Bar Project and Finances

So the bar conversion project is taking just a bit more time than I first expected. It has been sanded, painted, new hinges and knobs, mirrors cut (yes I learned how to cut glass/mirrors) and then...So cutting mirrors isn't easy, just in case you want to do a little home remolding that's a little tid bit for you..it's hard and frustrating. But I finally figured out how to do it! The bar was driven to the new apartment and I was putting the mirrors onto the back and guess what? Yup two mirrors fell off, luckily for me they didn't break. So I'm about 90% finished. Pictures will be up by the weekend as I have to re-sand a few areas where the glue from the fallen mirrors came down and still have to finish the two drawers with a fabric.

As you can see I completed #73. With my job I had to wait one (1) year to be able to setup my IRA and since that anniversary has come and gone and I started that up today. I'm also about to complete part of #75 by part I mean pay off my current bill. Keeping off..well we'll get there.

No news isn't always good news

Well, As I said before I had to go and get blood work done to test peanuts as it is a higher rate of accuracy. Well my friends you don't have to worry about me being able to eat nothing but peanuts and beans for a week because I'm allergic to them as well. This is getting a little crazy now and I'm starting to think there is an anomaly somewhere because I eat baked beans and salsa both of which have beans in them. Apparently I can't make a green bean casserole. I'm going to start on allergy shots soon and there is a CHANCE something positive could happen.

I'm in shock..

""There are no asterisks in this life, only scoreboards... and ours is currently reading FUCKED"" Thank you Ari Gold you have explained my year to date. What I (and others) thought was going to be an exciting day turned out to be yet another disappointment for 2008. That's right my friends I still am allergic to most everything in Mother Nature and that STILL INCLUDES LETTUCE. I have been in a state of shock since leaving the Doctor's office with my red, hive filled arm (photos to come later). I thought for sure after avoiding a number of foods for over 10 years that I would've out grown the allergies but alas nothing has changed. I am still going to have blood work done for peanuts and that also includes legumes (beans). But for now it's still no salad, no orange juice in the morning. This may also affect some of my other goals as I have to work with a dietitian to make sure I get the vitamins and minerals to do the longer runs I want to accomplish.

Day 1 and 2

So it is kind of weird that Day 1 was on a Sunday only because being in the working world Monday is the start of the week and Sunday is usually my real relaxing day. I want to say thanks to my friends who have read the blog and the response has been interesting. Some comments include "bold," "interesting," "ambitious," and "you have balls." It also seems a lot of you want to either help me or take part in some of the goals which is awesome! At a party Saturday night one of the recurring questions was, "so what are you going to do on day 1." The thing about this project is that it is supposed to give me time to accomplish everything and not necessarily jump in head first. But I did begin a new book yesterday which is part of #95. I also have booked my flight to IDAHO! That's right, this one cheats a little bit as I knew I was going to Idaho for work, but either way I'm going. I'll be out there July 17-24 in Sun Valley (pictures will be posted upon my return). I also found out that it looks like I'm going to knock out another state in August and a city but I'm not going to announce that until I book my flight :) I hope to post tonight after I have my allergist appointment! Wish me luck 'cause I'm really excited and nervous about this one...this really is my biggest goal out of everything and it's the one thing that is almost totally out of my control!!

First Step to Completion

So my launch date is June 1 and I figure I have to do SOMETHING to get things started. And as a way for me to continue with this blog (#100) I have scheduled an appointment with the allergist for Monday, June 2. At this meeting I will be tested for about 15 of the foods I haven't had in 10 years. More to come next week after the visit!

THE LIST! To Begin on June 1, 2008

Arts and Craft
1. Learn to play 10 songs on the guitar
2. Build my own bar FINISHED! Click Here to View
3. Purchase a professional digital camera Christmas Present 2009!
4. Take a photography class Taking a total of 9 classes!
5. Take pictures of famous buildings/landmarks in DC area
6. Frame and hang five of my best photographs
7. Digitize all old photos
8. Watch all Oscar Winning Movies for Best Picture (including ones I have already seen)

Movies I've Watched:

Forrest Gump
Crash
Million Dollar Baby
A Beautiful Mind
Gladiator
Schindler's List
Dances with Wolves
Sound of Music
Patton


9. Create memory box off all ticket stubs and sports credentials I have collected from personal experiences and hang it
10. Build a DVD holder
11. See Rent and Stomp Saw Rent May 27, 2009 at the Warner Theater in DC (It was awesome).
12. See a show on Broadway
13. See a small theatre show at the Kennedy Center
14. See 3 comedians at a comedy club -- One Down..Say Guy Torrey @ DC Improv
15. Go to an Open Mic Night (to listen, not preform)
16. Create a “Friends” cookbook and send it as a gift to everyone that puts in a recipe

Fitness/Health
17. Get retested for food allergies Well I'm still allergic to everything. This one is a disappointment. This one was completed in June 2008 with negative results.
18. Of the foods that I can eat again (if any) have a steady diet of ONLY these foods for a week. This one for now isn't possible. I'm going to figure out some kind of substitute.
19. Exercise 5 days out of the week for 2 months
20. Wake up and run before work every morning for 3 weeks
21. Do 100 sit-ups and 100 push ups once a day for a month
22. Complete a 5K
23. Complete a 10K
24. Complete a mini triathlon
25. Buy a Bike
26. Bench press my body weight
27. Take a yoga class
28. Take a spin class
29. Floss everyday for 4 months
30. Get a massage once a month
31. Clean my apartment once a week and have it professionally cleaned once month
32. Follow an ab diet and ab workout for 2 months (Or as recommended by the workout)
33. Don’t drink any carbonated beverages for a month
34. Gain an inch of muscle on my arms
35. Give up non-natural (cookies, chocolate, ice cream) sugar for 2 weeks
36. Keep track of everything I eat and their nutritional value for 2 weeks


Expanding Local Horizons
37. Go to local weekend markets 3 times a year (including Eastern Market and Court House/Arlington)
38. Go to at least 1 bar in DC/VA area that I haven’t been too per month and rate it on a personal AND community blog
39. Go to a local wine festival Virginia Wine Festival, February 2009
40. Go to a wine tasting at a Virginia Winery
41. Visit the “major” historical sites in DC including: Arlington Cemetery/Changing of the Guards, Arlington House, National Archives, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Museums, National Portrait Gallery, All the Monuments on the Nat’l Mall, Holocaust Museum and any others I think of at a later date and document them (stories, reactions, pictures) on this blog.


Travel
42. Go to the US Open
43. Go to a NASCAR race
44. Stay the night in at least 5 of the 12 states I have yet to visit (States available: ND, SD, NV, ID, WA, OR, AZ, HI, LA, MS, AL, AK)
Completed: Sun Valley, Idaho July 17-24, 2008

45. Visit the following new cities: New Orleans, LA; Chicago, IL; Seattle, WA; Austin, TX; San Diego, CA
46. Travel to Europe and visit London, Ireland, Normandy and Paris

Adventure
47. Go on a blind date (this might not be an ‘adventure’ but I’m not sure where it exactly falls)
48. Go Skydiving
49. White Water Raft the Colorado River
50. Go skiing West of the Mississippi
51. Go deer hunting
52. Go deep sea fishing Weather prohibited me to complete this on May 16, 2009 will try again soon!

Activities
53. Play in a USTA open
54. Play in at least 10 local tennis tournaments
55. Win 1 of the local tennis tournaments
56. Place in the top 5 of 2 local tennis tournaments
57. Organize a “Guys Weekend” that is out of state and not a bachelor party
58. Create a dinner club with friends and keep it going for 6 months
59. Hike 3 local mountains/trails including Old Rag Mtn.
60. Organize a camping trip to the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Trail for a weekend
61. Learn to fly fish
62. Shoot under an 87 in golf two straight outings

Career
63. Make phone calls to 5 potential clients each week
64. Be at work 8:00am every morning for 3 months (continue it as long as possible)
65. Attend a Public Relations/Marketing Conference- Completed, Attend DMAW's One day conference Oct 16, 2008
66. Attend an Association Management Conference
67. Clean out my personal email box of useless or outdated email (and continue to do so once a month)
68. Clean out my work email account of useless or outdated email (and continue once a month)
69. File and backup/archive files, documents, emails from work once a month
70. Apply for and start my MBA

Finance
71. Save $10 per week and put it in savings account
72. Keep track of personal finances for 3 months
73. Setup and begin to fund my IRA Setup on June 24, 2008. Now I get to see the RIO when I'm 59 and a half.
74. Invest in the stock market
75. Pay off credit card debt (and keep it off)
76. Establish a personal emergency fund of $3,000 (increase if raise occurs)
77. Stop renting and buy a Townhouse/Single Family Home


Self Improvement
78. Learn to Salsa Dance
79. Learn to Tango
80. Take a cooking class
81. Attend church every Sunday for 3 months
82. Write in a Journal everyday for a month
83. Re-Learn Spanish well enough to be able to get around on a trip (or around town)
84. Learn to speak Italian to be able to get around on a trip
85. Learn to sew buttons and stitch tears in clothing
86. Go clothes shopping with a stylist (or a friend that has a very good fashion sense)
87. Learn to Shag (for non-southerners it’s a dance style, not an Austin Powers reference)
88. Clean out closest of clothes I haven’t put on in the last year (donate acceptable clothing)
Completed July 2008

Service/Environment
89. Recycle glass/plastic in my apartment for 3 months
90. Do 100 hours of community service in the 1001 days
91. Give blood every 6 months (or whatever the time period is to be able to on a consistent basis)
92. Participate in a “Walk for the Cure” event Participating in Susan G. Kolman Walk on June 6, 2009
93. Participate in a Fund raiser for Diabetes
94. Build at least 1 house with Habitat for Humanity (Can be different houses as long as I participate in every phase of the build)


Reading
95. Read two books for pleasure per month and keep track of the books
96. Get a subscription to a daily newspaper
97. Read the newspaper every morning (At least the Front page and section, Money, Metro/Local, Sports)
98. Read a book about Personal Finances
99. Read the Bible

100. Create a blog of my progress, accomplishments and any (hopefully none) failures including pictures and stories!

The Challenge and the Reasoning

In surfing the web I came across a personal challenge..100 things in 1001 days. This is more than just a New Years resolution and hopefully I can full-fill these 100 things in 2.7 years. While a lot of the items on my list could be done in a weekend I feel like I have a array of challenges that go along with my interests. My start date will be June 1, 2008. As I post this I have a few days left and have a list of 82 objectives..it's amazing how hard a list like this can be because you want to have quantifiable results. I should have started with this but what exactly is 100 in 1001? I basically explained it all but here is what I found from another person who started this challenge:

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

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 organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

I'm posting this list on my Facebook and Myspace pages (though I may get rid of Myspace) so my friends can help keep track and help to push me if I'm slacking.

Why did I decide to do this?

Well there are a number of reasons. The last 5 months have been a challenge emotionally as my grandparents passed away (grandmother in January and Grandfather in April..they had been married for 56 years). I was very close to them as they lived 30 minutes from me from birth until I was about 10, growing up I spent a majority of summers with them in Georgia and I spent almost every holiday with them for my entire life. They were my last pair of grandparents still living as my Dad's parents passed when I was in the 6th grade, ironically, they passed away in a short period as well (almost a month apart). So I've realized how fragile life is and that I I should not wait around and well..JUST DO IT! The other reason is that my 25 birthday is in September, while I know 25 is young it is a milestone (in my mind). I am out of college and have begun to establish myself professionally and personally. The next 2 years I believe are very important financially, mentally and physically. I'm currently not in a relationship and have some flexibility with my job to travel a little (non-work) so I figure this is as good a time as any.