Day Zero Project – The List

The 2013 list:

Start Date March 9, 2013

1. Catch the Ferry
2. Get my L’s
3. Buy a new Mac
4. Hit my 10K Glinda Goal
5. See Before Midnight at the cinema
6. Cook dinner for Luke 5 times
7. Take J to a theme park
8. Go overseas
9. Read 25 books
10. Release 5 bookcrossing books
11. Send 20 letters to friends (3/20)
12. Do yoga
13. Go on an impromptu road-trip
14. Watch 25 movies I’ve never seen before
15. Try to leave J overnight
16. Listen to every song in my iTunes library
17. Find 20 geocaches
18. Organise Noosa to Byron road trip
19. Get a community garden plot
20. Make a new friend
21. Organise a tiny forest event
22. Take J to see the dinosaurs
23. Watch 20 new TED talks (3/20)
24. Get some beauty redefined stickers
25. Take a project unbreakable photo
26. Put up 20 operation beautiful post its
27. Send in a Postsecret postcard
28. Blog weekly for 8 weeks
29. Go camping
30. Drink only water for 1 week
31. Watch a sunrise on the beach
32. Finish designing the NGF website
33. Write 10 reviews for Sam
34. Go op-shopping
35. Swimming lessons for J
36. Survive toilet training
37. Have a conversation with someone in sign language
38. Go to Perth
39. Have lunch with Elena
40. Teach J to ride a bike
41. Get some coordinates accessories made
42. Buy a picnic rug
43. Find J a best buddy
44. Go on a picnic
45. Watch 5 friends “top 5 movies”
46. Read 5 friends favourite book
47. Eat 25 meals outside (2/25)
48. Go foraging with Luke
49. Sign 10 new clients (6/10)
50. Write at least 50,000 words of my novel
51. Get 5 massages
52. Participate in book mooch
53. Get a ‘signature scent’
54. Have a BBQ by the river
55. Live in a house for longer than 12 months
56. Call Rachel
57. Call Amy
58. Call Elena
59. Find a TV series to watch with Luke
60. Write a will
61. Get a toy created from a J picture
62. Take stuff to Vinnies
63. Inspire someone to write a 101/1001 list
64. Update FF 5 times
65. Buy a picnic basket/set
66. Go swimming
67. Win a competition
68. Write a letter to myself 1 year in the future
69. Send email to J
70. Write in the ‘Dear Luke’ book twice
71. Send a message in a bottle
72. Send out a travelling teddy/toy
73. Take J on a train
74. Take J on a boat
75. Take J on a bus
76. Send Kylie a J artwork
77. Get a creative writing contract
78. Get an editing contract
79. Write an ebook for a client
80. Celebrate my business anniversary with cake
81. Give Luke a massage
82. Make flash cards for J
83. Make a virtual puppet show for J
84. Build a blanket fort
85. Try transitioning J into her own bed
86. Dance with Luke
87. Have a Facebook free week
88. Have a technology free 24 hours
89. Go to a festival
90. Paint a picture
91. Write a poem
92. Tweet every day for a month
93. Sleep for 5 hours (if this happens by the end of 1001 days I will cry with happiness!)
94. Keep a minimum of $1000 in our acct for 6 mths
95. Celebrate our anniversary
96. Exchange love letters with Luke
97. J’s first hair cut
98. Put together a photo book for J
99. Let Luke sleep in
100. Have breakfast in bed
101. Write another 101/1001 list

End date: January 5th 2016

 

India!

I’m very excited today, I am IN FLOW, totally focussed on researching and planning my upcoming trip to India. My very wonderful friend Phi has once again astounded us with his generosity and, as an early 30th birthday present for the two of us, has funded (with his frequent flyer points) a very fabulous trip to India in April of next year. I think everyone needs a friend like Phi.. and not just because he’ll fly you to India for your 30th birthday!

I’m very very super excited about it, especially since I have had an imaginary India itinerary in my head since 2005 when our backpacking trip came to shuttering halt in Vietnam when we realised that we had run out of money and had to come home (I am way too much of a sucker to have ever learned how to successfully barter, and I kept giving all our money away to grubby children and poverty stricken schools!).

I am also excited because it means I will be able to cross two very big things off my list:

#29. Visit at least one new country
and
#65. Celebrate my 30th birthday by doing something fabulous

Technically my birthday is at the end of March, and we aren’t flying out until April 7th, but I’m still going to count it because it IS a birthday present, and we would have been in India for my actual birthday, except Luke has to work over the Easter long weekend.

So, now I am in the zone planning and researching and getting all excited about all the things we will see. I think I actually enjoy the planning of our holidays as much as I enjoy the actual holidays, I’m strange like that I guess. I’m very excited to be dusting off our backpacks and money wallets and heading back out into the big bad world. I only wish it could be longer than 3 weeks!

So, who among my beloved readers has been to India? Any?
If so, tell me all about it! Where should I go? What should I avoid? What did you love? Tell me everything!

 

PHOTO CREDITS TO LONELY PLANET

 

Our impromptu trip to Dunedin

I was thinking yesterday about my 101/1001 list and how unmotivated I’ve been lately with crossing things off. Admittedly I have been working pretty hard on my NaNoWrimo – which is number 48 – and that definitely counts for something, but I thought it was about time that I took a stab at something else on the list. So, early this morning, just before 2am, which is about the time that Luke and I are starting to think about going to bed, we decided to take a drive to Dunedin and watch the sunrise at the beach.

Watching a sunrise was one of the things on the list but I also had to visit the beach one more time before I could cross number 42 (visit the ocean at least four times) so we decided we may as well cross both of them off in one go. I frantically made up some roadtrip CDs, grabbed T’s work in progress CD, a picnic blanket, some water, and my book, and off we went.

For those of you who don’t know New Zealand, I’ve attached a map so you can see just how much of the country we covered. We got home about an hour ago, so we actually covered this distance twice today:

The sunrise itself was pretty disappointing, after driving all through the night, chugging down Red-bulls and singing (badly) to keep ourselves awake we arrived at the beach to discover POURING rain and freezing cold gale force winds. It was so cold that my feet are STILL thawing out 10 hours later. So, we snapped some photos to prove we were there and watched the sunrise from the warmth of the car. We explored the city for a couple of hours, then had some breakfast at a local vegan cafe (Why don’t we have one of those in Queenstown?) did some op shopping, and then drove home again. We had beautiful weather on the way home which was nice after the freezing rain in the morning. It was a really great day, but now I am exhausted, so instead of telling you about it, I’m just going to post some pictures!

This one’s for you Sharni!!

And home sweet home

So, that is two more things crossed off my 101/1001 list, even though technically we didn’t see the sun actually rise, because it was behind clouds, I’m still counting it, because we did watch the night turn into day, so I think that counts!

I’ve also crossed off number 13 on the list, which was to have 101 vegan meals, because as of three days ago I’m officially 100% vegan. I’ve been vegetarian for a few years now, but I have been eating vegan 95% of the time, it got to the point last week where I realised that I was hanging onto cheese and chocolate as a bit of a crutch, so I’ve eliminated them from my diet completely (except dark vegan chocolate!) and from here on in I won’t be eating any animal products whatsoever. It’s quite a feat! You never really realise how many things have animal products in them, today on the way home I picked up a packet of Salt and Vinegar chips only to realise they had milk in them! I looked through every single chip flavour in the place, and in the end the only one that was vegan was the plain salt.. very strange!

Anyway, that’s news from me. I haven’t slept in 30 hours so I’m going to bed!!

 

Hottest 100 Songs of all time

So, today was the Triple J Hottest 100 songs of all time, which was equal parts excellent and frustrating, but I’ve been meaning to do my own hottest 100 list for a while, it’s one of the things on my 101/1001 list (can you tell I have a thing for lists?) so I thought I’d use today’s countdown as inspiration to finally get my list down on paper (or virtual paper at least).

Of course my list isn’t a hottest 100 songs of all time list.. I don’t pretend to have enough knowledge to compile a list like that, my list is more a list of songs that have influenced my life or that have meaning to me. So it is more of a Hottest 100 songs of me.

Anyway – here goes! Even though I will have changed my mind by this time tomorrow!

100. A Perfect Circle – Pet
99. The Doors – Light My Fire
98. Fiona Apple – Slow Like Honey
97. Fischerspooner – Emerge
96. Incubus – 11am
95. Metallica – Enter Sandman
94. The Prodigy – Breathe
93. New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
92. The Grand Silent System – At Close Quarters
91. Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
90. Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
89. Tracy Chapman – Bang Bang Bang
88. Augie March – There is no Such Place
87. System of a Down – Chop Suey!
86. The Cruel Sea – The Honeymoon is Over
85. The Doors – People Are Strange
84. Tori Amos – Me and a Gun
83. Something for Kate – Electricity
82. Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi
81. The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony
80. Silverchair – Tomorrow
79. Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
78. David Bowie – Life on Mars
77. Dire Straits – Romeo & Juliet
76. Mairi Campbell & Dave Francis – Auld Lang Syne
75. Crowded House – It’s Only Natural
74. New Order – 60 Miles an Hour
73. Editors – The Weight of the World
72. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
71. Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs Robinson
70. U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
69. Bright Eyes – First Day of My Life
68. The Tea Party – Walk With Me
67. Damien Rice – The Blowers Daughter
66. Smashing Pumpkins – Perfect
65. Hilltop Hoods – Nosebleed Section
64. The Cure – Lovecats
63. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
62. Coldplay – Yellow
61. Smashing Pumpkins – Lily
60. Rammstein – Du Hast
59. Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
58. Tool – Eulogy
57. The Verve Pipe – Colorful
56. Gerard McMann – Cry Little Sister
55. Tori Amos – Silent All These Years
54. Pearl Jam – Daughter
53. Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Follow You Into the Dark
52. Apoptygma Berzerk – Until the end of the World
51. Nine Inch Nails – Closer
50. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge
49. The Lovemongers – Battle of Evermore
48. Ben Harper – Diamonds on the Inside
47. Smashing Pumpkins – Today
46. Bernard Fanning – Watch Over Me
45. Nirvana – Heart Shaped Box
44. Jack Johnson – Better Together
43. Eddie Vedder – Let my Love Open the Door
42. Pulp – Common People
41. Urge Overkill – Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon
40. Apoptygma Berzerk – Eclipse
39. Joshua Radin – The Myth of Us
38. Gary Jules – Mad World
37. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Henry Lee
36. V.A.S.T – Touched
35. The Smiths – Girlfriend in a Coma
34. Radiohead – Paranoid Android
33. Nine Inch Nails – We’re in This Together
32. Juno Reactor – Personal Jesus
31. Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
30. Paul Westerberg – Dyslexic Heart
29. U2 – Dancing Barefoot
28. VNV Nation – The Farthest Star
27. Ani Di Franco – Two Little Girls
26. Counting Crows – Perfect Blue Buildings
25. Powderfinger – My Happiness
24. Covenant – Dead Stars
23. REM – Losing My Religion
22. The Tea Party – Stargazer
21. Cranberries – Zombie
20. Radiohead – Karma Police
19. Mike Doughty – I Hear the Bells
18. Jeff Buckley – Grace
17. Cure – Just Like Heaven
16. Pearl Jam – Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
15. Powderfinger – These Days
14. Live – Iris
13. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
12. Jackson Browne – Running on Empty
11. Johnny Cash – Hurt
10. Pearl Jam – Jeremy
9. Tori Amos – Crucify
8. Ani Di Franco – What if No-one’s Watching
7. Wolfsheim – Once in a Lifetime
6. Eddie Vedder – Throw Your Arms Around Me
5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms
4. Joshua Radin – Today
3. VNV Nation – Beloved
2. David Bowie – Rock n Roll Suicide
1. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah

 

#47. Make a list of 101 things that make me happy

I realised today that i am 38 days closer to day zero and that progress on my list hasn’t been going so well. It hasn’t stalled completely either which is good but things aren’t moving along as nicely as I would like. I suspect it’s because I kind of feel like my whole life is on hold at the moment until the move. Anyway I decided this morning to take a bit of a look at the list and see if there was anything I could do today and I found two things that I could at least get started on. #47 (make a list of 101 things that make me happy) and #41 (Write a list of 101 places you want to see before you die). I started both lists and have managed to complete one. The other will stay safely in my drafts until it’s ready to be unveiled but for now here is:

1. Brunch with my husband in the sunshine
2. Starting a new book by a favourite author
3. Waking up without the alarm/sleeping in
4. Hot chocolate by the fire
5. Being able to see the stars

6. The sound of waves crashing on the beach

7. Photo of the day with my Mum
8. Holidays
9. Laughing until I cry

10. Friends visiting from interstate/overseas
11. Long emails from friends/family
12. Catching up with friends for coffee
13. Sitting on the grass in the sunshine having a sandwich and reading a book

14. Freddie (my lovesac beanbag)
15. Planning my next holiday
16. Putting “pins” in my Places I’ve Been Trip Advisor map
17. Having a clean house
18. Reading through my travel journals
19. Visiting a new country
20. Seeing something in person that I’ve read about
21. When my husband’s wedding ring catching in the sun
22. Home made dumplings
23. Taking photographs of beautiful things

24. Talking to friends on the phone
25. Making lists
26. Having savings in the bank
27. Buying plane tickets
28. Being a vegetarian
29. When my dreadlocks are neat and tidy
30. Writing

31. A new episode of a favourite TV show
32. Hearing my husband laugh
33. Roadtrips

34. Using my imagination
35. Hugging people hello who I haven’t seen in a while
36. Going out for meals with friends
37. Walking around and listening to my ipod

38. Waking up in the middle of the night and realising I still have hours to sleep
39. Dancing around my house when there is noone else around
40. People watching
41. That feeling when I’ve just had a really incredible dream
42. Doing nice things for the people I love
43. Buying books
44. Massages
45. Making it home just before it starts to rain
46. Listening to the sound of rain on the roof as I’m falling asleep
47. Re-watching a favourite movie
48. Planning future adventures
49. Christmas at Mum’s place
50. Having my four besties in the same place at the same time (rare!)
51. Seeing old people holding hands

52. Finding the perfect present for someone I love
53. Making mixed cds for people
54. The smell of fresh babies and puppies
55. Getting money back when I do my tax return
56. Reminiscing about happy times
57. Walking with a friend
58. Watching people who are in love
59. Finding a really great song
60. Freshly cleaned sheets on my bed

61. Finding a restaurant with great vegetarian food
62. Getting mail
63. The smell of really great coffee
64. Crossing things off to do lists
65. When people ask me for travel advice
66. Naps

67. Getting a new high score in Bejewelled Blitz
68. Having a seat free seat next to me when I travel
69. When my husband picks me up from work and opens the door for me from inside the car
70. The smell of wood fires
71. Being snuggled in bed when it’s cold outside
72. Putting clothes on straight out of the dryer
73. Visiting art galleries
74. Feeling inspired
75. Feeling the vibe when everyone is happy and having a good time
76. Having the solution to someones problem/question/need
77. Getting lost in a daydream

78. Making a difference
79. The feeling of anticipation before a good night out or a holiday or a visit from a friend
80. The smell of jasmine at dusk
81. Summertime, when the sun sets really late
82. The smell of vegetables stir fried in sesame oil
83. Feeling connected to the people in my life

84. Being able to inspire people
85. Finding little ways to show friends and family that I love them
86. When people trust me enough to confide in me
87. Saying I love you at the end of a phone call
88. Having a really great word in Scrabble
89. The smell of my knotty boy dreadlock wax

90. Tasting the food on someone elses plate when we go out for dinner
91. Dessert
92. Lying on the floor in the dark and listening to music
93. Making other people laugh
94. When my backpack is right there on the baggage carousel when I get off a plane
95. Getting new stamps in my passport
96. Remembering past adventures
97. Seeing my friends happy
98. Feeling passionate about world issues (although the picture is of tears it really does make me happy)

99. Learning new things
100. Unexpectedly hearing a song I love
101. The fact that I have so many things that make me happy!

The end!
I really enjoyed making this list, in fact I challenge you to do the same if you can. It’s heartwarming and kind of exhilarating to realise that our happiness (well mine, anyway) depends on so little. Not lots of money or extravangant things.. just simple every day stuff.

picturecredits

 

Day Zero Project 101/1001

I heard about this challenge last week from the blog of a fellow JBer at her blog and being someone who loves a personal challenge I decided I’d give it ago. I threw the idea out to one of my best girlfriends – Amy – and she is just as excited to get started so we are compiling our 101/1001 lists this weekend and will be comparing notes on Monday (via email since we live on opposite sides of the country). Basically the idea is similar to the concept of a bucket list but you have a deadline, you have to make list of 101 things you want to do and you have 1001 days to complete the list.

My Countdown started yesterday and my deadline is FEBRUARY 24 2012.. which sounds far away but really isn’t!

Here is my list in no particular order:

1. Move to NZ
2. Learn to drive
3. Meet Ben
4. Start a Bachelor of Arts
5. Get a new tattoo
6. Give Blood
7. Walk the Milford Track
8. Walk the Routeburn Track
9. Take 101 hour long walks (0/101)
10. Write a novel and send it to a publisher
11. Try Snowboarding
12. Take a trip by myself
13. Have 101 vegan days (101)
14. Cook hubby 101 meals (0/101)
15. Learn to use my DSLR camera properly
16. Learn Tai Chi
17. Make 5 new friends
18. Get to my ideal weight (70kgs?)
19. Successfully manage my weight (@ approx 70kgs)
20. Learn sign language
21. Write 101 articles send them to various blogs to see if they get published (0/101)
22. Have 2 picnics by lake Wakatipu, one during the day and one by moonlight
23. Send out at least five books on BookCrossing
24. Join and begin using BookMooch
25. Sleep under the stars
26. Write a weekly cleaning roster/timetable for our house and stick to it
27. Write 101 hand written letters to friends (0/101)
28. Go camping for a weekend
29. Visit at least one new country
30. See Uluru
31. Spend a weekend in Wellington
32. Master 5 fabulous recipes
33. Backup my laptop every month (0/33)
34. Watch a sunrise
35. Frame and hang our wedding photos
36. Inspire 5 people to make a list like this! (1/5)
37. Bake 30 cakes (0/30)
38. Bake 50 batches of cookies (0/50)
39. Learn a foreign language
40. See 101 of the top 250 movies from IMBD (0/101)
41. Write a list of 101 places to see before you die
42. Visit the ocean at least 4 times (0/4)
43. Complete C25k plan – but a walking version, to help me get fit
44. Organise my blogs so that I have one for everything instead of 6 different ones.
45. Make bread
46. Learn to Meditate and do it at least 101 times (0/101)
47. Make a list of 101 things that make me happy (0/101)
48. Successfully complete NaNoWriMo (0/50,000)
49. Unplug’ for one whole weekend – no mobile phone, no Internet, no TV, no computer
50. Get rid of my TV
51. Participate in http://gimmeyourstuff.blogspot.com
52. Write a letter to myself 10 years in the future.
53. Do 50 things off Keri’s 100 fun things list http://www.kerismith.com/funstuff/100ideas.htm (0/50)
54. Make my “I love hubby because..” box and give it to him on a special occasion
55. Plant a tree
56. Go whitewater rafting
57. Do the Doubtful Sound cruise
58. Do a BTAT for a whole year (Best thing about today)
59. Read at least 50 of the 100 best novels: http://www.best100novels.com/ (o/50)
60. Make my own reading list of 101 books I own but haven’t read and read each book (0/101)
61. Participate in a walk for a cause
62. Say yes to more social situations
63. Volunteer to help with organizing the Queenstown Winter Festival
64. Create a ‘hottest 100’ songs list
65. Celebrate my 30th birthday by doing something fabulous
66. Participate in a photo scavenger hunt
67. Write a blog entry about completion of each of at least 75% of these list items (0/75)
68. Invite someone new over for dinner three times (0/3)
69. Get rid of 101 things that I don’t use or need (0/101)
70. Go one week without chocolate
71. Buy a houseplant and keep it alive
72. Take a ride on the Kingston Flyer
73. Write a thank you letter to someone who has made a difference in my life
74. Learn to knit (again) and actually finish an item of clothing
75. See the Franz Josef Glacier
76. Dance with Hubby
77. Write up my own personal history
78. Hand in my official resignation
79. Find a place to hang my hammock
80. Help Hubby start a small veggie garden in our backyard
81. Finish doing the 1001 questions for couples
82. Learn basic first aid
83. Make the switch to radpads/diva cup
84. Create a http://www.postcrossing.com/ account and send at least 20 postcards (0/20)
85. Read all my back issues of Kindred Magazine
86. Read all my back issues of Bitch Magazine
87. Read all my back issues of New Scientist
88. Save and keep $1000 in an ’emergency’ savings account
89. Make a roadtrip CD for our NZ roadtrip in June
90. Sell/Give away clothes that don’t fit anymore
91. Walk to the Skyline Restaurant instead of catching the gondola
92. See a movie with my Sister
93. Get a beautiful rug for our new house
94. Donate 10,000 rice grains through http://freerice.com/ (0/10,000)
95. Organise something fun for our wedding anniversary
96. Take myself out on 5 photo safaris (0/5)
97. Organise my printed photos into albums/boxes
98. Buy a bicycle and ride at least 101kms (0/101)
99. Eat 101 meals outside (0/101)
100. Create a savings budget and stick to it
101. Make a new 101/1001 list (just before the 1001 is up)

I tried to stay true to the 101 theme by making some of my goals things to do 101 times. I might create a few individual lists as well have them as separate pages, like the 101 book list, so I can cross them off individually… that will make it easier to mark my progress as I go.