I can’t believe in just a week, it’ll have been 1001 days since I wrote out this list of things to do. I haven’t done an update in a while, but I figure I should go ahead and wrap up the updates on this list so I can start on the second one. (That’s right…I’m doing another 101/1001.)
What I learned from going through this process is that it helps a lot to give yourself tangible, concrete goals that can be measured. Take my #96: "Eat more fruits and vegetables." Well…I was eating a lot of them before, so how can I quantify "more"? An extra stalk of asparagus? Another strawberry for dessert? Next time around, I just need to do better about how I do my tasks. A good bit of these may turn up on my next list though…we’ll see. Overall, I accomplished 51 out of 101 tasks. Not bad, but I could’ve done better.
Well, here are the ones which I never got around to during my original 101/1001:
1. Learn to drive.
Now this wasn’t for lack of trying. I had several teachers who all pretty much bailed on me. I’m thinking of going the paid lesson route though.
2. Buy a car.
My money’s been way too iffy to even seriously consider this. Besides, I always see cars as this huge expense…there’s gas and tires and regular maintenance…and crazy Atlanta drivers. I still want a Scion xB though. I could just imagine how much my social life would improve with a car.
4. Write a book.
Another one that wasn’t fully accomplished. I’ve got about four drafts around the house where I got super-inspired and wrote for like six or seven chapters…then it just died. Not a gradual death; the idea just dropped off. I know I have three or four books in me; extracting them is the hard part.
6. Learn the violin.
Boy receives violin for gift (from Elle…where is she these days, anyway?). Boy buys a book and starts playing. Boy sounds terrible. So I put the violin in the case and haven’t touched it since.
7. Take voice lessons and get my range back.
Honestly? It never really left. I sing every morning before going to work and usually when I’m around the house, I’m humming or singing something. Practice, practice, practice.
8. Get back into Japanese swordfighting.
Now this was just laziness on my part. My old bokken is still in my closet, and my bokken book is somewhere in one of my crates of books in my closet.
11. Develop BlackComix into more than just ideas in my head.
Call me a scaredy-cat, but I’m a little reticent on releasing BlackComix to the world.I feel like I still need more time for development. Oh, and a kick-ass artist too who’s behind the story. Any pencil jockeys out there interested in a fantasy tale involving urban crime, popular music, bishoujo Black girls, 70′s music, futuristic themes of objectivism and some religious overtones?
13. Get a boyfriend of more than 6 months.
Haha….yeah right.
16. Lose 20 pounds.
Well I don’t weigh myself, so I’m not sure what I was thinking here. I can fit into clothes now which were a bit too snug 1001 days ago, so I guess something’s working.
17. Read (or listen to) at least 3 books a month.
I started out on a good clip with this, but never followed it through ’til the end. I still have stacks of book where I haven’t read a page out of it.
18. Visit the World of Coca-Cola museum.
No.
21. Raise fresh herbs.
Technically, I could still pull this one off. Maybe mint and basil for some winter dishes?
22. Visit Paris in spring.
I’ll probably change this to "Visit Paris before I’m 30."
23. Throw a party (not pity).
I realize I’m far too anal about cleanliness to have a party. Well, that and I’m not really the party type.
26. Take care of all necessary dental work.
This one completely flew under the radar. It’s rumored by my dentist that I need to have my wisdom teeth removed, but nothing’s been going wrong so far. No pain whatsoever.
27. Play poker in Vegas.
I still really want to make it out to Vegas, but maybe this’ll happen later. I should change this to "Play poker in Vegas before I’m 30."
29. Get a new desk chair.
This was probably the easiest one I could have done and I’m still sitting in a ladderback wooden chair at my desk at home. I really need to get on this. Any suggestions?
31. Streak.
Eh…I’m over it.
32. Assemble my family tree.
My mother and I have both been working on it (she’s gotten further than I have). I’ve gotten as far as I could on the limited family knowledge I have though. I’m contemplating doing a mitochondrial DNA map done on my Y-chromosome map, but I’d need to fall into some cash for that to happen.
33. Spend a day at a spa.
I’m going to have a day at Joq before the year ends, I guarantee.
34. Take a cooking class.
Honestly? I don’t know if I really need this. It was just something cute to fill a space.
35. Take Amtrak somewhere.
I thought about taking Amtrak to DC or to New Orleans…until I saw that the train rides are over 10 hours each way. <irony> I’m far too restless for that kind of relaxation. </irony>
37. Learn Java, JSP and servlets.
I never got around to this, particularly once I started getting my Masters degree.
38. See a play at the Fox Theatre.
And I don’t mean one of those Tyler Perry jawns either! I missed seeing "Little Shop of Horrors" there. I’ll keep on the lookout for something I’d actually pay money to check out.
39. Attend a concert at Chastain Park.
I think I’m going to give up the ghost on this one. Nothing seems appealing about going to a show at that venue.
42. Launch Soapbloggers.
The concept behind Soapbloggers was to have a group of bloggers talking about daytime soap operas, soap opera actors, etc. But I was never really able to get it off the ground even though I’m still sitting on the domain. I’ll either have to just launch it posthaste or keep sitting on it until I get an offer for buying it.
46. Burn something in effigy while standing over it smoking a cigarette.
Eh…too Waiting to Exhale.
47. Buy a pair of glasses (fake lenses) that make me look smart and sexy.
I have no idea what kind of glasses would look good on my face. I’ve got like a round, moon-pie kinda face. So…square frames maybe? Help me out here.
51. Learn to play pool well.
I hadn’t played pool in forever ever.
57. Get fired from a job for being a total slacker and breaking all the rules.
Getting fired ain’t cute…umm…that’s all I’ll say about that.
61. Paint a portrait or landscape worthy of hanging on the wall.
Hmm…I still want to really do this. I should go browse through Utrecht and see what I can see.
62. Attend a trivia night at a restaurant…and win!
This was another placeholder task.
63. Fly a kite in Piedmont Park.
It’s getting a little too cool right now for this, but maybe come Spring?
68. Get my tarot readings down pat.
I should break out my decks again and try a few readings. Like so many other things, it’s fallen by the wayside as new projects come.
70. Spend all day in bed with a man.
Haha….yeah right.
74. Reap the benefits of either FreeFlatScreens.com or FreeiPods.com.
Hell, I still want a free flat screen! But is anyone even doing these schemes anymore?
75. Get professional pictures taken.
I’ve been hesitant on doing this because I just don’t like having my picture taken. I figure a professional would be able to get a better likeness of me though, right? Or maybe that’s me trying to rationalize it.
76. Enroll in an educational program in web design, graphic design or writing.
I did enroll in an educational program, but it wasn’t in either of these three fields. I do still want to do some sor
t of academic writing type thing.
78. Make my perfect "date" fantasy come true.
Haha….yeah right.
79. Watch Cowboy Bebop, Rurouni Kenshin and Akira in their entirety.
Akira? Yes. Cowboy Bebop? Yes. Rurouni Kenshin? No…they were showing it on [adult swim] then it just dropped off. I need to man up and get the DVDs, I’m thinking.
80. Buy a gig bag for my trombone.
Right now, I can’t justify a gig bag when I have no gigs. My dusty old hard case will have to do for now.
84. Go on a road trip/day trip.
Maybe one day….
86. Save $2000 (or more).
I’m almost there thanks to my 401K contributions. If I add up my savings and investments, I should be well over $2000, but I’m thinking primarily in terms of a savings account type deal.
87. Visit D.C.
One day…maybe a weekend trip? I do have fam in D.C. that I’ve never met, and my uncle works over George’nem house.
88. Decorate for Christmas.
I don’t have a tree, but I do decorate my TV set. Tinsel, ornaments and a star for an antenna. It’s quite festive.
89. Scrap the whole "only buy gifts on birthdays and Christmas" notion and get into buying gifts for people all year ’round.
Maybe I should start a gift circle? I do have a couple of people I do this for though, but it gets expensive!
90. Start my own holiday traditions which DON’T include going home.
Usually, this just means me leaving town for Kwanzaa and extending into the New Year. I think that’s a pretty good tradition. I might be in Dallas this time around, but I’m not sure yet.
92. Get on a game show (or at least in the audience).
Can anyone clue me in on any game shows which tape in Atlanta? I guess I could do a "game show vacation" instead of hitting up Dallas….
96. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
See before the jump. I eat enough, thanks.
99. Crash my family reunion.
I still have yet to find out where these Negroes congregate every year because both Sperm Donor and Death to Shakespeare are tight-lipped about their whereabouts. That’s all right though…I have my ways of finding out.
I’ll post my next list of 101 in 1001 soon, so keep a look out for it.