40 before 40 Report

Over two years ago I posted my 40 before 40 list. It quickly became apparent to me that I wouldn't check everything off...some would not be feasible, and some I just didn't have the desire to do anymore. I also did some things I never imagined I'd even have the opportunity to do when I made this list - like travel to South Africa, or buy a shore house, or meet Bruce Springsteen - which were awesome before 40 bonuses. Some of my 40 wishes did come true though. I think I liked making this list more than anything - and I won't be making a 50 list because 50 things is a lot. 

1. See a play on Broadway done March 4
2. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge done March 4
3. Skydive so I still sort of want to do this, but I'm not sure if that's because I think I want to or because I actually want to
4. Go tubing on a river done August 13
5. Volunteer at a soup kitchen - not technically, although we did volunteer on Thanksgiving day to serve and clean up food in 2015
6. Eat a lobster roll in Maine  done July 18, 2015
7. Stay in a Falls View room at Niagara Falls - done March 14-16, 2015
8. Write a novella done December 2015. This will not see the light of day.
9. Tip 100% of the bill at a restaurant - at the Tuckahoe Inn on September 24, 2016
10. Go whale watching - in Cape May, September 24, 2016
11. See Mt. Rushmore - done September 2015
12. Take a spontaneous weekend trip – deciding to go and leaving that same day done July 24, 2015
13.  Watch Old Faithful blow - done September 2015
14.  Stroll along the Seine went to Scotland instead
15.  Go to high tea. In Scotland. 
16.  Learn conversational French Abandoned when Paris was abandoned
17.  Adopt a family in need at Christmas Christmas 2015
18. Witness the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace Never made it to England
19. Go to a college football game I gave away tickets in a bigger stadium to go to the shore
20. Eat at a farm to table restaurant (stole this one from Jana, thanks friend!) Talula's Garden on June 19, 2015, and many more after that. 
21. Read two Agatha Christie novels – a Marple and a Poirot I hated the Marple (attempted in May 2015) but liked the Poirot (read in June 2015)
22. Participate in a walk to raise money for pancreatic cancer November 2015
23. Get the tattoo on my back touched up March 2017 (see pic on the bottom)
24. Stand on the Cliffs of Moher November 2, 2016
25. Buy a pair of Frye boots I've hated every pair I've tried on so far. I bought Pikolinos instead and I fucking love them. 
26. Go to the opera Opera on the Mall was cancelled due to weather and rescheduled to when I couldn't go
27.  See the Mississippi River - February 2016
28.  Beignets at Café du Monde - February 2016
29.  Conquer my fear of the grill Summer 2015 - I made myself grill once a week. 
30.  See the Chincoteague Ponies - newp. But I will see the ponies on Ocracoke this summer. 
31.  Have dinner at Vetri - September 3, 2015
32. Cheesesteak tour in Philly - I did the cheesesteak festival and I'm calling it done
33.  Visit the Morris Arboretum - this was my backup plan for my birthday since we couldn't be at the shore. We also couldn't de-ice my car in a timely manner, so, no.
34.  Go to the Mutter Museum 
35.  Attend an author event at the Philadelphia Free Library - Toni Morrison book signing April 29, 2015. I also saw Jodi Picoult there with Jana in October 2016. 
36.  Get something published on HuffPost I never even tried
37. Take a cooking or baking class Stopped looking
38.  Learn how to use a drill Shore house work spring 2016
39.  Pick strawberries and make a strawberry pie from them abandoned, not interested
40.  Bake French bread - I am literally never allowed to put this on a to do list ever again in my life. 

Local friends, if you're in search of a tattoo place, check out Outta Sight Studios in Fairless Hills.

Currently...February

R E A D I N G ... Just finished an advanced reader copy of Dodgers by Bill Beverly courtesy of Netgalley and loved it. I started Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver yesterday. The next Show Us Your Books is Tuesday, March 8.

L O V I N G ... that we are so close to opening the shore house again. Just a few more weeks.

B U Y I N G ... Nothing. I'm halfway through Wallet watch. Well I did buy a few souvenirs in New Orleans but that was expected. One of those was a tie dye dress. I cannot quit tie dye and I won't quit it and if you pass by me when I am an old lady in a tie dye muumuu, just nod hello and carry on. 

A N N O Y E D ... That some shit is blue and I can't fix it even though I went through the HTML.

A P P R E C I A T I N G ... That the series of unfortunate events of Monday is over - MFD's car did not want to start after sitting for several days in the frozen tundra / snow all day and really slippery sidewalks left me in an unintentional lunge position in front of coworkers on the sidewalk / no scraper to be found in MFD's car, had to remove snow and ice with a fucking scarf / dog poop in the basement. The End. To be continued Tuesday morning when I slipped on black ice trying to take the trash out, put my hand out to avoid falling into the central air unit, knocked over a huge bin of recycles, and landed on the wet ground and had to change clothes. Geege is so caring, he was crying and licking my face. Gus was slip sliding around concerned with Gus, and Mae was at the back door like let me in bitches be crazy.

W O N D E R I N G ... If any of you bloggers would be interested in joining me and Sarah from My Journey of Doing in a seasonal goal link up, the spring one would likely be on Friday, March 18...non-bloggers, you'd just share some of your seasonal goals via comment or tweet or post to FB that day. Thoughts? Any interest?

L I S T E N I N G ... to San Francisco Days San Francisco Nights by Chris Isaak. It was playing in the car in The Affair and Helen was all I love this song. So do I.

F E E L I N G ... gross. I need to eat lettuce and air for a while. Just kidding but I really have to slow my roll. 

FA I L I N G ... to understand people's thinking on the workings of our government. The current President is in the last year of his term, not the last five minutes. He has about 336 days left. The longest the Supreme Court has been without nine Justices is 340 days. If this goes into the next President, that record will be beat. Everyone - President, Congress, all of you - do your fucking jobs and function as the government should function. Vet and nominate a Justice and act in the best interest of this country in receiving the nomination - do not vow to shoot down anyone who is nominated. That is fucking insane and you should be fired for it. And if you support that line of thinking, I question you too. Do you want inefficiency and for things to slowly grind to a halt? Are you okay with people sitting in an elected office acting like toddlers? Are you okay when they cause a government shut down over anything? I'm not. I don't give a good shit what side of the party line you're on. Grow up and work. All of this shit makes my eyelid twitch. PLUS...as the very awesome Rachel Maddow brought up, if this election goes the way of Gore/Bush and has to go to the court, what if the vote comes down to 4 - 4 ? Anyone who went to school knows there are three branches of government to provide a checks and balances system. I do not understand how staunchly proclaimed protectors of the Constitution or you lovers of it would advocate a party that refuses to entertain nominees. I'm standing with Harry Reid on this one.

K E E P I N G ... up with my 40/40 even though I failed Monday and Tuesday. I walked for many hours on Saturday and Sunday, so I banked some time. I meant to try a new zumba class at 8:30 on Tuesday night but I have to be real with myself - that time will always be too late for me.

W R I T I N G ... up little short blogs about past events, trying to capture what I felt in the moment. I'm not sure if they'll be published, but some might be.

P L A N N I N G ... to make my own shaving cream this weekend. I said this last month too. Now I'm really out and I'm doing it. I'll report back.

Fill me in...what's going on with you this month?

Linking up with Kristin and Joey