I need to start remembering to do this...

So last week I attended taste of tacoma, of course forgot to take pictures of anything, but I had some amazing food. Blackened Salmon sandwich, fresh coconut milk, and half of a deep fried peanut butter and jelly. Yums all around!

Right now I'm watching my sunset, sparkled with fireworks. Feeling independent today? I am.

Soon, Here, Maybe

Next weekend is Taste of Tacoma, and in a month is Bite of Seattle.  I am more than excited for these things.

It feels like Summer just kindof jumped up at me, I am so very unprepared for this.  But prepared or not, I just need to jump in.

I am making one minor change.  On the list I had "Stay at least one night in at least 3 different states," and that is turning into only two states FOR A REASON.  I have already stayed the night in Oregon and Cali, and I was going to make the third state something special, a real trip that I would be spending "real money" on, but then the sister and I decided to go to Disneyland in October!  So I am spending the money I would have spent on that third state and going to Disneyland.  Can I count Disneyland as a state?  I think I will.  At least half a state.

I also think I'll be heading to Point Defiance Zoo either before or after Taste of Tacoma, and am so excited for this.  THE ZOO!  ANIMALS!  PENGUINS!  FEEDING THINGS!  I feel like a child, and I'm going to buy a balloon and some other cheesy piece of swag and will be the coolest kid at the park because I can drink alcohol.

Maybe this weekend I'll make a birdhouse?  That sounds like a fun thing to do, especially if it is still sunny out.

One More Thing Down

So I went to the beach last weekend with a friend, and her two kids, and it was wonderful.  We rented a condo in Ocean Shores, about a one minute drive from the beach (if the weather was nice we probably could have walked).  Took her new truck down, drove on the beach, made sand castles, and found an awesome bar.

Also, waffles for breakfast

 And Mimosa's 

Also flew a kite for the first time in years, and it was amazing and I want to do it every day.  Only I want to get like 30 kites and some of them be those stunt kites that I can move around like crazy.

I do think friend and I will be be heading back to the beach soon, just without the kids.

We also made a beach campfire, which was crazy with the wind and took us like 45 minutes of tiny fires or one log being lit, but then in some glorious fortune everything lit up all at once, and it was magical.  Then we hung out and drank fancy Italian Soda's in bottles that were so delicious and we wished we had s'mores to make but there is always next time.

All in all, wonderful.  And the food festivals are starting, and the weather is getting better so I can get out more.  Maybe I'll even head to the zoo this weekend!  I have a new wind, things are looking up.  Having pictures of this weekend helps.  Pictures!  Forever pictures!



(getting a post in feels so amazing)

You Are My Sunshine

We have been having amazing weather around here, and the sun has been making this list burn a hole in my pocket. These next few months will be a time of getting things done. Next weekend I'll be at the ocean, and July marks food festival time.

I wish it was ok to leave work to go to the craft store, then come back to craft at ones desk. Every day this week I have intended to go to the craft store to pick up supplies to make the change purse (and possibly even an apron), but things keep coming up! If life could calm down between four and six every day I would be so happy.

Also, a friend has asked me to make cupcakes for her wedding. VEGAN cupcakes. I am excited for the challenge, and start making test batches this weekend. This is my first time doing vegan cupcakes and have already found some great recipes that sound totally delicious. I'm very thankful I have an almost endless supply of stomachs around here to taste test.

When traveling

On the way to Oregon last week

Second night, second state

So I haven't mentioned it, but this weekend I knocked out staying the night in two different states. First Oregon, now California. Unfortunately, the circumstances were less than ideal. A friend passed away, and I came down here for the funeral.

It is currently my second, and last, night in California. I leave the state in about 8.5 hours, and I'll admit, I'm not updating because I want to talk about the list. I'm updating because I can't sleep. I have gotten up no less than 5 times in the last two hours to do things around the house. Clean dishes here, straighten up counters there, sweep up this and that. I guess I'm updating right now because the trash is full and if I don't watch myself I'll be back up and bringing it outside.

Loss is a terrible, terrifying thing.

Cookies

As an update, I just wanted to let you know I baked two different kinds of cookies the weekend before last. I would have taken pictures, but by the time I was in a place where lighting lent itself for pictures, they were all gone! I will take this as a compliment, and just describe them.

I made mostly-fat-free oatmeal raisin cookies (sent to dad), which would have been all fat-free except for I finished them off with a little bit of butter, just for taste (and to help hold them together). They were crumbly, but soft and amazing. Pretty much fancy granola once they got to daddio, but I didn't hear any complaints.

The other cookies were peanutbutter-applesauce, and holy DAMN. First off, the recipe made SO MANY COOKIES. Seriously, SO MANY. I really enjoyed these vs regular peanut butter cookies because they were lighter and a little sweeter. Cut down the sharp peanutbutterness.

Ok, I'm going away for now. I just need to remember to keep my eye on the goal (and be grateful for amazing friends who are pushing my ass to do this, and not let me slack off. Seriously, every time someone reminds of this stuff I feel so blessed to have awesome friends).

Aw, Crap

So, it's been over a month since I've updated (thank you for the bugging, P.F.!). Shiiiiitson. I don't even have a good excuse, this month hasn't been particularly busy (I think, I guess). I will say that I did make one of the twelve needed cookies, but they were all gone before I got a picture of them. Which I guess is a compliment? But also a smack-on-the-head for not remembering to take a picture before delivering them around to people.

I also know that in a couple weeks there is the opera at the theater, which I think may count? Maybe half a point, because it's not like seeing a real opera live, but it's not doing nothing, either.

I feel a bit scattered right now, and pretty much like I knew I would. Giving up seems like an awesome option, or extending the "due date" or something to let myself slide. To combat this, I need to do something this weekend. And not some lame cop-out like baking cookies or working on the scarf. Something bigger than that.

I Made Some Cards

My way of saying "Jet was here."

Progress

Started last night, already at 13 inches! Go team! I will admit, even though I didn't start on schedule, it is still satisfying.

Hey guys

Look what I started!

Pre-Opera Opera

Saturday, April 7th, Galaxy Theater, 9am, Metropolitan Opera: The Manon

This Weekend

I start my scarf.

Cheap cop-out, maybe? I don't know. I decided to do one of the things from the list this weekend before I realized it was a friends birthday on Saturday, which basically kills my Saturday and Sunday, and Friday I'm going to the movies with Momma. But I'm not not doing something! So yes, I'm starting what seems to be the "easiest" thing. But the best thing about the weekend? There is another one in just another week.




http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=754

All it Takes is One Step to Fall Off the Cliff

I am pretty positive that the most difficult part of this journey will be actually starting it.


Goal for tonight:

Pick one thing to do this weekend.


Goal for this weekend:

Actually do it.

Support Comes in the Most Unlikely of Places

I was worried a couple weeks ago.
My main friend who has been pushing me on this, reminding me to update and what, had a new life come into his in the form of a tiny, squishy, helpless, red-headed little girl, and I couldn't be happier for him. Unfortunately the consequence of this that I didn't quite realize yet was that he had no place looking after me with this project. Yes, he is still interested and whatnot, he just has more important things to look after.

What surprised me, though, was that someone else asked about this. Someone who I hardly ever see, someone who I hardly ever talk to. That was when I knew this was something bigger than I thought it was, and that was when I got really happy, and really driven.


This year I hope to become closer to people, become a better person, and have a (bleeping) adventure.

So The Tally's Are In, Ballots Counted.

Final total list:

1. Visit Gasworks Park


2. Make from-scratch fried chicken, cornbread, and BBQ sauce


3. Go to the Seattle Library


4. Underground Tour


5. Go to the Olympic National Forest (A.B.)


6. See a movie in a Gold Class Cinema (bonus points: eat gourmet popcorn and french fries with Sriracha Aioli) (M. B-N)


7. Have a cocktail at Tini Bings (bonus points: Make it an Aviation) (M. B-N)


8. Spend a weekend at the Sol Duc Hot Springs (K.B.)


9. Design and create a complete steampunk outfit for Steamcon


10. Sew myself a change purse


11. Eat grits


12. Make butternut squash soup


13. Make my own pasta


14. See Trans-Siberian Orchestra Live


15. Write a song and record it at the EMP


16. Find a photobooth and use it


17. Buy a whole fish and take it apart, then cook and eat it


18. Stay a weekend in a hotel, somewhere with a view


19. Bake an apple pie using the family recipe


20. Visit the Seattle Aquarium (P.F.)


21. Go to the top of the Space Needle and have a meal


22. Visit the Pacific Science Center (P.F.)


23. Build a Birdhouse


24. Candy Walnuts


25. Go to Wann (P.F. www.wann-izakaya.com/)


26. Make juice tapioca balls using molecular gastronomy


27. Watch a sunrise


28. Watch a sunset


29. See the Ocean


30. Visit Mount Rainier and have a picnic


31. Go to Woodland Park Zoo


32. Go to Point Defiance Zoo


33. Bite of Seattle


34. Taste of Tacoma


35. Bake at least 12 different cookie recipes


36. Go camping at least once


37. Stay at least one night in at least 3 different states


38. Make and launch a paper lantern


39. Learn to make a difficult origami piece (suggestion of P.F.)


40. Go to an opera (Suggestion of P.F.)


41. Karaoke


42. Carve a pumpkin


43. Knit a 7 foot scarf, and wear it at least 7 times


44. Stay the weekend at the ocean


45. Go to Tillicum Village


46. Go to a glass fusing class at the Museum of Glass


47. Make a souffle

So there you have it, 47 things to do in the next 12 months. This will be an awesome year.

Ruh-Roh

I had my first wave of self-doubt yesterday. It came out of nowhere and hit me hard. I kept thinking about how I could just delete this blog, not say anything about it to anyone and nobody would really notice. And even if they did notice it would all be forgotten in a couple weeks anyway. I guess half of me is still stuck in that place, the other half of me knows I have to push through. I have to do this.

I will bust through.



Just a couple days left until listing ends.

7 Days...

Visit Gasworks Park
Make from-scratch fried chicken, cornbread, and BBQ sauce
Go to the Seattle Library
Underground Tour

8 Days Left to List

I'm not scared to admit that I'm scared as hell. Which is a bit funny, because as far as I remember there is nothing particularily frightening on this list. I think I'm just a mixture of nervous and excited, which is equalling out to fear.

Also, yesterday I finally posted this project to my facebook, which I guess isn't too big of a deal, but it was a bit difficult for me to do. I hate self-promotion, I usually see it as begging for attention, but I had to get over that in order to get more ideas. And hopefully this will get more people involved in the project and wanting to come along for some of the adventures.



Go to the Olympic National Forest (A.B.)
See a movie in a Gold Class Cinema (bonus points: eat gourmet popcorn and french fries with Sriracha Aioli) (M. B-N)
Have a cocktail at Tini Bings (bonus points: Make it an Aviation) (M. B-N)
Spend a weekend at the Sol Duc Hot Springs (K.B.)
Design and create a complete steampunk outfit for Steamcon

What Does This All Mean?

A little over one week until I start this. I am excited and nervous, but mainly determined. I've already been told by one person to not beat myself up if I don't finish the list, and that "nobody will care" if I end up with things undone. But someone will care: me. I cannot let myself fail this.

I have been thinking about what this project means to me, why I care at all, and New Years Eve everything became abundantly clear. Looking around my house at all of my things, looking for one thing to tell me I've succeeded in the last year, I realized that I have nothing to show for myself. Yes, I have a loving and supporting family and group of friends. Yes, I have a new relationship that so far is going just fine. Yes, I am comfortable and very rarely want for material goods. Yes, I am marginally happy. But through all of that, something is missing. This last year I started the process of looking for a house to buy, thinking that would fulfil me. The end of the year came and went and still no house, but I don't feel any worse about myself. I have a new car from the one I was driving last year, but still, no feelings of accomplishment. In all actuality, though I have done many things in the last year, I really have done nothing. Or I have nothing done, if you will.

So as these next next nine days pass, I will think of more things. And as this next year passes, I will succeed, I will embrace myself, I will do this. I cannot, will not, fail. For nobody else but me, I will complete this project.



Sew myself a change purse
Eat grits
Make butternut squash soup
Make my own pasta
See Trans-Siberian Orchestra Live (this may be cheating, I do this every year anyway)