Sarted: July 28, 2008
Day 1001: Monday, April 25, 2011

101 Things in 1001 Days

In no particular order beyond as they came to mind, here they are…

§ – In Progress
© – Completed
Ω – Not completed by goal date/deadline

§ 1. Get rid of anything I don’t love, need, or use regularly. Working on …
§ 2. Read every book I own but haven’t read before buying any more books–check out anything else.
§ 3. Make five desserts from scratch. one made on Thanksgiving 2008 (cranberry sauce counts, right?), March 2009: strawberry cheesecake pie (recipe in spring issue of Kraft Foods magazine, tweaked a bit), Cranberry Almond Crunch cookies (May 2010); Nantucket Cranberry Pie (November 2010)
Ω 4. Finish writing both of the books I’ve started.
Ω 5. Have a pedicure done three times a year.
§ 6. Pay off all student loans by day 1001.
Ω 7. Publish a book of my photography to sell via Esty.
Ω 8. Take a belly dancing class.
Ω 9. Take a self-defense class.
Ω 10. Take shooting lessons–handgun, obviously.
Ω 11. Visit London (UK).
© 12. Take a road trip in a foreign country. Completed 6/21-23/09 (two day stretch in Alberta and Saskatchewan– of an overall 17 day roadtrip through the US & Canada)
Ω 13. Travel with a friend for a long weekend.
§ 14. Handmake at least part of all the birthday/Christmas presents for a year.
Ω 15. Own an imac/ibook–buy with cash in hand. Considering as of 1.1.2010 I purchased computer #2 since this started and neither was a Mac, I think its safe to scratch this one off the list as a failure!
©/© 16. Blog daily on biz and personal sites for three months. Succeeded in Fall 2009 with the business blog, succeeded summer 2010 with personal blog!
Ω 17. Reply to all penpal letters within a month of receiving them for six months.
© 18. Attend a major photography conference (WPPI?) in 2010 or 2011. Done January 2011 — Imaging USA in San Antonio
§ 19. Attend at least 2 photography workshops a year. 2008: done!… 2009: online/dvd workshops count, right?
© 20. Take a weekend trip within Texas by myself. Done – January 2011
© 21. Take a long weekend trip out of state to visit a friend. done 8/7-10/09
§ 22. Take a day trip every other month to photograph area towns and communities.
§ 23. Read at least five classics I’ve not already read.
Ω24. Research and buy stock to add to my investment portfolio.
Ω25. Find a full-time teaching position in criminal justice or political science at a junior/community college after April 2010.
§ 26. Find a photography mentor who’ll challenge/encourage me to develop my own style. While I haven’t found a mentor, I have an entire online community/forum of wonderful, supportive photographers who’ve helped me figure out who I am, what I want out of this journey, and not to hesitate implementing it!
§ 27. Find a new location each week I can use for photo sessions.
© 28. Encourage clients to try something different for part of their photo sessions. done! 11.1.08 and many times afterward!
© 29. Second shoot a wedding with one of the photographers who inspires me. Did this 4/09, unfortunately I discovered they weren’t quite so inspiring in person.
Ω 30. Break-even in 2009 with my business. Didn’t quite succeed, but I did surpass my 1/1/2009 goal income wise.
31. Make a profit in 2010 and 2011. Not quite in 2010
Ω 32. Photograph a destination wedding (in the US). As of 6.1.09, no longer photographing weddings.
Ω 33. See a musical (live).
Ω 34. See Trans-Siberian Orchestra live.
© 35. Attend a cultural event/festival that isn’t a part of my heritage. done! Weihnachten 12.5-7.08
Ω 36. Visit Stonehenge (either in the UK or Texas–yes, we have a mini one here!).
Ω 37. Hike through Palo Duro Canyon.
Ω 38. Go to Dublin (Texas) for St. Patrick’s Day.
§ 39. Visit Timber, April, Bea, and Neva. (April: 6/09 & 5/10; Timber: 6/09)
Ω 40. Run three days a week without fail for an entire season.
Ω 41. Run a 5K at least twice a year.
© 42. Visit a major national park. Completed 6/12-28/09: Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Waterton (Canada), Theodore Roosevelt + Devils Tower NM, Mt. Rushmore NM, and OKC National Memorial. 2010: Capulin Volcano NM (New Mexico) & Rocky Mountain NP.
© 43. Go a week without drinking Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew. Done Dec 9-15, 2008. Only gave in to be alert while driving on icy roads early on the 16th …
© 44. Attend a country music concert. …done August 22, 2008!
45. Play golf on a real course (i.e. not putt putt).
Ω 46. Attend two Dallas Mavericks games each season.
© 47. Develop a website that has nothing to do with me or photography. Done Sept 09 — website for my parents’ farm/hay business.
Ω 48. Don’t buy anything new personally (excluding business-related expenses) for three months–food and meds obviously excluded.
§ 49. Take a self-portrait monthly. July 08-check! Aug 08 – check! Sept 08 – check! Oct 08 — check! Nov 08 — check! Dec 08 – check! Jan 09 — check! Feb 09 — check! March 09 — check! April 2009 — check! May 2009 — check! June 09- check! July 09 — missed. August 09 — missed. September 09 – check! October 09- check! Nov 09-April 2010 — missed . May 2010 — check! June – November – missed December 2010: check! January 2011 — missed. February 2011 – check! March 2011 – missed
© 50. Create an inspiration board. Done Feb 09!
© 51. Volunteer my photography services for local servicemen/women and NILMDS. 8/31/09: Approved Photographer for Think Pink Photography; 11.09: set up my own program to provide photog services for area servicemen/women and their families. Volunteered services for local CASA event 4.17.10.
Ω 52. Find a church home.
§ 53. Save up a sizable down payment for a home.
Ω 54. Read the Bible from cover to cover.
Ω 55. Start a small book club.
© 56. Adopt a rescued/shelter dog and/or cat. Adopted a puppy 3/20/10.
Ω 57. Start a memorial scholarship for my high school in memory of classmates that have passed on.
© 58. Attend high school class reunion in 2008. done Sept 27, 2008!
Ω 59. Keep a plant alive–on my own–for an entire season.
§ 60. If its something I can make instead of buying, make it (at least 5 things). Aug 08: made a prop setup for a contest idea I photographed; Summer 2009: created postcard sets for friends and family rather than buying them generic ones on vacation.; Felt flowers and felt cameras for Christmas presents (November/December 2010, #3-5);
§ 61. Photograph the campuses of Baylor, UT-Austin, SMU, TCU, OU, Oral Roberts, Trinity University, Austin College–and go back and finish photographing A&M and Southwestern (Southwestern: 11.10.08).
© 62. Set up at an art/craft fair or festival and sell prints/advertise business. 11.09: Local holiday expo, advertised portrait biz, sold postcard sets.
§ 63. Take a photography class. Working on one during Fall 2010.
Ω 64. Write a travel article and have it published–online or in print.
§ 65. Say no to school fundraisers I’m hit up for stuff I don’t need. Done a few times so far …
Ω 66. Do something anonymously for someone in need.
Ω 67. Revive my family genealogy research site.
Ω 68. Learn how to design a flash website.
Ω 69. Own a piece a jewelry from Tiffany & Co.
Ω 70. Take a basic yoga class.
§ 71. Cancel all catalogs I receive currently. Slowly working on!
§ 72. Spend one evening every other week editing my personal photos–no client photo editing.
© 73. Come up with a business name for my fine art/travel photos – done! Although as of 1.1.2010, reconsolidated this into my main business.
© 74. Develop a slideshow displaying a sample of all my work for both biz websites. Completed 1.1.2010
Ω 75. Spend an afternoon outdoors reading a book in a hammock or on a blanket.
© 76. Try a Jamba Juice. Done 12.19.10.
Ω 77. Volunteer at the local humane society.
Ω 78. Draft a will, power of attorney, and medical power of attorney.
Ω 79. Post a recipe a week to my recipe blog.
§ 80. Send a care package to a solider each Christmas. 2008 — done! 2009 — contributed to one via work; 2010 — done!
Ω 81. Submit a secret to Post Secret.
© 82. See the King Tut exhibit while it is in Dallas. May 16, 2009!
Ω 83. Participate in Nanowrimo again.
Ω 84. Finish all of the audio classes I bought in July 08 by the end of July 09. Didn’t complete by July 09.
Ω 85. Run a mile in 8 minutes or less.
Ω 86. Watch the BBC Planet Earth series.
Ω 87. Ride the Texas State Railroad from Palestine to Rusk & back and the Grapevine Vintage Railroad from Ft Worth to Grapevine and back.
© 88. Stay a night at an expensive hotel with room service. Done! June 14-16, 2009 at Hotel Terra in Jackson Hole, Wyoming!
© 89. Visit the Thanksgiving Square Chapel in Dallas (my stepgrandfather helped build it). May 16, 2009!
Ω 90. Attend a Flickr photog meetup.
© 91. Go camping–cabin or a tent! Done May 2010 — Estes Park, Colorado!
§ 92. Go thru all of my Christmas decorations–donate the ones I no longer use that don’t have a ‘special memory.’ Started on in 2009, more to go through in 2010!
§ 93. Create a list of account information/critical information for my family (in the event something happens to me). working on Aug & Sept/09. updating summer 2010 …
Ω 94. Wear a cute dress for no particular reason.
Ω 95. Build the knock-off version of the Pottery Barn bed I want (the bed ‘base’ not the headboard).
© 96. Research and purchase a point and shoot camera. done 7.30.08
§ 97. Start and maintain a travel and an emergency savings account with ING. started 7.28.08!
Ω 98. Maintain a gratitude journal daily for at least six months.
© 99. Join PPA. Done March 09!
Ω 100. Visit San Francisco, Sausalito, Catalina Island, and Big Sur.
Ω 101. Meet or discover a man with whom I would like to spend the rest of my life with.

I’ve contemplated starting a new 101 in 1001 … but have decided to just stick with a ‘life list’ (aka bucket list) instead. Most of what’s not completed on this list is on there too

So … for 2011 …

1) Pay off debt & bank as much extra money as possible!

This is actually a summary statement for about seven financial related goals … ranging from paying off debt to banking a set amount of money for/in an emergency fund, future home, medical expenses, and future travels. I even sat down and listed out all the regular/monthly bills I pay, then calculated what comes out of what paycheck (I get paid twice a month). Some items vary from month to month, but most bills are static and made it a bit easier to see what was left to pay on current expenses that vary (food, gas, medicine, books, etc) and to stick in the savings. If I stick to it (someone wanna hold me accountable?), I should achieve all of them by December 2012

2) Get & stay healthier.

I mentioned this one is carrying over … especially as I put on four pounds during the holidays (Nov-Dec)! I’m determined to whip myself back into semi-decent shape to run a 5k at some point this year … and to stop having to donate/replace pants this year!

3) Focus on education/growth as a photographer.

I’m kick starting this one next weekend when I attend Imaging USA, the annual conference for Professional Photographers of America. My focus that weekend will primarily be on the pet side of my business as well as the trade show/expo, where I plan to compare products by a few vendors that I want to add to the product line over the next year. I’d love to find a bargain or two on some ‘wish list’ items, but its not a priority right now. After I get back, I have some workbooks/workshop manuals & dvds I’m planning to spend late January – March studying and testing out (lighting related for the most part). After that, I’m pushing forward onto the biggest goal in this section: preparing/studying to become a CPP — a certified professional photographer. Its a two part process and I have three years to complete it once I declare my candidacy (which I’ll do in April when I start preparing). I hope to submit the images for the image review in August, late fall at the latest, and hopefully early next year take the exam portion.

4) Continue getting rid of stuff I don’t need or use.

I won’t begin to tell you how much stuff I donated or sold last year … but I still have a bunch of stuff to go through, including stuff stored in a barn and a storage building that’s been there for several years.  I’m also getting rid of a lot of my business props that I no longer will use since I stopped offering certain session types … a few of the items I spent too much time locating, so I’m keeping those for when I will have a reason to use them myself, but the rest are about to be gone!

5) Complete several personal photography projects.

I have several in the works that I want to make serious headway on this year … which will involve quite a few day trips on weekends when I’m not studying or shooting sessions. And it would help me knock out some of my 30 in 30 and 101 in 1001 goals in the process!

6) Learn how to sew (properly).

I have owned a sewing machine since I was 11. It rebelled against me within that next year and when we moved, I packed it up … and that’s where it stayed until this summer. I intent to make a few crafty projects I’ve had my eye on for awhile over the course of this year. I also want to learn some hand stitching techniques to make some other sewing related projects that don’t involve a sewing machine.

7) Read all the books that I currently have taking up space!

I figured I should illustrate the point this time around … and for the record there are over 70 books pictured here … and I probably have another 20 more that I didn’t unearthen to photograph because that stack was about to tip backwards (hence the ghost hand/wrist on the right end of this photo. A few more are hidden from view by the comforter at the bottom. Two of those actually belong to family members, the rest are all mine. Many came from the local book exchange, Goodwill, and other thrift shops. The rest are Amazon or B&N buys. A few I was crazy enough to pay cover price (or close to it) at B&N. Usually though I went the cheaper route (aka Amazon/Amazon Marketplace) buying them.

Right now I have three library books (a Vince Flynn novel, a Philippa Gregory novel, and Matterhorn) + one other book (Oogy) I’m gonna focus on before tackling these!

Work less, enjoy life more!

Do I really need to explain that one? Okay, outside the day job, I plan to take on only half as many sessions as compared to past years … all work and no play make for a stressed out, unhealthy, boring me.

Well, I’d heard how good they were, so when I was putting my list together over two years ago, I threw it in towards the end in a moment of despiration (to come up with 101 things!).

Today, after a portrait session in the Dallas area, we headed to a nearby mall (that would be deemed crazy considering its the weekend prior to Christmas!). I spotted a Jamba Juice shortly after we entered. I kinda insisted we head over to it and explained why (got a couple of crazy looks from the two teens with us) I was wanting one.

Yummy! Strawberry Swirl … took a couple camera phone images on the spot, but decided to reshoot the cup upon arrival home to prove it was indeed completed!

It was tough — not only thinking up something to blog daily, but also remembering to blog daily as well! Theming certain days (Monday Loves, Friday Five, Recipe Saturday, the weekly image on Sundays) did help, but some days I either had nothing to talk about or couldn’t publicly talk about … or barely remembered after a busy/long day to log online to post something.

Now that I’ve knocked that looming goal off the two lists, I’m gonna focus on the online photography class I’m taking right now … so posts won’t be daily, but I’m gonna try to keep up the themed posts at least for now!

Numero Dos: and while the most exciting thing I have planned for the day is to get a pedicure ….

Numero Tres: … I have this announcement on my business blog which I alluded to here last month …

Numero Quatro: plus … a list of 30 things to knock out / start while I’m 30. I actually posted the 30 while 30 link in the menu above a couple weeks ago, but waited until today to mention it. So I’ve started on a few of them and will post updates over the next year. And, yes, some of those items are also on the 101 in 1001 list, but there’s a few that are altered or completely new!

Numero Cinco: … and aside from taking today off from the day job, I’ll be MIA from the internets until Monday … tomorrow and Sunday’s post are pre-blogged

Bonus … because it was becoming a bit hard to remember to blog on my gratitude journal, I’ve imported the posts to here and will begin blogging them here as well!

Have a great weekend folks!

Numero Dos: So far I’ve done pretty good at the blogging daily plan here on my personal blog … just need to continue this trend through September 23, 2010 so I can completely achieve #16 on my 101 in 1001 list!

Numero Tres: In addition to my sewing project I’m hoping to commence soon, I’ve been refurbishing/redoing a piece of vintage furniture I came across recently. It was originally shellaced — and due to wear/age, looked very sad and in need of some TLC – but I have a different vision for it. While asking my dad for the best way to redo it for what I have in mind, he tried his best to convince me to either re-shellac it or just put a clear coat of varnish on it. Apparantly its made out of either walnut or cherry, which apparantly aren’t cheap lumber-wise. I’m still stripping it so I have to make my mind up tonight whether it’ll be painted (my vision) or varnished (cause I’m not reshellacing it!) since I need it for a session on Sunday! And yes, I’ll share images of the before and after once I’m done!

Numero Quatro: After six + months of being minus a 50 mm lens in my camera bag, I finally sold the 85 mm lens I rarely use in order to upgrade to the 50 mm f/1.4 lens yesterday … which is gratitude post #2 of the week! Now to upgrade my 28-75 lens that’s acting wonky!

Numero Cinco:  I’ve only had one Dr Pepper this week. In fact, that’s becoming the norm as of the last month or so. Instead, I have a 20-ish ounce water bottle (bought at Wal Mart) that I consume 2-3 bottles of flavored water (those dandy little packets you add in to tap water, that is) and about the equivalent of two more in sweetened iced tea a day.

I added a little symbol directory to make it easier to know if I’ve completed something or not …

§ – In Progress
© – Completed
Ω – Not completed by goal date/deadline

So that said, here’s the current tally …

Completed to date: 22.5
In progress: 20
Won’t complete as stated/missed the deadline for: 5

Most recently, of the items on the list, I’ve …

… visited two more national parks/monuments (Capulin NM in New Mexico and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado) — #42
… visited my friend April again — #39
… resumed taking self portraits after accidental lapse in not taking them! — #49
… volunteered my photography services for CASA (not an organization listed, but was an volunteer effort at least!) — #51
… adopted a shelter dog (who is literally eating himself out of his home!) — #56
… camped out in a cabin in Estes Park, Colorado — #91
… updating my list of account info/critical info since some passwords have changed since I created it — #93

The next several things I want to start working on ….

Its time to start tackling all the running related ones (#40, 41, and 85). However, I didn’t expect this crazy humid heat to start up so dang early this summer. I do want to try to participate in two or three area 5k’s between this fall and next April if possible.

A coworker of mine has a membership at a local shooting range and has offered more than once to teach me how to use a handgun, so this winter I’m considering taking him up on the offer (#10).

I also want to wrap up #3, just need to make three more desserts from scratch! And tying into that, the recipe blog (#79) … I’m not sure if I’ll resuscitate the old one or just start blogging recipes here instead. That would also help me with blogging here daily for three straight months (#16) if nothing else!

I am still way behind on letter writing, so this summer I need to get back on track (#17) before I fall even further behind!

Then today I volunteered my photography services for the local CASA’s 5k race. As much as I enjoyed photographing it and helping an organization I would love to volunteer for if it weren’t for the conflict of interest better known as my day job (being that CASA volunteers — Court Appointed Special Advocates – serve as advocates for children and sometimes their parents are defendants in criminal cases, which is what my day job involves), I realized I wish I had ran/jogged/walked the race today. 

(umm, sorry for that run-on!)

Its been twelve years since I ran a race — the 400m to be exact — and thirteen years since I ran a distance race (2 miles for cross-country). I haven’t ran actively in two years, prior to that, I hadn’t ran actively in nine years due to knee problems and life getting in the way. I was at a mile and a half in 20 minutes when I gave up at that point — found out that I was way down on the wait list for phase II of the FBI Agent Applicant program and wasn’t gonna get that call anytime soon. Back in cross country, my best one mile split was seven minutes for the first mile. Best finish was in the sixteen minute range for two miles — two races, one of which I was sick as a dog and a cold front hit that morning (in Houston at regionals), after training and running races in 90 to 100 degree heat all season. 

So its safe to say I’m seriously out of shape. Which is obviously why I didn’t sign up to run but offered to help in another way.

And due to a nice little pesky health condition I was diagnosed with over a year ago, I’ve been battling weight gain that diet alone isn’t countering — so that has me motivated to get back in shape too.

Coincidentally, I discovered that someone had distributed entry forms on all the windshields for a 5k on June 19th in a nearby town when I got back to my car. I decided right then and there that one way or another, I’ll be in that race, whether its running, jogging, or walking the distance.

So now that I have some motivation and want to, I need someone to hold me accountable to training. I have approximately eight weeks, one of which I’ll be traveling out of state. I’d ask my brother, but his idea of motivating me isn’t my idea of motivation and he has an injured knee, so he can’t run with me. Not that he’s ever ran more than 800m at one time as it is …

Since today’s Thanksgiving, I thought it was the perfect day to finally share these images captured at Thanks-Giving Square in downtown Dallas (#89 on my 101 in 1001 list). The site is one I’ve wanted to visit for many years, ever since I listened to my step-grandfather tell me about working on the crew that helped build the chapel. I finally made it there in May, although it was a very rainy day. I’ve shared a couple of other images (here and here) taken the same day in the past few months, but I’m slowly processing these from RAW to jpeg and enhancing them to take away the gloomy overcast feel they originally had. I’m just thankful they turned out as well as they did, considering the juggling act I underwent to photograph anything that day!

I’ll share the rest of the images taken that day sporadically … if you’d like to visit Thanks-Giving Square (or the chapel), here’s their website for the details.

So … please stop by — as this site gets a number of hits as well — and help me help these charities I am passionate about (the money is coming directly out of my day job paycheck every other week (when I’m paid) until I reach the comment total – more than I typically donate at a time to these charities (normally I donate a lesser amount on a periodic basis throughout the year). And those of you who already have, thank you — its very much appreciated.

– While on the roadtrip, I was able to cross off several items (or parts of) on my 101 in 1001 days list. As soon as all the images are online and I have time to write up a post about each one here, I’ll post it on both sites.

– Also, over at my business website, I’m holding a July special to raise money for the three year old son of one of my friend’s coworkers who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma (they live in Denver). Even if you’re not in East Texas — but know someone who is that has been thinking about a portrait session, send them over to A Fundraiser for Cullen. And if you’re interested in helping, contact me with your info and I’ll pass it on to April (my friend who is spearheading the effort) and she’ll contact you with further details. Meanwhile, I’m sure both Cullen and his family would appreciate all the prayers and positive thoughts for a successful recovery that could be sent their way (comments can be left on their journal and guestbook located here).

– I also am posting twitter updates for the business here. I have a personal twitter account that is private; if you’re a friend of mine or a fellow photographer and aren’t following me, let me know and I’ll pass on the url.

– 5 foot 4 Productions, my commercial, travel, and fine art photography, has just undergone a website overhaul and a slight move (out from the sub-directory). As soon as I wrap up the trip edits, I will be launching a gallery of travel and fine art photography prints for purchase, as well as at least one postcard set (possibly two or three).

– My trip up north reaffirmed one of my addictions: huckleberry. So — if you come across the hard candies, gummy bears, pie filling, soap, lotion, and whatnot that can be easily shipped to the Lone Star State, I’ll give you my mailing address to route it to I’m sure we have something here I can trade; if not, want a fine art photographic print?

– I forgot what else I was gonna say. Problem with not being able to type as fast as I think. Do they have a program out yet that I can think it out what I want to write and it types it up? It was bad enough that the voice one couldn’t keep up with me when I gave it a trial run years ago … what good is technology if I can’t maximize it to the fullest, huh?

Okay, back to being productive — images to come at the biz blog soon.