Revisiting A Goal

I haven't blogged in forever. Which is seriously how I start all my posts. Ha.

I actually have wedding things to talk about, but later. I'm kind of over them right at the moment because Jamaal and I spent the weekend scoping out wedding stuff - the reception venue, hotel, church, etc. Good stuff. Well I liked it. Jamaal just sort of hung out, and if he was cold/bored/etc, told me when it was time to go. Ah men.

Anyway, I was reading someone's blog and they had this sort of bucket list thing on there, with a 101 things they wanted to do in 1,001 days. Well I am not there yet, but I did make a list last year of 27 things I wanted to do before turning 28. Twenty-eight is about 10 or so weeks away, so I thought "sh*t, I'd better look at my list to make sure I can get something done." Yeah yeah I know, I've read the literature about how women these days try to be their own personal superwoman and stress themselves out with lists and trying to be perfect, BLAH BLAH BLAH...honestly though? Nearly completing this list would give me a sense of damn accomplishment, something that's missing from my life right about now, as projects pile up, wedding planning slips from my once-firm grasp into the oblivion of in-completion, and my work life remains dull and somewhat unfulfilled....so here's last years list, with notes:

27 Things I Want to Do Before I'm 28:

1. Go somewhere new and somewhat faraway: Nope. Unless you count Middletown, NY as exotic. Oh well. There is the honeymoon, so that is ok.
2. Make a superfluous and ridiculous cake for no reason: surprisingly enough, I haven't done this
3. Finish my running excel file bird life list (uber DORK!): nooope.
4. Make a blurb photo book: YES! YES I made two! And they turned out so wonderfully that I know I will be making more this year!
5. Run the Boston Marathon*: No, and not going to happen, but I am ok with this since it was a suspected but unconfirmed stress fracture that sidelined me.
6. Take more photos of everything, especially people I am giving myself this one, especially since I even bought a new point and shoot for a wedding Jam and I attended. Here's a sampling:

Christmas Joy:


Sis in front of Town Hall on random Sunday:


My dad kayaking:


The Jamonster, kayaking:


My mom, watching the storm go out over the mountains:


You get the idea. I tried. :)

7. Become insanely and enviously organized. Hell no. Not *yet* I have some hope though.
8. Finish a long-abandoned craft project (under the sea cross stitch? sr year calligraphy project?) No. I am close though, with scanning Kenya pics. But I did make this, surely it must be worth some sort of abandoned craft project credit, yes?





9. FTDS and move in with Jamaal, opinions and judgments be damned OK I bolded this, not because it has happened, but because the opinions and judgments surrounding the move at this point, I think, are gone. PLUS the only reason we haven't taken the leap of living together has been his job situation. So it's not done...but it kind of is/will be. Kind of cheating, yes, but you get it.
10. Memorize a poem. Or two. No. I'll try.
11. Set the bar higher at work- I'm not organized, I'm not putting in 100%, and that makes me sad. I am getting there. It's slow. I am going to be moving offices and will try to get more organized. I am putting in about 85% effort, sometimes, on certain projects, 100%. I am a co-author on two published abstracts, soon to be papers, which is a huge milestone. I'm getting there, I haven't arrived, but I have set the bar higher.
12. GET OUT OF DEBT DAMMIT, ALLISON! Noooo.
13. Spend more quality time with Jamaal. We hardly have any down time or time to do fun things beyond go out to dinner. I want to do fun stuff for a change (not that food isn't fun, but you know). I want to do photo-worthy things. We're not totally at the photo-worthy point again, but we're trying! Jam finally completing his MBA has helped immensely!
14. See a Red Sox game LIVE (bonus points for a stadium other than Fenway!) No. Sad.
15. Skip work, even if just for a day, to do something furtive and fun, like go to the beach. ooooh the indulgence! No. Because I am a kiss ass.
16. Have the wedding planned out almost to completion so I enjoy the day Not here yet. Working on it. I think I will be able to reasonably bold this by my bday.
17. Take advantage of what Boston has to offer (restaurants, museums, shows etc) hmmff. not really. sad.
18. Help more people and animals. I donate platelets and all, but it's kind of removed from the situation. Uh...I sent money to Haiti...
19. Bird watch more - see five new species! (neeerrrddd alert) OK, haven't birdwatched a ton or anything, but I saw a f*cking ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD in Massachusetts in DECEMEBER. SOO hells yeah, I'm bolding this.
20. Take better care of my skin (beyond sunscreen, I don't do much of anything) If I have rocked anything on this list, it is skin care. Oh sh*t yeah. I have a damn regimen! I have been getting quarterly facials, and had the aesthetician analyze my products, make recommendations, etc. I am rocking sephora products and moisturizing twice a day, with sunscreen in the am and repair serum at night. I exfoliate any non-face skin with a sugar scrub and moisturize with Fresh lotion or some sweet St. Ives Target-style lotion. Is it sad that this has been my biggest accomplishment of the year? Part of me says "YES" but then this other part says "no, not at all. you'll never get a new skin and you have to live with the one you have forever, you may as well take good care of it and treat it with care." So there it is.
21. Chillax more. I am overbooked always, and feel guilty when I don't want to go to something, but have nothing to do otherwise. Have to stop feeling guilty too. I bolded this. Though I'm not sure I should have. eh.
22. Conquer a fear (this will be the hardest thing on the list!) Nope. At least I don't think so.
23. Reduce that knitting stash! Nope.
24. Visit the Mapparium Nope.
25. Reconnect with someone :) Yes.
26. Spend more time in my kayak taking in the world. It's been great, too.
27. Make a five-course dinner for me and Jamaal. I don't even know what those five courses would be really, but it's the kind of thing you hear in movies, and I'm gonna do it! Nooo. Maybe for Valentine's Day?

Oh lordy, not even half. I'm am going to "GET THERE." I'll report back on my bday!