What have I been up to?

I haven't really updated in the last few days, mostly because I haven't had much to say. So, what have I been up to? Mostly working.I started doing Weight Watchers last Wednesday and I've done pretty well with it all week, until today (well, Monday). My days off are tough for me, because I don't make my own dinner or anything, so I'm pretty much eating whatever someone else makes. I weighed myself this morning, but I don't want to say how much I've lost until my official "weigh-in date." In correspondance with that, I also started task number 81, which requires that I don't drink soda for a month. I've made it 6 days so far.

Today, I started my day by grocery shopping. I also got my eyebrows waxed, which is task number 68. I love them, and it wasn't half as bad as I thought it was going to be. My favorite part, is after all the hot wax on your skin and the pain from the pulling, they put this cool lotion on your eyebrows and it feels so good. I came home, put groceries away, went to the dump, and headed over to Johnny and Laurel's. We didn't really do much of anything. I went to the store with Laurel to grab dinner, which was pizza. Later on, we decided to make a trip to the bar. It was nice; we had a couple of drinks and played the card game War. I hadn't played that game in forever. I decided that we need to do that more often. I had a Sex on the Beach and a "Skip & Go Naked." They were both very good, although I enjoyed the Sex on the Beach a bit more. On the way home, we stopped and grabbed some Mike's Hard Lemonade from the gas station. I had one of those when we got home, and we watched No Strings Attached. I love that movie. I did get quite a buzz, and I'm not feeling too well now, but it was fun.

Other than that, I haven't been up to much. I haven't had much motivation to read, although I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I'll try doing that tomorrow. I'm expecting a lady to come visit me on Wednesday from the Circle Program. The Circle Program is this program for girls with some kind of problem - typically, troubled families. I will be a mentor for a girl in the program, and I'm looking forward to it. It will also help me complete my 24 hours of community service in task 27. I also have a date scheduled for next Monday and I'm pretty excited. His name is Jason. We're going to meet at FunSpot and we're going to go mini golfing, maybe grab something to eat, and walk down by the beach. I'm looking forward to it. That's about all for now though.

Six Flags, New England

Yesterday, I went to Six Flags with a bunch of my friends from McDonald's. It was good to see them all again. Justin met us there (he lives in Rhode Island), but I drove the rest of us. I had to get up around 6am to get ready and we were on the road by 7. We got there around 10:30, and that was with two stops. Justin took forever to get there after us though. We rode this small "kid" roller coaster just for fun, and then rode this crappy new ride they have. It literally whips you around the corners. I thought I was going to have internal bruises. After that, we rode Mind Eraser and Batman (which is my favorite roller coaster there).

After that, we headed back out to our cars and grabbed our swimming stuff and spent a good amount of time in the water park. The water park was so nice! We did the wave pool, the lazy river (my favorite!), a couple slides, and then one of those tube rides. We went back out to the car and came back in to eat. After that, we pretty much just went on one more ride, which was Bizarro. It used to be called Superman. Justin made me put my hands up for the whole ride which was really scary. He wanted me to do something cool at the camera too, which I tried, but I'm short and barely showed in the picture haha. Here is Bizarro(this picture is actually when it was Superman... it's the same shape, just different colors):

After that, we decided to leave. Everyone was exhausted. I was so happy that it didn't storm though. Considering the weather channel was almost certain that it was going to, it was very relieving. It rained for two minutes at a time every once in a while, but it was a very light rain and nothing to make them shut down rides. The ride back was extremely long. Everyone slept, so that made it even harder for me. I pretty much crashed as soon as I hit my pillow. My body is very sore; I think I did something on one of the rides. My neck and shoulders really hurt. My legs also hurt, but I think that's from a combination of going for a run on Sunday, and walking all day yesterday. Also, one state is out of the way on task number 20. I didn't get the picture of the 'Welcome to Massachusetts' sign though. :(

Tomorrow, I'm starting back on Weight Watchers. My two biggest challenges with this program is A) My days off and B) when I get home from work, I want to snack. I think I'm just going to have to get in the habit of brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed as soon as I get home. I'm also going to try the no soda for a month task. It will go well with my diet, and what I'm hoping to get from this task is that I just won't drink soda ever, except every once in a while. I'm hoping to get up and go for a run in the morning, but we'll see how sore my body still is.

Feeling Accomplished

I'm not entirely sure why, but I feel a sense of accomplishment today. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I didn't just sleep all day and I actually did something. I got up around 10 and I went for a jog/walk. I went a total of about 1.2 miles, and of that, I ran between 0.3 and 0.5 miles probably. It isn't very much, but its a start. I'm just going to push myself every day. When I got home, I showered, and then I actually did some cleaning. I have quite a bit more to do, but its not half as bad as it was. I also want to find something to get the cat urine smell out of my apartment. I found that not only have they done it on my couch, but also in my moon chair. I found this stuff online, but I'm going to see if I can find something that will work in the store first.

On Wednesday, I'm going to start back on Weight Watchers. I really need to commit myself back to it. I did it in the Fall semester of last year, and I lost about 20 - 25 pounds. I haven't really gained anything, but I want to lose more and I want to feel healthier. I'm going to keep a food log on my Ipod Touch, since I'll be more motivated to do that than write it down. And counting points in my head hasn't been working either because I cheat.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Six Flags New England with a bunch of my friends. I'm really excited, but its supposed to be rainy and storm. :(  I'm hoping it holds out for us though. That will be one state out of the way for my 50 state challenge. I've technically already been to Massachusetts, but I'm talking visit all 50 states since the start of the challenge. I'm hoping I can get a picture of the Welcome to Massachusetts sign, because that's another one of my tasks!


Writing prompt for the day: What's the perfect age to retire? How will you know you're ready?

Honestly, I don't think I ever want to retire. A lot of people tell me I'm crazy, but seriously, unless there is some kind of sickness keeping me from working, I always want to work. I get really bored without work, and I love math, so I don't want to be away from it for even a day.

Oil changes and other stuff

I had the day off today. I got paid for it too; its one of the benefits for working a holiday at my job. I also noticed on my paycheck though, that I got paid doubletime for the actual holiday. I clocked out with 40 hours of regular time, a little over 17 hours of overtime (time and a half) and 8 hours of holiday time (double time). I was really excited to see that paycheck. I would be so willing to work more overtime if its offered to me. I don't even have to strain that much for my job so it wasn't that much of a hassle. I love my job and I'm so glad I left McDonald's!

I got up around 9 today and got ready and headed over to Johnny and Laurel's. Laurel and myself went shopping to get food, because we were planning on making a cookout style dinner. When we got back, I made macaroni salad and deviled eggs, which both turned out really good.

Johnny began showing me some stuff about my car, and then he showed me how to change my oil. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. The hardest part I had was getting the stuff loosened that you have to take off because I wasn't strong enough. Wal-Mart apparently put the stuff back on too tight, which is why I couldn't get the stuff off. Next time, I'm going to do the oil change by myself with Johnny watching making sure I don't do anything wrong. We just hung out for the rest of the day and kind of lost track of time. Johnny didn't get the hamburgers put on the grill until around 8:30.

In other news, I'm almost done with Eclipse. I borrowed Breaking Dawn from Laurel too so that if I finish Eclipse, I can start the next book. I've been keeping up with my spending diary. I've completed two tasks, so I need to take $10 out of my checking account so I can put it aside to save. I've also been working on my coloring book. I've learned two things from this. Number 1: I realized coloring books are probably not the best thing for me due to me being a perfectionist. I want every picture to come out perfect, and I spend way more time than I should on each picture. Number 2: You know those grid drawings where you have to draw the picture above in the grid? Well, I'm not too good at those. I'm going to post the picture below, and the horse came out pretty good, but the girl looks like... well, not a girl. Here are some pictures for your entertainment.

My sleeping schedule

I saw this picture today on www.iwastesomuchtime.com and it reminded myself so much of me, especially during the school year. I get out of work kind of late, and I never want to go straight to bed, so I end up staying up late and then regret it in the morning.


Not too much is going on today - I'm at work right now. I finally got the motivation to get myself out of bed at a decent time this morning. I was getting into the habit of getting myself up around 9 or 10, just so that I don't sleep my summer away. Well, the last few days I was sleeping until 11 or noon. So, I forced myself to get up today. I also had some motivation to clean, so I did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. I started vacuuming the living room, but it still looks terrible because my vacuum sucks. I need to borrow a better one.

Plinky's writing prompt today: Have you ever lived outside the country you were born in?:

I've actually lived outside the country I was born in pretty much my entire life. I was born in Germany and we only lived there for about 6 months, until we moved back into the United States. The only reason I was born there was because my dad was in the army.



"About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won't like you at all." ~Rita Mae Brown

**998 days**

Not too much has been going on the last few days, which is why I haven't posted. I've been reading the Twilight series, although I said I would never get dragged in. The other day I started reading Eclipse, so that will be my first book on my list of 100. I also asked Johnny to suggest a book to read. I can't remember what its called, but its a book based on the Magic card game. I'll probably get started on that once I get through all of the Twilight series. Speaking of Twilight, I watched the first two movies the other night and I hated them! I'm pretty observant and I always notice when something is different from the book, which is why I usually stray from watching movies after reading their corresponding book.

I also printed out IMDB's top 250 list and added everything to my Netflix queue. I finished watching the movie I had from them last night and sent it back today, so I should get my first movie on the list in a couple of days.

I'm pretty excited for Saturday. I have the day off of work, and I still get paid for it because I worked the 4th of July holiday. Johnny is going to teach me how to change my own oil, which is one of the things on my list. After that, me and Laurel are going to go shopping. I'm going to get some clothes for myself. I think I deserve it after all the overtime I put in. I also think we're going mini golfing, but I'm not sure on that one yet.

My friend, Tina, mentioned the website www.plinky.com on her blog that has writing prompts, and I think I'm going to start using that in my blog. They're just writing prompts, but I think it'll keep me motivated to keep this blog going when I have nothing else to talk about. She also mentioned that she's thinking about making a day zero list, which is exciting! Tina, if you're reading this, I tried commenting on your blog but it wouldn't let me. I hope you make one, and I agree coming up with the list was very hard, but its a great feeling once you make it and get started! :)


When did you realize you were an adult?

I thought of myself as an adult long before I actually was an adult. I'm a very independent person, so I've always wanted to take care of myself -- I don't take money from people, and I hate getting help. Sometimes, that is not such a good thing, but it's how I am. I would say I started thinking of myself as an adult when I got a job. I got my first job when I was about a month away from being 16. From that point, I paid for a lot of my own stuff, and of course I wasn't an adult but I was close to it.

Other than that, I would say I realized I was an adult the summer after my sophomore year of college. This is when I 'officially' moved out of my parent's house and started living in my college town year round. I paid for everything when I turned 18, but moving out of the house is a big step for a lot of people. There is no doubt that I love my family, but I love being on my own. Even when things get really tough, its such a liberty for me, especially being an independent person.



"I'd like to tell today's youth that no matter where life takes you, big cities, small towns, you'll inevitably come across small minded people who think they're better than you. People who think that material things, or being pretty or popular, automatically make you a worthwhile human being. I'd like to tell today's youth that none of these things matter. Unless you have a stregth of character, intergtity, ... and if you're lucky enough to have any of these things, don't ever sell out. Don't ever sell out. So when you meet a person for the first time, don't judge them by their station in life, 'cause who knows, that person just might end up being your best friend." ~Dawson's Creek

{1001 days to go}

I had a hard time sleeping last night, and to keep myself occupied, I thought about this project. I decided that I'm going to have a bowl with all the numbers in it. When I feel I can attack another task on top of the ones I'm already doing, I will pick another number out.

I started my day out today by going to the store and getting some stuff I would need for this project. I got a small notebook to start my spending diary in, some post-it notes for Operation Beautiful, and some crayons and a coloring book. I decided that was the first task I wanted to work on (finishing a coloring book).

I did a little bit of coloring in the coloring book, but more importantly, I completed one of my tasks! I tried Chinese food for the first time today. I never thought Chinese food was something I would actually like. Not only did I like it, it is absolutely delicious! To tell you the truth, I'm not even entirely sure what I ate, but it was so good. So, task 84 is complete. I feel like that was a pretty good first day!


"If you think you've reached infinity, add one." ~R. Blake

Day Zero Project

This blog is going to consist of my journey as I start the day zero project. If you aren't familiar with this project, check out http://www.dayzeroproject.com/. I officially start tomorrow, July 11, 2011 and my ending date will be April 7, 2014. For this first post I will post my list. Here we go: 101 things to do in 1001 days!

1. Save $5 for every task I complete.
2. Keep a spending diary.
3. Go to the dentist every 6 months.
4. Start a blog and keep up with it.
5. Participate in Operation Beautiful. (http://www.operationbeautiful.com/)
6. Visit a light house.
7. Keep a log of favorite quotes.
8. Add any change I have into my piggy bank. Don't break into the piggy bank until the challenge is over.
9. Read 100 books.
10. Make the Dean's list for one semester.
11. Learn to ice skate.
12. Introduce myself to 10 new people.
13. Send a secret to Postsecret.
14. Write in a journal every day for a month.
15. Make my family tree.
16. Ask 5 friends to suggest a book and read them all. (not to be included in task 9)
17. Learn sign language.
18. Learn how to drive stick shift.
19. Listen to 26 bands I've never listened to starting with each letter of the alphabet.
20. Travel to all 50 states.
21. Finish a jigsaw puzzle.
22. Beat Super Mario Galaxy 2.
23. Learn how to change a tire.
24. Learn how to change my own oil.
25. Go a whole week without swearing.
26. Treat my parents to lunch at a nice restaurant.
27. Complete at least 24 hours of community service.
28. Complete a 365 day photo challenge.
29. Get CPR certified.
30. Compliment 5 strangers.
31. Do the 30 day song challenge.
32. Say yes to everything for a month.
33. Pay off all credit cards.
34. Sing a karaoke bar.
35. Create an album for my childhood photos.
36. Make a list of my 25 best qualities.
37. Learn to locate all 50 US states on a map.
38. See a drive in movie.
39. Write my resume.
40. Write a letter to myself to open when this challenge is over.
41. Solve a Rubik's cube.
42. Try and finish 5 ideas from Instructables. (http://www.instructables.com/)
43. Donate blood.
44. Don't complain about anything for a month.
45. Answer the "50 questions that will free your mind." (http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/)
46. Complete a coloring book.
47. Learn how to french braid my own hair.
48. See all the films in IMDB's top 250.
49. Inspire someone to make a day zero list.
50. Get into graduate school.
51. Read the Harry Potter series.
52. Run a half marathon.
53. Climb to the top of a lighthouse.
54. Make pie on pi day! (yes, I'm a math nerd).
55. Learn how to ride a motorcycle.
56. Build a gingerbread house.
57. Complete 10 Latch Hook projects.
58. Wear a dress once a week for a month.
59. Have my dad teach me to play golf.
60. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge.
61. Go for a walk in the rain.
62. Have my parents over for dinner.
63. Pick out the clothes I don't wear and donate them.
64. Learn how to play a song on the guitar.
65. Write with my left hand for a day.
66. Learn how to sew.
67. Be an extra in a movie.
68. Get my eyebrows waxed.
69. Take a hot air balloon ride.
70. Don't eat fast food for a month.
71. Leave a 100% tip.
72. When something is bothering me, talk to at least one person about it. (10 times)
73. Lose 10 pounds.
74. Lose 20 pounds.
75. Lose 30 pounds.
76. Lose 40 pounds.
77. Lose 50 pounds. (The reason I'm doing it this way is because I achieve goals better if they're smaller.)
78. Visit my Grandpa's grave privately.
79. Join one club on campus.
80. Fill up my big photo frame and finally hang it on the wall.
81. Give up soda for a month.
82. Fall in love.
83. Print out all the photos that aren't in my photo albums and organize them.
84. Try chinese food.
85. Get my tattoo in memory of Grandpa.
86. Act in a community theatre show.
87. Go skinny-dipping.
88. Drive somewhere without knowing where I'm headed.
89. Take a ride on a horse carriage.
90. Watch all the classic Disney movies.
91. See a concert in Madison Square Garden.
92. Get my belly button pierced.
93. Ride a go-kart.
94. Learn how to parallel park properly.
95. Read all of Shakespeare's plays.
96. Learn to juggle.
97. Get a picture of all of the "welcome to" state signs.
98. Spend a rainy day watching movies in my pajamas.
99. Be in the audience of The Price is Right.
100. Visit the location of Cake Boss.
101. Finish a crossword puzzle with no help.

It took me a pretty long time to make this list, and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm looking forward to getting started! 1001 days left!

You can also see my list at http://dayzeroproject.com/user/piccaflutist17.