Revised 101 tasks in 1001 days list

Here's my new list! I have worked hard to make sure that this time the items all matter to me AND aren't going to be annoyingly repetitive. I've also put in an escape hatch: on my birthday next year and the year afterward, I can change as many tasks as I want. I'm hoping this will keep me interested in the project throughout.

My start date is July 14, 2009 (my 37th birthday!) and the end date is April 12, 2012. Seems like a long ways away. :)

I will post more-or-less-weekly updates on my progress here, and I'll also put a briefer description of each in the sidebar (unless they look oogy there, in which case I won't) for my reference during planning. I basically need to do one task every 10 days to get 'em all done.

Items in red are finished. Items in blue are in progress or will be within the next month or so. Annual items are in green so I won't miss them when I do my annual planning.

Most are pretty self-explanatory, but I want to write a longer post explaining number 1. Not today, though... I'm getting really close to finishing the new draft of the book code-named aardvark and I don't want to get TOO distracted from it! :)

1. Do NOT begin any weight loss program during these 1001 days. DO continue running and exercising and eating healthy food, but there will be no weight loss focus unless at a doctor's command.
2. Celebrate July as my birthmonth each year by doing at least one fun/unusual activity each July. (done in 2009, details to come)
   
3. Buy nothing but essential groceries for one full month.
4. Watch the polar bears at the zoo on a particularly cold day.
5. Make three separate $25 loans at www.kiva.org. (0/3)
6. Go blonde again. Keep it for at least 30 days to see if I like it.
7. Run a sub-30 minute 5km.
8. Do the CN Tower stair climb.
9. DONE: Get a sleek leather jacket, probably black but I'm flexible. (done in late July, details to come)
   
10. Make pineapple mint sherbet at least once in each summer. (1/3) (done in 2009, details to come)
    
11. Eat only raw food for two consecutive days.
12. Go to the farmers' market at least once each summer. (0/3)
13. Play laser tag.
14. Go to Kuwait to visit T. Try everything, even things I think I won't like.
15. See every movie that's released in March 2011 (random month), regardless of whether I think I'll like it.
16. Pay for someone behind me at a drive-thru.
17. In mid-late August 2009, go downtown for a day of trying on tons of clothes, then buy only what I love to complete my fall/winter wardrobe.
18. Spend a day at the Royal Ontario Museum.
19. See at least one Fringe Festival play each summer. (0/3) (Fringe Festival 2009 was done before this started, so it'll be for the future years!)
    
20. Make croissants. The recipe I have takes three days but I bet they're worth the effort.
21. Have my mother's bag of golden retriever fur spun then crochet her a hat/mitts/scarf set with fur trim.
22. Read "Life of Pi".
23. Turn the Christmas pillow front Mr. W latch-hooked into an actual pillow by Christmas 2009.
24. Go to Ste. Annes spa at least three times. (0/3)
25. Knit the "Hand like a Hole" fingerless mitts. Relax and enjoy it so the finished mitts won't be tainted by "knitting makes me tense" vibes.
26. Buy ankle-strap heels. Wear them out to dinner.
27. Pay attention on 9/9/9. If anything interesting happens, make note. (One interesting thing… this randomly ended up being item #27… 3 9s!) Do the same on 10/10/10 and 11/11/11.
28. Pick a Guitar Hero: World Tour song, then learn to drum it on Expert.
29. Go to a ballet.
30. Go to an opera.
31. Go to a rock concert.
32. Write my autobiography, just for my own reference and not for public consumption. Update annually on or around my birthday.
33. Take my camera to three separate family/friend occasions. Take at least one picture and be IN at least one picture at each event. (0/3)
34. Donate blood. Do it soon before I decide to get another tattoo!
35. Go back to New York. Stay longer this time.
36. Send someone an anonymous gift, something they really need or want.
37. Make something weird (jam?) in the breadmaker.
38. Stick with "Infinite Jest" for summer 2009, even if it gets strange and difficult.
39. Own a pair of designer shoes (Manolos, Christian Louboutin, or someone else). Wear them frequently. (If buying is impossible, try on at least three pairs.)
40. DONE: Buy that Eddie Bauer reusable bag that folds into itself and keep in my purse. (July 14, 2009) (see details here)
    
41. Give 20 strangers a compliment. (1/20)
42. Read ten Pulitzer Prize-winning novels. (0/10)
43. Take at least one "we do nothing but hang out and be together" vacation with Mr. W each year.
44. Write 10 encouraging notes and leave them out somewhere in public.(0/10)
45. If the UFC comes to Toronto, do everything legally possible to get tickets.
46. Work through 31 day blog challenge (NOT in 31 days).
47. Set up a whole box of dominoes then knock 'em all over.
48. Take a spur of the moment road trip (one Friday evening, just take off!).
49. Sew myself a skirt.
50. Sew myself an infinity dress (http://www.rostitchery.com/infinity-dress.html).
51. Go through my makeup and throw out everything I haven't used in the last month. No "I might use it someday." You won't. We know this.
52. Visit 7 cities so their first letters make up the word Heather. (0/7) (need two different ones for E! And for H and T for that matter. I has a repetitive name. :))
53. Roll a 6-sided die 1001 times and see whether the results are random or not. If not, use whatever number comes up most often in some way to pick a lottery ticket.
54. Read the 12 paper books I currently have in my 'to be read' collection. Review them on my blog, and release at least half of them to bookcrossing.com.
55. Fly first-class.
56. Save my change during the 1001 time frame and use it at the end to buy something cool. (in progress throughout)
    
57. Find another honeydew-scented Yankee Candle car air freshener. Replace the old worn-out one.
58. Throw a Halloween party. Costumes required.
59. Throw a Christmas party. Bake far too many cookies and revel in the options.
60. Get a gorgeous v-neck cashmere sweater that fits perfectly and isn't remotely itchy. Refuse to compromise.
61. Go back to the beach near our old house where I first fell in love with Harry Potter book 1. Read the ending of book 7.
62. Write and mail a fan letter to Forrest Griffin, referencing that I named the male lead in "Go Small or Go Home" Forrest and that my sister named her cat Griffin. See if he responds.
63. Send an anonymous Valentine's Day card.
64. Read a book on Canadian history (non-fiction)
65. Sleep out on the balcony for one night.
66. Host a mystery game I didn't write.
67. Complete 100 pushups in one go. (This will likely necessitate at least two trips through the 6-week pushup challenge, as my current trip won't get me much higher than 50.)
68. DONE: Make myself nice business cards, with my website and the cover of my latest book. Keep my card case in my purse so I can give them out as appropriate. (done August 21, 2009, details to come)
    
69. Learn one magic trick with which to impress people. It must be simple to set up.
70. Buy the packaged stuff at the drug store that does the internal cleanse. Do it.
71. For one week, wear nothing black (gym clothes excepted).
72. Take pictures in a photo booth. Keep them no matter how lame they are.
73. See the Arrogant Worms in concert if they're anywhere near us.
74. See Meat Loaf in concert if he's anywhere near us.
75. Make 10 pet snuggles and donate to the Humane Society or other group.
76. Go to a performance of "The Messiah" at Christmas.
77. Whenever the Tiburon's due for maintenance, have it there no more than one month late.
78. Finish or get rid of "In this house the cat rules" cross stitch.
79. One month before each of my concert band's theatre concerts, honestly assess my own level of performance, and practice if I need to until I am pleased with how I'm playing.
80. Create a playlist to pump me up, one to relax me, and one for when I'm feeling doubtful about my ability to carry on. (0/3)
81. Write my parents a gratitude letter.
82. DONE: Bake pizza from scratch. (Let the bread machine make the crust.) (Done July 14, 2009 and many times since, details to come)
    
83. Go to the station, pick any random train that is leaving within 10 minutes, buy a ticket and go discover the city where the train is going.
84. Finish or get rid of the wedding quilt. (This is a decorative quilt made from my wedding dress.)
85. Spend a rainy or snowy day doing nothing but reading and drinking tea (and maybe eating a bit too).
86. Spend at least three half-hour sessions working on my signature so I can have a classy one instead of the childish scribble I have now. (0/3)
87. Clean out the bedroom closet. Get rid of all pictures and decorations we never use.
88. Clean out under the bed.
89. Don't drive my car for a week.
90. DONE: Make or acquire a digital picture frame. (done July 19, 2009 as a birthday present from my family, details to come)
    
91. Try ten new recipes.
92. Make and hide a geocache.
93. Hunt down a geocache.
94. Each January, rearrange all the pictures in our picture frames.
95. DONE: Buy myself a custom-made shirt from Ureshii.etsy.com. (July 22, 2009) (details to come)
    
96. Whenever I completely finish writing a book, spend a day downtown visiting museums and being all cultural.
97. Crochet something out of wire.
98. Next time I see them at the grocery store, buy Grapples. They're apples with grape flavouring added, and they smell amazing. (They're also $5 for 4, which is why I haven't bought them previously.)
99. Purge my jewelry so I keep only the pieces I adore.
100. Replace as many of these as I want with new items on or around July 14, 2010. (Items can be replaced only if I no longer feel they matter, not if I just can't be bothered.)
101. Replace as many of these as I want with new items on or around July 14, 2011. (Items can be replaced only if I no longer feel they matter, not if I just can't be bothered.)

Anyone else wanting to make a list? I'd love to follow your progress! :)