The Bad Weekend Survival Kit

One girl's survival kit for a bad weekend:

Two glasses of red wine
'Anne of Green Gables' on DVD
Three hard taco supremes from Taco Bell
One whole bag of Ruffles potato chips with
One whole container of Heluva Good Sour Cream and Onion chip dip
Many, many deletes off the PC
'Anne of Avonlea' on DVD
Shopping at Ann Taylor Loft
One beer with a good friend
A lot of phone calls
A few good cries

But not necessarily in that order.

The 32 Project, Revisited

So I'm officially 32, but my 32 Project has not been completed. No harm... it's a work in progress.

1. Finish watching the Top 100 movies. 65 down, 35 to go.
2. Charity: April 17th Formal Wear Happy Hour DONE! 45 dresses collected!
3. Charity: April 19th March for the Animals DONE! $343k raised!
4. Learn how to drive stick shift. Casey?
5. Lose the weight. Five or six pounds down.
6. Volunteering: Habitat for Humanity. Reconsidering. This one has been tough to fit in.
7. Charity: Tree Planting/Trash Pick Up. DONE! Planted 8 trees!
8. Volunteering: Pets on Wheels w/ Antonio? Retracting... replacing with Grow out hair to donate to Locks of Love.
9. Visit NYC/Have Jodi visit. This has been upgraded to singing with Jodi at her cabaret in NYC! 8/22! Woot!
10. Meet Joey Mac. June 23rd DONE! Saw NKOTB for the 3rd time with Cassie in June. Unfortunately... no meeting, but I'll live.
11. Try making crab bisque.
12. Organize an Ohio reunion. DONE. It was smaller than planned butt 10-15 folks showed, and we had a great time!
13. Go somewhere other than OH and NYC.
14. Read at least four books. 'A World Without End' completed. Working on 'Beautiful Boy.'
15. Digi scrapbook something.
16. Buy fishnets (long story). Retracting...
17. Try Yoga with my BFF.
18. See Heart live in Bmore! May 17th DONE! Great show!
19. Go through my storage unit and SIMPLIFY. DONE! Made $70
20. Go to an amusement park. DONE! Cedar Point was a blast!!
21. Find somewhere to take voice lessons. DONE! I'm on month two!
22. Choose an Armed Forces charity. Retracting... this group no longer supports this fundraiser. Considering ePals Foundation: Students and pen pals read books chosen by the student, and correspond online about the important issues in the books. Fun!
23. Start hiking. This one is on Katie.
24. Visit Marie (and get the Taylors to come here)!
25. See the Orioles! DONE! And we won!
26. Eat in Greektown. DONE! Samo's was delicious!
27. Pick crabs! Six years in Bawlmer... DONE! Twice!
28. Make more blankets! Of course, in progress! One DONE! Working on another!
29. Plan a Star Trek movie night! DONE!
30. See Kelly Clarkson. Scheduled 9/9 in York, PA.

31. See Journey. Scheduled 9/11 at First Mariner Arena.
32. Plan another girl's night. This is long overdue.

The 32 Project

I'm still at a loss on the last three... but I've been making progress overall.

1. Finish watching the Top 100 movies. 60 down, 40 to go.
2. Charity: April 17th Formal Wear Happy Hour DONE! 45 dresses collected!
3. Charity: April 19th March for the Animals DONE! $343k raised!
4. Learn how to drive stick shift. This one is on Casey.
5. Lose the weight. Four pounds down.
6. Volunteering: Habitat for Humanity Waitlisted for two dates.
7. Charity: Tree Planting/Trash Pick Up. DONE! 8 trees!
8. Volunteering: Pets on Wheels w/ Antonio?
9. Visit NYC/Have Jodi visit. Working on dates.
10. Meet Joey Mac. June 23rd Tickets obtained!
11. Try making crab bisque.
12. Organize an Ohio reunion. Email sent.
13. Go somewhere other than OH and NYC.
14. Read at least four books. Page 382 of 1014 in 'A World Without End' now.
15. Digi scrapbook something.
16. Buy fishnets (long story).
17. Try Yoga with my BFF.
18. See 'HEART' Live in Bmore! May 17th Tickets purchased!
19. Go through the stuff in my storage unit and SIMPLIFY. Flea market scheduled!
20. Go to an amusement park. Cedar Point, anyone?
21. Find somewhere to take voice lessons. Email back from one voice teacher with info on private lessons. $50 an hour. Yikes.
22. Choose an Armed Forces charity. DONE! My ABCs... fundraising happy hours to come.
23. Start hiking. This one is on Katie.
24. Visit Marie (and get the Taylors to come here)!
25. See the Orioles! One game for work in the works ~ June 17th.
26. Eat in Greektown. Recommendations? Volunteers? Jill?
27. Pick crabs! Six years in Bawlmer - it's about time I try. This one is on CJ.
28. Make more blankets! Of course, in progress!
29. Plan a Star Trek movie night! May 8th! DONE!
30. tbd?
31. tbd?
32. tbd?

The 32 Project

This project is still a work in progress, but I'm finding more things to do as my 32nd birthday nears.  Volunteers for activities welcome!

1. Finish watching the Top 100 movies. 60 down, 40 to go.
2. Charity: April 17th Formal Wear Happy Hour DONE! 45 dresses collected!
3. Charity: April 19th March for the Animals DONE!
4. Learn how to drive stick shift. This one is on Casey.
5. Lose the weight.With Jill's help.
6. Volunteering: Habitat for Humanity Waitlisted on two dates.
7. Charity: Tree Planting/Trash Pick Up. Scheduled for tomorrow.
8. Volunteering: Pets on Wheels w/ Antonio?
9. Visit NYC. Working on dates.
10. Meet Joey Mac. June 23rd
11. Try making crab bisque.
12. Organize an Ohio reunion. Email sent.
13. Go somewhere other than OH and NYC.
14. Read at least four books. Reading 'A World Without End' now.
15. Digi scrapbook something.
16. Buy fishnets (long story).
17. Try Yoga with my BFF.
18. See 'HEART' Live in Bmore! May 17th Tickets purchased!
19. Go through the stuff in my storage unit and SIMPLIFY.
20. Go to an amusement park. Cedar Point, anyone?
21. Find somewhere to take voice lessons. Email back from one voice teacher with info on private lessons. $50 an hour. Yikes.
22. Choose an Armed Forces charity. Information packet received and under review.
23. Start hiking. This one is on Katie.
24. Visit Marie (and get the Taylors to come here)!
25. See the Orioles! JJT?
26. Eat in Greektown. Recommendations? Volunteers? Jill?
27. Pick crabs! Six years in Bawlmer - it's about time I try. This one is on CJ.
28. Make more blankets! Of course, in progress!
29. Plan a Star Trek movie night! Facebook event created.
30. tbd
31. tbd
32. tbd

Random Thursday

1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was awful. Skip it.
2. All I want is pizza. Yummy pepperoni pizza because my neighbors are cooking it, and I can smell it.
3. All I have is cucumbers and goldfish. Damn it!
4. My neighbors and I are like the characters on 227, except that we chat off our back porches. I love it. I'm the Mary Jenkins, I think.
5. I just found out that someone else I know is preggo (congratulations!). That makes five (I think) right now. I've stopped drinking the BRITA.

The 32 Project Semi-Complete

Okay - so this is my list so far. Things are being added and dropped so I think it's going to have to be a flexible list. I'm still short of my goal for 32 projects, but it's okay to add items as I discover them, right?

1. Finish watching the Top 100 movies. 58 down, 42 to go.
2. Charity: April 17th Formal Wear Happy Hour DONE! 45 dresses collected!
3. Charity: April 19th March for the Animals DONE!
4. Learn how to drive stick shift. This one is on Casey.
5. Lose the weight.With Jill's help.
6. Volunteering: Considering Habitat for Humanity
7. Charity: Tree Planting/Trash Pick Up. May 3rd 
8. Volunteering: Pets on Wheels w/ Antonio?
9. Go somewhere. PEI? Anywhere?
10. Meet Joey Mac. June 23rd
11. Try making crab bisque.
12. Organize an Ohio reunion.
13. Visit NYC.
14. Read at least four books (Reading 'A World Without End' now.)
15. Digi scrapbook something.
16. Buy fishnets (long story)
17. Try Yoga with my BFF
18. See 'HEART' Live in Bmore! May 17th Tickets purchased!
19. Go through the stuff in my storage unit
20. Go to an amusement park. (Cedar Point, anyone?)
21. Find somewhere to take voice lessons - it's time to get back in the game!
22. Choose an Armed Forces charity to collect for. Looking...

Ten more to think up... yikes.

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...

Let's see how much I can do and still get some sleep. Live blogging while cleaning... I'm such a nerd.

- Launder blankets - done
- Collect/take out trash - done
- Load dishwasher - started
- Clean cat box - done
- Sort dirty clothes - done
- Eat and watch Casablanca - started
**Side note: Humphrey Bogart is not an attractive man. Just sayin'
- Tub and toilet cleaned - done
- windows/mirrors - done
- Pet cat and dog - done
- Watch some Ghost Hunters - done
- Launder sheets - started
- Enter Paw Points - done
- Dust apartment - done
- Start regular laundry - started
- Watch more Ghost Hunters - done
- Remove nailpolish - done
- Fold laundry - started
- Swiffer floors - done
- Let out dog - done
- Watch more Casablanca and make bed - done
**Side note: Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous.
- Finish Casablanca - done (that's 46 of the 100 top movies!)
- More laundry - started
- Vacuum - done
- Put away sweaters - done
- Paint nails - done
- Start watching Religulous - started
- Run dishwasher - done
- Fold laundry - done

Waiting for last two loads... it's midnight. Ugh.

Purging

I'm purging again. So far I have a trash bag full of clothes, a shoulder bag full of baseball hats and such, and a few laptop bags. I've been feeling like moving lately, possibly because I've outgrown the apartment I think, so I'm getting stuff OUT. I also need to clean/scrub my floors today. I feel out of sorts and need order. (This is a common theme for me, isn't it?)

- Dresser reorganized/purged
- Closet reorganized/purged
- Second closet reorganized/purged
- Linen closet reorganized/purged

I'm running out of places to look for stuff. More has to go...

Update:

- Reorganized kitchen cabinet
- Reorganized filing system
- Reorganized cables/electronics storage
- Threw away a broken DVD player
- Purged purses/bags

25 Random Things (Reposted)

Today was a strange day at work - just really weird. This economy makes everything vulnerable. So I'm bailing on creativity and posting the "25 Random Things" meme from Facebook on my blog. I felt kind of "in touch with my feelings" writing it, so it seems appropriate to repost, even though most of you know me on Facebook, too. This is enough emoting for one day. :)

Rules: Once you've been tagged, write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. Blah, blah, blah...

1. I'm an introvert even though some of my newer friends don't understand that.
2. I never stop loving anyone I've loved. It's a different love, but it never stops.
3. I'm a workaholic. Times three.
4. I can't take a compliment. I try, but I have a really hard time.
5. I only really regret two things in my life. And no, I don't want to tell you.
6. I give myself 100% to everything I do.
7. I have almost zero patience.
8. My favorite foods are nachos, steak and cheese.
9. My favorite condiment is mustard. (But not honey mustard)
10. My mom is one of my best friends - I'm so lucky. :)
11. I've never broken a bone, but I've had four surgeries.
12. I've had two seizures. Hopefully no more. Ever.
13. I'm a perfectionist... and I tend to expect too much from people because I expect so much from myself. It is very unfair of me.
14. I HATE boat shoes. HATE THEM.
15. I HATE playing pretend with kids. Love the kids... hate the pretend-play.
16. I have insomnia... and it's miserable.
17. I love blankets.Especially hand-made ones.
18. I have met my soul mate.
19. I would love to have a house full of animals someday, but my high standards for cleanliness might interfere with that.
20. I miss Elliott more than words can explain, and I miss and talk to my grandma a lot.
21. I wish I lived closer to my family, but I don't think that will ever happen again.
22. I wish I could make money creatively - singing, creating, crocheting, writing, etc.
23. I wish my mom would write a book of poetry to pass on to her children and grandchildren.
24. I wanted (and maybe still want) to be an architect. So did (does) my dad. I'm SO his kid.
25. I feel the most like the "true" me when I am with my bestest of friends. I love you guys.

A New List

I feel myself throwing up a wall again - that survival wall. I'm going to take my own advice and create some goals to help me get through this. Working always helps - it's so easy to throw myself into ten hour days, but I need to take on a few challenges to have that feeling of accomplishment. Success always breeds positive feelings.

- Work on Elliott blanket (what will it take to finish this, I wonder?)
- Get TVs changed out
- List one TV on Craig's List
- Drop trunk full of Goodwill off for those less fortunate
- Make a baby blanket for my cousin and his wife (anyone have pattern suggestions?)
- Start working on designs for above baby shower invitations
- Work up to my new 10 lb weights
- Lose 5 of my 10 lbs
- Make up a package/write a letter for my CCF child and send it
- Plan a girl's dinner
- Confirm wine dinner for 2/8
- Work on recipe book
- Try a few new recipes (TBD)

That's it for now. That's a lot. I think I can start a few today, too. Good times.

New Books

YAY! New books!! (Don't worry - they were all SEVERELY on sale!) I desperately want to start reading them now, but I have to finish Searching for Life first. Sigh.

Updated Book List

Book List
Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina by Rita Arditti - In Progress
Almost Moon by Alice Sebold - In Progress
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
World Without End by Ken Follett
The Cuba Wars by Daniel P. Erikson
Discovery of Atlantis by Robert Sarmast
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer
1984 by George Orwell
The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

I'm also going to read a Richard Russo book - but don't know where to start. Suggestions?