42 Things!

Some folks out on the interwebs have posted lists of 40 things they want to do before they turn 40,* and I've been inspired. Unfortunately, I'm a little late to the game, so I'm going to shoot for 42 things before I turn 42 on January 7, 2014. As many of you know, the number 42 has galactic significance, so this seems like a good year to try new things!

Here's my list. Thank you for following along!

1. Renew my passport. You never know when you might have to skip the country win a fabulous international vacation.

2. Try six new Crock Pot recipes. (Why six? Well, it's a nice, non-intimidating number and is one-seventh of 42.)

3. Read (or re-read) 42 Newbery Award winning books. (Eventually I want to read them all.) (Follow along with my list here.)

4. Listen to three new-to-me songs each week. (My list is here.)  

5. Blog more, shooting for at least two posts per month.

6. Finish an article on group processing in archives and submit it for publication.

7. Revise a previous devotion/blog post and submit it to My Ministry Minute.

8. Learn to crochet a hat.

9. Bake a cake from scratch.

10. Lift weights an average of twice a week. (Jennifer has said I can count toning classes toward this; thank you, Jenny!)

11. Figure out WordPress.

12. Donate (at least) 25 articles of clothing to charity.

13. Work on some kind of puzzle (jigsaw, crossword, etc.) at least twice per week.

14. Read something every day (this is an easy one for me).

15. Meet some more of my online friends in person.

16. Play my flute again (even if not in public).

17. Take 42 self-portraits during the year.

18. Send 42 pieces of handwritten mail during the year.

19. Visit a new-to-me state.

20. Walk a 5K for charity; try to raise $420.00.

21. Visit a new-to-me state park in Georgia.
22. Lose (at least) ten pounds.
23. Complete a Whole 30 diet program (I've done this before and want to do it again.).
24. Schedule and complete a wellness assessment at work. Do it again next year to compare the numbers.
25. Unplug for a day: no computer, no phone.
26. Watch seven "best picture" winning movies that I haven't seen before. (Here's my list.)
27. Go to a petting zoo. Take pictures. (I've been to petting zoos before, but it just seemed like a fun thing to do again.)
28. Get back into good enough shape to walk 30 minutes straight on the elliptical machine. COMPLETED! Managed this on my first try, 1/15/13.
29. Read one of Shakespeare's plays that I haven't read before.
30. See a play on campus.
31. Go to a concert on campus.
32. For one week, get 30 minutes of exercise every single day, even on the weekend.
33. Go on a Rose Hill Ramble.
34. Take some kind of crafting class during the year.
35. Have a facial.
36. Write about my completed experiences in a journal. (I'm a journal hoarder.)
37. At least once per week, play a game with the XBox Kinect or the Wii Fit.
38. Sponsor/"adopt" an endangered animal.
39. Have a slumber party with my two BFFs; possibly turn this into a girls' weekend if our schedules permit.
40. Go to a firing range.
41. Re-read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, at least the first four books of the trilogy. (Yes, I mean that. There's a fifth book I haven't read yet.)
42. Buy a new towel. COMPLETED! I ordered this one.

And away we go!






*Aside from Helen, I don't know any of the people whose lists I linked to; my apologies if there's anything offensive out there.