21.4.09

101 in 1001

Over at Great Hera, Sarah's resurrected the 101 in 1001, which I read and thought, 'hey, you know, I'm having a fairly unproductive first quarter of the year too, let's DO IT'. The first time it went around, I thought it was a great idea but kind of knew I'd be setting myself up for failure. I think I'm ready now. Or at least, I'm ready to fail.

And here you go: Evidence I have promised to Do Stuff (Davy Crockett, this list took forever)

  1. Finish this list and post it. Which completely counts.
  2. Take the Mister and kids to Mount Saint Helen's on a day trip, because they've never been. Hike, have a picnic, enjoy the gorgeous and don't get eaten by a bear/eaten by bugs/fall/lose anyone.
  3. Finish a knitting project every week. Which equals to 143 finished projects, I think. Two to three weeks leeway for Big Projects, but I tend not to lean towards those anyways.
  4. Repaint the living room and get everything properly framed and up, therefore finishing said living room.
  5. Redecorate kitchen. Possibly to a Rooster theme, because nothing says delicious like cocks in a kitchen. Wait . . . what?
  6. Go on a writing/creativity retreat weekend with nothing but my notebooks and crafty things. This is a two-fer, where I will also realize the house will not explode if I leave the Mister and children to their own devices to do something selfish for myself. I went on a road trip two years ago, but it was more chore and less fun/not at all personally productive, so it doesn't count. (Bonus points for only using the phone to check in on family.)
  7. Take a real summer vacation with the fam, where we drive somewhere, get terribly cranky and end the week exhausted but ultimately pleased with 1000 photos no one will want to look at but us. Bonus points if no one gets seriously injured/lost.
  8. Take the Mister and kids to Mount Rainier on a day trip, because again, they've never been. Hike, have a picnic, enjoy the gorgeous and don't get eaten by a bear/eaten by bugs/fall/lose anyone.
  9. Find or form a D&D group. One that I'm actually comfortable gaming in for a long period of time and feel 100% in.
  10. Call my long-distance/don't see often friends to talk. Every two weeks, dammit, and try not to be such a guy on the phone.
  11. Revamp wardrobe to reflect my strong desire for Neo-Victorian/Funky Indie.
  12. Get webcomic live and running. This is an early summer goal, actually, and a project that's been in the works for the last month. I think that it still counts as part of my 101 list.
  13. Form a writing critique group with other writer friends.
  14. Finish RL and get proper critique on it. Then, ashcan the bastard and pimp it out.
  15. Blog more regularly.
  16. Make a more active effort to not lose: phone, phone charger, keys, drivers license, debit card and important pieces of mail that make my Mister twitch.
  17. Be a better commenter--I am forever failing to leave comments on blog posts that I think are great, which is the suckage. Boo on me.
  18. Find rhythm.
  19. Learn to play one of Mister's guitars.
  20. Finish LW. Then harass writer group for critique.
  21. Make Sarah a custom Sackboy.
  22. Make Robyn a custom Sackboy.
  23. Make a custom Zombie Sackboy for Christina, to commemorate her finishing her online novel which you should all be reading at The Occult Consult.
  24. Be Smoke Free.
  25. Redecorate our bedroom/bathroom while Mister is not looking. This will require new carpets, paint and finding a bed frame as well as Decorations. Resist urge to put Templesmith print in bedroom. Bloody, scary vampires are apparently not conducive to sleeping or sexy time. Tch.
  26. Go see Marian Call. I'm bummed that I didn't get to this year, thanks to life being life.
  27. Have coffee and baked treats with Marian. Because that'd be awesome. Go team.
  28. Get the garden and lawn up to snuff. This will probably involve learning how to garden-tend something other than a cactus. And manual labor.
  29. Successfully get all roommates to fly the coop.
  30. Turn first empty bedroom into an office/music room for Mister.
  31. Turn second empty bedroom into Super Awesome Girl Room Of Doom.
  32. [NOT PUBLISHED BECAUSE I'M A MEAN BITCH AND WORD GETS AROUND]
  33. While it may seem that I am quite good at not putting up with people's shit--because I am--I tend to later on, second-guess myself. I will stop second-guessing myself, because my first instinct is usually the correct one. Having to eat a little crow and apologize later is easier than putting up with shit I don't have to from people I don't care about. SHORT VERSION: Suck it, whiners.
  34. Convince my friends I will not be mean to them, so that they will always be friends with me.
  35. Get Gargamel tattoo. I will need to figure out WHERE a good home for Gargamel is. And also con my Mister into thinking it isn't an unattractive idea. And also Azrael, curled about my wrist (the evil kitty will be significantly easier).
  36. Learn a language. Any language, just learn it: speaking, understanding, reading and writing. Pig Latin doesn't count.
  37. Go on a cruise.
  38. See a game at Safeco field. It's just silly not to have been yet.
  39. Be a better email friend.
  40. Okay, let's be honest: Be a better friend. You suck, K. I fall into the trap of not doing things Right Then and my days can get swallowed up really easily. I just need to do things when I think of them, not putting them off to that mythical hour where I'll have a free hand.
  41. Con my mister into a snazzy outfit, get a snazzy outfit for myself and go somewhere snazzy for a show and dinner. Then have snazzy all-night sex together in a nice hotel and sleep in until 10.
  42. Put together those homework and art scrapbooks for Bug. That pile of paper isn't getting any smaller. He may never care, but a future significant other may want to see the adorable.
  43. Start taking care of my nails. This has been a goal for a while, continually ruined by chores. Get those chore gloves, stupid, so that your nails look pretty. This isn't as foolish as it may seem.
  44. Get published. Is this already on here? Well, too bad if it is, this one is important. It can be on here twice.
  45. Learn how to make a stuffed animal, then make a chupacabra.
  46. Go on a summer road trip. Try to go by self, since other people in close proximity for a few days may result in an inferno-like death.
  47. Meet some online friends in person for coffee/meals/drinking on said road trip.
  48. Organize and transcribe great-great-great grandmother's journals onto the computer for grandmother's birthday. This is going to be a freaking nightmare, by the way, the woman wrote tiny as hell, the documents are all over fifty years old and there's a lot of them. But my grandmother will be happy, and she is a great lady who deserves labor-filled gifts.
  49. Read 52 novels each year.
  50. Get my sew on properly-finish one project every three weeks.
  51. Attend the Steampunk convention in costume. I am loathe to attend things in costume, as I loathe people staring at me. But my concept design for this costume is gorgeous, will be comfortable and not require baring my Very Pale Legs for this. Also, it is gorgeous and deserves to be made. I will not look as silly as I feel I will.
  52. Drag a group of friends to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror. Volunteers?
  53. Drag a group of friends to a midnight showing of Repo: The Genetic Opera. Volunteers?
  54. Throw myself a MASSIVE 30th Themed Birthday Party. Invite everyone. Send children away for the weekend. Drunkenly enjoy turning thirty.
  55. Up work-out to four times a week, maintain size 6 status. Especially firm up the last bit of the Pregnant Flabby Thighs.
  56. Karaoke. I'll need to be fairly drunk for this, and I still probably won't get up there. Wait--GROUP Karaoke. There. Volunteers?
  57. Throw 8 themed parties. Because they are fun. Birthday doesn't count.
  58. Get Bug involved in a sport, to balance out all the art/music he does. If he hates it, he can stop after the season, but he must do one season.
  59. Figure out how to tear down and replace walls. Then, get rid of the wall separating my kitchen and dining room. Put in an island.
  60. Sell house if market has recovered. Move back up north. Try not to lose a ton of money in the process. (this will be one of the last to get done, I'm sure)
  61. Start taking walks for no reason, other than to be alone and chill out for a bit.
  62. Remember/relearn how to code for websites.
  63. Find someone to teach Bug how to use Photoshop since I am a Photoshop failure.
  64. Start using camera more, and flickr. Possibly join a few flickr groups and stick with them properly. Any recommendations?
  65. Participate and complete Nanowrimo. It's difficult, since I usually make Thanksgiving dinner for a Bunch Of People, but not impossible. Difficult is the juice of life anyway.
  66. Participate and complete 3 other Nanowrimo-like writing challenges.
  67. Stick with Redaction blog.
  68. Set up a Day Plan the night before and stick with it. Organizing my time is key.
  69. Hm.
  70. Make pickles at home.
  71. Learn how to make potato chips.
  72. Each month, pick a cuisine style. Every week, do 2 recipes of increasing difficulty in that style, post results.
  73. Don't give family food poisoning.
  74. Buy a bread machine. I would save a ton of money in the long run, since we go through more bread than you could believe, and also it'll be fun to make craaaaazy breads. Uh.
  75. Find a machine like that robotic little vacuum cleaner, only it's a mop. Buy it. Every room in the house but two are wood floors and I am so. tired. of. mopping. You wouldn't believe it. I may just start forcing people to wear tiny mops on the bottom of their feet.
  76. Make sure I enjoy every day with the kids. I'm never going to have this age with them again, and every day they each do at least one thing that amazes me.
  77. Take more photographic evidence of amazing things.
  78. Clean out garage, then have a garage sale. Give away/throw away everything that is left over. DO NOT KEEP ANYTHING. Once it goes for sale, it is officially Gone.
  79. Secretly redo the garage while Mister is gone for a weekend. This will involve repainting, installing shelves and reorganizing all his stuff for him in a way that makes sense for HIM, not me. That last bit is key. (all this secret stuff works, since amazingly, Mister does not read my blog.)
  80. Take a family picture for photo holiday cards. Force everyone to dress in matching outfits, hopefully in ridiculous sweaters. Possibly also reindeer antlers. Think of something hilarious and mocking to put on them, then mail. MERRY HOLIDAYS.
  81. Get people to stop buying me gifts that I appreciate, but don't need. Get them instead to donate $5-$10 dollars to a small 'indie' cause that deserves presents. Except Mister. He should frequently buy me gifts.
  82. Learn how to work leather and metal and make neat things.
  83. Figure out how to bake without the results looking like something a small child would proudly present to their parent.
  84. Every three months, write a letter for each of the kids for when they are older. Nothing sappy, just about what they've been doing the last few months. Include pictures. They should never think they are not awesome and unique and constantly amazing to Mister and I. Also, so that when they are shitty teenagers telling me that I don't really understand/care/love them, I have Proof that they're idiots. Why yes, I am plotting against my children. Every parent should.
  85. Take a massage therapy class, then use new skills to get Mister to complete Honey-Do lists with a little more speed.
  86. Figure out how to make beer, then try it. Try not to poison people with the results.
  87. Figure out how to make wine, then do it. Try not to poison people with the results.
  88. Go visit my very dear friend in California, she deserves a surplus of love. Take her drinking and dancing without complaining ONCE.
  89. Do another winery tour--we've got enough of them over here.
  90. Learn how to snowboard.
  91. Don't break anything while learning how to snowboard.
  92. Post results for almost all completed list things on blog. You guys can't hear about the two redacted things, and one would just be way TMI.
  93. Do not take in anymore stray people. Or re-admit previous roomies. They'll be FINE on their OWN.
  94. [Redacted because she'd fucking KILL ME if I posted this one. I'm occasionally respectful.]
  95. Interview someone awesome.
  96. Go to 10 author signings--we get a good amount coming through this area, and it's something I forever MEAN to do.
  97. Pressure-wash and restain fence. Borrrrrrring.
  98. Recommended by Palindrome because I got stuck and he clearly wishes to see me fail: To be less Awesome in public so that my friends won't be so jealous all the time. (I AM READY FOR FAILURE.)
  99. Utilize the family's beach house at least 3 times every summer. The packing for/drive up sucks, but it's always worth it. Whidbey Island is one of my absolute favorite places to relax.
  100. Go see a UFC fight in Vegas.
  101. Have an awesome three years, for I will never see them again.

12 comments:

qtilla said...

5. Good idea, but you cannot have my rooster napkin holder.

9. A girl's gamer group? Pick me!!! Me Me!

53. Yes.

56. Yes.

57. You can use my recipe. Delicious!

75. They make those. I believe they are called scoobas.

100. Invite me and I will make my dad get us the good seats... and maybe pay!!

PalinDrome said...

My only comment is that you have too many unquantifiable items on your list. But then again I am an engineer and it is my job to quantify the world while you are an inspiring writer and it is yours to inspire the world.

Unknown said...

I gleefully volunteer for 52, 53, & 56 as they all seem like a blast! excellent musical horror films & drunken karaoke FTW...

When Sarah posted this I said I was gonna right one up... and I haven't even started... guess it time to get crackin'...

Ally said...

I would, in a heartbeat, join you for a Midnight showing of Repo and/or Rocky Horror <3

I just thought of this. Who am I, in your real-life Rocky cast? :o

Elwood said...

That's way too ambitious for me to make my own list, but let me know if I can assist with any items on yours. I'm a great utility player.

technogreek said...

I'm down for #53, and I feel your pain on #98, it's just something you can't help :)

As for everything else, like Todd, any assistance I can provide (maybe story idea bouncing and/or edits), I'm down!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic!

11. -- I'm a big fan of naming your style (even though I can't seem to name mine) and this sounds PERFECT. You should Wardrobe Remix.

13. -- Local or virtual?

21., 22. -- YES. Robyn's will be Spider-Woman, I imagine.

26. -- She's terrific.

41. -- I approve of snazziness.

46., 47. -- LA stop will be involved, right? Right??

51. Pale Legs are awesome.

Amazing list with lots of amazing things on it. Go, you!

kylestevensmusic said...

love this list! Too many #'s to thrown kudos to...
I wish you many of these crossed off in the next few years, and liked the one about getting Bug involved in sports. Good to balance, and then he'll always be glad he was better at art. ;) That is unless he wants to be a dancer...and then that's just fine. Dance away young man. Let's go snowboarding next year!
K and M

Dr. Zoltar said...

Here's what I can help with:

9. But I'm allowed to punch in the face anyone that becomes a rules lawyer or who strays from the story the DM is trying to tell.

51. Would be fun and I've been wanting to make something for this as well.

52. Sue used to play Magenta.

60. I will actively stop you from doing this because this will mean you will move far, far away. Which will make SuJo sad.

62. Sue codes for a website.

89.

96. Sue and I do this on a regular basis. I can send you links to website that list signings. Our last one? Jimmy Carter.

Ms Alex said...

I love your list. I've read a lot of them while setting my own mission 101 up and while working on my mission 101 strategy blog. Your list is one of the few that has made me have fits of giggles. In a good way. I look forward to seeing how you do. :)

BTW, there are some lists that made me giggle in an evil, bitchy way and I do plan to put a post on the strategy blog some day of the weirdest... you know, things like '43. Be abducted by aliens (yes, I'm serious)'.

Kristina said...

@all: Okay, if interested in the D&D game, email me at k.wrightgeeked @ gmail . com and we'll all work out a Plotty Dinner Night to get together and hammer all the particulars out! I'm so super-pleased there's a lot of votes.

@Q: Email me the recipe! And oh, oh I wants.

@P: That's one of the nicest things someone's said to me in a while, thank you. :)

@M: Better get on it!

@A: I'll let you know when and where, my love.

@E: You and your lady's attendance is mandatory for a few of these. ;)

@TG: Thank you! And it's so painful to be awesome, I know. Let's get bluetooths and start a support group.

@S: Thank you--and oooh, hey, I think I'll sign up! That'll make use of my 'take more pictures' project! And for the writing group, I was thinking virtual! I'll be sending an email your way soon to see if you're interested! (subtlesubtle.)

LA stop is very much on!!

@Kyle: Thank you! And I have high hopes. We should definitely go snowboarding--I've no doubt I'm going to be terribly clumsy about it. Which just means more beer later!

Dr. Z: Yes you are. And oooh, steampunk con-we're on! It's a group date! I'll clearly be picking her brain later and stealing the pair of you frequently. Which, hey, any excuse I can jump on is great.

Ms Alex: Thanks for the nice words and the comment! I'm excited about the list, so we'll see how it goes. Glad I could give you a laugh. Being abducted by aliens would be an expensive goal, at the very least.

Ferretnick said...

I'm thinking that if the latter half of #41 is the 'reward', then conning the mister shouldn't be a problem. ;^)

#52
Oooh oooh!! Me! I'll go!

#53
Haven't seen it, but since I personally own an assortment of cheesy films I'm totally up for it

#56
I already sang "War Pigs" in Rock Band. I could probably do it again NOT DRUNK if the occasion presented itself

#74
I have one I'm not using. Interested?

#91
Did that last year myself. Had a lot of fun but DEFINITELY feeling my age (Ugh!)
Didn't break anything, though (bonus!)