A Year of Living the Life List, Part 1

At the end of last January, I took a two-session class in making a "Life List"--things I wanted to do, see, accomplish in my life. I thought that now would be a good time to reevaluate the list to see what I managed to do in 2009, and also add anything new. I'll cover half today and half tomorrow so as not to bore you completely.
1. Read 75 books in 2009. I only read 24. Hey! I had 109 other things on my list to do!!
2. Sell some more greeting card ideas. Nope, I didn't do this yet. I did spend enough money for three people at Hallmark stores, though.
3. Make money doing something I like. Still figuring out what that is.
4. Take a week-long Harley trip. We are planning to go to North Carolina this summer.
5. Visit friends/family I haven't seen in a long time. I got together with my college roommate Amy twice, saw Mary before she moved to China, and we'll see the North Carolina daughter and grandkids this summer.
6. Take my mother on a trip. She has to tell me where she wants to go!
7. Write letters to the troops every week. I haven't done it weekly, but still managed quite a few throughout the year.
8. Meet new friends in Rhinelander. I got to know my bowling team better, and also Cindy, my walking and coffee-drinking partner.
9. Bowl a 200+ game. This is still eluding me--181 has been my high.
10. Sell the Elk Mound house. Sigh. Many lookers, a few crummy offers, but still no sale.
11. Go to a Packer game. Maybe I'll wait till they retire Favre's jersey and take some rotten eggs and tomatoes.
12. Get new curtains. I keep procrastinating on this.
13. Try new recipes. I've done too much of this, which has caused failure of a couple other goals
below.
14. Watch 10 classic movies I've never seen. After watching "Citizen Kane" and "Rear Window", I was bored and in no mood to see any more oldies.
15. Get headstones for Beatle and Kimo. Done.
16. Join a community organization. Still looking.
17. Eat 5 fruits/vegetables a day. I'm at more like 3 a day--must do better.
18. Go fishing. I only did this once so far and didn't catch anything.
19. Learn to use my digital camera. I took a class for this and feel totally comfortable with it now. Next I need a better camera!
20. Learn more about using the internet. I'm on Facebook, does that count?!
21. Go to a play or musical. I've been to a musical, a play, and a concert at Nicolet College--all excellent.
22. Start keeping a journal again. I did try this, but couldn't get into it. I may give it another shot since I can't seem to remember anything these days.
23. Get in decent enough shape to do a 5K. I talked about this, wrote about it, and then didn't do it. Maybe this year.
24. Listen to more music. The radio is still my main source--while my CDs gather dust.
25. Go with Fred on more out-of-town work trips. This hasn't happened--I need a dogsitter.
26. Get to know our neighbors. We had dinner and watched a football game with one couple and plan to have them here soon.
27. Drink more water. It would be easier if the Pepsi Co. would stop making Diet Mountain Dew.
28. Eat fewer sweets. FAIL.
29. Visit all 50 states. Last year I added California to those I've been in, so my list includes CA, WI, IA, IL, MN, MI, IN, PA, NJ, OH, KY, TN, NY, NC, WV, VA, and HI. I have a ways to go!
30. Grow sunflowers. I had the seeds but forgot to plant them.
31. Get more birdfeeders. I got one from my mom for Christmas. The squirrels are enjoying it.
32. Do some genealogy research. I should really find a class to take for this.
33. Lower my cholesterol. See blog for Jan. 25th. I'm working on it!
34. Get an exercise tape and use it. Richard and I are getting sweaty together.
35. Pay for someone's meal anonymously. If I ever see someone in uniform in a restaurant, this will happen.
36. Watch a thunderstorm. We didn't really have any big ones last summer.
37. Visit veterans in the hospital. I didn't do this, but I did send 100 valentines to the Wisconsin V.A. hospitals last year.
38. See the fall colors in New England. Maybe a trip to Maine to visit my nephew Michael and his wife Anne.
39. Beat Fred in more gin games than I lose. Fred gave Katie the $50 that was in his gin jar before she left for Ireland. That was all money I had lost to him playing gin in 2009. We just got a new dining room table, and since then I have won over $10!!! The table obviously doesn't like him.
40. Get some plants and not kill them. I'm keeping two geraniums alive through the winter--so far.
41. Crash a wedding. I think I'll be invited to Erica's.
42. Go back to the Outer Banks. Someday...
43. Yell in the mountains and hear the echo.
44. Ride in the next Harley-Davidson anniversary parade. Have to wait till 2013.
45. See the midnight sun. Maybe Sarah Palin will have me over.
46. Take a cruise. I'd rather go to Ireland.
47. See another show on Broadway. The State Theater is on Broadway in Menomonie...
48. Go to State Street in Madison for Halloween. Who wants to do this with me??
49. Help repeal the Wisconsin marriage amendment. More people need to be educated about fairness.
50. Serve meals to the homeless on a holiday. Our friends Paul and Lauri did this on Thanksgiving--good for them!
51. Write letters to my Congressmen. I have sent e-mails in the past, but not in the last year.
52. Revise my will. You'd better be good, girls!
53. Learn to drive a standard transmission. I don't know who would teach me this--Fred tried before we got married, and I almost called off the wedding.
54. Volunteer at a nursing home. Another thing to look into...
55. Spend at least 20 days/nights at the cabin in '09. I spent 17 nights there--will try to do better this year. We are going over this weekend!
To be continued....