40 Before 40

2010 promises to bring a wealth of exciting new experiences my way, including the kick-off of my 40th year here in this physical body, on this crazy planet. My friend, Kathy, recently wrote a post in her Kazoofus blog about 40 things she'd like to accomplish before her 4oth birthday this year. Granted, she turns 40 several months after I do, but I like the idea of challenging myself to stretch a little, even if they are what some might consider minor achievements. So, by March 18th, I plan on meeting each of these intentions face-to-face!


1. Ride on the back of a snowmobile (thanks in advance to Brett)

2. Watch Casablanca

3. Use a pattern and sew an article of clothing for myself

4. Do something fun and spontaneous with the kids (for me, this is a big deal because spontaneity is *not* one of my natural traits...see -- I'm planning to do something spontaneous)

5. Attempt ice skating without incurring too much bodily damage

6. Organize my old photographs into an album

7. Read the Sunday comics top to bottom (I'm the only one in my family that doesn't do this)

8. Walk in the field behind my house

9. Try a chocolate martini

10. Create a blog entry capturing a day in my life with photographs -- I love photos that tell a story.

11. Meditate more consistently

12. Have the kids teach me some useful Spanish phrases

13. Make more of an effort to make eye contact and smile at strangers

14. Create a better budget for our household

15. Snow-shovel (I know, I know...I think I've done only this once in my life)

16. Have a top five score for a game in the highest level live Scramble room on Facebook

17. Find at least one thing in common with the people who tend to annoy me

18. Let Ben shoot me with a Nerf gun

19. Ask Katie to show me how to make a simple animation

20. Write at least one poem a month

21. Clean the shelves in my laundry room

22. Make homemade cat treats

23. Read a really great biography

24. Create better, more specific tags for my blog entries

25. Sign up for the Word of the Day on Dictionary.com...and use it it everyday in one of my Facebook status lines and in my blog posts. This will be an excellent panacea for boredom!

26. Go to the library at least twice a month

27. Make more of an effort of taking nice thoughts about people out of my head and actually telling them what I am thinking

28. Buy a nice-smelling Yankee Candle jar for the kitchen

29. Find a really great recipe for white chicken chili

30. Try two new recipes each month

32. Be better about telling cashiers, servers, and other people in the service industry how much I appreciate what they do for me

33. Watch an entire episode of Flapjack with the kids (that show is high-larious)

34. Buy and use glitter nail polish

35. Try a fancy new coffee drink (I can never justify the expense or calories)

36. Organize my recipes

37. Begin a regular practice of journaling again

38. Visit a men's restroom (just to say that I've done it)

39. Find a great new pair of fun earrings

40. Write regular blog updates documenting the progress of meeting these intentions

And you know how I love checking items off a list....