Never Blank Space: Short List: September 21, 2008

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Short List: September 21, 2008

I need to get some shit done! I'm oh so very close to getting a new leaser for the apartment, and I did some really fun spreads in my journal today (see below to get a glimpse of my mental landscape), but there's more to be done. Packing and moving doesn't take as much time as it sometimes seems like it will. I'm going to pack up a lot of stuff and take a load down on Tuesday, then I've got a shared U-Haul with BL on Saturday, so I think I'll be containing moving to those two days. So then, what else to do?

Short List for the week of 9/21/08:
(yes, I want to get these things done this week, by 9/28/08)

Take a yoga class and ~~sign up for yoga podcasts.~~ (#2 in progress)
~~Get a massage.~~ (#17, in progress)
~~Drink no soda.~~ (#32, last soda was 9/12/08, and I'm going for it this time...)
~~Buy produce at farmer's market.~~ (#25, to complete at the end of September!)
~~Make pizza from scratch (and maybe some quick bread too...).~~ (#27, to complete)
~~Make/find list of 100 classic books.~~ (#49, to complete)
~~Back up hard drive and make note to back up in late October.~~ (#67, in progress)
~~Buy another CD~~ (or two). (#94, in progress)
BONUS: Develop a filing system. (#69, to complete)

If I succeed, I'll have 3 (or 4 if I challenge myself...) things crossed off and many of my in progress items better underway. I think this is reasonable, considering how much time I have to kill. Yay for to-do lists!

7 comments:

Stefan said...: The list of classic books to read is a fantastic idea. I did something similar this year but it quickly became "Wow this author is amazing, time to read everything he's ever written."; September 21, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Maureen said...: I guess it depends on what you mean: 100 top selling, 100 best novels? What?; September 22, 2008 at 4:24 PM
ari said...: The goal for the book list is to come up with a list of books that are on everyone's high school/college reading lists that I have/haven't read yet... so it's kinda like the top 100 best novels, but I've looked up a lot of lists and don't know that any of them match what I want. There's a lot of "English only" lists, but I want to include authors from other languages, and women authors, old authors and newer authors, and above all avoid repeating authors as much as some of the lists do (especially F. Scott Fitzgerald, who I can't stand). Suggestions are welcome :); September 23, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Maureen said...: Watch out, I'll come up with a bunch. I guess I'll list books I think everyone should have read (including me, I'm lacking some of these). Starting off:
1. Rebecca by Daphine du Maurier,
2. Gone with the Wind
3. The Prince
4. The Old Man and the Sea
5. The Inferno
6. The Richest Man in Babylon
7. Dracula
8. Atlas Shrugged
9. The Wealth of Nations
10. Moby Dick
11. Peter Pan
12. Frankenstein
13. Invisible Man
14. Animal Farm
15. 20,000 leagues under the sea
16. All the King's Men
17. Lord of the flies
18. The Catcher in the Rye
19. A Clockwork Orange
20. Rudyard Kipling's Kim
21. Catch 22
22. Dune
23. A town like Alice (I really liked this one)
24. The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
25. The call of the wild
26. Fahrenheit 451
27. 1984
28. Anything by Stephen King, he has some funny books too.

There, that's a start. I'm sure I could think of more.; September 23, 2008 at 3:01 PM
Maureen said...: 29. The Kite Runner,
30. Kiln People,
(haha, I'm looking through my library history, it's clear when I was a nanny),
31. The war of the worlds,
32. the bell jar,
33. circle of friends (by maeve binchy),
34. A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier,
35. persepolis; September 23, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Anonymous said...: My top favorite books of all time are, in no particular order, are:
1. Agony and the Ecstacy (takes a while to get into, but I still cried when Michaelangelo died, even though that's what old folks do)
2. Pillars of the Earth
3. Goodnight Moon (a quick read!)
4. Memoirs of a Geisha
5. Tale of Two Cities
6. Frankenstein
7. Life Of Pi (once described to me as "Whoah. Total MindFuck")
8. Ishmael (there are books you read before Ishmael, and the books you read after. It changes you)
9. Wuthering Heights
10. The Joy Luck Club
11. Picture of Dorian Gray
12. Grapes of Wrath (I LOATHE the book, but it's famous or whatever)
13. Count of Monte Cristo

Those are just the ones I liked. We read books at an alarming pace (we ready Moby Dick in a week. That's not ok) so I've got a bookshelf at home that's two books deep with everything I read. They're all pretty famous and well-known books, if you want when I'm home I can whip up a list to send you. I think Ishmael was the only non-classic that we read.

Christa; September 23, 2008 at 9:27 PM
ari said...: Thanks for all the suggestions :)

@mizpriss: I LOVE the Agony and the Ecstasy, and totally agree with your synopsis of Ishmael.; September 24, 2008 at 3:26 PM

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101 in 1001

101 goals to complete in 1001 days, starting 01-01-08
(completed goals in blue, in progress italicized)
Completed: 32/101

Health and Athletics
1. Run Beat the Bridge run (5 miles) in under 45".
2. Become capable enough at yoga to comfortably complete a level II class.
3. Snowboard 10x in one season. (10/10) [March 2008]
4. Go on a 30+ mile bike ride.
5. Drink 32oz of water every day for a month. (0/30)
6. Take a tap class.
7. Do a stretch routine 3x a week for a month. (0/4)
8. Do push-ups until I can do 10 full push-ups. (0/10)
9. Do an ab workout 3x a week for a month. (0/4)
10. Go on a canoeing picnic at the arborietum.
12. Brush teeth 2x a day for a month straight. (30/30) (1-30-08)
13. Floss 3x a week for 2 months straight. (0/8)
Beauty
14. Complete a tooth-whitening kit correctly, without skipping a day.
15. Donate to Locks-of-Love. [12-21-08]
16. Buy new tweezers and maintain eyebrows for two months. [5-15-08]
17. Take a spa day once every 3 months (Hot House, Massage, Facial, Manicure/Pedicure, or Bubble Bath work!) (5/11) [Mani/Pedi 4/11]
Travel and Adventure
18. Take a trans-Pacific flight.
19. Take a "personal weekend" to travel somewhere by myself. [3-9-08]
20. Go on a 5+ day backpacking trip. [8-24-08]
21. Sleep under the stars (without a tent).
22. Become conversational in French again (perhaps test by visiting France? Quebec?).
23. Develop a traveler's knowledge of Spanish, and test by visiting Mexico. [9-11-08]
Food
24. Fill food journal with recipes.
25. Shop at Farmer's Market (or CSA) for all produce for 3 consecutive months. (3/3) [9-30-08]
26. Try a CSA. (2-13-08)
27. Make a homemade pizza (including crust). [9-25-08]
28. Make homemade bread (with yeast, no beer bread!).
29. Grow a vegetable garden.
30. Grow a windowsill herb garden.
31. Eat no take-out or restaurant food for 2 weeks straight.
32. Give up soda completely for 2 months. [11-12-08]
Money, Money, Money
33. Pay off car early (in 18 months ideally-by May '09). [1-15-08]
34. Set up automatic payments for insurance and car payments. (3-25-08)
35. Funnel 5% into IRA.
36. Increase standing savings to $10,000. [3/13/09]
37. Cash in change jar only when completely full.
38. Sell snowboard on Craigslist. [12-31-08]
39. Do my taxes by Valentine's Day. (2-10-08)
40. Get car details completely fixed up (check engine light, timing belt, tabs). [6-25-08]
11. Document and categorize spending for a 12 month period. (0/12) [Added 12-31-07]
Career
41. Make decision about grad school. [1-1-09]
42. Investigate thoroughly two other potential career choices. (1/2) [event coordinator/business traveler]
43. Get a new job! [7-30-08]
44. Publish one piece of writing in a literary journal or magazine.
45. Subscribe to a literary journal.
46. Read three science magazines to understand what science writing is all about, especially medical science.
47. Read a news magazine or online newspaper for one month to be more informed. [1-1-09]
48. Read non-fiction or travel writing in a magazine I could submit to and write an article in the same style.
Reading
49. Make a list of 100 classics that I need to read. [9-24-08]
50. Read at least 10 books from the list. (3/10) [The Grapes of Wrath, In Cold Blood, Adventures of Huck Finn,]
51. Read at least 10 non-fiction, non-self-help books. (6/10) [Dreams From my Father]
52. Read 50 books total. (27/50) [Latest: Dreams From My Father]
Writing
53. Write 10 poems. (0/10)
54. Write 1 short story I feel proud of.
55. Attempt NaNoWriMo. [11-30-08]
56. Write a journal entry everyday for at least 3 months straight (Embodiment). (0/92)
57. Write a blog post a week for 3 months straight. (0/12)
Visual Arts
58. Paint a picture and hang it on my wall.
59. Complete a visual journal.
60. Complete a Project 365.
Crafts and Projects
61. Knit a pair of socks. (2-26-08)
62. Learn to knit cables. (1-1-08)
63. Knit a cabled scarf.
64. Create a scrapbook/photo album of my trip to Paris and Italy.
65. Create a Lulu.com book of my LJ entries.
66. Sew an outfit/dress and wear it out.
Organization
67. Back-up hard drive 1x a month for a year straight. (0/12)
68. Get desk fully organized and keep it neat for 3 months.
69. Develop a filing system.
70. Make bed every day for a week. (0/7)
71. Clean room and Vacuum 1x a week for 2 months straight. (0/8)
72. Go through my clothes each fall and spring, and donate unnecessary items. (Sp08, F08, Sp09, F09, Sp10, F10)
Personal Growth
73. Meditate 1x a week for 3 months. (0/12)
74. Meditate 1x a day for a month. (0/30)
75. Decide not to care about anyone's opinion for one week.
76. Take steps to choose my past. [7-12-08]
77. Do past-life regression or other form of therapy.
78. Accept personal responsibility for everything in my life for one week. [7-19-08]
79. Turn that responsibility into personal power to change what I don't like. [7-30-08]
Family, Friends, and Community
80. Send a "Just because..." note 1x a month for 6 months. (0/6)
81. Write a non-gift thank you letter to someone who inspires me.
82. Send thank-you notes for all gifts from Christmas and birthdays. (C07, B08, C08, B09, C09, B10)
83. Make time for a Sister-Bonding event and stop acting like a know-it-all.
84. Develop at least one new long-term friendship.
85. Contact 3 people I have lost touch with and attempt to keep some kind of communication open. (2/3)
86. Find an opportunity to volunteer in my community and do it. [7-31-08]
87. Vote in the 2008 election. [10-18-08]
Seattle Exploration and Culture
88. Go to 5 new restaurants in Seattle. (5/5) [1-2-09]
89. Attend 5 plays before I turn 25 (and have to pay more). (4/5) [The Imaginary Invalid, 3-16-08] [A Marvelous Party, 7-11-08] [Betrayal, 3/21/09] [Wishful Drinking, 4/25/08]
90. Go to the Pioneer Square first Thursday art walk.
91. Go to the Opera.
92. Go to the Ballet.
Entertainment
93. Join Netflicks and develop a 20-movie list. Watch them. (0/20)
94. Buy 10 CD's rather than downloading. (4/10) [Barcelona, Helio Sequence, Death Cab for Cutie, The Weepies]
95. Increase my list to having seen 50 of the AFI top 100 films. (28/100) [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Casablanca]
Ongoing Education
96. Increase states visited to 40 of the 50 states. (40/40) [5-3-09]
97. Get motivated for year two by taking yourself on a coffee and journaling date while checking off another completed goal. [1-2-08]
98. Go through goals, re-evaluate, and add #98 by June '09.
99. Go through goals, re-evaluate, and add #99 by December '09.
100. Go through goals, re-evaluate, and add #100 by June '10.
101. Donate $2 for every goal left unfinished or never started by Sept. 28, 2010.

Never Blank Space

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Short List: September 21, 2008

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