Made my first sale!

68. Sell eggs from our flock (hopefully enough to sustain price of feed)

I brought some eggs in to work to give away and ended up selling them to one of our directors. We decided to price them at $3 a dozen. I was thinking that I should probably begin sorting them into medium, large & jumbo sizes and sell them at 2.50, 3.00 and 3.50. 

But $3 for a jumble of different sized and colored eggs is just easier. We have quite the rainbow of colors going on in our egg basket. I love it!

I think that I'll continue with Marans and Easter Eggers just for the egg colors.

Although I planned to take the $$ that we make from the eggs to offset feed cost, perhaps we'll instead put it in a piggy bank for something fun. 

Progress!

I’ve made some progress on my 101 list.

   20.  Sign up for a 5K race - then do it

Last Saturday, I ran my first 5k. I’m still not finished my C25k program, but I’ll be finished in the next week. My goal was to run the race in 40 minutes, and I pretty much hit that mark. There was a big bottleneck at the start of the race where we were stopped for a good 30 seconds. Judging by my Endomondo tracker, I was held up for a minute and a half. My time was 40:46, so if it weren’t for the hold-up at the beginning, I definitely would have been finished in 40 minutes or under. I’m planning to run the Sea Witch next month. Hopefully I’ll be faster then. I don’t expect to ever be truly competitive, but it will be fun to beat myself.

26. Figure out what I want to be when I grow up or figure out my degree path

I'm not sure if I'll ever figure out what I want to be when I grow up. However, I have at least determined my degree path - to get my bachelors in social work. Eventually I also hope to get my masters. I’m planning to begin taking classes at Chesapeake in the spring. It’s going to be slow going, as I plan to only take one or two classes a semester. “You have to eat that elephant one bite at a time,” as my buddy TK used to say. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I have to start somewhere. Fortunately for me, I already have a 2 year degree so I’m not starting from scratch. One of my greatest friends and mentors didn’t get her bachelor’s degree until she was in her 50s. If she can do it, so can I.

54.  Find a cool glass bottle to display my Whitehaven Beach sand

This was one of the easier things on my list. More difficult was to put the sand in it. However, I managed and it is now sitting on the mantle of our fireplace in the chocolate room.

71. Decide if finishing my degree in OZ is a viable option

If I were unmarried and five years younger, it would be. But I’m married and 33 now. One of our physicians is planning a move to OZ and promised to keep an eye out for jobs for me. I’m also on New Zealand’s immigration email list. They have something called a Silver Fern Visa that I would qualify for if I had a 4 year degree. But alas, I have no 4 year degree. 

I’m afraid that Down Under will only be a place that I visit. Maybe one day I’ll be able to take an entire month off to stay in OZ. I don’t know what the cure for wanderlust is. Most times that I yearn for being somewhere else is usually when I’m at work. 

It seems that the best cure for wanderlust would be to compete in the Amazing Race. 

In the next month, I plan to:

Buy a map and put pins in the locations where I've left a little of Dad

Complete the Couch 25K program

Swim 1000 yards

PADI Open Water SCUBA diver certification

Make a photobook of Australia and New Zealand trip

Frame and hang one or more of my own photos

Fence in entire backyard

Write up TripAdvisor reviews for 5 places/things in OZ and/or NZ

Spread some of Dad at Martinak State Park

Eat a rooster that wakes me up too early

Sell eggs from our flock (hopefully enough to sustain price of feed)

Finish painting privacy fence

Another update once a few of these are checked off!

Six items off the list!

I can check off some items from my list… here are the details:

Climb a rock wall

On Saturday, I went with a group of friends to Tuckahoe State Park to participate in their Adults Only ropes challenge. Their rock wall was more of an upright wooden deck with handholds and footholds bolted onto it. I wonder if I would have done better on a traditional rock wall, like the one at the YMCA. I was able to get maybe a third or halfway up the wall. I was proud of myself and quit while I was ahead so that I could still climb up through a 50 foot rope tube. The only way to get to the zip line was to either climb up the rope tube or to climb up and over the rock wall.

This is what I have to show for my hard work:

Send Aunt Nancy thank you gift 

Send Chris and Sally thank you gift

I finally remembered to bring the bag with the goodies in it to work so that I could assemble and take it to the post office. I packaged it all up and took it to the post office today at lunch. Funny thing about sending packages overseas… the shipping costs more than the stuff you’re sending!

Design egg carton to sell/giveaway eggs

I’ve come up with a design… it has a black & white photo of one of our chickens trying to come into our house at one end. Then it says:  Chicken Knock Farm – Fresh Eggs – Happy hens lay better eggs… then it says gathered on and eggspiration. To be safe I’ll put an eggspiration date of 6 weeks from the gathered on date. I’m sure that they’ll be fine for longer than that, but people might be weirded out by how long eggs can last (3+ months depending on storage). 

Buy a brick for the FACES building

I did this a week or two ago… I had the brick inscribed in memory of my dad.

Make Jay a new mug

It looks like a 5 year old painted it… just the way he likes it.

I signed up for a 5k

Sign up for a 5K race - then do it

I've completed week 2 day 2 of my couch25k training program and signed up for my first 5k, the Run 4 Shelter on September 14th.

I'm not doing so well with the word of the day. I did two days and then I forgot about it. My brain hasn't been working so well lately. Work is busy, it's hot, I'm studying for my scuba class, other stuff. 

An easy way to accomplish #3 (2/1001)

Day two of one thousand and one days

Use a "word of the day" in a sentence every day for two weeks (or longer)

For those days that I don't participate in any conversations, I will blog using the word in a sentence.

I'm also planning to use a few different sources for the word of the day. 

Today's word of the day on Word Think is indigenous. I'm pretty sure that I could slip that in to a conversation pretty easily. You know, since I'm an indigenous Eastern Shore girl. 

Why am I using different sources? 

The word of the day from Merriam-Webster Online is ephebic: of, relating to, or characteristic of a youth of ancient Greece or a young man
Read more at http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/#T6SyW6A7lDcooKYD.99 
The word of the day from the New York Times is tout. I'm pretty sure that's doable.

The word of the day from Dictionary.com is edacity: the state of being edacious; voraciousness; appetite.

101 in 1001 - The 2013 Edition

I've come up with a new 101 list... my old 101 list can be found here. 

Start Date: Sunday, July 7, 2013
End Date: Sunday, April 3, 2016

1. Make my new 101 list (it's nice to have something to check off right away, isn't it?)
2. Find the perfect mojito recipe (preferably from Fish D'vine)
3. Use a "word of the day" in a sentence every day for two weeks (or longer)
4. Get my wedding ring re-sized (it was too small to begin with)
5. Buy a map and put pins in the locations where I've left a little of Dad
6. Use one week of our timeshare in a place other than the DR
7. Go camping
8. Go fishing
9. Go crabbing
10. Go horseback riding with Rancho Lorilar in the Dominican Republic
11. Attend one of the monthly USA Dance  events (or something comparable)
12. Go to a murder mystery dinner theatre
13. Raft a Class V river
14. Climb a rock wall
15. Go without eating out for two weeks
16. Have a yard sale
17. Have my aunt Mary over for dinner
18. Hike Old Rag
19. Complete the Couch 25K program
20. Sign up for a 5K race - then do it
21. Swim 1000 yards
22. PADI Open Water SCUBA diver certification
23. PADI Advanced Open Water SCUBA diver certification
24. Come up with a weekly housecleaning list
25. Make a filing system for all of my important documents
26. Figure out what I want to be when I grow up or figure out my degree path
27. Drink bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape from 2006 France trip (hope it's still good)
28. Make a photobook of Australia and New Zealand trip
29. Set up a computer with photo editing software
30. Frame and hang one or more of my own photos
31. Look into providing photos for Shutterstock
32. Select photos and apply to be a juried photographer at the Foundry
33. Fence in entire backyard
34. Can tomatoes from my own garden
35. Re-learn how to play Chess
36. Spend a weekend in NYC
37. See a Broadway show
38. Send Aunt Nancy thank you gift 
39. Send Chris and Sally thank you gift
40. Make gluten-free bread
41. Design egg carton to sell/giveaway eggs
42. Take an impromptu trip to the beach (for the day or weekend)
43. Make a batch of wine
44. Meet up with Nancy and Darryl in Germany or Austria
45. Visit Key West (maybe even for Fantasy Fest)
46. Meet up with my cousin Emily - either in Boise or elsewhere
47. Write a letter to the editor
48. Plan a visit to South America
49. Take a two-week vacation (or longer)
50. Write up TripAdvisor reviews for 5 places/things in OZ and/or NZ
51. Sign up to be a Foodie pen pal at least once
52. Write a magazine-worthy essay or short story
53. Send out Christmas cards (hopefully every year)
54. Find a cool glass bottle to display my Whitehaven Beach sand
55. Spread some of Dad at Martinak State Park
56. Buy a brick for the FACES building
57. Plan and organize a WCCC meeting
58. Go on a sailing adventure
59. Eat a rooster that wakes me up too early
60. Make Jay a new mug
61. Spend a day technology-free
62. Plant hardy perennials in front garden
63. Get rid of red couch and chair
64. 10,000 steps a day for two weeks straight
65. Do a liveaboard trip or cruise vacation
66. Use Chase Sapphire points for a vacation
67. Sell/giveaway laying hens
68. Sell eggs from our flock (hopefully enough to sustain price of feed)
69. Make brownies from scratch and share recipe on blog
70. Visit Nancy and Darryl in Australia again
71. Decide if finishing my degree in OZ is a viable option
72. Visit Kathy's store Bead Soup
73. Send Renee and Joanne souvenirs from vacation
74. Enter something in the county or state fair
75. Try out paddleboarding
76. Decide if buying a boat is right for us
77. Try out oil pulling for at least a month
78. Successfully grow a plant from seed
79. Research and buy a new car
80. Dive a wreck
81. Go to the Dry Tortugas
82. Have a fabulous time at Christina and Dan's wedding
83. Make lemonade from scratch
84. Stay at a bed and breakfast
85. Go to pony penning
86. Have a gait analysis done and buy proper running shoes
87. Watch a meteor shower
88. Send a message in a bottle
89. Harvest pecans from our tree
90. Finish painting privacy fence
91. Go on a last-minute vacation 
92. Bring in fresh flowers to work for a month
93. Give someone a gift for being awesome
94. Attend a literary supper
95. Attend Second Saturdays at the Foundry at least twice a year
96. Make Maryland Beaten Biscuits
97. Go vegetarian for a week
98. Perfectly cook salmon
99. Grow herbs inside
100. Put up blackout curtains in bedrooms
101. Spend an entire afternoon reading in the hammock

My Original 101 List

Life is what happens while we're making other plans.

Below is my original 101 list...

I will post my final updates to it as of July 1, 2013 - way after I was supposed to be finished. 

I'm coming up with a new 101 list and will post it in the coming days and weeks.

lauren's 101 list

Start date: May 16, 2007
End date: February 10, 2010

1. Apply for a scholarship to a 4 year institution

I never accomplished this, however I'm accepted to UMUC whenever I finally transfer my credits from AACC and register for classes.

2. Attend my 2nd cousins’ Christening & Emma’s birthday party in MA - COMPLETED 6/16/07

3. Audition for at least one show or film

I never accomplished this, although I don't think that I would have the time for it these days!

4. Back up my computer files - COMPLETED 8/14/2007

5. Beat Brian at a video game in an arcade - COMPLETED 10/15/2007

6. Buy a “word of the day” calendar, and use each word in a sentence each day for two weeks

Never accomplished this, but I like it. This may go on my new list.

7. Buy a birdfeeder (and utilize it)

Never did this and I'm not sure that I want to attract most of the birds that live in my neighborhood!

8. Buy a house

With as much money as we spent fixing up the one we have, we pretty much bought one. We do have a mortgage now, so I will count this as completed.

9. Buy an original piece of artwork

I've done this a few times

10. Buy another battery for my digital camera - COMPLETED 11/1/07

Of course now I have a DSLR, plus an extra battery and a growing collection of lenses. ;)

11. Change a diaper (sounds gross, but I’ve never done it!) - COMPLETED 6/16/07

12. Clean out Denton house

Completed, and I live there now!

13. Complete my AA degree

Completed in 2009.

14. Find the perfect margarita recipe

My girlfriends and I did this a while ago. Oddly enough, it contained beer!

15. Get a Bose sound dock station for my iPod - completed

16. Get a Brazilian wax - Completed 1/8/08 (not a true wax, but I'm getting a Brazilian laser treatment, close enough!)

17. Get a fish tank

Not sure if I really want to do this anymore.

18. Get a professional head shot done

If/when I complete #3, I'll do this.

19. Get an unplanned body treatment (facial, massage) while on vacation

I've done this a few times

20. Get my “dad” ring re-sized

I've never had it resized, but I've gained weight so now it fits. :-P I rarely wear it, sadly.

21. Get my arm tattoo removed - in process

That puppy is GONE! Most people can't tell it was ever there. Of course since then, I've gotten a new tattoo... however, I now know to think about what I'm putting on my body and to put it somewhere that it can be easily covered up.

22. Purchase new Phi Theta Kappa certificate

I have no idea how to do this. However, my AACC diploma has my Phi Theta Kappa seal and Magna Cum Laude designation.

23. Find new container for Dad

He's happy where he is, I think. However, I've made it my goal to spread a little of him whenever I go on vacation.

24. Go back to House Mountain Inn

There are more exciting places to go!

25. Go camping in Shenandoah

I think I've been camping there and other places since I came up with this.

26. Go fishing

I went fishing a few years ago... but it's going on my new list.

27. Go horseback riding - completed

Done this a few times as well... planning to go again later this year.

28. Go kayaking - Completed

29. Go on a Caribbean Cruise - Completed

I went on another cruise in February 2012.

30. Go out for karaoke with my coworkers

Did this at a sketchy bar in Federal Hill while I was still living there.

31. Go see a dermatologist

Never did this, although I don't think I have any suspicious moles.

32. Go see the Orioles play in another ballpark

Meh. I'll do it someday, but it's not that important.

33. Go swing dancing - completed

Jay and I took ballroom dancing classes

34. Go through old class books & notebooks (throw out or give away the ones I don’t need anymore) - completed

35. Go to a murder mystery dinner theatre

I still want to do this

36. Go to a play at my old high school - completed

37. Go to Little Havana for brunch with at least 10 friends - completed

38. Go white water rafting - COMPLETED 9/1/2007

39. Go without caffeine for a week

I've done this a few times

40. Go without eating out or getting take-out for a week

I'm pretty sure that I've done this as well

41. Go without eating sweets for an entire week (i.e. cake, cookies, candy bar)

I definitely did this when I was on Atkins

42. Go without using the internet for one week (modified from 2 weeks on 6/22/07)

I almost did this when I went to Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately there are just some things that you need the internet for, like checking bank balances while you're away and making sure bills get paid!

43. Hang out with my grandfather and talk about his life experiences (record them if possible)

Not sure if/when I'll do this. It's complicated.

44. Have a yard sale

I need to do this!

45. Have my aunt Mary over for dinner

I still want/need to do this!

46. Have my teeth professionally whitened

Any kind of whitener I've used has made my teeth hurt. I'll pass

47. Have the rough draft of a paper written two weeks before its due in class

No longer applicable!

48. Hike Old Rag

This is going on my new list

49. Host a game night

I've done this

50. Jog an entire mile without stopping to rest (sad as it is, I’ve never been able to do this) - completed

Did this when I was running regularly, but I'm going to do the Couch25k program.

51. Learn French (enough to be able to get through a day in Paris unassisted) - Completed 12/8/07

52. Take a flight lesson - completed

53. Learn to salsa - completed

54. Learn to ski - completed 1/26/08 (or thereabouts)

Yup, learned to ski and I hated it. Skiing is not for me.

55. Make a checklist, chart or flow chart of household chores to make life easier - COMPLETED 5/16/07

I need to get back into this so that we can keep the house clean.

56. Make a filing system for all of my important documents

Still need to do this

57. Make it to work on-time for an entire week – including having my make-up on when I arrive - completed for two weeks in a row, made it in early and the trend has continued! 2/2008

58. Meet with an advisor at AACC before 8/10/07 (to plan remaining schedule of classes) - COMPLETED 7/12/07

59. Open a brokerage account and start investing – including transferring my WTC stock - COMPLETED 11/12/07

Haha! This account now has $4 in it. Turns out I'm shitty at picking stocks. I'll stick with my 401k and leave the stock choosing to the professionals!

60. Open Champagne from France trip in 2006 - Completed 12/31/07

My new list will have open my chateauneuf du pape from my 2006 France trip on it.

61. Print out pictures from digital images and organize pictures into albums

My new goal is to make a photobook from my latest trip

62. Read “Driven to Distraction”

Apparently my ADD was too much to overcome, lol

63. Read my Aunt Dede’s book - completed 6/30/07

64. Re-learn how to play Chess

Still want to do this

65. Rent a Dragon boat and paddle around the harbor

Never did this

66. Ride a mechanical bull (I stole this idea from someone, but I wanna do it!)

Did this in my wedding dress on 12/11/10!

67. Ride the Ducks in a new city

I almost did this

68. See a drag show (where they use their real voices, not one of those fake ones)

Most drag shows are lip synched, it's hard to find one of these. However, I've been to a real drag show!

69. See Les Miserables on Broadway

Didn't get to this

70. See Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

Didn't get to this either

71. See the Redskins play the Cowboys both at home and away
I've become less of a football fan... I still enjoy watching it, but since I don't play fantasy anymore, it's lost some of the appeal

72. Sell Denton house

Well this never happened and I don't know if/when we'll ever sell it!

73. Send a letter or email to 3 people that I haven’t been in regular touch with - completed through facebook/myspace

74. Send a postcard to the owner of Le Voltaire Hotel in Arles

Yeah I never did this. Nancy went back and he didn't recognize her, so I won't even bother.

75. Send Rebecca a wedding present/card

Since she's had her first child and has been married for ~4 years, I would say that it's a little late for this.

76. Send Cheryl and Megan pictures from Amanda’s wedding

I don't even have their email addresses anymore.

77. Set work-out goals (i.e. 45 minutes of cardio 3x a week) and stick to them for at least one month - completed because of workout results during summer 2008, lost over 10 lbs

I've done well with this off and on over the years. 

78. Sing karaoke with a local celebrity

Done, kinda

79. Take a cooking class - completed, or close enough through ongoing fun in the kitchen

80. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park

Meh. Maybe one day

81. Take a yoga class

I used to go nearly every saturday morning at the Y. Need to get back into it.

82. Take an impromptu weekend trip (changed from an impromptu weekend trip to Europe on 9/26/08)

Changing this to impromptu beach weekend

83. Take Piper to get the rest of her shots in 2007 - COMPLETED - 8/27/2007

84. Take Stefani to Ruth’s Chris for dinner

Stef went vegetarian, met a guy, we had a falling out, etc, etc. Now I see her every once in a while. Maybe I can add this back on with a variation.

85. Sell MR2 - completed

86. Travel to Australia and visit Aunt Nancy

Well I just did this finally. :) Can't wait to go back!

87. Try electrolysis or laser hair removal - began treatments on ~1/8/08

Did laser hair removal. Should have spaced treatments out farther apart.

88. Try scrap booking (make at least one page) - Completed 7/11/07

Ugh, I am just not the scrapbooking type. Although I do like making photobooks. Anything that involves glue just seems too sticky.

89. Visit a winery in Maryland - completed

I'm not a big fan of Maryland wines. There. I said it.

90. Visit Disney World

My kids will be lucky if I ever take them.

91. Visit France again - Completed 12/8/07

I'm going to be changing this to visit Germany. I think that's next on our list.

92. Visit Key West again - completed

I need to get back there. This is going to get on my list

93. Visit Lake Tahoe again

Meh. Don't really care about Tahoe.

94. Visit my cousin Emily in Boise

I'd still like to do this, I just need to get my shit in order.

95. Visit Lehigh Valley, PA area to see if I might like to live there (changed from San Antonio, TX to Lehigh Valley, PA on 9/12/07) - COMPLETED 9/16/07 (SO GLAD THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN!)

96. Visit Stonehenge - COMPLETED 5/28/07

97. Visit the Air & Space Museum in Dulles

I'd still like to do this

98. Visit the Baltimore Aquarium

Maybe

99. Walk or bike the B&A trail around BWI

I've walked some of it

100. Watch the sun rise and set in the same day over the ocean

I'm pretty sure I've done this once or twice, at least I did it on the Whitsunday Getaway... although that was the Tasman Sea. Hmm.

101. Write a letter to the editor

I'd still like to do this sometime.