Linky goodness

I really don't want to get into detail about why right now, but I highly recommend this series on metal illness by Dave at The Prodigal.  I want to applaud Dave both on the candidness of his writing and the thoroughness of his research.

In which I do things before I die

Image via WikipediI've had a list of things to do before I die for a while now -- at least a year and a half or two years ago. The last few years, I have made it a New Year's Resolution to do at least one item off the list, and I also use the list to keep my 43things in line. But I've never made the whole list public.

Then, I read this post and liked the idea of talking about this sort of thing, telling people what I hope to do and finding out what their plans are. So, for the first time:

• Take dance lessons (finite or ongoing) -- IN PROGRESS
• Take shooting lessons (finite)
• Take Spanish lessons (ongoing)
• Take yoga lessons (ongoing)
• Take a wine tasting course (finite)
• Write poetry
• Join a poetry group (ongoing)
• Do NaNoWriMo
• Write a non-NaNoWriMo novel
• Publish a short story
• Write more letters
• Go on a writers’ retreat
• Join a choir that’s actually worth joining (min 4 parts – ongoing)
• Get a solo and not freak out about it
• Join a book club (ongoing)
• See the Baltimore Aquarium. Not puke.
• See Jerusalem.
• See Egypt
  
• See Stratford-on-Avon
• Take high tea the proper British way
• Take part in a proper Japanese tea ceremony
• See Walden Pond
  
  
• See the Louvre
• See the Vatican --
  
• See the ruins of Pompeii  -- 
• See South America  (esp Indian ruins)
  
• See Australia
  
• See New Zealand
  
• See a kiwi (the bird. Zoos acceptable)
• See a panda
• See a koala
• See Hong Kong
  
• See Los Angeles
  
• See Alcatraz
  
• See Seattle
  
• See the Mississippi river (not from a gambling boat)
• See the Grand Canyon
  
• See Ellis Island immigration center
  
  
• See the birthplace of Girl Scouting
• See Hawaii (including active volcano)
• See the northern lights
• Cruise to Alaska
• See a desert
• See a concentration camp ( internment camp ok)
• See part of the Underground Railroad
• See all 100 of AFI’s top movies
• Read Ulysses. -- IN PROGRESS
• Read The Lord of the Rings
• Read The Sandman
• Read the apocrypha -- IN PROGRESS
• Fast
• Adopt a dog
• Learn to drive -- IN PROGRESS
• Learn to juggle
• Make sushi
• Make sangria
• Perfect my mother’s brownie frosting
• Grow a vegetable garden
• Grow an herb garden
• Grow a butterfly garden
• Volunteer
• Give blood
  
  
• Attend the Olympics (opening or closing ceremony preferred)
• See a taping of a TV show
• Take a ghost tour (a real one, not halloween bullshit)
  
  
• See U2 in concert
• Get a museum membership. Attend regularly

Note: There's been a lot going on lately, and there's even more to come. As a result, I'd like to open a call for guest posters. In return, I'd be happy to return the favor in the next few weeks. Reply in the comments and we'll talk.

Related articles by Zemanta

• In which I get ready for another year (linboring.blogspot.com)
• In which I contemplate the ideal life. (linboring.blogspot.com)

In which I am happy

Image via Wikipedia

It's been a hectic week, and an off month due to some personal stuff (if you need to know, you probably already do). So what I'm going to do here is an exercise that was recommended by Trent at The Simple Dollar.

Just try this little experiment tomorrow.

From the very start of the day, keep a little notepad with you and jot down everything that makes you feel genuinely happy inside. Don’t worry about whether it’s something big or something small - if you feel a twinge of happiness, jot it down.

Then, a day or two later, do it again. Make four or five little lists of the things that made you feel happiness during a given day - the things that made you feel good.

By now, you’ll have a few nice little lists. Go through them and eliminate any good feelings that make you feel bad when you look back on them, like silly frivolous purchases that were a rush when you made them but now feel like a waste to you.

The items remaining are a collection of the good things in your life. These are the things that bring you joy on a regular basis and provide the fuel for you to keep going.

So instead of a normal anecdote, I'm going to make this page an ongoing exercise. I'll update you from time to time. In return, what makes you happy? (Let's all keep it PG, please.)

• Dancing with Chris to a really good song
• Famous Dave's smoked salmon spread
• Realizing I have 5 more minutes left of break time than I planned for
• Positive feedback for my team newsletter at work
• Dreams that can be made into actual stories.
• Kayaking
• Waking up and feeling well-rested.
• Hearing a song so obscure I forgot it existed on the real, actual radio, and remembering how much I like it.
• Being held at the end of a long day
• Getting a hole-in-one in mini-golf
• Good hymns, sung properly
• Receiving validation from an authority figure I respect (I know it shouldn't, but there you are)
• Getting lots of varied friends together and seeing them all get along
• Devising a solid contingency plan to address an issue that worries me
• John Harvard's lobster bisque
• Soldiers coming home and being greeted by their dogs 
• The "Where the Hell is Matt?" videos 
• This video: songs that use the same four chords. 
• Getting the Christmas tree set up
• When everyone likes my baked brie

 Related articles by Zemanta

• Quickie Round-Up: Beer Tour edition (reviewingwhatever.blogspot.com)
• "Review: The Happiness Project" and related posts (thesimpledollar.com)
• "Happiness is a Choice." True or False? Plus the Weekly video. (happiness-project.com)
• 5 Ways Money Can Buy Happiness (wisebread.com)
• Oh, Christmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree!!! (daveloveless.wordpress.com)