Expansion

Well... the jogging is on a hiatus... to resume Sunday. Last week brought along the untimely passing of my dear cat child, Sir Swarlos Mugsy Spaceghost. I miss him a lot and so does Marty, my other wee kitty. And that's all I have to say about that.

I'm excited to get back to thr 5k 101. At the beginning of last week I knocked out 2 and a half miles in the allotted 30 minutes. I realize this is not at all impressive but it was kind of a huge step for me. Jogging provides such good thinking time.

In other news... Project Bucket List is growing, or maybe merging. I was introduced to a website called the Day Zero Project. It challenges you to create a To Do list of 101 things and to accomplish them in 1,001 days. Being the To Do list oriented girl that I am, I got to work on my list right away. All the usual suspects from the bucket list are there but have now been joined by things like #14 - Pay a toll for the person behind me, #32 - Make an article of clothing, #54 - Write down my bad memories on paper and burn the paper, #75 - Attend an NBA game, and #99 - Get a better understanding of html and accounting.

It's a good array of silly, artsy, productive, adventurous, and soul freeing things and I encourage other people to try it out. Just creating the list was a great experience in and of itself. Yesterday was my first day. I haven't officially checked anything off yet but a couple are already in process. My date of completion will be July 4th, 2013. I like the idea of closing with fireworks. Perhaps this will help me to cross off #45 - Kiss someone with fireworks in the background which will hopefully work in conjunction with #44 - Fall in love.

#26 is Update my blog with every completed task. So I plan to be posting more. Especially since I am nearly done with #100 - Learn the dance from the "Love is a Battlefield" video.

More Progress

So... a million years ago I attempted the couch to 5k running plan but alas it did not go so well. I don't have an iphone (damn you blasted smart phones) and staring at my ipod to keep track of the 30 second intervals while I was running was really annoying. But running a 5k is on my list so... it's time to work on things again.

I found a podcast on itunes called 5k101 and downloaded it for free. This morning was my first day. It's different from couch to 5k. Instead of teeny 20 second intervals it starts you off at 2 minutes. I think I like this better. Anyway... the last interval nearly killed me but I made it through. And I have 2 more chances to get it right this week before moving on to the next step.

Jamie and I are going to try and do the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in October. I won't be ready to run the whole thing that soon (it will be my practice run I guess). I have my eye on the annual Turkey Trot. I hope there's one in Richmond.

Plans Underway

I'll be heading home for Thanksgiving again this year. And as of today I have a date (or... an approximate date) and a friend with whom I will cross off #2 on my list. I am absurdly excited about this. And can't wait to see my friend. Very Very Very happy right now.

What Do I Got To Lose?

Since Middle School/High School I have believed 2 bizarre and, by most accounts, morbid things.

#1 - I will never meet the right boy for me. He died in a crash when he was 12. Why this belief and why these details? Not sure. But it's always been in the back of my head. And of course there have been moments (or even multi-year blocks of time) that I have thought to myself "this is silly" but even silly gut feelings usually exist for a reason.

#2 - I won't live past 30. Now this one isn't a plan or something I am looking forward to, or afraid of for that matter. Just another gut feeling. And when I was 14 or so and first started thinking this, 30 was some far off date that I would get to someday. Now, it's 7 months and 6 days away. And there have definitely been times I have thought to myself "What if I'm right?" I contemplated writing letters to all the key people in my life telling them everything I probably should tell them anyway but it turned into a terrible weeping mess... and I only made it through 2. I figure there are better ways to spend my time on the off-chance that I do, in fact, have only about a year to live.

Name: Project Bucket List
Time Frame: Now through March 28, 2011
Goal: Just be happy. And leave the world with no regrets other than that I won't be around to tell everybody "told you so."
Plan: Check off as many of the following as possible. (List has been abridged to reflect time constraints and would otherwise contain items requiring great travel and time such as walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, visiting Juliet's house in Verona, writing something brilliant, and learning to fly an aircraft of some sort. If I'm wrong - I'll add these on and start a new list!)

1. Find a boy named Tommy. Karaoke Livin' on a Prayer.
2. Shoot a gun. (A real one)
3. Get shot at. (Just paintball will suffice here.)
4. Get hair dyed at a salon.
5. Get a tattoo.
6. Go horseback riding.
7. Go camping.
8. Run a 5k.
9. Drink around the world at Epcot.
10. See the manatees at Blue Springs.
11. Swim in a lake by moonlight one more time.

This list may be added to at any time but nothing will come off it. Any suggestions and/or help and/or accompaniment is very welcome. (#3 is already paid for and I just need a buddy.) #5 is planned for October. #4 is done!

Before:


After:


Let the games begin.

Stuff I Made Today

I'm back on my "normal" work schedule of Wednesday thru Sunday. At least for awhile. For some reason, on this schedule I am much more likely to be productive on my days off. Maybe because it's not technically the weekend and the busy energy of everyone else in the world rubs off on me. I dunno. Anyway... today was great. And I made stuff. Like...



Sugar Scrub with Fresh Raspberries and Strawberries



Brownies with Toasted Pecans



Gazpacho! (This picture DOES NOT do the beautiful color justice.)



Fun Refrigerator Magnets



And Some Wall Art



(I've always preferred The Gestalt Prayer to The Serenity Prayer)

I also cleaned the bathroom, went to the gym, hit 75 on my frost mage (oooh, nerdy), and began watching October Road... which, given things on my mind lately may not be the best plan. Oh, and I read another chapter of the next Charlaine Harris book. I told myself I would finish To Kill a Mockingbird (I didn't reeeeeeeeeeeally read it in high school) before I moved onto it but... that's not really working out. Oh well.

I must say... right now life is rather grand.

The Adventures of Ninjeena and Lil Ms. Berryhead

At least Lil Ms. Berryhead is still smiling.

Don't nothin' get her down!

Week 4 - Gah!

I'm decidedly late posting this. Saturday is supposed to be my update day but I have been avoiding this particular week. Mostly because Project Weight Loss is about to be renamed Project Fail. My number is going in the wrong direction. And I can't even blame Fringe this week. In fact, I nearly avoided Fringe altogether to combat my desire for cider and kettle corn. But I still had a rather awful food week. I was doing alright... not great... and then in the wee hours of Thursday morning an awful dream crept into my poor sleepy head. Worst one I have had in awhile. One of those wakes you up crying dreams.

Anyway, being the ridiculously emotional girl that I am, I suppose I allowed it to effect my entire day. Skipped the gym. And ate a whole bunch of bad for me stuff. And even without the dream, Thursday itself was not at all on my list of best days I've ever had. So it all flowed into Friday also.

Being an emotional girl is taxing, and being naive gets me into trouble sometimes... but I'd still take both of those traits over the jaded skeptic any day. (Granted that I have found it's good to have one or two of those jaded skeptics around to tell me to shut up and stop being a baby when I need to hear it.)

Anyway, onto the next week. I know I will probably not hit my goal this week but at least I can start catching up. I bought good for me food and am actually eating it. I did get lunch out today but it was a salad. And I am guzzling green tea and water.

That being said, I am badly prepped for tomorrow. I have not packed my lunch nor have I gotten my gym stuff together. Perhaps I can wake up extra early to do it in the morning. Fiscal year rollover at work today put me at my desk at 6:15. And after going to sleep last night at 1 - I am a tired Gina and don't think I will be seeing much more of June 1st.