Life List 1.0

My very first pass at listing out things that I'd love to do in this lifetime. What's on YOUR life list?


Do the 365 days of Self Portraits project on Flickr.

Have a tea leaf reading
Have a phrenology reading
Have my palm read
Have my Tarot cards read

Learn to drive a stick shift confidently.
Learn the art of Bonsai.
Learn the phonetic alphabet.
Learn to identify at least 5 constellations other than the Dippers & Orion.
Learn to do a handstand.
Learn to swim confidently.
Learn to whistle with my fingers.
Learn Tai Chi.
Learn to make a great cup of coffee.
Learn Calligraphy.
Learn Sign Language.
Learn to sew with a sewing machine.
Learn to read Braille.
Learn more about Mythology.
Learn to quilt.
Learn to make Mosaics.
Learn to hacky sack.
Learn to play bridge.
Learn pinhole photography.
Learn shorthand.
Learn to read Hieroglyphics.
Learn to do a pushup.
Get another degree.
Take a public speaking class.
Take a stained glass making class.
Know conversational Spanish.


Drive the entire Route 66.
Go underwater spelunking.
Do an Outward Bound wilderness trip.
Walk across Hot coals.
White Water Raft.
Take a 50-mile bike ride.
Camp in Death Valley.
Walk the Great Wall of China.
Eat a tequila worm.
Bungee Jump.
Walk across a tightrope.

March for a cause.
Give a lottery ticket to a stranger.
Serve Xmas or Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter.
Volunteer at a zoo.
Volunteer for the SPCA.
Volunteer for the Library.
Volunteer for a local park or beach.
Give a microloan through Kiva.org
Be an anonymous donor.
Participate in a beach cleanup day.

Sleep on the beach.
Say "Shut up and kiss me."
Spontaneously kiss a stranger.
Say to a taxi driver "Follow that car..." or "...And step on it!"
Have a public pillow fight.
Get kissed under the mistletoe.
Dance in the street.
Write on a bathroom wall.
Whistle with a blade of grass.
See a concert on a whim.
Throw a public water balloon fight.

Roast a duck.
Make baked Alaska.
Make yogurt.
Take a knife skills class.
Grill pineapple.
Make jam.
Prepare a flambe.
Deep fry a pickle.
Make gnocchi.
Make egg rolls.
Learn to make Soul food.
Make my own spaghetti sauce.
Make risotto.
Learn to cook chinese food.
Crystallize Creme Brulee with a blowtorch
Bake my own bread.
Make a cookbook of family recipes
Make Samosas
Make biscuits
Make a gingerbread house from scratch
Make Pad Thai
Make a souffle
Learn to cook osso buco
Crystallize flowers
Learn to make curry
Learn more about spices
Make hummus from scratch

Own a house.
Pay off all my student loans.
Pay off all my debts.
Leave town and don't tell anyone.
Take a solo trip to Europe.
Start my own business.

Learn to read music (again.)
Learn to play "Heart and Soul" on the piano.
Learn to play Fur Elise.
Go to a juke joint in Mississippi.
Perform in a local musical.
Play the steel drums on my 50th birthday.
Sing an entire song in Spanish.
Be a street performer.
Learn to play the spoons.
Own a vintage guitar.

Give 10% of my income to charity.

Have a spa day.
Go to a health spa for a week.
Get a facial.
Walk a marathon.
Be able to do pull ups.
Run a mile without stopping.
Do a colon cleanse.
Get checked for skin cancer.
Get an eye exam.
Bicycle 200 miles in a month.
Run a 10k.

Go on a yoga retreat.
Visit hot springs.

Plant a fruit tree.
Ride an elephant in India.
Ride a camel in Egypt.
Eat a fresh fig.
Jump into a huge pile of leaves.
Walk through an orchard.
Skip stones across a lake.
Plant a rose garden.
Grow sunflowers.
Eat a piece of fruit right from the tree.
Plant a tree on Arbor Day.
Dive in the kelp forest of Monterey Bay.
Snorkel in a coral reef.
Swim in a bioluminescent bay.
Camp in Yellowstone National Park.
See a buffalo.
Kayak in the Galapagos.
Have a picnic in Joshua Tree.
Camp at Yosemite.
Go on safari in Africa.
Run through a field of wildflowers.
Walk on a glacier.

Go to a big gala or charity event dressed to the nines.
Attend a film festival.
Drink tea in a Japanese tea garden.
Take a cake decorating class.
Visit a candy factory.
Take a massage class.
Take a woodworking class.
Attend a poetry reading.
Have a sunrise picnic.
Go to the opera.
Visit a planetarium.
Take a jewelry making class.
Play bingo.
Take a flower arranging class.
Go to a wine tasting event.
Visit the SF Zoo.
Feed the ducks.
Attend a fashion show.
Go to an afternoon tea.
Play chess with the guys at the park.
Attend the symphony.
Go to a pub crawl.
Go for a sleigh ride.
Go on a hay ride.
Go for a horse drawn carriage ride.

Make a sock monkey.
Learn to blow glass beads.
Write a children's book.
Have my writing published.
Publish a coffee table book of my photography.
Learn to silk screen.
Take an acrylic painting class.
Learn to knit.
Learn to crochet.
Stencil public property.
Make a papier-mache mask.
Collaborate on an art installation.
Create a logo for Snapped In Sin.
Paint with oils.
Choreograph a dance.
Make a ceramic vase.
Learn to throw pottery on a wheel.
Cast a sculpture in bronze.
Carve an ice sculpture.
Tie-dye a T-shirt.

Bury a box of treasures.
Play spin the bottle.
Run through the sprinklers at night.
Slide down a banister.
Twirl a baton.
Make balloon animals.
Roll down a sand dune.
Throw a paper airplane off the Empire State Building.
Blow bubbles in a mall.
Start a food fight.
Play hopscotch with kids I don't know.
Bury a friend in the sand.
Send a singing telegram.

Win a trophy.

Show up at the airport with my Passport and a bag and take the next flight.
Ride the Orient Express.
Go on a walkabout in Australia.
See the Marfa Mystery Lights in Texas.
See Mt. Rushmore.
See the Grand Canyon.
Visit Victoria, British Columbia.
Go to the Rose Bowl.
Visit the Top of the Eiffel Tower.
Visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Go to Stonehenge
Kiss the Blarney Stone.
Visit the Red Light District in Amsterdam.
Have dinner at the Moulin Rouge.
Ride a gondola in Venice.
Throw a dart in the map and go wherever it lands.
Take a steamboat down the Mississippi.
Zipline over the Amazon.
Visit the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Take a hot air balloon ride.
See the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Live.
Go to the Olympic Games.
See a rugby match in London.
Ride the Chunnel from England to France.
Visit Dracula's Castle.
Attend Sundance.
Bicycle in Holland.
See a NASA shuttle launch.
Do a girls only trip to Vegas.
Visit a winery in Napa.
Samba at Carnival in Brazil.
Lead a conga line.

Take a famous photo.

Bury a time capsule.
Publish my autobiography.
Scan all my family photos.

Have sex on a rooftop.
Have sex in the rain.
Have sex in a movie theater.
Have sex in a field of wildflowers.

Build a snowman.
Build a kite.
Build a clock.

Play paintball.
Bet $100 on black in roulette in Vegas.
Steal a lawn gnome.
Pose nude.
Spray champagne on someone.
Run through sprinklers when I'm 80.
Pick a lock.
Write my name in wet cement.

Ride a motorcycle.
Visit as many ballparks and stadiums as possible.

Building a Life List.

I have so much to say about this year and this project, but am not ready to put all the pieces together in words. What I am ready to do is declare this blog space my life list tracker going forward. I have my journal and photoblog and social networks, but this is a place to really focus on living life fully. I am going to start building my life list. Places I want to go, things I want to learn and whatever else fits. Some things may be small and some big, some may take my whole life, some may take next week. But I want to see growth and progress and learning, and to do that, you have to start somewhere, and for me that is going to be building this list. So many things made an appearance on the P30 list and then dropped. Well, that doesn't mean I don't still want to do them, so now is the time they come back and be part of the bigger overall life list.

I've read a few books recently that helped me kick off this list. Big props to "Dream It. List It. Do It" which was recently published by the 43things.com website, which is for life listing in sets of 43 things, as the name implies. I had forgotten I played on that site years ago, but never really liked it. Even the book has some annoying points for me, but it's a brilliant jumping off point. I've now read the whole list of 4000 something things they list and circled a ton, now I will go back and start to compile some semblance of a list from it. Watch for this list, and for it to grow, and shape over time. I encourage you to build your own life lists, share your desires and see what we can do together.

Here's to living!

Final Project 30 Official List

Final Project 30 Official List -

December:
#1 - Purchase an Ipod - Complete
#2 - Visit Vegas & See a show (Spice Girls) - Complete
#3 - Whale Watching on Monterey Bay - Complete

January:
#4 - Tour St. George's Spirits, Makers of Hangar One Vodka - Complete

February:
#5 - See 'Wicked', the Broadway Musical - Complete
#6 - Ride a Mechanical Bull for Valentines Day - Complete
#7 - Multi-Course Dinner - AsiaSF - Complete
#8 - Winchester Mystery House - Wild Card - Complete
#9 - Kooza, Cirque Du Soleil Show - Wild Card - Complete

March:
#10 - San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues Hockey Game - Complete
#11 - Elephant Seals during Mating Season at Ano Nuevo - Complete
#12 - Dance Lessons - Friday Night Waltz - Complete

April:
#13 - Broadway Show in NYC - Complete
#14 - Baseball Game #1 - See Yankees (Last Year in Stadium) - Complete
#15 - Tour Museums in DC - Complete
#16 - Baseball Game #2 - See Mets (Last Year in Stadium) - Complete

May:
I turned 30!

July:
#17 - Minor League Baseball Game - Complete
#18 - Berry Picking - Complete

August:
#19 - Secret Stencil Mission - Complete

October:
#20 - Gun Shooting - Complete
#21 - Santa Cruz Mystery Spot - Complete
#22 - Roaring Camp Railroad - Complete
#23 - Horseback Riding in Half Moon Bay - Complete
#24 - Wine tasting - Complete

November:
#25 - Monterey Bay Aquarium - Complete
#26 - Alcatraz - Complete
#27 - Open Studio at my house - Complete

December:
#28 - Acupuncture - Complete
#29 - Make a Paper Crane - Complete
#30 - Live Life Loud! Doing more than 30 things OTHER than the project! - Complete

Project 30: LIVE LIFE LOUD

Task 30/30: When in doubt...say yes.
Complete: NEVER!
Written: December 15, 2008

There are MANY things that I did this year I had never done that just didn’t seem worthy enough for their own post at the time. In reflecting on the other 29 tasks I have completed, I think it is completely remiss to not state how many other things got done this year, both that I had never done, and even that I had done that I managed to do in the midst of this madness. It is very neat to me that I not only did 29 pretty significant things during my 13 month project, but I did all this other stuff as well that I am going to sum up into this one neat little themed project called “LIVING MY LIFE LOUD.” I did a lot of things this year and it felt like I was always on the go or always going through security somewhere for something, but wow, I don’t regret a moment of going!

Places
(New!) New Years Eve @ the Santa Cruz Clock Tower

(New!) Denver – January 10-14 - I had never been to Colorado and it had been years since I had seen snow and way too long since I had seen my good friend, so off I was. It was an awesome, but cold trip of catching up and exploring one of the oldest gold mining towns in the west.

(New!) Rosicrucian Museum, San Jose - February 9 (Mentioned in Winchester Mystery House post.)

(New!) Gruene, Texas - February 17 - Side trip from Austin visit where we made the side trip to San Antonio for Bull riding.

Farmington, Missouri - March 3-9 - Visiting Family

(New!) Philadelphia – April 7-8 – Most of the attention about my big east coast trips went to Broadway, baseball and museums, but in between all that there was a stopover in Philly. Since I was taking the train and the train was going through Philly, it seemed silly to not get off for a night or two. Since I had wanted to do some train tripping in California, this week was a nice substitute for the experience. I really thought that if I lived out there, it would be hard to keep me from bouncing around the eastern seaboard with the help of Amtrak. Granted I was sick while I was in Philly, so there was less excitement than I had wished, but it was a good pace for the middle of my adventure. I saw the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’s house and Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed, along with dozens of other important old buildings. I also had deep fried macaroni with tomato soup that I still dream about at night.

Birthday Dinner @ the Red - May 27 - While we always end up there for Pt II of Bday activities, this time, I just decided to make it the main event.

Birthday Party @ The Saddlerack, Fremont - the Cowboy Bar - May 30 - Gave people a chance to reenact the bull and me a chance to really check out the local cowboy bar.

(New!) Camping in Big Sur and Viewing Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas – June 26-28 – One of my bestest girlfriends was turning 40 and decided that she wanted to spend her time celebrating among the beautiful natural elements of the central coast. This would be fabulous if I was into sleeping in beautiful, natural elements instead of just photographing them and going home. But it was her 40th and only a short time before she was going to move away, so I was determined to be a trooper and head out anyway. Unfortunately, we experienced some awful fires this season and the main highway down the coast to Big Sur was closed, leaving only the very hairy drive over the mountains through the military base. There was a second where I thought of canceling, but with no way to notify my friend who was already off on her cell-phone free zone adventure, and everyone else pulling out at the last minute, I knew I had to go.
While the drive there was pretty scary, and absolutely overheated my brakes to the point of failure, thankfully at the bottom of the hill, it was an absolutely amazing trip. I am so thankful for those few days to make memories on the coast, camping on grass overlooking the ocean. It was perfect and I am so very glad I did it, I think we had a fantastic celebration. On the drive home, I decided to take the “long” way home, which meant down south past Piedras Blancas and the elephant seals living there. I had stopped here before and seen some pretty inactive elephant seals once or twice before on drives up and down the coast, but saw nothing like this time. The males were so active and vocal and nothing like the emaciated ones I saw at Ano Nuevo as part of the project earlier in the year. It was such a wonderful site, but I hadn’t showered for 3 days and smelled of campfire with a long drive ahead, so I took off, but smiling.

Burning Man 2008 @ Black Rock City, Nevada - August 23-September 1 - Third Time is a Charm.

(New!) Discovered Manresa Beach in Santa Cruz, Visited the Golden Gate Nation Recreation Area on Hwy 1 North, and discovered Stinson Beach. I also saw dozens of unique sunsets and started the 60 second sunset project.

Trade Shows
(New!) MacWorld, San Francisco – January 15-17
(New!) WonderCon, San Francisco - February 21-24
(New!) New York Comic Con, New York City - April 16-20
San Diego Comic Con, San Diego – July 22-27
Siggraph, Los Angeles – August 11-13

Musicians & Performances
(New!) Tim Bluhm with Steve Poltz and the Cynics @ the Crepe Place, Santa Cruz - January 26
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals @ the Catalyst, Santa Cruz – January 29
(New!) Devil Doll @ Continental Club, Austin - February 15
(New!) Colin Gilmore @ Flipnotics, Austin – February 16
Steve Poltz and the Cynics @ the Crepe Place, Santa Cruz - April 13
Juvenators @ the Wharf House, Capitola - June 7
(New!) Dance Odyssey Student Dance Night @ Louden Nelson, Santa Cruz - June 14
(New!) Hayes Carll @ Don Quixote’s, Felton – June 18
Indigo Girls @ the Catalyst, Santa Cruz - June 25
Matt the Electrician (solo) @ the Crepe Place, Santa Cruz - July 19
(New!) Tom Freund with Matt the Electrician @ The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz - November 14
(New!) Oasis with Ryan Adams & the Cardinals @ Oracle Arena, Oakland - December 3

Musicals
(New!) Mamma Mia @ American Musical Theater, San Jose - April 26
(New!) Beauty & the Beast @ American Musical Theater, San Jose - May 18
(New!) A Chorus Line @ Currant Theater, San Francisco - July 13
(New!) Spring Awakening @ Curran Theater, San Francisco - October 4

Other Fantastic Things Of Noteworthy Presence in 2008
Birthdays & Bonfires, Beltane, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving & cocktail gatherings!
(New!) Jury Duty in September - Dismissed.
(New!) Got my eyebrows waxed for the first time.
(New!) Celebrated weddings, pregnancies and sending one of my friends to live abroad!
(New!) Voted for the first African American to be the next President of the United States - Barack Obama!

And with all those little things wrapped up into one big thing summarizing what an amazing year I've had, I am going to call this PROJECT COMPLETE! Watch for additional reflections coming soon on what all of this meant to me and all that fun stuff about carrying it into the future and what I'm going to do for 31! For now, just enjoy the links, and help me toast and cheer and celebrate that this has been a very worthwhile project.

I'm so very proud.

Review the Final Complete Project List Here.

Project 30: Fly.

Task 29/30: Learn to make an origami paper crane
Complete: December 14, 2008

It seems like such a small thing to be in the project, but here I am ranking learning how to twist and fold paper up with seeing Broadway and riding horses on the beach. One of the main themes of this project was to do things I've always wanted to do, not just that I hadn't done. With all my crafty ways, one of the things I've never really explored much is Origami. Like many skills in life, I have always marveled and sat in awe of the people that seemed to concoct the most lovely creations from simple paper, but never had the focus to acquire it myself. A few years ago, a friend even got me an Origami set for Christmas, and yet it wasn't enough of a kickstart to really take me away from other things that held my interest more. At Burning Man, I've frequently seen people give out cranes as gifts, and I thought they were so touching and sweet and seemingly perfect for the setting. Then, this year there was the Temple of Community, a larger than life crane that served as a Memorial. Again, I marveled at the shape and meaning and mentally noted that I would like to learn to fold paper so beautifully.



This entire project is a lot about flight. Not just the dozens of times I have done take offs and landings this year, but about flying free and independent in my spirit and willing to just jump and raise my wings. As I struggled to really find one solid last task that didn't seem repetitive, I was suddenly in the art store standing in front of this box that said "Learn to make 1,000 paper cranes." Before I knew it, it was in my basket and I was checking out, still unsure that this was something I could really do. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought that holding this as one of the last large tasks, with a goal of going forward making 1,000 cranes, I could happily carry this project forward into the future in a really neat way.

I came home and busted open the box to see it filled with 1000 3x3 squares of rainbow colors of paper and a sheet of instructions that seemed vague if anything. I struggled getting started, but thanks to some clever web resources and a quick Youtube video, the very basic skill that had always been out of my reach was mine. I folded 3 my first night and then 8 the next, upgrading for my last one to the larger sheets of paper that came with my older Origami set and making it MUCH easier to complete the cranes without them looking a bit mangled. Tonight I made one completely from memory and am sort of eager to get a more advanced book and try different things. It's exciting finding a new art. I have .01% of the cranes needed to get a possibility of luck, but this project is most certainly 100% MISSION COMPLETE!

Project 30: Human Pin Cushion

Task 28/30: Have acupuncture.
Complete: December 1, 2008 & December 10, 2008

I am not sure if it is because I live in Santa Cruz and alternative medicine is so readily available, but it seems like acupuncture is just one of those things that everyone does. It's even covered by my medical insurance through work. I hate needles. To the point where I generally have to leave the room if they are there and had the last woman who successfully drew blood without me screaming note her name in the file for future reference. There is absolutely nothing potentially relaxing for me about shoving a bunch of needles in yourself, nor do I carry enough of an open mind about alternative medicine to even try to attempt this hair brained idea. Or so I thought. With my career being one of the constantly typing type and my hobbies fairly computer driven, I have had some occasionally problems with my back, neck and shoulders. Improper posture for the duration of my life, laziness and a general lack of exercise as of late haven't really help alleviate the situation either. When injuries arise, assuredly someone always suggests one of two unexplored options in acupuncture and a chiropractor and I generally shrug it (painfully) off.

Recently a friend at work started seeing an acupuncture person with whom she shared my fear of needles, but also my persistent pain and he thought he could maybe use some other methods under the umbrella of his care to help me heal. Since I knew budgetary limitations were going to keep me from knocking off any really spoiling spa day, I figured that this was something that I had always been curious about, but afraid of, and was something still caring for myself in the spirit of the project. After a brief email introduction was made, and a casual phone conversation, all of a sudden, I was booked into my very first appointment to be a human pin cushion. Even though there would be a majority of other care, in order for it to credit with the insurance and walk out of there short only a copay, I had to have "a needle or two." He explained this before hand, and I figured it was something I could come to terms with as the other option on the plate was an $85 an hour massage. I feared an empty bank account a bit more than I did needles suddenly, and since he hadn't exactly killed my coworker yet, I figured it couldn't be that horrific. For as much of a wuss as I am, I am actually more of a whiner than anything, I can generally threshold a fair amount and I was certain I would survive whatever was ahead.

I left work early, but in my usual rushing down the declining slope of the freeway, I looked in my mirror to see Mr. motorcycle cop pulling me over for speeding. While he was nice and I decided to postpone the freak out and major stress until the cost of the ticket and due date were revealed, it was not a very relaxing way to transition from a stressful day at work to a care appointment. I tried to push it out of my head, drive the correct speed and not worry that I was going to cut it just under the wire for being on time. I hate being late places and it is not a good impression on someone that is going to be a partner in improving my health.

I arrived in the beautiful Santa Cruz office, complete with all the relaxing elements you'd think to find in there, including a fish tank with gorgeous gold fish. I was handed a clip board with some paper work that seemed fairly similar to any first health care appointment I had been to and I was suddenly thankful for the formality. I guess it's just reassuring that you see that people sticking you in vulnerable spots have some sort of order and care about themselves and their presentation. In no time I was being led back to an office to sit in a chair to sit and begin our intake conversation. I guess I expected all of the health type questions, but I have to admit that there was some serious eye rolling on my part in the lifestyle changes section. I tried to be respectful and understanding that some people truly understand and grasp things out of my nature and that while I may not want to embrace the life they are suggesting, it doesn't mean I should deny it as possibly true. There was a lot of these unwelcome suggestions that went on. I believe in birth control pills with everything my lovely little education instilled in me, there is a reason to be on it. There is no way I am giving up cold drinks. My body could be whatever ecosystem you say and you could say that I would be guaranteed 10 more years of life if I gave up iced tea and crisp lemonade, I would die early and cool. There isn't going to be kale for breakfast, there is barely breakfast. But I saw the benefits of the tone of his overall suggestions, even if I didn't like the specifics. Okay, yes, there needs to be more for breakfast than triple mochas and I should be more active and start to consider supplements. I am 30 years old and I use my body pretty foolishly sometimes, it might not be a horrible idea to start making smaller changes in my life now to end up with big differences later. While I am not sure I can complete all the homework or make the full changes, I think there is something to be said for having someone to check in with that is willing to embrace working with me on more than my muscle tension.

When it came time for the first treatment, he ended up sticking only a single needle, which I never saw or felt, directly into the top of my head. He proceeded to work on the adjustment of my neck, trying to stretch and retrain the muscles. Overall, there was much more talk the first time than treating, and I definitely think there was some serious skepticism on my part, but he was so nice and well intentioned, that I saw no harm in giving it another go and made another appointment. He suggested a book that I started using on neck exercises, and tried to set out from his office with a geniune reevaluation of my diet and lifestyle. He even called the next day to check on me, and I was really impressed.

I came back the second time the next week before work. I knew I hadn't done all the homework, partially because I was sick, and partially as I said, there will never be kale for breakfast in any universe I live in. But I had gone to the Farmer's Market and I had started cutting down on sweet drinks and caffeine. I even tried to acknowledge when I was having cold things, but realizing that I just wasn't ready to give that up as part of my treatment. I figured I had done enough of the right things to not feel guilty about taking up this guys time who was putting forth a great effort to try and treat my pain. This time there was a bit more lecturing about the cold drinks, apparently, this isn't so much a negotiable part of the treatment and he shared lots of disappointment about my progress in that line item. (I think we will just avoid discussing it in the future so I don't have to lie.) I shared that I was eating more and the big win was the less caffeine, partially kicked off to wanting to save money and being sick.

For the second treatment, we ventured into more needles. This time as I laid face down into the bed, he rolled up the cuffs of my pants and stuck me in the inside of my knees, in addition to my shoulder where I was having some tenderness from the exercises. He then proceeded to do some "cupping" on my neck and shoulders, which he prefaced with warning me about the bruises they would leave. He said the marks were the badge of honor in Hollywood since Gwenyth Paltrow had been spotted with them but this only induced more eye rolling on my part. Neither hippie nor diva am I. The cupping involved him taking 4 jars and suctioning them to my skin and then leaving the room while I laid there like I was being sucked by leeches and poked by a porcupine. I tried to relax and really appreciate that this was an entire hour in my week where I wasn't rushing and was completely for me. The cups actually felt really neat, it was just a weird position to be in, feeling my back pulled on like it was. When I started growing impatient and sort of willing him back into the room, I ended up taking a big deep breath that popped one of the jars off and onto the floor, with my hopes it hadn't shattered. I was still stiff with 3 more and needles and face down. He returned pretty shortly after and removed all the gadgets from my form and I was again getting ready to leave. We made another appointment since I feel like I can commit to enough of the lifestyle suggestions to make it worthwhile for both of us, and it's only $15 each time and an hour for me to breathe. I'm pretty pleased that I faced my fear here to find a possible new avenue for exploring healing my body, and this is most certainly MISSION COMPLETE.

Project 30: I'm a Photographer.

Task 27/30: Have an "Open Studio"
Complete: November 30, 2008

I am sort of a homebody. A messy homebody at that. Also, my house is a bit of my sanctuary. It does not look like an IKEA catalog. I collect things and I like my sentimental nature of displaying them. I have lived in my beautiful apartment for 5 years now, and over the course of that time, I have shuffled, rearranged, bought, thrown away and cleaned so many times I lost count. Always with this goal of having an adult house that people could come visit, but never actually reaching that goal. Until recently. Billed as potentially the final task in this project, I invited everyone I knew, including bravely my entire building, to an Art and Photography Vodka Spectacular and opened up my home to any that wanted to drop by.

It was a fairly stressful mission for me to even commit to the idea without a clean house and prints that impressed me, feeling a bit shy about my paintings being enough to hold the show. But an invitation had to be sent far enough in advance that people could plan, so I went ahead and sent it. By making the event more about the socializing and the open house and house warming instead of the art and photography, I took a bit of the pressure off of myself to really wow people with my work. It still had me up until 3am the night before moving around things and tidying up and still leaving things undusted and not perfect, but better than ever before. In order to motivate myself to finish the cleaning, I first hung the prints that I had ordered and slipped into the mattes, which ended up looking amazing pinned to the walls. Armed with every vodka mixer imaginable, some suggested cocktails and an apartment that was set to display my creative nature, I opened my door.



I am a very lucky girl that I have so many supportive and amazing friends that came out to spend the afternoon with me and gander at my things. It was a lovely turnout with quite a successful set of sales, including the 2 paintings above. It was 4 hours of conversation and good times over yummy drinks. (Absolut Peach Lemonade and Pear Vodka with Sprite were the clear favorites but found a new fan for the Mango Black Pepper vodka that doesn't really appeal to me personally.) It was nice to have people in my space and not feel amazingly anxious about it the entire time, and it really seemed to be as the day really was what the project was supposed to be all about. I pushed myself to do something that I normally wouldn't do, and learned a lot about myself in the process. It was nice having some of the neighbors over and bonding with them more, and being able to share with everyone a bit more who I really am. My house is a large representation of who I am, and it was neat to see people embrace it. Unfortunately, this was not the last task of the project, but a successful celebration of the project anyway! I'm very proud that this task can now be called MISSION COMPLETE.

Below are just a few of the selection of images that I chose to have printed in various sizes for my show, mostly old hits:

Project 30: The Rock

Task 26/30: Visit Alcatraz Island
Complete: November 22, 2008

Who would have thought that an afternoon visit to a prison would be so lovely? I couldn't have chosen a better day to sail upon the San Francisco Bay out to the famous Alcatraz island. Thanks to the internet, I was able to wait until the last minute to decide how much I wanted to sleep in, booking my ticket early in the morning with enough time to park and walk to the loading dock. The tour seemed to be sold out, and full, but not crowded. I was happy to go to the island about mid day and missing the morning fog. As usual, traveling alone allows me to get to the front and premium seating or able to break away from the big packs with my quick walking, so I felt happy with my whole trip in a way that I don't normally feel happy around tourists. The ride on the bay was absolutely beautiful, but still brisk. When we docked on Alcatraz, I purchased the self tour map and quickly walked away from the masses and up the hill into the cellhouse. It was nice because while I never take the audio tour, this time I knew I wanted to and I did not want to be on the same pace as the rest of the entire boat that I just landed with. I knew that I could linger my way back down the hill and around the island after, but was there to see the jail. The audio tour was great, and I actually really enjoyed my walk through history. It was most crazy to me to think that the prisoners would get these glimpses of the beauty just out of their reach. It reminded me of the jail in Boston that sits with the best views of the river. As a sociologist, I found myself imagining the thoughts of the people that walked the halls, what it must have felt like to live in that tiny space. I tried to imagine the stories of then happening in the times of now and realize how very far we have come in terms of the prison system that we often bash for being out of date. I found myself deciding to take the long seasonal route around the back of the island and through some amazingly large agave plants. It was neat to be walking just steps from the short of the bay as it splashed on the rocks. It was such a lovely afternoon and I found myself so excited to take in more of the city that I decided that 2.5 hours on the island was enough and got in line for the ferry back. I found that I enjoyed the whole experience on Alcatraz way more than I possibly expected, but was much more captivated by a chance to see the beauty of the bay from a different viewpoint. I definitely think that I will be scheduling a visit to Angel Island next, but for now, calling this MISSION COMPLETE (and a much better way to spend $25 than the Winchester Mystery House!)

Some pictures...















The whole set of pictures here.

Project 30: Sealife & Stuff

Task 25/30: Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Complete: November 15, 2008

I fear tourists. But I cannot believe my fear of crowds and such available "I'll just go another time" reasoning has kept me away from the aquarium for this long. A few weeks ago, my favorite munchkins gave me my initial tour of a place that one of them was sharing he has been to "799 times." I was quite amazed how full of an afternoon that we had, starting out midday. Monterey is really such a short drive, and in no time, we were parked and inside the building at the end of Cannery Row. The enthusiasm held by the boys was inspirational and I have noted since then that I'd love to be that excited about something again. Even in my adult sensibilities, I was definitely in a world of wonder where I found myself able to just gaze off and get lost. I miss my own personal aquarium, but I have always enjoyed the relaxing properties of circling fish and waving water. I found such a great appreciation for all of the wonderful wildlife that I got to partake in over the afternoon, as the boys dragged me from one room to the other. I bet I could spend an entire afternoon just sitting and watching the fish swim in those giant tanks. The otters were cool as always, but I found that there were other species that entertained me more. The octopus was active, and the birds were just beautiful. They are adding a seahorse exhibit and I can tell you that I will not live in Santa Cruz another 12 years before I go back to see that wonderful wonder. We ended our afternoon with a delicious meal where I was happy to splurge myself over good company and silly laughs to call this MISSION COMPLETE.

Now on to the pictures...

Jellyfish:






Kelp Forest:


Other Neat Creatures:








The Whole Set

Updated Project 30 List - 10/26/08

Project 30 Official List -
Updated October 26, 2008, 6 weeks to go.

December:
#1 - Purchase an Ipod - Complete
#2 - Visit Vegas & See a show (Spice Girls) - Complete
#3 - Whale Watching on Monterey Bay - Complete

January:
#4 - Tour St. George's Spirits, Makers of Hangar One Vodka - Complete

February:
#5 - See 'Wicked', the Broadway Musical - Complete
#6 - Ride a Mechanical Bull for Valentines Day - Complete
#7 - Multi-Course Dinner - AsiaSF - Complete
#8 - Winchester Mystery House - Wild Card - Complete
#9 - Kooza, Cirque Du Soleil Show - Wild Card - Complete

March:
#10 - San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues Hockey Game - Complete
#11 - Elephant Seals during Mating Season at Ano Nuevo - Complete
#12 - Dance Lessons - Friday Night Waltz - Complete

April:
#13 - Broadway Show in NYC - Complete
#14 - Baseball Game #1 - See Yankees (Last Year in Stadium) - Complete
#15 - Tour Museums in DC - Complete
#16 - Baseball Game #2 - See Mets (Last Year in Stadium) - Complete

May:
I turned 30!

July:
#17 - Minor League Baseball Game - Complete
#18 - Berry Picking - Complete

August:
#19 - Secret Stencil Mission - Complete

October:
#20 - Gun Shooting - Complete
#21 - Santa Cruz Mystery Spot - Complete
#22 - Roaring Camp Railroad - Complete
#23 - Horseback Riding in Half Moon Bay - Complete
#24 - Wine tasting - Complete

November:
Spa Time
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Art Show at my House

Unscheduled:
Cable Car Riding
Alcatraz
Cal Arts & Sciences

Edits to list since last update:
I have removed tasks that didn't seem like they were possible before the end of the project such as Disneyland, the Football game, Train ride to San Diego and the naked picture taking. They are all things I am still going to work towards, but would inhibit the completion of the project in 1 year. I feel comfortable with what I replaced them with, and as I stated at the start of the project, it's my year long party and I can change it as I want!

Project 30: Cheers!

Task 24/30: Go Winetasting.
Complete: October 26, 2008



I'm not a big wine drinker, I am actually a big wine idiot. As a professional adult, this is sort of an undesired thing for me, I don't want to appear clueless and therefore appear classless. I want to at least know more about wine than pairing red with beef and white with chicken and fish. I've drank a fair share of wine, but I seem to miss the complexities and subtlety that a lot of people revel in. I prefer vodka obviously, but just because it is not my drink of choice doesn't mean that there isn't virtue in having some wine education.

While when I put wine tasting on the list, it was planned as a big afternoon of shuttled drunken fun around the Napa area. But again, like so many things in this project, the idea was really about education and not about excess, so I feel comfortable with a little substituting here. I am lucky enough to have friends that have some serious expertise in the area and yesterday a buddy and I trekked into the Santa Cruz mountains after our horse riding to sample some of the wines at Soquel Vineyards.

It is a beautiful property that reminded me that I don't have to go all the way to Scotts Valley or Ben Lomand for country times. It was one of those things that made me seriously consider moving to a new part of town. It seemed like another event took place on a perfect fall day, so the vineyards and the sunlight just seem to combine in the most picture perfect scene. We tasted 5 wines and I learned about the differences and some nifty wine terms to help me figure out what I'm drinking. I learned a little about the business of wine, and how grapes travel and are sold. It was neat and I think it was a good relaxing Sunday activity that was enjoyable and satisfying enough to call this very easily MISSION COMPLETE!

Project 30: Whooooooooooaaaaaaaaa!

Task 23/30: Go Horseback Riding on the Beach
Complete: October 26, 2008



This is probably in my top favorite tasks that I have done this year. Thanks to Monterey Bay Equestrian, my lifelong dream of riding horses galloping down the beach came true and exceeded all my expectations. (Including the expectation that my ass would be sore today, but maybe not THIS sore.) Yesterday, a beautiful brisk day in the Monterey Bay area, me and a girlfriend set out for Moss Landing to meet our guide and our horses for an hour long trek on the beach and the dunes.





Unlike many of my tasks in the project there wasn't anything tentative about this one. The horses were beautiful and not scary at all, the injury factor was still high, but less likely and there was no great fear being tackled, only fun. From the moment I made the reservation, I was stoked about it, and the staff that took my call was friendly and encouraging. They met us on the beach and saddled up the horses for our tour and a shorter one leaving at the same time as us. While me and my friend sat on our saddles, we waited for the late comers to join our tour and got acquainted with our new furry friends. My ride for the afternoon was Geronimo, and he was such a sweet and mild mannered horse, I felt completely safe and comfortable.



We started off down the beach, trotting side by side behind the guide. Geronimo wasn't a big fan of hanging in the back and anytime he felt we were lagging, he would sprint ahead into the pack. It was cute that he couldn't keep up in a normal pace, but it made my butt a bit bruised from the excessive galloping in the catching up. There was a time when we posed in the surf on our horses, and then we did some serious galloping, during which my camera took a leap out of my pocket and into the sand. Thankfully the kind guide retrieved it for me and we returned to our sprint down the sand. It was a sweet little ride down the beach before making a turn onto the path through the dunes which were equally stunning. It is so amazing to gaze out over the river bed and agricultural rich ground and think how beautiful it all is, and then realize that this is my home. It was nice and relaxing in the single file strut and noticing the hawks and other majestic birds loop in the wind was breathtaking.

For some of it, it seemed too short, but parts of my body today disagree. It is definitely something that I would do again without thinking, and most certainly plan to do in the future. I'm very happy to call this MISSION COMPLETE. I wish I could do that every weekend...

Project 30: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo...

Task 22/30: Ride the Roaring Camp Railroad
Complete: October 25, 2008



The Santa Cruz Mountains are home to the glorious Roaring Camp Railroad and for all the time I have lived in Santa Cruz and heard the horn blowing down by the boardwalk, I have never ridden the train. Unfortunately, at this point in the season, there is no longer a route the includes the beach, but there are still three treks into the forest daily. Saturday seemed like a beautiful autumn day to kick back and breathe some fresh air and take in the giants that line the north of me.





After I finished The Mystery Spot, I darted up to Felton and found myself transported to years ago. The property that houses the depot is just precious and I couldn't be more thankful to come upon it at this time of year. The colors of the trees danced in the wind and everything just seemed so beautiful and golden. I grabbed my ticket and a hamburger and sat myself down on the bench seat of the open car one back from the steam engine that would be pulling our way. It was a full train of families and tourists, but already the tone was much more pleasant and relaxed than The Mystery Spot.





Off through the trees we went for an hour of up and down hill chugging. There were broken bridges and burnt out trees. I felt like they provided enough information about the train for the junkies, but enough balance of the area and the nature to keep the rest of us entertained. It seemed like we did more stopping than riding though, as there were times that you'd go up one hill just to get enough momentum to go back down and switch back to the track going the other direction. A crafty way to turn a train at a sharp angle, but a pretty boring pause for the rest of us. There was a brief stop on the top of the mountain for a bathroom break and some pictures of the engine or trees, whatever your preference. I was happy for a moment to remove the seemingly large branch that found itself embedded into my eye socket and blinding me for a good while. It was not pleasant, and the bright sun shining through the tree branches just seemed to complicate things, so I was happy for a chance to chill in the shade and calm my crying eyes. Once the obstacle was finally removed from my blinking, I was able to climb back aboard the train in time for the departure back down the mountain. The beauty was breathtaking.

It was a wonderful hour of fresh air and nature, and I would certainly do it again with visitors from out of town, or maybe just a picnic lunch on the grounds before a big hike into the State Park. Either way, this was a pleasant project that is now MISSION COMPLETE.

See all my pictures from Roaring Camp here.

Project 30: "If we knew what was happening here, we'd be the solved spot."

Task 21/30: Visit the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
Complete: October 25, 2008



Deep in the forest, less than 10 miles from here, is a tourist trap. I have lived in this town for 12 years and I have never visited the "World Famous" Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. Once, I tried to go, but they were sold out and we didn't want to wait. On Saturday, I decided that would change, and I took myself up to the mountain for a sunny day to witness this "miracle" in the forest that had been good enough for Ripley's Believe it or Not and Life Magazine.



The Mystery Spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California. It is a circular area of effect around 150 feet or 46 meters in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned. But don't take our word for it, come and decide for yourself!

The Mystery Spot was discovered in 1939 by a group of surveyors and opened to the public in 1940. The Mystery Spot has amazed and perplexed hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world, and many return time and time again to experience these puzzling variations of gravity, perspective, and height.

Some speculate that cones of metal were secretly brought here and buried in our earth as guidance systems for their spacecraft. Some think that it is in fact the spacecraft itself burried deep within the ground. Other theories include carbon dioxide permeating from the earth, a hole in the ozone layer, a magma vortex, the highest dielectric biocosmic radiation known anywhere in the world, and radiesthesia. Whatever the cause is, it remains a mystery.



When I told some friends on Friday night that I was getting up on Saturday to brave new worlds, they laughed and said enjoy. But I was still determined to see what the great mystery was. At the very minimum, it was an afternoon in the sun and trees and I needed fresh air.



Tickets are $5 and parking is $5 for overall it was a $10 venture that had me feeling that I sort of swindled in the same way that you were at an old school carnival. I mean, maybe I just smart or skeptical, but nothing they did was really all that "unexplainable" or more than a serious optical illusion.



I mean really, I'm not sure this place is constantly packed, but damn, people are fools. I was on a tour with people who thought this was really quite possibly the coolest thing they had ever seen. Ever. The little kids made sense, but there were adults who were just totally convinced by the slight of the slats. I giggled, I was happy it was short. We were graced with a pretty energetic tour guide and I do think she probably made that painful hour of my life much more entertaining. I did appreciate her extra effort, and I thanked her kindly as she handed me my signature yellow Mystery Spot sticker that would not be making a home on my car. I sort of chuckled as I climbed back into my car and was happy that I went and was happy to call this MISSION COMPLETE.

Project 30: Guns kill people.

Task 20/30: Shoot a gun.
Complete: October 16, 2008



I am from a family where there were shotguns in the hallway at my grandparents house, in the closet at my uncles. I don't know if the gun cabinet was locked, I knew better. There were bows under the bed. Hunting and fishing was a thing. I also have lived in cities. I have had friends who have suffered from violence, who have died. I have always known that guns were powerful and to be respected. To me, they were scary. Last year when I started this project planning, I was up late watching the CBS tv show "The Unit" online. It was an episode that went something where the guy was too afraid to pull the trigger and he died or someone he loved died. I can't remember, but what I do remember is being really surprised that was the plot twist that was made in the suspenseful moment. I was shocked, because I identified with that. I think that there is so much for me to think about and review, that it would be possible that I would be too afraid and there would be bad harm. So I thought since it is something I have talked about doing for a while, and have pretty ready access to lots of gun proficient people, I put it on the list as something to do.

Two of my favorite men stepped up to make it their assignment for the project and for almost the entire year hounded me non-stop about going, but I was either too busy or too afraid to deal with it all. Like many of the projects that have come about however, an unplanned opportunity to satisfy my objective fell into my lap. Another one of my favorite men was having his birthday party after work at the local range, and a bunch of us from work descended there for a couple of hours one evening.



I have to say that overall, the experience was pretty powerful for me, and I am certainly glad that I have done it, but from the start, it was weird. Walking into the gun store that houses the range, it is filled with numerous stuffed victims that pad the walls. There is very little administration and confirmation of identity, to a questionable point. I mean, I blinked and signed my name and there was bullets and a .22 and protective gear in front of me. With no instruction, we walked into the range after covering our eyes and ears and walked to our lanes to settle in. I pretty much jumped every time someone fired for a very long time while we were in there, if not the whole time. You can cover your ears, but it still vibrates and its loud.



I was too nervous to start without the more experienced of our group, but I watched as a couple of the boys loaded up and shot at targets that looked like zombies. When the gun was empty they showed me the parts and let me touch it and put it together and take it apart again. I just still wasn't comfortable with the bullets part. I mean, hello, anyone who knows me knows that I am clumsy even in the best of all intended circumstances. I am easily distracted, and totally fumbly. To make matters worse, I was fairly intimidated with how small my hands felt on the gun and how much effort I had to exert to shift and move things. I didn't like how big it all felt in my hand and I was dealing with a small gun. I didn't like it and we hadn't even started yet.

Then the rest of the group showed. The part of the group that owns guns and shoots guns often and were there to lead the way. We went outside for a short safety talk, and for me, some fresh air. I was having a hard time. I wasn't liking how loud it was, I certainly didn't like how dangerous it was. I was pretty sure it was all a bad idea, and was trying to figure out how I could get out of firing one of those things. There was more safety talk, with lots of emphasis on the danger. There was a point when there was a pause and a note that this "wasn't helping Tori" and then confirmation that didn't help that "yes, you should be scared." My friends were right, it wasn't helping and there was no way to hide the fact I was going to have a girl second and a tear rolled down my cheek. Damn. It's okay, I recovered.

We went back inside and there was lots of lessons now with the gun and lots of watching and picture taking for me. But then it was done with everyone else and it was my time. So I took a few minutes with the gun and just me and did the practicing of the pieces again a few times until I felt comfortable. I was so scared. And not in a way like I am scared with a lot of things, but in a bad way that isn't pushing boundaries but that I just was terrified. I didn't like it one bit. I wasn't sure I could do bullets. I wasn't sure I was unfumbly enough to load it. I knew I wasn't leaving there without pulling the trigger once, but could I really load the clip and stick it in the gun? This is an entire action that is not with a safety on, I could drop it or someone could yell my name and I could forget and turn around or I would point it down and shoot my foot. I mean, hello, let's pause for a minute people who know me and realize that they let me, the girl who broke her arm walking, hold a thing that is meant to kill people. Yes, cars and planes kill people, but their main purpose in mechanical operation is not to provide mortal wounds. So I figured if I could load it, that I would be pushing my boundaries enough. It may seem silly but I have gotten to this point in my life where I am perfectly comfortable with my path even if it isn't as extreme as other peoples. This was one of those things. To the boys it was nothing to load clip after clip in bigger and bigger guns and fire into target after target. But for me, just being there was a big deal, so getting through the next steps was huge, even if small in comparison.



I got to put the bullets in the clip and the clip into the gun and stand and fire. It wasn't as scary firing the first one, but once I had done it, I just wanted all the bullets to be gone and it to be over. I could hear my friend saying that I should stay steady and I knew I was supposed to be aiming but all I could think was trying to keep it pointed forward and begging for it all to be over quickly. It seemed like it took so long and then it was done and I just wanted the weapon out of my hand. It felt good to have done it and I was happy that I went and I shot. But it didn't seem to have the effect of lessening fear that I wanted and maybe instead makes guns more real so maybe I fear and respect them more now.



It is just so weird how easy it was that a gun was in my hands and how easy it could have all gone wrong. It just seems so weird to me that people think that they are fun and exciting. I mean, I realized recently that many things I dislike are really things I misunderstand and are in awe over, and I think that this is one of those things. It is weird, because while this is something that was much less fun than say a Broadway show, it is something that was a big impact and a growing experience for me. I will probably think about it and process it for years and I think that I accomplished what I had wanted to do for me. I needed to know that I could pull the trigger of a gun, and now that I know that I have, I know that I can. I know myself like that, and that means I don't really need guns in my life. But this, thankfully, is finally MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!