46. Visit the Best Friend and Soon to Be Husband's new apartment

Bridesmaid Luncheon at the Best Friend's Apartment


Another check off the list. And what a great way to spend the weekend too. Traveled southward into the city for some time to catch up with the Best Friend and her Soon-to-be-Husband. Their new (well at this point not so new I suppose) apartment is quite lovely. It's a renovated old bakery with high ceilings and big windows. It's very adult and makes me wonder what our lives are coming too... definitely no Never-never Land for us, Peter.

All in all a very good time with the Best Friend. We still scoop cookie dough straight from the tube, still watch Braveheart and other movies into the night, and still play board games with fierce competitiveness. However, these days the cookie dough is paired with champagne, the movies are watched in places where we actually pay rent, and the games are so old and obscure you can't even buy them on eBay for anything less than a small fortune. While the some things have changed, the best parts will forever remain the same.

On Sunday morning we joined forces with the rest of the female bridal crew for a Bridesmaid Brunch at the apartment. In full on Best Friend style it was quite a posh event. One step closer to the big day (and checking off another 101 task!).

49. Talk to my sister about all the things she needs to know before she leaves for college

I don't know when I deemed myself my sister's protector. Perhaps it was the time on the bus when a boy made her cry and I threatened to punch him in the nose if he ever so much as looked at her the wrong way again. Needless to say, I have not had to resort to any physical violence in the protection of my sister, but being older certainly has had its challenges.

There was no one to help me with my math homework (trying explaining the quadratic formula over the phone from 200 miles away), no one to tell me what boys are really like, and no one to give me the least bit of college advice. And so, as a task on the 101 list I decided to give me sister the talks of all talks... the "college talk."

Now let me preface by saying that my fabulous little sister will be graduating in June from high school and will be heading off to the University of Virginia (what the heck is a Wahoo anyway?). She has senioritis to it's full extent. Being the older sister that I am I tend to give advice and tidbits of treasure at every turn, but last night it hit me that now was the time to reach for the big guns.

We were on a walk in town discussing the trials and tribulations of being single girls in a small town when I asked how she was feeling about college. I told her about parties and studying and friends and boys and the wonders of microwaved meals. She asked questions, I told stories, and in the end I think we both feel better about her going to college. This may be only one of many talks we have before she leaves, but it was nice to really talk to her and hard to believe that my little sister is heading out into the real world (or the pseudo reality that is college at least).

25. Write a personal mission statement.

Why a personal mission statement, you ask? Trying to think of 101 items that can be realistically completed with a bit of stretch is not an easy task in itself. The entire purpose of this 101 in 1001 excursion is to come out better on the other side. And there was a reason for putting down on paper (or other electronic medium) specific experiences, habits, and tasks that I want to accomplish, rather than just swishing it around in my head for only me to know and forget. Here there's that accountability factor. Not that 101 police are going to hunt me down if I don't do something... but you get the picture.

The same goes for a personal mission statement. A statement of the person I am and want to become, written down for all to see, and more importantly for me to have and reflect on. To sit back and reflect and push forward and know where I'm going.

And who knew there were so many resources ready and waiting to assist me in this journey to craft a statement of intent for my own life. Of course the ever organized Franklin Covey has an entire Mission Statement Wizard that walks you through a series of steps that helps you to recognize values and goals that important to you. There is even a Mission Statement Museum so you can read through the mission statements of others to assist you in crafting your own. Or you can find a series templates where you can simply insert personal information into a ready-made statement.

Whew! So where do to begin? So much to think about, so many values and goals. This list alone is a personal mission statement of sorts. And even what I come up with here will transform as I journey ahead. So here goes (for now):

To live each day with energy, passion and faith so that I may experience life fully and strive each day to reach higher while maintaining an optimistic outlook.

40. Decide what is the next step.

Yes, this may sound incredibly ambiguous, and really the task was just as uncertain as the wording.

Every time I was asked what I want to be when I grew up, my answer changed. I wanted to be a doctor, president, movie star, an archaeologist. I watched The Today Show just to see Katie Couric so I could one day do her job. I had no idea what I was going to do when I graduated high school, but I somehow managed to matriculate to a four year university. College flew by, as it does for everyone and again I was faced with the question, "What's next?" And I was clueless. I sat down with a school counselor and bounced some ideas back and forth and then he made the fatal error. He told me there was no way I could go to law school. See this was September, the LSAT was less than a month away, and having never really given this thought before I was in no way prepared. Well, I'd show him. And show him I did.

I ended up at a pretty decent law school the fall after graduation. Finished up the first semester and then had to return home where I landed the aforementioned library gig. And while I do greatly enjoy it here, the County leaves something to be desired. The Dixie Chicks may have longed for Wide Open Spaces, but when the only thing in those spaces is cattle, you often get the urge to run. So I set forth task #40.

I have been going back and forth on this issue before the 101 list was even an idea stewing in the Best Friend's mind. I have looked at other locations both far and near. I have browsed through the local community college's summer schedule, and even enrolled in a class (which I have since dropped haha). I have made pro and con lists all over the place. And finally, a decision has been reached.

The library will have to put up with me a big longer. Which probably means the geek squad will only bring me further into their realm. I have decided to attempt to go back to law school. This time, as something more than an in-you-face-counselor! move. I will retake the LSAT actually studying this time. I'll get to a more financially stable place in my life. And then, once I finally receive a big packet from some prestigious law school (as opposed to the little envelope that can hold nothing more than the Dear John letter), I'll bid ado to Conan, Nick Burns, and the rest of the library entourage and try my hand in the world of barristers.

What is that girl doing?

It is more than half way through May. I'm not really sure how that happened. And needless to say I have not crossed off a darn thing from the 101 list. Completely unacceptable, you say? Ah well, this girl isn't just sitting back, I promise you. But, how would you know that right? So alas, here is a posting to prove just what this girl is going.

70. Plan a fire and rescue event at the library.
This task is well on it's way and boy will I be happy when it is over. This year I decided that we should kick-off our Summer Reading Program with a Safe Kids' Day at the library. With a little help from by buddies at Fire and Rescue the event that started as a firetruck and ambulance in my mind has now grown to over ten organizations participating, four classes being held throughout the day, and even a visit by Smokey the Bear. We'll have food, face painting, prizes, and whew... who knows what else? Mark your calendars for June 14th, with posting and pictures sure to follow.

30. Be a bridesmaid.
The next best thing to getting married? Your best friend since elementary school getting married! In fact I might be even be getting the better end of the deal here. I currently only need to listen to the venting, give occasional opinions, and wear a dress of her choosing. Which happens to be super cute. Way to go! Just a few more months and I will be a bridesmaid. Hopefully this will not be the beginning of my own personal version of Twenty-Seven Dresses.

7. Pay off the credit card.
Ah the credit card. Without it I would never have made it through my senior year of college or that lovely semester at law school. And things were going well there for awhile too. Until that fateful day when I received a letter that my credit card company had been bought out by another. That happens all the time right? Perhaps so, however, this new company then proceeded to jack up my interest rate 20 percent. That's right 20 freakin' percent! That was the beginning of the end. Now that I have a full time job and various part time jobs on the side, I have been working on paying off the stupid thing. At the track I am on, it should be paid off by the end of the summer. At least that's the goal. And when I get there, that company will definitely be getting a piece of my mind, and a loss of my business. And I will do a jig of joy.

60. Plan a fundraiser for the high school youth at church.
For anyone who has ever worked with high schoolers, I feel for you. Heck, I feel for myself some days. Don't get me wrong. I love these kids with every bit of me. They make me proud, they make me laugh, and sometimes, they make me cry. Planning anything with this group is a task in itself and something that requires an actual commitment is nothing short of an astronomical human feat. However, I am taking this task head on and have planned a fundraiser for the beginning of June. There will be music, t-shirts for sale, baked goods, and high schoolers rocking in rocking chairs just so we can say "Jesus Rocks, so we're going to rock for Him." Corny, yes... but hey, it's all good.

10. Read a classic lit book I have not read before.
Yes, I know, I work in a library. There is absolutely no reason why this task should not have been done months ago. On a suggestion from my sister's English teacher I picked up As I Lay Dying. The more I read the more I found myself feeling as though I was the one dying. So back onto the shelves it went. But, I will persevere! Though what book I will blow the dust off next is unknown to me. Please, leave comments, and help a girl out!

A Change of Plans

During the formation of this list The Best Friend and I realized that there was a distinct possibility that during the course of 1001 days changes may need to be made to the list. Things would become impossible or obsolete, or perhaps something would occur to us and become so important it is crazy it never got added to the list in the first place.

Well, though only 122 days have passed I am taking my first 101 mulligan. With the best of intentions I documented that I was going to send a care package to Professor Tarzan during his stint in Iraq. However, his year long stay in the depths of turmoil is thankfully almost complete. My own personal to do list is to go back down to college and see him as soon as he steps back onto American soil. However, there is no need for this on the 101.

Therefore, I will be replacing this item with the new task of setting up a rainy day fund that consists of at least a three month salary cushion. Through high school I was always a big saver, then college hit and those lovely years after where I started paying off debt and the saving habit fell into the abyss. However, I think it is fine time for me to get into full I'm-a-grown-up-now mode and start saving again. This is not going to be a task that is completed anytime in the near future, but its on here now and so it's time to start working and saving.