101 goals in 1001 days (part 3)

Given my current transitional stage in life, I thought the best way to introduce myself is to introduce who I want to be. Make sense?

I started the 101 goals in 1001 days project. I thought I would go through my goals one by one.
To catch up, here's part 1 and part 2.


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).

Money

52. Continue debt free on my credit cards
    I imagine this will be difficult to do while in grad school, but not impossible.
    

53. Figure out a financial system with Doug
    Currently, we split most everything because it's convenient. But I'd like us to figure out a system that really works for us, especially once his student debt kicks in and mortgage payments happen. I would like us to be as organized as Sara over at 2000dollarwedding. The truth is, I probably have to be the one organizing such a thing.
    

54. Save for a vacation
    Right, so in the travel area I talked about wanting to take such trips. But in order to do that, we need to get organized and actually save money. Hence the above goal. I thought this would be an excellent way to reward our organization.
    

55. Keep money in ING account unspent
    This might be a changed goal. I am a saver, and after college I changed over the account I had from when I was young (deposited birthday money etc) until I was about 16 (when I got my first job and opened my own account). That money was meant to be kept untouched until I bought a house. Pushing up the time table on that means that money will probably be spent...but in the way I'd intended it.
    

56. Learn about investing by reading at least 2 books (0/2) and meeting with a financial adviser
    This is a topic I know NOTHING about. OK, that's not true, in recent months (you know, when the whole economy went to crap and all) I've learned what not to do. Or at least certain things to avoid. But I've learned that saving early is a good idea. So I want to figure out how to make that happened.
    

57. Plan for buying a house/condo within 2 years from end date. Goal includes determining where we want to buy, and how much of a down payment we’ll need.
    Right, so here's the big change. With grad school coming pretty much free, and the understanding that we are staying in the area for a few years (and the current economic climate), we are looking at buying now. We aren't looking at a "forever house", but something that will last us 5-6 years. We've been actively looking since March. You'd think that we'd have found something by now, and we may have. But we are working on a limited budget and want at least 3 bedrooms and 1.1 baths for resale value...it's complicated.
    

58. Maintain John Houston Finely Society standing and star with Knox
    This means I have to give to my Alma Mater every year.
    

59. Save at least 1/5^th of each paycheck once I have a "real world" job
    This may change once I actually land the job, but it makes me nervous to have a savings account that isn't growing. And in the last few years, that's sort of how I've been rolling.
    

60. Replace the Saturn
    Our second car is going on 15 years young. Understanding it won't last forever, saving for a newer car is going to be important.
    

61. Buy a new computer
    My desktop was purchased in 2002, laptop in 2006. If not replaced, the desktop needs at least a new video card and more memory. By the time I upgrade, it might be smarter to just buy a new computer.
    

62. Start a retirement fund

63. Make more in 2011 than I did in 2008, 2009 & 2010 combined
    Shouldn't be that hard. If I got a job with an average starting salary in the field I'm going into, I should be able to meet this goal. In six months. Being a student again is fun.
    

64. Create a living will
    I have a family friend that had a really tough time when he needed hospitalization and had no living will, power of attorney, or any of that information. As such, I've seen how difficult it can be to get care when you don't have a clear plan of action and are unable to make decisions on your behalf.
    
    

Food

65. Make at least 15 meals at home each week (this can include making lunch and breakfast for myself)
    This is a double win for me. It saves money and means I don't eat as much.
    

66. Shop at local farmers market at least twice a month in appropriate weather
    OK, so my local farmer's market is not grand, but it is lovely. And fresh fruits and veggies? You can't beat that.
    

67. Eat beef fewer than 5 times a month
    In fact, I'd like to explore more vegetarian options over all. It is an idea that scares Doug a bit, so I usually add some meat to things, but supplement it with non-meat items.
    

68. Eat dinner with Doug at least one night a week
    This is really a goal for us. Sounds silly when we live together, but with his internship, work, classes, and other activities, eating dinner with him was actually a challenge this year. We've gotten a bit better about it, but I fear that with my clinic hours, it will become a bit more of a challenge in the future.
    

69. Try at least 50 new, healthy recipes (3/50)
    I am constantly looking for new things to make, especially crockpot friendly recipes that are healthy. So far I've tried:
    1. Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
    2. Eggs Benedict on a Muffin with Garlic Alioi
    3. Spaghetti Carbonara
    

70. Have less than 15% of groceries be prepared foods (freezer meals, prepackaged sides, etc)
    I'd like to do healthy eating with as few preservatives and least amount of sodium possible.
    

71. Start an herb garden
    I'm sort of doing a tester run this year. I have a pot of basil and a pot of parsley going right now. We'll see how it goes before we graduate to "garden" status.
    

72. Make Sangria
    It's a simple thing, but I've never done it, even though I like sangria. Perhaps for my dinner party?
    

73. Try 3 new cooking techniques (poaching, braising, etc) (1/3)
    I poached an egg to make my eggs benedict.
    

74. Start a real garden, growing at least 3 different types of veggies
    This will have to wait until I get an actual yard, or at least space for a container garden. My parents had a garden for many years, and I enjoyed helping. Mostly, I enjoyed fresh cucumbers!
    

75. Try at least 5 new foods
    Should be easy, right?
    
    

Home

76. Vacuum floor at least once every 2 weeks
    Doug has the same goal. We need to alternate!
    

77. Change bed sheets once a week
    This goal was more to get in the habit of doing it on one day of the week and sticking to a schedule. So far, so good. Sundays are my sheet-changing days.
    

78. Brush cat once a week
    She's a short hair cat, but she still sheds like a long-haired. Dark couch, dark comforter...light cat. You see my problem.
    

79. Take cat to annual checkup (1/2)
    Between moving to a new city last year, and just generally forgetting, the cat had not been to a vet visit since July 2007. She's young, she's healthy, and since she's strictly an indoor cat, there wasn't any huge risk. But I feel like she should get it annually.
    

80. Buy & decorate a Christmas tree
    I typically visit my parents for the holidays, so I haven't had my own tree. Or ornaments. In fact, I have 2 ornaments: 1 is a pickle with arms and legs, and one is a star-fish shell brought back from Hawaii by Doug's mom. Probably, I need to increase my collection, first, yes?
    

81. Keep clothes off bedroom floor for 30 days (0/30)
    Oh man, I am terrible about this. Always have been. Hoping this creates a habit.
    

82. Frame at least one thing I made (photograph, cross stitch, art piece, etc)
    This would involve finishing something to frame.
    

83. Get a real futon frame
    Done! In our next living environment, the futon mattress will not be on the floor.
    

84. Figure out how to participate in Sycamore's recycling program, even if my apartment complex doesn't.
    This may not be relevant if we move in the next month or two. But every time a cardboard box goes in the dumpster, I feel quite guilty.
    

85. Get a real entertainment center.
    We bought a nice new TV almost an entire year ago, and then couldn't agree on the type of entertainment center we need. So we've sort of reached a stalemate, and put a few IKEA end tables together in a not very organized fashion. It's OK for now, but I don't want the college-chic look forever.
    

86. Buy a bed
    It's on a frame, so that's a start. But I'd like there to be an actual headboard. And maybe even nightstands (not plastic drawers). Stepping up from that college chic again.
    
    

Other

87. Take a picture a day for a month (0/30)
    One of those things I've wanted to do to recognize that there are little things every day worth noticing.
    

88. Blog every day for a month
    I've always meant to do this, but never have. I considered splitting this list to 30 parts, but thought that would be cheating.
    

89. Watch at least 1 Netflix DVD a week, or cancel account
    I've put it on hold before, but I hate when I forget that I have the DVDs sitting in a pile of mail and don't watch them for a while. I know that's how they make their money, but I hate to be just giving it away. I've learned that watching TV series helps with that.
    

90. Spend all the gift cards I currently have (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, WaMu, Target, iTunes)
    I'm awful at spending giftcards. I forget I have them, or think I should wait for something special.
    

91. Calculate carbon footprint.
    I read Radical Simplicity a few months back, and got very interested.
    

92. Reduce by 15%.
    I've been bookmarking ways that I could save energy for a while now. I think owning a house would help, and things like collecting rain for the garden, tankless water heaters, ecolawn... I see many possibilities.
    

93. Donate blood twice a year (0/6)
    I can't just walk off the street and donate blood. I am naturally anemic, so I have to beef up (literally) before donating. But donating blood is such a (relatively) simple thing to do with a positive result, so I should do better about donating more often.
    

94. Take a dance class
    I almost signed up for a belly dancing class this summer, but it conflicts with a class I actually have to take for school. Nuts. It's been a while since I've been in a movement based class, and would love to try it again.
    

95. Donate any books I no longer need
    Done, but I consider this on-going. I donated about 12 books to a student program in March. I'm sure Doug and I could go through our collection and remove about 20 duplicates...mostly college texts.
    

96. Buy a sewing machine
    I just think I should own one and remember how to use it. Maybe actually make a few napkins or table runners.
    

97. Buy a shredder.
    Again, something I think I should have. And use.
    

98. Read at least 25 books I've never read before (9/25)
    I was sort of lax on the number, because I figure I won't have much time while in school. So far I've read:
    1. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
    2. A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of my Father by Augusten Burroughs
    3. One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead
    4. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
    5. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
    6. The Kid: What Happened When My Boyfriend and I Decided to get Pregnant by Dan Savage
    7. A Mind of My Own: A memoir of recovery from Aphasia by Harianne Mills
    8. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
    9. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
    

99. Reread 5 books I read in high school
    I was talking to someone about this: I remember certain things from books I read in high school, but not enough to make me confident that I could answer questions on Jeopardy! about them. Some of the ones I want to reread include The Stranger, 1984, The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, and The Lord of the Flies. If I were feeling particularly masochistic, I guess I'd give Beowulf another shot as well. And maybe The Picture of Dorian Gray. Couldn't stand that one at the time. I think I would "get" them more today. Or at least I'd like to try.
    

100. Clean out my closet. Donate unwanted items
     I've been trying to keep on top of this, but you can always do more, right?
     

101. Attend 5 year college reunion
     Because I will be old. OK, not old, but at the 5 year mark, I will have done everything on this list. I should feel pretty accomplished, no?