Complete One Month of the 26 Things Project

I'm no photographer, and I don't pretend to be. This project was more like a scavenger hunt for me, and it was definitely equal parts fun and frustrating. I could go through and explain the reasons why I think each picture represents the description, but to be honest, I'm just kind of over the whole thing and don't feel like it. I'll let you use your imagination instead.

Finished Goals: 88/101
Days Left: 22

1. Tall

2. Amazing

3. Round

4. Hidden

5. Green

6. An Animal

7. Dirty

8. Early

9. Weather

10. An Arrow

11. Curve

12. Tomorrow

13. Inside

14. A Ceiling

15. Watch Out

16. Key

17. Reflection

18. Track

19. Framed

20. Busy

21. Strange

22. Upside Down

23. Spots

24. Shoes

25. Weathered

26. Sunday Morning

Learn How to Knit

Today I went to Nina: A Well Knit Shop and took a private lesson to learn how to knit. Hillary was my instructor, and she was really great. When I told her that I often need to learn how to do crafty things left-handed, she didn't flinch a bit.

She started out teaching me the traditional way to hold the needles and yarn (called English knitting or throwing), and I was getting it, but not as well as I wanted to. It just felt awkward holding the yarn in my right hand. So half way through the lesson, we switched, and Hillary showed me how to hold the yarn in my left hand instead. This method is called Continental knitting, and, according to Wikipedia, it originated in Germany. After we kicked their asses in WWII, Continental knitting fell out of style for obvious reasons.

Regardless, it's working pretty well for me now. I'm part way through my first project, which is a cowl. Good timing since cold weather is right around the corner. I chose a soft, chunky, beautiful, purple yarn. I'll post pics when I'm done. I think it's going to finish up very prettily.

Finished Goals: 87/101
Days Left: 32

Organize Jewelry Supplies

Wow. I think I actually started this task one or two times before I just buckled down and finished. It took me pretty much all day, but in my defense, I went through everything with a fine tooth comb. I wanted to do it right the first time because I don't want to have do it again, and I think I succeeded. I feel very confident that all of my supplies and finished pieces are stored securely until I want to start creating again. And when that day comes, it will be so much easier to find everything I need and feel inspired.

Finished Goals: 85/101
Days Left: 53

Complete 50 Hours of Continuing Education

This one was pretty easy because I love learning new things and attending classes. I think if money were no object, I would be a professional student. But since that isn't possible right now, I'm happy to be a student of my profession.

Most of the classes I took were at The International Dermal Institute in downtown Chicago. They have a great facility and I really like the instructors. As a matter of fact, my next 101/1001 includes another goal involving taking more classes there. I'm looking forward to it already.

In the meantime, here is a list of the qualifying classes for accomplishing this goal:

Threading Course 2 hours 5/21/10
How To: Gain New Clients and Increase Services 2 hours 6/16/10
Hydroxy Acids and Exfoliation Techniques 6 hours 8/12/10
Ayurvedic Diagnosis for the Skin Therapist 6 hours 8/25/10
Medical and Technological Trends 3 hours 9/20/10
Photodamaged and Aging Skin 6 hours 11/17/10
Understanding Cosmeceutical Ingredients in Skin Products 3 Hours 1/24/11
The Brain-Skin Connection 2 hours 4/18/11
Reflexology 12 hours 4/19/11-4/20/11
Chinese Diagnosis: Face and Body Reading 6 hours 5/11/11
Skin Diseases and Disorders 3 hours 6/29/11
Total: 51 hours 6/29/11

Finished Goals: 80/101
Days Left: 109

Create a New 101/1001

It took me a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months to finish. I can't really remember how long it took me to write this list, so I'm not completely sure if that's a long time or not. Regardless, it's written, and you can find it here. I will start the day after the 1001 days on this list is complete. And yes, I am definitely a masochist.

Finished Goals: 79/101
Days Left: 120

Take a Dance Lesson

Last night Rich and I bought a Groupon Now! that took us to the North side of Chicago for some dancing. It was date night, and we thought it would be fun to try something different from the movie and dinner plans we often have. Plus, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone: 1. have a fun date night with Rich doing something active, and 2. knock a goal off my list.

We ended up at ARTango Center Chicago, where we learned the basic steps of the Argentinian Tango. The couple who run the studio and teach the lessons were fun and helpful. I liked them a lot, and I think had there been less people there, or if we took a private lesson, it would be a lot more fun than we had last night. It was just way too crowded, and there wasn't a lot of space to move. We kept bumping into other couples. But don't get me wrong, we still had a lot of fun. I would go again.

Finished Goals: 78/101
Days Left: 135

Try a New Spa Service

I can't remember when I first heard of shirodhara, but I knew right away that I wanted to try it. It's not a very prevalent service, and so it took some searching, but I finally found a practitioner who provided it. And lucky me, Rich bought me a Mother's Day gift certificate to see her for abhyanga, shirodhara, and swedana.

Monica is really talented. She's not a very big person, but she's got some serious strength. I think that was the deepest massage I've ever had, and I feel much lighter and pain-free from it. And the shirodhara was as amazing as people told me. It was actually so relaxing that I fell asleep during it. Yup, I definitely want to do that again.

Finished Goals: 77/101
Days Left: 144

Send Mother's Day and Father's Day Cards Annually

So Father's Day hasn't happened this year quite yet, BUT, I'm counting this goal as completed because I'm not actually going to be sending Father's Day cards this year. Instead, I get to spend Father's Day with all the dads in my life. That's way better. And, because I'll be seeing them all in person, I'll also be giving them their cards in person.

The truth is, I'm actually really good at sending Mother's Day and Father's Day cards. I put this goal on the list because I wanted to make sure I was diligent about sending them on time. See, it's the on time part that I'm not always so diligent about. But I did it. And now it's just a matter of continuing to do it.

Finished Goals: 76/101
Days Left: 158

The Countdown is ON!

So I only have 165 days left. 165 days. Needless to say, I'm nervous about finishing. Granted, I only have 26 goals left, and some of them are in the process and almost finished, but... I don't know. I think it's going to be pretty close.

I've already started writing my next list to start the day after this one ends. I guess anything I don't finish here will move over to that list. I really hope I make it. I don't want to end up another Day Zero statistic.

Finished Goals: 75/101
Days Left: 165

Get a Colonic

I debated about putting this on the list. Actually, at first I didn't; I put something else on that wasn't really attainable. And so when I finally decided to get a colonic, I also decided it was the right thing to do to change the goal I put on this list in its stead.

Without getting into a lot of personal detail, I'll just say that gastrointestinal distress has been a part of my daily life for as long as I can remember. I've always felt ruled by my colon, and I decided that I really need to take control of that and change it.

As it so happens, colon hydrotherapy is a service that is offered at the salon I work at. At first, I was nervous about having such a personal, embarrassing and possibly humiliating service done by a coworker, but I decided to just bite the bullet. After all, I tease my coworkers to no end when they say they don't want to have a bikini wax with me because it would be too embarrassing. I can't be a hypocrite!

While my first time was actually pretty traumatic, after going through it and discussing what is going on with my body and my dietary choices with my service provider, I decided to commit to a series of weekly sessions over eight weeks. Each week got easier, and I also learned a lot about myself, my attitudes toward food, and how to better manage my diet. Plus, in the process I lost six pounds!

Pretty sure this is going to become a regularly monthly part of my preventive health care plan.


Finished Goals: 75/101
Days Left: 178

Heirloom Wedding Dress

You can't see my whole dress because of my flowers, but I just think it's a great picture of my family.  Obviously, Rich and I got married on the beach.  That makes for a dirty dress, which means some professional cleaning was in order.  And if I'm going to get it cleaned, I may as well have it heirloomed.  Not that I have anyone or anything in particular to save it for since I'm not having kids, but maybe one of my nieces will want it or Rich and I will have a re-commitment ceremony or something.  If nothing else, my closet has more room in it and looks better organized...

Finished Goals: 72/101
Days Left: 283

Organize documents on hard drive and Clean out email

This wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be.  It took me about two and a half hours or so, and really was just a matter of deleting old documents, downloads and emails I didn't need, and straightening out my file folders.  And since it was so easy, that's really all there is to write too.

Finished Goals: 71/101
Days Left: 287

Submit a picture to Threadless

I have quite a few Threadless shirts. I love them.  When I was playing around on their website one day, I noticed that you could have your own profile and submit pictures to it.  If they like your picture enough, they'll even use it on the shirt page too.

I opened my profile two or three years ago, and I finally just got around to submitting my first picture.  I ordered a hoody for Rich for a holiday gift, and I decided to add a $5 Mystery Tee for myself.  I was nervous because I generally prefer a sure thing, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package and saw this black shirt with a burning man on it, aptly called "Burn."

After a few failed attempts, I finally got the site to accept my picture, and there it is in all its silliness.  Now that I know what you have to do to get your picture on the site, I think I'll be submitting pictures with each new shirt going forward.

Finished Goals: 69/101
Days Left: 290

Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

I've been reading Catch-22 on Time Magazine's Top 100 English Language Novels list to fulfill one of my other goals.  I got it from the library, and I'm going to return it, so it seemed like the perfect time to get this goal done too.

Since the story is set during WWII, it seemed apt to hide a quote from the time period, and Winston Churchill just seemed like the right guy to draw from.  Can't ever go wrong when you quote a drunk, after all.  So if you check out Catch-22 from the Bucktown-Wicker Park library in Chicago in the next couple of weeks, you might find this in my handwriting:

"Today we may say aloud before an awe-struck world: 'We are still masters of our fate. We are still captain of our souls.'"

Winston Churchill

Finished Goals: 68/101
Days Left: 304

Play a new song in full on the piano

This goal wasn't too difficult to finish.  I found a website with free piano music on it, and I looked for an interesting piece in what I thought would be my skill level.  I haven't played my piano in years, so my actual skill level was a little difficult to assess.  I went with "Intermediate 2" according to the site, and picked a short piece by Mozart. 

I think my neighbors probably hate me now.  I've been playing the same song repeatedly for the last hour and a half.  But I figure it's after 9AM, and they make a lot of noise at all hours of the day and night, so we're far from even.

Finished Goals: 65/101
Days Left: 367

Finish a 5k Race

On Sunday I ran the Bucktown 5k.  I can't believe I did it, and I am so proud of myself!

I was really surprised that it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.  On Thursday I took a practice run on the course just to see what it was like and what to expect, and it went pretty well, although not as easy as I had hoped.  Then on Saturday I talked with a client about the race and what to wear, whether or not to bring my headphones, and other bits of info.  She said I wouldn't want my music, that with all of the other people around, it would be a distraction.  My gut told me not to listen to her, but I did anyway.

During the first mile, I was really missing my music, and when I saw the clock at the marker, I was appalled at how slowly I was running -- it read 14:30.  So I picked up the pace.  I am not a 14:30/mile runner!  The next couple of miles actually flew by pretty quickly, and when the finish line was in sight, I peeked at the clock, and it said 34:20.  I decided that I was going to finish before 35 minutes if it killed me, and I sprinted to the end!  It was a fantastic finish to a pretty good first race.

On my way to brunch a little later, I passed by the running store that sponsored the race, and they had the results posted outside.  It took me a good 10 minutes to find my name.  I was looking at all of the runners in the 34 minute finish slot.  As it turns out, my real time was 30:58!  I totally forgot that it took me about 3 minutes to reach the starting line.  My average ended up being 9:58/mile, my fastest mile ever!

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my performance -- so much so that I already registered for my next 5k race on Thanksgiving day and I have decided to start training to run a 10k next.  I just never imagined I would like it so much, and I'm really grateful to the creators of the Couch-to-5k program.  I never could have accomplished this task without it.

Finished Goals: 64/101
Days Left: 376

Complete Couch-to-5k Program

I've never been a runner.  When we had to do the mile run in gym class in school, I walked it.  We often had to run laps for volleyball, but I was always at the back of the pack.  Sometimes, the girls in the front would even lap me.

So when I first heard about the Couch-to-5k program, I was skeptical.  Not skeptical that the program works, just doubtful it would work for me.  I was way off base.  Not only did I complete this program, I did it without ever having to repeat a day.  I started on July 20, and I did the last run on September 13.  And today, I actually ran 5k.  When I was done, I was whooping it up outside like a child.  I'm sure my neighbors and the people driving by thought I was crazy, but I don't care.  This is a huge milestone for me, and I'm looking forward to the race I registered for on October 3rd.

Finished Goals: 63/101
Days Left: 397

Design and Get Second Tattoo

I've known what I wanted my second tattoo to be for quite a while now.  It was just a matter of figuring out the exact design and where on my body to place it.  When I decided to take a vacation back to Minneapolis for a week, I knew it was the right time to finally just bite the bullet and figure out these things.

I went in to Leviticus Tattoo and Piercing on Wednesday, September 1st, right when I got into Minneapolis, and saw Kurt for my consultation.  He totally understood what I wanted, and we made an appointment for Friday at 3:00.  When I went back in for my appointment, it was smooth sailing.  Kurt brought out a couple of drawings he did, we chose one and made a stencil, and after a few placement attempts, we finally got rolling.  Ang held my hand through the pain, which I totally needed because it can be quite intense around the ribs.

All in all, I'm extremely pleased.  The healing has been quick and easy, and not as painful as I anticipated.  And I LOVE my new art!  Seriously, if you are ever in the market for a tattoo, and you will be in Minneapolis, go see Kurt.  He's the best.

Finished Goals: 62/101
Days Left: 402

Tune Piano

Today I finally got my grandmother's piano tuned.  I've had it for about 8 years now, and I've only gotten it tuned a couple of times.  That's pretty horrible, especially considering that I've moved it 3 times since the last time it was tuned.  In all honesty, I wasn't even sure it was going to be tunable this time.  So, I guess I'm a pretty terrible piano owner.

But, I've got a great piano tuner now who I really like and does a great job.  He seems to be very thorough, and extremely knowledgeable too.  He told me exactly what we need to do today and how to maintain the piano over the coming years.  I plan on following his advice.  It would be great to play it again and maybe even take some lessons.  Can't do that with an out of tune piano.

PS - That's not my piano, but it's almost the same model.  If I could just find my camera battery charger...

Finished Goals: 61/101
Days Left: 415

Drink 10 Glasses of Clear Fluids Daily for 2 Weeks

This one was tougher than I thought it would be. At first, I had a difficult time even remembering to track how much I had drunk. Luckily, I found a handy dandy iPhone app to take care of that issue. But then I quickly realized that 10 glasses is actually a lot more than I had bargained for. I often found myself chugging one or two glasses at the end of the night before bed, which meant I was usually painfully awoken anywhere from 2-4:30 AM for a potty break.

On top of that, because I was drinking mostly water and not supplementing much with other clear fluids, there were a couple of days during which I didn't feel so good. Believe it or not, there actually is such a thing as too much hydration. And so it seemed I had flushed my system of essential electrolytes. Luckily again, I was able to identify what was happening and rectify it by drinking some Gatorade. That made me good as new, and still counted as a clear fluid. Killed two birds with one stone.

In the end, I'm glad I did this, but I think I'll dial it back a little. Ten glasses per day is perhaps one or two too many for me when I'm not engaging in regular physical activity.

Finished Goals: 57/101
Days Left: 494