Round One Over

My 1001 days have expired. I did 51--haha! more than half--and partially completed 15 more. That's 2/3rds which is a lot farther than I thought I was going to get last time I calculated. I think I'm going to do this again. I'll be working on my new list for a little while. Thanks for reading!

Begin Date: June 16, 2006
End Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009

1. Go to one cultural event per month for three months--I didn't do this in three months, which is what I had planned, but I did do some things
   
2. Find my local library and get a library card (and get a Philadelphia library card) I never did manage to get a Philadelphia card. Now I don't work in Philadelphia any more.
   
3. See a Broadway play with the dude
4. Take nieces to New York City--I think Sissy and I are going to do this in the next couple of years. You know, before the elder one won't do things with us anymore...
5. Visit Elfreth's Alley once in the summer and once in the winter--I managed to get there once in the summer.
6. Visit the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
7. Visit the Rosenbach Museum
8. Visit the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at Penn
9. Visit the Morris Arboretum
10. Visit the Athenaeum--you know, I think I meant the Atwater Kent, but I didn't get there either, and I should have. I mean, I've been out of work for a month! Nothing but time on my hands.
11. Visit the Frick and the Cloisters--we didn't get up to the cloisters but I know we'll be visiting again soon
12. Go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum--I still want to do this, but it's so hard to make plans when we're in New England; there's usually too much family stuff going on
13. Watch the 49 films on AFI's Top 100 films that I have not already seen--perhaps the problem is that there was a reason I haven't seen them (like no real interest)
14. Read 16 works of fiction
15. Read 16 works of nonfiction
16. Read Bill Bryson's work that I haven't read before--I think I only have two left: Troublesome Words and A Short History
17. Attend three ethnic celebrations in Philadelphia--only did one
18. Subscribe to the Atlantic Monthly and the New Yorker. Read them.
19. Go to Camden Yard
20. Watch an Eagles game at Lincoln Field
21. Ride in a hot air balloon
22. Contribute additional $$ to retirement--short lived though it was
23. Consult a financial advisor
24. Write a will, including all the attendant documents
25. Find out how much a combine costs
26. Be less bossy—so the dude notices; this item will be complete when he says something about it, without prompting
27. Make two new friends
28. Meet up with blogging stitching friends
29. Host an open house each December--I managed to do it once.
30. Catalog books--I started it, now to finish
31. Write to my grandmothers monthly--I can tell they appreciate the effort I made
    
32. Host a dinner party--I'm going to set my sights lower: a cocktail party first
33. Go one week without tv--in season. I think we learned a lesson about how we use TV to fill the silence
34. Finish current WIPS, including Elizabethan Rose, Toy Gatherer, Hardanger Napkins, Alpine Garden, Treasured Tulips, St. Basil's Cathedral, Watercolor Geraniums, majestic rooster, Dolly Mama's Freebie, Enchanted Alphabet, Anna's Bird.--I did finish some of these. Next time they each get their own number!
35. Finish 6 FUFOs as wall hangings--I did one, but I have a new relationship with my sewing machine, so I think the others should be a snap.
    
36. Finish 3 FUFOs as pillows--I can whip up a pillow with ease now. I even did one with welting!
37. Finish 2 FUFOs as flatfolds
38. Frame 10 FUFOs--I came really close. I think I did eight.
39. Send four needlework items to be professionally finished--I did one.
40. Take a sewing class
41. Take a finishing class--I didn't, but I do learn a new finishing technique every year at camp, does that count?
42. Go to the Main Line stitch n' bitch three times--I didn't because I'm a chicken
43. Go to EGA Meeting at least once--ditto
44. Finish 4 scrapbooks currently in progress: 1999, Alexa, Mackenzie, and the 1998 Poland trip--nope
45. Make albums of nephews--nope
46. make 8 more wreaths so I can change the front door wreath every month. Don't spend more than $75 on this project.--I have several wreaths for the door, but there are still a few I need to make
47. Create cards for each relative's birthday, a couple for the lesser holidays, and some sympathy cards.--I had a nice stock of cards
48. Get tested for celiac
49. Have bunions removed--I got part way there.
50. Exercise three days/week for 3 months--I made it two months at a time but never the whole three
51. Stretch every day for one month--you would have thought this would be easier
52. Lose 50 pounds
53. Learn CPR
54. Pick fruit at a UPick farm
55. Update my cv quarterly
56. Join a professional organization and attend three meetings
57. Have lunch at least once with each co-worker (41); group lunches count
58. Have lunch with three people outside my department
59. Get the Bulletin on schedule
60. Understand my job well enough to set significant goals
61. Visit Slovenia
62. Visit Iceland
63. Visit England just before Christmas
64. Visit four of the following states overnight: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, or Wisconsin--two out of four. I thought the dude was going to finish his library degree (WI) sooner...
65. Visit the Biltmore Estate
66. Visit Newport, RI
67. Attend the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness
68. Visit Acadia National Park
69. Go to the Rockland Maine Lobster Festival
70. Visit Chesapeake Bay
71. Go whale watching
72. Go on a picnic
73. Install toe molding in bedroom
74. Repaint brown bathroom
75. Paint downstairs bathroom, including trim
76. Remove downstairs carpeting--all but one room!
77. Replace kitchen counter
78. Replace kitchen floor
79. Buy and install blinds and curtains in dining room
80. Install blind upstairs bath
81. Buy and install blinds in bedroom--bought, sitting in giant boxes still
82. Find curtains for living room
83. Paint living room to match curtains
84. Paint guest room, including trim--still have to do the trim
85. Fix couch in guest room
86. Buy chairs for dining room
87. Fix and hang curtains in guest room--still need to be shortened!
88. Buy frames for and hang maps in guest room
89. Buy shelving and hang in dining room
90. Rip up carpet in craft room
91. Paint craft room
92. Buy filing cabinet and file patterns in craft room
93. Create a household inventory--I bought a book to put it in.
    
94. Plant blueberry bushes
95. Buy a new front door
96. Plant something in the pot by the front door
97. Paint shutters or buy new ones
98. Take the antenna off the roof--the dude is afraid of heights...
99. Hang the decorative bowl in the bedroom--you know, it makes such cool patterns on the ceiling in the morning...maybe we shouldn't
100. Clear of the top of the dresser and keep it that way
101. Buy grill and patio furniture--and use it!

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...

#37 Finish 2 FUFOs as flatfolds

This segment, the place where I listed the finishing of the stitched pieces, was really meant to motivate me to have some more of my stitching displayed in the house. It's a bit of a shame that I spend so much of my time and money on this hobby with, literally, nothing to show for it. (Well, I do have my sanity, and I'm pretty sure that's a direct result of all the stitching.)

Anyway, I've finished more than two of these. These were the most recent pieces.

#73 Install toe molding in bed room

You know, we've had the toe molding for ages. We even started putting it in. But we knew our limitations...

When the contractor came to do the kitchen door and the backsplash, we put this on his list of things to do (as well as the craft room). We're no dummies. Now it's done!

I think this one will morph into "paint all trim" in the next list.

#57 and #58 lunch

Obviously, I left my last job, so it became more difficult to have lunch with those people! But since I have been at my new job, I have had lunch with all the members of my team and three other people in the "front office." I have also had a group lunch with four other people outside the department. I have done a better job of lunching with coworkers in the last five months than I did in the previous two and a half years!

Part of the goal of this project was to "get out there more." I feel like I have succeeded here.

#38 Frame 10 FUFOs

One of my goals last year was to have this piece hanging on my wall this Christmas. As you can see, I have succeeded--and this framing job is #9.

Nearly there...I bet I can reach my goal by March.

#22 Contribute additional $$ to retirement

When I started this job back in September, and I found out that I didn't have to wait in order to have the company contribute to my 403b, I started putting the maximum--not the maximum that they would match, but the whole maximum--into my account. So for the past five months, I've contributed additional money to my retirement. It's probably worth less than if I put it into a savings account, at this point, but the goal is to make contributing a habit.

In all my future jobs I will contribute the max. I haven't missed it yet.

Neglect

I have certainly neglected this blog of late. I have managed to do a thing or two, but I'm starting to realize I am a long way from completing this list in the next two months. Of course, if I'm out of a job at the end of the week, I may have a lot of time on my hands to get to some of these items.

At any rate, over the next few days, I'll go some housekeeping and report on some of the things I've done in the last three months.

#16 Thunderbolt Kid

Bill Bryson was the Thunderbolt Kid, not a real comic book character, but it does show to some extent the influence of comic books on the boys of his generation, or in Iowa, or in fact just him. Even then, I think this book is much less about Bryson than it is about the culture in which he was immersed: 50s middle America. It's a lot like the Shakespeare book in that way.

I enjoyed it because even though I'm much younger than he is, I grew up in a semi-rural area that grew much more suburban and "American mall" as I aged. So even though we started out having McDonald's, you still had to get your shoes from one of two stores in the nearby small city, and they knew us when we went in for new school shoes because they had fitted my grandmother and mother before us. Or knowing when Kessler Farm really was a farm and not a municipal soccer field before it became a K-Mart.

Still, we can't get too nostalgic about the old days. I shudder to think of the choices or lack thereof women had in semirural New Hampshire in the 50s, 60s, and even 70s. I'm not sure Bryson is as critical as he could be, either. But being critical isn't that funny, is it? (Of course, his mom worked.)

1. The Palace Under the Alps (1985)
2. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America (1989)
3. The Mother Tongue (1990)
4. Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe (1991)
5. Made in America (1994)
6. Notes from a Small Island (1995)
7. A Walk in the Woods (1998)
8. I’m a Stranger Here Myself (1998)
9. In a Sunburned Country (2000)
10. Bryson’s Dictionary of Troublesome Words (2002)
11. Bill Bryson’s African Diary (2002)
12. A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)
13. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (2006)
14. Shakerspeare (Eminent Lives) (2007)

#16 Bryson in Africa

I'm behind here. I finished Bill Bryson's African Diary a week ago. It's a very short book--64 pages. At the invitation of CARE, Bryson visits some of their African project. All proceeds from the book go to the organization, and here I am taking it out of the library. It is not quite as laugh-a-minute as some of his other books, but how can we expect it to be so? There is a very funny bit on flying in bush planes. (I'm with him there--but I was in the first world making that flight.)

There's a photo in the book that confirms the need for an organization that the dude and I thought up: bringing soccer balls to poor kids the world over. Probably, there is already an organization doing this; maybe we should just give them money.

I've started both Palace Under the Alps and Neither Here nor There and they make for good companion reading since the former is a guidebook to interesting little-known and less-visited sites in Europe and the latter is his European travel journal. (Yes, I read guidebooks cover to cover, and I'll even read them if they are 25 years out of date.)

#16 Bryson

This book came out after I created this list, but my library had it so I figured wtf, let's just read it. Right up front Bryson tells you we hardly know anything about Shakespeare. So, you figure, how'd he manage to write 200+ pages? It's a cutural study of the period, and a good one. It's in his usual snappy style, but if you've ever read an academic book about the period, you can skip this one. If you haven't, this is a good one!