I'm doing 41 things
It’s been too long since I reorganized my “master” goal list. I have a dozen miscellaneous lists on listography that need to be inserted here, along with several goals to mark complete. Hopefully after midterms I can do so. I’m in dire need of the inspiration this place fosters.
BringMeThunder's Life List
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1. create more art
1 entry . 18 cheers327 people -
2. learn something new every day
1 cheer1,280 people -
3. get my driver's license
15 cheers5,336 people -
4. have better posture
1 entry . 13 cheers8,148 people -
5. Learn how to change the oil in my car
22 cheers116 people -
6. Learn to change a tire
1 entry . 29 cheers90 people -
7. expand my vocabulary
3 entries . 11 cheers2,739 people -
8. give away 10% of my income
3 entries . 19 cheers0 people -
9. create a morning ritual
4 people -
10. make my own business cards
1 cheer216 people -
11. build a cold frame
7 cheers4 people -
12. Compost
12 cheers189 people -
13. ride the bus more
8 people -
14. grow my own food
5 entries . 23 cheers552 people -
15. carve wood
1 entry . 10 cheers22 people -
16. explore the city i live in
2 entries . 6 cheers263 people -
17. do a split
1 entry . 7 cheers701 people -
18. improve my handwriting
1 entry . 9 cheers911 people -
19. Have a wardrobe that reflects who I am and makes me feel good
27 entries . 21 cheers4 people -
20. learn to bellydance
3 entries . 31 cheers601 people -
21. learn to sew
1 entry . 17 cheers4,041 people -
22. get a passport
1 entry . 18 cheers1,777 people -
23. Get my labret pierced
1 entry . 10 cheers26 people -
24. learn how to drive stick-shift
1 entry . 10 cheers4,527 people -
25. sell things on etsy
16 cheers180 people -
26. speak spanish fluently
1 entry . 19 cheers2,325 people -
27. sell a photograph
5 cheers76 people -
28. grieve the loss of my dog
1 entry . 5 cheers2 people -
29. see Cloud Cult live
1 cheer2 people -
30. get my motorcycle license...and a motorcycle
1 entry . 6 cheers92 people -
31. Get a tattoo
2 entries . 5 cheers22,049 people -
32. volunteer at an animal rehabilitation center
2 entries . 11 cheers5 people -
33. Cliff Dive
1 entry . 3 cheers141 people -
34. become a missionary
1 entry . 4 cheers81 people -
35. use documentary photography to change the world
1 entry . 8 cheers1 person -
36. Raise chickens
1 entry . 20 cheers197 people -
37. hike in a cloud forest
1 entry . 7 cheers1 person -
38. See a Meteor Shower in the desert
1 entry . 13 cheers2 people -
39. Experience thundersnow
1 entry . 6 cheers2 people -
40. place in the World Press Photo contest
3 cheers1 person -
41. overall goal list
2 entries . 1 cheer1 person
How I did it
It made me 
How I did it: Last spring I took my pets for long overdue exams, only to find out that one of my cats had gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). My vet explained that when plaque remains on teeth for 3-5 days, it mineralizes, forming tartar, which leads to painful gingivitis and bad breath. Tartar buildup then leads to periodontal disease, which can cause abscesses, bone loss, and eventually infection of the heart, liver, and kidneys. There… Read how I did it…
It made me
feel old fashioned.
How I did it: A wax seal, to me, is almost magical because of its obsoleteness and the care required to make one. I've always tried to make my letters be something special for their recipients, using small touches like hand drawn designs, swirling formal names, and various subtle scents, so I knew that I would have to learn to make my own seals, too.I don't actually own a seal or signet ring, so I had to get creative. I found an earring wit… Read how I did it…
It made me
How I did it: My first attempt was a mistake--I went to a beauty school and got stuck with a student stylist who couldn't care less about what she was doing. Plus, they didn't have blue (or any other unnatural) hair dye. But I went ahead and let her bleach my hair, hoping she would do a better job than I could at home. No such luck. She ignored everything I said, and didn't use toner, so the underside of my hair was a grungy gol… Read how I did it…
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Recent entries
but I’ve already ordered seed catalogs from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Heirloom Acre Seeds, Seeds of Change, and the Seed Savers Exchange.
I’m also saving up for a mini-greenhouse like this one, so that I don’t lose so many seedlings during hardening off and transplanting. Plus, this year I’ll be able to till the ground instead of toiling to loosen clay with a shovel, which means better aeration and soil amendments. I can’t wait!
was my first media free day in too long. I was highly productive in the morning. Once all my usual chores were finished, I tackled a few tasks I had put off, and it felt tremendous to strike them from my to-do list. Afterward, however, I grew restless, and abstaining from checking my email became more difficult, since that’s the first thing I usually do in “procrastination mode.”
I felt a little ridiculous and even disturbed noticing how strong the compulsion became. Observing how much time I freed by not giving in to that compulsion four-six-eight times a day was enough to quell the compulsion, though; by the end of the day I was more relaxed than I had been in ages. Completing all those tasks silenced a lot of stress that’s normally buzzing in my mind, enabling me to concentrate better and subsequently, I made significant progress in my current book.
Part of what makes it difficult to avoid electronic media (and why it’s so easy to turn on/tune in daily) is my setting. When I was a child I didn’t have internet or a cell phone but I did have video games, and although I enjoyed them, I never felt any urge to play them outweigh the urge to play outside. I lived near semi-remote fields and forests, where I could explore all day without seeing more than one or two people, and that environment imbued a spiritual peace and physical energy no electronics could provide. Now, living in a small city, I miss that more than I can say. Being cooped up indoors makes turning to electronic media that much easier. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to my next media free day immensely!
