088. See where/what my husband does at work. (8/11/09)

Back in August, when my husband's younger sister was down visiting, we had the privilege of going to Family Safety Days hosted by the plant my husband works at. They do this once a year as way for family and friends of the employees to come onto the plant and see what their loved one does on a regular day. We got to take a tour of the new part of the plant and I also met a lot of his co-workers. However, some days I still don't know what he really does at work....

084. Go to a pumpkin patch. (10/17/09)

In front of the pumpkin patch

Originally, we were looking to go to a corn maze. However, the corn maze we wanted to go to was not open on the weekends we wanted to go because of muddy conditions or freaky snowstorms. We then decided to go to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. I believe that the place originally started out as solely a pumpkin patch, but as the years progressed it turned into a fall amusement park for kids and adults. It was a lot of fun to walk around and a lot of the random stuff. We just couldn't get over how many people were there.

065. Watch 5 new movies in the theater (3/5) 3. Couple's Retreat

My husband and I went to the movies a few weeks ago when we were looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon. There were not that many movies playing, but we decided to go and see "Couple's Retreat." It was a typical comedy and we had a good time.

054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (5/5) 5. El Matador (completed 10/10/09)

We were looking to try a different place that we normally don't eat at in town and we decided to head to El Matador. It was a cross between a sit down Mexican restaurant and a fast food taco place. I thought the food was good and it was really quick service.

053. Cook 25 new recipes (1/25) 1. Autumn glazed stuffed chicken

When my husband and I went to visit my grandparents a few years ago over spring break, my grandma made this recipe for us. It was awesome. Since then, I have wanted to make it, but we never really had the time or ambition to do so. We finally made this about two weeks ago. It was excellent.

Here's the recipe:

Autumn Chicken with Apple Cider Sauce

Serves: 6-8

Apricot Cherry Chutney:

½ c dried julienne apricots

1/3 c dried cherries

1/3 c apple cider vinegar

1/3 c sugar

¼ c diced green onions

3 T minced red onion

1 cinnamon stick each

½ t salt

½ t mustard seed

¼ c green pepper

8 6 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (double lobe)

Apple Cider Sauce:

1½ c apple cider

¹/₄ c sugar

1 ½ t ground nutmeg

3 T Brandy

2 T cornstarch

1/8 c water

1. In a saucepan over med high heat combine apricots, cherries, vinegar, sugar, green pepper, onions, cinnamon stick, mustard seed and salt.
2. Bring to boil. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer stirring occasionally until apricots are soft (15-20 min or until liquid evaporates)
3. Let cool, discard cinnamon stick. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
4. Pound out each chicken breast. Season inside with salt and pepper. Place ¼ c of the chutney in each. Roll up breast to enclose. Sprinkle lemon pepper on top. Brush with melted butter. Bake chicken in 350 degree oven to internal temp of 165 degrees is reached.
5. Make cider sauce by combining all sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water. Bring mix to boil then to simmer. Mix cornstarch and water, add hot cider mix, stirring while adding. Let thicken and continue to cook until sauce is thick and clear.
6. Slice each chicken breast into 5 equal size slices and shingle on a dinner plate. Ladle ¼ c sauce over each chicken breast. Serve.

028. Buy a cute dress and wear it somewhere. (8/8/09)

I have issues with buying dresses. A lot of times, I don't like the way they look on my body or the way that they fit - so buying a cute dress and wearing it somewhere was a bit of a stretch for me. However, since we were going to a wedding in August - I thought a dress would be the perfect thing to wear. I love the color and the fact that it was very flowy.

022. Become a mom. (Baby due 3/9/2010)

Much to our surprise and delight we found out that we were expecting in early July. So this "list goal" is a work in progress. As of right now, I am half way through my pregnancy. I always thought it was a bit cliched when other women would say that they become mothers when they find out that they are expecting - but it many ways it's true. I am not only responsible for me any more, but the baby that is growing inside of me. It's pretty crazy. We are looking forward to the birth of our first child in March!

016. Visit home at least 2 times a year (2/6) 8/7/09-8/9/09

Us at the wedding.

This summer was a busy summer for us. We visited home twice in about 3 weeks. The second visit for us was when we went home for my husband's sister's wedding. It was a busy weekend where we got to see a lot of family and friends, but like always we wished that we had more time to visit with all of them.

015. Host family or friends for a holiday. completed 10/31/09

Update: With life being as hectic as it is, I have failed to update this blog in a couple of months. So many of these posts will be catching up to today.

Last night - which was Halloween - we hosted two of our friends for a small Halloween party. We had plenty of food and were anticipating trick-or-treaters (sadly, there were none). It was a great night to catch up with them and the first bigger holiday that we've celebrated since getting married in May. Also, our first time to host anyone for a holiday.

054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (4/5) 4. Traditions

As I sit here at my new house with the beginning of school looming two weeks away, I was not expecting to be going to a new restaurant today. One of our friends called me up because she was coming into town and wanted to know if I had lunch plans. I did not -- so we decided to meet up at Traditions - which is a Bed & Breakfast and Cafe here in town. I've never eaten there before. It was a cute place with a good menu for this kind of place. I really enjoyed it!

016. Visit home at least 2 times a year (1/6) 7/17/2009-7/20/2009

After our wedding, we have been busy and hadn't planned on going home until July to celebrate my parents 25th wedding anniversary. We celebrated my little siblings' birthday (a month late) on Friday night when we got there, then Saturday we took my parents, siblings, and grandma to Lanesboro for a walk through the town, dinner, and a play, on Sunday I went to my sister-in-law's wedding shower, and Monday we headed back home. It was a jam packed weekend and we saw a lot of our relatives that we had not seen since the wedding two months prior.

078. Go to a winery - completed (7/18/09)

So I've been busy with moving and everything, but I still have been completing tasks. Woo! When we went home to visit Minnesota, we took my parents out for their 25th wedding anniversary. We took them to Lanesboro and low and behold the small town of Lanesboro had their own winery. Mom was pretty excited to go to the winery. It was a quaint little winery.

029. Buy a house (7/15/2009)

Everything went through! We are now homeowners and in debt for the next 30 years of our lives. It is very exciting to finally own our own home and to be able to have a much larger space to live in. Now the process of moving comes into play (second time in 2 months for me). Fun!

093. Take a multivitamin every day for a month completed 7/12/2009

For the past couple of years, I have been on a kick to take a multivitamin and to continue taking it. Most often, I would take it for a few weeks and then quit. Originally, the reason I wanted to take a vitamin was because I wanted to donate blood at a blood drive and was rejected twice because my iron was too low. This has been one of those goals that I have kicked around, but never actually went through with for an entire month. Hopefully, the habit will continue.

065. Watch 5 new movies in the theater (2/5) 2. My Sister's Keeper

On Friday, I went with two friends to see the highly anticipated adaptation of one of my favorite books: My Sister's Keeper. With all movies that come from books, the books seem to always be better, but I thought that this movie did a good job with the storyline that it presented. I was a bit disappointed that they changed the ending from the book, but overall I really enjoyed the movie and it was as bittersweet as the book.

011. Update my family tree. completed 7/8/09

Family genealogy is one of those hobbies that I do hard core for a little bit and then I put it away for awhile and come back to it. I have not touched my family tree since early this year, so I thought it was a good time to update the tree. I also did not have it installed on my new computer that I got back in May - so what better time? I am always amazed to look through it though and see the different relatives and how many of them that there are. This is definitely one of those hobbies that will stick with me through the rest of my life because I have always been curious about my family (and others') and I love learning about history too. The next step in doing my family tree is to combine my tree and the husband's tree (his mom is really into genealogy too) into one huge tree. That may take a little while longer.

037. Tie up loose ends with parade at the end of the summer. completed 7/5/2009

This is another one of those tasks that I have been figuring out for about a month. I have addressed the last envelopes to send out to kids will music and all information about the parade in August. I am going to drop them off tomorrow morning to get sent out. Who would have thought that planning for a small parade in town would be so much work? I'm glad that the stuff has gotten figured out.

075. Go on a double date with friends. completed 7/4/2009

The women on the date as our hubbys figure out where we're going next.

We went out to eat at Whiskey Creek and then attended the "Big, Bang, Boom" festival with one of our favorite 'couple' friends for the Fourth of July. It was a very nice evening and we got to catch up with our friends who we haven't seen in over a month. Also, the fireworks show was quite excellent.

The men getting it all figured it out.

040. Order new music and supplies for the classroom. completed 6/30/2009

This task has also been one that I have been picking away at for the better part of a month. I knew that I needed some new music for both the Junior High and Senior High band for their two concerts this year, but I had no idea where to even start. I wonder if other band directors put as much thought into the music they order. I'm thinking that as the years progress, it will become easier to figure out what to order and what not to order. Why order now, you ask? Well we are in the process of getting a new superintendent and principal and I had already submitted a rough budget for the music that I wanted to order, but no specifics. I wanted to make sure that I had at least some new music for the kids to play.

I'm pretty pumped about the selections and I hope that the kids will like them too!

033. Clean out my new classroom and organize it the way I want it. completed 6/30/2009

This goal seemed like it was going to be a pain in the butt, however, working along with the choir director who I share the room with, it went a lot better than I thought. Last night we brought our husbands with us to help move stuff around the room and I must say that the room itself looks presentable. Now the office, the music library, and the instrument storage room are a different story all together and will be an ongoing process throughout the summer. It is nice to have the room they way that we want it for the students.

091. Find a doctor completed 6/26/09

Okay so this goal to complete was not how I thought I would complete it. On Thursday, I woke up with a slight sore throat and figured that maybe I swallowed something wrong or it was just a bit irritated. Then Friday, I slept restlessly through the night because my throat felt like it was on fire. Needless to say, I needed to find a doctor because I was in pain. I ended up going to one of the clinics in town and found out that I did indeed have strep throat (first time in probably 9 years). Yep, now I have paperwork filled out at a clinic and a doctor to go to! Yay!

065. Watch 5 new movies in the theater (1/5) 1. The Hangover

Yesterday, a good friend and I were bored and in need of something to do. We decided to go to the local movie theater and watch The Hangover. It was an 'R' rated comedy, so my hopes for the movie were not very high. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor of this movie and there were very few parts that were raunchy or dirty. It was a good movie with a decent storyline for what the movie presented itself to be.

054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (3/5) 3. Lincoln Manor Steakhouse

Okay so we really don't eat out that much. At least I didn't think so, but we went down to Central City to meet up with one of the hubby's friends and visit for a bit. The friend is leaving for 5 months on a new job and we needed to pick up a few wedding presents that he had helped transport home.

We went to eat in the small town steakhouse in Central City called Lincoln Manor Steakhouse. It was a very nice and cozy atmosphere with great food.

044. Visit 5 tourist spots in my current state (1/5) 1. Smith Falls

Waterfalls in the Nebraska? Who would have thought that - well they actually do exist and we visited Smith Falls near Sparks, Nebraska. Conveniently, we were staying at Smith Falls State Park and had the privilege of viewing the waterfall more than once.

074. Go tubing down a river. - completed 6/19/2009

As part of our 'mini-moon' adventure, we decided that we wanted to go tubing down the Niobrara River. We were picked up at our campsite early in the morning and were dropped off about 12 miles up river. We were given tubes and sent on our way down the river. It was quite a relaxing ride down the river and very scenic.

072. Watch the sunset. - completed 6/20/2009

The sunset over the Niobrara River - it was gorgeous.

054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (2/5) 2. Cedar Canyon Steakhouse

What better place to experience a new restaurant than in small town Valentine, Nebraska? We went to the Cedar Canyon Steakhouse and feasted on steak. It was quite excellent and the small town atmosphere of the restaurant was great. We also had the privilege of sitting near about 15 ranchers for a rancher meeting where I kid you not - they all arrived with cowboy hats, button up checkered shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots. It was great!

045. Visit a museum I've never been to. - completed on 6/20/2009

While in Valentine, Nebraska - we visited two museums that I've never been to. The Cherry County Historical Society and Centennial Hall. Both museums had artifacts and history from the surrounding area and were equally as interesting. It should be noted that Centennial Hall is the oldest standing high school in Nebraska. It was built in 1897 and housed a number of children from grades K-12 throughout it's tenure as a school before closing its door for the final time in the early 1980s.

042. Camp near the Niobrara River - completed on 6/18-6/21/2009

Being from a city where we lived on the river and moving to a city and a state where there is not nearly enough rivers and lakes, made this goal one that we knew we were thinking about doing. As part of our 'mini-moon' we decided to camp along the Niobrara River in North-Central Nebraska. Our campsite was right along the river in Smith Falls State Park and we stayed there for 3 nights. I was actually quite surprised as to how shallow the river was. We could walk through most of it with the water only coming up to our knees.

055. Make homemade ice cream.

The homemade ice cream experience started with a hose malfunction... Okay it wasn't that dramatic to make homemade ice cream. One of our wedding presents was an ice cream maker and I was pretty pumped to use it. The hose malfunction was in the process to get the wood bucket ready to put ice and salt in it. We decided to make the easy chocolate ice cream recipe found with the manual for the ice cream machine.

It was actually quite easy to do once we got everything we needed to make the ice cream. I think we need to learn how to now ignore directions after we have read them (okay maybe that was just the husband who needs to do that). Our ice cream turned out a little on the runny side, but it was still very tasty. We added fresh raspberries to the mix and it was excellent.

077. Learn how to use the riding lawn mower

Tonight the lawn needed to be mowed and the husband asked if I wanted to learn how to use the lawn mower. I of course said 'yes' to complete the task. Up until a few weeks ago I hadn't even used a push lawn mower - so the riding lawn mower was terrifying -- but I did get the hang of it and mowed the back yard.

054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (1/5)

So today is Saturday. Since we are in the process of buying a house and have decided that we do not have nearly enough stuff or furniture to fill the house - the last couple of weekends, we have been on the lookout for nice and reasonably priced furniture. Where might we find this stuff you ask -- well of course - at Garage Sales.

Garage sales are fun and all, but once we are done driving around town (another way to see new places in town) we get hungry.

There is a sandwich place in town called "Doozy's." They serve hot sandwiches and pizza. It was excellent. We had the Italian Doozy. I definitely enjoyed the new restaurant.

020. Go out on a date with my husband at least once a month (1/33)

Last night, the lovely husband and I decided to go out on a date since it was a Friday night and we did not have much in our fridge in the way of food.

Our date consisted of going out to eat at Applebee's (one of my favorite places to go) and then driving around Columbus checking out more neighborhoods and places that we haven't driven by or been to yet.

We haven't gone out to eat much and it was a nice way to catch up on what has been going on at work. Plus, the hubby didn't get home until almost 7:00 p.m. - too late to cook on a Friday night!

001. Finish this list

As I said in the list - I would blog about each completion on the list. The first completion was to finish the list. It was quite the task on the blog. It took me a few hours to come up with 101 goals. Here's to accomplishing more tasks!

The reason I wanted to partake on the entire list process in the first place is because I feel that I need to have some direction in what I want to do with my free time in the next year or two. I was planning a wedding for over a year and finishing school. Both of those activities took up my free time. Now I have more available.

The Mission and The List

I have been trying to figure out what to do with my time this summer, when I stumbled upon the idea to accomplish 101 Things in 1001 Days. Here's more information about it:

The idea comes from: http://www.dayzeroproject.com

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date: Friday, June 12, 2009
End Date: Friday, March 9, 2012

The List

Completed items will be: Completed
Items in progress will be: In Progress

The List
001. Finish this list. - (6/12/09)
002. Blog about the completions of items on this list.

Creativity/Hobbies
003. Write a novel (50,000+ words) in a month
004. Create a wedding scrapbook
005. Sew an item of clothing or something for the home.
006. Learn how to play a song on the guitar.
007. Play my saxophone or sing as a gift to someone
008. Write 4 short stories (0/4)
009. Create another scrapbook just because
010. Write a Christmas letter and send it out to family and friends. (Dec 2009)
011. Update my family tree. completed 7/8/09
012. Get another membership to Ancestry.com (12/25/09)
013. Try a new craft

Relationships (Family/Friends)
014. Go out on 4 dates with my husband where we get all dressed up. (0/4)
015. Host family or friends for a holiday. completed 10/31/09
016. Visit home at least 2 times a year (4/6)
017. Celebrate our first anniversary (5/16/2010) by doing something special.
018. Celebrate our second anniversary (5/16/2011) by doing something special.
019. Host friends at our home for dinner at least 4 times (0/4)
020. Go out on a date with my husband at least once a month (10/33)
021. Host a party for one of my friends. (5/30/2010)
022. Become a mom. (3/5/2010)

Personal
023. Become a member of a church. (March 2010)
024. Attend a church activity.
025. Get a passport. (February 2011)
026. Write down 101 things that I am grateful for and post them (0/101)
027. Get a library card from the local library
028. Buy a cute dress and wear it somewhere. (8/8/09)

Financial
029. Buy a house (7/15/2009)
030. Write a will and living will.
031. Combine credit card accounts and bank accounts with my husband. (Sept/Oct 2009)
032. Change over all loan information to new address/name. (10/23/09)

Education & Career
033. Clean out my new classroom and organize it the way I want it. completed 6/30/2009
034. Create a curriculum for the music appreciation class. (Aug 2009)
035. Create a curriculum/schedule for senior high band. (Aug 2009)
036. Create a curriculum/schedule for junior high band. (Aug 2009)
037. Tie up loose ends with parade at the end of the summer. completed 7/5/2009
038. Create schedule for beginning band. (Sept 2009)
039. Attend the state convention for Music Educators. (11/17/09)
040. Order new music and supplies for the classroom. completed 6/30/2009

Travel
041. Travel to a country I've never been to.
042. Camp near the Niobrara River - completed on 6/18-6/21/2009
043. Travel and stay in a city I've never been to.
044. Visit 5 tourist spots in my current state (1/5) 1. Smith Falls
045. Visit a museum I've never been to. - completed on 6/20/2009
046. Visit a friend out of state.
047. Go on a vacation with my husband.

For the Community and others
048. Donate money to a cause.
049. Donate my unused clothing or items to Goodwill. (3/28/2010)
050. Participate in a community clean up days.
051. Give someone a gift just because.
052. Send someone a card just because.

Food
053. Cook 25 new recipes (1/25) 1. Autumn glazed stuffed chicken
054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (5/5) 1. Doozy's, 2. Cedar Canyon Steakhouse, 3. Lincoln Manor Steakhouse, 4. Traditions 5. El Matador (completed 10/10/09)
055. Make homemade ice cream. - completed 6/14/09
056. Make homemade bread.
057. Bake my husband a birthday cake. (1/5/2010)
058. Try 3 new items I've never had before (0/3)

For the Home
059. Paint at least one room in our house a color besides white or off white. (Jan 2010)
060. Decorate our home for one holiday. (Dec 2009)
061. Plant a vegetable garden in the backyard. (Summer 2010)
062. Plant flowers around the yard. (Summer 2010)
063. Buy 4 crafty or artistic items to place in the house (0/4)

Entertainment
064. Read 30 new books (0/30)
065. Watch 5 new movies in the theater (4/5) 1. The Hangover, 2. My Sister's Keeper 3. Couple's Retreat, 4. New Moon
066. Attend a college sporting event.
067. Go mini-golfing with friends/family
068. Go to the Pawnee Plunge

Experiences
069. Attend the State Fair.
070. Attend the Renaissance Festival.
071. Watch the sunrise.
072. Watch the sunset. - completed 6/20/2009
073. Fly in a Cessna airplane.
074. Go tubing down a river. - completed 6/19/2009
075. Go on a double date with friends. completed 7/4/2009
076. Go on a train ride.
077. Learn how to use the riding lawn mower - completed 6/13/09
078. Go to a winery - completed (7/18/09)
079. Go to a brewery
080. Learn how to canoe.
081. Dance in the rain
082. Go on a picnic (3/23/2010)
083. Go to an apple orchard.
084. Go to a pumpkin patch. (10/17/09)
085. Have a real Christmas tree. (Dec 2009)
086. Chaperon a school event.
087. Drive a jet-ski.
088. See where/what my husband does at work. (8/11/09)

Health and Well Being
089. Go for a walk at least twice a week for one month
090. Find a dentist (December 2010)
091. Find a doctor completed 6/26/09
092. Get a yearly physical done.
093. Take a multivitamin every day for a month completed 7/12/2009
094. Have blood drawn for the health insurance rebate.
095. Find an eye doctor and get a new prescription for my reading glasses.

Misc.
096. Buy scrapbooking items.
097. Buy a new purse.
098. Buy a hutch of some sort to display my collectibles in.
099. Buy 10 new books (0/10)
100. Organize family and friends addresses. (Dec 2009)
101. Hold a garage sale.