Today Noah and I spent the day together going to different stores on the downtown mall. He got a pair of Vans that he's been talking about for a while now, and I got two tops from a local store, Bittersweet.

Now I'm off to get ready for a night with Noah's professor and colleagues from school. My throat is hurting a bit, pretty sore, and not sure why.

Not too much progress on my 101 list, except I donated 150 grains of rice. Hopefully tomorrow I'll work on a few items from the list.

101 Things to Do in 1001 Days

I came across this idea from here and would like to partake, since I'm obsessed with lists.

Blue is in progress.
Pink is complete.

Start date is today: January 30, 2009.
End date is October 28, 2011.

House
1. Clean out the basement
2. Clear off all hard drives on computers and donate computers
3. Buy a house
4. Clean and sell my wedding dress
5. Go 90 days straight without buying anything new (not including food and toiletries for hygiene) (last date I bought something new: 1/30/09)
6. Buy a queen size bed
7. Have a garage sale
8. Donate or sell 500 things from the house (52/500)
9. Make doggie biscuits for Steve

Family
1. Visit relatives in New Jersey at least 2 times (0/2)
2. Visit relatives in Chicago
3. Finish wedding album for mom
4. Get pregnant
5. Date night twice a month (3/66)
6. Make dinner with Noah once every two weeks (0/66)
7. Visit my mother once every two months (0/17)
8. Stop taking antibiotics by the end of 1001
9. Get another piercing

Body
1. Go to the dentist once a year (0/3)
2. Weigh 110 pounds (2/10)
3. Donate my hair to Locks of Love
4. Donate blood at least 3 times (0/3)
5. Get another tattoo
6. Got to the gym 3 times a week for 6 months (0/72)
7. Do yoga once a week for 3 months (0/12)
8. Run in a race (maybe the Charlottesville 10-miler)
9. Pamper yourself at least once a month (2/33)
10. Drink nothing but water Monday through Friday for one month (0/30)
11. Wash my face every night before bed, no matter what
12. Walk Steve 4 times a week every week
13. Get a professional massages once every 6 months (0/5)
14. Get my cholesterol checked
15. Take a vitamin daily
16. Private**

Finances
1. Pay of all three of my credit cards
2. Save $12,500 (minus anything towards a downpayment for a house)
3. Create a monthly budget and expense plan
4. Sign up for life insurance
5. Put $20 in special savings account for each item on this list achieved

Craft
1. Make cards at the letterpress
2. Letterpress a poem of sisters
3. Send in a postsecret postcard
4. Knit a blanket
5. Knit Broad Street Mittens
6. Establish a successful vintage housewares store on Etsy (sell at least 20 items) (0/20)
7. Get a booth at the Charlottesville City Farmer's Market (can join in with friends)
8. Take an art or craft class (at least 2 classes) (0/2)
9. Make a wedding album
10. Knit a sweater
11. Make a pair of socks for Mom
12. Learn 10 origami pieces (0/10)
13. Learn how to crochet
14. Make a book and bind it
15. Give all handmade gifts for at least one Chanukah
16. Make 15 sets of napkins to sell on Etsy or at the Market (0/15)
17. Make an oven mitt for Noah
18. Spend at least 5 hours each week working on art or crafts.
19. Design a logo for Vintage Virginia
20. Design a logo for handmade crafts
21. Learn embroidery
22. Make my own paper for paper crafts
23. Make a new craft for each new baby of a friend (1/2)
24. Finish all knitting projects I have started or unravel them

Travel
1. Go to Israel for at least one month
2. Go on a Kentucky Bourbon tour (and visit Kentucky Lake)
3. Meet Noah's paternal uncle
4. Go camping (at least 3 times) (0/3)
5. Go hiking (at least 6 times) (0/6)
6. Go to 2 different outdoor music festivals (0/2)
7. Go on vacation to the Caribbean
8. Go west of the Mississippi

Misc.
1. Volunteer at a hospital in the baby ward and rock babies
2. Frame diplomas and certificates for office
3. Blog regularly (at least 3 times a week) for 3 months
4. Resize my father's bracelet
5. Give at least 5 "just because" gifts. (0/5)
6. Get ring insured.
7. Finish thank you cards from wedding
8. Write 10 "just because" cards and send to friends. (0/10)
9. Make a concerted effort to learn Spanish.
10. Post 10 books on PaperBackSwap or Bookcrossing (2/10)
11. Do not buy a new book for 12 months (start date 1/30/09)
12. Make a list of 101 things that make me happy.
13. Read 50 books. (1/50)
14. Leave a $20 tip on a meal under $20 2 times (0/2)
15. Sell my car and buy a manual car.
16. Host a clothing swap twice a year (1/6)
17. Watch a black and white movie
18. See four plays (0/4)
19. Have a girls night 10 times (1/10)
20. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice (2140/1,000,000)
21. Go 1 week without watching any television (0/7)
22. Go to a drive-in movie
23. Go to a Washington Redskins game
24. Go to a Washington Capitals game
25. Monitor and update my list as needed
26. Reread To Kill a Mockingbird
27. Upload my Ipod with music I like
28. Officially change my name
29. Read the Torah
30. See a therapist for 6 months

And of course Write new 101/1001 list

I didn't do very well on my list of things to do. Seriously, I didn't accomplish once single thing, except go to the jail and see 2 clients (not 3) and work on cleaning up my desk.

I'm going to persevere, not get discouraged, and keep on working on my daily goals. These daily goals are for the purpose of reaching an even bigger, more existential goal. That is to live a stress-free life. A stress-free life allows more possibility of being free of fatigue, sadness, hostility, resentment, the list could go on.

Being productive at work enables me to be on top of my dozens of cases, which then in turn leads to me being prepared for all of my cases, when then in turns leads to not being stressed out.

Being productive at home enable me to enjoy more time with my family, keep track of finances (so I'm not worrying so much about money), and spending less time looking for stuff amidst all the clutter.

Anyhow, this is why I like my daily goals.

The end.

Some of yesterday's goals were accomplished. All of my work goals were accomplished. But my personal goals, I didn't do so well. I came home last night, finished up my work goals and only managed to write 4 thank you cards. Hey, that's 4 less cards I need to write by Sunday. But of course, I got sucked in by some movie - at least it was one I'd never seen before. Sometimes I get sucked in my movies I've seen at least 2 dozen times and can't pull myself away from the boob tube.

Today's personal goals:
1. Go to the gym
2. Write 10 thank you cards
3. Cross-check 75 receipts with bank statement.

Today's professional goals:
1. Clean off desk
2. Go to the jail and visit 3 clients
3. Work on 2 divorce cases.

I like writing out my daily goals here. By putting them out there, I feel more compelled to complete these goals. Like the internets are holding me responsible, keeping tabs on me.

I have other mechanisms in my life for keeping me on track with my longer life goals. I keep a Daily Log at work of the work I've done for that day. Not only is this to keep track of the work I've done for specific clients but also to see how productive I am each day. And of course, I have smaller goals on that daily log as well.

Is this a sign of being a control freak? Needing to keep tabs on everything I do?

Daily Goals

My three personal goals today:
1. Write 10 thank you cards for wedding presents. I am way overdue. And no longer a classy bride.
2. Fill one shopping bag of clothes I no longer wear for the Clothing Swap on Monday.
3. Go through last months receipts and balance with my checking account.

My three professional goals today:
1. Spend one hour going through phone messages, returning phone calls, etc.
2. Close out three cases that are complete.
3. Spend 30 minutes going through emails, returning emails, filing emails, etc.

Okay, let's see how I do today.

Three random links

Artfull Bras

DUI on a Lawnmower

Knitting Festival

Vintage Virginia

New items at Vintage Virginia, with more coming soon.

Please visit often.

New Year Resolutions?

As I've been procrastinating at work, or clearing my head of clients and all their problems, I've been scouring the internets seeing many lists of new year resolutions. And I don't want to miss out on all the fun. But I can't really nail down one thing I want to change, make better, do differently. I'm constantly making resolutions, regardless of the day on the calendar.

1. N and I are saving money for a downpayment on a home. My number one goal this year is to save enough money for a downpayment on a home. Because of the way my mind works, I have thought of different ways to accomplish this. Just having a goal isn't enough for me. I need a plan. But my plan is for another post.

2. My number two goal is to pay down our outstanding debt. I'm not going to go into how much, but it ain't pretty. Granted, anything remaining after paying rent and bills went towards the wedding. Now that the wedding is over, we're are more likely to actually make a dent in paying down this dent.

3. I will continue this list in my next post. But here is a sweet photo of sister and N on the last night of Chanukah.

I am sitting on the couch with sister underneath a beautifully crocheted blanket we received as a wedding present.  It's been a while since I've sat on the couch for hours at a time, or even an hour at a time for that matter.

The wedding is over, and now the real work begins.  It was a beautiful wedding, everything I could've imagined and more.  I had post-wedding blues when it was over but have recovered. 

I've been back to work since Monday.  My productivity level is not at a full 100% but may be so once January 2 comes along.   

Looking forward to getting the pictures from our fantastic photographer.  Seriously, she rocks. Too bad she doesn't live here in Charlottesville cause I'd stalk her on the phone and lure her out with promises of alcohol.  Oh wait, she's preggers.  

When's the barley and mushroom soup going to be done?  I'm hungry.