#18. Cook the Majority of a Holiday Meal

After making my list the summer of 2012, I checked several items off pretty quickly. One of which was making my first holiday meal (with help from A) Thanksgiving 2012.

Since I had the whole week of Thanksgiving off from school (and mostly work), and he didn't have many vacation days, it was decided that I would come to Indiana and we'd spend Thanksgiving "just the two of us" for the first time.

Since we tend to be a pretty good team, our first Thanksgiving on our own was a team effort--a delicious effort, I might add!


After re-locating to Indiana, we ran into the same issue this past Thanksgiving--me with many days off, and us not wanting him to use his precious few to go back to Missouri for the Holiday. Instead, we had his parents come mid-month for a visit (and "holiday meal") and my parents for the actual holiday. As such, since creating my list, I've marked this item off several times--each one delicious and not too-disasterous.

Here's to hoping that streak holds for many more years!

#14. Get a pet

It has taken me awhile to go back through my list and write about items I've checked off, and as such, I've had this one crossed off for over a year.

December 2012 (almost January 2013), I convinced A that I needed to have a pet to welcome me home, and to give me a reason to go home and not work 12+ hour days. After much searching, and multiple visits to the various sites Columbia Second Chance had cats, I (on a fluke) found my perfect feline companion.

Miss Muffet was at the CSC Adoption Center outside of Columbia on I-70, but in a "quarantined" room because she was having stomach issues. However, I didn't know the room was one full of cats not ready to be adopted! She was so calm, friendly, and soft that I felt bad leaving! I was a little nervous, as I had started my search a little early and was worried she (or one of the others I liked) would be adopted out before I was able to take A with me to meet all of them.

My fears were a little warranted; of the seven I had wanted A to meet, four of them were adopted a month later when I took him to meet them. We started at PetSmart, and nearly adopted one there on the spot. She was friendly and playful, but I was worried she was a little too playful for my long-hour lifestyle. We headed out to the Adoption Center and little Miss Muffet appeared to remember me as she came and sat on my lap and purred her little heart out. I'm not sure if A liked her more, or just knew that I loved her, but we decided to take her home with us.

It took her a bit to warm up to us, and to some extent, I think she's still learning that she has a safe and loving home with us, but I like to think she's happy. We spent almost seven months in Columbia together, before I drugged her and moved her two states--a feat which she did not enjoy.

However, another eight months later, she seems to be quite happy and settled; she's got too many toys, meals on a regular schedule, and even a screened in deck to enjoy the outdoors.

We're all pretty lucky.

#30. Try to enjoy the NBA

As a result of my recent relocation to the heart of the Hoosier state, I tacked this goal onto my list. While I don't profess to have fallen in love with the NBA (the MLB and Cardinals will always hold my heart), I'm beginning to enjoy it with each new game we attend.

For A's birthday, I bought us a package of tickets to watch the Indiana Pacers this season. I haven't been able to make all of the games I bought tickets for, but I have enjoyed going! While I could mark it off my list, as I do "enjoy" the games, I'm marking it as still "in progress"--why settle for "enjoying" when there's a whole world of excitement and fanaticism on the other end?

Starting 2014 Off Right

Sometimes, I set (too) lofty of goals to start with, and end up faltering before I get off the ground. Case in point, blogging. Ugh.

It's something I really love, but something that requires more time than I ever think about or acknowledge, causing me to keep starting and stopping.

So here's to another year (and another start), with hopefully not a stop in the near future!

Cheers!

Running List

Took someone unexpected reminding me I had neglected this blog, to get me back into it. A year less than when I started, here's the whole list at once:

1. Get married
2. Own a house
3. Go to Canada
4. Vacation with white sands and blue water
5. Start my career
6. Run a 5k
7. Get published
8. Go on a mission-type trip
9. Go zip-lining
10. Buy a car
11. Learn to golf
12. Visit Finland
13. Go to STL World Series/Playoff game
14. Get a pet!
15. Learn to ride a motorcycle
16. Create a "Year in the Life" of pictures
17. Visit DC for extended vacation
18. Cook the majority of a holiday meal
19. Learn to successfully curl my hair
20. Own every Dr. Seuss book published
21. Pay off all undergraduate student loans
22. Be credit card/debt free
23. Purchase the "Happiness Bucket" books
24. Tour the White House
25. Go to Disney World/Disney Land
26. Learn to ski/snowboard
27. Go to Convention
28. Become a certified fitness instructor
29. Go rock climbing
30. Try to enjoy the NBA

As I'm going back through them, I've already marked some off! Descriptions to come...

The List, Part VI

Okay, I know the top five are the most anticipated items. And I'll admit, I chickened out a little when I started my list, as most of these things are things that I really think will happen. Not necessarily adventurous, but still life-goals (and hopefully attainable life goals!).

1. Get married
     A actually joked about just running down to the courthouse today to cross this one off my list. Not going to lie, as it gets closer to unemployment and no insurance, it's looking better and better...
However, extenuating circumstances aside, I'd really rather have a wonderful, semi-small wedding with all the people I care about (and that care about me) there.

2. Own a house
     This one is a little more challenging, as it is predicated on actually finding a city/town to settle down in after graduation, in addition to being somewhat financially stable. But I think it can happen. And there's just so many great things that can come once I'm in someplace of my own--decorating, gardening, having a garage, and of course, a dog!

3. Go to Canada
     It seems odd that the country is so close and I've spent so long on Earth and not visited it. Shouldn't be too hard to check off, I wouldn't think...

4. Vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Preferably a beach somewhere beautiful with white sands and clear water
     I think this one goes without explaining...

5. Start my career
     After graduation, I hope to find a wonderful job, doing things that matter. I have a knack for numbers, analyzing data, and solving problems--I just hope I can find a good jump off to start doing all of the above for the foreseeable future...

The List, Part V

Had a slight hiccup with the past few posts not posting, but I think I've gotten it figured out. If there happened to be anyone out there who was just dying for the last few items, I'm sorry! (although, I'm sure I'm the only one who was really upset they didn't go out!)

Onward!

6. Run a 5k
          I had several friends run in the 'Color Run' in KC this past summer. On my list was to run a 5k, but after seeing the pictures of their adventure, combined with reading about it, it sounds like too much fun to miss! I've heard that it took awhile to get the color out of your hair and skin, so maybe I'll think about running it in a hazamat suit with an over sized t-shirt (also, how the hell do you correctly spell 'Hazmat'? Blogger is telling me I misspelled it, but is not being helpful in offering suggestions...). I suppose any 5k will work, but seeing as how I easily get bored when working out, it'll need to be a fun one!

7. Get published
          Likely looking at writing a journal/research article for this one, as that's where my knowledge and higher chances lie. However, I'll take whatever! I'd like to be able to be published in something that people will read, not just something that people I know will read. I'm sure my 'rents will read anything I eventually get published, but it would be nice for someone out there I don't know to read something I wrote, because it was published. I think it can definitely happen, I just should probably get to work sooner rather than later...maybe after completing the job hunt? Or maybe complete this one before the job hunt begins?

8. Go on a mission-type trip to help others in a foreign country
          Considering I had once considered making this my life work (i.e., moving to Africa and working in a school/hospital/community to help others), it only seems right that it end up on my list. I don't necessarily want to/need to travel with a religiously-affiliated organization, however, those seem to be the likely conduit for the trip. I currently have friends living overseas, living this life, so I think I could easily follow their footsteps and do it for a few weeks or a month. Perhaps longer, but it's tough to go longer when you're scheduling around school, job hunting and career working...

9. Go zip-lining
         As afraid of heights as I can be, and as much as I hate roller coasters, there's something about zip-lining that intrigues me. I've done it once--on a very small course in central Missouri. However, the sights were purely trees and the rushing closeness of the guides. I'd like to go someplace a little more exciting (i.e., the Amazon!) but would settle for a different course in a different part of Missouri. I'd love to go skydiving too, but somehow I think I might not be able to get outta the plane...zip-lining seems to be a good alternative.

10. Buy a car
          After talking to A., this one may not be necessary to accomplish before 30. As much as I love Cinderelly, I have a feeling she will need to be traded in for a newer model within the next few years. And since that's likely to happen, I put it on my list with the intent to be able to afford one/be in a place to buy a car, and to get one that I want. However, it seems like I might not need to when it gets time to trade her in, so I suppose this goes with the debt item, and I want to be able to buy a car if I need to...