- Start a new, professional-oriented blog. Quarter point here.I did claim the word press name Mel @ Work, I just never actually blogged. But oh, I have big plans...stay tuned.
- Have one day, just one, where I actually do it all. Yea, this um, just really doesn't happen. There was one day I almost achieved it, but I opted for an extra 30 min of sleep over a run. I am tempted to give myself a half a point for figuring this out now instead of after an anguished breakdown three years from now when I have a kid or something.
- Move into a home I actually own. Oh snap! One point! We haven't yet spent in a weekend in it, but all in good time, I guess.
- Go to Las Vegas for the first time. Check it. One point. Why have I stayed away so long?
- Have one ridiculous, early-twenties style, wild-ass night out. Ha ha. I should get two points. Vegas, oh Vegas. I would say more, but I don't want to betray the confidence of my companions. I did eat a 4 a.m. breakfast at Denny's on the strip with a nice lad I met that night named Billy. When I told my husband of all my exploits, his only disbelief was "You ate at Denny's??"
- Buy one really fun, really age-inappropriate outfit. I get one point for purchasing the sequined-fronted and lace-backed tank top, but it gets taken away for returning it three weeks later.
- Buy one really nice, high-quality, going to last a long time, 30s-appropriate outfit. Score one for me. Kelly green pencil skirt with embellished royal blue cardigan? I should get an extra point for it not being black.
- Reach out to a friend I haven't talked to in a long time and grab a drink. Fail. I had some big plans, but sometimes it's hard just finding time to see Dinslage. However, once I am done with summer school in July...I will... probably just think of another excuse.
- Lose four pounds. Um, I believe I gained four. Okay, five.
- See some live music.One point. Thank you Mayer Hawthorne. This concert also led me to demand we have rounds of Henny and Ginger Ale for my birthday, but luckily those closest to me are pretty good at knowing when to dismiss my demands as folly.
- Get rid of any clothing I haven't worn in two years, any that "might work if only..." and any that just looks a little too well-worn. Half point here. I made a good effort...but I suspect there are at least several items that could hit the donation bin.
- Learn how to roast asparagus. Yes! Thanks to some facebook crowd sourcing, I learned I just cooked those suckers for far too long.
- Make sure my parents know just how grateful I am for these past 30 years. No points here...no comment either.
- Make sure my nearest and dearest know how much they mean to me. Okay, so perhaps this is an area to work on. No points.
- Plant something. Like, in dirt. Point! I did this on my actual birthday, so it was a last-minute slip in. I keep the award despite the fact that some new renters moved in upstairs (the genesis of which is saved for a blog that will be entitled "Home ownership. You have no f***ing idea until it's too late.") and without asking the ONLY OWNERS WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE BUILDING proceed to tear up the entire garden destroying not only the seedlings I planted, but the gorgeous herb garden that our home's previous residents established.
- Read a Jane Austen work. Half point. Still working on and loving Pride and Prejudice. It's a thinker that one - can't read it when not at > 75% mental capacity.
- Go to one yoga sculpt class a week. Point! Have I been since? Nah. I credit all the lifting of boxes and furniture for these fab arms.
- Try the gourmet hot dog down the street before we move. Point...and a point I would repeat. Seriously, Chicagoans - Frank'n'Dawgs. The rolls alone....oh.
- Go to the Whole Foods and drink a glass of wine while I grocery shop. Quarter point. Did a little shopping and had the free samples of wine they dole out on Friday nights. Yes, Friday night. This was clearly not one of the wild-ass 20-something nights aforementioned.
- Make a perfect party playlist. I have Spotify to thank for this one. It would be a laid-back, blue-grass laden with tinges of Drake type of party, but yea, I think it's worth a point.
- Finishing changing my name. Ug. Halvsies. I got the paperwork I needed for this final account, but it's lost in a packed box...somewhere...in the...basement?
- Watch the sunrise over North Beach. Ha. I saw two Vegas sunrises, but I was pretty specific on this one, so no points for me. Again, John offered to get up and run to the beach to see it, but sleep won out.
- Have a glass of really good champagne al fresco. Nope. But...I will do this before October.
- Have a ridiculous artisan cocktail along the river. Yes! At Japonais...the cocktail was actually a little gross...but it was artisanal and I made John sit on a patio during breezy 60 degree weather to check this off, so...point!
- Learn how to get those movie-star gorgeous waves in only five minutes so I can do them before work. Half point. I can do it, but it takes more like 15 minutes. However, with my bangs I end up looking a bit like Zooey Deschnel.
- Call my mother in law just to chat. A delightful point that I will make a habit of.
- Close on a house. What a layup. But, a point none-the-less
- Drink the pricey bottle of non-oaky chardonnay we picked up in Sonoma three years ago. Um...it's still packed?
- This one is open to suggestions. Cousin Carl suggested a "first tattoo." Luckily I already have two. Still planning on getting Richgels inked at some point, but regardless, no points.
- Cut myself some slack. Have fun with these. I did. I do! Point for me.
Okay, so what is the grand total? Drum-roll....16 points.
It's cool. I had fun and plan on checking off the rest of these as I embark on my 31st year hanging around this here life. Cheers!
