simplicity

#48: Go to 3 libraries I have never been to before (just for pleasure, not for studying)

The Seattle public library was fabulous. Eccentric and huge in appearance, multifarious in offerings. I read African American feminist literature and treated myself to the most out of this world hot chocolate I have ever had. It was not like frothy, thin, heated up chocolate milk...it was thick and rich, like someone had melted 20 of the best quality chocolate bars and poured the resulting concoction into a cup. Over the course of about two hours, I sipped it slowly, savoring it, making sure my chocolate craving was fully satisfied.

1 of my new favorite things: bouts of solitude hand in hand with libraries and chocolate.

The appreciation of pleasure can be an anchor of ones humanity.

The Emerald City

#47: Make love to Seattle:


This city is hypnotizing. I want to live here someday. From the moment I could see its expanse of amber and fire trees far beneath the plane windows, something resonated deeply with me.

The yellow trees downtown are lit, magic sparkling and swinging in the nightlife iced breeze.
Wall to wall, ceiling to floor- pure scarlet. Chocolate mouth, endorphins sending senses singing, I'm melting, divine and simple: the public library is merely a couple of blocks away and the smell of fish being thrown in Pike's Market is welcoming. Windows open wide all the time, records spinning and pouring mellifluous beats into my ears, open wide and feathered. The harbor is holding my gaze captive from behind bus windows- the best bus driver of all time, he's crazyspeaking and welcoming every new passenger vigorously, his holiday spirit swinging like a festive and glittering white tree, upside down, from the rear view mirror. The Bop Street man is directing me down the miles of vinyl, spinning yarns; I'm watching spit hit the pavement beneath the ragged white Converse and feeling safe in my brown Europe coat and skirt, legs bare and cold but content...the streets leading me nowhere but everywhere simultaneously. Graphic novels and pinball machines find me dreaming of a place to come home to amongst the shifting seasons, mountains hazy and winking in the distance. Lifestyle too expensive but so delicious.

Emerald is my birthstone, anyway.


I'll write about Portland soon...I went there for the first time and fell in love instantly.

Operation 101

The Rules of the Game

For anyone thinking of doing this, and for my own reference, according to the official website of the 101 in 1001 project:


The vocation: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

I need a new method for battling the closet monster that is my procrastination. Or, some focus.

There’s no way to write every dream, goal, aspiration or idea that I have, or am in the process of working on. These things are just a good place for me to start, and a way of structuring myself and maintaining some semblance of organization. I tend to shove "to do" items to the back of my mind and try to forget they need to be actively addressed on a day to day basis in order to actually get done. I have a habit of writing lists everywhere I go and on everything (think fliers, on the Chronicle pages, and napkins) so I figure if I compiled them into one general one that I frequent and record almost daily, I can see my progress better, and motivate myself to stop waiting until the last minute for everything.

Go Me.

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.

I will keep this blog specifically to keep track of how I'm doing with the list and to log specific details about parts of its completion.

1.Learn to bake 15 new things from scratch-well (memorized recipes) including banana bread. (0/15)
2.Make a resume.
3.Retrieve my lost scuba diving certification/take a refresher course, then dive at least 3 times.(0/5)
4.Get rid of all the unnecessary items of clothing I don't need/wear/fit.
5. Break my packrat ways by trashing/selling/giving away one item I don't need every day for one month. (0/30)
6.Plant my own vegetable/fruit garden and start growing my own spices in pots; use them to cook at least one meal, and salsa. (0/4)
7.Graduate with at least a 3.5 GPA.
8.Add 50 records to my collection. (0/50)
9.Volunteer 60 hours, some of which should be at an animal shelter. (0/60)
10.Grow my hair out to below my boobs and go without cutting it for at least 6 months.
11. A) Learn to make sushi A) Make some for/with someone and eat it sitting on pillows on the floor, barefoot.
12.Ride a horse again- and run it in a wide open space.
13.Build an epic sandcastle.
14. Write a book of short stories. Or finish at least 7 (0/7)
15.Organize my photos, esp. IPhotos- sort folders into coherent projects, delete extras/unnecessary photos, burn them all to disks/external hard drive (IE: clean up "startup disk")
16.Fill at least 3 moleskins from cover to cover
17. Get into grad school, somewhere outside of Austin OR live outside of Texas for at least 6 months.
18.Get an internship.
19.Visit 6 wineries for tastings and/or tours. (0/6)
20.Stay in a bed and breakfast.
21.Meditate for 2 times a week for 6 months (don't have to be consecutive.) (0/48)
22.Private- until it's completed. Bow chicka wow wow.
23.Ice skate on an outdoor pond.
24.Do yoga every week or more for 6 months straight. (0/24)
25.See 6+inches of snow, ski for the first time in Colorado (without breaking any limbs), and have a snowball fight.
26.Get to intermediate level bellydancing classes.
27.Go back to Germany.
28.Go rock climbing, camping (real camping, in a tent) and kayaking, three times each. (0/9)
29.Find copies of the traditional Italian recipes (from Jeanie) and cook a full, 5 course Italian meal for someone/a few people.
30.Send a secret to PostSecret.
31.Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and see the French Quarter; visit Jade.
32.Go on 25 dates, at least 15 of which are someplace never before been, and log what they were... specific ones to check off: paintballing, drive in movie, bookbar. (0/25)
33.
34.Go to 10 of any of the following: plays/musicals, a comedy club, concerts, dance performances, art exhibits/galleries. (0/10)
35.Find and buy 10 new out of this world teas. (0/10)
36.Pay off credit cards.
37. Do 10 new photobooths. (0/10)
38.Improve (significantly) at chess.
39.Start remembering to take vitamins and drink a few liters of H20 every day.
40.A) Get or make a large piggy bank/change holder of some sort. B) Save all my change for 5 months C) Cash it in and donate it or spend it on something not related in any way to me.
41.Chop down my own Christmas tree.
42.Get down to ideal weight and maintain (within 5 lb range).
43.Cook a new dish/recipe every month. (0/42)
44. Use recipes gathered over time to start making recipe book.
45.Attend a pro football game (preferrably UT).
46.Submit at least one completed creative work of writing somewhere (short story, poem, etc) and one photo.
47.Leave a little of my soul in the mountains of Seattle.
48. A)Go to the public-not school- library..purely to read, borrow, and look into random subjects for pleasure: no studying. B) Go to 3 libraries I have never been to before. (0/3)
49.Read (and finish) 33 books- not for school. (0/33)
50.Host a dinner party and/or potluck with friends; throw a theme/costume/murder mystery party.(0/2)
51.Donate blood 5 times. (0/5)
52.Get a new, used record player or a new needle for the one I have now.
53.Take 2 different forms of new dance classes (tango, salsa, ballroom, swing.) (0/2)
54.Join 2 new clubs. (0/2)
55.Do 15 unexpected acts of kindness, for strangers or for friends & family (IE: sending flowers or surprise gifts, throwing parties, cooking random deliciousness). (0/15)
56.Go to a carnival; get a kiss on the top of a ferris wheel.
57.Start writing a novel.
58.Watch 10 of AFI's Top 100 films I haven't already seen. (0/10)
59.Learn a significant amount about 3 new religions (read scriptures, check out books, etc.)
60.Participate in a 10k or marathon.
61.Start getting back into routine of working out/doing something active 5 times a week.
62.Complete 7 full photo projects: can be/include concepts, series, personal, creating an online website for all my photography, portfolio, making a flikr site, self portraits or portraits of others (mounted and framed, whole nine yards), sculpture or scrapbook related, book with photos of my inspiration/things that me happy, etc.
63. A) Buy or acquire a video camera B) Take a course (can be unofficial) related to film/filmmaking C) Make at least one video montage.
64.Start putting money into savings on a regular basis
65.Get into 5 new "green routines" on an every day basis (Examples: taking a navy shower once a week, getting recycling containers and actively recycling, stopping using paper towels completely and opt for washable rags instead.) (0/5)
66.Clean out my car completely, inside and out.
67.Go on a plane ride without taking Xanax/ anti anxiety pills.
68.Climb seven trees.(0/7)
69.Play the original Candyland.
70.Go on 15 leisurely bike rides and bike to class/predetermined destinations at least three times a month (0/15)(0/126)
71. A)Go one week every six months with no internet (0/8) and B) one day a month with no cell phone. (0/42)
72.Actually finish 6 weekly to do lists. (0/6)
73. Send homemade Christmas cards, snail mail letters, poetry, or other quirky things to friends/family 25 times. (0/25)
74.Finish one New York Times crossword with no help.
75. (Attempt to) Ride a mechanical bull
76.Seriously look into National Geographic expeditions.
77.Find and get my dream comforter & expensive sheets: make my perfect bed.
78.Make one effort every week to keep in touch with old friends, call friends I don't talk to often (to catch up or just to check in and tell them I was thinking of them). (0/168)
79.Spend quality time (IE- a fulls day worth or more) with family every month. (0/42)
Specifics to check off:
A)Five mother-daughter days: lounging, lifetime movies, dancing to oldies, wine on the patio, cooking dinner together, going through pictures, anything as long as it's just us, and all day. (0/3)
B)Visit Rebekah's grave with Taryn and spread some of Nana's ashes
C)Babysit Alyssa for one full day
D)Go on a spontaneous trip with only Daddy
80.Get my favorite Dia des los Muertos purse fixed, go to an awesome ddlm party, and find a pair of earrings to replace the solo skeleton. (0/3)
81.Take 22 days for myself. (0/22)
82.Learn more patience: do 10 things/acts that prove progress and track them. (IE: one week of absolutely no speeding, a month of not getting pissy with my kitties when they whine or beg for wet cat food) (0/1)0
83.Learn to knit and/or crochet.
84.Go on a girls only weekend vacation and have something that could qualify as a girls night once every two months. (0/21)
85.Get decent in German and be able to hold full coherent conversations; improve Spanish.
86.Revisit and watch the sun set in 5 beautiful cities- favorite places I have seen and fallen in love with. (See with new eyes and fall in love all over again.) (0/5)
87.Travel to 5 new beautiful cities/places; go on a roadtrip and document it with video/photo/writing (0/6)
88.Send out a book into the wild. A really, really good one. (BookCrossing)
89.Find and wear a signature scent.
90.Do another Master Cleanse. (at least one, if not more)
91.Do a collaboration with Jason.
92.Jump off the cliffs at Paleface without being a pussy and hesitating for an hour.
93.A) Do 10 unconventionally sexy things. (0/10) B) Fulfill 5 (even if minor) sexual fantasies. (0/5)
94. Write, send in, and get an article published for a newspaper or magazine/publication.
95.Go on a beach trip with Robbi.
96.Take Meme to dinner.
97.Go to one of Doug's operas that's not in Austin.
98. Buy at least two new-old cameras and a Polaroid
99. A) Take at least 20 Polaroid photos before the film goes extinct B) Make a sculpture out of my Polaroid Sx-70
100.Go to a farmer's market 10 times and buy at least one item of delicious, fresh, local food (local to wherever the market is.) (0/10)
101.For every goal completed, either donate 1 dollar to a charity/cause of my choice, or put one dollar into savings account. For every goal not completed, either donate five dollars to a charity/cause of my choice, or put 5 dollars into savings.



End Date: Friday, July 29, 2011