81. Read a biography of someone I don't know much about.

Working in a library means there is never a shortage of books at my disposal. So when I decided that the next task I would tackle on my list would be to read a biography about someone I knew little or nothing about I simply got up from my desk and walked the thirty or so yards to the biography section. And I stood there. Now, let me interject that I do not work in a massive library, but regardless I was slightly overwhelmed by the options. So, after wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles for about ten minutes I took the only logical step I could come up with... start at the beginning and pick something that looks interesting (who says you can't judge a book by it's cover?).

I ended up choosing Maya Angelou's Why the Caged Bird Sings. I knew very little about Maya Angelou other than the fact she is an African-American female writer. Now, two hundred and seventy-four pages later, I am in awe. Not only is she an amazing woman but the way she tells her own personal story was just amazing. The way she viewed the world as a young black girl in the South and the changes that she went through as she grew and moved to a new age in California really gave a new perspective on history, ideologies, and life. Angelou is more than just a skilled wordsmith, through her story she crafts a world that I was completely immersed in every time I picked up the book.

This was the first book I had ever read by Maya Angelou, but now it will certainly not be the last.

57. Keep my dining room table clear for eating for two weeks.

Two weeks and my dining room table has been clear of the usual mail, purses, change, hair accessories, pens, pencils, laptop, and the like. Part of this, I will admit, is due to the addition of a desk in the adjacent room, but hey, the table has been clear and I'm hoping that now this is a habit. I no longer come in and plop all of my belongings down on the first flat surface where they tend to lay dormant for several days or even weeks.

Now the purpose of this task was not only to become more organized and less cluttered but I was also operating under the assumption that a clear table would mean more sit down meals in my dining room/kitchen. Now I have eaten a couple meals there in the past two weeks, but there is still some work to be done in that area. It's all about baby steps...