The first ten

Let's talk about where I am with these guys...the first 10.

• 01. Visit New Mexico. - I would LOVE for this to happen. But I have a feeling it won't get done before next July. Time and money forfend. Getting back to the Southwest is very high on my life list. I need to save up the money...save up the time...fly into Vegas...and go from there.

• 02. Visit the Okanagan. - This is something else I need to have happen, but don't picture before time is up. I almost got there this year, when my aunties went out West to visit family, even arranged for time off, but didn't quite have the money.

• 03. Go back to the Royal Ontario Museum...with more time to spend. - This will happen as soon as I get to Toronto, which may even be this November.

• 04. Go camping. -- DONE! - I've gone camping several times over the past two years with Ryan and Damian. The last time was the most gorgeous and fun and involved floating lazily down a river, playing in a waterfall, and other happy occurrences.

• 05. Fix my foot. -- DONE! - Got myself some nice orthotics and ugly sneakers and tromped all over Nova Scotia and Europe.

• 06. Drive around the Cabot Trail. - Man, I can't believe I haven't done this yet. Ryan and I have been planning, planning for this fall and never did make it.

• 07. Go back to school and/or find a career I like - Haven’t gone back to school yet but love being a datahead for the government. Just smart enough to keep me interested and just lazy enough to keep me happy. Today I worked on parametric and nonparametric means tests for all schools in the province for our assessments! I am just SO happy I managed to find a real life job sometime in my 30th year. Although my deadline was when I turned 30 and I missed that by exactly one week.

• 08. Go SCUBA diving. - This is another life-list must-do that I haven't gotten around to. When I learned Ryan and I were going on a cruise this year I thought I'd for sure get to SCUBA - but it turns out we were on a non-adventure, cultural kind of cruise. I WILL do it though. I did snorkel in the Ionian sea...that must almost count.

• 09. Hike to the top of a mountain and watch the stars. - DONE! Well, I lay on the beach and watched shooting stars, and that is close enough for me. What a beautiful night.

• 10. Pay off my Visa and overdraft. - I am so embarrassed that I haven't done this yet, you have no idea. It's eminently within my reach and yet I just don't have a handle on spending. This MUST happen before July. MUST. In my defense, I pretty much had this under control before said cruise, and I certainly don't regret that.

• 11. Ride a horse. - I have plans...for next weekend! We're going to Hatfield farm for a friend's birthday!

AHHH I Got so much done! I think I crossed like a million things off ... that is ...

4,7,8,11,12,13,14,16,20,27,31,33,46,49,54,67,70,77,78,79,81,88,90,93,98

Update!

Man, I guess I'm not doing well at keeping this blog up. But I DID accomplish some more things on my list!!

4. Went camping - in Bear Falls Nova Scotia with friends Damian, J-Vo, and Ryan. Even listened to J-Vo happily strumming a guitar in an old hardwood hemlock forest.

7. Find a career I like - working on it. Research officer seems like a good fit for me!

16. Go to Smiley's Creek to look at the autumn leaves. - Had a hike around Smiley's and examined lots of leaves. Got us lost and took a wrong turn into a Farmer's field. It was fun.

20. Go canoeing. - Ryan and I stayed at Milford House in October and canoed around for a good long time. I love it.

28. Buy or otherwise legitimately acquire a piece of art. - Bought myself two beautiful Yo Rodeo screenprints.

49. Go back to the library. - almost done. I paid my fines and got a new card, now for the actual visit...

61. Visit a working farm. -- My father took me along to Farmer's Annual Picnic at his boss' dairy farm in Shubenacadie. It was interesting and a little sad, as it was a fixed stall operation and the cattle couldn't wander or go outside.

79. Stay in a cottage on a lake. - See Milford House, above.

81. Go swimming in a lake. - A river. Totally qualifies. And I went to Long Lake many times and even Uniacke Lake a few times last year.

88. Sit in a hot tub in the winter. And roll around in the snow if there is any. - Yes! We just went to Malagash, stayed in a cottage with a hot tub there, and I didn't quite roll around in the snow but I did throw it over myself. It was so luxurious and amazing.

93. Make my living space a gorgeous, fun, welcoming place that people compliment when they come in. -- I think this is well on its way. Someone even asked to take pictures of our apartment!