yeahandstuff

Okay, I really need to get better at updating this blog. I think I may make that one of my still-blank goals.

As of this month, I’ve been working on my Day Zero plans for over a year. So far, I’ve completed 25 of my goals, and am in the process of another 8. That still leaves me plenty to go, and unfortunately right now I’m “behind” where I should be, in terms of time left. I better get cracking.

Here’s what I’ve accomplished since the last update.

4. Visit an active volcano. (4/22/12)

For my brother’s wedding, the family went to Hawaii. While there, I took a trip with my sister to Volcanoes National Park, where we visited the active volcano of Kīlauea.

9. Go SCUBA diving with my sister. (4/22/12)

Also while in Hawaii, I dove with my sister in Kona, completing two dives, including a night dive with manta rays. One of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

53. Track my food on the Daily Plate for two months. (3/1/12)

A boring one, but I did track my food online for two months straight.

83. Date a girl longer than 6 months. (10/8/11 – 6/2/12)

She was a great girl and I had a lot of fun with her, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.

85. Bake a birthday cake for someone. (3/16/12)

Made a chocolate cake for one of my friends. It was delicious.

I really thought I’d be better at updating. Oh well.

I’m a little behind where I’m supposed to be right now, but I’ve been doing a lot of work on my list the past few months. A lot of my goals are “in progress” so I haven’t been able to check them off yet. Soon I’ll be able to check off 5 or so though.

Here’s what I’ve accomplished since the last update:

19. Pay off my credit card. (2/15/12)

This is my biggest (and most satisfying!) accomplishment so far. I think the last time I had my credit card entirely paid off was 2006 or 2007. Feels great!

60. Throw away all my socks and boxers and start again. (2/4/12)

Thanks to Christmas and Birthday presents, this was an easy one to knock off.

68. Get Mason groomed. (12/24/11)

Took Mason in for a haircut and shampoo. He wasn’t the biggest fan but he came back super soft and really clean. I should probably do this more often.

8. Go to an away MSU game. (B1G Championship, Indianapolis, 12/3/11)

Knocked another one off. This weekend we traveled to Indy to see MSU play in the inaugural B1G Championship game against Wisconsin. Had a great time, even though I think we probably should’ve won the game.

So I’m not as good as posting about my progress as I thought I’d be. Oops. That being said, so far I’m on track to accomplish my goals. I’m 15.84% through my goals, and only 14.89% through my time available.

Here’s the full list in case you forgot.

Here’s some updates as to some other things I’ve knocked off the list:

1. 1. Reach the top of the Empire State Building. (9/13/11)

In September, I took a trip to New York City to visit Alex, and visited the top of the Empire State Building. It was pretty amazing.

21. Start saving for retirement (401k, Roth IRA, whatever). (9/19/11)

With my new job, decided to start saving right away with a 401k.

26. Get a raise to at least $50,000 a year. (9/19/11)

I started a new job in September, and got a nice raise as a part of that.

32. Don’t go out for lunch for two weeks straight. (10/13/11 – 11/27/11)

I haven’t gone out for lunch at work for over a month and a half. It’s helpful that I work so near my house that I come home for lunch though.

37. Try a super-hot sauce extract. (Dave’s Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia, 8/23/11)

This is the hottest thing I’ve ever tried. And I like it. A lot.

57. Donate blood. (9/27/11)
I donated blood for the first time!

58. (And find out my blood type.) (A+, 11/20/11)

70. Get a hat trick. (11/4/11)

81. Cook dinner for someone. (11/12/11)
82. Eat dinner by candlelight. (11/12/11)

Made spaghetti, chicken, and garlic bread for Sandy.

88. Go to a zoo. (Detroit Zoo, 8/3/11)

Went to the zoo for the first time since second grade.

Added: 97. See all 30 NHL teams in person. (Added 11/3/2011)

Here’s a monthly update on my progress since the last update:

13. Finished reading A Song of Ice and Fire when A Dance With Dragons came out on August 12th. I actually cheated a little and started before my official start date, but I don’t really care. Close enough.

69. Joined an Ice Hockey team. We’re something like 5 games into the season and I have a goal and some assists so far. Really like playing on the ice during the summer, it’s way cooler.

86. Enjoyed the 4th on Wolverine Lake with Mike from Work.

88. Work-sponsored trip to the Detroit Zoo. I think the last time I was at the DZ was 1992?

So I’m moving right along. I’ve completed my first two items, emailing the lady I bought Mason from (which I have been putting off forever), and beating Super Mario Brothers 3, without using warp whistles. It’s still an awesome game.

My Day Zero project.
101 things to do in 1001 days.

Started: July 1st, 2011
Ends: March 28th, 2014

Progress: 43.56% (44/101)

OMG TRAVEL:
1. Reach the top of the Empire State Building. (9/13/11)
2. Go to a blues bar in Chicago.
3. Play craps in Vegas.
4. Visit an active volcano. (4/22/12)
5. See Mount McKinley.
6. See another Wonder of the World (New or Natural).
7. Drive/fly somewhere on a whim, with no planning.
8. Go to an away MSU game. (B1G Championship, Indianapolis; 12/3/11)
9. Go SCUBA diving with my sister. (4/22/12)

OMG MEDIA:
10. Read 10 “classic” books. (Ender’s Game, Slaughterhouse Five, Fahrenheit 451, Moby Dick, Jekyll & Hyde, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Call of the Wild, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Old Man and the Sea, Treasure Island; 8/28/12)
11. See 10 “classic” movies. (Big Lebowski)
12. Reread the entire Dark Tower series. (9/12/12)
13. Reread all of A Song of Ice and Fire. (7/18/11)
14. Read 10 new books/series. (Ringworld, Hyperion, John Carter of Mars, Ender Quadrilogy, The Hunger Games, Wheel of Time)
15. Finish all the Steven King books I haven’t read (Carrie, Firestarter, Cujo, Misery, Gerald’s Game, The Green Mile, Cell,  Lisey’s Story, Duma Key, Just After Sunset, Full Dark No Stars, 11/22/63, Wind Through the Keyhole).
16. Watch all of LotR extended editions in one day.

OMG MONEY:
17. Earn $2000 from selling unneeded things from Craigslist, ebay, etc.
18. Start an emergency fund and keep at least $5,000 in it. (9/28/12)
19. Pay off my credit card. (2/15/12)
2o. Pay back my mom.
21. Start saving for retirement (401k, Roth IRA, whatever). (9/19/11)
22. Buy a motorcycle (… with cash?)
23. Save for a down payment for a house/car.
24. Set monthly budgets, and stick to them. (2012)
25. Go 1 week without buying anything but groceries. (1/3/14 – 1/10/14)

OMG JOB:
26. Get a raise to at least $50,000 a year. (9/19/11)
27. Get a raise to at least $80,000 a year.
28. Move out of Detroit.

OMG OM NOM NOM:
29. Learn to like a salad.
30. Go out to eat at a fancy restaurant. (Bella Piati, 9/7/12)
31. Discover a wine I like.
32. Don’t go out for lunch for two weeks straight. (10/13/11 – 11/30/11)
33. Make an all-day chili from scratch.
34. Find something new to cook, and cook it for someone else.
35. Find a new cocktail I like.
36. Try 5 foods I didn’t think I liked, and learn that I actually do like them.
37. Try a super-hot sauce extract. (Dave’s Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia; 8/23/11)
38. Brew my own beer.

OMG MUSIC:
39. See Ted Leo in concert. (11/10/12)
40. See a new band in concert. (Suicide Machines, 9/13/13)
41. Learn an entire song on the guitar, start to finish.
42. Download album art for my mp3 collection. (8/4/12)

OMG NERD:
43. Learn to play DragonForce’s “Through the Fire and the Flames” from Guitar Hero III on Expert.
44. Complete 10 classic NES/SNES games. (3/10) (Super Mario Brothers 3, Megaman 2, Legend of Zelda)
45. Beat “I Wanna Be The Guy”
46. Memorize every State, it’s order of statehood, and its capital.
47. Memorize every president and their order.
48. Go to a midnight opening of a movie.
49. Write a short story or poem and submit it to be published.
50. Beat Super Mario Brothers 3 without using warp whistles. (7/3/11)

OMG ME:
51. Complete the “Couch to 5k” program. (6/12/13 – 7/12/13)
52. Run a 5k. (7/27/13, actually a 11.3k)
53. Track my food on the Daily Plate for two months. (3/1/12)
54. Complete the 100 pushups program.
55. Complete the 200 situps program.
56. Do p90x for the full 90 days.
57. Donate blood. (9/27/11)
58. (And find out my blood type.) (A+; 11/20/11)
59. Learn how to shave with a straight razor.
60. Throw away all my socks and boxers and start again. (2/4/12)
61. Make a will.
62. Get a new suit / shirt / tie. (8/15/11)
63. Get down to 155-160 lbs again. (157.4, 7/13/13)
64. Ride a bike to work for a week. (6/24/13 – 6/28/13 If you count the motorcycle.)

OMG MASON:
65. Teach Mason 5 new tricks. (Oshiwa)
66. Have Mason be able to get me a beer, without dropping it, from anywhere in the house.
67. Email the lady I got Mason from back. (6/19/11)
68. Get Mason groomed. (12/24/11)

OMG SPORTS:
69. Play another season of Ice Hockey. (7/10/11)
70. Get a hat trick. (11/4/11, 12/9/11, 12/7/12, 1/31/13)
71. Get a shutout.
72. Learn to juggle.
73. Learn how to finish a rubix cube.
74. Bowl over a 200.
75. Go golfing.
76. Shoot under par at putt-putt golf.
77. Build my own corn-hole board, MAME machine, or life-size Jenga.

OMG LAME:
78. Send a postcard to PostSecret.
79. Kiss in the rain.
80. Go skinny-dipping.
81. Cook dinner for someone. (11/12/11)
82. Eat dinner by candlelight. (11/12/11)
83. Date a girl longer than 6 months. (10/8/11 – 6/2/12)

OMG ZOMBIES:
84. Build a kegerator. (12/5/13)
85. Bake a birthday cake for someone. (3/16/12)
86. Listen to “I’m On A Boat” while on a boat. (Wolverine Lake; 7/3/11)
87. Go to 5 different museums. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History)
88. Go to a zoo. (Detroit Zoo; 8/3/11)
89. Touch a live giraffe and/or zebra.
90. Go to Cedar Pointe.
91. Shoot a gun. (Glock 27, 1/9/13)
92. Take off, fly, and land a plane on my own.
93. Learn 4 different knots.
94. Learn how to tie a tie two ways without looking at a reference.
95. Inspire 5 people to make their own 101 goals list.

OMG I DIDN’T THINK FAR ENOUGH AHEAD:
96. See all 30 NHL teams in person. (Added 11/3/11)

97. See the Aurora Borealis in person. (Added 12/21/11)
98. Hike/camp in Yellowstone. (Added 12/24/11)
99. Recover my savings bonds. (11/26/12, added 8/4/12)
100. Learn to whistle with my fingers. (Added 1/12/13)
101. Travel Overseas (Pacific and Atlantic) (Japan, May 2013; Ireland, October 2013)

OMG MAN CARD BONUSES
102. Grow epic beard. (November 2012)
103. Kill 12 point buck with bow.
104. Earn huge face scar.
105. Rescue kitten from tree.
106. Take up smoking tobacco from pipe.
107. Survive rattlesnake bite.
108. Build log cabin.
109. Stop purse snatcher.
110. Drink Glenlivet 18, neat.
111. Rebuild engine (any).
112. Hike Appalachian Trail solo.
113. Enter lumberjack contest.
114. Learn to weld.
115. Carry buckskin knife.
116. Save child from imminent death.