77 in 08

In the spirit of the New Year, resolutions, and turning yet another year older, I've decided to jump on that thing called the bandwagon and present to you (you're welcome) a list of things I would like to accomplish within the next year.  Most of this to-do list is a whole bunch of habits that I would inevitably like to make second nature.  The idea is that if I can do most of these for about a year, it'll become routine.  (I know it's only supposed to be about 3 months for something to become habit, but I procrastinate, so I'm giving myself a ton of time)

Originally, I developed this list back in November with the intention of keeping it to myself.  Whatever I accomplished would be a personal achievement and nothing more.  However, given that it's about a month and a half later and I haven't nearly begun to make a dent into this whatsoever, I'm relying on the random people of the internet to keep tabs on me.  I figure if I have people I don't know checking up on me now and then, that might just be all the extra motivation I need to get this done.  That and maybe a few of these will inspire others as well - to beat me over the head.

Why 77?  Because that's all I could think of.

1.  Update my Address Book

This will also come in handy for a couple other goals below...

2.  Fold my clothes as soon as they're out of the dryer, and put them away

Anyone else really bad about this??

3.  Eat at least one serving of fruit per day.

In all actuality, we should get 5 -7 per day, not including the 3-4 servings of veggies too.

4.  Don't allow crap to build up.

i.e. hang my coat when I come in, clean dirty dishes, put away my things, etc.

5.  Call my brothers.

 Not just once this year.  You know, a few times.

6.  Send Birthday cards.

7.  Take up a new sport.

8.  Learn one new recipe and cook it once a week.

I'm no Betty Crocker, but it shouldn't be too much to ask that I know a little more than 3 dishes.

9.  Drink 12 glasses of water a day.

10.  Buy a wedding dress.

11.  Apply to medical school.

I still don't know if I want to go, but I'd rather have the option than not. (Yes I know it's January)

12.  Procrastinate less, achieve more.

13.  Exercise 5 days/week.

Cardio, small weights, yoga, etc.  Get moving.

14.  Don't only do what is convenient.

Park the car far from the store.  Cook food, don't buy frozen meals.  Return the cart all the way to the front of the supermarket.  I can't believe how much I've come to rely on everyday conveniences.  I'd rather appreciate them than expect them.

15.  Create a Family Tree

Heritage is important.  It reveals emotional and health-related patterns.  It's crucial to know where you've come from to recognize you're place in the world, your future, and your childrens' futures.

16.  Call 10 of my closest friends once/month.

Or 20, or 30, or 40...  2, 3, 4, 5 times/month.

17.  Read 30 non-school books.

This may be what does me in.

18.  Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

19.  Say please and thank you.

20.  Visit my grandparents once/month.

I'm lucky to still have grandparents.  Time to take advantage of it.

21.  Make the bed every morning.

Nevermind, this is going to be what does me in.

22.  Organize my financial situation.

Like most students, I'm in way over my head with loans, credit, and payments - doing what I can to get by.  It's time I understand it all and really look at the next 20 years of my life.

23.  Follow through with my intentions.

If I don't intend it, I won't promise it.

24.  Drink less alcohol.

No, wait, this will do me in for sure.

25.  Cook in at least 4 nights/week.

With all those new recipes I've learned.

26.  Go to the dentist.

Uuuuuuuuuugh.  And about to get more difficult with the insurance lapse now that I'm an old fart.

27.  Cut back on coffee.  Hell, just eliminate it.

28.  Instead, drink herbal tea.

29.  Put 10% of my income into Savings.

30.  Stop drinking soda.

Unless it's mixed with rum.  Dammit #24.

31.  Move away from fried foods and fats.

Move towards healthier, more natural, and higher yielding products.

32.  Get a hobby.

33.  Ski.

Because these all don't have to suck.

34.  Keep things simple.

35.  Value my time.

At the end of the day, we all have the same number of minutes to do with what we would like.  I would like mine to count.

36.  Write letters to friends who live in different cities.

With my handy dandy new and updated address book.

37.  Organize my closet

Donate 10% of what I own.

38.  Create a photo website.

39.  Cherish my mind, body, and soul.

40.  Plant a tree.

41.  Learn about one new religion each month.

42.  Pay my bills the day I get them.

43.  Value the items I own.

I've paid a lot of money for them.

44.  Buy produce at local farmers' markets.

When they're open.

45.  Run a half marathon.

46.  Take a multivitamin and calcium supplement everyday.

47.  Take pride in my job

Student, waitress, etc.  It's all hard work and worth being proud of.

48.  Take the scenic drive.

49.  Eat breakfast every day.

50.  Watch less TV

Read more of those 30 books I have to get to.

51.  Back up my computer once/week.

Because laptops and I have never gotten along.

52.  Eat at the kitchen table, not in front of the TV.

53.  Take walks.

54.  Learn one new word every day and use it in a sentence.

55.  Quit gossiping.

 When I first wrote this down in November, I figured it would be easy because I don't really "gossip."  I was surprised to find how often I talk behind others' backs.  And chances are, someone's talking about me somewhere too.  It's not a good feeling.

56.  Read the Sunday Newspaper.

57.  Research the presidential candidates.

58.  Try snowboarding.

59.  Say I'm sorry with no "buts."

60.  Clean the bathroom once/week.

Why am I doing this to myself??

61.  Ditch white breads/pastas.  Move to whole-grain products.

62.  Refrain from judgment.

To each his own.

63.  Stop charging my purchases and work towards paying off my credit card.

64.  Cut out caffeine.

65.  But eat chocolate whenever I feel like.

66.  Volunteer for one organization.

67.  Tell Justin I love him every day.

Cue: Awwwwwwwww.  No, really, I forget to do it though.

68.  Use the computer as a supplement, not a necessity.

So when it inevitably craps out on me, I don't feel like my life is over.

69.  Take up yoga and/or other meditation exercise.

70.  Realize my limits.

Take on only what I am capable of handling.  For instance, a list of 77 items is far too much to take on.

71.  Floss.  Everyday.  Period.

72.  Recycle.

Seems easy, only we don't have those convenient blue bins at the apartment complex.  Have to drive them to the recycling plant. (wherever the hell that is)

73.  Don't text and drive.

74.  Don't drink and text.

This is going to be a soft rule.

75.  Plant an herb garden.

76.  Consume less.

Food, energy, material things, etc.  It has become more than apparent that our consumerism has taken its toll on both our health, society, and world.  I'm going to attempt to change this for myself, with the hope of leading a healthier and happier life.

77.  Produce more.

Energy in (should) = Energy out.  Not only do I intend to consume less, but I will attempt to balance this equation by producing more in the way of energy, productive time, and service. (And other ways I have yet to determine)

I'll periodically update with my progression (or lack thereof).  Happy New Year to all.

Happy Birthday Justin

First Snow

I went for a long run in the snow* today and headed back out afterward, camera in tow.

*aka blizzard for all the Philly crew

Thanksgiving 2007

Once again, the annual Family Thanksgiving and Beer Pong Tournament went off without a hitch.

Ryan and Joanne

Barba and the Marshmallow Bow and Arrow

Cigars

Mom and Tom

Me, Alex, Andrew

Andrew, Mom, Alex

Game Over

Barba and Chris

Morning After

The Glib Blonde Speaks...

But she has nothing fun and exciting to report.  And, yes, I am waiting for incriminating Thanksgiving photos.  I expect great things.  Don't let me down.

"Preying"

Wonder if she's bitten the head off her male yet.

Blogger Play

You may or may not be aware, but Blogger has posted a new feature: Blogger Play. I could spend hours watching it.

Baseball Game

We went to the Camden Riversharks game last night. It was nice to be in a much smaller stadium with ground-level first base seats. And these guys play because they still love the game.

(My favorite picture of asses)

Hot air balloon

One in Every Crowd

I've been wanting to do a post on this topic for a while now. The idea initially came to me last year. But it wasn't until the start of class again, and a much smaller class might I add, that I was really able to identify the characters that make your academic journey that much more entertaining, or miserable, depending on how you look at it. So, I give to you:

THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP YOUR CLASS
(Shut up, I know it's not original. Bite me, #6)

1. The Overachiever - We're getting this one out of the way first, just because we all despise them so. He/She always has every one of their books by the first day of class, along with their perfectly outlined date books listing every assignment/exam on the syllabus. They'll sit front and center, and usually have a #2 quality about them. They bring a new meaning to the word "organized." They never miss an opportunity to provide the professor with information that usually leads to more work, and they throw everyone in a state of panic as they hand in projects 3 weeks early. But most importantly, they ruin the curve for everyone. They'll never admit it, but the mace they carry isn't for walking to their car late at night, it's to avoid getting jumped by their angry classmates after course grades have been released.

2. The Head-Nodder - You know who I mean. That person who nods their head constantly while the instructor is talking, usually while on a pointless tangent. Which only encourages the instructor to continue on his already aimless topic prolonging the boredom of the other students. They should be coated with lacquer and sold as bobble-head dolls.

3. The Nail-biter - This is a pretty general category, as this person comes in a variety of forms. For instance, if it's not nail-biting, it's scab-picking, hair-twirling, or armpit-smelling. It's that person that has all of sudden found something extraordinary about themselves during class - something way more interesting than what's actually being taught. As a result, they will pick, scratch, or pull at pieces of their body until there is a little circle of human residue below their seat.

4. The Talker - Self-explanatory. Will raise their hand at any and everything. Loves the sound of their own voice. Usually takes charge of group discussions, volunteers to read anything, and requires about 90% of air time during class or else they will explode.

5. The Dumbshit - Often times, one in the same as #4. You want to literally beat sense into this person. And god help them when they do open their mouth during lecture, you feel embarrassed to be in their presence. It's as if the IQ of the entire class drops about 10 points. The only plus is that they at least pull down the class average. Unlike, ahem, #1.

6. The Know-it-all - Their comments are usually prefaced with statements such as: "When I was working for major corporation, we actually discovered blah blah blah...", or "If I could expand upon your point Professor, I've read ahead in our book and it says blah blah blah...", or "Back when I was doing important research, we found that blah blah blah..." Yeah, well, discover my foot up your ass bitch! Bet you didn't know about that one coming.

7. The Sleeper - I find these people the most interesting. They'll spend almost an entire class asleep in their seat, only to awake at some critical point during the lecture to open their mouth and say something so profound, it leaves the whole class in a state of awe. Sometimes this is followed by an applause, only because everyone wishes they could be that good.

And that concludes this rendition of THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP YOUR CLASS. I'm sure more will be discovered along the way. Hell, if you know of any unique individuals, please by like #4, and share with the rest of the class.

I don't even have a gripping title

I apologize for the lack of updates over the last few weeks. It seems wedding planning, med school applying, apartment/job hunting, and school starting took up much more time than I realized it all would. And none of it's the least bit compelling. But in case you're all on the edge of your seats...

The med school applications are coming along. They really take forever. So much detail and repetition. It's all crap if you ask me anyway. I mean, the amount of bullshit that goes into making you look like the ideal candidate for medical school makes my undergrad papers look like they were written by amateurs. And I thought I was the queen of bullshit in undergrad.

As for work this year, I'm searching for a full-time job with benefits that will pay... ohhhh.... about $60,000+. Riiiiiiight. Really, a full time job would be superb. And one that doesn't involve waitressing would be marvelous. The light class schedule will at least make that part a bit easier. So if you know anyone hiring.... I'm a great employee, so I'm told. We just won't tell them I'll be quitting in about 10 months.

Moving on, I actually tried on wedding dresses this past weekend. Real, actual live bridal gowns. And it was only slightly scary. I mean, the dress part was easy. It was the screaming brides-to-be and their overzealous mothers and friends that I was truly afraid of. Men, you're very lucky you'll never have to enter this world. No, I didn't buy anything. And I don't plan to for a while. I'd like to eat this year, and not have to worry about fittings 4 weeks before the wedding. Can you imagine? "Well Miss, you are now 2 sizes too small/big for you gown. That'll be another $1000 in alterations." ((shudder))


So, as you can see, nothing exciting, which is why I've resisted mundane posts. But I was bored today, and tired of essays. Hope everyone's well.

Daniel Crane

Back.

Welcome back. Colorado was crazy awesome. But 3 weeks of MCATs, weddings, family, driving, and getting a very stubborn wisdom tooth pulled has worn me out. Just in time to finish all my loan paperwork and apply to medical school too. F.

In the spirit of tradition, I've displayed a rough chronology of the past 3 weeks in several photos. Seems to work well for me. So, without further adieu....

Drunken Irish men

Megan and Ron's Vows

Megan and her uncles

Nancy Lee

After Party

Justin's Mom, Justin, and Chris

Future sight of nuptials ;-)

Scotts's Labs

Arapahoe Rescue Patrol Tug of War

It really is. And it really is the state motto.

Abby Crane

Rachel and Daniel Crane

Bahston

Arrived Friday morning, left Tuesday afternoon. Did some rock climbing, lots of sight-seeing, boozed, griled, shopped, rooted for the Sox, saw old friends, met new friends, and ate some really amazing seafood.

Sharpy, Me, Skillman (I mean Kiser) at Cheers

Newfound friends are always so much fun
(aren't they Tilden?)

Mmmmmm... stuffed lobstah

French DUI test, apparently

Fantastic weekend. And don't think I'll ever get tired of trying to fake a Boston accent. No no. It's wicked fun. You should try it.

But now with the MCATs a short 8 days away (ef!), I'll be locking myself away for a while. I leave for Colorado Monday, returning late July/early August with the boy. (Tied up and gagged in the back of his truck of course)

Perhaps I'll blog a bit from the road. But really, there's nothing to see in Kansas, or Missouri, or Ohio, or western Pennsylvania. So don't expect much.