Bon Jovi - It's My Life

You asked, well, not really - Michelle tagged me in a post and it was asked, "What song defines your life?" It took me a while, but as I'm sitting here watching the AMAs watching Bon Jovi's performance, I realized, It's My Life, defines my life. I have always done things my way and lived my life the way I want to live it because it IS my life. Granted, I wish I didn't procrastinate on doing a lot of things in my life - but at least I can say I've always lived it the way I'VE wanted to. Even if I have regrets about things I've done, I did them because at one point I wanted to.

I've been tagged!

I was tagged!

I was tagged by Michelle with some "get to know you" questions. Here are my answers and I'll be tagging a few of my followers at the end of the post!

{1}: If you could be in any tv show when you were a kid what would it be?

Full House - I never missed an episode of this show growing up.  I wanted to be Stephanie, had the biggest crush on Uncle Jesse, wanted to get a piggy back ride from Uncle Joey, and go shopping with Aunt Becky.

{2}: What has been your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

My Sesame Street Telephone...I begged for that thing for MONTHS...I watched the home video from the year I received it - I tackled my sister when she tried to play with it.  It was pre-cell phones and cordless phones, so this isn't the exact phone, but it's the best I can do for a photo:

{3}: What actress would you want to play you if your life was a movie?

Katie Holmes a la Joey Potter or Danielle Fisher

{4}: What decade fad do you wish would come back?

Pogs. Hellz yes (ditto Michelle) or GigaPets

{5}:What song describes your life?

This one is going to take a while...I'll figure it out. Stay tuned....

{6}: What was your favorite subject in school?

English/Reading/Writing.

{7}: If you could have a dream job for a day what would it be?

Detective

{8}: If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

I'm going to steal my Gramps' answer for this one...A seagull, so I can eat, shit and squack all day.

Now to tag some of you! Feel free to answer these questions in your blog.

Amanda from An Exclamatory Life,
Amelia from Notes to Ellie, and
Rachael from Mille Motivi

BEFORE - Home Renovations

#74. Buy Our Home

Back story...ever since I was a little girl, I always asked my Gramps if I could "have his house, someday".  He'd laugh at me, pat me on the head and say "I don't know kid, it won't be up to me, you're going to have to talk to your dad about that one."

Obviously, as I grew up I learned that he meant "I'm not going to be around forever, neither will your grandmother.  So, everything we own will be turned over to your father and his siblings, if you want the house, you're going to have to work something out with them." So, I did.

Now, here I am, probably 20 years after the first time I asked Gramps if I could have his house...and it's mine. My husband and I passed papers with Big M and my aunt on September 29th. It's been the most amzingly, stressful and emotional thing I've ever had to do in my entire life. For real, I'd plan my wedding a million times over again if it meant I never had to go through the home buying process ever again.  WHICH, I never, ever intend to do anyway. This is MY house...and someday, I hope my kids or grandkids ask me if they have it and I can say "You're going to have to talk to your father about that one." hah

Anywhooo...let's see if I can explain some renovation plans without confusing everyone...

For starters, here is a picture of our kitchen:

Since this picture was taken, we've purchased and installed a new (double) oven...which is amazing, by the way.  The kitchen is the most updated room in the house (renovated about 23 years ago), therefore, it's going to be the last thing we renovate.

The house use to be a two family home, therefore, it is a decent size and one side of the house is a mirror image of the other side (ie, we have two bathrooms, right next to each other).  The main renovation we are doing is building a bathroom in our current laundry room and turning one of our bathrooms into closest space (3 closets, 1 for the washing machine and dryer, another to house dishes, etc, and a third for jackets) and the second bathroom and an additional side room will be eliminated and our dining room will be extended.

Laundry room (future bathroom)

Current bathroom #1 (future 3 closets - one door facing kitchen, 2 doors facing into renovated dining room)

Current Bathroom #2 (being eliminated - closet doors will be on right hand wall).

Dining room (door on right leads into a spare room door on left is a closet storing china, pans, etc)

Dining room (table set up for lia sophia event, haha)

Spare room off of the dining room (being eliminated for dining room extension)



Oh hai, there! I'm still alive!

Wow. I haven't updated in forever. I've determined I really, truly suck at this blog thing. But seriously, does anyone read this crap anyway? Who really gives a damn if I'm checking things off my Day Zero list? Right?? Ahh well, I'll update anyway because I have some big news to blog about.

For starters...where the hell am I in the Day Zero List?

14. Go to Disneyworld! Checkity, Check, Check, CHEEEECKKK! Done and done! Seriously, check this out, I have the picture to prove it!  There's me and the hubs in front of the Magic Kingdom!

The trip was amazing! Doug has now popped his Disney cherry! It was great to experience his first trip to the Happiest Place on Earth with him. He was so stinking excited about being there!  Maybe some day soon, if I don't want to ignore my blog, I will actually give a recap of our trip....including the drive down during Hurricane Earl all the way to to drive home and why I hate the New York Giants.

#40 Attend a Broadway Play.

Soo, I didn't exactly go to NYC to attend a Broadway play, but sometimes, Broadway plays go on tour and come to Boston! So, I went to see Wicked at the Boston Opera House. It was some amazingly hysterically funny. I hadn't been to a play in such a long time and to see the prequel to the Wizard of Oz was pretty damn cool.  That witch that we all love to hate, yeaah...makes me mad that you can't really hate her once you learn her backstory. Also, the Wizard of Oz never leads you to believe that Glinda is an obnoxiously funny PITA type of chick that I've always despised. However, she was the absolute bees-knees in the play. Seriously, she made the play.

Can we just talk about one scene, the one where Elphaba and her lovebug run away together and their in the forest? That was without a doubt the most awkward sitch I've ever been in. I felt awkward for them they way they were rubbing each other. It was not sexy at all. It was kind of like "um...I find you repulsive, however, if I don't do what the director told me to do, then I won't get paid - so, please don't mind me as I run my hands up and down you while we sit center stage. Just ignore these people checking out the awkward moment we're having."

But other than that awkwardness - for real, if you haven't seen Wicked you need to go see it. It was WICKED awesome! HAH

74. Buy Our Home!

DONE!!  It's been a long, emotional, roller coaster ride for the last 2 years, but we have finally purchased my Grandparents house. I really, really, REALLY couldn't be happier right now.  Honestly, this is the ONE single dream I've had my ENTIRE life that I've never given up on. I've dreamt of becoming a lawyer - who knows if I'll ever do that. I've dreamt of traveling the world - there's no money for that.  I've dreamt up tons of crazy goals and dreams...but this is the only one I've ever had that I truly felt like I needed to fight for and accomplish.  I still can't believe it's "our house". 

I'm going to make a completely separate post about the renovations we're planning. So, stay tuned.

Holy Updates!!!

I avoided this blog the entire month of May. I really need to get better at this thing. There were multiple mornings that I thought "I need to update my blog today." And then nada - I avoided it like the plague.  It's not that I haven't been checking things off my list - its just the lack of motivation to start writing something.  But now, here I am and I'm actually writing! Let's see what I've been able to check off my list over the last month:

2. Keep my car clean for a whole month

Last Saturday (May 22th) I cleaned out my car.  Here's hoping I can keep it clean until June 22nd. It's been a week and so far, so good. I can do this!

11. Watch all the Star Wars movies.

I mentioned to my father-in-law last weekend that I had watching all the Star Wars movies on my list of things to do before I die - I have all the newer Star Wars movies checked off and luckily, he has a box set of the originals. He brought them over the other day (Old school VHS, hah!). So, that will help me to check that one off. I'm hoping to bust at least one of them off my list next weekend.

14. Go to DisneyWorld.

So excited about this one! Doug and I booked a trip to Disney for our 1 year wedding anniversary! We're driving down since Mr. Doug is afraid of flying. We're going to leave Boston wee early morning of September 4th - drive the 14 hours to South Carolina and crash with friends for the night. Then we'll have an additional 9 hours to drive on the 5th before we reach Disney. I'm super excited!!! And, other friends booked a trip as well. They'll over lap our trip for a couple of days, so we've made reservations together to have breakfast with the characters.

24. Write 3 more chapters of the book I started to write high school.

I haven't started this yet - but I've been itching to get writing again, so I'm determined to start working on it soon.  My newest guilty pleasure has been reading Twilight Fan Fictions (thanks, Michelle! :-P) and reading some of them just reminded me of how much I love writing and how I haven't done it in so long.  It's always been very theraputic to me.  I think tonight I'm going to pull out my portfolio from my college writing class to get my brain started.  I'm hoping to be able to block off at least 30 minutes a night to be able to write. 

Hopefully this will help me check off number 108, Free write daily for one week, too. 

47. Clean out and redecorate the office.

A couple weeks ago, Doug and I tackled some of the office.  It still has a lot of work that needs to be done to clean it out completely, but I started to sort through some of my wedding stuff and we assembled the bookcase we purchased, so that eliminated a lot of the clutter. The geek in me is so excited to see a 5 shelf bookcase filled with books.

68. Make plans with a new friend.

This may be a cop out but I'm using RachMezz for this one! hah...my friend Rachael, AKA my sanity at work and her boyfriend, Pat, AKA Peanut Butter stopped by a cookout Doug and I had over the weekend. Would I call Rachael a new friend? No, not so much since we've been co-workers for over a year, but this was the first time we hung out outside of the TLB. So - it works - and, if I can't use RachMezz for the check mark, then I can certainly use Pat since I just met him at the cookout. So, HAH!

80.  Go Whale Watching.

I have been super antsy to check this one off my list! I researched and researched to find a place to go and most Whale Watching things were ridiculously over priced.  However, the fabulous Groupon had a 50% off promo going for Whale Watching in Gloucester, so I ordered 2 tickets. Now, Doug and I just need to find a weekend we can take advantage of it. I'm so excited!

Where was I?

I really suck at this blog thing - which, I was completing expecting so suck at it and I wanted to prove to myself I didn't suck at it - but I'm not proving myself wrong so well. BUT - here are some updates:

#3 Listen to 10 classic albums all the way through

Done! This was one of the easiest and funnest tasks!  Thanks to Chris telling me about Grooveshark, I was able to listen to these albums while at work.  I will say that Miles Davis was such a snoozefest! And obviously, I love The Beatles, Elvis and Rolling Stones so those were fun to listen to.

#7 Find a personally inspirational quote and work it into a piece of art or home decor

This is a work in progress. My all time favorite quote is by Eleanor Roosevelt and it is "The Future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." So, finding the inspirational quote was the easy part - now, how to work that into a piece of art or home decor for someone that doesn't have a creative bone in her body? That's the tough part. BUT, my boss does needlepoint crafts - and after the wedding I told her I'd need a new hobby - so, I approached her to see if she thought a needlepoint newbie could do needle point letters and work it into a piece of art. We talked about it, she knows an artist that can create a needle point pattern and I think it's going to look a little like this:

Much less detail - because I'm a newbie, but that's pretty much the idea, a landscape background with flowers to symbolize flowers and clouds to symbolize dreams.  Now the question is, do I make it a pillow or a framed piece of art?

#69 Send 12 cards or letters for no reason at all. (3/12)

So, I mentioned the fact that I mailed a letter to my "Dawson"...I guess he shipped out to Afghanistan before the letter reached him - because it came back to me.  I know I should forward it to his Afghanistan address, but I'm sort of slacking on it - I don't know why....I really need to get it done.

However, I did mail out 2 just because letters today! Big M's aunt died a few weeks ago...at the wake, her brother (Big M's uncle) and sister-in-law (Big M's aunt by marriage) mentioned to him that they wanted a copy of the big group family shot taken at my wedding. So, I made a copy of those pictures, bought cute thinking of you cards and mailed them out today! I gave Uncle Russell some special treatment and framed his picture.  It really felt kind of good inside to send a little package to him, just because.

Since I was heading to the Post Office, I made sure I completed everything that needed to be completed to get my name changed on my passport. There are still a few things that have my maiden name on them....but, I changed my name with all of my banks, credit cards, social security office, RMV and now passport, so I think I can finally check #59 Change my name with several places I haven't changed with, off the list!

I have 14% of my list checked off - and I still have 885 days left!!! Woot! 

Dear Blog, Sorry I've been avoiding you....

I feel like I haven't posted in ages.  It's not that I have nothing to say - its that I'm too damn lazy.  Anyway.....I have been working on my list.  Here are some things in the works:

11. Watch all the Star Wars movies.

This is currently a work in progress.  Spike had a marathon on a few weeks ago of Episodes 1-3. So, I watched them. For the most part, I fell asleep for a little bit in the middle of Episode 1, but by Episode 3 I was definitely hooked. Doug now refuses to answer any questions I ask about Star Wars (I've asked him a  billion). He's making me watch the movies to figure it out for myself.

22. Have a trash the dress photo shoot done.

This is semi in the works. I currently don't fit into my wedding dress. *sadface* but I talked to my photographer and we have a game plan of what the shoot is going to be. So, I just need to get my ass in gear to fit back into my dress, then we'll schedule the shoot and it'll be a done deal! :-)  THEN, I can check off #6, Get Wedding Dress Cleaned, after the shoot!

25. Go to the gym a minimum of twice a week for a month straight.

CHECK! I can't believe I accomplished this goal!! Really, for me - this is such a big deal.  I switched back to my old gym and I've really be doing a great job at going. There was only one week that I only went to the gym twice. Most of the time, I went 3 times a week.  I had my monthly check in with my trainer - unfortunetly, there's been no real progress with weight loss. My weight has gone up - my BMI is the same, and all of my measurements are the same except for losing an inch off my hips and a 1/2 inch off my thighs. So, I guess that's something. I'm a little bummed that my trainer won't be around next month and he's going to set me up with someone else.  I feel like that may make me lose some motivation.  Starting Monday, I'm going to change up my gym routine a little bit to go 5 times a week and take the weekends off. 

Part of my routine has also been to do a buttload of crunches - its been tough, but in no time - I should be able to check off task number 31, Complete 100 crunches with ease.  Now, I'll just have to stick with keeping the goal instead of checking it off and moving on.

26. Lose 30 pounds by June 1, 2010.

Unfortunetly, realistically - this is just not going to happen.  June 1st is 2 months away...there's no way I can lose 30lbs in 2 months. I haven't lost anything since I started that goal. However - I'm still working towards the goal of losing the weight - I'm just not going to make the deadline I set for myself.

Wow. That was a big update. There's more to say - but I don't want to bore anyone with my useless ramblings anymore. haha

Letter writing...

I have two goals that involve letter/card writing....

70. Send 12 cards or letters for no reason at all, and
84. Write letters to the people that molded me into who I am today and thank them for it.

Last night, I took out my stationary and wrote out a card to a very special friend.  He was my best friend growing up, we were the real life Dawson and Joey, I swear..which is probably why I enjoyed watching Dawson's Creek so much. haha

Anyway - as with most young friendships, especially when it is between a girl and a boy, once the friends start to grow up and date the friendship changes as much as you don't want it to.  It doesn't help when one of them moves away.  However, no matter how many new friends you meet along the way - no one can quite replace your childhood best friends. Not new friends, not boyfriends, not husbands. 

I haven't seen "Dawson" since we were Juniors in high school....he moved the summer going into our Senior year.  We rarely speak anymore.  There will be an occasional, how are you on facebook and that's usually the extent of it - typically, those how are you's are one sided....with no response - but I get it - he's busy.

In less than a month he is heading to Afghanistan until Christmas time.  So, I felt the need to just let him know one last time how much our friendship meant to me growing up and how as the years pass and we grow further and further apart...no one can replace the best friend I always found in him. I kept putting this letter off, not knowing exactly what to say - but I knew I needed to write it before he headed off to Afghanistan. So, last night - I consumed the biggest glass of wine I think I've ever consumed...and sat down and wrote. Before I could change my mind, I sealed the envelope. 

The letter is in the mail, I've done something I've been wanting to do for a long time now...and I have a little in progress for goal number 84. 

Theme Parties

My friend's are whining that we need a get together. I agree - a get together is in order. However, we don't really have a real reason to get together for none other than to see each other. Typically - Doug and I host events such as the superbowl, Colts/Pats game, Christmas party....but it's not Christmas time, and it's not football season - so, what's the excuse we can use to host a get together?? 

Item number 15 on my list is to Host a Theme party! That's the excuse I'm going with. However - what theme should I go with?? I really have no clue. Suggestions?

Christmas, already??

No - not quite. BUT - I did tell myself in an effort to save money this holiday season, I was going to spread out my Christmas shopping for the whole year and buy one gift each month (goal #55).  Unfortunetly, I didn't get to place an order in February because I just couldn't figure out what to buy for people.  It's actually a lot harder than you would think to spread your shopping out over the course of one year. So many people I shop for are the type of people that buy themselves stuff whenever they need it - so, trying to think of something they're not going to buy isn't easy. 

Lakeside Collection is just about my favorite thing in the entire world. I just placed an order for a few gifts for people, including 2 Christmas gifts.  So, since February only has 28 days and *technically* if it was any other month - we'd still be in the month of February - I'm going to cheat a little and say that I've succeeded in my task. :-)

First - My brother collects shot glasses.  He usually displays them on his bureau. Personally - I hate clutter and that's exactly what his bureau looks like with all the shot glasses lined up. So, I bought him this:

Best part is - It only cost $8.95!!!

Then, Big M is such a landscaping buff. He has trickets and stuff all over the yard. He ALSO collects clocks. So, I thought this gift would be perfect for him:

It's an outdoor clock and the other side is a thermometer. It cost $19.95!!! 

I also purchased this new bedset for my sister. 

                                  

She loves butterflies. I was going to tuck it away for Christmas, but Ma Duke made the good point that it would be great for the spring/summer. So, since my sister's birthday is in May - she'll get it then. For a full size bed the entire set only cost me $39.95.

I've been hunting for a Beauty and the Beast snow globe the past few years for my sister for a Christmas gift. Unfortunetly - they are ridiculously expensive. I got something in the mail last week about getting a new Disney Credit Card (which gives GREAT Disney benefits!) and Doug and I are hoping to make it to Disney for our one year anniversary (goal #14) - so, hopefully I'll be able to get her that snow globe for Christmas this year.

Can I add this one to the list??

For Christmas - Doug maxed out his credit card to get me this amazing Thomas Kinkade lithograph:

I saw in the weekend flyers that Michael's was having a 50% off custom framing sale, so we decided to finally bring it in to get framed.  $300 later we're getting it framed!!  Yes, the $300 is AFTER the 50% off sale! Ouch.

We bought a ton of artwork on our honeymoon, so we decided to buy frames for most of the other pieces as well. So, that ran us another $50.  So, we kept Michael's in business this weekend, that's for sure. Now, to find places to hang all this art.  Now that we have all the art framed, I'm getting more antsy about remodeling. So, we really need to get the ball rolling on buying the house.

This has been a task that I've been meaning to accomplish - however, I never put it on the Day Zero list. I can add it now just to get a green check mark, right?

At least I have one check mark to report, or rather, an "In Progress" to report.  Doug and I had our friend's Kevin and Shannon over for a game night on Friday night.  We played Apples to Apples. It was my first time playing this game, but I've heard a lot of great reviews about it.  Unfortunetly, the Helen Keller card was never thrown down, but we did learn that no matter what the adjective is - Flying Monkey's will ALWAYS win. Kevvy Kev and Shan Shan also brought over Wii Scene It - so, Doug and I have added that to our list of must have Wii games!!  So, let's just put a nice little gears symbol on #75, Host a game night once every other month.

                                           

Then, randomly on Saturday night Doug and I decided to go to his aunt's house for a game night.  We spent the whole night playing Pass the Popcorn...which ended up turning into Jack's an Asshole after his cousin knocked all the cards all over the place and screwed up the game a bit.  This game isn't as popular as Apples to Apples, but if you're a movie buff - you're sure to have fun! Hell, I'm not even a movie buff and I have a blast every time we play it!! Any movie you could ever imagine is included in this game:

                                                          

Hopscotch - 101 in 1001 days!

I know when I first started my blog I mentioned that I had already influenced others to start a Day Zero list (Goal #8), so that I could check that off my list. However, I just wanted to draw attention to one very special friend that I influenced. My friend, Diana is by far one of my best friends. She always influences me and encourages me to be the best that I can be. She stood beside me as my Maid of Honor on my wedding day, and she's always there when I need a shoulder to cry on (and she always brings chocolate, because she knows chocolate makes me feel better!!).

Diana finished her Day Zero list!! Not only did she finish her Day Zero list, but she is also able to check Be A Published Writer (her 30th goal) off of her list.  She wrote an article about her Day Zero list.  You can read her article here.  And yes, I am the friend she mentions in the article. :-) 

D - Congrats on becoming a published author!! LOVE YOU!

Fat Tuesday, meet Ash Wednesday

Last week, I learned the true meaning of Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras. Did you know, that the whole point to Fat Tuesday is to go wild and crazy and overload yourself on whatever it is you're giving up the next day (Ash Wednesday) for Lent?  I had no idea.

In honor of Ash Wednesday I searched my Day Zero list for something I could check off, something to rid myself of for the next 40 days.  First, I thought about Goal #82, Give Up Fast Food for one month.  I figured - Why not add 10 more days onto that month?? Then I thought back to the last time I had fast food...December 31, 2009. SOO - Goal #82 has already been accomplished without me realizing! The next best thing on my list to give up is Eliminate soda to one per week, (Goal #29).  Forget the one per week - after today, I'm quitting soda cold turkey for the next 40 days. Hopefully, for good - but if that's too much to handle, I'll go back to the original plan of one per week.  I'm thinking this will be fairly easy - soda has been losing its awesome taste to me. Usually, I have soda because I'm looking for the fizz...so, next time I go grocery shopping - I'm going to pick up some seltzer water to help me through the fizz cravings.

In other news, Valentine's Day was on Sunday. Happy belated Valentine's Day!!  Doug and I had a nice low key day at home. He made breakfast. We watched mindless TV and stayed in our pajamas all day. He me a pot roast for dinner.  I put on some Boyz II Men jams and lit our wedding unity candle to make it a little more romantic/less every day dinner-esque. You wouldn't believe how much a little bit of Candlelight and I'll Make Love To You can change a mood.  It was really the best, most romantic dinner I think we've ever had.  AND - I'm now able to check off Goal #13, Have Dinner By Candlelight.

You could always tell what kind of a person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you...

Watch 10 movies made before I was born: Goal Number 94.

Can you believe that I just watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time this weekend?   I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I never watched the classic film. BUT - it was on my list of things to do - and since it was made in 1961 I can check it off as one of my 10 films made before I was born. 

If you've never seen it before - I definitely reccommend it!!!  It was witty and romantic and well, Audrey Hepburn is just amazing! 

Next up on that list Casablanca (another legendary film which I've never seen before!!) and Eddie and the Cruisers...a movie I always manage to see half way through. I'm determined to see it beginning to end!

Numero Quatro

Develop a better skin care routine - goal #4 on my to-do list.

After taking a poll, I determined that the Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Control Kit seemed to be a pretty dependable acne fighting/skin care regime. So, I picked some up at CVS yesterday.  I washed my face last night - then applied some of the spot treatment. Without exageration - I'll tell you - my acne did look better this morning.  So, SCORE!

However, it has salicylic acid in it which typically severely dries out my face. So, I'll be keeping an eye on it.  My game plan is as follows:

1. Every morning and night wash my face with the Clean and Clear Advantage facewash (Two nights a week replace fash wash with a scrub).
2. In the morning, apply the moisturizer after washing face.
3. At night, follow up the fash wash with either prescription topical cream or glycolic acid pad.
4. Two nights a week do a mask.
5. Use the Clean and Clear on the Spot Treatment when necessary.

I never meant to make you cry, but tonight I'm Cleaning Out My Closet....

Goal Numero 59: Clean and Organize the China Closet - mission complete.

The number one reason I started the Day Zero challenge was to clean the china closet. Our china closet, is literally, a closet with my grandmother's china in it.  It's not a cabinet, like most people assume it is.  When we moved into the house, the closet was a mess. I wanted to clean it before the wedding shower, so that we'd have space to store our gifts. That never happened. THEN - I wanted to clean it before the wedding in case we received more gifts for the wedding. Yea, that never happened either. So, last week while I was on staycation, I was determined to check this goal off my list.

Doug thought it was a good idea to continue to stack our wedding gifts in the already messy closet. So, my task started out like this:

The closet is as organized now as it will get. I still think we have too much stuff, but until my brother or cousins move out on their own we are storing all of the grandparents things. So, we have to store it all somewhere.  Here are a few pictures of the after:

I am just so glad to finally have this checked off the list. I've been wanting to get this done for the longest time. So, 3 garbage bags later...we can check this off!!

Name Changes suck-kah-kahhh

I did most of the necessary name changes the week we came back from our honeymoon. But, there's still a few stragglers that need to be updated (Goal #60: Change my name with several places I haven't changed with). One, was the bank account I opened when I first started working.  I decided to tackle that task on Wednesday. HOWEVER, Ma Dukes name is on the account - and they can't officially change my name until she signs some document saying she agrees to it. Say what? Um...it's a done deal. I'm married, my name changed, you have the legal documents, what the hell does Ma Duke have to do with it??  So now, I pretty much have zero access to that account until the paperwork goes through. Paperwork doesn't go through until Ma Dukes signs the document. Knowing Ma Dukes, that document is never getting signed. Awesome.

I also changed my name on my health insurance (BTW, WTG Talbots! You update my information with my dental insurance, but not my health insurance? You're stupid) and my online pharmacy! Yay for drugs!

AND - Operation, Date night with Hubby once a month (Goal #74) was on Sunday night.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate our birthdays. Let me tell you, White Chocolate Rasberry Cheesecake, the hubby and the Colts and Saints in the superbowl are pretty damn good birthday gifts. Happy Birthday to ME! Can't wait for the game next weekend!

Finances...BLECK!

Every year I've made the new years resolution to make a budget and keep to it. Every year, I fail miserably.  The way I manage to not over spend the money in my bank account is by constantly checking my online statement. Well, #53, Learn to balance a check book and keep it balanced is one way to help me stick to a budget.  With this week's paycheck, I decided it was time to get this under control. So, I tracked all my bills and such in my check book this morning.  Let's see how long I can keep at this. 

Also, on Tuesday night, Diana and I went to the mall, then met MaryBeth back at my house and we all chilled for a bit. It was really low-key, Doug was there, playing video games, but we ignored him, and he ignored us - so, I believe that constitutes as a girls night. So, we can give myself a Big Fat "In Progess" on item number 73, Have a Girls Night Once Every Other Month.  Next month, Board Game Night (#75)!

PS - I'm moving right along for Goal #3 - listening to Highway 61, Revisited right now! :-)

I get by with a little help from my friends....

Goal #3, Listen to 10 classic albums all the way through. When I'm in a funk, I like to listen to music. I'm in a funk (Re: my last post). So, I decided to start checking things off my day zero list. So, this brings me to goal number 3. I googled "Best Albums of All Time" and I came up with this top 500 list from Rolling Stones.  The list is pretty awesome, so this is the list I shall use.  I originally planned to listen to the top 10 albums listed however, that would mean 4 Beatles albums, and 2 Bob Dylan albums. As awesome as The Beatles and Bob Dylan are, I wanted more of a variety. So, I'm using the top 10 albums by different artists. The 10 albums I shall listen to are:

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
3. Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan
4. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
5. Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones
6. London Calling, The Clash
7. The Sun Sessions, Elvis Presley
8. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
9. Velvet Underground and Nico, The Velvet Underground
10. Are You Experienced?, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

However, there are tons of albums on this list that I've always wanted to listen to - so, if I'm feeling super ambitious, I may keep going with more than 10 and listen to all 500.

Big shout out to Chris McCarthy for introducing me to GrooveShark.  I am currently checking Sgt. Pepper off the list!!

Sometimes you just have to learn to let go....

So, $10 needs to be transferred into my savings account for not completing a task (Goal #64).  I've come to the realization that Goal #71, Make plans with childhood best friend every second Tuesday of the month, just isn't going to happen.  I tried - but I tried as much as I could. 

Sometimes, you just need to realize that people don't care about you as much as you care about them and that it's time to let them go.  It's heartbreaking - I'm crushed right now.  I'll be crushed for a few days, but then I'm going to pick myself up, dust myself off and realize that the friends I have in my life right now are the ones that will be there for me when I need them.

We've been friends for 20 years. Whenever someone says "best friend" regardless of what points we've been at in our lives, she's always been the one I've pictured. The past 6 years I've tried to save our fragile friendship. I was an idiot for thinking that she really wanted to get our friendship back on track.  I'll still picture her as the best friend, since she was for a majority of my life. You never forget your first best friend, much like you'll never forget your first true love. But sometimes, you just need to let them go.

Did someone say book club?

Okay, confession time....I spend an unhealthy amount of time on The Nest...I swore I never would, but after "meeting" a ton of awesome ladies on The Knot while planning my wedding, I couldn't just say "Sionara" once the wedding was over....so, now - I spend a good chunk of my day laughing and bitching with girls across the country that are at the same stage of life I'm in....including the "I need to get back into reading" stage. So, TA-DA!  After a collective effort by Amelia and Sara, the Niners Book Club has been formed.  Thank you for helping me work towards checking #34, Organize OR participate in a Book Club, off my list, ladies!!

Amelia compiled book suggestions from everyone.  The list will be on going but currently the list is:

1. Wicked by Gregory MaGuire (Jill)
2. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Jill)
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Jill)
4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Jill)
5. Half Broken Horses by Jeanette Walls (Steeser)
6. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (MB & tgoff)
7. The Host by Stephanie Meyer (MB & Michi)
8. A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin (MB)
9. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (MB)
10. Under The Dome - Stephen King (MB)
11. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski (MB)
12. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Nat)
13. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Nat)
14. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Nat & sarges05girl)
15. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (Shmoo_Lou & Rach)
16. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson (Shmoo_Lou)
17. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (tgoff)
18. What Comes After Crazy by Sandi Kahn Shelton (tgoff)
19. Julia’s Chocolates by Cathy Lamb (tgoff)
20. Why Girls Are Weird by Pamela Ribon (tgoff)
21. March by Geraldine Brooks (wamozart)
22. Gertain Girls by Jennifer Weiner (firefly)
23. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby (firefly)
24. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan (firefly)
25. The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (firefly & melpfaff)
26. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (shakken)
27. Impossible Motherhood by Irene Vilar (shakken)
28. Notes Left Behind by Brooke Desserich (sarges05girl)
29. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay (Laurie)
 
Amelia then had a random number picked from random.org.  And here is our first book - What Comes After Crazy by Sandy Kahn Shelton.  I've already reserved my copy at the library. I'll be picking that up tomorrow.
 
Now, where to find time to read What Comes After Crazy, Wicked, and the Eleanor Roosevelt autobiography that I've already started reading....

Uno, dos, tres, quatro!

Check number 91, Attend a Zumba class off the to-do list! I attended a Zumba class tonight with my favorite, bride-to-be.  It was crazy fun...but an insane workout.  I LOVED doing the merengue - it reminded me of our wedding when we tried to keep up with our friends who were dancing to it. The salsa was a good time as well. 

Before the Zumba class, we attended a weight lifting class too. Now, I can't move so much.

I would love to continue with Zumba, however, the membership is $60 a month.  I can't really pull that money together right now. So, for now - it will be an occasional fun workout. I'm pretty sure Comcast OnDemand has a few videos - maybe I'll do some of those in the comfort of my own home instead of looking like a tool in front of a bunch of people.

I'm nobody, Who are you?

I don't love poetry. But, being an English major in college, I had to learn to like it. Some poetry, I'd go so far as to say I appreciate.  That is what made me decide to add goal #88, Create a book of 25 favorite poems to my list.  I want to learn to appreciate all poetry, as well as collect the few poems that I've always enjoyed.

The first poem I ever liked was Emily Dickinson's I'm Nobody, Who Are You? I was in 7th grade when I heard it and for some reason I feel in love with it.  Since then, I've been intrigued by Emily Dickinson and I've done quite a lot of research on her.  She was an odd person, that's for sure.  So, poem 1/25 is Emily Dickinson's I'm Nobody, Who Are You?

I ’m nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!

They ’d banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!

How public, like a frog

To tell your name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

Out with the old, In with the new!

The lia sophia work space has officially been cleaned!!!  I wish I could say the same about the rest of the office...but that's not really possible.  So, Goal #56, Clean lia sophia work station and keep it organized is done! Granted, keeping it organized will be a constant effort - but the main goal was too clean it...and here it is:

I was inspired at the starte of the new year with the Motto, "Out with the old, In with the new." So, cleaning has been my main focus since the ball dropped.  Needless to say, when I woke up at noontime on New Years Day I went to town on goal #66, Purge and Donate old clothes from closets twice a year has officially begun.   The closet started out looking like this:

And is now looking like this:

There's still a lot of work to do with it.  Since we inherited the family mess along with the house, there's still some things that belong to Big M (my dad) that I need to go through.  He has a box of all the letters people wrote him when he was stationed in Germany...I'd like to make him a scrapbook or something with those (Oh! Brilliant idea!! Add that to the list of 101 things to do after this list is done!!!).  I'd also like to purge all the clothes I have in my bureaus that I never wear...so, this is definitely an on going work in progress...but! I'm happy to say it's underway!

Operation lose 30 elbees by June 1, 2010

Last night, before bed...I hopped on the scaled and saw the most horrifying thing ever...170.4 pounds.  I never thought I would EVER reach this weight, nor did I ever think I would publicly admit to being this weight, but I need to hold myself accountable.  Granted, I told myself that you should never weigh yourself at night because your stomach is full, etc. But, I needed to get a smack of reality.

So, today is my first day back to work after taking a long weekend for New Years. Today is my first day back to reality.  Today is my first day back to changing my eating habits and making myself a healthier me.

Today officially starts goal numero 26 - lose 30 pounds by June 1, 2010. I'd like to eventually lose more weight than 30...I'd like to reach 125-130. But, I'm not going to get a head of myself.  I'll make another goal once I accomplish losing 30 pounds.

How am I going to get this done?
I am going to:

1. cut down to eating out a maximum of once a week.
2. drink 2L of water a day (#28)
3. go to the gym a minimum of once a week...after I get use to that routine, I will up it to 2 days (#25)
4. Sign back up for WW.
5. Follow MB's 200 in 2010 blog and make at least 30 recipes from her blog (#50)

I lost 20 pounds in 3 months the first time I joined weight watchers. I had a lot less to lose then...so, 30 pounds in 6 months should be a sinch.  Here's hoping!