Day 3!! Giggity giggity! Alllll-right =)

This is going to be a quick one... I am tired as the day is long...

First, and MOST excitedly, I released one of my books "into the wild" via real life and bookcrossing.com. I went on my lunch break and went to the park that I normally go to to read on my lunch break and had a lovely time starting my new book. When I had about 20 minutes to get back to the office, I pulled my book (Private Papers of Eastern Jewel - most recently on my 100 books to read list) out of my purse and left it on the bench for a stranger to find... I don't know why, but I felt like 007. I didn't want anyone to see me leave it... even though it was probably obvious that I was either doing something bad like a 6 year old would, or I was leaving a bomb... either way here's photos =)



As stupid as this may sound... I CANT WAIT to see who found it and their story... goddamn I hope they read it quick because I have the patience of a fruitfly.

In other not so exciting news... I did a hair mask - task completed. And to be honest, my hair feels GREAT - Nutrogena and totally worth the 10 bucks I paid for it.

Lastly, one more thing that made my day a happy one =) I watched another random movie for my A-Z list!! It is a Japanese Animation movie called the Cat Returns. It was totally cute and entirely enjoyable. It reminded me of my obsession with cats so it made me feel normal... and happy. I would reccomend it to anyone who loves cats... or japanese animation... or wants to feel good and get a giggle because it was great =) way better than I expected. I give it an A =)

Ok, it's late and I have to go to bed to prepare myself for another funfilled day at the office tomorrow... yeay.

On a lighter note - Day 2 =)

Sooooo, got a few more things accomplished today and I feel AMAZING for it =)

First off, my car was fine all along. The Troyskis took a wee gander this morning and it started fine... what happened? Who knows. Troyskis' diagnosis - "it got wet". What that really means, I don't know. I've driven through puddles the size of Wyoming... but we get a little rain shower and the bugger won't start. Annyyywho - all is well now.

As for accomplishments:

Save $2 a day during this 1001 days - I offically opened another savings account into which I transferred $14 for this first week. I don't know yet if this is how I am officially going to do this, but it got me started.

Christmas cards - I got an email from snapfish saying if I order holiday cards before the 10/31, I can get free shipping. That was all I needed. I created little Christmas cards with cute pictures of my new little family that consists of Troyskis, myself, Malichai, Little-face, and Warrior. Bottom line: to die for. I should be getting them shortly and be on my way to sending and spreading Holiday cheer and all that good shit =)

Lastly, I also bought a Monday through Friday old person pill box thang. I also got a whole bunch of vitamins that should hopefully keep the ol' swine flu from entering my body and making me miserable. Hopefully, I will be feeling even more magnificent in the upcoming weeks... especially seeing how freeking expensive vitamins are... you would think that since this crap is raked from the ground it would be, I don't know, dirt cheap. Well, it's not.

Before I say goodnight, there has been something else on my mind that I need to get out there. We, as females, need a movement. This movement will be called "Let's Wash Our Hands BEFORE We Pee". I don't understand the whole notion of washing our hands after we pee. Why? Well, I don't know about other women in the world, but after I pee, the only thing that my hand is touching is toilet paper. I don't get how this could go any other way. However, I could tell you about 100 dirty things that I touch BEFORE I pee (such as a keyboard, the handle to get into the bathroom, a pen, my shoes, random "high fives" with co-workers - not that I know their dirty, but it's a maybe). This would make one think that if we touch all these bacterial-filled dirty things before we pee, we then touch the toilet paper with the same dirty hands, to then proceed with our post-pee ritual, only to have touched the toilet paper. My resolve? Wash hands before said pee, and hey, if you so feel like it, wash after as well. Just a thought...

My First Day of the 101 in 1001

So, today is my first day of my project. Although I did put a dent in my list, my day was not so great. First, I will start with my accomplishments.

Freerice.com - I officially donated 500 grains of rice putting a small dent in my 100,000 grain goal. It's small, but it's a start =)

Read 100 books - ok, this one was kind of a cheat because I started reading the book before today which is my start date. But what the hell, I did finish it today and it was a great book so I am including it. My list, my rules. The book is called The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel, and it was fabulous! Summary - A story about a rebellious Chinese princess who refuses to accept the subservient role that early 20th Chinese society requests of her. The heroine, Eastern Jewel, is the daughter of Chinese Prince Su's last concubine. Her early sexual curiosity got her into trouble and at the age of eight, her father banished her to Tokyo, Japan. At first she stayed with distant relatives. She grows to love Japan, but her trouble making results in an arranged, loveless marriage to a rough and freezing Mongolia. Bewildered and isolated, she has experiences disturbing fantasies. Conflicted by her desire for a strong father image as well as rejection of traditional subservience of women, she devotes herself to more dangerous adventures and hedonism. Armed with boldness and rebellious spirit, she escapes Mongolia for Shanghai and wraps herself in the luxuries provided to her by rich and powerful but dangerous lovers. Eventually she gets caught up in the world of Japanese spies and sexual manipulations. Self-discovery comes later with a very high-price. This story provides an interesting insight into Japan and China between the 1920s and 1930s, with the opium dens, luxurious and exciting parties, mysterious disappearance of the losers, and the powerful is king. Eastern Jewel is an intriguing and complicated heroine, fallible, selfish, but also intoxicating. Racy and seductive, it is a historical fiction at its best.

26 Random movies for A through Z - I have "D" crossed off my list after watching "Donkey Skin" which is a French fairytale shown with english subtitles. I received this movie from Netflix, and to be honest, I never remember putting it in my queue which is strange. I tried to watch it the other night, but fell asleep - so I watched it today. At first the movie comes off as very hokey - very Rogers and Hammerstein (see Cinderella). Not only does it come off as hokey, but really strange as the bottom line is this princess is trying to escape her father's attempts to marry her to produce a male heir. Here's a summary:

A king had a beautiful wife and a rich castle, including a marvelous donkey whose droppings were gold. One day his wife died, after making him promise not to marry except to a woman whose beauty and attributes equaled hers. The king grieved, but was, in time, persuaded to seek another wife. It became clear that the only woman who would fit the promise was his own daughter.She went to her fairy godmother who advised her to make impossible demands as a condition of her consent: a dress the color of the weather, a dress the color of the moon, a dress as bright as the sun, and finally, the hide of his marvelous donkey. Such was the king's desire to marry her that he granted all of them. The fairy godmother gave her a marvelous chest to contain all she owned and told her that the donkeyskin would make an excellent disguise. She fled. Eventually, she found a royal farm where they let her work in the kitchen, despite her ugliness in the donkeyskin. On feast days, she would dress herself in the fine gowns her father had given her, and one such day, the prince came by her room and peeped through the keyhole. He fell in love at once, fell ill with his longing, and declared that nothing would cure him but a cake baked by Donkeyskin, and nothing they could say of what a dirty creature she was dissuaded him. When Donkeyskin baked the cake, a ring of hers fell in it. The prince found it and declared that he would marry only the woman whose finger it fit. Every other woman having failed, he insisted that Donkeyskin try, and it fit. When she had dressed herself in her fine gowns, his parents were reconciled with the match. Donkey-skin later found that her father had remarried to a beautiful widow and everyone lived happily ever after.

Blah blah blah. It was ok. I would give it a C and could definately go the rest of my life not seeing it again. Although I am happy that I watched it.

Overall I found today to be a pretty productive day and it would have been a GREAT day had I not just gone out to my car a little while ago and found that it will not start... >=(

Troyskis has promised that he can fix it tomorrow as he thinks it is only the battery, but still. You forget how bad it is not to have a working car until it happens. Frig. Yeah, yeah, things could be worse and I know that, I am just annoyed.

Well, Malichai is giving the "pet me and layyyy with me" eyes... and it's too tempting to pass up. Until next time... Stay classy San Diego. HA!

My 101 Tasks in 1001 Days

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.



Key - Task waiting to be completed
Task in the process of completion
Task completed


Start Date - Saturday, October 24, 2009
End Date - Saturday, July 21, 2012

Me, Myself and I… (the semi-selfish portion of my tasks)

1. Send in one of my postsecrets to postsecret.blogspot.com
2. Get a massage
3. Get a pedicure
4. Do a body "cleanse"
5. Have my tattoo touched up
6. Don’t swear for a whole day (this one is going to be TOUGH)
7. Get a scooter (and pretend it’s to “be green”, and not simply that scooters are amazing)
8. Save $2 a day during this 1001 days and do something amazing with it (14/2002)
9. Get a PO box at the post office
10. Do the 5000 question survey at 5000questionsur.livejournal.com (0/5000)
11. Pay off my last credit card (0/2000)
12. Buy 20 scratch tickets and only scratch them once I have all 20 (0/20)
13. Watch a horror movie and get over it (1/21/10)
14. Get a bikini wax (AHHHHHHHHH!!!! KELLY CLARKSON!!!)
15. Buy a nice, proper, pair of pajamas and give Troyskis back his gross sweats ;) (12/27/09)
16. Get my salary up to what I want or get another job
17. Get on birth control for Christ’s sakes!!
18. Do a hair mask wrap thing (in order to tame the squirrel’s nest) (10/26/09)
19. Go out of my way to make plans with one friend a month that I haven’t seen in ages
20. Spend an entire day on the beach and relax
21. Buy a new(er) car… and make it a standard!!
22. Try 10 new recipes (3/10) (BBQ Pork Ribs) (Mexican Pizza) (Corned Beef and Cabbage)
23. Finish the scrapbook for Troyskis and I
24. Start the scrapbook for my family
25. Finish the scrapbook for my friends
26. Find my own perfect LBD
27. Whiten my teeth
28. Private... Schedule at least one consultation for... this one is private and stop trying to be sneaky and read it. HAHAHAHA just kidding =)
29. Try a martini… shaken, not stirred =)

Family and Friends…

30. Make my mom that cracked corn thing that I promised her for Christmas last year
31. Call my mom at least once a week for a month (3/4)
32. Call my dad at least once a week for a month (4/4)
33. Call my brother at least once a week for a month (4/4)
34. Go visit my damn old dog once a week for a month (3/4)
35. Send Christmas cards (10/25/09 - purchased cards on snapfish.com)
36. Make cookies and mail some to my mom dad and brother
37. Continue my tradition with my brother of spending a day together for his birthday (0/3)
38. Get information about how to get Malichai to gain weight and do it
39. Bring Ace to the beach (at least one more time) = /


Others and strangers…

40. Donate 100,000 grains of rice on freerice.com (7,500/100,000)
41. Give 100 compliments (0/100)
42. Send that thank you note I’ve been meaning to send for two years
43. Write an uplifting message in a public bathroom
44. Leave 50 nice post-its for strangers to find (0/50)
45. Donate $5 for every uncompleted task to a charity
46. Prepare and send 5 care packages for the soldiers overseas (0/5)
47. Throw a message in a bottle into the ocean
48. Pay for the person behind me at a drive through
49. Donate all my clothes that I haven’t worn in over 3 months (not seasonal)
50. Update Troyskis’ wardrobe, get rid of his old clothes and donate anything nice to charity
51. Go to the library 10 times and leave nice notes in the books (0/10)


Travel and Adventure!!

52. Go geocaching and find 10 geocaches (0/10)
53. Spend a day on a farm and go apple picking and through a corn maze and hayride
54. Go through a haunted house
55. Go for an all day hike
56. Go to Hong Kong with my Troyskis (2/22/10 through 3/1/10)
57. Go skiing/snowboarding at least three times (0/3)
58. Ride a roller coaster (its been yeeears =( )
59. Ride a mechanical bull at a filthy ridiculous bar
60. Do nakie where we can get caught ;)
61. Go horseback riding… beach and black stallion not required
62. Have Troyskis teach me how to use, shoot and clean a gun
63. Have Troyskis teach me how to ride a motorcycle
64. Go to the zoo… and spend time with the bats to get over them =)
65. Go to a professional sporting event (that is not the Red Sox)
66. Go camping in the wilderness (no “camp grounds”)
67. Plan a surprise get-away for me and Troyskis (after we are settled in the house)


Entertainment

68. Read 100 books (3/100)
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel (10/24/09)
The Kitchen God's Wife (11/14/09)
The Concubine's Daughter (12/3/09)
69. Buy a guitar and learn five songs (0/5)
70. Send 10 postcards via postcrossing.com (0/10)
71. Send 10 books via bookcrossing.com (1/10)
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel - Released "in the wild" (10/26/09)
72. Beat Troyskis and Bob at F1 Boston Racing… hands down…
73. Watch 26 random movies, one for each letter of the alphabet (14/26)

B – Boys Don’t Cry – Whew. This one was a doozy. And the rape scene was so intense I had to shut it off for a while before resuming. Regardless of the ruthless violence and the incomparable uncomfortableness that reeks from this film, it was incredible… and I figure if a film can make me have such strong feelings, be them good or bad, it must be good.

C - The Cat Returns - Japanese Animation film that was absolutely adorable and I loved it immensely. I give it an A (10/26/09)

D - Donkey Skin - French fairytale with English subtitles. Very "Rogers & Hammerstein"/Cinderella. Overall I give it a C. (10/24/09)

E – Elizabeth – Allllright, yeah, I had already seen this film, HOWEVER – I don’t count it because I was young and didn’t fully understand the plot as I do now as a slightly more educated adult. Highly entertaining time piece and I loved it!!

G - G.I. Joe - I don't really have to explain this one, do I? Meh - I give it a C... for CHEESY (10/30/09 )

J- Ju Dou – A terrific Chinese tragedy (lol not funny haha double negative oxymoron). Story: A woman gets married off to a violent, brutal, and infertile owner of a dye mill in rural China. She ends up conceiving a son with her husband's nephew, but is forced to raise her son as her husband's heir without revealing who his real father is. Great film as long as you can get past the fact that it was made in 1990 which means it is ANCIENT. Lol (in Chinese with subtitles).
K - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Pretty darn good murder mystery with some hard laughs. Me likey, give it a B (11/16/09)

M – Magdelene Sisters – A film about four women who are forced into the Magdelene Asylum for young women in Ireland mid 60’s. The asylum was run like a prison and the girls were treated like inmates and not allowed to leave as this was the place where “fallen” women were sent. Upon realizing how incredibly corrupt this place is and how brutal the women in charge could be, and upon discovering what one of the popes were doing, the four young women decide to break out. Based on a true story (my favorites =)

N – Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind – Cute little anime flick that was super creative and awesome and I am getting lazy with typing so whatever.

O – Obsessed – I was psyched for this film, but, fuckin’ A, Beyonce and blonde lady from Heros! It was terrible. Terrible. Buh. Gag.

P - The Proposal - Midly humerous and cute - glad I watched it, but probably not again. It gets a C+ (11/20/09)

R – Raise the Red Lantern - After her father's death, nineteen year old Songlian is forced to marry Chen Zuoqian, the lord of a powerful family. Fifty year old Chen has already three wives, each of them living in separate houses within the great castle. The competition between the wives is tough, as their master's attention carries power, status and privilege. Each night Chen must decide with which wife to spend the night and a red lantern is lit in front of the house of his choice. And each wife schemes and plots to make sure it's hers. However, things get out of hand. LOVED IT!! (in Chinese with subtitles).

S - The Snow Queen - Sweet but childish and a little strange. I give it a C- (11/24/09)

T - Tsosti - In Johannesburg, the small time criminal Tsotsi is a teenager without feelings, hardened by his tough life. After killing a man with his gang in a robbery; hitting the gangster Boston of his gang; humiliating a crippled beggar along one night, Tsotsi hijacks a car and under the despair of a woman, he shoots her in the stomach. While driving the car, Tsotsi finds that there is a baby on the back seat and the woman was a desperate mother. He brings the baby to his house in the slum and becomes attached to him. For six days, the baby changes his behavior, arousing and developing the sense of empathy and humanity in the cold blood killer. (in South African with subtitles).


74. Go bowling and master a signature technique (that is not throwing the ball from between my legs using my “vagina laser” that was so femininely and discreetly thought of after 8 beers last time I went bowling)
75. Go to another Imax movie
76. Read 10 books from the list of “100 books that should be read before you die” (0/10)
77. Play blackjack at a real casino
78. Make a piece of jewelry (for me and my favorites – and when we combine we can form CAPTAIN PLANET!!! hahaha)
79. Go to Thompson's Speedway and have adult beverages and a smashing good time =)
80. Read all the Harry Potter books (0/7)


Health and Wellbeing

81. Quit smoking
82. Lose 20 pounds and don’t put more than 5 back on ;) (0/20)
83. Work up a sweat four times a week for a month (0/16)
84. Go vegetarian for two weeks (0/2)
85. Take a poll dancing or belly dancing class
86. Buy a Monday – Friday pill case and start taking daily vitamins (10/25/09 - purchased case)


New House!!! (Tasks to do once we have moved in!! Approx. Jan. 2010)

87. Plant my first garden
88. Build a fort with Troyskis... preferably a tree fort
89. Have a housewarming party and have all my friends finally meet Troy and his friends
90. Plant a tree
91. Buy something amazing at IKEA and assemble it myself
92. Host a game board night
93. Host a wine and cheese night
94. Make my first official thanksgiving dinner
95. Build a snowman
96. Make our new house feel like home
97. 3 times in one day… in 3 different rooms… on 3 separate occasions ;) (log attempts without telling him =) (0/3 0/3 0/3)
98. Spend a weekend naked in the new house… just because I can
99. Create three paintings to decorate the new house with (0/3)


Other

100. Take photos of all possible completed tasks
101. Make another 101 list before the 1001 days are up