goal tender

i am officially half-way through the year in which i will be 28. which is, technically speaking, my 29th year. which i have always found hopelessly confusing.

so, with half down and half to go, i thought i'd give a little status update on my 28 birthday goals. because i know you guys are really concerned about how things are going. well, comrades, rest easy! i would say things are going pretty well.

to wit.

1. pay off my student loan.
status: done, done and done.

2. read the book of mormon every day
status: trying hard. daily scripture study has always been a major stumbling block of mine and i am far from a perfect record this birthday year. but i find myself wanting to read the book of mormon more, which i figure is a good place to start. tips on developing better scripture reading habits are welcome.

3. do another 100-mile bike ride
status: committed. sallee and i are registered for the little red, though i am just going to come clean right now and tell you we probably won't make it the full 100 miles. well, sallee won't for sure since she will be delivering a baby at any moment (!!) and the ride is only two months away. and i seriously doubt i can pull off a century by myself. but, we are going back to the little red nonetheless. which has to count for something.

4. learn to surf.
status: done, done and done.

5. take a japanese class.
status: needs some work. i did pull out my old japanese grammar books, though. and have been gazing at them for a couple weeks now. serious study has yet to begin. but it will. so watch out, japanese. it's on.

6. take an art class.
status: searching.

7. send a letter once a week.
status: going strong. i would say this is one of my more successful goals, and has been one of the most fun. if you want a letter, drop your address in the comments section, or even better, send me a letter and i'll hit you back. because mail makes everyone smile.

8. visit every smithsonian museum (including the zoo)
status: on track. and this week has brought with it perfect zoo weather. three cheers for that.

9. grow something.
status: pending. there isn't really a spot at the bennett house, indoor or out, that gets enough light to make something grow, but it occurred to me the other day that jaron's back porch might be a perfect spot for a little herb garden. the ensuing conversation went like this:
me: can we grow some herbs on your back porch?
him: well, if you're thinking what i'm thinking, we can just get some heat lamps and grow them inside.
i talked him into basil and lavender instead.

10. start a new hobby/develop a new skill.
status: i killed it. i am on my second baby quilt (though sallee's baby frances will certainly join us before her finished blanket does) and i have a skirt in my sights for the next project. i wouldn't say that sewing counts as a skill yet, but i am definitely liking it more and more. my sewing machine just needs a name and the bonding will be complete.

11. fall in love.
status: mind your business. just kidding. i have fallen in love with all kinds of things so far, including cupcakes from baked and wired, the tv show "glee," my new job, and cherry blossom season in d.c. so there.

12. attend the temple once a month.
status: doing it! and loving it.

13. make a home cooked meal once a week.
status: not great. i'll leave it at that. and try to do better. (does eating oreos at home, at dinnertime count?)

14. celebrate new year's eve in times square.
status: stricken from the record. the more i thought about it, the more i really wanted to spend as much time at home this christmas season as i could. so, i spent new year's eve in downtown denver. which was wonderful and just what i wanted. this goal needs to be replaced though, or else i am a total fraud. suggestions welcome.

15. make a micro-loan.
status: why have i not done this yet? i am going to do it as soon as i finish typing this post. i guess i could do it now, but multi-tasking is not my thing.

16. find a family history name for temple work.
status: haven't started yet, but i have six more months!

17. finish my mission scrapbook.
status: not even close. i don't want to talk about it, actually.

18. buy a nice pair of jeans that fits perfectly.
status: i am emotionally preparing myself for this one. i think i'll be ready soon.

19. take a trip outside the country.
status: remember that time i went to australia?

20. visit somewhere in the country i have never been.
status: covered, thanks to lancaster county, PA and colonial williamsburg. i am also hoping to make it to philly and austin before september, and i am scheduled to visit kate and baby harry in kalamazoo next month, so i would say i have this one pretty well taken care of.

21. learn to cook something from a julia child cookbook.
status: i'll get to it.

22. learn how to drive to at least one place in d.c. without my gps.
status: depends on what you count as "d.c." i can find my way around arlington pretty well, but driving in the city still gives me a headache. though riding the metro during tourist season also gives me a headache, so we'll see what headache wins out.

23. make an unexpected friend.
status: done, done and done.

24. revive frances cake.
status: resucitation under way. adangerm and i had a good frances cake meeting a while back, but i have yet to reintroduce it with any consistency. i have been thinking, though, that this might not be the time and season for frances cake. its purpose might have been served. i am going to think more on this.

25. revive documentary movie night.
status: LK and i are working on this. working hard.

26. when an idea pops into my head, like to call someone just to see how they are doing, do it right then that second instead of feeling sorry later that i didn't follow through.
status: slightly above average. i have really been trying on this one, and it has been really cool when i've actually followed through, but i think i could still be a lot more aware.

27. sing more.
status: does the shower count?

28. find somewhere to volunteer.
status: on board. literally. i am on the board of the press institute. you should make a goal to check it out. because it's pretty rad.

whew.

(why did i make all those goals?)

there are some obvious shortcomings (most of them involving the kitchen, for reasons i don't think are coincidental), but i would say things in the 28 goals department are going pretty well.

you can breathe a sigh of relief, now. and so can i.