Eruantale

In case you don’t know, Project 365 is a challenge to take a photo of something every day for an entire year—not something mundane, but something that summarizes or represents your day. I wanted to start Project 365 on January 1st this year, but unfortunately, I totally spaced it! So, instead, I had to start on the 2nd. Doh! I will be posting my photos on my blog at least every week, if not every day.

January 2nd (1):

These are two of my crazy cousins. We visited them in Portland yesterday. I had them pose for me while they danced around to Poker Face. I had to take it with my cell phone, thus the cruddy quality.

Sometimes it seems like you can blink and your life jumps forward four months—especially when you’re a newlywed and going to school full time. Since I last blogged, my husband and I spent nine glorious days in Disney World (it was awesome, and I will blog about it), school started up again, National Novel Writing Month arrived, and I turned twenty, among other things. Fall term is actually halfway over now and I’m not sure how that happened! But, I do have some updates on my 101 things…

#5: We went to Greek Festival in Portland and had some super yummy gyros.

#8: Unfortunately, I have been up early enough to see the sun rise on the west coast now… on my way to school.

#9: We were also up early enough and late enough in Florida to see the sun rise and set on the east coast.

#15: My family is planning to host Christmas dinner at our house this year. I get to use my wedding china!

#16: I made sushi over the summer and it was om nom nom.

#20: Homemade blackberry ice cream is amazing and disappears in 5 minutes.

#26: We played Mafia at my birthday party. It was EPIC!

#49: Disney World was full of surprises for Matthew.

#50: Well, we had one.

#53: One of Matthew’s surprises in Disney World was seeing Medieval Times.

#56: I’m in the middle of ASL 101 and I will be taking ASL 102 next term.

#58: Recently, I’ve read Beowulf, the Canterbury Tales, and Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life

#62: Bought a camera for Disney World

#68: I chopped off my hair in September. (Not too drastically, though)

#81: I passed my math class over the summer. One down, two more to go. It looks like I will pass the one I’m taking currently as well.

#82: My GPA is over 3.5 again

#92: Our Sunday School class is filling up a shoebox for OCC this Sunday.

#96: It’s in progress. Cross your fingers.

#100. Here’s another!

#1, #7 and #24: For years and years I have always said that I had to go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival when they finally performed Hamlet again. Well, yesterday I looked at their 2010 season and found out they will be doing Hamlet! So, plans are in the works to take a trip to Ashland that summer to see Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, and Twelfth Night. I could kill three birds with one stone by going on the weekend and taking the train.

#8 and #9: Matthew and I are taking a trip to Disney World in September, so while we are there, I plan on doing #9. #8 is easily accomplished at home.

#14: I’ve been dying to make tamales for weeks, so we are planning to have a tamale night when summer term classes are over. Right now, with Matthew’s work schedule and my night class, we never get to have dinner together.

#27: I have NO clue how to actually submit something to PostSecret! They have no information on the website!

#45: This is going to have to wait until next year. Matthew works on 4th of July, so we don’t have any big plans.

#56: I’m registered to take ASL at school this fall.

#58: Since I’m an English major and prefer to read books in one sitting, this shouldn’t be too difficult for me. I’m currently reading Elijah’s Cup for my Autism in Literature class.

#59: We have no balance on our credit card. Hooray! Once I close it, I will get out the scissors.

#60 and #63: The savings is in the budget. Now we’re just waiting for the paychecks.

#62: I may change this to buy a camcorder. Matthew already has a good camera.

#64 and #66: We should be able to order these soon. I can’t wait to get all my dishes!

#76: On today’s to do list.

#81: So far I have a B in the current one. Let’s hope I can keep it up.

#82: As long as I pass my math class this term, my GPA should hit that mark.

#85: I’m halfway there!

#100: This blog post makes 2 out of 50!

Those of you who know me well know that I love to make lists. That’s why my new husband laughed when I told him about the Day Zero Project. “You just want an excuse to make a list!” he said to me. Well, yes. I always want to make lists. My brain operates on lists. But I also really enjoy focusing on goals. I have a huge Someday/Maybe list ala Getting Things Done in my planner, but I doubt I’d ever tackle all or any of those things without some structure. Enter the Day Zero Project.

Here’s how it works: You pick a start date, write down 101 defined and measurable goals, and complete them all in 1001 days—about 2.75 years. That’s all, really. It’s that simple (and difficult).

Shawna’s 101 Things:

Items in bold are in progress or planned. Crossed out items have been completed.

Adventures

1.    Take a weekend trip
2.    Go on a dinner cruise
3.    Go camping
4.    Go for a drive with no destination in mind
5.    Go to Greek Festival
6.    Go to Garlic Festival
7.    Ride on a train
8.    See the sun rise and set on the west coast
9.    See the sun rise and set on the east coast
10.    Get a passport
11.    Visit another country
12.    See the Aurora Borealis
13.    Move to Seattle

Food

14.    Host 10 dinner parties (0/10)
15.    Host Christmas
16.    Make Sushi
17.    Make Filet Mignon
18.    Make Baked Alaska
19.    Make Ratatouille
20.    Make ice cream from scratch
21.    Make a custom recipe book
22.    Take a cake decorating class
23.    Bake something cute and fabulous from Bakerella 5 times (1/5)

Fun

24.    See 5 plays (0/5)
25.    Have a bonfire for no reason
26.    Play Mafia
27.    Send a secret to PostSecret
28.    Take a picture of something every day for 365 consecutive days (56/365)
29.    Make a snowman
30.    Go hot tubbing 5 times (0/5)
31.    Watch the extended editions of all three Lord of the Rings movies in one day
32.    Make a new list

Health

33.    Get to goal weight (5/100%)
34.    Run a 5k
35.    Go on 15 hikes (0/15)
36.    Weigh in on the Wii Fit for 30 consecutive days (0/30)
37.    Track food eaten for 30 consecutive days (0/30)
38.    Pack lunch every day for 30 consecutive days (0/30)
39.    Avoid soda for 30 consecutive days (0/30)
40.    Floss every day for 30 consecutive days (0/30)
41.    Get Health Insurance
42.    Wear a bikini proudly

Holidays

43.    Have a New Year’s Party
44.    Deliver homemade brownies to people on Valentine’s Day
45.    Do our own fireworks at the beach for the 4th of July
46.    Write a Christmas letter
47.    Leave a $50 tip at Christmas
48.    Go caroling

Matthew

49.    Surprise Matthew 5 times (5/5)
50.    Have 100 date nights with Matthew (10/100)
51.    Write love letters and box them up with some wine to be aged and opened on our 20th
52.    Read Love and Respect with Matthew
53.    See Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soliel, or Medieval Times together

Mind Stretching

54.    Take a first aid course
55.    Take a piano or violin class
56.    Learn ASL
57.    Take an art class
58.    Read 100 books (15/100)

Money

59.    Cut up credit cards
60.    Save $5000
61.    Pay for something for someone anonymously 5 times (0/5)
62.    Buy a camera
63.    Buy a car
64.    Buy a terabyte backup drive
65.    Buy a safe
66.    Complete Wedding Registry

Personal

67.    Get Driver’s License
68.    Chop off hair
69.    Buy a fabulous jacket
70.   Get a pedicure
71.    Get a facial
72.    Learn to dance
73.    Sing in a choir again
74.    Start using reusable grocery bags
75.    Get wedding photos developed
76.    Write wedding thank you cards
77.   Declutter the bedroom
78.    Finish Family website
79.    Learn how to shoot a gun
80.    Get stationary and custom address labels

School

81.    Pass remaining 3 math classes (2/3)
82.    Bring GPA up to 3.5
83.    Join Honor Society
84.    Win a scholarship
85.    Earn my Associate’s Degree
86.    Get accepted to Seattle Pacific University

Spiritual & Giving

87.    Read every book of the Bible (0/66)
88.    Participate in National Day of Prayer
89.    Pray in the shower for thirty consecutive days (0/30)
90.    Start tithing
91.    Sponsor a child
92.    Participate in Operation Christmas Child
93.    Volunteer
94.    Babysit for free 5 times (0/5)
95.    Send a care package to a soldier

Writing

96.    Win NaNoWriMo 3 times (1/3)
97.    Write 30 poems (4/30)
98.    Write 10 short stories (0/10)
99.    Write 5 children’s books (0/5)
100.    Write 50 blog posts (33/50)
101.    Submit a piece of writing for publication

For every item I finish, I will save $1 to spend on something frivolous and $1 to donate to charity. Anything I don’t accomplish will automatically be placed on the next list!

Start Date: June 30th, 2009
End Date: March 27, 2012
Completed so far: 19/101