10 on Tuesday: Achievable Bucket List

Sarah asked me if I could post yesterday. Obviously (and sorry), that I could not do. But I hate leaving you all hanging. And while I have a couple of posts in progress I decided to try my hand at the 10 on Tuesday theme. In my frenetic week (and it’s only Tuesday) I have been scribbling a bucket list just to distract myself (a.k.a. procrastinate). Being a list person, I have divided it into what is achievable in the short run (within 10 years) v. long run (before I die, which I hope to be more than ten years off!). So here it is (in no particular order:

1. Visit Prince Edward Island and experience Anne of Green Gables in real life

2. Take a hot air balloon ride in the north east in the fall for maximum color value

3. Go to the Kentucky Derby with my brother and sister (spouses too, of course)

4. Go to an NHL playoff game (Caps, obviously)

5. Visit Hawaii with my hubby

6. Go to a lobster bake in coastal Maine in the summer (setting of one of my favorite books as a teen, Playing Murder)

7. Have season tickets to the University of Texas Longhorn football

8. Be able to pull off a fun destination family vacation with my brother and his family, my sister, Common Loon and her family, Sue and her family and my mom, before the kids get too old and think we’re lame

9. Visit the Grand Canyon

10. Explore New Mexico to see some of the places described in Judy Blume’s Tiger Eyes (a book I read every summer for at least 5 years)

10 on Tuesday: Bad Habits

Today’s suggested 10 on Tuesday topic is “bad habits you can’t break.” Given that I am — like most people — chock full of them, this is a pretty easy one, I think. And, as a bonus, commentary/rationalizations are provided for each.

1. I bite my fingernails. (Gross, I know.)

2. I rarely put my clothes directly into the hamper when I get undressed. (To my credit, I don’t leave them on the floor nearly as long as I used to. Baby steps…)

3. Related to the above, I rarely put anything back in its proper place immediately when I am done with it. (This despite the fact that I do actually prefer living in a tidy home to a cluttered one. Yeah; I don’t get it either.)

4. I am a world-class procrastinator. (I have, however, gotten much better at productive procrastination, so while I may not be doing exactly what I should, I am often getting something done.)

5. I am not especially punctual. (Though I am rarely more than 15 minutes late, which I rationalize as being “reasonable” even though I know it really isn’t.)

6. I play too much solitaire on my phone. (Related to #4 or #5? You decide… )

7. I watch too much television. (Often while playing solitaire on my phone. It’s like multi-tasking, only way less productive.)

8. I spend too much money/don’t save enough. (Thankfully, I have automatic payroll deductions for the retirement account. I may prioritize traveling over saving, but I’m not stupid.)

9. I am terrible at getting out of bed in the morning. (I’m not sure if this is a habit, exactly, but it is something I wish I could improve, since I can’t seem to convert the world away from the dominance of the morning people.)

10. I don’t exercise. (I can have a habit of not doing something, right? Or does that not make any sense?)

Ten on Thursday: Things that Happened During My Three (Nearly) Blog-Free Weeks

Somehow, I’ve only written three blog posts in the last three weeks — my mojo has been almost entirely gone. But, as of today, it’s a whole new month, so I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. And, since it’s Tuesday, it seems that the best way to recap the past few weeks and move on is with a list of ten things I’ve been doing while not blogging.

[Yes, I know it's now Thursday -- thankfully, the alliterative title still works. I started writing this on Monday, intending it to be posted on Tuesday. See #10 to find out why it wasn't.]

1. I went to my 20th high school reunion. It was neither the most fun nor the least fun I’ve ever had.The best part, hands down, was having a chance to catch up with Dana, my high school best friend. The biggest bummer was that a bunch of people who I really would’ve liked to have seen only made it to the Friday night mixer, which I missed.

2. My first round of Arabic lessons came to an end. We liked our second instructor even more than we disliked the first one (which is saying something), so once our schedules calm down again — November-ish, I think — we’re hoping to retain him for more classes.

3. I’ve watched the first three episodes of the third season of Mad Men, and still find it to be one of the best things on television. I have a feeling there will, at some point, be a post or two on some of the issues it raises; in addition to being well-acted and beautifully designed, it also never ceases to be thought-provoking.

4. I helped my mom buy and set up her new iPhone. I think she loves it.

5. I saw a terrible movie, The Time Traveler’s Wife, with Joanne. Our evening was, however, redeemed by the tasty noodle dinner we had at one of Chinatown’s few remaining Chinese restaurants.

6. I ducked out of work a little bit early on a beautiful Monday afternoon and took in a Nationals game with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. The highlight was the Presidents’ Race at the midpoint of the fourth inning, because in this instance, George, Tom, Abe, and, Teddy raced against faux sausages, challenging the  Brewers to bring their famous mascots along next time.

7. My friends Julia & Michael had a bowling party to celebrate their 45th birthdays. It was a ton of fun, but I was dismayed to discover that all my Wii bowling has done nothing to improve my real-life skills.

8. I had another fun day at Bethany Beach, this time guest-starring my nephews. When the riptides caused by Hurricane Bill forced sprite, Rudi, and I to push our day trip back a week, we ended up there at the same time as Brian, Jen, and the boys, so we decided to meet up for some quality time in the sand.

9. My friends’ families expanded — babies Hazel and Angela arrived to Jessica & Bennett and Rachel & Don, respectively. Both are, by all accounts, lovely and perfect.

10. I ruined my plan for a post every day in September when I woke up with vertigo on Tuesday which turned out to be the warning sign of a migraine. (Silly me; I didn’t realize that Monday’s headache was a warm-up, so my body had to kick it up a notch.) I spent all of Tuesday in bed, and have been suffering residual pain since, though today’s headache seems to be mostly sinus-oriented. Yeah, a migraine-allergy double-whammy — fun!