912 Days

Between moving and work insanity I have been 100% sapped these past few weeks.  I really have no idea what happened to May, which is a shame as it was a gorgeous month that, aside from a handful of adventures, I really didn't take full advantage of.  I'd like to believe that my life (both personal and professional) might adopt a more summer-like pace in June, but the horizon does not look promising.  Holding out hope for July... I'm in desperate need of a lazy day on the beach, with a book and a double scoop of chocolate-almond custard from Abbotts.

002. Read 100 books - (003/100)
I'm fascinated by what my friend J calls "science lite"... discussions about science, or even just "did you know?" facts, that don't require a PhD in Biochemistry or Physics to understand.  In this vein, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson was - just as I had anticipated - charming, informative, fascinating, and funny.  I think Bryson struck an impressive balance between science and narrative, peppering fairly complex theory with history and anecdotes.  One of my favorites:

In the late summer or early autumn of 1859, Whitwell Elwin, editor of the respected British journal the Quarterly Review, was sent an advance copy of a new book by the naturalist Charles Darwin.  Elwin read the book with interest and agreed that it had merit, but feared that the subject matter was too narrow to attract a wide audience.  He urged Darwin to write a book about pigeons instead.  "Everyone is interested in pigeons," he observed helpfully.

Sorry, that "Everyone is interested in pigeons" comment cracks me up every time.  Oh, Victorians!  Anyway, it's simultaneously frightening, awesome, and mind-blowing that we as humans (or complex life, for that matter) have managed to not only make it this far, but also have continued to survive in a universe and on a planet that is infinitely fickle and dangerous.  Bryson does an impressive job of boiling down complex scientific concepts into to ideas that are easily understood, but he admirably neither teeters into the obtuse nor totters into patronization.

022. (Re)watch each of AFI's Top 100 Movies - (011/100)
It always annoys me for some reason when movie reviewers refer to a film as a "lighthearted romp", but I'm going to succumb to my own pet peeve here and slap that cliché on #90, Swing Time (1936).  Fred and Ginger?  Song and dance?  Grifting and glamor?  Oh, I couldn't say no...

036. Listen to 25 TED lectures - (03/25)
Plants are pretty awesome.  It's amazing that our bodies have evolved to respond to certain chemicals in plants as if they were purposefully designed for the specific purpose of healing (Bryson touches on this a bit in ASHONE as well...).  The last TED lecture I listened to was given by William Li, head of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and presented some remarkable research about the way certain foods can "starve" cancer by turning off the out-of-control blood vessels that are feeding the tumor and allowing it to grow ("anti-angiogenesis").  Kind of like siege warfare, right?  If you can't take the castle, just cut off the food supply and eventually the enemy will surrender or starve.  A very cool, slightly non-linear approach to cancer treatment and prevention.

047. Complete all "Couch to 5k" workouts within 2 months - (04/27)
I'm almost back to where I was before my frustrating foot injury, although this time I'm pushing a bit harder and doing 5k for each workout, instead of the recommended 20 minutes.  My feet were still a little questionable at times, though, so I paid a visit to Fleet Feet this afternoon.  After a gait analysis they determined that my right foot is moderately over-pronated, so they recommended a stability shoe.  I tested a few pairs before settling on the Saucony ProGrid Omni 9s (why are running shoes so hideously ugly?).  I also learned that you're actually supposed to bump up a size to allow lots of room in the toes, which could be why previously I was having some intermittent trouble with my toes going numb.  I'm looking forward to trying them out tomorrow and, although I know it's silly to imagine that a new pair of shoes will miraculously make me marathon-ready, I can't help but harbor some hope that the route might prove a little less... laborious... than it was this morning.

011. Visit a foreign country I've never been to

Hotels are booked!  However, I did end up dropping Budapest from the itinerary so I could spend a little more time in Berlin and Prague.  I'll be spending three nights at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Berlin, three nights at the Amedia Hotel Theatrino in Prague, and two nights at the Hotel Erzherzog Rainer in Vienna.  I nabbed some pretty amazing deals through Kayak - all three hotels are 4-star, in the city center, and between 60-75USD per night.  With the wedding weekend I will be gone for two weeks, which is by far the longest vacation I have ever taken.  I still haven't found a decently-priced flight yet, but I'm hoping that the fares will drop soon so I can book that piece as well.

051. Stick to my budget for the rest of 2010 - (00/17)
It's a tight budget, but I think I've afforded myself enough wiggle room to still have fun and occasionally treat myself to some new books or whatever.  The goal of "17" is the number of paychecks I have left in 2010, so hopefully I'll be able to use each one to live within my means while aggressively saving.  The ultimate goal of my saving will depend largely on the outcome of the FSOT, which is a mere 2 weeks away (eek!), but barring any catastrophic financial events I should be in good shape by the end of the year.

052. Lose 20 pounds - (02/20)
Thanks to the 14.12km I ran/walked (about 1025 calories burned) and my determination to keep a check on my sugar/starch/processed food intake, I dropped 2.6 pounds last week.  Even though that's not really a drastic change, I definitely notice the difference in the fit of my clothes and a general loss of "squidginess".  Good thing I've worked a new wardrobe into my budget for the year.

932 Days

I don't have very many items to update as I've somehow been really rather busy lately, but I find the mega-posts after a week's worth of goals a little overwhelming and possibly slightly hurried.  I was reviewing my list just now, though, and there are quite a few goals that should be completed this summer.  I need to come up with 51 more, too.  Arf.

022. (Re)watch each of AFI's Top 100 Movies - (010/100)
I took the opportunity of an unseasonably cold, gray, and blustery day to settle in and watch #91, Sophie's Choice (1982).  I was entirely entranced by Meryl Streep from start to finish... simply could not.stop.watching her.  The film was horrifying, touching, heartbreaking... and I loved every bit of it.  I find it so rare to be truly touched by a movie - I tend to (unwittingly) keep a jaded distance from the story and characters when watching a film, as opposed to my complete immersion in books, so I was possibly caught a little off guard by how moved I was.  I can not believe that AFI placed this one almost a full 10 spots lower than Titanic, which I am NOT looking forward to having to endure again.  I might have to download the Rifftrax for that one, just so you know...

938 Days

036. Listen to 25 TED lectures - (02/25)
I found Dan Gilbert's lecture on "synthesizing happiness" particularly fascinating and, in a way, uplifting.  Happiness in the face of not getting what we want doesn't come from positive thinking, or "bucking up", but instead is a product of what he calls our "psychological immune system".  It's not a conscious defense mechanism to make people think we are all right when we're truly miserable, but instead a subconscious synthesis of happiness that is indiscernible from the "natural happiness" that comes from getting what we want.  Interestingly he notes:

From field studies to laboratory studies, we see that winning or losing an election, gaining or losing a romantic partner, getting or not getting a promotion, passing or not passing a college test, on and on, have far less impact, less intensity and much less duration than people expect them to have. In fact, a recent study -- this almost floors me -- a recent study showing how major life traumas affect people suggests that if it happened over three months ago, with only a few exceptions, it has no impact whatsoever on your happiness.

030. Try 25 new foods - (03/10)
J was home from Hong Kong again last week, and this time I convinced her to have dinner at my favorite.restaurant.ev-ar, Good Luck.  We didn't have a reservation, so in the meantime we bellied up to the bar and caught up over cocktails.  I indulged in a Legerdemain (Sriracha in a cocktail?  Oh, I couldn't say no...), while J opted for the Paper Tiger.  It didn't feel like we waited too long to be seated, even though it was likely over an hour, but once we took a look at the menu we had our hearts set on three dishes (as we always, always overindulge when eating together).  The asparagus gratin was great, although as carb-addicts we both agreed it might have benefited from more crutony-bits.  The grilled Merguez sausage with eggplant, zucchini, squash, and cilantro chutney was rich, flavorful, and succlent... and most likely would have stolen the show entirely, were it not for the most delicious thing I've tasted in my (admittedly short) memory.  J and I could not stop gushing about the board noodles with rabbit, green olives, lentils, and consommé.  I'd never had rabbit before, and it was un-flippin'-believable.  The olives tasted more fresh than cured, the pasta was perfectly cooked (slightly al dente, not gummy in the least), and the lentils provided the perfect vehicle for sopping up every.last.bit of mouth-watering sauce left on my plate.  And, even though we were pretty stuffed by the end of it all (too delicious to leave a hint of a morsel on our plates...), we ordered a tearfully good dessert of profiteroles stuffed with frozen hazelnut custard, glazed with a rich, chocolate ganache.  I still get a little tingly thinking about it now.

049. Refresh my conversational German skills before November 2010

My vocabulary is growing, although I really feel like I could use an instructor to provide feedback on sentence structure, grammar, etc.  I've also queued up all of those German films I've meant to see over the years, as well as some Wim Wenders to re-watch.  Maybe that will provide a small amount of "immersion" and help with pronunciation and spoken language. I've been toying with the notion of looking into getting a job with my company's German operation, but these are just idle daydreams im Moment.

018. Take a day trip to Toronto - (Completed 05/01/10)
Yesterday I tried to remember the last time I was in Toronto and, excluding runs to the airport, I'm pretty sure it was c. 1993, when I attended a taping of the final season of "The Kids in the Hall."  Seventeen years is quite a long time, and I'm not sure that I fully remembered how very urban central Toronto is.  I also remembered it being cleaner, and certainly less smelly, but that could have just been the innocent, awe-clouded lens of youth.

I also remembered the Canadian border guards being considerably more polite than their American counterparts, but this was definitely not the case as I tried to cross the line around 9am.  The officer was aggressively interrogative, and I spent what felt like 5 minutes providing him with every small detail of my life and reasons for ever-so-boldly crossing the border from America to Canada.  Of course, being the big nervous Nellie that I am, the more he got in my face the more nervous I became, and even the easy answers ("Where do you live!?") came out stuttering and unsure ("Um, I... I mean, I'm American.  You know, New York... Rochester, I... I mean, do you mean my address?  I...").

One of my first hurdles was surviving without my iPhone, as I've come to rely very heavily on its GPS capabilities, and the Google Maps directions I e-mailed myself didn't quite get me to the part of Toronto I'd been aiming for.  Still, I muddled my way to a decently-priced garage down by Queen's Quay, and hoofed it up Yongue Street to scope out the venue where Eddie would be performing.  Once I'd got a grip on my bearings I grabbed a coffee at one of the 50 Starbucks within a mile (did you know that Starbucks gift cards work in Canada?  True!) and strolled to the Royal Ontario Museum, soaking in all the hustle and bustle, gorgeous buildings, and good-looking Canadians.

There was some sort of ridiculous pot-based festival going on in the park down the street from the ROM, so I had to barge my way through lolling groups of toasted hippie teens on my way.  I find it oddly comforting that Canadian youth are, apparently, no less obnoxious than their American counterparts.  Whippersnappers!  But anyway, I was about a block from the ROM when the sky opened completely and dumped a sheet of rain on me.  My hair did not fare well, and by the time I made it through the door all the hard work I'd done with the straightening iron that morning was entirely undone.  Even so, I couldn't bring myself to care as I weaved my way among dinosaur skeletons, medieval armor, and art nouveau furniture.  Plus, when I made my way back to the lobby and plopped into a supple leather chair, I found an unsecured WiFi signal, which chirped my iPhone back to life.  I used this golden opportunity to map out some potential lunch and dinner destinations, and spent the remainder of the afternoon eating and wandering.

Eddie Izzard was worth every penny and every mile.  The venue was intimate, for sure... even though the photo below makes it look like I was on the other side of the world, I could actually see the color of his eyes from my front-row balcony seat.  His material was, on the whole, very funny.  My only quibbles were a) he seemed a little... loose.  It certainly wasn't as tight a performance as you might see on one of his DVDs, but I attribute that to the fact that this was the first stop on his tour.  And b) his material has become a little overtly political and anti-religious.  Not that I am in disagreement with his politics, or even remotely religious, but something about him seems somehow more... aggressive?  I don't know.  That's not to say that I didn't soak in and swallow whole every minute and every joke, but perhaps it wasn't entirely what I was expecting.  Nonetheless, he remains in my personal trifecta of the most awesome people alive.

The show ended late, and the walk back to my car and the subsequent drive home were... rough.  To say the least.  When I was about 20 miles from home I seriously considered pulling over to nap, but I managed to keep my eyes open just long enough to swing my car into the lot and shuffle my way, zombie-like, upstairs to bed, barely mustering the energy to strip off my clothes and climb under the covers (dramatic, non?).  My legs and feet were aching, considering I spent 12 hours walking all over central Toronto in a pair of holey, crêpe-flat, 7-year old Converse, but I fell asleep almost immediately and didn't wake up again until after lunchtime.

008. Eat alone at a restaurant 10 times - (05/10)
After roaming wide-eyed through the ROM in Toronto, I scooted over to a side street and had a nice, hearty meal of bangers and mash in the Artful Dodger while sipping a pint and reading more of A Brief History of Nearly Everything.  After 45 minutes I was the only person in the room, which was lovely and tranquil, even if it did tend to cause my server to forget about me at times...

044. Post 365 photos - (026/365)
Teeny-tiny Eddie Izzard, thanks to the fact that I forgot my camera and only had my phone available...I swear, he was miles closer than he looks in this photo.

948 Days

001. Eat at 25 new restaurants - (04/25)
008. Eat alone at a restaurant 25 times - (04/25)
During another of many post-work exiles from my apartment, I drove to Charlotte on a lark to check out Hose 22.  Renovated early-20th-century fire station?  Yes, please!  I settled into a cozy booth with my book and a glass of wine (this eating alone thing is quickly becoming one of my favorite new pastimes) and ordered the BBQ chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries.  The menu wasn't particularly inspiring, just your usual smattering of burgers, pizzas, and salads with a handful of mains, but the space was so charming.  They really did a phenomenal job re-purposing and redesigning the firehouse, and even though the food was "fine" (neither impressive nor disappointing) I would definitely go back to sit in the bar for a glass or two.

015. See 10 movies in the theater - (02/10)
041. Randomly choose something to do from the listings in a local entertainment magazine 10 times - (01/10)
Friday night I was trying to decide what to get up to on Saturday, so I poked my nose in City Newspaper and, serendipitously, learned that the Rochester International Film Festival was on this weekend at the Dryden Theater.  I'd been to a few showings in previous years and enjoyed them all, but I tend to forget about it until it's already over so I'm glad that I happened to see the listing in time.  There were 6 short films in the session I attended, ranging from a Spanish documentary about Ernest Hemmingway lookey-likes to a charming comedy about a thief who falls in love with a girl whose purse he snatched.  Even better, it was all free (although I donated a few bucks).

044. Post 365 photos - (025/365)

Yesterday was stunning and I had an early start, so after zapping myself full of caffeine at Boulder Coffee Co., I decided to meander around Highland Park and Mount Hope Cemetery.  I don't think I could have picked a better day.  The flowering trees were still in bloom, the lilacs were on the verge of bursting open, and the tulips were ferociously vivid.  I meandered around the sunken garden, the conservatory, and then trekked up the paths to the reservoir, before descending again to head across the street to Mount Hope Cemetery.  Mount Hope is probably one of my favorite places in Rochester... I'm not goth, but it does combine my love of history, Gorey-esque Victorian macabre, and quiet, wooded spaces.  By the time I decided to hunt down some lunch I was in a very happy, satisfied mood indeed.

039. Try 25 new beers - (05/25)
The Tap and Mallet was nearby (any excuse to go there, really...), so I scooted over for some country-sweet chicken wings and an idle perusal of my Berlin travel book.  To drink, I decided upon a crisp, fizzy pint of Stevens Point Einbock.  Two, actually, over the course of lunch and I don't know if it was the morning I spent in the sun, or the light lunch, or if this beer had an unusually high alcohol content, but by the time I walked out of the pub I was significantly buzzed.  Oops.  No wonder I felt like all was right in the world as I stepped out again into the sunshine.
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I'm hoping to make more headway during the week with some of the smaller goals, so maybe I'll manage to post smaller updates more often instead of mammoth recaps once a week.  Also, this Saturday is my trip to see Eddie Izzard in Toronto!  So awesome.  Like a hundred billion hot dogs.

954 Days

Ok I actually wrote this post yesterday and totally forgot to publish it.  Oops.  I didn't have a whole lot of time to work on goals in the past few days, but I'm hoping to pick up the slack this week.  I've had these two AFI list DVDs sitting here for ages, but who can bring themselves to watch "Sophie's Choice" when it's 70 and sunny? I've added a couple of new items as well.  As much as I don't want to turn this list into something that looks like an itinerary of minor errands, I figure that if it's something--however inconsequential--that I've been putting off for years (i.e., #050) then maybe adding it to the list will provide the necessary motivation I need to just go and take care of it.

042. Cook or bake 100 new recipes - (005/100)
I have been snacking on cold sesame noodles for most of the weekend, thanks to a craving that hit me during a bout of sleeplessness on Thursday night.  I cobbled together an easy recipe from a few that I found online, which turned out to be quite delicious and not a bad substitute at all for takeout, and marginally healthier if you adopt the few parenthetical modifications I've provided...

Cold Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
1/2lb spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
Chinese cabbage, carrots, and celery shredded/sliced fine (If you are lucky enough to have a Wegmans near you, just use a bag of their Asian slaw)
Bean sprouts
Sesame seeds
1/4c peanut butter (I used natural because I that's what I had, but it's less sweet than normal PB)
1/4c soy sauce (I used low-sodium)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil

Cook the pasta until al dente and shock in cold water; drain.  In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sesame oil.  Add the noodles and toss until thoroughly coated, then mix in the vegetables and sesame seeds.

In my opinion, these are even better leftover the next day, straight from the fridge - the recipe makes a ton, so there's plenty of opportunity for midnight snacking.

047. Complete all "Couch-to-5K" workouts within 2 months - (05/27)
Well, I think my heel is on the road to recovery, finally.  I was NOT pleased to have to hobble around for the past 2 weeks, as the weather was absolutely pristine for jogging and I actually had the motivation and energy to keep going.  Today I (gingerly) restarted week 2, and although my heel was "uncomfortable" and occasionally "achy", I think it's going to be OK.  I'm not in any pain now (although I have been popping ibuprofin like Dr House gobbles vicodin) and the run wasn't too grueling so I don't think I lost much endurance.  In fact, my RunKeeper shows some minor improvement.

ETA: Yeah, big difference between Sunday and Monday.  My feet are NOT happy.  I'm going to run again tomorrow and as long as they don't get worse then I'm not too concerned.  However, I'm wondering if maybe I should try a new pair of running shoes?  Mine aren't really all that old (and certainly don't have many miles on them) but maybe they're the root of this evil.  I just don't want to shell out big bucks for a new pair if it's not going to take care of the problem.  Bleh.

049. Refresh my conversational German skills before November 2010

I bought some language software to help rebuild my German.  It's amazing how much I remember, though, considering I haven't taken a German class in, oh, 17 years (yikes!).  Hopefully a refresher over the next few months will help me to negotiate my way around Germany and Austria this autumn.

044. Post 365 photos - (024/365)
I felt it necessary to modify this goal a bit or else I'm just going to end up posting photos of, like, my sandwich for lunch, or my hall closet.  Yawn, right?  So the new goal is to document 365 photos, and no more than one for any day (so I can't just take 300 photos of my trip to Europe and mark it complete).

962 Days

047. Complete all "Couch-to-5K" workouts within 2 months - (05/27)
Well, I've hit a rather serious snag in this goal, as I somehow pulled/bruised/sprained my ankle/heel/Achilles (it's kind of a vague injury, all I know is: ow) during Tuesday's run.  It still hurts and I can barely walk without limping a little, so therefore this goal is on hiatus until I'm healed (or heeled, haha!  Ah, puns...).  I was off to such a fantastic start, too!  To say the least: I'm truly disappointed.  Truly, truly, truly... Particularly as the weather this morning was pristine.  Depending on how long I'm out of commission I might have to start over from workout one.  We'll see... it's showing little sign of improvement but I don't think I'm seriously injured.

002. Read 100 books - (002/100)
I finished Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe in just a few days.  It wasn't very long, granted, but it also made my feet unbearably itchy in anticipation of my upcoming European adventure (my roommate from grad school is getting married in London this November, so I'm going to use that as a jumping-off point for a small sojurn to Berlin, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest).  Anyway, I adore Bryson.  The first book of his that I read was Notes From a Small Island, shortly after I'd returned from Bath in 2001, and I was hooked.  He's deliciously cranky and sarcastic, but balances that with moments full of innocent excitement and wonder.

In addition to travel narratives, he also writes books about etymology and language (another of my favorite topics) and what my friend J calls "science lite", which brings me to my next book, Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.  This one is significantly longer, but it's still no World Without End so it shouldn't take too long to finish.

020. Pay $10 more than minimum on both student loans each month - (02/33)
Another payment down and I'm now $40 ahead on my loans.  If only I could add another three zeroes to that number I'd be in great shape...

048. Visit 5 historic sites in the area - (1/5)
This is my newest addition to the 101, and I'm using the term "the area" very loosely (basically, if I can make a reasonable day trip of it, it's in the area...).  Yesterday they were showing my apartment pretty much all day, so I decided to take a scenic drive along the Parkway and Route 18 to Fort Niagara. 

I'm not sure if you're aware, but I get unreasonably giddy when I'm standing in a restored historic site, and they did a phenomenal job with Fort Niagara.  First of all, they limited the historical background to a brochure and a small museum that you could wander around prior to walking to the fort.  This meant that the fort itself was mostly unsullied by big plaques and exhibits, which I usually find phenomenally distracting in restored sites.  It's tough to immerse yourself in the history of the place when it looks like a textbook threw up all over it.  So it was refreshing to find that Fort Niagara was mostly unmolested, apart from the occasional, unassuming number placed on a building, directing you to a brief paragraph in your brochure if you care to learn more about what you're looking at (but not assaulting you with it if you don't).

The other aspect that I found thrilling, and which made the history nerd in me do a small jig, is that they didn't restrict any part of the fort.  Most historic sites are very specific about where you can and can't wander, and generally the more interesting-looking places have big "Do Not Enter!" or "Staff Only" signs hanging on ropes or locked doors.  But Fort Niagara was hugely accessible... to the point where I found myself hesitating before climbing some stairs, or entering a room, because it felt like I shouldn't be allowed to poke around so freely.  The only restrictive sign I saw was when I was on top of the wall of the fort, and it was a very mild-mannered little rectangle that asked, quite meekly, to kindly stay off the grassy slope lest you slip and plummet to your death.  But stairs and attics and rooms and creepy damp underground pathways were all fair game, and the only staff member I saw the entire time I was in the fort was a solitary man in 18th century British military garb, who would wander out every once in a while, fire a musket, and then slink back into the little guard house.

I also mostly had the entire place to myself.  Once in a while I'd spot another person wandering by, but then they'd be gone and I wouldn't see them again.  The solitude lent a phenomenally creepy air to my wanderings around the Maison a Machicoulis, which was the main building within the fort.  Even though it was a blindingly sunny day outside, inside the Maison it was dark, labyrinthine, and very silent except for the eerie noises made by the gusting wind.  It was full of narrow, dimly-lit, meandering hallways and tiny rooms.  Again, everything was accessible so after exploring the first and second floors, I saw that the stairway to the top floor was unrestricted as well.  But, being the big yellow chicken that I am, I poked my head over the top of the staircase, took one look at the extremely-creepy attic, and scooted right back down the stairs and out the door.  This is also why I didn't last long in the damp, dark underground tunnels that ran along the fort wall.  I am a big baby.

030. Try 25 new foods - (02/25)
039. Try 25 new beers - (06/25)
I arrived back in Rochester around 2:30, which was still too early to go home as the last showing ended at 4, so I grabbed my book and scooted over to the Tap & Mallet for a nibble and a beer.  I tried polenta fritters for the first time, which were just all right.  They were fried to perfection, but were rather bland and I was unimpressed with the chili sauce for dipping.  Oh well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I tried something from their menu that I didn't unequivocally love.  The beer, however, was divine.  I couldn't stop ordering pints of the Sea Dog Apricot Wheat on tap.  It had just enough apricot flavor, not overpowering and not too sweet, and the beer was crisp and refreshing.  Huge fan.  They were playing consistently good tunes on the stereo as well, so it was a nice little break as the afternoon wound down.

044. Take a picture a day for 365 days - (023/365)
1. My reading chair.  2. Buds are budding!  Yay spring!  3. Beers of the World is a happy, happy place.  4. Entering Fort Niagara.  5. This is how I study when it's perfect out and I'm sulking about having to stay in and be responsible.

967 Days

044. Take a picture a day for 365 days - (018/365)
I... never said they had to be consecutive days (/cop out).  Continuing my "documenting the soon-to-be-vacated-apartment" series, the first displays my bar area with the rarely-seen unopened bottles of wine (one for Easter dinner, one for me).  The second was snapped today and encompasses my attempt to photograph the droplets of rain that were so attractively hanging from the tree branches like tiny, delicate ornaments.  I was, unfortunately, mid-run and not particularly willing to provide the patience and steady hand that was required.   But you get the gist, right?

047. Complete all "Couch-to-5K" workouts within 2 months - (05/27)
You guys, I actually got up at 7am on Easter morning and went for a run.   I know this probably doesn't sound particularly impressive, but consider:
a) I'd already given myself a pass to skip Sunday and start Week 2 on Monday.
b) I never get up before I absolutely have to.  Ev-ar.
c) I am the laziest person you will meet.
That was actually a really satisfying run, and I'm starting to (slowly) understand what all these real "runners" are about.  Today it rained and rained and rained, but I still sloshed out into the be-puddled world, iPhone in a baggy (totally cool), and relished the soggy smells of spring.

040. Try 25 new wines - (04/25)
I'd had the Rex Goliath Pinot Noir before, I think, but never the Cab.  When I tried it for the first time on Easter it tasted mostly of juicy, tart cherries - almost like cherry candy.  I think that was because I hadn't had anything to eat yet, or maybe because I was on crack... the website claims the flavor notes are raspberry, plum, mocha, and currant.  Hmph.  I had another glass tonight, after my spaghetti dinner, and although I no longer tasted cherries, it was still decidedly delicious.  Another to add to my "Favorite Wines Under $10" list, though, as either way it is quite tasty.

970 Days

009. Go meatless every Friday during Lent - (07/21)
Lent 1 of 3 is complete, and I'm looking forward to a nice slab of ham tomorrow for Easter supper.  I also managed to keep my Lenten sacrifice and didn't watch any TV between 4 and 8pm, which turned out to be a great choice of habits to break as it freed up a lot of my time to accomplish other things like reading, or cooking, or watching films.  It's funny how you don't even realize how a seemingly-benign routine can place you quite firmly in a rut.

022. (Re)watch each of AFI's Top 100 Movies - (009/100)
I think, in retrospect, that at some point I had actually seen about 80% of #92, Goodfellas (1990).  Did I ever tell you that I am always happy to see Robert De Niro in a movie?  I don't know what it is, but I adore him unequivocally.  Ray Liotta kind of unnerves me, although he gets points for including Muppets From Space (one of my favorite Muppet movies, if I could choose) among his credits.  The "gangster" genre is usually entertaining, combining intense interpersonal relationships with a heaping helping of action and intrigue, and Goodfellas doesn't disappoint.  It wasn't mind-blowing, by any stretch, but it was entertaining from start to finish, lull-less, and not a bad diversion for a late Saturday afternoon.

040. Try 25 new wines - (03/25)
I tried Charles and Charles Red (2007, Washington) yesterday.  It was tasty but, I have to admit, wholly unremarkable.  Still, for an impulse purchase in line at the liquor store it wasn't disappointing.  Really I was just taken with the label.  I'm a sucker for anything that has a printing-press-on-parchment aesthetic.

042. Cook or bake 100 new recipes - (004/100)
Once in a while I really luck out and end up with something special when I'm just trying to get rid of the scraps of food that are left in my fridge.  The dish I cobbled together for supper tonight was so delicious I'd definitely make it again, maybe with one or two tweaks.  Unfortunately I didn't measure anything, since I just used up whatever was left, but I'll try to approximate.

Shrimp & Feta Bake
Serves one very hungry me, but you can increase the amounts as much as you want to make more.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 thick slice of onion, chopped (use a sweet one, like Mayan or Spanish)
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup feta cheese (any crumbly goat cheese would probably be good)
1 cup chopped cooked shrimp (I used whole tiny shrimp, but if I made it again I'd chop them) 
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or whatever kind of tomato you might have on hand... about 1/4c)
Dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne
Freshly-ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a small pan, soften the garlic and onion in olive oil over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes start to break down a bit and everything forms a sauce-like consistency (not very long, a few minutes tops).  

In a mixing bowl, combine the onion mixture with the feta, shrimp, a pinch of red pepper (or more, depending on how much kick you want), and some freshly ground pepper.  You shouldn't need to add any salt because of the feta and onions.  Mix everything together thoroughly, pour it into a small oven-proof dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges (it might take longer if you are making a large amount).  You may need to stir it after it's cooked to get the sauce to combine.  

Serve hot and scoop up with slices of crusty bread.  It would also make a great hors d'oeurve, I think... you could put a spoonful on toasted baguette rounds.  A chilled, tart Pinot Grigio was a nice compliment, but I bet a Pilsner would go down a treat as well.

044. Take a picture a day for 365 days - (016/100)
1. The fake flowers on my dining table that brighten up the room without ever wilting.
2. I bought this wine purely on the appeal of its label
3. The pattern on the new bag I bought today which, incidentally, matches my wallet.

047. Complete all "Couch-to-5K" workouts within 2 months - (03/27)
Yesterday's run was much more trying than Wednesday's but I still managed to plow through, even though:
a) It was hot (80s) outside and I was sweating like mad
b) I inhaled and/or ate about 6 billion tiny bugs
c) My blisters are still fairly raw
d) Before the halfway point I already had a side stitch
e) My legs were stiff and sore
I was considering getting ahead of schedule a little bit (to give myself a little wiggle room in case I get stuck trying to break past a workout) by starting week 2 tomorrow, but I might give myself the weekend off and just pick up again on Monday.  I suppose I'll have to see how my legs and feet feel.

973 Days

002. Read 100 new books - (001/100)
I was going to attempt to read Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe during my lunch breaks at work, but quickly realized that I usually find myself *working* through lunch (arf).  It's not very long, though, so I'm going to read it at home and then follow it up with Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.

047. Complete all "Couch-to-5K" workouts within 2 months - (02/27)
Today was much easier, thanks to the warmer air that didn't make me feel like I was inhaling shards of glass.  I still had to contend with some challenges, though.  Namely the Moe's Homewrecker burrito that I scarfed down in its entirety at noon and was still quite happily parked in my stomach like a 5lb stone by the time I started my run.  In addition, I only bandaged one of my blisters, which turned out to be kind of a big mistake as, when I took off my sneakers, I discovered this (Warning! Icky!):

974 Days

002. Read 100 books - (001/100)
1000 pages and what felt like an entire season (but was actually only about a month) later, I finally finished World Without End.  I am going to have to lay off these lengthy books or else I'm never going to complete this goal...

I felt more or less exactly the same about World Without End as I did about the prequel, The Pillars of the Earth.  That is, entertaining and soapy fiction does not have to be poorly-written, brainless tripe.  There is nothing important, stylistic, or meaningful about the story, but the narrative, characters, and pace kept me entertained.  The historical elements seemed thoroughly researched, and I can even forgive the rather large amount of exposition between characters since the general readership is likely ignorant of medieval law and customs.

My only minor quibble, and this holds true even more so for The Pillars of the Earth, is with the inexplicable interjections of romance-novel-style sauciness.  Don't get me wrong, I like a good dose of smut just as much as the next gal, but after a while it kind of felt like he was appealing to the lowest common denominator... as if he worried that a historical novel wouldn't hold the average reader's attention without a scattering few pages of porn in each chapter.

047. Complete all "Couch-to-5K" workouts within 2 months - (01/27)
I should have no problem completing the program within 2 months if I knock out a workout every other day.  Yesterday I started the first phase: intervals of walking (90 seconds) and jogging (60 seconds) for 20 minutes.  It wasn't what I would consider "easy", but I wasn't discouraged or dying by the end of it (which I think is the point) and I managed to cover about 4K including my warm up.  The only thorns I had to contend with were blisters (poor choice of socks) and achy lungs (asthma + cold air).  I am neither in shape nor particularly fond of running, so this will definitely be one of my more challenging goals.

042. Cook or bake 100 new recipes - (003/100)
Another triumph: I have very nearly replicated the coveted "Drunken Cheddar" soup.  It's not quite the same, I admit, but it's close enough that I almost did a fist-pump when I tasted my first spoonful.  This one probably won't make another appearance until autumn, but that's undoubtedly a good thing considering the epic amounts of fat (oh, delicious fat!).

Ingredients:
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups mirepoix (fine dice)
6 tbsp flour
3 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 bottle (12 oz) pale ale
1 pint heavy cream
16 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Melt the butter in a large stock pot over low heat.  Add the mirepoix and sweat until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir thoroughly.  It will make a very thick paste; keep stirring and smoothing it over low heat for about 3 minutes.  Add the mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper and stir thoroughly until combined.  Add the beer and whisk until smooth, then turn up the heat just a little and cook, whisking occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add the cream and whisk to combine, cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Sprinkle in the cheese, one handful at a time, and whisk until completely melted before adding the next handful.  Serve immediately.

[This will keep for a few days in Tupperware in the fridge, but I wouldn't freeze it]

044. Take a picture a day for 365 days - (012/365)
The first photo is what dinner often looks like when I'm feeling lazy and trying to be relatively healthy, and the second photo is what it looks like when I'm feeling more ambitious but don't give a damn that I just filled a soup pot with 6 tbsp of butter, 2 bricks of cheese, a bottle of ale, and a pint of heavy cream... (don't worry, I'm going to share!).