2012 Bucket List

Instead of the standard resolutions everyone always states and then fails to check off in the upcoming year (myself included) I decided to simplify for 2012.  For this next year, I have put together a list of 12 specific items to accomplish in the 12 months that lie ahead.  One might be inclined to say that they appear to be just like a list of resolutions, but I assure you they are not.  This list contains 12 things that the average person of my age has likely already been able to cross off their list of life accomplishments, but because it is me, and anxiety has been known to creep in during even the most mundane of tasks, these 2012 bucket list items have yet to be completed for me, until now.

1. pee outside
2. sleep outside
3. swim in a lake
4. attempt to discover a love of rollercoasters
5. go skiing
6. go to a thrift store, and buy something
7. mow a lawn
8. ask somebody on a date
9. ask a stranger for their phone number, and call them
10. "go with the flow" (this one is extra special and will require me to hand over complete trust to a dear comrade who will be in charge of planning an entire day of activities, of which I will not be allowed to protest)
11. shotgun a beer (though I am still not entirely sure what this means)
12. befriend a dog

May the adventures begin....

Pajamas

As a general rule, I feel that pajamas are not to be worn outside of the house.  And, as I observed first hand today, it is particularly unacceptable (and frankly depressing) to wear pajamas to the liquor store.

Never Accept a Ride from a Stranger

Because these things tend only to happen to me, it seemed appropriate that I catalog it as one of my everyday escapades.  Some friends from work were getting together one Friday night recently, for drinks at a local dive bar.  I immediately recognized this as both a fantastic way to meet some new people and to unwind after a week of work stress.  For a solid 24 hours before said rendezvous was set to commence, I worked every possible angle to try to nail down a ride, a plan for carpooling, something, so that I wouldn’t have to drive my lone self, downtown, to a shady dive bar, on State Street surrounded by an abandoned building to the North and a closed Mexican restaurant to the South.  This situation just screams to me as a perfect chance to be kidnapped.  But, because I am embracing my new found sense of self and the adventures life holds, I bucked up (after many hours of stress and anxiety) and I went, by myself.  After circling the block several times searching for the least terrifying place to park where I would be least likely to be mugged, I selected street parking outside the Audi dealership.  I feel that this was a good decision for the safety of my car, but still was unsure about the safety for me.  And this was what we call “intuition”.  On my short walk to the lovely drinking establishment, a car pulls up beside me, I glance over, (first mistake) and make eye contact (second mistake).  The creeper in the car rolls down his window and indeed asks me if I need a ride.  I politely declined and added some speed to my step and hurried along into the safety of the sketchy dive bar.  The good news is that I was not kidnapped, or mugged and I was able to prove yet again that this kind of stuff makes my overreacting neuroses all completely and utterly reasonable and not even remotely unusual or concerning.  As a side note, a very lovely time was had that evening and a nice gentleman walked me to my car afterward to ensure no further kidnapping efforts were attempted.

A Month of Lessons Learned

For the month of November, many a facebook user posted daily things they were thankful for. Blah! I decided to mix it up a bit and post a daily lesson learned, feeling that this would be much more beneficial for those around me in that they could learn from what I was learning each day during the month. Below are those daily posts compiled into a single list of 30 lessons learned:

1. Baked potatoes are not a car food
2. Chocolate chocolate donuts - definitely not worth the calories
3. A true friend will tell you when you have a bat in the cave
4. My niece is awesome
5. There really is no place like home
6. Instant Messenger is actually a helpful work tool and is not just for chatting
7. Daring somebody (even double dog daring) does not actually require anyone to do something
8. My new iPhone is totally awesome
9. Santa drives a green Lincoln town car
10. Jamming out to Michael Jackson can ease work stress
11. Reconfirmed, I love baking, especially peach pie
12. Mango-infused vodka + Michael Jackson on the Wii + great friends = a fantastic Saturday night
13. Having a job you love can make all the difference
14. When talking with somebody, if you don't hear what they say, it is appropriate to say "what?" twice. After that, if you still don't know what was said, just nod and make your expression match the person that is speaking.
15. No matter how hard you try, printing mailing labels will always be an epic failure
16. House hunting is lots of work
17. I listen to my iPod too loudly
18. It's kind of embarrassing when you walk into a store and realize everything you are wearing was purchased at said store
19. Just like in high school, it's really shitty having your car egged
20. A great way to spend a Monday evening? Costco with the parents
21. MC Hammer on the morning commute? Yes, please!
22. It's really creepy when you have a really vivid dream about somebody you don't know and then come to work and see that person and realize they are real
23. I love the chaos of family
24. Refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies
25. Unless your body is telling you it is hungry, stop eating!
26. I love meeting new people and having their wonderfulness surprise me
27. There really is nothing worthwhile to be afraid of, especially when you have mace
28. Spinning = ouch!
29. Good n' Plenty are very delicious, even when stale
30. New friends are awesome!!

Resolutions Update

The first half of the year went relatively as expected, moving along nicely.  The summer threw me a curve ball and caused many of my resolutions to fall off track (among other things). With only 2 ½ months left in the year and a newly regained sense of focus, I intend on checking off the rest of the list with gusto!

1. Exercise and Eat Well - exercise, check!  eating well, still working on it

2. Read – reading lots
3. Self Defense Class – still working on this one
4. Volunteer – this one too
5. Travel – sadly all I have for this one is Wendover – ick!
6. Road Trip – not sure if Boise, Idaho Falls or Wendover really counts, so still working on this one
7. Reconnect with old friends – this one’s going pretty well

8. Courage – lots
9. Travel Utah – again, only Wendover, so far

10. Cook – some

11. Celebrate – a challenge I am working on every day

Welcome

As I embark on a new phase of my life, I decided a new blog would also be necessary.  With that I welcome you to "the everyday escapades of Erin 2.0".