. That sounds much more realistic and attainable without feeling like I've already failed. While I think being super busy during the holidays will prevent me from starting these routines, I think that's more of a reason to take some time to myself and do those things. So we'll see how it goes. Ok, here are some movies I watched recently.

Sunset Boulevard:
"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
Older movies can be harder to judge, especially with my lack of exposure to them. Our standards of what a movie should have/be are so dramatically different so it's tough being objective without wondering, "is this something they did a lot? is this normal?" But anyway, this was an interesting story of a screen writer lacking funds and befriending an older has-been actress who hires him to edit a script she wrote. She starts to fall in love with him while trying to relive her fame and then ends up going insane towards the end. The story got more interesting as it played out so I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected.

Amelie:

These "short" reviews aren't working. I'll try to work on that. Anyway, this movie always puts a smile on my face. It really conveys the beauty and innocence of youth and then throws in some funny twists, a love story and some Amelie-initiated karma along the way. It's subtitled, but it wasn't an issue for me (it can be with other movies). The visual effects, coloration/lighting and music help create the lightheartedness vibe, while still maintaining the flow of the story. I'd recommend this movie to everyone, although it does have a not-so-family-friendly scene a time or two.

Fight Club:


I love this movie and have seen it countless times. I'm a huge Brad Pitt fan, not just because he's nice to look at, but also because he picks such a wide variety of roles and does well at them, in my opinion. But anyway, I can't really explain the movie in a few sentences so I'll just say that when/if you decide to watch this, you need to pay attention the whole time. There are so many little things that I still catch for the first time after seeing the movie 10+ times. It's not for the easily offended or grossed out. That is all. :)

The Professional:

Wow, what a role for Natalie Portman! This falls under the typical good guy/bad guy movie with guns, fighting, corruption, etc, but it had a different undertone to it. I can't really place it, but the interaction between Leon and Mathilda was interesting and it was amusing to see the girl turn the tables on Leon, who is supposed to be the tough guy, hitman type. She plays a tough kid who has been through a lot and deals with it her own way. Oh and Gary Oldman was also in this - I really can't see/hear him without thinking of his character Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in "The Fifth Element" with the thick southern-esque accent. Besides that weirdness, it had a strong emotional element that appealed to me.

Well, this concludes the movie review portion of the things I've completed recently. I hope to be able to upload a bunch of photos and put together some posts very soon. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Where'd I go?

Yeah, I'm not really sure where I went. I was physically here, but mentally, I've been anywhere but. Anyway, I have SO many things to post about, but I'll just make a quick list of things to remind me to make longer posts later (and to make sure everyone knew I was still alive and well and at least trying to keep up)...

Movies I've seen and still need to post about:

- The Professional
- Amelie
- Fight Club

There are at least 10 movies on the DVR (I love my AT&T Uverse!) and probably 20+ in our collection that we need to start watching. We had a solid groove of watching 2-3/week a couple months ago, but who knew we'd be busy as the holidays crept closer? :)

Let's see...I also completed the following:

- Vote in the '08 election
- Participate in a 5k
- Read one book every month (x2)
- New recipe every month (x2)
- Attend a UT football game

Things I just can't seem to do on a regular basis:

- Ride bike once/month
- Yoga once/week
- Meditate once/month
- Detail CR-V interior once/month

I feel like I've failed the ones above, but I need to remind myself that I'm really bad about starting routines, but once I repeat it a few times, I'm set. I need to actually schedule it in and make no excuses. They really don't take that much time so I'll see if I can put more effort into these and at least do it for a majority of the 1001 days. :)

Things I've started, never finished and will have to restart again:

- 100-Push-up challenge
- 365 Days Photo project (will start again on Jan 1st to make it easier to track)

And finally, things that I'd like to finish (that are more than feasible) before the end of the year:

- Clear/organize garage to be able to fit one car
- Buy new washer/dryer (if Sears or Home Depot will give me a good deal on Black Friday)
- Mail a secret to PostSecret
- Clean off work desk to minimize clutter
- Visit 5 places in USA's top 41 wonders (going to NYC in a month!)
- Pay for the person behind me in a drive-through
- Finish laser hair removal treatments (I may need one more appt in '09, but we'll see)

Ok, after listing everything out like that, I don't feel so bad about the things I haven't done and have at least given myself a renewed burst of motivation to get back to it. Hopefully I can post some pictures and movie reviews soon...

(54) Movie List

Watched "Raiders of the Lost Ark" last night. I'm a huge fan of the series and have a small warm place in my heart for Harrison Ford. My personal favorite is "...The Last Crusade" because well, I'm young and that was was the last one made (not including the 4th one this year), but each one has its good qualities. For 1981, "Raiders" is pretty impressive for the effects and action. I can't really come up with a review, but thought I'd mention some trivia, for those who haven't heard it yet.

So Harrison Ford was really sick (from dehydration, I believe) when they were taping the following scene and he apparently decided to cut the scene short and just pull out his gun rather than do this elaborate scene with his whip. The swordsman had been practicing that scene for months and wasn't too happy with this change but it definitely served for some good comic relief and helped set the stage for what type of character Indiana Jones is. :)

(16) Solo movie

Ok folks, I'm back from seeing "Tropic Thunder." Like I mentioned before, Chris and I tend not to see comedies in the theater unless it's with a group and I think I've established that I shouldn't see a comedy by myself ever again. It didn't help that I was one of 5 people so there were some heavier chuckles at the obvious jokes and then for the more subtle jokes, a couple of us would laugh and vice versa. I think it made it harder for me to get into it because I was still getting used to the fact that there was nobody else sitting next to me who I could look over to and laugh or comment on something.

Overall, I'll give this movie a solid B. The beginning dragged on for me, comedy-wise, so it took a little longer to really laugh at stuff, but the funny kicked in more towards the end. To sum up, this movie was about a group of actors re-enacting jungle fight scenes and it was turning into this huge flop with this idiot director. Then, to make the movie more authentic, it was suggested that the director just drop the actors in the middle of this jungle with some strategically placed explosives and cameras in the trees. The actors would then follow the directions and map to make sure they followed along the camera line and explosives would go off as they "acted" out the script. Well, let's just say it goes awry and some of them get captured by this drug processing establishment in the middle of the jungle and the rest of them have to get them out.

The humor was a little rough at times for the easily offended, but I'm not one of those people. :) The following was one of the funnier moments for me because it was so ridiculous. Kirk (Robert Downey Jr.) is trying to explain to Tugg (Ben Stiller) that he shouldn't have made the supposed flop movie "Simple Jack" about a "full" mentally retarded person because that never wins awards.

Kirk Lazarus: Everybody knows you never go full retard.
Tugg Speedman: What do you mean?
Kirk Lazarus: Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed...

Oh, and the soundtrack was pretty good, but also your typical cliche 70's classic rock war-esque music (Creedence, Stones, etc). A lot of the same songs from "Forrest Gump" for the war scenes, but it worked. Oh, and a few rap songs thrown in... I'll leave you with this screenshot of Tom Cruise and you can imagine him gettin' down to Ludacris' "Get Back" during the credits.

(29) No computer

I barely made it this month! I went from 1pm on 9/20 to 1pm on 9/21 without a computer. This is getting a little tricky though because I started on July 21st so does that mean each month starts on the 21st or should I cheat and just make a month an actual month? I'm still trying to figure that out, but if I can take care of something before the 21st, I'll try it. I'll admit I haven't done my bike ride yet so I'm hoping I can at least squeeze that in before September's over, even if that means I go to the end of the street and back.

I've had another beefy post in the works for a while now so expect that very soon!

(58) 5K

Quick post...

Some friends and I recently formed a team to participate in a 5K on November 2, 2008, benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure here in Austin. I'm nowhere near as ready as I should be, but this is at least a step in the right direction. Anyway, if you are able to donate as little as $10, my team and I would greatly appreciate it! The donation is tax deductible and going towards a great cause.

Here's a direct link to our team page:

http://bit.ly/komen - Thanks!

(16) Solo movie

I think I have my solo movie figured out. This has been difficult the past couple weeks because Chris and I often agree on movies worth seeing (read as: paying to see) in the theater. We both prefer to make the most out of the full-screen experience and see primarily action/suspense type movies. If we see a comedy, we either won free tickets or we will have gone with a larger group of people. I'm not really the chick flick type and I try to stay away from kids movies because well, I'm paying to see a movie, not to hear kids talk/cry through the whole thing. It's much cheaper and more enjoyable renting them on DVD anyway.

We have a handful of free movie passes (no restrictions whatsoever) that have to be used by November so I was feeling the pressure to pick something quickly as well as the urge to cross something off the list. So anyway, I finally got a few recommendations and made the decision so I'll be checking it out next Monday (while Chris is in class) and afterwards, you will find out what I saw and how it scored on the Nisha-meter. :)

(54) Movie List

Watched "Jaws" and "Singin' in the Rain"...


Yes, that's Spielberg doing that directing gig he does so well. For 1975, Jaws is pretty impressive for what it is. I remember getting such a big kick out of the Jaws part of the Universal Studios tour in Calif. And sadly (or not sadly?), that movie was so convincing, I had the biggest fear of opening my eyes under water...in a pool. Specifically looking into the deep-end where the ground slopes down into darkness, afraid a shark would come up from the bottom. Haha, good times. But anyway, it was a good movie with great actors and some impressive special effects for the time.


It took me a while to finally get into this movie as it dragged along a bit and oh my god, Jean Hagen has a more annoying voice than Bernadette Peters (which you may remember as Rita in 'Rita & the Runt' on Animanaics...or from "The Jerk"). Anyway, I digress. It finally got into the meaty plot towards the end and threw in a nice "feel good" twist to leave a sweet taste in the mouth. Oh, and Gene Kelly isn't too bad to look at either so it worked out. His (along with the comic relief Donald O'Connor's) dancing looked so effortless and fluid. It really amazes me how different movies are now compared to 50 years ago.

Anyway, we've got a few more movies in the DVR ("Rear Window", "The Great Dictator", "Cinema Paradiso") before we switch cable providers this (dentist availability takes priority) next Thursday so I expect we'll at least try to watch those before we lose 'em.

(54) Movie List

After some, ok a lot of persuasion from Chris, we finally watched Alien & Aliens. I've never seen them in their entirety so I wanted to make sure I watched both within a few days. Chris caught both of them on tv so he set the DVR to record. :) For some reason, I already set myself up to not like the first one, but couldn't quite put my finger on it until I watched it. Here are some thoughts...


Alien: Ripley was a bit on the masculine side at times, but also kind of whiney/naive so something really bothered me about that and I couldn't fully get into it. I think that annoyance shaped my opinion of the whole series so I hadn't watched any of the other movies for fear that I wouldn't like them. I will say though, she was in great shape, as I'm sure most guys who grew up with that movie were fully aware of in certain scenes. Ok, moving on...


Aliens: My predetermined opinions were proven wrong for this one! This plot was much more developed and Ripley was more the protagonist and her character was more defined. She seemed more, well, kick-ass than the first one since she was on a solid mission and knew more than everyone else so she had to be tough. Something like that. :)

Maybe I'll watch the 3rd one, maybe I won't... Too many other movies to watch for now though so I'll focus on one thing at a time. :)

(91) Microchip Cats

A local mobile vet had a cheap vaccination clinic today so we decided to get the cats up to date on their rabies shots. We also found out that it would only be $15/cat to get them micro-chipped so we went ahead and did that as well. The poor things were meowing the WHOLE way there, but not as much on the way back and now they're back home and laying around as usual. They don't seem as affected as they have been in the past after a vet visit so I think that's good. I'll be putting on their 24petwatch tag shortly. I've been against putting tags on since a) they already have a bell on their collars and b) no need to have a ton of jingling tags hanging if they're indoor only. But this is much more important and the tags are plastic so no metal jingling. :)

Karma probably meowed the same amount in the car that she normally does in a month so you'd think she'd try avoiding being around the carriers. Nope, her usual "must try to climb into this small spot" self was trying to climb into them again.


I have another post in the works so stay tuned for that one soon...

(100) Attend a UT Game

I just bought my UT football tickets for this weekend's craptacular game! Sure, it will probably be a pretty one-sided game *knock on wood*, but you can't beat $20/ticket. Tickets for the rest of the season are going for $60+ each. :) Also, it's been so long since I've been to a game period, I'm sure I'll enjoy just being in that atmosphere again. My brother just started his sophomore year there so maybe I'll run into him at the game.

I have a few other things to start (and finish) in the next couple weeks so hopefully I can cross a few things off the list fairly soon. We have some movies on the DVR as well as a couple rented from the library so expect some movie reviews in the near future.

(21) Perfect Start

Whew! I finally finished it! I posted about this book on my other blog a while back. If I hadn't taken time out of my schedule to just relax and read - exactly what this book promotes - I wouldn't have finished this quickly. As I read, I kept seeing more and more similarities between myself and the examples in the book. It was definitely eye opening in an almost painful way, but also in a liberating way because I knew there were other people out there that felt the same way or even more obsessed. One of the last chapters was about parenting and it really became evident that my perfectionist ways were definitely a result of how I was raised. Sure, I can almost guarantee that some of it is genetic, but with both nurture and nature taking part, I couldn't get around it.

Anyway, I definitely absorbed a lot of good advice and I'm learning to just let things go if they don't go completely my way or as I want it to be. There is more than one path to a goal. I'm a total control freak so it's tough letting go, but I'm determined to work on it, especially when we have kids. I think I'll read "1984" next so I can knock out another goal.

(54) Movie List

Watched "Modern Times" last night and I have to say, it wasn't quite the same entertainment level as "City Lights," but that's probably due not having seen Chaplin movies before "City Lights." On the other hand, there were so many more elements to this one. Since this was on Turner Classic Movies, there was some discussion before and after the film about Chaplin and his movie making. I learned that Chaplin produced his own movies so he was able to spend as much time and money as he wanted. He made "City Lights" in 1931, "Modern Times" in 1936 and then "The Great Dictator" in 1940 so you can see the fairly large gaps between each. I had to keep reminding myself during "Modern Times" that this was made in the mid 30's so it really put into perspective the topics and gadgets that were probably fairly new concepts at the time.

I think while the comedy is clearly slapstick, there were many more moments that were what I like to call "Ben Stiller" moments. Funny and a little bit frustrating situations that were caused by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I tried to look past those as the movie progressed and definitely enjoyed it overall. The scene that really surprised me was when he sang (some French/Italian mishmash). The movie had a soundtrack and while there was no straight up dialog, the speaking parts were played through machines, like a radio and even a telescreen. The other important dialog was subtitled, but there was a lot of talking that wasn't all subtitled so half the time, you could read lips to get extra dialog. I was wondering how he'd approach the singing scene and then all of a sudden, he belted out a tune. Much better than I expected and a cute scene overall. :)

Well, that pretty much sums up my review of the movie. I look forward to seeing "The Great Dictator" to see how his movie making evolved over the next 5 years.

(54) Movie List

Wow, I just finished watching "American Beauty" and I am so. emotionally. drained. We own the movie, but I hadn't seen it in a long time. I definitely have to agree with my brother that it's one of those really good movies that you can't watch more than once within a certain time frame. The movie touches on so many levels of emotion and drama while maintaining a healthy dose of comic relief, in a sense. Kevin Spacey's performance is amazing as you see the subtle changes in character as the movie progresses. The Oscar was definitely well deserved.

(54) Movie List

Watched "To Kill A Mockingbird" tonight. I think the last time I watched it was for my high school English class because I probably hadn't finished the book or something. I was such a slacker...

But anyway, I remembered some parts of it and not others. The story was simple, sad at times, but with spirit and I loved the kids' characters (although it took a few minutes to get through their thick southern accents). Gregory Peck was much better than I remembered as well. Chris and I discussed if the movie was made today, the outcome would have been more "feel good" than the original so I doubt it would carry the same raw feel.

(84) 365 Photos - Update

Quick update. Rather than post pictures here periodically, I went ahead and inserted a flash Flickr album on the right side showing the ones recently added to my "365days" folder. I only have 4 right now so there will be repeats, but not for long. :)

(73) Farmer's Market, (77) Life Insurance, (84) 365 Photos, (51) Yoga

Went to the Farmer's Market this past weekend. I didn't get that many pictures because it was too hot for my brain to fully function, but I did manage to get a few pictures (in B/W because I forgot to change it to color):

Market from across the street:

A piece of sausage rolled off my plate and the nearby pigeon(s) had some issues trying to eat it:


In other news, we signed the papers for life insurance today! Nothing special... just a 15-year policy for now. Because I like to document things with pictures, here you go:


I also officially started my Flickr 365-day self portrait project. I'll be taking a picture of myself every day for the next year and uploading to my album on Flickr. The first few have been the typical face/head shots, but I'll be getting more creative and goofy as I go, so enjoy! I may post pictures on here, but not sure yet.

And last but not least, I finally started doing yoga on Sunday, although it's not as involved as I expected. My parents gave me a couple dvd's, but I happened to have a beginner dvd that I bought over a year ago so I started with that. I'll definitely do it on the weekends, but since each routine (separate AM and PM ones) is only 20 min, I can at least do the PM one during the week.

(51) Yoga, (73) Farmers Market, (84) 365-Self Portrait

Ack! So I still haven't actually taken the time to learn some basic yoga and start doing it. I'll find a quick youtube video or something and at least do 10 minutes tomorrow morning to start.

We're also going to the farmer's market tomorrow so that'll be my once-every-three-months visit. It's so far away so I didn't want to push it and set a goal for once/month, but I'd like to go that frequently if we can.

Oh, Chris and I will be starting the 365 day self-portrait challenge very soon so stay tuned! I expect I'll update once/week on that with 7 thumbnails of that week's pictures.

(54) Movie List

Apparently, they did a Charlie Chaplin movie marathon on TCM and 3 of those were what I DVR'd since they were on the IMDB list. We watched "City Lights" (1931) tonight and it was not at all what I expected from a silent movie. Apparently, it was in the midst of sound movies so Chaplin was still grasping to the old method when he made this one, but because he created more of a soundtrack rather than your typical piano and framed dialogue boxes, it wasn't your normal silent movie. I'm horrible at writing movie reviews so I'll just say that while it was clearly slapstick, I went into it expecting less clever slapstick and ended up enjoying it so much more. Chris and I were laughing through most of it and the story was cute so it was definitely a feel good movie and much needed. :)

(76) Look in the attic

So I'll admit, this goal was a bit of a cop-out, but I really needed a reason to look in the attic to assess just how much, if any, storage room we had up there. My parents' attic has a lot of space so I was a bit hopeful, but I found out today that there's not much space up there, even to stand in there. Sadly, we didn't even have a ladder tall enough for me to climb in, but I managed to get a few pictures of what I could see... I hope to get a better look of the area so we can figure out if new/more insulation would help our heating/cooling costs. That was one of the main issues the home inspector pointed out with this house. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that there weren't any other major issues. Anyway, without further ado.

Ceiling in our bedroom closet:



Not sure if those pictures really mean anything to you, but I took them so I'm posting them...deal with it. :)

(87) New recipe every month

I totally forgot about this goal, but luckily, I already have something for this month. We bought bulk chicken breast tenderloins at Sam's Club so I found an easy recipe that we can use until they run out. I'll admit, I'm fairly inexperienced when it comes to cooking meat so any time I have bulk of anything, I try to find a fairly fail-safe recipe to fall back on. I can't seem to find the exact recipe/measurements online anymore so here are the basics:

Chicken breasts/tenderloins
Milk
Italian bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Butter

Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together. Heat and butter skillet. Dip chicken into milk, then breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Cook chicken in skillet, flipping until done. The end.

There are tons of similar recipes that require eggs, but we happened to be out of eggs that day so I found a recipe that didn't use them. The chicken remains juicy and tender while creating a nice lightly buttered, crispy, cheese-crumb crust. Yum. :) This isn't exactly what mine looked like, but it's quite close for something I found online quickly:

(23) Start a garden

Quick update...

I spent ~20 minutes at Walgreens the other night, sitting on the floor sorting through their $.12 seed packets (clearance section!) making sure I pick ones we can plant in late summer in our area. I just noticed that one of them is an annual so I may skip that one, but we'll see. Now to grab some good soil and I'll be ready to start...

(22) Snail mail

I probably should have started this list on the first of the month to make things easier for once/month things, but oh well. I'll figure it out. Anyway, I'm sending my first snail mail postcard tomorrow. I have so many postcards and blank greeting cards (and I still continue to buy new ones) so hopefully I'll go through those faster than before. :)

(82) Push-up challenge

Just a quick update...

We started the push-up challenge a couple weeks ago and in the midst of going to Houston and tubing and getting back into the swing of things, we didn't quite keep up with the curriculum. Luckily, we can start over fresh and try again starting today.

That's all for now...

(43) Get a library card

So we apparently have an awesome library in our neighborhood and didn't even know it. We've been in that building twice to vote, but hadn't actually gone into the library part. Well recently, a friend of mine who doesn't live as close told me she drives all the way out to this library because of their children's program. Didn't really apply to us so other than a quick "oh, that's pretty neat", I didn't give it much more thought.

Well, Chris reads a lot of books and while we have a lot at home, he's read most of them already, some at least twice. Buying new ones or even ones at Half Price Books can add up quick. Silly me didn't even think about the library and the fact that we could probably borrow movies there as well. The last library I had a card to was the one in my parents' neighborhood and I remembered it being fairly small (that was years ago though) so that impression stuck in my head.

Boy am I kicking myself for not getting a card earlier! Not only is this library huge, they're quite technologically advanced. Maybe this is something a lot of libraries are doing, but I wouldn't know. We didn't have much time as they were closing, but here's what we borrowed today:


We did the self checkout with our new card and walked out. It was awesome! You can even go on their website and put holds on books or renew what you have. Libraries have definitely come a long way. Because of the subdivision we live in, our application fee was waived...I guess this is yet another reason our property taxes are so incredibly high. :)

(54) Movie List

Managed to DVR some older movies off of TCM and watched "Some Like It Hot" tonight. For 1959, it's quite entertaining and the plot kept moving and the ending made me laugh so I think it was a success. I look forward to seeing some of the other older movies from the 30-50's.

One down, 99 to go! There are 3 being recorded on August 2nd so I expect we'll have a classic movie marathon Sunday or something. :)

(29) No computer & (33) recycling

1 month down, 33 to go! I had so much going on yesterday, I decided to fight the urge to turn on the computer when I got home in the evening and ride it out until this morning. So there's my day in July.

Also, we recycled for the first time this past Friday. Had a bunch of cans and water bottles so that's a start! I know it will take a while to adjust and actually think about stuff before throwing it away, but it shouldn't take too long to establish a system and make it a habit. :)

Random updates

Some quick updates that are serving more as a reminder for me. :)

Started the 100 push-up challenge last night and decided to be realistic and do wimpy girl/knee push-ups instead of regular ones... After I finish that challenge, I'll do it again, but with regular push-ups instead.

Found the recycle bin buried in the garage and will be starting the pile tonight. After glancing into the full trash can this past weekend, I realized just how many bottles and cans we throw away so I'm really excited to get that pile going.

Made a spreadsheet of the top 100 IMDB movies and notated which ones either I or a friend has so that we can get started on those. Then we'll probably join Netflix (might be available through the Xbox 360 by then!) to watch the rest.

I'll be making a copy of my dad's yoga dvd he got last week. It might be more hardcore than I need, but it's a start. If it's too advanced for a beginner like myself, I'll look for basic videos online and start there.

Think I'll mail something to PostSecret within the next week. That's an easy one...

I have a friend who teaches guitar lessons so hopefully we can work out a deal or something. Not too worried about that one.

For the public speaking class, I was informed of a very supportive group called Toastmasters. For a small membership fee, you meet once/week and have self-paced speaking exercises. I think I'll look into meeting places/times and at least sit through one to see if it floats my boat.

Same kind of deal for Habitat for Humanity. There are opportunities every weekend in Austin so that shouldn't be too difficult to do. I think I'll wait until fall or winter to do this though. :)

I'll be going through the pantry to get rid of any canned and dry goods that we've kept for months and either make something with it or just collect it to give to a food bank nearby. We can't even step into the pantry because there are so many boxes and random bags on the floor from when we moved in (2 yrs ago!) so yeah. I'll definitely get a before/after pic for that one.

Oh, to clarify, I'll be getting an eye exam and new glasses first and then will find out if I can even get Lasik at this point. My current contact prescription doesn't seem as good as it was so I'm sure I'll need a stronger prescription first.

And OMG, I found out Avenue Q is coming to Austin next April so that'll be my Broadway show (there aren't many others that I'm dying to see). So, yay! :)

Ok, I wrote way more than I intended so that's all for now. :)

Here we go! (1)

I first saw this concept on Tabatha's Blog and realized that's exactly what I need right now to motivate myself to get stuff done. What better way to feel productive than to cross off a checklist you're advertising to the world? Here are the details...

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie, no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie, 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.

Well, here goes....

1) Finish writing my 101 list
2) Take guitar lessons
3) Learn another language (Rosetta perhaps?)
4) Finish laser hair removal treatments
5) Get laser eye correction
6) Take a public speaking class
7) Install a shower door in the master bath
8) Finish painting all interior rooms
9) Organize all digital pictures
10) Install a deck in the backyard
11) Plant trees in the backyard
12) Make a baby :)
13) Learn to drive stick...comfortably
14) Take a welding class
15) Skydive
16) Go to a movie solo
17) Watch entire series of "Six Feet Under"
18) Finish watching entire series of "Battlestar Gallactica"
19) Write a will
20) Get down to 130 lbs
21) Read one book every month
22) Write one snail mail every month
23) Start a garden (and keep it alive!)
24) Create and stick to a solid budget
25) Pay off all cc debt
26) Vote in the '08 election
27) Organize kitchen, clean out food, unused dishware, etc
28) Organize all clothes and give away all unused
29) Go one day without a computer every month
30) Recycle everything possible at home
31) Go for a bike ride once a month
32) Make a time capsule
33) Drive a considerable amount on Route 66
34) Visit Hawaii
35) Eat vegetarian for one month
36) Frame all unframed pictures/posters
37) Clear/organize garage to be able to fit one car
38) Change all interior door knobs
39) Learn to cook Indian food, the way my parents make it
40) Refinish/seal wood floor
41) Install tile in living room
42) Join a community band for at least 6 months
43) Get a library card
44) Blog about each completed task
45) Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
46) Buy new glasses
47) Buy a new washer/dryer
48) Read "1984"
49) Buy a new bed
50) Buy new bedroom furniture
51) Learn and do yoga once a week
52) Host a murder mystery game
53) Buy a new digital camera
54) Watch IMDB's top 100 movies (yes, even ones I've seen before)
55) Mail a secret to PostSecret
56) Save $5 for every task completed
57) Enter all finances into Quicken
58) Participate in a 5k
59) Participate in a 10k
60) Build a shed in the backyard
61) Detail the CR-V interior once a month
62) Clean off work desk to minimize clutter
63) Put round rubber bumpers on all cabinets in house
64) Go to one major concert a year
65) Sing a karaoke song
66) Take dancing lessons of some sort
67) Visit a country outside of North America
68) Wear make-up more often
69) Make Tiramisu
70) Make Rasgula successfully
71) Visit 5 places in USA's top 41 wonders
72) Get another tattoo
73) Go to the farmer's market once every 3 months
74) Run a mile without stopping
75) Go orienteering
76) Finally look in the attic
77) Get life insurance
78) Have 3 months of income in savings
79) Floss every day for a month
80) Drink only water for one month
81) See a play at a theatre once a month for 6 months
82) Complete the 100 Push-up Challenge
83) Participate in the Gimme Your Stuff project
84) Complete the self-portrait based 365 Days Photo project
85) Complete a 1000-piece puzzle
86) Pay for the person behind me in a drive-through
87) Try one new recipe every month
88) See a Broadway musical/show
89) Go scuba diving
90) Learn more Gujarati
91) Get both cats microchipped
92) See Jamiroquai live
93) Put 18's on CR-V
94) Go to the Texas State Fair
95) Buy a Wii
96) Go camping
97) Meditate once a month
98) Try Acupuncture
99) Have a multi-family garage sale
100) Attend a UT football game
101) Start a new 101 list

I have added 2 lists to the right side - the 101 things list and the top 100 IMDB movies list for quick updating and viewing. I will also be blogging about each completed task (44) and putting the item # in each post title...including this one. :) 100 more to go...