101 In 1001 Revisited

Remember back when I decided to do 101 things in 1001 days?  No, I'll remind you.
101 in 2008.

It didn't end well.  It wasn't quite an epic fail...I think I finished about 30 goals with about 10 on-going ones left dangling and the others, well...I didn't finish them at all.
But, I'm back.  And I plan to do it again.  So, if you're interested -- and you are because you're reading this - here's the list.

101 Things in 1,001 days
It begins today September 15, 2014 and ends on June 12, 2017.

1.                  Complete Total Money Makeover Baby Step 1 (with a 2014 adjustment)

2.                  Visit an Indoor Climbing Wall

3.                  Complete the 30 Day Blog Challenge

4.                  Go Skydiving

5.                  Learn Spanish

6.                  Purchase Stock

7.                  Build a Financial Portfolio

8.                  Try acupuncture

9.                  Bet on a horse

10.              Get a penpal

11.              Visit Legoland

12.              Buy a house

13.              Build a Writer's Notebook

14.              Complete Family Tree (both sides)

15.              Random Act of Kindness (once/mo)

16.              Visit Statue of Liberty

17.              Scrapbook about this project

18.              Try 5 new recipes

19.              Adopt a highway

20.              Pay off car

21.              Visit Disney (Land or World)

22.              Attend writer's conference

23.              Take a limosine ride

24.              Plant a tree

25.              Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans

26.              Volunteer

27.              Perform in a play

28.              Take an African Dance Class

29.              Visit an observatory

30.              Capture your 365

31.              Detox/fast for 7 days

32.              Complete a Wreck This Journal

33.              Complete Total Money Makeover Baby Step 2 (except student loans)

34.              Blog once/week, at least

35.              Make a quilt

36.              Read the entire Bible

37.              Complete NaBloPoMo

38.              Learn about Meditation

39.              Write daily

40.              Blog about each goal (monthly)

41.              Complete a play

42.              Read the entire Dictionary

43.              Join a book club and participate

44.              Learn to Belly Dance

45.              Go White Water Rafting

46.              Get a hot stone massage

47.              Go Hang Gliding

48.              Visit a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

49.              Enjoy a Broadway Show on Broadway

50.              100 snapshot challenge - with a twist

51.              Ride in a hot air balloon

52.              Finish a puzzle book

53.              Complete a Smashbook challenge

54.              Whiten my teeth

55.              200 situps challenge

56.              Paint a picture

57.              Complete 12 day plan of simple writing exercises

58.              Take a selfie with a celebrity

59.              Submit Work Monthly

60.              Read a book/week

61.              Keep a book of Positive Thoughts

62.              Review every book read

63.              Jet Ski

64.              Write one letter per week

65.              Take a road trip, every 6 months

66.              Check this list daily

67.              Identify 10 things I like about myself

68.              Pray for someone else each day

69.              Memorize 1 Bible verse/week

70.              Keep a food diary

71.              Attend networking event once/month

72.              Get a henna tattoo

73.              Spend one Christmas in New York

74.              Visit Las Vegas

75.              Start a new 101 list

76.              Write a letter to myself to read at the end

77.              Star gaze, with a friend

78.              Take a relaxing bubble bath once/week

79.              Participate in a charity walk

80.              Roller skate twice/month

81.              Purchase a bike

82.              Create a notebook for this project

83.              Get involved in one church activity

84.              Get active with meetup groups

85.              Keep a journal about this experience

86.              Read 100 Essential Black books

87.              No soda for 60 days

88.              Exercise 3 days/week for 30 days

89.              Visit Niagara Falls

90.              Interest someone else in 101 in 1001

91.              Build vocabulary

92.              Get a facial once/quarter

93.              Tweet daily for 30 days - Twitter challenge

94.              Find a new church

95.              Visit an indoor water park

96.              Create calendar of goals and review monthly

97.              24 Day Ab Workout

98.              Join writer social media sites

99.              Pay tithes

100.          Complete NaNoWriMo

101.          Try DASH diet for 30 days

Things I Learned Playing Candy Crush

I'm often surprised at the ways I learn life lessons.  But maybe as I get older, I'm paying attention in a different way.  So here goes; see if you agree.

It’s Easy to Lose Focus
Game: Trying so hard to find matching candies sometimes causes me to lose focus of the big
picture – the goal of that level.
Life: We rush from paycheck to paycheck trying to keep up with bills, activity to activity with our children, or project to project with our jobs and miss out on the big picture. What are my dreams and goals? Am I working to survive? Are the kids happy or simply satiated – am I allowing them to grow or overcompensating? Am I on the path to professional success or just keeping the C-Suite happy?

Seeing the Goal Makes Focus Easy
Game: I forgot the overall point, but seeing the goal posted reminds me of what's important.
Life: This is the reason for focus boards, support groups and mentoring sessions. Getting back on track is
easy to do with a small visual reminder.

One Wrong Move Can Result in Catastrophe
Game: Yeah sometimes. I'll make a match that throws the entire board off. Aaargh!!!
Life: I chose to buy a new car, not knowing I’d get a pink slip in 3 months. We decided to not take a vacation but have ended up more stressed out. You chose to send your child to private school and have to work so much to pay tuition that you can’t attend any events. You posted that picture and … well,
we will leave that one alone.

Strategic Moves Allow Recovery
Game: With a keen eye on the candies on the board and focus on the goal, a crush can still be achieved if you don't run out of moves first.
Life: Keep plugging away and focusing on that goal and things will turn around in time.

Support
Game: There are little secret weapons stacked up on the side (i.e rainbow candies or doughnuts) or extra moves sent by other players to help in a pinch.  This is an awesome addition if used wisely. Which piece to use and when?
Life:  My friends, network or whatever new word is trending this week for those I can depend on.  This essentially means I should know what each person can contribute to my life/situation. Who do I call for a quick pick me up or to just vent? Who will help me hide the body and take the info about it into the afterlife? Which friend do I call and when?

Keep Moving
Game: No matter how bad my board looks, I can’t just reset. If I have 15 moves left, I have to
use them before I can begin that level again.  Also, as previously stated, things can change within those 15 moves if I remain focused on the goal and apply the proper strategy.
Life: No matter how bad it looks, I can't have a do-over.  At least not from the very beginning.  I have to just keep moving.  Sure, I've lost my job and want to give in and give up but each morning I wake breathing with sunlight in my eyes. Someone/something is depending on you too.   Even though your loved one passed and you are grieving...your car won’t start – again...your bank account is overdrawn...your wife left you and left the kids. But you've got goals to focus on.

Patience
Game: Sometimes when I've exhausted all of my moves and haven't achieved the goal, I must
wait for a recharge so that I can play again.
Life: Keep exhausting moves until there are no more recharges.

All this, in one fun and quite addictive game.  Thanks Candy Crush!

Childhood Memories

I'm constantly complimented on my handwriting.  Usually, I transfer it to my mother.  Not out of humility or some undying need for respect but out of sheer honesty.  It's really her fault that I write so neatly and legibly too.

Years and years ago, I brought home a report card that was littered with As and Bs and a lone C -- in Handwriting.  I was somewhat bothered by the folks who thought it necessary to grade a child on penmanship for a number of years -- that is, until I entered the work force, taught school and was otherwise introduced to the handwriting of others.  Suffice it to say, now I understand.

Until my mother pointed out how that C looked among my other grades, I hadn't thought it to be a problem. She explained how it would reduce my grade point average down and negatively affect my Permanent Record.  We are all aware of the importance of the Permanent Record to a child; so, I was eager to make any and all suggested improvements.  She strongly recommended, in a very Black parent manner if you know what I mean, that I write my name - all 22 letters - on a sheet of paper.  After filling up both sides of that paper, she pointed out the problems in the letters and the formations and I repeated that exercise countless times until it improved to the point where that grade was better by the next reporting period.

This handwriting exercise taught me to focus, take my time and take pride in my work - habits that are still a very vital part of my everyday life.  So, thanks Mom for making me take my time and properly form my letters.  This is one of many great memories from childhood that still pays off.

Alabama or Auburn (part 2)

The saga continues...

Round 6 - Technology
I went on the Alabama website to check out the football schedule and offered the ability to download it...directly into my Google calendar!  Gotta admit, this was an awesome touch.  Auburn has it too so I guess this one is a draw.

Alabama 1  Auburn 1

Round 7 - Slogans
Ok, so yeah I think Roll Tide is kinda weird.  Fans originally used this phrase because the team's succcess was so frequent.  It may be time to turn that tide huh?  On the flip side, War Eagle is just as crazy, since the mascot is a Tiger and the story behind the slogan is well...urban legend to say the least.  I still prefer an animal over...well, I always swim upstream against the tide.

Alabama 0  Auburn 1

Conclusion
I think it's pretty obvious. Now, where to find a Tshirt, hat, keychain, glasses, finger and more information about football itself?  Tipoff is coming soon!!!  Ah well, you know what I meant.