Things Undone: #49 Have bunions removed

I did have my left foot done. I was having a lot of pain in that foot--including pain that was waking me up in the middle of the night, you know, when your bare foot isn't being used at all--and it made sense to get it done.

And it really fucking hurt. Pain like I have never experienced. And I cut off the tip of my finger and went without pain killers for three days. I know pain.

The doctor and I have talked a lot about my right foot. The bunions are actually bigger on that foot, but hurt less. We're going to wait until the pain starts waking me up in the middle of the night like the left foot did.

So even though I didn't have all the bunions removed, which is what I thought I meant by this item, I think I succeeded.

New York

When I lost my job, the biggest disappointment to me was that the dude and I weren't going to be able to go to New York to see Speed the Plow like we had been planning. Then I got an e-mail from Travel Zoo with special offers on Broadway shows. I thought there's no way Speed the Plow is going to be one of these shows. But it was. We could go for half the price we had been talking about. Then I found a Westin Hotel for under $200. Then we started talking about doing it again. The play closes at the end of February, and next weekend is my niece's birthday and the weekend after that is my sister's 40th. So we had to go this weekend and I'm glad we did.

Speed the Plow was full of snappy Mamet dialogue. This is the play that Jeremy Piven walked away from due to mercury poisoning which prompted Mamet to quip, "He is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer." So we saw it with William H. Macy, who was quite good. Frankly, Raul Esparza stole the show. Good character, well-played. We're still talking about nuances of the script and the performances and about Hollywood in general (we did live there for 14 years!)

On Sunday, we walked up to the Frick, so that I could complete another thing on my list. I lived in NYC for two years, but there was a lot that I didn't see or do. Mostly lack of funds. I was living on youth and air in those days. Although Frick didn't collect a lot of American art, the Whistlers are my favorites of what I saw. And it was some house.

We didn't get up to the Cloisters. Mostly because we had vowed to walk for exercise and there was no way I was walking to the Bronx. Also, I didn't want to monopolize the whole trip! It was wonderful and I look forward to being employed so that we can do this again. I have the feeling we'll do it much more often now that we see how easy it all is.

This trip also confirmed that I want to do #4 on the list, take my nieces to New York. The dude is much less thrilled with the prospect since I'd like to take them to Lion King and the American Girl cafe. Sissy and I talked about it when I was taking her to the airport this morning. She's game. Yet another reason to find gainful employment!

The Dude
Chess and Checkers House, Central Park

Things Undone: #5 Visit Elfreth's Alley once in the winter.

Although I did drag the dude to Elfreth's Alley one summer, I only had two opportunities to visit in the winter. One year we were in London. This year, I couldn't get anyone interested in going with me. I'm sure it will be lovely when I finally do get to see this historic area in its holiday finery. But I can wait.

Things Undone: #71 Go whale watching

This is sort of stupid of me, but when I wrote this I thought I had never been on a whale watch. Technically, I haven't. I have never gone out on a boat with the express intention of finding whales.

On our honeymoon, we did go out on a boat to see the Tracy Arm glacier. On the way back to Juneau, we stopped to watch a baby whale splashing about. I'd show you a photo, but I took 11 pictures of whale splash. It's just not that easy to photograph a baby whale at play. Eventually I gave up on the photos and just enjoyed the fact that I was in a small boat with about 15 other people watching a baby whale in Alaska with my new husband. It was pretty awesome.

Then we all went into the cabin to continue our journey. And the mother breached.

That whale must have been 3-4 times the size of our boat. And there she was popping out of the water a few yards away.

You'd think I wouldn't forget something like this. But you'd be wrong. I thought I hadn't been on a whale watch.

So, if the opportunity presents itself to go watch whales, I'll do it. But I don't think I need to put this one on the next list.

Photo courtesy Nalfanion, Wikicommons

Things Undone: #62 Visit Iceland

When I put this on the list, I knew we didn't really have the funds to take all the trips I scheduled. It was more of an attempt to put this one out there into the universe "help get me to Iceland."

Here's what happened:

1. I have made friends in Iceland.
2. Iceland has become much more affordable. Much more. Let me just say to my friends in Iceland that I am sorry for whatever part sending my desire into the universe played in this fiasco.

So even though things look a lot better for me getting there, there have been some setbacks, like the riots in Iceland. If you read my other blog, you may know that we don't travel to coutries with riots. Not on purpose. (I was in Paris during an anti-American demonstration. Hey, look at me! American tourist in Bermuda shorts and knee socks*!)

This one will find its way onto the next list.

*It was the 80s. I was in high school. It was cute, really!

Things Undone: #54 Pick fruit at a UPick Farm

Here's the thing about Southeastern Pennsylvania: summers are really unbearable. Horrible humidity and high heat. I don't understand why people go outside for three months out of the year.

The problem with the UPick is that you pick in the summer, with the high heat and humidity. It's a little hard to get motivated. We did participate in a CSA last year, which is like UPick without you picking, but still, doesn't count.

Since my 1001 days end in March, which is planting season, I will have failed to pick my own fruit. Still I think we should do it because the dude makes amazing fruit preserves. This will make it onto the next list.

#15 Read 16 works of non-fiction

Woot! I have read my 16th work of non-fiction.

I organize a little book group for my alumnae organization. Since we're so close to the college, we get professors to assign us fun little books and lead our discussions. It's like being back in school without the effort. This time around we read Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Because everyone loves a pirate. The book had it's flaws--perhaps too much focus on the parts of history that fit his argument and he stretches it a little when he talks about women and Africans as pirates. Nevertheless, I was interested in his assertion that pirates were sort of socialist revolutionaries. And we got to talk about Somalia a little which makes me feel like I know something about things.

Things Undone: #48 Get tested for celiac

For a while I was having a lot of trouble when I ate wheat. Big bad trouble. But I talked to my gastroenterologist who specializes in autoimmune diseases about this and he just didn't feel like this was my problem. I don't believe in unnecessary testing, so I didn't force the issue.

Things Undone: #20 Watch an Eagles game at Lincoln Field

This month, I am going to talk about some of the things that won't get done and why. I'm not sorry about many of them. While I love a list, I am not much of a stickler for achieving my goals.

We thought about it. I even went online to price the tickets. They wanted over $200 for cheap seats. I decided, list or no list, that I didn't need to see the Eagles that badly.

Then the dude got invited: 45 yard line, hospitality tent, Dawkin's record for most games played for the Eagles. I was a little bitter.

But next time I make a list, I'm checking on the prices!

#77 Replace kitchen counter

Replacing the counters was a housewarming gift from my parents. Yeah, we've been in the house for three years. Last Thanksgiving, we finally applied ourselves and organized a day off to be home for the installers. Special thanks to Sissy for being there for the creation of the template. It's Zodiac, a composite stone, never needs sealing in Galaxy Black. We love it!

Of course, then we realized what we needed was a backsplash. Fortunately, it's a lot easier to organize our contractor; he knows where we hide the key.

Now we realize how much we need new cabinets. Let this be a lesson to you, never fix up your house...