Uberlist 3rd Quarter Update

HEALTH/FITNESS
1) Participate in intentional physical activity at least three times each week. - Log this more carefully in calendar the way I used to. I sucked at this this summer. When I recently took the Diabetes refresher class I set a goal for 5 times a week, but only 15 minutes at a time. I keep coming up with excuses, however. I need to get on it. I know I will lose weight and control my sugars better with more activity!
2) Drink at least three glasses of water daily. Very, very good at this. I think the illness IMPROVED this. Well this third quarter, I kind of got bad again. I will keep trying. I am much better during the week than on weekends.
3) Eat at least three servings of vegetables daily
Good at this. My tomato cravings help. I need to be sure to include a variety and I am even thinking of upping my goal informally to five per day. It should also be facilitated by Michael’s switch to vegetarianism as I strive to keep a variety on hand for his consumption.
4) Lose 20 pounds - Time limit this year - by August 1. Working on it, with my mini goals. I won’t make it by August 1. I have lost about ten total, I think. I think I am down about 15 now for the year. I should make it by the end of the year.
5) No soda at home. Pretty good at this. I survived on ginger ale while ill, but that doesn’t count. There hasn’t been a case of Diet Pepsi in the house all year!
6) Use lotion more regularly. Pretty good. I have been keeping a bottle of lotion on my desk, on my sink, and also using actual facial products on my face. Nikki is encouraging me in this. Wendy Davis gave me some of her expensive eye cream so I am using up all the samples of stuff so I can use the fancy stuff and feel pampered! I still haven’t made this a habit at night. I am pretty consistent in the morning.
7) Stretch at my desk at least twice daily. I have been forgetting this lately. I need to start again, because I really think it short circuits the headaches a bit.
8) Use my dumbbells or stretch when I watch television or movies - at least twenty reps. Been terrible. But then I haven’t really been watching that much TV or movies, well maybe I have, but Michael and I have been watching the movies in installments while we eat.
9) Test my fasting sugar at least three times per week and LOG IT! I am getting good at this again. I am amazed that my fasting sugars are usually under 100! Whoopee. Yes, I have actually dropped one pill per day and am experimenting with the timing of the rest of the meds. I was waking up with sugar TOO low and having troubles in the morning. I feel confident in working with new dr. that this is all positive.
10) Read one motivational health-related book. Not yet. I picked up a copy of a second Bob Greene book last week. I really liked “Make the Connection” and have read it twice. I will probably read this one next after I finish my current fiction book.
11) Wear the foot gel footies at least twice a week. I tried, but found that they made my feet cold during the winter. I will try again as it warms up. Hmm… I forgot about this. I need to find them! I found them and washed then and still haven’t done it. Maybe what I am discovering is that I don’t care enough or don’t like wearing socks to bed enough for this to be a feasible goal. Instead I should switch to putting cream on my feet at night like I used to.
12) Log my foods at least twice a month on Fit Day or in journal. I have done some. Will continue again.
13) See Dr. Weiler and get a Pap smear and stuff. DONE! Plus I have an ultrasound next week to see if I need to have a procedure done for my fibroids and I am going to get some kind of permanent birth control. Well, I totally had my guts stirred and chopped in August and gynecologically I am about as healthy as I have probably ever been in my life. The incisions are healed and I am feeling well.
14) Get a massage. I have a Reiki session tomorrow. Does that count? I don’t know exactly what it is, so we will see. Well, Reiki is NOT massage, it is a more ethereal, “spiritual” kind of thing. It was relaxing however.
15) Get a pedicure. YES!
16) Get a manicure. YES!
17) Participate in the wellness programs through work insurance. Yes!

HOME IMPROVEMENT/ ORGANIZATION
18) Reorganize the shelf above the washer so it is easier to get to the medicine box.
19) Prune the mulberry tree
20) Get rid of one stump in yard
21) Get rid of twenty books I will never read again. Oh yeah, and more going soon.
22) Get a window covering for kitchen window or design something artistic for the space. Paper idea down the drain, next idea in the works.
23) Clean out the coat closet. Not yet.
24) Mount spoon “handles” on cabinets. Not yet.
25) Clean out the car extremely well at least once. Not yet.
26) Clean the carpet in purple room. Not yet.
27) Clean the carpet in my room. Not yet.
28) Clean my bedroom closet. Not yet.
29) Add more topsoil to the garden. DONE.
30) Label garage shelves and organize. Getting there!
31) Get the garage door opener repaired or replaced. Not yet.
32) Research how to grow a grape arbor.
33) Start grapevines if financially able.
34) Replace my bathroom flooring. Have measured!
35) Get a new sink in my bathroom.
36) Get the gutters cleaned out. DONE. Michael did it!
37) Dig out the concrete in the side yard. Had Michael start and he gave up. It will be a slow process.
38) Make a stepping stone path to the backyard
39) Paint the front door
40) Touch up wall paint in living room or repaint. I found the leftover paint while I was cleaning out the garage!
41) Get the oil changed in the car by January 31, then every 6000 miles. Time to do it again! I did it again. I rock.
42) Clean out jewelry box, get rid of unused items. Have worked on it. Next goal is to get Lukens family jewelry to Chelsea if she wants it. Emily does not and Chelsea is next in line.
43) Organize craft supplies - get rid of excess. Still have been working on this. I recently moved all the yarn to the new dresser we had purchased for Roma and it is all sorted out nicely and organized, rather than heaped in a basket. I still need to purge some items I have had for years and never used.
44) Get an earring hanger. I want something really cool. I found the kind I want – pottery by Barb Lund, but they cost $28. Maybe at Fourth Street Festival I will feel rich.
45) Get an estimate on the foundation repair. DONE! Guy says no repair is needed!
46) Sort out the unopened mail until the baskets are completely EMPTY. Have an idea to do 10 items per week and bring to work and shred. By end of year, the baskets should be empty. A lot of it is moot mail, now that the old medical bills have been paid. I have done a TON of this. They are not completely empty, but well on the way. I need to work on this again. I have begun a new accumulation. When I get behind on the bills it is too depressing to open mail and this is one of my denial techniques.
47) File all the stuff in the tubs under the bed
48) Get pocket protectors for Michael's awards and certificates

CRAFTS/ INTELLECTUAL PURSUITS/ ARTISTIC
49) Read at least thirty-five books About 25… complete, I think. I’m not at home so I can’t check, but I was updating the other night and I think this sounds about right.
50) Three of those should be books from Emily’s list of “Must reads” I think I want to read “Great Expectations” next.(Use Stephen King's list in "On Writing" if I can't find Emily's.)
51) Three of those should be non-fiction or “educational” I finally finished “ A Reasonable Life” yesterday, plus Anne Kreilkamp’s Book, “This Vast Being.”
52) Finish the series of Management in the Life Sciences Industry through IU continuing studies. DONE!
53) Finish the first draft of “The Stone Cold Heart” It is lost forever. I need to do it all over again. I have set a new goal to write 1000 words weekly toward “Half-Wit” and accomplished it three out of the five weeks since I decided it. The problem with writing “Half-Wit” is that it is emotionally difficult material and I probably ought to be in therapy as I write, but I can’t afford it.
54) Write a letter to Todd to see if he wants Holt Family notebooks.
55) Knit at least ten hats (or other items) to give away. Umm I think a few so far. I know I have three available to give away right now. I am just picking up again.
56) Get a new pennywhistle
57) Watch two movies off the “must see” list.
58) Go to a concert, even if I have to pay for tickets
59) Buy a new CD. I think I bought that Jewel CD this year. I bought the Aerosmith CD last week. And a Mary Chapin Carpenter CD at Goodwill!
60) Sew something nice for someone. I bought some patterns! I had Miko pick out fabric and am working on her dress. I messed up the neckline and think I need to pick it out and try again. I finally have the neckline complete and now I can’t get the sleeves on. It’s a summer dress, now I will have to buy her a cute cardigan and tights so she can wear it in winter!
61) Make a bag or purse. I bought a pattern!
62) Visit at least one Frank Lloyd Wright building and tour it (Taliesin or in Chicago)
63) Attend at least one play at BPP or IU Theatre
64) Make another valiant attempt to learn to crochet.
Try a personalized lesson, maybe.
65) Attend one IU Auditorium Show – We have tickets for “The Lion King.” It’s at Murat in Indy, but it counts. It’s the night before Thanksgiving.
66) Attend at least one of the "One Book" Discussion groups or try another book club
67) Figure out how to use the old sewing machine or get a new sewing machine. I bought a new sewing machine!
68) Start saving for a digital camera to start cataloging craft and sewing projects for website.

SOCIAL/ RECREATION/ SERVICE
69) Write five letters. I wrote cards, does that count?
70) Go on a trip all by myself for at least two days. I really need to do this soon. You know what – I am going to plan this before Thanksgiving. That’s my goal!
71) Pay Women Inspire dues when due. Way not done, and WI is having troubles. I don’t know what will happen with this.
72) Serve on committees for Music Fest and Fund raiser. I didn’t serve on committee for Music Fest, it coming after being too burned out from being sick, I had to change my priorities, BUT I volunteered the evening of the event as was able.
73) See two online friends in real life. Hoping to see Erin this year. I don’t know who else. Well I have had dates with men I met online, but I don’t think that counts. I would rather meet up with long-time friends from the Fringe or someone like that. Still haven’t. Sob.
74) Meet parents of at least one of Michael's friends. Have met Nathaniel’s mom. She seems reasonably nice. I’d like to tell her that I don’t think hygiene is optional for teenage boys, but it’s not really my business, I guess.
75) Take a girl trip with somebody somewhere. I don’t know. Maybe Heather and I will go somewhere again to celebrate her kidney day. Maybe we’ll do the Jungle Jim’s trip, but Michael also wants to go there.
76) Take a trip to Jungle Jim's
77) Volunteer at two more orchestra events. Have I done this? I have to think. Well, I got dates set up for car washes so we can start raising money for FRANCE! And I will also bake stuff if we bake sale at the same time, so I will definitely be doing TONS of orchestra fundraising this year. Oh I have done this about twenty times over.
78) Write Joyce Scott a letter
79) Take a special trip for spring break. Nope. We were too poor. Emily came and we did lots of home stuff and hung out. I took a few days off work and we did drive her back to Lafayette and went to lunch at Arni’s, but that’s all we could swing.
80) Go swimming at least three times. I don’t know if I did or not. The lake was always flooded this year and I had to give up the Y membership for financial reasons so I don’t know if it will happen. Maybe if we go on a trip with a hotel with an indoor pool…
81) Go camping – I am taking a week vacation in August. I hope we can afford to camp. Nope, that didn’t happen. Poor Michael has been so anxious to camp that he has slept in the yard a couple of times.
82) Go canoeing
83) Fly a kite. I bought new kites, but haven’t had too much success in actual flight time this year.
84) Go to the zoo
85) Make sure to talk to Mom and Dad at least once a month. Not so good at this. I am a BAD DAUGHTER. Sometimes I wish I had the kind of relationship with them that Heather has, but then it seems so hard to make the effort. I made sure to call them each on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and also for Mom’s birthday. We have also talked more as they get ready to move out of the house. They have visited a couple of times lately…
86) Send Christmas cards or a letter for 2007. I eventually sent cards/ postcards to almost everybody, by about the end of March.
87) Send Christmas cards or letter for 2008 actually before the end of the year!
88) See as many fireworks as possible. I watched fireworks on the fourth and just learned that the Speedway is having fireworks this weekend. I sucked at this this year. We even went up to Indy the night of SkyConcert, but somehow things got so out of whack that we missed the fireworks. It just happens, I guess.
89) Try two new venues for karaoke. We went to one last weekend with Hannah and it was the same old Darrell and Tammy, but at a new place and we had a good time!
90) Re-dedicate to Community Kitchen for Thanksgiving this year. It’s about time to get started on this if I am going to do a good job!
91) Volunteer at one "one-time" event such as a run, etc... I volunteered at Taste of Bloomington for the Solar Bike team and also will volunteer at a water station for a bike ride this Saturday. Also volunteered at Peace Festival during Peace Week a couple of weeks ago, even though it was a difficult day to do it.
92) Go to Mom and Dad's and work on house at least four times. I think I have done only once – YIKES! That means I will have to go all the time if I really want to do this by the end of the year, AND take my trips… hmmm… maybe if I take my alone trip to Lafayette, stay in a hotel with a pool, go swimming AND go work on Mom and Dad’s house I can accomplish some goals all at the same time!

PARENTING
93) Cook with Michael more often. This may happen naturally as we try to accommodate vegetarianism with new main dishes.
94) Write Emily a real letter while she is at school.
95) Enforce Michael and the "recycling box" process. It’s going fairly well.
96) Support Michael in his efforts to train for solar bike by supplying equipment as able. Have supported by supplying equipment and also volunteering as able.

FINANCIAL/ PROFESSIONAL
97) Complete my taxes by February 15th. Done.
98) Pay all medical bills that are in collection. Yep. Done.Of course, a new round has started.
99) Pay back Debbie Shipley completely. DONE.
100) Pay Dewey at least a little each month. Paid $100. last month.
101) Keep checkbook balanced. Good. It’s balanced right now and I know exactly what I (don’t) have!
102) Present three new revenue producing or creative ideas at work. Big report was full of ideas. I am happy with it. If I stay here I will continue to search for ideas, not only for my area, but advertising altogether. One idea that I first proposed 3-4 years ago has finally come to fruition this year, but I think it took so long that nobody remember when I first proposed it, even though I still have my original proposal as a Word doc. Well they raised the Public Notice rates according to my recommendations. Also I have been communicating with Susan on some ideas for the ad reps to use better “selling language” when taking ads.

FOOD/COOKING
103) Make fondue again
104) Go to the Farmer’s Market at least three times – Already done for this year. I will continue to go a lot through the summer I am sure. I have become an addict.
105) Make ice cream
106) Try two new vegetarian main dish recipes. Well, this is sure going to happen.

MISC/ PERSONAL
107) Get two rolls of film developed. I just finished a roll that I want to get done soon. I always feel so poor.
108) Attend UU at least two more times - one should be a Sunday! Attended lots lately and also took the classes called “Exploring UU” I probably will not join, but may become active in some of their small groups and social activities.