Monday, June 4, 2012

1 week to go

I have accomplished so much this year, and I am so proud of myself.  That's the purpose, right?  Set goals and accomplish them.  If we don't complete them right away, we keep chipping away.  I'm not interested in being discouraged by those I didn't accomplish by my 30th birthday. 

I probably won't can meat - I just can't get comfortable with it yet!
I don't have iMovie...so the digital movie will take a little longer to complete!
I could lose 29 pounds by my 30th birthday if I cut one of my legs off.  It's not really THAT worth it to me.  But I'm in the best shape of my life (even when I was thinner, my cardio wasn't nearly this capable) and I am dedicated to continuing what I've already worked up to!
My Grampy happens to be in Maine right now, and if I snap some photos with him before my birthday, then mission accomplished.  If we do it after my birthday, the mission is still accomplished. 
I don't think I'll get on a lobster boat this week, especially given the weather, but I will certainly keep working on this one!  I am DETERMINED to try this!!
I couldn't turn FACEBOOK off... I'm so lame.  On the flipside, I'm a real people-person, and it keeps me up to date with people I care about, but it also helps me make plans to see people in-person.  And to share with people (possibly inspire your own goals?) how I spend my days.
SAVING money...This is hard for me.  No excuses.  But I've made a goal to see Scotland in Summer 2013, and told Anna-Maria I'd save $20 a week.  EEKS!  If I have money in my Savings Account on my birthday, this mission will be accomplished :)
I didn't wear EVERY hat twice, per se, but my friend Kelly-Anne took some really cute professional photos of me wearing every hat, in one day, in the Old Port.  The photos are so cute, I think this should count.  It wasn't exactly the point I was going for, but I think something even better came out of it.  Not to mention, some of the hats went into the yardsale, so they are GONE!
I only got to one lighthouse with my Gram, but it was on her 80th birthday, and I think that was pretty special on its own.  This goal will continue through the summer :)
I only made it to 6 of 16 State Parks.  Some of these will be accomplished with Gram's lighthouses.  I've been trying to formulate a plan in my head about biking from State Park to State Park, camping, and having a friend (or friends) drive my camping gear and act as my safety plan!  It looks like I might have time this summer to do this without a job!!
I still have time to see the Desert of Maine.  Maybe on Sunday the 10th?

I'm tired, and I may not have mentioned some other things... but I've done a lot that I am proud of, and I'm grateful for everyone's support.  Here comes the homestretch!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

10 weeks to go

I only have ten weeks until my birthday, and SO many goals to go!!!
I do give myself credit with fully completing 8 goals, but...

Here's what I have coming up for sure:
Run a 5k - May 13th
Bike 29 miles - Tour de Cure on June 3rd
Yard Sale with my parents over Memorial Day weekend


Things to still get done:
Learn to make pasta
Can meat
Digital story of my Grandmother's life
5 restaurants
1 book left
10 lighthouses with my Gram
12 State Parks
Movie at a drive in
Desert of Maine
3 hours of volunteering
Wearing every hat in my collection, twice

Coming to terms with NOT completing by my birthday:
Photo day with my Grampy
Cape Cod
Lobstering
Saving money
Turning off facebook for 30 days - since I'm using it to fundraise for Tour de Cure, I can turn it off if I get $300 in donations!
Lose 29 lbs.

BUT anything is possible :)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Finish 5 for-pleasure books - DONE!

1.-3. Hunger games trilogy - feels like cheating, but they were SOOOOO GOOOD!

4. The Help - I just gave it to my mom for Christmas, along with the movie.

5. I'm having a really hard time with the fifth one!!!
               I started "One Day"...one day I'll finish it...


3/18 - I'm so embarrassed to admit this, but I just read the Hunger Games for a second time, today.  I started reading when I woke up (I had started on Friday, and was only 30 pages in by this morning), gave my parents some sushi-eating instructions, drove home, read outdoors, went for a run, then read the rest of the night.  I probably could have finished my fifth book in the time I gave towards reading today...but the Hunger Games was even great the second time around.  Becky summed it up nicely: "Congratulations!  You're finally a 17 year-old girl!"  I frantically tried to find "Catching Fire" on the bookshelf, and without luck will sheepishly whittle a few pages away on my ACTUAL fifth book.  But please note that I've set a new self record: I read a book more than once!  People talk of doing this, and now I have joined their ranks.  Frankly it was a lovely day.

4/22 - So I have since finished re-reading Catching Fire as well.  BUT I'm also pleased to announce that I have finished a fifth book!  I did that "thing" again where I lost interest in the book I was reading (One Day) and was re-reading Hunger Games (I'm now on Mockingjay, FYI) but Teal lent me a book that she had just finished called Delerium.  Yes, it's a young adult novel.  Yes, it's post-apocalyptic. Yes, it's a trilogy.  It's completely silly, and entirely engaging, AND it takes place right here in Portland, ME.  It's kind of a neat concept of what the world would be like if we didn't have the capacity to love, and we were just paired up with someone who would be our partner, etc.  I didn't like the ending, so unless Teal tells me some good news from the second book, I probably won't read it.

So there you have it, another goal down!

Visit Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard/Nantucket - DONE!

I have no idea how I'm going to make this happen - suggestions please!!

12/27 - Dear, sweet Dailyn has offered a possible solution!

1/2/12 - I checked out how long it would take me to get to Cape Cod ...possibly skip over to Martha's Vineyard while I'm at it...  MAP here

5/18 - Jyselle, Teal, and I got out of school early, packed up our bikes, and drove to Cape Cod.  It took us 5.5 hours to get to North Truro, but we did it!!

 Sitting in traffic trying to cross the bridge into CAPE COD!!!
We finally arrived to the campground at 8:30, set the tent up in the dark (and me in HEELS! - that's a first, too), changed into PJs, and headed to the Drive-In to see The Avengers and Hunger Games.
 At the Drive-In in Wellfleet (another goal!!)  I ate Cape Cod chips at the drive-in. 
 Highland Lighthouse in North Truro....surrounded by a golf course!
 Caution: You might shit a brick.
 Jyselle, me, and Teal at the Highland Lighthouse!
 I heart you, too.


 After leaving the Highland Lighthouse, we drove to Woods Hole to catch the ferry to Martha's Vineyard!!!  We spent 1.5 hours on the ferry (roundtrip) and 1.5 hours on the Island :)  Hey, we did it, okay?
 Very similar to Bar Harbor
 HUGE Inn on MV.  I bought my MV magnet for my car across the street...

 Back on the Ferry, with sandwiches from Bob's, and PLENTY of sunshine :)  Happy campers (literally, we camped) heading back to the mainland, then back to the Maine-land.
 Get it?  Drinking Nantucket Nectars in CapeCod/MV  I crack myself up :)

Visit 16 of the 33 Maine State Parks

1. Kettle Cove

2. Owls Head Light State Park

3. Bradbury Mountain State Park

On February 16th, I was chosen at an LLBean Gear Giveaway winner!!
https://100.llbean.com/gogg/holly-b-2/

4. Scarboro Beach State Park
5. Fort Point State Park


6.Moose Point State Park - This was a little bit of cheating, but I was there?
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Be a Pescetarian for 30 days - DONE!

I am actually really looking forward to this one!!  I'm not sure when I will start, but I'll be sure to share dinners/recipes when I do!

1/13/12 - I believe this will endeavor will begin on January 26th.  January 25th is, of course, Burnsie Night - the Scottish holiday celebrating Robert Burns.  In true tradition, Haggis should be consumed on Burnsie night, and thus an excellent springboard for giving up animal meat for 30 days :)

1/27/12 - Today was day two of no meat - so far so good!

2/3/12 - Today is day nine, and this week has been DIFFICULT!!  On Monday, Becky made tacos.  I can't resist taco-seasoned ground turkey.  But I HAD TO!  It looked great but I cooked up a tilapia filet and had fish tacos instead!  SUCCESS.  But Tuesday brought a Chili Cook-off fundraiser for my ASB students.  10 chilis, only ONE of them was vegetarian.  They looked SOOO GOOD!  I would have been all over that, except for my challenge...  So veggie chili it was, and it saved my night!  I stayed over with the Carlsons and they made me a breakfast sandwich with delicious-looking canadian bacon.  So Teal got extra.  Wednesday night I made shrimp, scallop, and broccoli risotto for dinner (leftovers for lunch Thursday).  Thursday night provided an array of pizzas (including pepperoni), but I stuck to CHEESE only.  Alas, I'm sticking to it, but this week provided challenges... 21 days to go!

2/18/12 - I only have a week to go.  Next Saturday I can eat meat again.  What will be first, you ask?  Recently bacon has been my weakness.  I had a dream about a bacon cheeseburger flubbing this whole thing up.  I tried to steal avocado off Ian's salad from Good Life Market this week...the bottom side was COVERED IN BACON!  I did manage to steal a couple of his chili and cheese covered fries...but it came down to me wiping a piece of hamburg off the fry...  This is hard.  I'm not all that crazy about beef, or chicken really, but the fact that I have to make conscious decisions anytime I try to eat something is really difficult.  This was certainly a challenge.  I tried to make risotto the other night and discovered that they had "dehydrated chicken" in the ingredients.  UGH.  And to top it off today,  I went to Bintliff's with friends (new and old) and got the eggs benedict but without Canadian bacon and I asked for smoked salmon instead.  The waitress wasn't sure if the kitchen would allow it...I begged "I can't eat meat right now; it would mean so much to me!"  Thankfully upon her return she said they would do it, THIS TIME, but not to expect it everytime (though I'm pretty sure I get it 9 times out of 10).  So I wrote them a note to express my gratitude, obviously.  This has all been so tricky, and certainly made cooking a meal for 9 people, me who couldn't eat meat and guests that don't eat seafood, a super challenge.  But we made pasta with either a red sauce with turkey meat balls, or a homemade white sauce with shrimp and broccoli - and you could choose which you'd like (or both, Ian).  So tonight is pizza at flatbread - hello cheese and veggies.  Hopefully when I go home this weekend mom won't make chili again (last time I went she made chili, but offered to add the meat to hers after I got mine, which would leave tomatoes and beans, of which I don't eat tomatoes)... These temptations are certainly winning!

3/5/12 - February 24th was my last day as a Pescatarian!!  And I went out in a righteous way: Lobster and Scallops from Free Range on Commercial St.  LOVE!!  And the next morning, I ATE BACON!!  The re-integration of meat has NOT gone so well...  But I'm working on that, still!

Learn to make pasta - DONE!

Dad gave me a pasta maker for Christmas!  This will be SOOO much easier, I do believe.  Mom has already asked for vegetable-infused pasta for next Christmas...  We'll see about this...  :)



Pasta-making on May 31st:

 Cookbook and ingredients!
 Its go time: I knead to do this!!

 Filling with spinach and cheese mixture...using fork to seal.

 Trying to make sure they don't stick together.  Raw heading into the boiling salt-water!
 Tossed in a garlic, oil, and herb sauce, sprinkled with more cheese ;)  6pm - 9pm start to finish!  And they were DELICIOUS!