101 In 1001 List
End Date: September 29th, 2011
(as there have been a few things that no longer apply, i've crossed them out and added newer, more relevant items)
Financial:
- make arrangements to pay off debt
- file chapter 7 (or chapter 13) if debt isn't reasonable to pay off
- improve credit score
- set a budget and stick to it for at least 6 months [started using a budgeting spreadsheet 5.8.09][still using the same spreadsheet, and my budget is set through the end of 2010!]
- get car insurance with both of our names on the policy [only need mine now :P]
- get health insurance [getting insurance through the office after January 1st][still waiting...]
- get my drivers license reinstated [almost done! paid off $300 worth of tickets from Iowa (from 2005. oops!) and just need to pay the reinstatement fee and retake all my driving tests][i can legally drive! 3.4.10]
- start a savings account [started one with Fifth Third on 8.28.09][got rid of the bank account cause they kept dicking me over with fees]
- sell off old clothes that don't fit [got rid of a bunch of jeans][trying to sell off a load of old hoodies/jackets]
- go one week without buying take out food
Relationships:
- open a mutual checking account with Chris [see below]
- get officially engaged [single as of June 4, 2009]
- make more friends (particularly girls) [getting there...]
- host a girls-only pj party/clothes exchange
- reconnect and hang out with old friends [went to hockey game in StL with Kelly! 2.7.09] [spent 5 days in Austin with Patrick! 4.7.09-4.11.09] [got together with Jason after 2+ years! 4.18.09]
Travel & Entertainment:
- get my passport [applied 9.26.09][picked up 10.23.09]
- take a trip to the UK [October 24th-November 14th, 2009!][August 30th-September 15th, 2010!]
- see MUSE live in the UK [planning trip FOR MY BIRTHDAY to see them in Hamburg, Germany 10.28, Glasgow 11.9 and at O2 in London on 11.12 and 11.13][Hamburg @ Color Line Arena 10.28.09!!!][Glasgow @ SECC 11.9.09!!!][London @ O2 Arena 11.13.09!!!][Manchester @ Lancashire County Cricket Arena 9.4.10!!!][London @ WEMBLEY STADIUM 9.10.10/9.11.10!!!]
- see MUSE live in the US [planning to take at least a week off work to follow them around the states in February/March][tour runs 3.12.10-3.21.10! Kelsy and i are going to Chicago, Nashville, Dallas and Houston!][saw 4 shows on the Spring 2010 US tour! FREAKIN' AMAZING!][Milwaukee @ Bradley Center 10.6.10]
- see Dropkick Murphys live
- visit Kat in either KS or CA!
- visit Patrick/Nicki in GA Boston!
- go to the Kentucky Bluegrass Festival
- go to Lollapalooza [giving up on festivals :P]
- take a trip to Boston to see a Red Sox or Bruins game
- take a trip to Ottawa to see a Senators game [had a layover in the Ottawa airport lol]
- take a trip to Texas to see my sister and family (as i've never been to their house in Texas) [took vacation to Texas 4.4.09-4.12.09 and spent the 5th-7th at my sister's house][trip for Megan's high school graduation: 5.27.10-5.31.10]
- visit 10 haunted locations
- watch all the movies on the “must-see horror movie” list ( list here)
- see a game at Wrigley Field
- go to 10 baseball games [Red Sox vs White Sox 9.7.09]
- go to 10 hockey games [Blues vs Avs 2.7.09]
- see Sweeney Todd live
- see Phantom Of The Opera live again
- go camping
- go swimming in Lake Michigan (when the water isn't totally gross)
- visit 5 states that i've never been to
- meet 3 famous people [met Chris Wolstenholme from MUSE 9.12.10!!!]
Self Maintenance & Appearance:
- see a dentist (teeth cleaning, check wisdom teeth, inquire about invisible retainer/braces for bottom teeth)
- see a doctor (migraines, pinched nerve in tailbone, weight loss, bad knee, back pain)
- go to a chiropractor
- start dressing more like a girl (no boys jeans, wearing makeup, etc) [managed to fit into jeans that i haven't worn for 2+ years! i'm all about dressing like a girl now :)]
- get back to gymnastics/dance weight [dropped almost 25 pounds between 5.1.09 and 6.15.09. funny how a bad breakup was all i needed to kickstart my weight loss][gained back a little weight during the fall][lost 15 pounds while in Europe][down 35 pounds since last June as of 2.13.10]
- get into a regular work out routine
- go without drinking soda for one month [stopped drinking soda 5.4.09][had 1 soda to help deal with cranky-ness/cramps][starting drinking soda again after the breakup, but trying to keep it minimal]
- start rollerblading on a regular basis [bought a pair of blades from a thrift store! just waiting for the weather to get nice again]
- start swimming/diving again
- start playing roller hockey again
- finish Bioshock tattoo
- get Wolverine tattoo
- get piano part from Muse's "Starlight" on left forearm [getting it done 3.13.10!][DONE! see it here!]
- complete "light to dark" tattoos across arms and upper back
- get Dark Tower half sleeve
- complete the Muse collection by getting a tattoo related to every one of their albums [Showbiz][Origin Of Symmetry][Hullabaloo][Absolution - Hysteria bassline around right forearm - 6.4.09][Black Holes And Revelations - Starlight piano around left forearm - 3.13.10][HAARP][Resistance]
Home Life:
- start a window herb garden
- get a new bed frame [bought myself a KING size bed 7.9.09]
- get a dining room table [moving out][got one for the new place! 8.30.09]
- get a washer/dryer
- reorganize and build shelving for hall closet
- buy large capacity hard drive for desktop computer [bought 1 TB external drive 2.3.09][bought two 1.5 TB hard drives for home storage]
- reorganize our bedroom closet and clothing situation
- set up a dream kitchen (or good as i can get in an apartment)
- acquire cast iron dutch oven and skillet set
- acquire professional quality knife set
- acquire a deep fryer
- build a gaming rack
- move to our own apartment [moving in with Amourena hopefully by 6.20.09] [looking for a place with my buddy Cliff from Mothers][moved in with Cliff 7.10.09]
- get a dog
- get a hedgehog or a pair of sugar gliders [looked into Hedgie breeders in Chicago/NW Indiana. possibly after the UK trip this fall]
Family:
- reconnect with my nieces [fixed their computer 4.6.09 so we can talk online more often]
- help encourage my niece Megan to graduate from high school and fly her to Chicago as a graduation present [she graduates in May and i'm flying to Texas to see it!][flying her to Chicago after the first of the year]
- keep in contact with family on mom's side (ie: more that just xmas cards) [had dinner with aunts and uncle 7.24.09]
- build new computer for mom and dad [they bought a new computer through a company in Beatrice 2.7.09 AND got DSL!]
- finish online family tree
- find and contact my biological mom
Education & Employment:
- get a raise in the LMG office [WOOT! went into effect 5.22.09!]
- start more Rock Band nights in other bars [starting a RB night at McGee's. waiting on final word for start date] [McGee's fell through, so waiting for a meeting to be set up with another bar that karaoke Matt knows]
- take an online class
Communication:
- learn Spanish
- learn Japanese [skipping Japanese for now in favor of German for my trip to Europe][attempting to learn Welsh]
- re-learn Latin
- gain a better understanding of HTML, CSS, javascript, networking, etc
- get better with Photoshop and InDesign
- learn Flash
- buy a domain name and create my media and design website [bought webhosting for Cigarette Monster site, haven't settled on which other domain name to buy][also bought chasingthestarlight.com for my Muse adventures blog]
Creative:
- learn to knit proficiently
- make a scarf, hat, pair of socks, one other article of clothing and a blanket
- start writing a novel [working on outline!]
- start the Chicago branch of the cigarette monster business [working on website and print brochure 1.5.09][filled first order 1.11.09][website goes live 1.17.09!][website is live and online ordering is available][too busy to keep up with]
- read 200 books ( list here)
- fill another bookshelf with books
- buy a keyboard/piano [found my dream keyboards. purchasing at the end of the year]
- relearn classical piano [borrowed keyboard from Jason and started relearning theory]
- keep a list of all new recipes that i make and compile them for a cookbook ( list here)
- learn to cook proper southern/soul food cuisine
- learn to bake better
- recreate my grandma's custard, coconut cream pie and popcorn balls
- earn all possible trophies in 25 PS3 games ( list here)
- get a 95% or better playing Muse's “Hysteria” on expert bass in Rock Band [not quite there yet, but i can play it on hard while BLINDFOLDED and get a 97% :) ][purchased Mad Catz RB bass with split strum bar 2.12.10 - hopefully will be able to play on expert with the more natural feeling guitar]
Misc:
- own a first edition copy of The Gunslinger
- get Chris 5 surprise presents [bluetooth keyboard for PS3 3.21.09] [Gil Elvgren pinup books 4.10.09][don't have to worry about any more presents now!]
- find a good meat/seafood market [The Fish Keg on Howard apparently has amazing fresh fish, i just haven't had time to go in and check them out]
- celebrate being 10,000 days old (3.15.10 at 5:16am) [HA! just realized that i'll be down at Shawna's for that, and i'll be seeing Muse later that night][was sound asleep due to exhaustion from being inked and copious amounts of wine]
- celebrate being 15 million minutes/250,000 hours old (5.5.11 at 9:16pm)