the list.

i'm by no means the first person to do this, but i'm gonna give it a shot.

the mission:
complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

the criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

why 1001 days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

my list:

1. cook one new recipe out of each cookbook

2. host a fancy dinner party

3. see the King Tut exhibit in Chicago (ends January 2007, so get crackin’)

4. attend a Cardinals game at the new Busch Stadium

5. buy some original artwork, preferably by someone local

6. read some Latin writing (an entire collection of writings)

7. go see a movie on the day that it comes to theatres

8. go camping in a tent for at least one day and night

9. send someone a surprise gift

10. learn to make Hungarian butterhorns from start to finish and get great-grandma’s recipe

11. use the fondue pot to make both chocolate and cheese fondues

12. knit a baby garment or blanket

13. read at least 3 books already in my collection that I haven’t yet read

14. go skiing

15. take at least one photo a day of something that interests me for a month

16. start a retirement fund

17. see a play

18. scan or download digital files of all our users’ manuals for appliances

19. learn all the European capitals

20. create and register a living will

21. send mom and dad on a nice trip for their 30th anniversary

22. go to an Illini basketball game with Hank; if I cannot get tickets for a game by the last season before the end of the 1001 days (season that ends in spring 2009), then this can be replaced by watching 3 televised games in their entirety

23. take the Anheuser Busch brewery tour

24. make a recipe that involves cooking seitan

25. try flaxseed

26. read a literary classic (it doesn’t count toward the 3 books off my shelves)

27. go to an amusement park and ride a rollercoaster I haven’t before

28. take a multivitamin every day for a month

29. compile as complete a family tree as possible, containing both Hank’s side and mine

30. ask someone to tell me, and then write down, a story I’d never heard before about the following people:
mom
dad
Larry
Debbie
Each of my grandparents
Great-grandma and great-grandpa Slattery
Nana
Grandpa Wally and Grandma Edna
As many cousins and aunts & uncles as possible

31. start working with Hank to compile all this family information into a book

32. say something nice to someone I don’t like

33. refrain from complaining about anyone else’s driving for a month

34. play a round of golf

35. play tennis with Hank without complaining that he’s intentionally playing too hard

36. take mom and grandma Fortner to lunch for mothers’ day

37. take a Route 66 roadtrip, even if not all the way to California

38. bake a loaf of bread that I’ve never made before (i.e. not Claire’s banana bread)

39. donate blood 14 times

40. convince someone who usually doesn’t give blood to donate

41. go to Las Vegas

42. when in Vegas, wear something either super classy or super trashy

43. make the bed every day for a week

44. organize my freezer boxes at work and make detailed maps of all boxes to chart where everything is stored

45. babysit for someone

46. reread The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

47. bring or buy a lunch for that really nice crazy homeless guy who lives on green street

48. get a bikini wax to see if it’s worth all the hype

49. go to an art museum

50. try a shot of wheatgrass

51. make a pizza from scratch—dough, sauce and all

52. write Rosa a letter thanking her for starting me down my career path

53. throw hank a big party when he graduates from college

54. get something trendy and unlike myself into my wardrobe that was not given to me by Lauren or Kelly

55. give either money or time to Cor Jesu

56. read a biography

57. attend a taping of Oprah, hopefully in late November so that it’s the favorite things episode

58. learn to poach an egg and then make eggs Florentine

59. learn how to play a video game that isn’t Tetris

60. play a poker hand in a way I usually consider uncomfortably loose

61. send flowers to someone

62. prepare the house for emergencies by getting a fire extinguisher, extra batteries for the flashlight and a battery-operated radio in case of tornadoes

63. replace the glass in the bookshelf door that’s been missing since I got it

64. refinish the cabinet, even if that means keeping the wood color and just painting or papering the back interior

65. cook an entire thanksgiving dinner

66. go to a nice brunch with a girlfriend and have drinks…maybe even too many drinks

67. read a Harry Potter book to see what all the fuss is about; I reserve the right to quit halfway through if I think it’s stupid, but I have to make it at least halfway

68. try absinthe again, but this time before I’m already stupid drunk

69. learn how to do some sort of maintenance on my car, like changing wiper blades, putting air in my tires, etc.

70. plan a dream trip to Italy in the hopes that we’ll be able to afford it (financially and time-wise) either when I finish school or before we have rugrats

71. learn to play Euchre

72. spend a week making a concerted effort to learn how to wink

73. learn, and by the 1001st day be able to remember, 500 words or phrases in Italian; this can include ones I already know (better yet, know the article that goes with each noun)

74. ride in a limo

75. use the melon baller I got at my shower

76. walk around Xavier’s campus and be sure to visit my favorite tree

77. eat a popeye omelette at Sugar N Spice in Cincinnati

78. take Lauren and Kelly’s advice and get some bronzer, then actually wear it for at least a month

79. stretch every day and at the end of the 1001 days, still be able to place hands flat on the floor while my knees are locked

80. for a month, drink nothing but coffee, tea or water

81. send out Christmas cards and have them be there on time, just like a real adult

82. this is a financial goal that's none of your beeswax

83. leave a waiter/waitress a 50% tip

84. choose a vegetable that I never cook at home, learn to prepare it, and then make and eat it once a week for a month

85. have Emilie cut my hair

86. this is hot and steamy and you're too young to read it

87. propagate at least 3 plants

88. make a dessert using silken tofu

89. make those awesome zucchini or cucumber flat ribbons with my mandoline

90. invite the neighbors over, even if only for a drink

91. lose the ten pounds I’ve gained since the wedding

92. teach Gemma to shake

93. volunteer somewhere

94. visit a historical site in Boston

95. have lunch with a friend from high school

96. see if I can still draw well; this requires acknowledging that I am ten years out of practice and that it may take several tries to come up with anything I am even mildly pleased with

97. see 20 movies from the IMDB that I have not already seen

98. learn how to make a decent curry

99. wear a hat every day for three weeks in the winter and try to make it a habit

100. get rid of ten books I will never reread and which no one will want to borrow

101. have another list complete and ready to go on the 1001st day—April 5, 2009