Melissa likes to pretend you care

featuring: mostly things about which probably only I will be excited

Want to compliment my fabulous taste in music and witty remarks? melissanat at gmail dot com

Also terribly important:

my 101 things in 1001 days list

my race results

MY 101 FOR THE NEXT 1001 DAYS
So I have been completely obsessed with this concept (explained in more detail here), and really, there’s no time like the present, you know?
start date: 7.1.09 (days it took me to finish the list and finally post it - 7 - bodes well for my pursuit, no?)
end date: 3.28.12
personal rule: As of the end date, I will donate $10 to charity for each unfinished item (minimum $100, in the inevitable case I am awesome and accomplish all of it).
Clipboard of Fun
1. attend authentic session of bingo (e.g. not at a bar and/or in the presence of drag queens)
2. go for a motorcycle ride completed 12.11.11
3. participate in an eating contest
4. ride a Vespa
5. see the sun rise over Manhattan completed (accidentally) 09.07.10 (Thanks marathon training!)
6. see an outdoor movie completed 08.20.10
7. wear a big hat to the track completed 08.08.09
8. fly in a helicopter
9. picnic at least once per summer I consider grilled cheese on the beach a picnic, and perhaps the best picnic one can have
10. play skeeball at least once every summer
11. get a massage completed 12.23.09 (thanks A!)
12. play roulette completed 07.23.09
13. start a vintage earring collection
14. play Dance Dance Revolution
15. try acupuncture
16. kara-oke
17. obtain all of the songs on my constantly evolving “to download” list
18. work on my putting
Creative endeavors
19. beauty shop photo project
20. cross stitch something
21. send non-dull holiday cards
22. complete a painting, Bob Ross style
23. get published (in print, as opposed to just online) accomplished Summer 2011-ish
24. remake at least one piece of clothing each month
25. tackle outstanding, un-contained memories in scrapbooks or something like that
26. compile marathon pictures and diary entries in a book  completed July 2010 (thanks Mom!)
27. make or otherwise obtain an apron for all of my culinary experiments completed 12.25.09 (thanks Mom!)
28. work on helping with my MD quilt my help was extremely minimal but my quilt is awesome - thanks Mom again!
Field Trips!
29. go see Niagara Falls completed 10.23.10
30. travel abroad at least once completed (Japan!) 12.07.09
31. go to a vineyard completed 8.20.11– & if possible, crush grapes with my feet - (it wasn’t possible as I am always terribly overbooked during grape-crushing season)
32. take a road trip
33. go Zorbing (extra credit for working in a visit to Dollywood)
34. attend the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest completed 7.4.11
35. attend a Triple Crown race completed 6.11.11
36. go to Bay to Breakers
37. go to the crown of the Statue of Liberty (finally, once again an option) - It was an option for a while but tickets were hard to come by, particularly during time periods where it might not be 8000 degrees inside the statue, and now they’ve once again closed it for renovations.
38. go to Machu Picchu and/or Angkor Wat completed 7.19.11
39. go on a cruise completed 7.24.09
40. go vintage shopping (if by “vintage shopping” you mean “the by-the-pound Goodwill with the giant bins of clothing”)
41. go to Ireland with Mom completed November 2010
Because it’s usually about food and/or beverages with me…
42. grow some sort of food myself
43. bake Christmas cookies annually
44. bake at least once per month and share
45. make sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving completed 11.26.09
46. try to find a place in my life for grapefruit and/or grapefruit juice
47. go to a pick-your-own farm and cook a meal with what was picked
48. try poutine completed 11.21.09
49. try absinthe
50. include salads as a more frequent staple of the diet
Do some good as repayment to the universe for being a lucky brat
51. send five unexpected bouquets of flowers (3)
52. leave a much larger tip than is necessary at least five times (3/5 complete)
53. volunteer at least several times per year
54. put change in an expired parking meter at least five times
55. donate blood regularly, and platelets as much as possible
56. donate regularly to the homeless shelter
57. improve birthday-card-sending accuracy
58. take Mom out to dinner once a month
59. donate something non-monetary at least quarterly (besides to the homeless center and clothes) – e.g. toys at Christmas
It’s probably time to start acting like a grown-up…
60. do it up for my 30th/approach it with grace completed 10.30.10
61. pick a favorite flower check - peonies and ranunculus 
62. make attempts at grown-up decorating in my residence
63. purchase at least one pair of investment shoes completed 12.21.11
64. declutter life by at least 101 things
65. save for a down payment
66. pare down closet to only items I really love
67. get an amazing new job completed (officially) 06.07.10
68. track down a new signature scent check - Fresh Sugar Lychee
69. buy one dress I love every six months paying little regard to price
70. cook one new recipe per month, ideally for at least one someone else
71. start saving up for Lasik - I didn’t ever care about this multiple-thousand-dollars’ worth.
72. get my Irish citizenship
73. finally get the Civic detailed (now N/A, tear)
74. get renter’s insurance completed 08.27.10 (!)
75. throw at least one party a year
76. list all of the amusing things I’ve done and places I’ve been, so as not to lose sight of all I’ve already done
Become more brilliant & educated
77. take a stand-up class completed 5.6.10
78. try tennis lessons (again)
79. actually retain knowledge of the rules of tennis
80. take an HTML class
81. take a wine class completed 2.11.12
82. finally learn all the lyrics to: Get Money and Breathe, by Junior Mafia and Fabolous, respectively (I was going to post links, but they are super inappropriate - Google them yourself)
83. take vegetable chopping lessons
84. golf lesson completed 12.18.09
85. learn to play craps
86. learn how to change a tire learned 01.29.12, could not apply the knowledge to actually complete it thanks to some super-tight lug nuts
87. do a few crossword puzzles a month
88. be able to bust out a mini Irish step dance on command
89. venture into the world of ensembles that aren’t matchy matchy
90. line dancing lesson
91. relearn geography, continent by continent
Athletic pursuits
92. run a marathon completed 10.11.09
93. surf lesson
94. become a less pitiful swimmer
95. luge
96. go golfing with my Dad at least once every year
97. make push ups a regular part of the workout routine
98. try to skateboard
99. water ski 
100. be lead jammer in a roller derby bout completed 5.22.10
101. try bikram yoga completed 04.13.11
Now accepting applications for partners in crime in accomplishing these….
STATUS KEY:
complete 
started/in progress

MY 101 FOR THE NEXT 1001 DAYS

So I have been completely obsessed with this concept (explained in more detail here), and really, there’s no time like the present, you know?

start date: 7.1.09 (days it took me to finish the list and finally post it - 7 - bodes well for my pursuit, no?)

end date: 3.28.12

personal rule: As of the end date, I will donate $10 to charity for each unfinished item (minimum $100, in the inevitable case I am awesome and accomplish all of it).

Clipboard of Fun

1. attend authentic session of bingo (e.g. not at a bar and/or in the presence of drag queens)

2. go for a motorcycle ride completed 12.11.11

3. participate in an eating contest

4. ride a Vespa

5. see the sun rise over Manhattan completed (accidentally) 09.07.10 (Thanks marathon training!)

6. see an outdoor movie completed 08.20.10

7. wear a big hat to the track completed 08.08.09

8. fly in a helicopter

9. picnic at least once per summer I consider grilled cheese on the beach a picnic, and perhaps the best picnic one can have

10. play skeeball at least once every summer

11. get a massage completed 12.23.09 (thanks A!)

12. play roulette completed 07.23.09

13. start a vintage earring collection

14. play Dance Dance Revolution

15. try acupuncture

16. kara-oke

17. obtain all of the songs on my constantly evolving “to download” list

18. work on my putting

Creative endeavors

19. beauty shop photo project

20. cross stitch something

21. send non-dull holiday cards

22. complete a painting, Bob Ross style

23. get published (in print, as opposed to just online) accomplished Summer 2011-ish

24. remake at least one piece of clothing each month

25. tackle outstanding, un-contained memories in scrapbooks or something like that

26. compile marathon pictures and diary entries in a book  completed July 2010 (thanks Mom!)

27. make or otherwise obtain an apron for all of my culinary experiments completed 12.25.09 (thanks Mom!)

28. work on helping with my MD quilt my help was extremely minimal but my quilt is awesome - thanks Mom again!

Field Trips!

29. go see Niagara Falls completed 10.23.10

30. travel abroad at least once completed (Japan!) 12.07.09

31. go to a vineyard completed 8.20.11– & if possible, crush grapes with my feet - (it wasn’t possible as I am always terribly overbooked during grape-crushing season)

32. take a road trip

33. go Zorbing (extra credit for working in a visit to Dollywood)

34. attend the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest completed 7.4.11

35. attend a Triple Crown race completed 6.11.11

36. go to Bay to Breakers

37. go to the crown of the Statue of Liberty (finally, once again an option) - It was an option for a while but tickets were hard to come by, particularly during time periods where it might not be 8000 degrees inside the statue, and now they’ve once again closed it for renovations.

38. go to Machu Picchu and/or Angkor Wat completed 7.19.11

39. go on a cruise completed 7.24.09

40. go vintage shopping (if by “vintage shopping” you mean “the by-the-pound Goodwill with the giant bins of clothing”)

41. go to Ireland with Mom completed November 2010

Because it’s usually about food and/or beverages with me…

42. grow some sort of food myself

43. bake Christmas cookies annually

44. bake at least once per month and share

45. make sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving completed 11.26.09

46. try to find a place in my life for grapefruit and/or grapefruit juice

47. go to a pick-your-own farm and cook a meal with what was picked

48. try poutine completed 11.21.09

49. try absinthe

50. include salads as a more frequent staple of the diet

Do some good as repayment to the universe for being a lucky brat

51. send five unexpected bouquets of flowers (3)

52. leave a much larger tip than is necessary at least five times (3/5 complete)

53. volunteer at least several times per year

54. put change in an expired parking meter at least five times

55. donate blood regularly, and platelets as much as possible

56. donate regularly to the homeless shelter

57. improve birthday-card-sending accuracy

58. take Mom out to dinner once a month

59. donate something non-monetary at least quarterly (besides to the homeless center and clothes) – e.g. toys at Christmas

It’s probably time to start acting like a grown-up…

60. do it up for my 30th/approach it with grace completed 10.30.10

61. pick a favorite flower check - peonies and ranunculus 

62. make attempts at grown-up decorating in my residence

63. purchase at least one pair of investment shoes completed 12.21.11

64. declutter life by at least 101 things

65. save for a down payment

66. pare down closet to only items I really love

67. get an amazing new job completed (officially) 06.07.10

68. track down a new signature scent check - Fresh Sugar Lychee

69. buy one dress I love every six months paying little regard to price

70. cook one new recipe per month, ideally for at least one someone else

71. start saving up for Lasik - I didn’t ever care about this multiple-thousand-dollars’ worth.

72. get my Irish citizenship

73. finally get the Civic detailed (now N/A, tear)

74. get renter’s insurance completed 08.27.10 (!)

75. throw at least one party a year

76. list all of the amusing things I’ve done and places I’ve been, so as not to lose sight of all I’ve already done

Become more brilliant & educated

77. take a stand-up class completed 5.6.10

78. try tennis lessons (again)

79. actually retain knowledge of the rules of tennis

80. take an HTML class

81. take a wine class completed 2.11.12

82. finally learn all the lyrics to: Get Money and Breathe, by Junior Mafia and Fabolous, respectively (I was going to post links, but they are super inappropriate - Google them yourself)

83. take vegetable chopping lessons

84. golf lesson completed 12.18.09

85. learn to play craps

86. learn how to change a tire learned 01.29.12, could not apply the knowledge to actually complete it thanks to some super-tight lug nuts

87. do a few crossword puzzles a month

88. be able to bust out a mini Irish step dance on command

89. venture into the world of ensembles that aren’t matchy matchy

90. line dancing lesson

91. relearn geography, continent by continent

Athletic pursuits

92. run a marathon completed 10.11.09

93. surf lesson

94. become a less pitiful swimmer

95. luge

96. go golfing with my Dad at least once every year

97. make push ups a regular part of the workout routine

98. try to skateboard

99. water ski 

100. be lead jammer in a roller derby bout completed 5.22.10

101. try bikram yoga completed 04.13.11

Now accepting applications for partners in crime in accomplishing these….

STATUS KEY:

  • complete
  • started/in progress