101 Things in 1001 Days

Since things are a little Norah-centric these days, I thought I would spice it up by making it more about me, me, ME. I came across a concept that was all the rage last year, and while I found it to be very appealing at the time, I just could never get around to it. Well, there is no time like the present! It is 101 things in 1001 days. The concept is simple: come up with a list of 101 things you want to do and then give yourself 1001 days (almost 3 years) to get them done. I sat down this afternoon to try and make such a list and to my surprise it only took about a half hour. I guess I have a lot of stuff to try. So, I am gettin' to it. The following is my list. As I cross stuff off I will come back and update here. For those of you just here to see pictures of the world's cutest baby, feel free to disregard.

Things I will accomplish from November 21, 2008, to August 19, 2011:

1. plant a vegetable garden with Norah
2. take a dance class
3. dye my hair red
4. organize my cooking magazines
5. forgo any kind of artificial sweetner for a month
6. grow my fingernails out long enough for a manicure
7. knit something for Norah
8. lose 40 lbs
9. watch every movie on AFI's Top 100 list
10. run in a 5K
11. write a will
12. go salsa dancing
13. take Norah to Europe
14. clean out the garage
15. drink Don Perignon
16. visit the California Academy of Sciences
17. hike from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach
18. take Norah camping
19. see the bats under the Capitol Street Bridge in Austin
20. show Norah the Suez house in El Paso
21. bake a perfect souffle
22. buy designer jeans
23. take a painting class
24. volunteer with an Innocence Project
25. buy at least 5 gifts for an Angel Tree this Christmas
26. attend a political rally
27. donate money to a political cause
28. teach Norah to swim
29. make Norah a family tree
    
30. take Norah to New York City
31. take a ceramics class
32. get bangs
33. fly a kite
34. make an earthquake/disaster kit for the house
35. read a book of poetry
36. take Norah on a train
37. eat vegan for a week
38. go on a bike ride with Norah and BVZ
39. go to a book reading
40. make all of Norah’s baby food (except for finger food and ones with too many nitrates) until her first birthday
41. take the same yoga class more than once
42. volunteer at a soup kitchen on a major holiday
43. read Kristin’s dissertation
44. learn how to meditate
45. get Norah her own library card
46. buy life insurance
47. take a nap in a hammock
48. get new bookshelves for the family room
49. babyproof the house
50. read all Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction from 1998-2008
51. learn how to change a tire
52. see the Academy Award winners for Best Documentary from 1998-2008
53. get rid of our videotape collection
54. take a music class with Norah
55. back-up our computer files
56. swim in the ocean with Norah
57. finish a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle
58. take a ferry from San Francisco to Tiburon or Sausalito
59. get a couple’s massage with BVZ
60. change all light bulbs in the house to energy efficient ones
61. take Norah on a road trip
62. eat at French Laundry
63. eat at Chez Panisse
64. organize my spice rack
65. go for a mole check at the dermatologist
66. breastfeed Norah until she’s at least 9 months
67. take a vacation with just the sisters
68. take a CPR class
69. get professional family pictures taken
70. make homemade chicken stock
71. put all my pictures of Megan and Trevor into albums
72. get my wedding dress cleaned and preserved
73. donate any clothing I haven’t worn for a year
74. replace the family room curtains (and keep the new ones away from Loretta)
75. get Norah every Shel Silverstein book
76. become a member of a wine club
77. figure out a way to stop paying so damn much for cable
78. phase out all of our plastic kitchenware by 2010.
79. buy a piece of real art
80. watch all the ‘Friday the 13^th’ movies
81. leave Norah overnight with my mom (or other family member)
82. cancel every catalog we get in the mail
83. start and maintain for at least 6 months a window herb garden
84. make Beef Wellington
85. try liquid eyeliner
86. teach Norah to put herself to sleep
87. pay the bridge toll for the car behind me
88. walk across the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge
89. have a fondue dinner party
90. take an Indian or Thai cooking class
91. go to a spin class
92. go to a museum by myself
93. go to a drive-in movie theater
94. take Norah on a hike in Tucson
95. get a tattoo
96. develop my own sangria recipe
97. bake a red velvet cake
98. donate $500 to a women’s shelter
99. tell BVZ every day for 1001 days that I appreciate him
100. let BVZ take me on a hike of his choice
101. take a walking tour of San Francisco