99 Days and Counting...

I'm mos def in the home stretch here. MOS DEF. So with that said, I need to focus. I need to hone and hunker down and the best way to do that is to get rid of the clutter. So I'm officially crossing off a heck load of the "on-going" tasks.

To touch on each of the following:

#5 - www.focusnapop.blogspot.com: Obviously this took a bit of a backseat, well, photography in general took a bit of a backseat, but it isn't forgotten. I'm sure there are plenty of photographic adventures I can document in the future, and this is where they'll eventually go.
#8 - Study photography: Yeah yeah, I have yet to finish my photography book, but no worries, you can never STOP learning about photography, so there you go!
#10 - Seasons photography: I've taken many winter and fall shots, my fave seasons to photography...it's summer and spring with which I have issues. I do plan to put together a little something though. I should make a photo book called Dying to Death featuring only fall and winter shots...yeaaahhh.
#17 - Be selfish: Ok when am I NOT selfish? No, but really this task was created right at the tail end of my ex-relationship when I was giving and giving and giving until I literally could give no more. I've been single-ish for the last year and a half, however, and continue to have plenty of precious Me Time. Me Time is very important, so my therapist tells me :)
#55 - Aspirin mask: While I go weeks without using this, when I do mix up a batch, I use it almost every day. Probably better that way too, in terms of skin sensitivity. Anyone who has NOT tried the Aspirin mask...you don't know what you're missing!
#56 - Grocery list: When I'm not dirt poor I love to gather a handful of recipes and go to town. This has been more sporadic than not as of late, but again, I blame the economy. I think when I live with a mate one day, this will be easier to stick to.
#68 - Eat whatever: Again, when do I NOT eat whatever?? Most recently, I'll balance bad eats followed by some healthy running, but there have definitely been plenty of bad eats followed by some sitting on the couch. I created this task many moons ago as an excuse to get Coldstone Creamery ice cream...the task has since spiraled out of control.
#76 - Home-made greeting cards: This is one task I've seriously stuck to like no one's business and I'm actually pretty surprised. I've made everything from Christmas and birthdays, to weddings and anniversaries, to sympathy and congrats...even bachelorette, wedding, baby, and baptism invitations! Of course I'd love to make greeting cards, especially invitations, my business one day, and these last 2.5 years have been excellent practice!
#80 - Budget: oy, maybe if I stuck to a budget I wouldn't be in this financial mess. I jest...sort of? I barely find time to balance my checkbook (an old habit that dies hard in this modern online banking, ignorance-is-bliss day and age). I think it's time to bring back the budget love, I really do.
#85 - Concepts: Never missed a concept opportunity at work, even if it meant coming in on the weekend. I got some really good portfolio stuff out of it too!
#92 - Gratitude: This is another task I totally half-ass. Basically I'll wait a week and a half, look at my planner, and then write down something I thought I was probably grateful for. This totally defeats the purpose of Gratitudes, which are supposed to allow you reflect on your day and, in turn, look for more positives in the following day. Sigh. Something else I need to bring back.

So even with ALL of these crossed out, I still have a whopping 30+ tasks to accomplish (this includes the on-going tasks like atypical produce item and recipes and such). #99 made me laugh because I really SHOULD get up at 6am in order to gain a better chance at accomplishing these bad boys. And speaking of 99, I'm going to do what I can in these next 99 days.

I did it!

#31 hooray!!! This was definitely one of the list items I never thought I'd actually accomplish. So to recap: Back in '04 or '05, I was driving home from my parents' Fourth of July cookout just after 9:00 trying to make the fireworks right by Dousman House. As I was driving over the high rise bridge I noticed various fireworks displays all around me. All the 'burbs 'works go off at the same time, so in just a few select spots downtown, the high rise bridge being one of them, you can see them all! When I came up with the 101 List in '07, something reminded me of that moment and I really wanted to find a different, less-hassle spot to repeat the experience. Well, over the last 2.5 years, I never gained access to any downtown rooftops or what have you. So I basically decided to repeat what inspired this list item in the first place. At 9:10pm, I hopped on the freeway and started the adventure of simultaneously focusing on traffic around me and the dozenish fireworks displays dotting the horizon. It was just too awesome! I looped on and off the freeway like nine times or so, playing "All Over the World" by Pet Shop Boys on repeat! Excellent times.

So it's early yet and I don't have any other list items to report. I did just get into Dirty Projectors though...very different but very good!!

Meanwhile, since I'm always so candid in this blog, I will admit that I've come up on yet another crossroads and my July is shaping up to be a little too similar to last year's...doing some kinda loop, starting from scratch, all that fun stuff. What's with me and my paths that I am so hell-bent on taking, knowing full well that they probably aren't supposed to be on my little Map O' Life? I ask myself: HOW many lessons do I really need to learn in order to go the right way?? I give life a lot of chances...maybe too many chances. I also like shoving round pegs into square holes until they fit, but they never do.

Ok that's enough of that crap. I just wish life wasn't so exhaustively frustrating. I guess if it weren't though, it'd be no fun. But always remember kids: feeling like shit to find happiness isn't necessarily the way it works!