A Perfect Picnic

Monday night, I received a text from my friend Nicole (aka Moose). She is reading the book "The Happiness Project" and wants to start one of her own. She asks what I'm up to on Tuesday and if I want to hang out. She says "It could be as simple as a picnic at Cobbs Hill." Instantly, I was game.

We packed the essentials: Chardonnay, goat cheese, vodka, Candyland, the list goes on. A pretty fabulous set up for spur of the moment picnic if you ask me. We've decided picnicking needs to become a regular event. Champagne Tuesday may just have to take a field trip to area parks once in a while.

101 List/Happiness Project is in full effect! I'm so glad I have fabulous friends to assist me with completing things on my list. I couldn't ask for better help!

I'm Outdoorsy-ish

I spent Saturday and Sunday on Cayuga Lake and was able to check a few things off of my list as completed, and then some. Kristen and I rode our bikes to Sheldrake Winery to "practice" wine tasting for when the time comes that I venture to Napa. Practice makes perfect! The view was BEAUTIFUL! We managed to keep things classy for the most part, until we took off with the tasting glasses they poured us.

Later on that day I learned how to start a fire and did it myself. I envisioned myself rubbing sticks together to create a fire, but learned that it wasn't realistic to do this. So I lit a match.

The next morning Kristen and I hopped into kayaks and took them for a spin. I plan to get one of my own. I'm in the process of brainstorming what to name my kayak. I then took the standup paddle board for a cruise. Being as smooth as I am, I managed to fall and splat down on the board, but got right back up, had a photo shoot and kept on going. I also canoed which I haven't done since my 6th grade Camp Corey field trip, drove a jet ski (normally people don't allow me to drive anything), went for a couple of long bike rides with my BFF, learned how to take the front tire off of my bike (the right way), and...

I struggled to get up on the wakeboard being pulled by the jet ski. I was pissed, like "I quit give me a beer" pissed. My arms are so sore I can't even write today, my handwriting looks like that of a 5 year old. I managed to get up with a little help from a tube, but once I did I was good to go. I conquered going in and out of the wake (both sides), but I'm not going to check that one off of my list just yet, I prefer to do that when I can get up out of the water without assistance and being pulled by a boat.

And lastly, we visited the Rongovian Embassy to the USA, fancy name for a dive bar. My victory here that wasn't on my list is I managed to do a shot of Jameson and not gag. Some call that borderline alcoholism, I call it a good time.

All in all, successful weekend.

Attempt at being a little risky = FAIL

Yesterday I began the countdown for completing my 101 in 1001 list. With item number 17 being "Try Sushi (non vegetarian)", I thought I should ease into this and attempt to eat seafood and like it. Baby steps... My mom suggested at Bistro 135 that I try the seabass she ordered. She assured me it was buttery and mild in flavor. I take my mom's word on everything, she knows best. Thinking that I have matured since the days when I would spit food into a napkin and flush it down the toilet, I accepted the challenge and went for the bite. I'm not even sure I could taste the flavor of seabass, because instantly I began gagging, almost convulsing, and my sad attempt to swallow led me to spit the fish into a cloth napkin. I felt like I was 8 years old again. I honestly think I have a mental illness when it comes to eating seafood. All I could taste was the ocean. I like expensive things, so I was almost positive I'd like the taste of seabass over tilapia. I was wrong. I plan to give seabass another go, sans gag attack...

It's Offish... The List is Ready... Set... Go...!

I've decided to create a list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days. Some are easy tasks; others will require some planning and strategy.

A friend suggested that I create this list, and I'm treating it as my pathway to self exploration. To discover my likes/dislikes, learn some things about myself, and hopefully make some lasting memories along the way.

I consider myself a very independent person, and with all I've experienced over the last year, there is no better time than now to start checking items off of my so-called "bucket list". I plan to document each task I complete with this blog and by taking photographs. Hopefully this will pave my way to a book deal, reality show, or stardom of some sort. I plan to do big things, that’s how I roll.

One, two, three, LETS DO THIS! Game on...

1. Do something illegal - 10/8/11 (formerly Visit Greece, still might happen, based on $)
2. Start writing more (formerly Invent something) DONE
3. Ride in a hot air balloon
4. Go on a booze cruise (formerly a regular cruise)
5. Run a half marathon - 4/29/2012
6. Take a photography class
7. Fall in love (for real) DONE
8. Read 5 books DONE
9. Swim in a fountain (formerly Visit North Dakota, still might happen, based on $)
10. Wine tasting in Napa
11. Go fishing DONE
12. Bike in the Tour De Cure 6/10/2012
13. Volunteer at an animal shelter (and not leave with a new pet)
14. Try filet mignon - 10/7/11
15. Edgewalk the CN Tower
16. Be in the best shape of my life when I turn 30 )formerly Get a 6 pack (abs))
17. Try sushi (non vegetarian)- 11/16/11
18. Drive a boat DONE
19. Go to Medieval Times - 10/8/11
20. Parasail
21. Snorkeling
22. Learn to drive a car with a manual transmission
23. Ride a vespa
24. Learn to speak another language (besides Spanish)
25. Golden Wishes (formerly volunteer with mentally disabled children) 4/18/2012
26. Pick up food from my biological father's restaurant (incognito)
27. Donate blood DONE
28. Get over the wake and back (both sides) on a wakeboard DONE
29. Ice skating in Manhattan Square Park
30. Bike ride through Ithaca
31. Eat at Moosewood Lodge in Ithaca
32. Shoot a gun
33. Watch every season of How I Met Your Mother from start to finish
34. Kiss someone at midnight on New Years DONE
35. Buy a vintage designer bag
36. Kayak - 8/21/11
37. Write a letter to the editor DONE
38. Start a new family tradition DONE
39. Create a cocktail named after myself (Possibly call it Auntie Yiss Juice)
40. Eat at In and Out Burger
41. Have a water balloon war
42. Make carrot cake from scratch - 3/13/12
43. Stop texting for 24 hours straight
44. Learn to juggle
45. Go to a pub trivia night DONE
46. Do an anonymous favor or "pay it forward" DONE
47. Buy a hammock and use it DONE
48. Visit Corning Museum of Glass (Formerly Watch the sunrise and sunset same day)
49. Drink beer at noon on Tuesday in a bar that faces a giant car wash (props to Sheryl Crow)
50. Take a hula hoop class 1/12/12
51. Change a baby's diaper 12/25/11
52. Knit a scarf FAILED
53. Create a secret handshake
54. Sleep under the stars
55. Host a slumber party
56. Food Challenge (Formerly Lasik)
57. Go on a picnic 8/30/11
58. Learn CPR
59. Learn to change a tire
60. Make homemade pickles DONE
61. Do 10 complete pushups
62. Visit a rumored to be haunted place
63. Attend a country music concert
64. Pay the bill for someone behind me in the drive thru line
65. Swim across Cranberry Pond
66. Ride a public bus
67. Have my palm read, psychic DONE
68. Build a sandcastle
69. Go on a road trip without a preset destination
70. Batting cages
71. Swim with dolphins
72. Take a pottery class
73. Paintball
74. Indoor rock climbing
75. Visit Rochester Museum and Science Center (Formerly Visit British Columbia)
76. Visit Seattle
77. Take a cooking class DONE
78. Haunted Hayride (Formerly Get The Divas 500 fans) 10/28/11
79. Eat a single order of Laughran's wings - HOT
80. Write a message in a public bathroom (Formerly Finish a crossword puzzle)
81. Watch the entire Band of Brothers miniseries at the cottage
82. Make Aunt Jill's bolognese sauce 12/23/11
83. Host a full dinner party
84. Run on the beach 11/25/11
85. Paddleboat
86. Redo bathroom
87. Move up gate in driveway DONE
88. Attend a concert in Central Park
89. Attend the Irish Fest 9/10/11
90. Plant a tree
91. Take pictures at Mount Hope Cemetery DONE
92. Build a fire 8/20/11
93. Have Margarita Monday - make them from scratch
94. Spray tan
95. Make wine
96. Berry picking DONE
97. Attend the Strong Museum of Play 1/15/12
98. Attend the planetarium
99. Visit all of the Finger Lakes (Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Hemlock, Consesus)
100. Inspire someone to create a 101 in 1001 list of their own 9/1/11
101. Take pictures and create a photo album of each task I complete along the way