Thursday, January 21, 2010

San Fran was a success

I just returned from San Francisco after a 5-day business trip and I'm happy to say that the trip was successful. Other than a few raindrops to spoil the mood, it was good fun and quite productive. What a great city to visit. I've been so many times and I never tire of the vibrant ambiance. People watching, shopping and energy abound. It's almost electric.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Ah, my Day Zero list.. Finally, 101

I finished picking my items.. I finally finished. It's been difficult. I was segregating and of course, while most of them are travel.. I felt I had to do some that weren't all about me. I felt very selfish, so some had to be changed.. Here's the latest and greatest:

Adventure Dive at least 10 times 0/10
Adventure Ride a horse along the beach
Adventure Ride a mechanical bull
Adventure Ride in a hot air balloon
Adventure Sing karaoke at a bar
Adventure Swim with dolphins
Adventure Parasail
Adventure Learn to ride (drive) a motorcycle
Adventure Catch a lobster in the ocean
Adventure Watch a space shuttle launch - close to Kennedy Space
Creative Create a photographic journal for 7 days 0/7
Creative Find an inspirational quote and work it into a piece of art or home decor
Creative Mail a letter or card at least once a month 0/30
Creative Make a photo album for a loved one
Creative Write a poem for someone that means something
Creative Write a book-screenplay-story
Creative Catalog and Research my stored wines
Creative Start painting figurines again
Creative Start and Finish a Scrapbook
Creative Sell Things on Ebay for travel cash
Creative Bake Cookies and put them in pretty containers to give to friends
Education Read a non-fiction book written by someone I disagree with
Education Learn the full use of Photoshop
Education Learn how to use my Dad's Camera Equipment
Education Learn to Design a website
Education Learn to Play Piano (again)
Education Learn to Ballroom Dance
Education Learn to Canoe/Kayak properly
Education Take a Cooking Course
Education Take a Wine Tasting Course
Education Renew my First Responder Certification
Entertainment Host a board game night
Entertainment Host a Girls' Night In.. Mani-Pedi-Wine-Stories
Entertainment Host a Wine & Cheese event with actual variety of items
Entertainment Host Dinner & Movie night for friends
Entertainment Read Every Harry Potter book
Entertainment Read the original versions of fairy tales
Entertainment See a Rodeo or Bullfight
Entertainment Watch 10 movie "classics" I haven't seen before
Entertainment See a Cirque De Soleil Show
Entertainment Hit a bucket of balls on a Driving Range
Entertainment Organize & throw a surprise party for someone
Food Try to be a Vegetarian for 3 months 0/3
Food Make Bread from scratch
Food Make a Cake from Scratch
Food Help Nelson overcome 2 New foods
For Myself Save $50 weekly for extras
For Myself Live within my means
For Myself Eliminate non-fitting clothing from my wardrobe
For Myself Lose 75 pounds
For Myself Feel comfortable in a bathing suit
For Myself Buy a Gun and become licensed for a Concealed Weapon
For Myself Start an exercise regiment
For Myself Run a mile
For Myself Train for a bike run
For Myself Take Vitamins
For Myself Stay Healthy for 60 days 0/60
For Myself Treat myself to a Spa Day
For Myself Have a mother/daughter day just because
For Myself Take a Spinning Class
For Myself Have studio photographs taken
Giving Back Adopt an animal
Giving Back Donate Money to 5 charities 0/5
Giving Back Send a care package to a soldier
Giving Back Donate $2 for every goal not completed and $1 for completed ones
Giving Back Plant a tree
House Paint the living room
House Fix the Floors
House Change the Water Heater
House Buy a Wine Refrigerator
House Deep Clean all closets and get rid of stuff
Inspiration Influence a person to make a day zero/bucket list
Inspiration Read the Bible from cover to cover
Travel AK See the Northern Lights
Travel CA Go to Disneyland
Travel DC Go to Washington DC (again)
Travel DC Go to World War II Memorial
Travel DC Go to Lincoln Memorial
Travel DC See the National Archives
Travel Dive Go on a Dive Vacation
Travel ENG Go to England (again)
Travel ENG See a Shakespeare play in a London Theatre
Travel FRA Go to France
Travel FRA Go to Normandy Beach
Travel FRA Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
Travel FRA Go to Notre Dame
Travel FRA Go to the Louvre
Travel FRA Go to Euro Disney
Travel General Fly first class anywhere
Travel General Build a snowman
Travel General Go to 5 different museums
Travel General Treat my Mom to a vacation
Travel General Use last minute deals to take a weekend/short vacation
Travel General Go to 20 US Capitals 0/20
Travel General Go on a Cruise
Travel ITAL Go to Italy
Travel ITAL Go on a Gondola ride in Venice
Travel ITAL Go to St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, Rome
Travel ITAL Go to the Colisseum, Rome
Travel NY Go to the top of the Empire State Building

Not really sure how often I'll check things off, but I plan to start right away. We booked a trip to Washington DC where I plan to take care of a few, then, in March, taking Mom on a vacation. Check! I inspired Alex to start a dayzero list, so that is another one, check.

Excited now.. ready to start affecting change..

Later

Monday, January 4, 2010

Day Zero project list


I decided to start a Day Zero list. It's a project where you identify 101 goals to complete in 1001 days (2.75 years). You can learn more at www.dayzeroproject.com

I have identified 65 goals with 36 more to go. I'm trying to post them here instead of on the actual site because I rather blog about keeping them (or deleting them).. so I will post them as soon as I figure out how to colorize them.. I'm going to try on this post, but it may just come out as one big blank.. we'll see..

Adventure Dive at least 4-6 times this year
Adventure Ride a horse along the beach
Adventure Ride a mechanical bull
Adventure Ride in a hot air balloon
Adventure Sing karaoke at a bar
Creative Create a photographic journal for one week
Creative Find an inspirational quote and work it into a piece of art or home decor
Creative Mail a letter or card at least once a month
Creative Make a photo album for a loved one
Creative Write a poem for someone that means something
Creative Write a book-screenplay-story
Creative Catalog and Research my stored wines
Creative Start painting figurines again
Education Read a non-fiction book written by someone I disagree with
Education Learn the full use of Photoshop
Education Learn how to use my Dad's Camera Equipment
Education Learn to Design a website
Education Learn to Play Piano (again)
Education Learn to Ballroom Dance
Education Learn to Canoe/Kayak properly
Entertainment Host a board game night
Entertainment Host a Girls' Night In.. Mani-Pedi-Wine-Stories
Entertainment Host a Wine & Cheese event with actual variety of items
Entertainment Host Dinner & Movie night for friends
Entertainment Read Every Harry Potter book
Entertainment Read the original versions of fairy tales
Entertainment See a Rodeo or Bullfight
Entertainment Watch 10 movie "classics" I haven't seen before
Food Try to be a Vegetarian for 3 months
Food Make Bread from scratch
Food Help Nelson overcome 2 New foods this year
House Paint the living room
House Fix the Floors
House Change the Water Heater
House Buy a Wine Refrigerator
Inspiration Influence a person to make a day zero list
Self Help Save $25-50 weekly for extras
Self Help Live within my means
Self Help Eliminate non-fitting clothing from my wardrobe
Self Help Sell Things on Ebay for travel cash
Self Help Lose 50 pounds this year
Self Help Feel comfortable in a bathing suit
Self Help Buy a Gun and become licensed for a Concealed Weapon
Self Help Adopt or Buy an animal
Self Help Start an exercise regiment
Self Help Run a mile
Self Help Train for a bike run
Self Help Take Vitamins
Self Help Stay Healthy for 3 months
Travel Fly first class anywhere
Travel Build a snowman
Travel Go to 5 different museums
Travel Go to the top of the Empire State Building
Travel Visit Washington DC
Travel See the Northern Lights
Travel Treat my Mom to a vacation
Travel Use last minute deals to take a weekend/short vacation
Travel Visit 20 US Capitals
Travel Visit England
Travel Visit Italy
Travel Go to St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, Rome
Travel Visit Normandy Beach/Paris, France
Travel Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
Travel Go to Notre Dame

I think I can accomplish quite a few this first year, but I'm not going to try holding myself to very high expectations.. just realistic ones, so failure is not an option.

To close the year

The Holidays were a success, I guess. We had as good a time as we could without dwelling on the fact that Dad is no longer with us. Christmas Eve & Christmas Day found Nelson and I sick as dogs and wishing for it to be all over so we could sleep. After 5-7 days of flu and fever, all was better. NYE found us celebrating with family and friends and being happy the year was over with.

2010 will be better.. I will write more, I will accomplish more and I will be sad less.
My promises..

Friday, December 11, 2009

Holiday Parties all around!

Hi. I know I haven't written but I have been busy busy busy. I'm still quite overwhelmed with stuff, but I've made up my mind to go back to writing.

Seems like our social calendar is full these days. We are blessed to have reconnected with so many old friends this year. Several reunions and smaller events made that possible and it's refreshing to rekindle friendships with people that you dont have to be pretentious around.

Pretending your life is one of the worst traits in existence. I love being myself.
More soon.
Me

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving.. Ah, to give thanks...

How thankful am I this Thanksgiving? Not so much. My Dad passed away this year, work is not doing well and Christmas is shaping up to be equally as sad. I have had pockets of stuff go right, but all in all, I'm just coping with the every day.

Sure, I put on the brave face ad I can party with the best of people, but my heart has an empty hole in it and I'm not quite sure that I can recover from the loss of my Dad anytime soon. This Thanksgiving dinner will be difficult, but Christmas Eve dinner will be the true test. I'm just not sure how much I can hold back my emotions.

Nelson has been absolutely wonderful through my trials. That part of my life is going extremely well. I mean, sure, we have our things.. Life can't be perfect, right?

I will write more soon. Me

Monday, November 9, 2009

Old Sckool Reunion was a Success!

OK. I'm still on an emotional high from this past weekend. I saw over 100 of my old school friends which included Elementary, Junior High and High School. Plus, all the brothers and sisters which were older or younger, and spouses and kids too. It was exhilarating. So much fun was had. The best part of this bunch is that there is no room for pretentiousness. We have all seen and known the good, the bad and the ugly with each other.

Last night, to top off a nearly perfect weekend, Idania and Caroline and I met for dinner at Bahama Breeze and we talked and caught up for 3+ hours. so much fun.

Truly a happy weekend.