100 Day Update

Wow, I can't believe it has been 100 days since I posted my list. It's been fun working towards a new set of goals everyday. I don't think I was fully prepared for life after college...thinking about it though, I am not really sure anyone is. I grew up knowing that I was going to go to college, graduate, get married and have kids. I don't think I anticipated that the graduation to marriage thing potentially would have a larger gap than I expected, which I am okay with, I just didn't come up with an "in-between" plan. I like plans. Plans and lists. Lists and plans. Sometimes spontaneity.  

I think this list is a great way for me to focus on personal things that I want to accomplish in the next couple of years. I feel like I have made a lot of progress in the first portion of this challenge to myself. Some are still a work in progress, and some I haven't even touched (which are the same ones that have been on random to-do lists for years...who really wants to organize their iTunes?)

Even though I have checked a lot off of my list, I haven't been able to fully cross them off because I haven't written a post about them. The couch post took me awhile of gathering old pictures, so hopefully the upcoming posts will be published faster.

This is where I am at so far:

Accomplished:
75. Buy a new couch
28. Stay in a bed and breakfast
49. "Spring clean" to closet and dressers
86. Take a digital photography class
18. See Bay Lights
42. Hike once a week for two months
83. Get a haircut
61. Frame and hang diploma

In progress:
 - I have printed and hung my list on my door so I can always see it and be inspired.
- I have come up with a fitness calendar to schedule out physical therapy (#39), walks (#40), and the gym (#41). After that, I will move on to training for a 5K. Did I mention I hate running?
- I have taken the spring photo for the seasons photos frame (#36). This task might harder to accomplish (or see any change) since we don't really have seasons in California.
- I began taking a photo at the same place every month, but I need to choose a location a little closer. Getting across the Golden Gate Bridge every month isn't that feasible (#35).
- I took a self portrait everyday for about a month or more (#88). I am going to figure out how to modify this goal, maybe a picture once a month or once a week. Because right now, I can just tell that I look tired without makeup and my hair done and brighter with makeup on and no frizzy hair.
- I am getting more and more frustrated with my student loans and am doing everything I can to get those paid off (#90).
- I bought a sketchbook and have begun drawing. Apparently I am better at drawing cats than flowers at this point (#67).
- We bought tickets to a Giants vs. Padres game in September with our friends from San Diego (#19)

Additional Accomplishments:
102. Was in a photography show
103. Learned how to play bocce ball

Here's to the next 100 days! Cheers!

75. Buy a new couch

This is the story of my $20 couch. It was the first thing I bought for my first apartment and the first thing I ever bought off of Craigslist. 

I got it the summer before my second year of college. My friends and I were leaving the dorms and moving into an apartment. Big step into adulthood. Most of the apartment was hand me downs from our parents, but we needed to get a couch. I found this awesome gem on Craigslist and it was only 10 minutes north of San Luis Obsipo. So here started the tradition of finding a guy with a truck and paying him with food and beer.

Every year we moved the couch from the apartment, to the local storage unit for the summer. And this couch was HEAVY! It was solid and took falls like a champ (which you will see in a minute).

And as you can see, this couch wasn’t the prettiest thing you have ever seen. We tried to be classy and cover it with some black fabric from the LA Fashion District and cute pillows. Looking back it was not classy.

But the best thing about this couch was it was the comfiest couch to sleep on! Our friend crashed at our place on this couch for over a week during our sophomore year of college and we all had our share of great naps on this couch.

After graduation, Ryan and I moved the couch to the Bay Area. Everyone told us we needed to get rid of it, but we had a small issue with our cats. You see, when Ryan first got the cats he had a crappy leather couch and let them scratch it. But once you let them scratch one couch, they scratch all couches.

It got so bad that I had to sew old sheets onto the two worst spots to prevent them from eating the couch foam.

We finally had enough of adjusting the fabric everyday and resewing the holes. We decided to get an Ikea couch because it was the most affordable and if the cats did scratch it, we could buy a new cover. 

But somehow, they finally discovered the scratching wave that we got them over a year ago and love scratching that, rather than just using it for naps.

We love our new couch! We can’t believe that it took us this long to buy a new one.

Date Completed: January 25, 2014 [ yes, my I published my list on February 17, but I am going to give myself this one because I started creating my list on August 5, 2013 and this was a major accomplishment for me. I'll do an extra one to make up for it ;-) ]