Disaster!

Goal 100. I will participate in the Daring Baker eight months for every twelve months of the 101 goals, not missing two consecutive months. {2/12}~{0/12}~{0/12}


That word describes both the state of my kitchen and this month's Daring Baker results.

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

Things seemed to go wrong from the beginning.  I bought the wrong kind of oranges and had to do another run, I forgot to add the marmalade in the second to last step.  I waited too long to mix the gelatin in with the whipped cream.  I decided to go family style with my springform pan because I didn't have enough little cookie cutters.  Sigh.  And I don't really care for citrus desserts.  I was hoping I would like it as it was quite a bit of work.  But I don't really.  On the upside, I know how to make marmalade and how to segment an orange.  I didn't even know I didn't know how to segment an orange before.  I was going to deviate and go with a chocolate and strawberries yumminess. But I went with the original. In the end, I am still glad I did it!  It was fun making such a mess of my kitchen!  

Life Update

I had an abdominal hysterectomy on Monday.  Good times.  I was released on Wednesday.  I am off work for at least 2 weeks, but possibly more. :(

I have been thinking about my blogging and 101 goals for a while now.  I haven't been blogging for a while because I'm listed on the foodie blog roll which means that I agreed to make sure that half of my posts are about food and cooking.  I haven't been cooking as much as I should for a variety of excuses.  But here we go, surgery is over, recovery is going well, it is time to get the show back on the road. While this post will talk about the chocolate waffles that are being cooked for me right now, the main point of this post is that I felt like I needed to revamp my 101 goals.

Chocolate Waffles page 647 of Joy of Cooking.  Excellent breakfast! I topped it off with strawberries!  Yums!  Definitely an excellent choice for breakfast.  JoC recommends you top these with ice cream, we will definitely try that one night!

I thought that I had some repeats on my list, but looking at my 101 list, I don't see any and I don't see any I can't do.  So I guess it is time to get it in gear!  Last month we did the Daring Baker's Challenge which was really fun and tonight we are getting ready to do this month's challenge (photos, recipe and adventure details to be posted on 01/26).  Next week, I am starting on the lose at least 80 pounds goals by starting with a healthier diet.  I am eating better this week, but I haven't been tracking my food and I have been drinking 7-Up.  I am planning to use SparkPeople.com to track my food.  I can't do any real exercise for 6-8 weeks.  In the meantime, I can and will eat better and take slow walks ~ well, slow walks when I am up for it. Right now, showering is tiring. 

Here is another picture from today ~ the beautiful tulips sent from family:

It has been a while. . .

I am trying to get back on the 101 Goals bandwagon this month. Tonight, we are rearranging some of the furniture to help us get the house more organized. It is a very, very busy night here tonight. Earlier we went to the City Christmas parade. Kate's Girl Scout troop was in the parade. After the parade, there was a tree lighting event down by the water.

I missed last month's Daring Bakers' Challenge. I am really looking forward to this months!

On an unrelated note, I am considering applying for a vacancy on our school board. The member who resigned was just elected mayor. Like most districts in Michigan, ours is facing a financial crisis.

In the next week, I need to find a cherry cake recipe to make a cherry cake with cream cheese frosting for the birthday of one of my closest friends. So if any of you have any recipes, you would like to share, I would really appreciate it!

I guess this post is just going to go up without photos because the computer I keep the photos on is down as part of the rearranging project. My title block is also just going to have to stay not quite right for the night too.

Tomorrow night, I am going to try to make some cream biscuits as found at the Smitten Kitchen. I will try to catch you up on photos and let you know how the biscuits go! We are having turkey chili to go with our biscuits. Biscuits get top billing around here!

3. Lose 80 pounds

Reaching this goal will not be easy. And it will take some time to achieve. So I am starting today.

People who keep food diaries lose more weight and keep it off longer (as long as they are keeping up with the diaries). I am lazy. I use sparkpeople.com's food tracker because it is easy. It has many foods already in there plus you can use the nutrition data from others or enter your own. The site also has a fitness tracker that can tell us how many calories you have burned. I am tracking everything I eat on sparkpeople.com. I even their free iPhone app to help with this.

I am also drinking 96 ounces of water a day.

My goal with this part of the project is to become healthier in incremental steps so that these changes will stick.

Dinner

Tonight Berl & Donald came over for dinner.  I made Rachael Ray's Chicken Kiev, Cheesy Orzo, and creamed corn (I didn't read the label clearly, I thought it was regular corn which I am not a fan of but Donald prefers it to broccoli).  We also had Jello Instant Oreo Dessert which I made this morning.  After dinner, we played Sorry.  Donald beat us despite our group effort to keep him from winning.

I didn't use fresh herbs for the Kiev, I just used some italian seasoning mix from the cupboard and fresh garlic.  Next time, I think I will lightly brown or seal the chicken in the oil and then bake it.  I ended up needing to add a cup of water to the orzo in the end and let it go for another 5 minutes and was happy with it. I also used the thin sliced chicken breasts instead of slicing open regular ones.  I am undecided as to whether I'll do that again.  I probably will has it is lesson hassle, all I had to do is pound them down to 1/4 inch.  Each piece was only 4 ounces.  I guess that is fine, Donald had 2.  (If he moves in, feeding a 16 year old boy will be much different than feeding a 10 year old girl.)

Everyone liked the Chicken Kiev (recipe & link below) and only Berl & I liked the Cheesy Orzo (recipe & link below).

I completely forgot to take pictures of the finished product. So I just have 2 cooking pictures and then pictures of the recipes with my notes on them.  I like to make a note on the page of when I made that recipe last and who liked it.  The cheesy orzo says, 10/04/2009, Amy & Berl liked it, Kathryn & Donald do not like it. (Kathryn & Donald's dislike will not stop me from making it again. . . ) Although, in the future, I will probably half it as it does make quite a bit.

So today, I took a couple of pictures (see today's below) and made a dinner for my family.  Making progress on a couple of my goals!

Chicken Kiev

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (6-8 ounces each) or 4 chicken cutlets (6 ounces each)
  
• 10 blades fresh chives, chopped to about 2 tablespoons
• A palmful fresh parsley, finely chopped to about 2 tablespoons
• A palmful fresh dill, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons chilled butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• A wedge lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Plain, round toothpicks (for securing chicken)
  

Preparation

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil over medium-high heat. The oil needs to be 360°F for frying. If you do not have a frying thermometer, add a cube of white bread to the hot oil. If the bread browns in a count to 40, the oil is ready.

Cover work surface with waxed paper. Arrange breasts on paper. Butterfly small chicken breasts: cut into flesh and across, but not through the breast, and open them up. The cutlets may just be removed from package and arranged on waxed paper. Cover breast meat with a second sheet of waxed paper. Pound out cutlets to 1/4-inch thick with a small heavy skillet or a rubber mallet. Be careful not to tear meat. Roll up waxed paper and breasts and set aside.

Combine chopped herbs on cutting board with chopped garlic. Cut six tablespoons cold butter into four pieces (1 1/2 tablespoons each) and coat each piece liberally with the herb garlic mixture.

In three disposable pie tins, add flour, eggs beaten with a splash of cold water and bread crumbs (one ingredient in each tin).

Uncover chicken and squeeze a wedge of lemon over breasts. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place an herb-covered piece of butter on each piece of chicken. Wrap and roll cutlets tightly up and over the butter cubes. Secure stuffed chicken with toothpicks. Roll stuffed breasts in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.

Fry the Chicken Kiev bundles 7-8 minutes on each side until deep golden brown all over.

Cheesy Orzo

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cans (14 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth or stock
• 2 cups orzo pasta (enriched rice may be substituted)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat a 8 inch pot with a tight fitting cover over moderate heat. Add oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and return broth to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until liquid is absorbed and pasta tender. Remove lid and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. You favorite fresh herbs may also be stirred into the orzo or rice to strengthen the flavor even more.

Dinner tomorrow night

Berl & Donald are coming over tomorrow night for dinner (assuming Berl doesn't get called into work).  Tomorrow afternoon I will be at a pet blessing for the humane society (pictures will be posted!) and Mom will be volunteering at the home tour for Advent House.

I am trying to figure out what I am going to cook.  I am going through Joy of Cooking, one of Sandra Lee's cookbooks (if I can find it), and the interwebnet.  I am going for something homey, something K & D will both eat, something not complicated, but something that takes some effort & care.  So far all I've found is a Chicken & Broccoli Braid.  But I don't think it is what I am looking for.

I found what I was looking for in my Rachael Ray's 30-Minutes Meals 2.  Cheesy Orzo page 63 & Chicken Kiev page 176.  We will also have green beans and maybe even an Oreo Dessert.


This will be the first time I've cooked for Donald.  I've cooked for Berl a few times - not too many. So I'd like this to turn out nicely.  I have made Chicken Kiev before and I *think* I've made Cheezy Orzo.  The green beans and Oreo Dessert are no brainers.  The green beans are probably in my freezer and the Oreo Dessert is one of those instant imitation cheesecake style desserts.

This dinner by the way will help me with goal number 42. Cook fifteen different meals for my family & friends.  As you may have figured out, I don't cook that often.  I make various excuses for not cooking but what it seems to boil down to is I am either not prepared, didn't plan ahead for that night or I am uninspired by cooking meals for just Kathryn and I.

There will definitely be pictures of this meal.  I think I will go ahead and cook this meal even if he gets called into work. It will be good practice and a good dinner.

Day 0003 - 44. Take a picture a day for 1,001 days & post them on the blog.

44. Take a picture a day for 1,001 days & post them on the blog. {3/1,001}


Day 0003 -This morning at our pancake breakfast fundraiser.

Pictures Day 1 & 2

44.Take a picture a day for 1,001 days & post them on the blog! {2/1,001}

Day 1: one of the pictures of the office we decorated this morning.

Day 2: The movie theater where we watched Zombieland.

26 Things ~ 65. Do a photo scavenger hunt with a friend 6 times

I just sent out an email to some friends to do a photo scavenger hunt using the 26 things theme from Sh1ft.org.  Here is the first list:

1. Couple
2. Slope
3. Plate
4. Going places
5. Scrambled
6. In the distance
7. Underneath
8. Bright
9. 11pm
10. Today
11. Everyday
12. Resemble
13. Childhood memory
14. In the water
15. Flower
16. Button
17. Heritage
18. Glow
19. Clock
20. Closed
21. Smile
22. Back
23. Plastic
24. Handle
25. In my fridge
26. Looking back at me

I will post any links people share for their photos here.

Where to start, where to start?

Last week, I was all geeked and wanted to start on all of the list right then!  Today, I look at the list and don't know where to start! I did take a couple of pictures today of our office manager's office after we decorated it for her birthday.  I also started on my 1,000,000 grains of rice goal over at freerice.com. So far today, I have donated 610 grains of rice.

Day One!

Today is not only the first day of my 101 goals project, but also, the first day of windshield scraping season.  Or, as it is called in our house, the season of windshield washer fluid. 

The Final List

1. Learn to make my own pasta.
2. Learn to make good bread.
3. Lose 80 pounds.
4. Do yoga 3 times a week for 12 weeks 2 times. {{{0/3}~{0/12}}~{0/2}}
5. Run a 5k by the end of summer 2010.
6. Eat breakfast together at the table 3 times a week at least 15 times. {{0/3}~{0/15}}
7. Eat dinner together at the table 3 times a week at least 15 times. {{3/3}~{1/15}}
8. Take a multi-vitamin daily for 30 days 7 times. {{0/30} ~ {0/7}}
9. Give up processed sweets {homemade sweets okay} for 30 days 5 times.{{0/30}~{0/5}}
10. Eat at least 7 servings of vegetables a day for 30 days 5 times.{{0/30}~{0/5}}
11. Make my own font.
12. Make 50 Morsbags.
13. Plan a gala for A.H.
14. Get the basement cleaned out.
15. Get a new job.
16. Write a book {word count: {0/100,000}}.
17. Get an academic legal article ready for submission.
18. Get a nonprofit article ready for submission.
19. Learn to make a good pot roast.
20. Make Martha’s Thanksgiving Turkey {fresh} without fire, smoke, or flame.
21. Switch to earth friendly household cleaners.
22. Walk dogs every day for 90 days 3 times. {{0/90}~{0/3}}
23. Do 2 special events with Kathryn a month – 10 months.
24. Learn to ride a horse.
25. Have vegetarian day 15 times.
26. Go to a fun concert.
27. Take Mom out for a mani-pedi.
28. Get all student loans consolidated.
29. Get the complete Prince cd/iTunes collection.
30. Take Mom out for Chinese 1 time a month. {0/33}
31. Learn how to make really good shortbread cookies.
32. Plan a Walk for Hunger/Homelessness for A.H.
33. Teach Zeus or Delilah 2 new tricks. {0/2}
34. Go to church every other week for 1 year {0/26}.
35. Clean out car every week for one year {0/26}.
36. Write to the Grandmas 30 times.
37. Get the ECHS cookbook done!
38. Start, monitor and stick to a budget for 3 months.
39. Host a board game night.
40. Get a henna tattoo.
    
41. Host a Christmas party.
42. Cook fifteen different meals for my family & friends. {6/15}
    See number 68.  This one is redundant and might get changed.
    
43. For two weeks, eat no take out or fast food. {10/14}
44. Take a picture a day for 1,001 days & post them on the blog! {2/1,001}
    Amended to Take a picture a day for 365 days & post pictures to the blog. {6/365}
    
45. Take a cooking class.
46. Make a good pizza from scratch.
47. Send at least 20 postcrossing postcards.
48. Take a family portrait once a week for a year. {0/52}
49. Improve my credit score by 100 points.
50. Donate of all the clothes I don’t actually wear.
51. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice. {610/1,000,000}
52. Get passports for myself, Mom & Kate.
53. Use said passports.
54. Get up by 6:30 a.m. every morning for 30 days {0/30}, get up by 6:00 a.m. for 30 days {0/30}
55. Find 50 geocaches. {0/50}
56. Replace all the carpet in the house with sealed flooring.
57. Donate $5 to Advent House & the Eaton County Humane Society for each item on this list that I do not complete.
58. Make a Blanket of Hope.
59. Make Christmas cookies for all of my friends and family.
60. Have good family portraits taken with Mom, Dan, Kathryn, Katie, Talus, Zeus, and Delilah.
61. Take a belly dancing class.
62. Get one other person to participate in 101 things in 1001 days.
63. Get a fancy SLR camera.
64. Pay off one of my credit cards.
65. Do a photo scavenger hunt with a friend 6 times {0/6}.
66. Visit 3 US cities I've never been to before {0/3}.
67. Complete the 100 Strangers Project.
68. Make 25 new recipes. {0/25}
1. Cheesy Penne
2. Chili
3. Broccoli Cheese Soup
4. Mac & Cheese
5. Chicken Kiev 
6. Belgium Waffles
   
69. Track my weight 3 times a week. {0/3}~{0/143}
70. Decorate the house for Christmas.
71. Decorate the house for Halloween.
72. Document each goal as it is achieved with photographs.
73. Get rid of 101 things that I don’t actually need {0/101}.
74. Clean all dishes before going to bed every night for a week 52 times. {0/7}/{0/52}
75. Grow something we can eat {and then eat it}.
76. Help Kathryn host 12 sleepovers. {0/12}.
77. Learn how to can something.
78. Take Kathryn to a large museum.
79. Finish a 30 minute screenplay for Kathryn.
80. Film and edit the 30 minute screenplay.
81. Finish a feature length screenplay for Kathryn.
82. Film and edit the feature length movie for Kathryn.
83. Make my linkedin.com account complete.
84. Learn and use 75 new words.{0/75}
85. Create and use a composting bin.
86. Do not use the elevator for distances of less than 5 stories for 30 consecutive days 9 times. {0/30}~{0/9}.
87. Wreck a journal with Kathryn.
88. Make a good homemade pumpkin pie from scratch (from fresh pumpkin).
89. Help Kathryn finish her screenplay.
90. Blog every day.{0/1,001}
91. Exercise every day for 30 days for 15 months. {0/30}~{0/15}
92. Identify 100 things that make me happy, then do/see/experience all of them. {0/100}
93. Print and frame 25 photographs. {0/25}
94. Make a pretty party dress.
95. Wear the pretty party dress somewhere nice.
96. Make a fundraising plan for ECHS to increase revenue by 10 - 20%.
97. Drink 96 ounces of water a day for 30 days 12 times. {0/30}~{0/12}
    
98. Take a golf lesson with Mom and Kathryn.
    
99. Be able to do a real push-up.
    
100. I will participate in the Daring Baker eight months for every twelve months of the 101 goals, not missing two consecutive months. {0/12}~{0/12}~{0/12}
     
101. Make another 101 in 1001 list and do it all over again.

The Daring Kitchen

I signed up to be a daring baker with the daring kitchen.  I am excited.  I am bummed that I can't start until October 1. That is goal 100.  I will participate in eight months for every twelve months and not miss two consecutive months. I am adding The Daring Kitchen badge to my site even though I can't start until October 1.

2 days to go!

My project starts in 2 days and I still need to come up with goal number 100.  I am thinking about going with Joining The Daring Kitchen and completely at least have the challenges.  But I need to review the last year of challenges to make sure I am likely have the necessary equipment.

101 Goals . . .

So I am redoing my list, making it really focused on me, what I value, what I care about.  The old list was supposed to be a joint project.  Then we broke up.  {He is trying to take care of the issues which drove us apart and I am letting him.  I am also working on my issues. So maybe it will work out, maybe it won't.} Kathryn read through most of what I have so far on the list yesterday.  She is excited.  Here is what I have so far for a draft list & the rules.  I am planning on starting October 1.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific {ie. no ambiguity in the wording} with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and require stretching {i.e. represent some amount of work on my part}.

1. Learn to make my own pasta.
2. Learn to make good bread.
3. Lose 80 pounds.
4. Do yoga 3 times a week for 12 weeks 2 times. {{{0/3}~{0/12}}~{0/2}}
5. Run a 5k by the end of summer 2010.
6. Eat breakfast together at the table 3 times a week at least 15 times. {{0/3}~{0/15}}
7. Eat dinner together at the table 3 times a week at least 15 times. {{0/3}~{0/15}}
8. Take a multi-vitamin daily for 30 days 7 times. {{0/30} ~ {0/7}}
9. Give up processed sweets {homemade sweets okay} for 30 days 5 times.{{0/30}~{0/5}}
10. Eat at least 7 servings of vegetables a day for 30 days 5 times.{{0/30}~{0/5}}
11. Make my own font.
12. Make 50 Morsbags.
13. Plan a gala for A.H.
14. Get the basement cleaned out.
15. Get a new job.
16. Write a book {word count: {0/100,000}}.
17. Get an academic legal article ready for submission.
18. Get a nonprofit article ready for submission.
19. Learn to make a good pot roast.
20. Make Martha’s Thanksgiving Turkey {fresh} without fire, smoke, or flame.
21. Switch to earth friendly household cleaners.
22. Walk dogs every day for 90 days 3 times. {{0/90}~{0/3}}
23. Do 2 special events with Kathryn a month – 10 months.
24. Learn to ride a horse.
25. Have vegetarian day 15 times.
26. Go to a fun concert.
27. Take Mom out for a mani-pedi.
28. Get all student loans consolidated.
29. Get the complete Prince cd/iTunes collection.
30. Take Mom out for Chinese 1 time a month. {0/33}
31. Learn how to make really good shortbread cookies.
32. Plan a Walk for Hunger/Homelessness for A.H.
33. Teach Zeus or Delilah 2 new tricks. {0/2}
34. Go to church every other week for 1 year {0/26}.
35. Clean out car every week for one year {0/26}.
36. Write to the Grandmas 30 times.
37. Get the ECHS cookbook done!
38. Start, monitor and stick to a budget for 3 months.
39. Host a board game night.
40. Get a henna tattoo.
    
41. Host a Christmas party.
42. Cook fifteen different meals for my family & friends. {0/15}
43. For two weeks, eat no take out or fast food. {0/14}
44. Take a picture a day for 1,001 days & post them on the blog! {0/1,001}
45. Take a cooking class.
46. Make a good pizza from scratch.
47. Send at least 20 postcrossing postcards.
48. Take a family portrait once a week for a year. {0/52}
49. Improve my credit score by 100 points.
50. Donate of all the clothes I don’t actually wear.
51. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice. {0/1,000,000}
52. Get passports for myself, Mom & Kate.
53. Use said passports.
54. Get up by 6:30 a.m. every morning for 30 days {0/30}, get up by 6:00 a.m. for 30 days {0/30}
55. Find 50 geocaches. {0/50}
56. Replace all the carpet in the house with sealed flooring.
57. Donate $5 to Advent House & the Eaton County Humane Society for each item on this list that I do not complete.
58. Make a Blanket of Hope.
59. Make Christmas cookies for all of my friends and family.
60. Have good family portraits taken with Mom, Dan, Kathryn, Katie, Talus, Zeus, and Delilah.
61. Take a belly dancing class.
62. Get one other person to participate in 101 things in 1001 days.
63. Get a fancy SLR camera.
64. Pay off one of my credit cards.
65. Do a photo scavenger hunt with a friend 6 times {0/6}.
66. Visit 3 US cities I've never been to before {0/3}.
67. Complete the 100 Strangers Project.
68. Make 25 new recipes. {0/25}
69. Track my weight 3 times a week. {0/3}~{0/143}
70. Decorate the house for Christmas.
71. Decorate the house for Halloween.
72. Document each goal as it is achieved with photographs.
73. Get rid of 101 things that I don’t actually need {0/101}.
74. Clean all dishes before going to bed every night for a week 52 times. {0/7}/{0/52}
75. Grow something we can eat {and then eat it}.
76. Help Kathryn host 12 sleepovers. {0/12}.
77. Learn how to can something.
78. Take Kathryn to a large museum.
79. Finish a 30 minute screenplay for Kathryn.
80. Film and edit the 30 minute screenplay.
81. Finish a feature length screenplay for Kathryn.
82. Film and edit the feature length movie for Kathryn.
83. Make my linkedin.com account complete.
84. Learn and use 75 new words.{0/75}
85. Create and use a composting bin.
86. Do not use the elevator for distances of less than 5 stories for 30 consecutive days 9 times. {0/30}~{0/9}.
87. Wreck a journal with Kathryn.
88. Make a good homemade pumpkin pie from scratch (from fresh pumpkin).
89. Help Kathryn finish her screenplay.
90. Blog every day.{0/1,001}
91. Exercise every day for 30 days for 15 months. {0/30}~{0/15}
92. Identify 100 things that make me happy, then do/see/experience all of them. {0/100}
93. Print and frame 25 photographs. {0/25}
94. Make a pretty party dress.
95. Wear the pretty party dress somewhere nice.
96. Make a fundraising plan for ECHS to increase revenue by 10 - 20%.
97. Drink 96 ounces of water a day for 30 days 12 times. {0/30}~{0/12}
    
98. Take a golf lesson with Mom and Kathryn.
    
99. Be able to do a real push-up.
    
100. I will participate in eight months for every twelve months of the 101 goals, not missing two consecutive months. {0/12}~{0/12}~{0/12}
     
101. Make another 101 in 1001 list and do it all over again.

Starting over

Well folks, I'm single again.  It is okay, it has been coming a while now.  I am redoing the list so that it is just me.  I hope to have it done in the next couple of days and then I will set my new deadline.  I will let you know when I am ready!

98. Amy – Donate 400,000 grains of rice (1,710/400,000).

Another 500 grains down. And I moved up a few levels.

Tonight's other accomplishment - Setting up & Figuring Out the Bowflex

Before my Mom left for up north, she set up the Bowflex in my basement. I haven't used it yet. In fact, before tonight, I didn't know how to use it. Well, tonight I spent some time with the manual and am happy to say, I think I can use the Bowflex. Now I just need a routine.

45. Get bowflex set up.

98. Donate 400,000 grains of rice (1,210/400,000).

I love freerice.com, I can feel smart, 'cause I know lots of words, AND "donate" to a cause without actually donating. (written like a true scholar).

Tonight, I learned a new word. I love this word!

misology = hatred of reason

If I am going to meet this goal, I really need to step up the efforts. Tonight, I only added another 200 grains of rice.

22. Write a book & 18. Clean out the basement

Last week was crazy! Every night we've had something going on or a bunch of tasks to get done. We've made progress on the basement. 9 boxes emptied! Woo hoo! 5 million to go! :(

I did get some writing done this last week (22. Write a book). I was inspired by Harlequin 2009 writing contest. Entries must be submitted by November 2, 2009. So I jammed out over 2,00o words, loved where I was going and then didn't write anything for 2 5 days! So today's goal is to get another 1,000 words written 1 inch at a time. Here's the thing, I put number 22 on the list because I have started about 7 books now in various word processing applications. I have finished exactly zero. I probably made the most progress in law school. I would write in Will & Estates and another class that semester, I can't think of which one it was.