101 in 1001: A recap of the first 60 days

So, Sunday marked day #60 of 1001. I thought perhaps it was a good time to let you all know how I'm doing on my list of 101 items.

For the most part, it's been a productive 60 days.

I've completed 2 items already!

#50 was "Write myself a letter on Day 1 to be opened on Day 1001". I did it....I swear....Now I just have about 940 days to figure out where I put that pesky thing. Darn it!
#97 was "Buy a Wii". It's great fun, but apparently for me, it's more fun if other people are around for me to play it with. I got the Wii Fit and the EA Sport Active, but I haven't really done much with them yet.

Okay, those two weren't that difficult, but they're done, right? Sweet!

There are a few items that I keep track of on a daily basis and try to continually keep in mind as I go through my day:

#8 Collect 100,000 pennies. I got a really great start on this by hitting up all those people who I know collect change. That got me about 6000 or so! Since then they've been continuing to trickle in at a much slower pace. However, I have to send out props to a couple of groups. First, my parents brought down quite a few when they came for a visit a few weeks ago and my friends at bowling have been REALLY great. I told my teammates what I was doing and they quickly offered the pennies they had. Since then the word has spread and when I show up at bowling every week, there is routinely a sizable pile of pennies on the table at the place where I sit. I love that! They are the best!
#20 Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice through http://www.freerice.com/. This one I'm near perfect in my progress. As of day 60, I had donated 60,000 grains. Yeah!
#79 Walk 8,008,000 steps. This one is a real test of fortitude and perseverance for me at this point. I wear a pedometer everyday and have been religious about keeping track of my steps. After 60 days, I should have walked about 480,000 steps. As of midnight Sunday, I had walked a mere 389,000. Yes, that's right, I am over 90,000 steps behind! (Actually, as of press time today, I am nearly 100,000 steps behind! Ugh!) I felt good a few weeks ago when I went to MotoGP and walked nearly 30,000 in two days. That was then.....this is now. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. I walk the Sasha twice a day (most days) and try to park about 4 blocks from my work. The problem is that I have a desk job, so my butt stays glued to the chair for about 8+ hours. I'm gonna have to find a solution to this dilemna. Any thoughts? Wanna go walk with me? Know of any interesting places to walk? Maybe a change of scenery would help.

I've also:

* Eaten sushi twice (I'm looking forward to September sushi!)
* Fed 1 expired parking meter
* Hugged 23 people (I'm always looking for volunteers)
* Sent flowers anonymously once
* Seen my parents twice
* Learned 40 state capitals
* Gotten 4 blog followers (welcome, new followers! Thanks for joining me!)
* Gotten rid of a few items that I own....MUCH more on this to come!
* Bought flowers 3 times
* Moisturized, photographed, crocheted (plastic bags) and prayed!

Check back often to see my progress.

Oh! And have I (or someone else) inspired you to start your own list? I'd love to hear what you've got planned! I'm always looking for ideas for list #3!

Does time (really) heal all wounds?

In 2000, my oldest uncle died of brain cancer after a very long battle at the age of 52. He was my mom's oldest sibling and a very fun guy to be around. Unfortunately the cancer took it's toll not only on his body, but also on the familial relationships around him.

Before his illness, all of the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents on my mom's side made sure that we all got together for the holidays. My uncle, Steve, and his wife and their children would first visit her family in Ohio and then join us for our celebration later in the day. We had the normal family rows over silly stuff that amounted to a lot of nothing, but generally speaking we all got along pretty well and were relatively close. It was a closeness I enjoyed very much and I always looked forward to our get-togethers.

Unfortunately, when he got sick all of that changed. Because of his illness, things were tough for them financially, but I know my parents went out of their way to make sure and bring over bags of groceries every few weeks and to find out what else they needed. Steve was mom's brother. She cared for him. She wanted to see him taken care of and to get better. She wanted what was best for him. Due to no fault of our own (that I know of), we were unceremoniously ushered out of Steve's life. I know that his wife wanted to blame someone for his illness and it seemed we all were as good a target as any. The last time I got to see him before he died was around Thanksgiving. When I saw him at his funeral in May, I barely recognized him. He was a mere shadow of the man he once was. He probably weighed around 100 pounds, which was devastating to see since he'd always been a rock of a man who weighed more than twice that.

Then next time we saw my cousins and aunt was at my grandfather's funeral 2 years later. Not many words were spoken between us and you could cut the tension with a knife. Despite our continued efforts at reaching out to them, in Steve's wife's eyes, we were still to blame for his death. A few years after that, Steve's wife's sister died in a car accident and my mom, her other brother and his wife all went to the funeral home to pay their respects and give their condolences. Let's just say they were not welcomed with open arms. They went there to be a comfort and were instead treated as lepers.

At the time of his death, Steve's two children (my cousins) were teenagers. P was just 14 and A was set to graduate from high school in just two weeks. I can't imagine how devastating it is to lose a parent at such formative ages. My heart simply ached for them. In the 9 years since his death, they have grown up, gone to college, started jobs and P even got married. He's 23 now and through the beauty of Facebook, I was able to find out that he and his wife were expecting their first child last Friday.

I can tell from their posts, P and his wife were both geniunely excited and looking forward to the birth. She went into labor last Friday right on schedule and we (myself vicariously) all watched with anticipation as P kept his Facebook community of friends and loved ones informed of the progress. Unfortunately their precious daughter was born with more medical complications than her little body could handle and she died on Saturday afternoon. I cried for them and all that they had lost when I read his post.

But I also cried because I couldn't do more to be there for them and comfort them. My mom's family and I have been exorcised from their lives. To them we don't exist any longer and I mourn the loss of family members who have been needlessly taken from my life despite the fact that we still walk the same earth.

When I told my mom of their loss, she and her other brother and sister-in-law chose (perhaps wisely) not to show their respects at the funeral home this time. Steve's wife and family have chosen to exclude us from their joys and pains. We respect that.

So I did what I could for them. I wrote them a note of condolence on the funeral home's page devoted to such things and I sent flowers. Anonymously. They may not want me in their lives, but I still want to show I care. They may not know who the flowers are from, but they will know that someone cares.

So today as they bury their baby girl, I will grieve for them. I will grieve for the love we once had for one another. I will definitely cry and I will definitely hope that time really does heal all wounds.

Happy Birthday to me! (Part II)

“It was formerly a terrifying view to me that I should one day be an old woman. I now find that Nature has provided pleasure for every state.”

Now that I am closer to 40 than 30, I often find myself wondering about people as they age and looking on with great admiration as some people have found a way to do it very gracefully. I'm not talking about those who have opted for plastic surgery or have some supernatural ability to avoid wrinkles. I'm talking about those seniors who may have gray hair and crow's feet, but constantly wear a cloak of youth around them.

Perhaps it's my own struggle with depression or my fear that life is just passing me by that sometimes makes me feel older than I actually am. Perhaps that's why I use this 101 list to keep moving me forward. So what do those people have who are able to go through life seemingly immune to all the ills that aging brings?

Here are a few things that I've come up with:

1) Embrace life. Those youthful seniors aren't afraid to try new things. Or if they are, they don't let that fear stop them. George Bush senior has been skydiving on his birthday for at least the last 11 years. Troy's uncle STARTED running marathons in his mid-50s. Some say life doesn't even really START until you're 40!

2) If you love someone, tell them! We don't know how long each of us has and I would much rather my parents/siblings/friends say, "yes, yes...we know you love us Heather" because I've said it so much than live the rest of my life wishing I had told them.

3) Take care of your mind, body and spirit. I think too often in trying to care for others, we neglect ourselves. At least I know that's true for me.

a) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Don't like lima beans? Not a fan of brussel sprouts? Think the skin of an apple tastes like grass? That's ok. You don't have to eat those. We have been blessed with an abundant planet that supplies us with a myriad of choices. Keep looking and tasting until you find the fruits and vegetables that you do like. Your body will thank you for it.

b) Get plenty of rest. This one is a really tough for me, but when I do get enough sleep, I'm amazed at how much better I feel, how much easier it is for me to concentrate and remember and how much more pleasant I am to be around. Needing to sleep does not mean you are weak or wasting time as I've sometimes been taught. Sleep is a necessary thing! Oh! And naps are wonderful too.

c) Get out and get moving. Exercise is so crucial for our bodies. After all, if you don't use it, you lose it right? Don't like to "exercise"? How about taking a walk around your neighborhood? It's a great excuse to stay up on what's going on around you. Why don't you walk instead of taking a cart the next time you golf? How about bicycling to the store instead of taking the car if you just need a few things. They have these great bike racks that could hold a few groceries. Wear a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps a day. It doesn't have to be a huge deal. It just has to be something.

4) Decide to be happy. I think most of the time we are as happy as we decide to be. We can either dwell on our have nots or embrace those things we have in our lives that we cherish. We can either look at not getting what we want as a blessing or a curse. When I was in college, I wanted to be an RA, but I said I would be an RA anywhere other than LaFollette. I was living with all women on the quiet side of campus and I'd heard that LaFollette was full of hoodlums. Where did I get assigned? Of course it was in one of the halls in LaFollette. It turned out to be one of my greatest college experiences and I still keep in touch with people I met there.

So, what do you think keeps people young? What keeps you young? What makes you feel old?

Restaurant.com certificates

I love to save money and now I want to share a little secret with you.

I often get email updates from http://www.restaurant.com/. It's a great site that sells discounted restaurant certificates. You can usually buy a $25 gift certificate for just $10 or a $10 certificate for just $3, which is great. There are some stipulations like you have to spend at least $35 when you use the $25 certificate and an 18% gratuity is automatically added, but I think it's still a great way to get to try out a restaurant that you're not so sure about. It's also a great way to go out fairly cheaply. For instance, a friend of mine and I went to dinner last night and spent just $15 including tip for 2 entrees, an appetizer and 2 drinks.

From time to time, the email updates that I get will give a special code that you can use to get an even larger discount. For instance, since the restaurants have probably been struggling a bit in this economy, they've been sending out offers that allow you to get a $25 certificate for $2 or $3. Very nice.

This afternoon when I opened up my email, there was a code that will allow me (and now you) to purchase $25 certificates for just $1 in celebration of today. The date today is 09/09/09. Sweet! The certificates are good for 1 year and can simply be printed from your computer as soon as you pay for them online. The offer only lasts for 99 hours, so this is a great opportunity to stock up. For $10 you can get $250 in restaurant visits! To find restaurants in your area, simply use your city or zip code to search.

Use the code NINETY to redeem this offer.

The fine print from the offer: Important Stuff: This offer is 90% off the retail value of Restaurant.com Gift Certificates. The majority of $25 certificates are available for a $10 retail price. In some instances, a $25 Gift Certificate may have a retail price of $12.50 or $15.00. Limit of one (1) $25 certificate per visit to a restaurant. There may also be minimum spend requirements. Restrictions on the restaurant certificates vary and are subject to change along with the retail price of the certificate. This promotion does not apply to previously placed orders and cannot be combined with other promotions or offers. Redemption of this offer requires that you agree to all the terms and conditions found at www.restaurant.com. Registration, including valid email address, is required for purchase. When redeeming a Restaurant.com Gift Certificate, these savings cannot be applied. Offer valid from Wednesday, September 9, 12:01AM PST thru Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 3:01AM PST.

I am in no way compensated by site for sharing this information with you.

Happy Birthday to me! (Part I)

Saturday is my birthday. That's good and bad, I think. Why is it bad? I'll be closer to 40 than 30. Why is it good? I'll be closer to 40 than 20. I'm not saying I'm all put together now or that I'm completely comfortable in my own skin yet, but I most certainly wasn't either of those things in my 20s.

In celebration of our birthdays at work, it is customary for each person to bring in a treat to celebrate their own birthday. I know it seems odd, but I guess it's easier than someone else remembering every person's birthday because what happens when someone gets forgotten?

Some people bring cookies, cake, donuts, bagels, etc etc etc. I opted for cupcakes because they are easy to make and, since I was working with a limited time frame, because you don't have to wait for them to completely cool before you frost them.

The problem with not letting them cool completely before you frost them is that you can't use the traditional knife or spatula method of getting the frosting onto the top of the cupcake. My mom is a skilled cake decorator, but she has some amazing cake decorating supplies, loads of practice and several classes under belt. I have had neither the practice nor the instruction that she has had and I certainly don't have any fancy supplies, so I decided to make do with what I had available at my house. My tools of choice were some plastic sandwich bags and a set of 4 PLASTIC icing tips available in any grocery store baking aisle for about $1.

Despite my lack of skill, time and proper tools, I think they turned out to be pretty cute. At any rate, they couldn't have been to bad since most of them currently reside in the bellies of my coworkers.

Martha Stewart should be quaking in her cake decorating boots!

The Bird Man and Andy Rooney

When I grow older, I want to be like the Birdman....................

While watching 60 Minutes the other night, Troy and I saw the story of Forrest Bird, the Birdman of Idaho. As the tag line on the story says, "he's an extraordinary American inventor." As a young man, he stumbled into a life that had him inventing medical devices that have saved countless numbers of lives. He's rubbed elbows with Henry Ford, Orville Wright and even Howard Hughes. He's restored and flown, driven or ridden a myriad of vehicles. But for me, the thing that makes him a national treasure and someone to be admired is his pure zest for life. He's 88 now, but you wouldn't know it to hear him talk. His enthusiasm for flight and his life experiences simply bubbles up out of him.

I want to be like that. I want to live life to the fullest. I want to embrace it with gusto and not let a little thing like fear (of failure, of what people will think) keep me from doing anything that truly speaks to my soul. I can only imagine that the Birdman is a pleasure and a delight to be around. I think he can probably find the best in any person and any situation. That's how I WANT to be....

instead, I am Andy Rooney......

While Troy and I were at the 2009 Indianapolis MotoGP having a great time, I looked around and said, "Wow! We all carry a LOT of stuff!" It seemed like everyone was carrying backpacks or coolers or souvenirs. I wasn't scoffing at anyone. I was merely making an observation. So you can imagine my chagrine when Andy Rooney's 2 minute talk at the end of 60 Minutes on Sunday evening was about all the stuff that people carry! I'm not saying I don't like Andy Rooney, but I think you would have to agree with me when I say he's a BIT curmudgeonly. Like Forrest Bird, he's among the more senior of our population (currently he's 90), but UNLIKE Mr. Bird, he's probably not such a pleasure to be around most of the time. He may be observant, but he's probably not going to make your spirit soar or make you feel youthful and ready to grab life with both hands when you have a conversation with him.

So hopefully the next time I feel fearful of trying something, I'll remember the example of the Birdman and take a chance. But more importantly, the next time I feel snarky or uncharitable, I'll remember I don't want to be Andy Rooney.

Technical Difficulties

I'm not sure if it's blogger or me or what, but I'm having trouble seeing all the stuff along the right side of my blog. I can edit it, but it doesn't show up. Odd...I hope those people at blogger get this fixed soon....

Let me know if you can or can't see it as well. Maybe it's just my system. Thanks!