Tag Archives: 101 in 1001 days

May 10, 2011 · 2:35 pm

Incomplete

As I mentioned yesterday, I completed 35 of the items on my 101 in 1001 days to-do list. Rather than give you a long list of excuses for each of the 66 items that I did not complete, here’s a general summary of lessons learned.

-International Travel: While I would still love to see the great big world, none of the trips on my last happened. This suggests to me that perhaps this is not a major goal that I’m dying to achieve. I’m on the road for 12- 18 weeks a year for work living out of hotels, and 2 weeks to visit my family. The remaining weeks, I am awfully fond of my own bed. I’ve moved this to the “one day when life slows down” column.

-Major Purchases: I did not buy a car, a bike, a Vespa, engraved stationery, a sewing machine, or a house. I find the stuff that I already own a little overwhelming, to be honest. Aside from my book-buying addiction, I just don’t need or want to spend my money on stuff. Also, until I pay down my student loans a little more, I’d like to hold off on the big buys and focus on saving.

-General Artsy/ Crafty/ Homemaker-y Stuff: While specific projects on the list didn’t get completed, I have added more making into my daily life. Sitting at a desk all day and filling spreadsheets pays the bills nicely, but it does not make me feel content. Making something does- a blanket, a poem, a story, a web-page, a loaf of banana bread, whatever. I am no Martha Stewart. I don’t care if any of it turns out perfectly or photographs well. I just enjoy the making part. And when I don’t make anything for a while, I become unbearable to be around and miserable.

-Tedium: I did not get much done in the way of logistics: insurance photos, driver’s license, updated filings, etc. I hate that sort of stuff. I told myself at some point that I’m also not very good at it. Which, upon reflection, is silly. I spend all day dealing with bureaucracy and red tape. I just don’t like it. That doesn’t mean that I can get out of it. I’m trying to add one tedious thing to my list per week and get them done, whether I want to or not. It’s called being a grown-up. Nobody cares if I don’t want to.

Seeing which goals that I bothered to complete along the way taught me a lot about myself and my priorities. As Gretchen over at The Happiness Project had to accept when she set out to find out what makes her happy:

…in many ways, I wish I were different. One of my Secrets of Adulthood is “You can choose what you do, but you can’t choose what you like to do.” I have a lot of notions about what I wish I liked to do, of the subjects and occupations that I wish interested me. But it doesn’t matter what I wish I were like. I am Gretchen.

I would like to be the sort of person who wants to jet off to foreign lands with just a backpack. I am not. I like comfort and home and being around my friends on a regular basis.

I would like to be the sort of person who cares about being in amazing physical shape with abs of steel. I am not. I like to take long walks and go dancing and keep all of my parts in working order, but if I have to spend two hours a day running to nowhere on a treadmill, or sticking to someone else’s sweat on a weight bench, I would rather keep my flab. I’ve worn the same range of two clothing sizes since college. It’s just not important to me to be flawless. I like my flaws. And when I date, I actually like other people’s flaws best- they feel like endearing secrets.

I would like to want to go to concerts for bands I’ve never heard of. I would like to be the sort of woman who never leaves the house in anything but 3″ platform heels and perfectly coordinated ensembles. I would like to prefer artsy foreign films to Doctor Who and Teen Mom. I would like to be the sort of person who enjoys camping and long rugged hikes and is brown from the sun year-round. I’m just not. And no amount of wanting to be is going to make those things happen. I’ve tried. They just aren’t what I want to do.

I can’t say right now whether I’ll start another 101 in 1001 list soon. Just sitting down to make the list seems overwhelming right now. But if I do, you’ll be the first to know.

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May 9, 2011 · 12:54 pm

We Interrupt This Meme to Bring You…

The conclusion of my 101 in 1001 project! Another meme! From 2008! If you’re still reading, your meme apology card is in the mail. Ok, I haven’t sent it yet. I’ll get around to it. Like this project wrap-up. Which actually ended last Wednesday, but as you’ll know if you’ve been reading here for a while, being timely isn’t my strong suit. However, I am excellent at making lists. And surprisingly, at completing some of the items on them.

Here’s a rundown of the 35 that I actually finished before the deadline. Yes, 35% of them! Which I will explain later when we get to the ones that I didn’t finish.

  • Flying first class- thanks to my business trips, I managed to become a frequent flyer, complete with the perks of first class seating, multiple times. Twix bars and free cocktails are always a win.
  • Visit Louise in NYC- After six years away from Manhattan, one of those business trips actually brought me to the Big Apple and I spent four glorious days happy houring and theatre going after hours with one of my oldest pals.
  • Get my U.S. Passport- done.
  • Go back to New Orleans- After this made the list, it just so happened that I was offered a job with a boss based in New Orleans. Which means I’ve been back for 11 weeks since it was listed.
  • Go to the Waffle House- My first achievement, and so delicious.
  • Buy a digital camera- Back in 2008, this was an upgrade. Now I barely use it, thanks to my iPhone. The times, they have a’changed.
  • Join a CSA- Loved mine last summer, but didn’t subscribe this year due to my travel schedule. I’m glad to share, but it stung having to give away so many delicious veggies while I was on the road.
  • Own a classic piece of Tiffany’s jewelry- the ex bought me pearl earrings. I loved them. I lost one. I can’t have nice things. At least he was a jerk, so there were no sentimental attachments when the earring went missing.
  • Subscribe to the Sunday NY Times- good journalism isn’t free, people. And yes, I can read it online. But subscriptions pay for journalists to keep working. I’ll get the paper version. Besides, with a pot of coffee, the newspaper in bed is the best thing that happened to Sundays.
  • Get a Blackberry- Three years ago, my Blackberry was my dream phone. Now, you’d have to pry my iPhone out of my cold, dead hands.
  • Have an inspirations bulletin board- one at work, one at home, and my new toy, Pinterest.
  • Host a dinner party- Not precisely dinner, but I did throw a Southern grub fiesta on New Year’s Day (using FIVE crock pots) to ring in the new year with friends and a wide variety of hangovers.
  • Convince my boss to let me telework- It’s not part of my regular schedule yet, but I’ve done it for bad weather, illness, and the occasional project that required my home computer. Permanence is only three months away!
  • Create a personal “altar” space- I like the idea of somewhere quiet to sit and reflect. I gathered some candles, some photos that I love, and a few books that make me think and piled them by some lounging pillows. I don’t use it as much as I should to find some peace- it’s so far away from my laptop.
  • Plant flowers that actually grow- I’m no gardener. But last year, after a haphazard dash of seeds in the yard, I did manage to grow a feast of zinnias with almost no effort. The package said that they were supposed to be 18″ tall. Mine were 36″.
  • Get new contacts- done. But now it needs to be done again.
  • Get a professional massage- I’ve still not done a full-body massage. It seems weird to pay a stranger to rub me while I’m naked. I’m not a prude, I’m just not used to paying for the service. But I did get a lovely upper body massage when I got my first professional facial.
  • Go to the dentist- After 8 years of stalling (due to a lack of insurance and money, not a fear of dentists or lack of desire), I went and got all of my catch-up work done and have my regularly scheduled cleanings like a good little girl who plans to chew with her own teeth for as long as possible.
  • Watch a sunrise- Cocoa Beach, FL.
  • Watch a sunset- Dozens, but the most memorable was in New Orleans.
  • Submit my writing 12 times to journals- We are wayyyyy past the twelve submissions mark here. At least count on my Duotrope account, I’ve submitted at least 82 times. (By the way, if you are disorganized and submitting things to literary magazines, Duotrope is your new best friend. You’re welcome).
  • Update my 100 things about me- done. And it could probably stand to be done again.
  • Take a creative writing workshop- Not only did I take a few local workshops, I attended Bread Loaf  in 2009. It completely changed my life, and I hope to attend again.
  • Make a crocheted blanket- my first niece received her very own lavender baby blanket, made by me. My sister is forcing her to love it best.
  • Take a sewing class- I made my very own throw pillow and brushed up on those sewing machine skills.
  • Publish another chapbook- Miracle of miracles, it will be coming out in August 2011. Final edits are in progress.
  • Return my library books- They were wildly overdue. They’re back and safe in their library home now.
  • Try being a  vegetarian for a week- Another example of changing times. While I haven’t given up meat entirely (I love a steak), I very rarely eat any, besides seafood and even when I do, it’s at a restaurant. Living alone, I don’t really cook it at home. And I’m in no danger of starving to death.
  • Go to book club more than once- Twice! And both times I actually finished the assigned book. The book club fell off the radar a bit, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.
  • Start and keep a one-sentence daily journal- One of the better things that I got out of this project. Keeping an actual diary overwhelmed me from a writing perspective, so I got a big day book with dates and full pages. I just jot the year and a sentence or two to describe the day. Looking back on the last three years as the days roll around is a great reminder of how far I’ve come.
  • Meet an internet friend in person- Oh 2008! Aren’t you quaint? If you run into me with anyone these days and ask how we met, 8 times out of 10, it will be on the internet. Twitter mostly. And I got to meet Green Yogurt on my trip to San Francisco! Lora, you’re next.
  • Go on a picnic- Last summer, BC and I dragged some Middle Eastern food (and a few covert beers…. shhh) to the park and spent the 4th of July people-watching and stuffing our faces.
  • Teach a class- A major part of my new job involves hosting trainings- online and in person. I taught 200 people how to use Twitter a few years ago at a conference.
  • Get back in touch with my penpal- Facebook finally spread to Australia, so I can look at pictures of her beautiful baby every day if I like. I’d still like to write more pen-and-paper letters.
  • Send and receive a Postcrossing postcard- I love postcards. I sent mine and got a postcard from Romania of Dracula’s castle! Very cool.

What didn’t I do and why? More to come….

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October 6, 2008 · 9:35 am

Bragging Rights

I spent today in a room full of MFA writing students. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate graduate students, having been one for several years now. But MFA students can be a different breed. As a writer who enjoys creative writing but has no formal training, being around all of those people who have that writer stamp of approval from a real live university can get a bit intimidating. I woke up for my very first fiction writing workshop this morning and struggled with the eternal first day of school jitters about what to wear and whether the other kids would like me.

Were my jeans too casual? Was my sweater serious enough? Would cowboy boots be ok, or look too affected? What about earrings? Would I look like a real writer or an obvious phony?

This was only compounded by the fact that the published author teaching our workshop had samples of all of our work to read in advance. He walked in with an armful and promised us all individual comments in writing at the end of class. After two hours of discussion on technique and setting, the workshop ended and he took questions. I raised my hand and when he called on me, asked if I was the author of “C-”. Yes, that’s me. “Could you stay after? I’d like to talk to you.”

My first workshop and here I was being kept after school. I waited for a few of the other students who lingered with questions and followed him down on his way to lunch. Finally, he pulled away from one particularly persistent student.

“I read all of the samples, but I wanted to let you know, I think you have the beginnings of a great novel here. The writing was excellent. Here’s my personal email address. I want you to finish what you started and stay in touch with me about it.  Read some Faulkner, nail down multiple perspectives and let’s publish this thing.”

Swoon. Pinch me. I think I’m dreaming.

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August 8, 2008 · 11:02 am

Friday Randomness

Today, for your reading pleasure, a collection of random information that I can’t really tie together other than, this is what’s going on, in my head, on my desktop, and happening this weekend:

  • This doctor in Arkansas should have lost her medical license for sterilizing a patient with “learning difficulties” with her consent. While I understand the doctor claims another pregnancy could have been life threatening to her patient, I firmly believe a woman has a right to be informed about her choices and make her own (good or bad) decisions.
  • I finally got around to seeing Superbad last night. I know I’m a year behind everyone else, but can I just say, there were times I laughed until I almost peed a little? I was afraid it was going to be another American Pie, but it was so much smarter than all that.
  • This weekend I’m out of town (again) and headed to the Ohio State Fair. Last year, I bought a rug and some coasters from an Amish woman and survived all day on funnel cake and various fried dessert items. This year- who knows?
  • The Kyle Payne situation has further evolved- he’s placed a response to the internet about his actions and subsequent guilty plea for assaulting a woman in his care as an RA. I’m hesitant to give him any more press. His “remorse” is underwhelming at best, and after he personally emailed me to notify me of his upcoming post, I was creeped out. There is some great ongoing coverage and comment on Mr. Payne here, here, here, and here. Still waiting to hear whether an extension on his sentencing has been granted as requested, or whether things will move forward August 11 as planned.
  • BBB has enlisted me as an ally against her foe, a woman she blames her non-promotion on. Um, sorry if I’m not the sympathetic….
  • In progress on my 101 in 1001 this week: #11- go to Waffle House will be happening tonight on the drive to Columbus (yum!), #30- my eye doctor appointment will happen on 9/4, #51- all done updating my 100 things about me to remove fiance’ references, #72- the library books are back at their home (after um, a YEAR)- I know I’m horrible and am taking a library hiatus for bad behavior, #78- sent a postcard, #80- went to bookclub 1 of the 2 times required, #99 – sent 2 postcrossing postcards out. When they get received and registered, someone will send me one.

And I’ll leave you all with words of wisdom from this site’s namesake:

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Have a good weekend. I’ll be Twittering from the state fair if anything fun comes up (link in the sidebar).

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August 6, 2008 · 8:00 am

Major Projects in the Works

There is a new page at the top for your reading enjoyment. I have created my very own list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. This should be quite an undertaking. And there will be consequences. For every one I miss the deadline on, I have to put $50 in my savings account.

I’m hoping to wrap them all up, however, and that this will really inspire me to go out and grab life by the lapels a little. I’ll be updating on what I actually accomplish here and marking them off one by one. Now, in the interest of saving my strength, it’s time for a girl to get some sleep.

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