Star Gazing

This weekend my friend Angela and I drove west of town in an effort to participate in one of the weekly "star parties" the local astronomy club hosts at their tiny observatory. (this fulfilled #96 on my 101 list) It was scheduled for "dusk" and we had directions that involved a lot of gravel roads, mileage tracking, and left turns. Since I had no real expecations I wasn't disappointed. What I didn't realize is how long these events can last... we were there for a couple hours before we decided to call it a night... and a starry one at that! (we inadvertantly selected a moon-free night!) The first thing we saw was Jupiter and four of its moons. Unfortunately it looked more like this in our telescope... Then we strolled outside and looked at the emerging constellations as the darkness began to settle. I was able to immediately identify the only two I am ever able to identify... The Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. Anita, one of our hosts, pointed out the Northern Cross using this cool laser pointer thing! Then she explained how to find The Little Dipper which has always seemed much less clear to me. Several other telescopes were set up and we had a chance to view some planetary nebulas and one called M13. One of my favorite moments in the evening... a close second to the viewing of Jupiter (a planet, near and dear to my heart) was the statement overheard as we began to move back inside the observatory... "Thanks for bringing out your appartus for the rest of us to enjoy." Pause. Let that sink in. Back inside we viewed a few more things and one of those was the Swan Nebula (also known as M17, Omega and sometimes the Horseshoe). This looked more like this when we viewed it. I have always loved the night sky and perhaps that is because I grew up in the country where it was plainly visible and I frequently experienced the Northern Lights. Now such a treat is rare and I am forever seeking those elusive wonders.

I bought a book a few years ago that is right on my level of expertise in space studies. Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey (yes, that's the fellow who wrote about the clever little monkey and the man in the yellow hat). It is full of hand-drawn illustrations rather than actual photographs but something about the style of the book really appeals to me. This whole idea of stargazing spun me back into the past and brought me back to 1986 and my first viewing of the film Space Camp starring Kate Capshaw, Tate Donovan, Kelly Preston, Lea Thompson and more. Now this was a film that made me want to select astronomy as my career field. Too bad someone told me that I could never be an astronaut with less than perfect eyesight. I don't even know if that is true. If it was a cruel lie then whoever told me that shouldn't feel too bad about crushing my young hopes and dreams, I was still wavering on joining up with the Children's Television Workshop in order to be on Sesame Street. Ahhhh... another unfulfilled dream.

Two Movies Viewed

Recently I watched two films in my quest to watch all the movies nominated for Academy Awards... (I am a little behind.) The first one was Kinsey, one of many biopics nominated this year. I found the movie intriguing and certain to produce all kinds of good discussions among friends watching it in their living rooms or couples considering their sex lives. I was familiar with Dr. Kinsey but have never read any of his writing, nor did I know much about his actual study or the way he was received in this country. This movie is not for the faint of heart. What I mean is if you prefer your R rated movies to be chock full of violence instead of sexual scenes, or open discussions of a sexual nature, then this film will likely provide you with more gasps and head shaking than one typically finds. In the end, it didn't rank as an all-time favorite film but it did spark some curiousity about Kinsey. And Liam Neeson and Laura Linney did a fine job.



My second Oscar nominated film was A Very Long Engagement directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who also created the masterpiece Amelie. Both are French films (yes, you must read subtitles) starring Audrey Tautou who is magnificent in Amelie and doesn't disappoint in this film. There is a characteristic touch that Jeunet places on his films (at least the two I've now seen) that sets it apart from others. The cinematography is beautiful and the use of color and light makes the story almost magical. Except for the flashbacks of the WWI trenche warfare. Those scenes were brutally violent and somehow necessary, since Mathilde is trying to discover what has happened to her young fiancee, Manech, who is supposed to have died at a trench known as Bingo Crepuscule. She is certain this is not the case because she knows she would be able to tell if he were not alive. She is devastated and has renewed hope repeatedly throughout the film and while the story is good it is the little touches that make it work for me. Jeunet is a master of fine details and small bits of humor that decorate life. There is some sexuality, as is the case in Amelie, but this movie is well worth a viewing (despite the cost of excess violence and brief sexual scenes)--or two, since there is a lot to follow. (moreso than in Amelie) She is unraveling a mystery and so are we as we watch. There are moments of clarity for Matilde that left me in the dust, rewinding a scene in order to catch what it is she discovers. However, if you've never seen Amelie.... start with that film.

What will they think of next?

I live alone and at this point in my life... I rather like it. No one to blame for my mess but me. And I'm selfish. I like my space and my things best... no one else to clutter things. But every once in awhile I waver a bit. I think, company might be nice. Then, I discovered this amazing new thing: single-wallpaper. I could paste the funny "promo" description here or you could humor me and check it out. It's a riot!

A Ring like Mary's

I don't wear much jewelry--a couple silver rings on my fingers that I bought from a street vendor for under $10 each. Occasionally I wear earrings or a necklace, often a toe ring. This is something I'd like to change about myself. When I see others with the perfect necklace or bracelet I renew this vow to accessorize (beyond the level of shoes) and still I never seem to do it. On the Day-Lab site I discovered a designer who can't go wrong--Wilk Designs.
















I fell in love with this necklace. Then I saw the ring and immediately got all choked up. It reminded me of Mary, the tutor at my school who died last fall. I used to sit in the break room and try on her wedding ring, admiring myself, saying "Wow! I look great in a wedding ring!" Her ring was unusual, and something about this design reminds me of it. Too bad it only comes in a size 7.5 .... I have skinny fingers.

Nice Sushi Ya

On Corydon Avenue in Winnipeg there is a restaurant called Sushi Ya and as we passed it I was struck with the pun in the title... I repeated it a few times and only got an indulgent smile from a travel buddy... so when I saw these magnets for sale yesterday I couldn't resist.














I might have to order some .... just for the giggle. Here's another from Anne Taintor. I love sushi puns. (Who knew there were so many?)

Winnipeg Weekend

I went to Winnipeg Saturday morning with Emma and three friends from SIL--all four of them only here for the summer. With the exception of me and Emma, the others had never been to Canada. Since most days I prefer that country to my own, I get a little excited to show off my favorite haunts in that lovely prairie city. Of course we only had two days and limited time, money and room in our tummys (it's all about the food really!).

If I had to choose, my favorite parts of Winnipeg are as follows:
Baked Expectations a bistro on Osborne which serves the best desserts on the planet.
The Forks downtown riverfront development which will be really happening when Folklorama kicks off beginning July 31st.
Nerman's Books and Collectibles is a bookstore like no other in the volume of rare children's collectible books. I can actually find Judy Bolton books there.
Value Village This thrift store has a healthy amount of vintage clothing and is fun for sampling wacky looks or even purchasing a new funky wardrobe --other dedicated vintage stores are located in the Exchange District as I discovered this weekend.
Guest House International This is where we stayed. It's reasonably priced close to everything, and comes with the opportunity to meet other travelers.
Fort Garry Hotel is a pricier option but the Sunday brunch is to die for. I've only stayed there once but I suspect it's the first of many times.
Corydon Ave ("Little Italy") is home to yummy restaurants and a favorite gift shop called Cherry Tree Lane.
Chapters Bookstore is much like the Barnes and Noble we have in our town but I like the music section quite a bit and there area number of Canadian and British authors you can't find as easily in the States.
And last but not least, the Bridge Drive-In.... also known as the BDI. This ice cream place serves the creamiest ice cream ever... flavor-burst soft serve. I highly recommend the "blue goo" with sprinkles. The wait can be long as it is usually quite busy but it's worth it.

















On this trip we only took in a few of the highlights I mentioned above but we did experience the horse races at Assinioboi Downs. I also got to try a new restaurant, Saffron's, to add to my current favorites for dining in Winnipeg... Pasta La Vista and Stella's Cafe and Bakery (one more thing to cross off my list of 101 things to do). This summer the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation is displaying Bears on Broadway and so we spent Sunday morning walking the half mile between The Forks and the Legislative Building looking at the variety of bears. Here are two of my favorites.










Then later in the day Amber and I took in a few events at Fringefest. I only discovered this festival was happening in Winnipeg a couple days before our trip and I wasn't sure any of the others would be interested. The 21 venues which hosted the various events for the festival were concentrated in the Exchange District and since that was all new territory for me I was excited to experience it. We attended only two events on Sunday... a comic show called Gags for the Masses performed by Benjamin Crellin of New Zealand and a play called The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. I'm sad I only got to experience a taste of this festival but now that I know it exists I can watch for it and plan better next year.

A Lazy Day on the River

So far this summer, most every day has felt like a weekend, but not in a good way since they've all been pretty boring. So, I have to say I was tickled pink to be invited to join eight friends on a tubing trip to Voyageur's View, Friday afternoon.















We are not the folks in the picture because I didn't want to risk dropping my camera in the water--a good thing since, two minutes in, I lost my swimsuit coverup! They could be us because I am sure that's exactly how we looked at that distance. In fact, this tubing trip was like other ones I've taken at other places except this place has its own special bus! Too funny.













This day was exactly how a summer day should be spent. Late start (noon), sunny day, relaxing trip down the river with friends, interesting conversation, and then a BBQ to top it off. Ahhh.... summer is here.

For the Love of Words

Today I discovered something wonderful. It's a way to "write on your walls" adorning your home with the wonder of words. Quotations are something I treasure and often force upon others (note my Hemingway post). I think quotes are a brilliant way of spinning straw into gold... Most of my beloved quotes are brief--capturing wit and wisdom in a handful of words.
Wonderful Graffiti is a site that provides quotations printed on very, very thin pieces of vinyl. A light adhesive holds them firmly on the wall and they are flexible, durable, washable and removeable too. Because of its unique design it looks as though the words are actually painted on the wall. This example is really just one word rather than a quote but it was one I really liked. If I had a signature quote this might be it:

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read. --Groucho Marx

To buy or not to buy?--there is no question!

In a recent trip to Best Buy I discovered what will certainly be an essential item in my laptop computer replacement process. I started off simply enough. I was pricing all the other things....docking station, wireless modem thingy, monitors, and then I saw the carrying cases for the laptops. I've always seen very practical nylon looking backpacks or over the shoulder strappy cases... but what I saw before me took my breath away. These were more of an accessory than I expected.... something for the girl who loves handbags. I do love the look of these two bags named for women with style.

Jackie

Katharine

The first problem is that I haven't even purchased a laptop, the second is that these lovely cases only fit 15" screens... I am not sure if that is standard, but perhaps I should buy the computer first. Finally, priced at well over $100, I am afraid I might need to go for the generic, nylon look. I'm all in favor of a good splurge now and then, but I also like to be able to pay my bills each month!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

"I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?"

This sentiment seems to epitomize my life as of late. It's funny to me that such a man of action could also be a lover of sleep. I guess one should sleep well when possible and live fully the rest of the time.

To celebrate Ernest Hemingway's birthday with style, indulge in the drink he is credited with creating at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in the ‘20s. Death in the Afternoon is made by simply adding a jigger of Absinthe to a glass of pre-cooled champagne, add ice cubes to taste. When you begin to feel the effects (shouldn't take long) listen to his nobel prize acceptance speech and let his voice wash over you. Consider two additional quotes:

"Decadence is a difficult word to use since it has become little more than a term of abuse applied by critics to anything they do not yet understand or which seems to differ from their moral concepts."

"I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a method of settling international disputes."

Next stop in Techie-land--a new laptop

To the gods of technology, I beg your mercy…. Today I did it. I made the commitment. I bought a digital camera online. And the gods snicker, rubbing their hands together knowing full well it will be “obsolete” before I even pay off the credit card bill. When looking at two different models of a similar camera I was considering, someone asked me if one was the updated version of the other and looking at my notes I said, “yeah, this one came out in March 2005 and this one in April 2005.” Amazing. For more than a month I have been wavering, indecisive, treading a fine line on obsessive, reading camera reviews from the Steve’s digicam site and from c-net and more. … Pestering clerks at retail counters asking what kind of camera they own …. At one point I had it narrowed to several Sonys and was simply trying to choose the best camera for me… but then a friend with good intentions decided to point out that the Nikon Coolpix 7900 was certainly the finest camera in the price range I was considering. I hadn’t even bothered to look at anything other than a Sony and now I had to start all over. Fortunately another friend kindly let me borrow his Nikon (though a mere 3200) in order to determine if I liked that sort of camera. I wasn’t really impressed but then I dismissed that because it wasn’t nearly the camera the 7900 was claiming to be. Eventually I selected my favorite from the Sonys (Cyber-shot DSC-W7) and pitted it against the Nikon Coolpix 7900 for a few weeks, changing my mind almost daily and then in a moment of truth, I took the plunge, bought the Sony and now I wait. Apparently 3-4 weeks. I didn’t know it took that long to get anything these days. When they say it will be shipped by ground, they must mean someone is walking it to my door from somewhere in Indiana.

One in Seven

Well, today I emerged from my hobbit hole and stepped forth into air that felt like soup. 90 degrees and humid. I called everyone I knew hoping for a late lunch date and got nowhere with that so I settled for lunch (grocery store style) at Leevers Super Value.... simply the best croissants in town. I only need one, but I always buy two. (delish!) Then I paid a visit to my friend and colleague, Eileen, who is recovering from foot surgery. I expected to have a brief chat and head out before her next scheduled dose of high-powered drugs that apparently causes her to nod off mid-sentence. Instead, I joined her son in watching the movie the others had watched the day before: Dear Frankie.While I didn't recognize the title at first it, it wasn't long before I realized this was a film I had once been looking forward to. I liked it a lot. It produced just enough tears for three kleenexes... the others said, with as much disgust as disbelief... "You're crying?" I guess they found it to be rather slow and not really worth it--I disagree. While I wouldn't give it the highest rating, I thought it was worth a rent if you're in the mood for slow but tender. What made it seem slow, I think, was the quiet in many of the poignant scenes of the movie. Ultimately, young Frankie was a terrific and loveable character not unlike the gem of a character in Billy Elliot. While I wouldn't want to compare these films on other levels I did think that Frankie was a child I fell in love with as I watched the story unfold. Some might find the whole thing hokey, but I found that today it hit the spot and ended with a feeling of hope.

My evening was spent at the new Starbucks on Washington with Emma reading my book, examining digital camera reviews, and quizzing each other at Friends trivia. Today I sampled the new Starbucks drink: Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino. It's always a little nervewracking when the clerk offers you a sample and steps back with a slight grimace on his face. He waited and I sampled and approved enough to order the drink. I suppose that's the point, isn't it? I entered with an open mind unsure of what I wanted and I was introduced to something I really liked. AFTER, I had sampled their wares, he informed me that so far only one in seven has liked this drink. I guess that's me... one in seven.

Tastes great and it matches my outfit!

Yoga-Mania

I've done yoga for two weeks now (twice a week for 90 minutes a session) and I'm enjoying it. Having never ventured into that realm before I was amazed to discover how difficult it is for those of us who are not bendy. To make matters worse I recently injured my right ankle thus rending most postures to be even more difficult due to excruciating pain.

My instructor Leslie is using me, Anna, and Marci as practice in striving toward attaining the full-on yoga instructor status she held years ago...we are the refresher course practice and I love the small group and the private setting (we meet at Marci's, pushing back the furniture and spreading out our mats on the hard wood floor).

Because I know so little about the different kinds of yoga I can't even relate much about that yet. I know it's doing something because I leave very sweaty and the next day am sore is strange places. I'll add to this when I understand more about the kind of yoga we are doing or if I achieve any great yoga feats.... Namaste!

My new yoga mat carrying strap designed by me--or I should say examined by me in the stores and online and then crudely manufactured by me in an effort save money.

101 Things to do in 1001 Days

1. Create a website Created a weblog on July 15, 2005
2. Learn guitar well enough to play songs
3. Take a photography course—using a manual camera
4. Watch all the Bond movies
5. Write 100 poems
(1) untitled 6 word poem (example for a student)
(2-3) two silly yearbook poems on blog
(4) mantra ray poem
(5) the last great hairdo poem
(6) untitled (example for a student)
(7) 31 Lines
6. Publish something an article in Red River Valley Women Today on 10/21/05 and on 11/21/05 and on 12/21/05 and on 1/20/06 and on 2/18/06 and on 3/17/06 and on 6/16/06 and on 10/17/06 and on 11/20/06 and 12/15/06 and 1/17/07 and 2/16/07 and so forth
7. Swim with dolphins
8. Organize all my school files completed on 5/26/05
9. Learn digital video editing
10. Buy a laptop computer purchased from Sony 8/11/05
11. Start playing cards more played pinochle on 10/28/06 and played Golf on 12/31/06 and again on 1/2/07
11a Learn how to play black jack well enough to gamble
11b Learn several varieties of poker
12. Reach my target weight of 125 lbs.
13. Buy a house
14. Buy a digital camera Purchased online 7/17/05
15. Play Frisbee golf
16. Read 50 of the hundreds of books I own but have never read
(1)Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 7/14/05
(2) Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde 10/22/05
(3) Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick 11/09/05
(4) Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson 11/14/05
(5)The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde 11/15/05
(6) The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes 4/16/06
(7) A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park 6/9/06
(8) A Northern Light by Jennifer Donelly 6/12/06
(9) Boy by Roald Dahl 6/23/06
(10) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 6/22/06
(11) Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren 7/30/06
(12) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 9/5/06
(13) Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks 9/20/06
(14) Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs 9/28/06
(15) Wicked by Gregory Maguire 10/29/06
(16) Monster by Walter Dean Myers 6/07
(17) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 7/07
(18) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 8/07
(19) Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder 9/07
(20) The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke 11/07

17. Start a savings account 7/07
18. Attend an NFL game
19. See Mamma Mia completed 8/27/2005
20. Play pool completed 6/10/2007
21. Go camping
22. Learn to drive a stick shift car
23. See a movie at a Drive-In movie theatre completed 8/27/06 and 9/1/06
24. Go to New York City
25. Make at least one meal from every cookbook I own it turns out I have good for nothing cookbooks, have sold or donated a few of those... I get a lot of recipes from magazines and the Internet
26. Play croquet
27. Go snorkeling
28. Eat at a new restaurant in Winnipeg completed 7/23/05 Saffrons on Corydon Ave
29. Be able to run 8 miles without stopping
30. Go ice skating
31. Travel to another country (other than Canada)
32. Participate in NaNoWriMo crashed and burned, but I tried. sort of. Ugh. 11/07
33. Go to Las Vegas
34. Go to the public swimming pool
35. Discover and soak in natural hot springs
36. Go swimming at a pool completed 7/12/06 while babysitting
38. Go spelunking (maybe even take a class)
39. Go to a concert Went to the MN bluegrass festival in July 2005
40. Buy a new car completed on Oct. 19, 2007
41. Do something social with my neighbors visited w/S & J and saw their tree 12/06 -- spring summer 2007 we hang out often now
42. Ride my bike everywhere for one entire week
43. View the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota 7/2007
44. Seea broadway play
45. Go to San Diego
46. Learn how to filet a fish
47. Start keeping a journal--started an exercise journal June 07
48. Sew a quilt made a blanket in 2/05 and another in 12/06... but it was tied rather than quilted.
49. Learn to make lefse completed 12/10/05
50. Go on a retreat at a monastery
51. Buy new living room furniture acquired a new-to-me green chair July 06
52. Learn sign language
53. Write a grant for book club books for school wrote a grant for a student photo gallery at school 11/1/06 and a grant for yearbook funds Feb. 2007
54. Spend time with Grandma oct. 05, Dec. 05, Jun. 06, Oct. 06 and Nov. 06, and Dec. 06
55. Kayak or Canoe
56. Overhaul my mutual funds/investments/retirement stuff
57. Plant a garden
58. Improve my Spanish (take a class)
59. Learn to make overnight buns
60. Start a regular Sat. night trivia group at El Roco completed 9/17/05 joined an existing one
61. Learn to crochet learned the basics 12/06
62. Ride on a train (maybe even get a sleeper car)
63. Go on a cruise
64. Take dancing lessons
65. Learn to identify at least five different constellations in the night sky
66. Learn how to knit something besides stitches…· Bought a book.... learned some stitch patterns 12/1/05 .... took a knitting class on 1/30 & 2/6 ... followed my first pattern to make a flower for a scarf I knit... 2/20/06... knit a ribbed scarf in Nov. 06 and another with a checkerboard pattern in 12/06 and a knitting needle case with a cable and felted body in 12/06 and a felted purse in 12/06
67. Go to a wine tasting started a wine tasting club for friends in 11/06
68. Sell, donate, or just get rid of 101 items in an effort to “downsize” my stuff
(1)sold book "Lucia, Lucia"
(2)sold book "Sophie's World"
(3)sold book "Jimmy Coorigan"
(4) sold book "Good in Bed"
(5) sold book "Frankly Scarlett, I DO give a Damn"
(6) sold book "Memoir of a Catholic Girlhood"
(7) sold book "Welcome to Temptation"
(8) sold book "Four Blondes"
(9) sold book "Crazy for You"
(10) sold book "Welcome to Temptation"
(11-12) Donated two trashbags full of clothing to Dakota Boys Ranch Thrift Shop
(13-14) Donated two boxes of 'stuff" to school Christmas sale.... (clothes, shoes, knick knacks)
(15) sold book "Don't You Want Me"
(16) gave away my futon
(17) sold trivia game on ebay
(18) sold a return of the Jedi collector's glass on ebay
(19) sold a package of DVD/CD labels on ebay
(20) sold purse on ebay
(21) sold 6 clinique items on ebay
(22) sold the VHS copy of Escape to Witch Mountain on ebay
(23) sold the VHS copy of Scooby Doo and the Gaggle of Ghosts on ebay
(24) sold a vintage purse on ebay
(25) donated a box of stuff to school Christmas store
(26) donated a box of clothing to Dakota Boys Ranch
(27) gave Sophie a handmade bag for her knitting
(28) sold a cookbook
(29) sold 2 plates and bowls
(30) sold Sioux shirt
(31-33) sold 3 cds
(34) sold 1 DVD
(35-44) sold 10 books
(45-46)sold 2 purses
(47) sold 1 pair of shoes
(48-49) discarded 2 pair of shoes
(50-54) sold 5 items of clothing
(55) donated a box full of shoes, clothing, books
(56-60) sold/donated 5 books
(61-70) sold ten items of clothing through consignment
(71) discarded a pair of shoes
(72) discarded a pair of pants
(73) donated a pair of shoes
(74) donated two skirts
(75) donated a set of bowls
(76) donated odds and ends to the Christmas store at school
(77) donated Amy Tan book to school
(78) donated a bag of clothing to thrift store
69. Volunteer my time for a “worthy” cause rang a bell for the salvation army 12/06 and read to the elderly as part of a readers theatre group 12/06, helped with clean-up in Northwood 8/08.
70. Create a living will and figure out how exactly to become an “official” donor.
71. Go Roller skating (maybe in Winnipeg?)
72. Learn to play chess
73. Start taking a multivitamin/calcium started taking Tums for calcium 1/07, 10/07
74. Eat at White Castle
75. Go to Yellowstone National Park
76. Eat at Kon Nechi Wahs completed on 8/9/05
77. Visit Ang and Mike in Iowa completed on 8/4/06
78. Visit Emma in England or Vancouver completed in 8/07
79. Spend an afternoon lounging in a hammock
80. Update my Ireland scrapbook (parts of it are falling apart)
81. Start doing yoga Began yoga on July 5, 2005
82. Stay at the Ft. Garry Hotel in Winnipeg (and have the breakfast buffet)
83. Go to a movie at the Fargo Theatre
84. Vacation at Lake Tahoe
85. Memorize a poem
86. Stay at the Hotel Donaldson in Fargo, ND
87. Get a henna tattoo
88. Buy a harmonica and learn how to play it bought on 8/15/05, took a class in Oct. 06
89. Plan and go on a trip to the Fiji Islands or somewhere “tropical” for a Winter break
90. Update my resume
91. Create a professional portfolio
92. Go to bingo played at the Highlander in July 2006
93. Learn the basics of how to play tennis
94. Go golfing
95. Attend some sort of 20 year reunion with friends from high school
96. Go stargazing at an observatory Completed 7/29/05
97. Eat at Forest River Cafe
98. Go Christmas caroling
99. Get a new hairstyle or highlights
100. learn to use chopsticks
101. Watch all the films I haven't already seen in Roger Ebert’s books The Great Movies Volumes I and II The Apartment, King Kong (1933), The Producers (1968), The Maltese Falcon, Manhattan, Breathless, Beat the Devil, Le Samourai, The 400 Blows, Duck Soup, Dr. Strangelove, Touchez Pas au Grisbi, Nights of Cabiria, This is Spinal Tap.

Start Date July 1, 2005 …………. End Date March 28, 2008

What Nine Hours in Solitude Can Produce

Enough already. I will start this thing now. After contemplating for a year the creation of a different sort of site, having no techie background to launch said site, I will concede and just get started with a blog. On my 101 list of things to do in 1001 days I have listed both begin journaling and create a website. Do you suppose this fulfills either of those? I suspect I could be doing a better job in launching this... writing something that demonstrates my sparkling personality and wit but I've forgotten what the rest of the world looks like because I've been holed up in my apartment huddled around the air conditioner all day. It may not even be hot outside... I wouldn't know. I've managed to take one phone call, write two very long e-mails, and scurry unseen down to fetch the mail. It's not like I'm trying to avoid people... I did shower, fix my hair, put on nice clothes, but so far the only one impressed by my efforts is me as I gaze at my reflection on the television screen. So it goes. Well, this great waste of a day pushed me to this... the birth of something I suspect will be remarkable. Or really crappy... it's hard to say at this point.