I'm still working on the 101 things in 1000 days that I mentioned forever ago. It's more like someone plinking a toy piano in the back of my mind these days - a constant irritation or consideration rather than something I'm actively working at.

Today I pulled out a copy of the list. (Now that I completed the VERY BIG PROJECT at work, I'm working on straightening up my office, which may qualify as another VERY BIG PROJECT.) In reviewing it, I found that I have accomplished several things while failing at one spectacularly.

1. See a classic movie on the big screen.

rosepurr and I caught "Nosferatu" on the big screen here on campus Halloween night. It'd been years since I've seen it. I just remember it being a good film and I was right.

2. Visit our friends in Minneapolis.

We visited them last week on vacation. It was fun, too. The weather cooperated so we got to do a lot of fun things, including seeing the Mall of America and doing a 9-mile run (okay, maybe that's just my idea of fun) around Lake Calhoun. One of the other things we got to do was . . .

3. Hash!

I've been talking about it for awhile, but our friends in Minneapolis, purple_phys and tbec are already part of the group up there, so for our virgin hash, we ran through woods, crossed train tracks, darting oncoming trains, and drank.

For those of you who have no idea what hashing means, the short version is always "A drinking group with a running problem." There's an entire vocabulary, but really it's about creating running and walking trails as an excuse to exercise and drink beer (like I need any reason for either, but especially the latter). rosepurr and I are planning to attend Nashville's group soon. The Music City Hash House Harriers website has a lot of detail about the hashing phenomenon.

On on!

4. Run a half-marathon.

I mentioned this earlier and I couldn't recall if it was on the list. It is. Huzzah! I ran a better time than I expected and I had a great time. As I've gotten older, I'm not as fast as I once was, but endurance has gotten much easier to build. The first couple of miles of everything just seem to suck, but then I find my rhythm and feel like I could go on a long time. At the half, I ran 10 and a half miles before I walked at all (damn hill!).


Overall, I'm doing well. But there are a couple of items that worry me.

1. Write a blog entry every time an item is complete.

Obviously then, this entry should be at least 4. Perhaps this wasn't the best goal to set. Many of my 101 things are linked together and, as here, will be accomplished together. So I'm rephrasing my goal to "Write blog entries about each completed item."

2. Complete Nanowrimo.

I have a very hard time with Nanowrimo this year. Today is the 18th and I don't even have 3000 words. Vacation is partly to blame, but I have to make the time and put my ass in the chair. I have to get past the mental blocks I have (too numerous to mention) and just work. Maybe lightning will strike and I'll burst out in the week or so I have left, but it's not looking good.

Sigh.

According to Yahoo Answers, the state of Tennessee won't accept it. Nonetheless, it scratches one more thing off my list.

#25 - Get ordained online.

Today is the day I started my 101 things in 1001 days. And I've already done two of them.

#4 - Write the story of "boo pants."
#5 - Start a boo pants blog.

You can visit my new boo pants blog at http://boo-pants.blogspot.com

Hooray!

So I have a wacky idea.

You've probably heard of the 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days. Like an extended New Year's Resolution List, you write down 101 things you want to do. They can be simple tasks or life long dreams, but they have to be specific goals. (In other words, don't say "lose weight," but make it concrete: "Lose 10 pounds.") But you give yourself almost three years in which to complete them.

While I'm generally disinclined toward such things, I've been feeling the need to establish some goals for myself. Life is good, but I feel a bit like I'm just coasting, like I'm on automatic pilot. It's fine to take time to enjoy the view, but I need a little more structure now.

So I'm working on a list with a date to begin in mind:

January 20, 2009

That's right. I'm thinking of starting Inauguration Day, one week from tomorrow. Why should Obama and the nation as a whole be the only ones starting new?

So I'm working on my list. I'm currently up to 70. I don't know how much I'm willing to share here, but I'll definitely share part of it. I know some people set up entire blogs devoted to their 101 things, but I'm not terribly interested in that, either. I can barely keep up with one blog as it is.

Is anyone with me?