Third 101 Things Update

I'll skip the "I meant well" introductory part of this post and just admit that I haven't really thought about this project for about, oh, two entire months, not even counting the several months before that when I didn't make any progress but at least thought about it.

For each section, there's a count of the number of items in that section, then a breakdown of what is finished, what is in progress, and what hasn't been started yet.  The numbers of finished items are in bold, those of items in progress are italicized.

Health and Fitness (9:3/3/3)
001. Take a walk every day for a week (of at least a mile)
-----You can laugh with me. It's okay.
002. Floss teeth daily for a month
003. Go to the gym 15 times, working for at least half an hour [0/15]
004. Do daily exercise for 30 days
-----This has gotten changed several times, but is simply: exercise consistently. After a visit to my sister's house, we bought a Wii and one of the "Just Dance" games that she doesn't have (so when she visits, she'll have something new to play), and have done that four times in the past month. The kids really like watching me, which is creepy but flattering at the same time. So there may be progress on this one sooner rather than later.
005. Get a massage (two times) [1/2]
006. Visit an eye doctor and check my prescription/glasses/contacts
-----Hooray! New prescription: new contacts and new glasses, and a friendly new optometrist. Very happy that things are no longer uncomfortable/fuzzy or literally peeling, respectively.
007. Go to the dentist yearly (three times) [1/3]
-----Even though we go every six months, I'll only count the first visit of the year for a "yearly" visit, and that will be this month.
008. Set a bedtime and stick to it for 30 consecutive days
-----See 001.
009. Take a multivitamin for 30 consecutive days

Learning (12:4/2/6)
010. Read the New Testament [27/27]
011. Read the Old Testament [0/49]
-----I think I should start over since I hadn't read any more in Genesis since I last wrote.  *sigh*  Again.  (Repeat these notes, especially the *sigh* )
012. Read a month's worth of Church Fathers [31/31]
-----Although I reached my 101/1001 goal, I kinda want to catch up and continue this project... which is now extremely behind.
013. Learn Romanian Trisagion prayers and Nicene Creed.
014. Learn the countries of each continent (sporcle.com quizzes, first time success in a day) [6/6]
015. Read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
016. Memorize the first five kathismata (Psalms 1-37) [1/37]
017. Learn apolytikia for all family saints (Peter, Mary Magdalene, Theodore the Studite, Gregory Palamas, Lucia, Catherine, Timothy the Apostle, and Moses the Black) in English [0/8]
-----We've done several of these, but may need to update this goal in July (see Thing 090).
018. Memorize the books of the Bible in order
-----Probably should review this...
019. Learn the 8 resurrectional apolytikia in English [0/8]
-----Still haven't decided on the translation yet.
020. Learn the 12 great festal hymns: apolytikia and kontakia in English [0/24]
-----Haven't gone any further with this either.
021. Learn to make a prayer rope.

Social Ties (7:1/2/4)
022. Have a dinner party
023. Invite others on a ladies' night out
-----We even had another, smaller one with just four of us at a coffee shop playing board games. It was very fun.
024. Invite Matthew to visit our family
025. Make a birthday list and send out birthday cards to at least five friends (namedays also count) [2/5]
-----I am not good at staying in touch, even though I think about people and miss them often...
026. Set up five playdates [0/5]
-----My children are doomed.
027. Send out annual letter (twice) [0/2]
-----Still haven't finished the pictures for the 2011-2012 version.  Yeah, the one that tells about our TWO younger children.  *sigh*  Maybe this will be a decade project rather than an annual one.
028. Host a Lego party

Better World (7:2/0/5)
029. Volunteer at the library
-----Haven't heard back after (I think) turning in my volunteer application.
030. Donate blood
031. Donate to Matt and Tara in Niger
032. Put together and send kits to IOCC; put together some "blessing bags" to keep in the car
033. Volunteer at the soup kitchen with Philoptochos
-----I may change this to volunteering somewhere else, as this soup kitchen gives mixed messages and doesn't get back to me....
034. Visit a nursing home with the children
035. Buy a cow/goat/bees from the Heifer Project

Homestead (20:5/3/12)
036. See about southeast corner landscaping/drainage
-----We've made the basement this year's goal. In order to get someone to look at our water-proofing options, we have to take down what's covering the basement walls, which we've decided to leave until the temperature goes back above freezing.
037. Get gutters cleaned (install gutter guard?)
038. Put up outdoor Christmas decorations (wreath, lights)
039. Get chimney/fireplace inspected and put in working order
040. Replace bathtub drain (main floor)
-----After looking into this, I decided to just go with a new tub-stopper (less than $5) and take out the broken mechanism for the bathtub drain, rather than going into walls and spending lots of money. Also, the kids really like the tub stopper (which we haven't affixed to anything), as it makes a great censer or general toy.
041. Secure the threshold for the walk-in door to the garage
-----The husband went ahead and made the door close properly, so the threshold is even worse, but at least the door closes and the wind doesn't open it any more. Maybe when temps get above freezing...
042. Properly mount the safety reverse on the garage door (eyes)
043. Figure out what all electrical switches go to
044. Replace light in street lamp
045. Add light to upstairs closet
046. Install a programmable thermostat
-----Just $30 with our free home inspection, installed!
047. Fix main floor bathroom sink flow issue (clean aerator?)
-----Replaced with low-flow whatsit by home inspector.
048. Replace shower heads
-----Even the home inspector couldn't get the upstairs one off, so this may be something to think about more.
049. Fix upstairs bath handle leaks
050. Stick with bi-weekly cleaning day (laundry, cleaning bathrooms, dishes) for four instances [0/4]
-----See Thing 001.
051. Plant Lucia's Christmas tree
052. Introduce ourselves to each of the neighbors on our street/block [5/14]
-----Went around the day before our Fall Greek Dinner with koulourakia that I'd baked, so nabbed about five introductions.
053. Get a free energy check-up for the house
-----And, boy, was it worth it! Free light bulbs, low-flow things, advice on insulation and what gets a rebate, and an installed programmable thermostat. We've had attic access put in, insulation, and with the new doors, have been definitely more comfortable this winter (with extremely low temperatures) and saved money doing it. I'm glad we gave the inspector some tickets to our Fall Greek Dinner, but I wish we had his contact information so we could treat him again this spring.
054. Sort through and organize ALL clothes (his, mine, and the children's) for what fits, what needs repair, and by season (store, donate, repair as needed)
-----Recently sorted through children's clothes again, but see Thing 090 for reasons why I won't be going through my clothes just yet.
055. Unpack everything from the move ... and put it away
-----See Thing 001.

Computer (7:1/1/5)
056. Organize desktop icons
057. Organize files
058. Make wedding photos more accessible (i.e., find them)
059. Upload photos from computer to online albums
060. Select and order photos from online albums for physical albums
061. Update physical photo albums
062. Completely clear out gmail inbox
-----Started with 103 important-and-unread, 172 unread, and 3900 total in my inbox. As of the first update, I have 80 important-and-unread, 151 unread, and 1770 total in my inbox. As of the second update, I have 161 important-and-unread, 579 unread, and 1129 total in my inbox. As of this update, I have 165 important-and-unread, 1087 unread, and 2951 total in my inbox. Not quite progress. I need to unsubscribe from things and take care of other things.

Car (3:0/0/3)
063. Clean out car, including vacuuming and car wash [0/3]
-----Again with waiting on the weather.
064. Clean out minivan, including vacuuming and car wash [0/3]
065. Transfer minivan title to Iowa

Crafty (6:1/0/1/4)
066. Finish knitting (Teddy's) toddler pants
-----New goal: 2T pants so that Timmo can wear them. At least I know where everything is, and there might be people at church who knit and so could help me. I think the tricky part (other than doing it) will be figuring out (even approximately) where I left off.
067. Make epitrachelion
068. Make a dollhouse church
069. Write a children's story about a family saint
070. Make (liturgical) seasonal notebooks (New Year to Nativity Fast, Nativity Fast to Triodion, Triodion and Lent, Pascha to Pentecost, Apostles' Fast to end of liturgical year) [0/5]
071. Replace the elastic in all the white diapers (legs) and all diapers (backs) [0/8; 0/24]

Food (5:0/0/5)
072. Make a fasting menu plan for a week
073. Make a non-fasting menu plan for a week
074. Eat salad four times a week for four consecutive weeks
075. Make a meal with the crockpot
076. Work on Auntie Leila's "Happy Home: Food Organization" list every day (even a little bit) for a week

Activities (7:1/1/5)
077. Find an Irish dancing school near Cedar Rapids
-----The closest one is in Dubuque, and they meet on Sunday afternoons every other week. This is not the season for trying that, however, but I found it. (See Thing 090.)
078. Play the flute for half an hour every day for a week
079. Play the fiddle for half an hour every day for a week
080. Find a piano teacher and something to practice on
-----The husband said he'd move a piano into our house if I made space for it (of course, the best space is the place in the office with all the stuff I've been meaning to sort through and work on... forever), and if I found a free one. I think the first part will be harder than the second.
081. Go to see live theater with my husband and no children
082. Go to see live theater with the whole family (children's performance)
083. Attend a retreat or icon workshop (no children)

Travel (6:2/1/3)
084. Visit a monastery with the family
085. Visit three different museums [0/3]
086. Go to the zoo
-----I remember going with the family to the Blank Park Zoo, with farm animals. There was a lot of walking involved, and ducks are still scary.
087. Go to the park with the children 20 times [1/20]
088. Ride a train with the children
-----For Teddy's birthday, we went to see and ride Thomas. Lucia was non-plussed at the train ride, but Teddy had a blast. They set the record for going through the bouncy-house. (Even Timmo and I went through twice.)
089. Go to the St. Emmelia Homeschooling Conference
-----The husband printed out our registration form for this year, and I've started filling it out. We need episcopal permission to be absent, and then we can start making plans on where to start and where to stay for the two-day drive...

Miscellaneous (12:1/3/2/6)
090. Have a baby
-----So I may exceed my expectations on this one. In addition to Timmo, I'm due in July!
091. Make a passwords book
092. Get children a tape player and record three books [0/3]
093. Make a will
-----Have gone to see the lawyer, and made sure our "if we both die, will you take the children?" people are okay with four kids plus their own newborn.
094. Have a written funeral plan (find out about laws for green burial, transport across state lines, burial at monastery)
-----Went to St. Raphael's for one meeting and one book discussion group about Christian burial and options, etc. Found out that Michigan laws are quite strict, so may need to do even more research.
095. Make to-do list for Romanian paperwork for children's citizenship
096. Read (or re-read, to be in order) all the Newbery Medal books (assuming there will be three more as this 1001 days goes; ordered holds on the first three to be picked up at my local library) [13/94]
-----The next book seems to only be available at one local library (the one I don't go to) and it's a reference book, so I'll have to figure out how to arrange that... which still hasn't changed since the second status update.
097. Complete a monthly photo challenge
098. Get new Iowa credit union account(s)
099. Participate in {phfr} on "Like Mother, Like Daughter" for four weeks in a row [4/4]
101. Make/find/buy a homeschooling curriculum
101. Sort through and cull the filing cabinet


So what's the score?
Made obsolete: 2
Completed: 22
In progress: 16
Unstarted: 61

Well, that's not as bad as I had feared, although it seems that most of the progress was due to the home inspection. I'll take it.

A friend from church and I have alternated (once each so far) with going to the other's house and helping for several hours. Organizing, cleaning, replacing light bulbs, tidying, etc. We've each decided it's much more fun at the other person's house, mostly because it's not my mess, so I don't have any guilt about not having cleaned it up before. Also, after she left, the husband made pumpkin pie (which isn't pie-shaped at all, but whatever) and I made banana bread.

Now that I've finished this post, I'll get back to the rest of today's to-do list.