rachel’s blog

My New Year’s Resolution to “do new things” may have subsconsciously been part of the reason that I developed my 101-in-1001 list. Many of the things on the list are new for me, and five of the six things I accomplished in February fall into the “new” category. But when I made my New Year’s resolution, I expected that the new things I do would be more life-changing than simply releasing a book through BookCrossing or sending a letter to the Presidente de la República de Guatemala (my Amnesty International activity).

As I reflect on the month of February, which ends tonight after a mere 28 days, I really can’t think of anything I’ve done that has pushed me beyond my typical routine in a significant way. Of course, it doesn’t help that for 10 of those 28 days (and nights), I’ve had to stay within 5-10 minutes of home and be ready to drop whatever I’m doing at a moment’s notice. It’s a job thing… but I can’t blame all of my stuck-in-a-rut tendencies on my job.

Since I haven’t been going out of my way to do new things, I’ve had to think creatively to come up with a list of new things I’ve done in the month of February. Here it is:

* I got to know someone from New Hampshire. I’ve been to the Granite State at least twice in my life, but until recently I wasn’t personally acquainted with anyone who lives there. Now I am.

* I tried a new waffle recipe. Until a few weeks ago, I always used the same recipe every time I made waffles, but when I invited a friend over for breakfast to celebrate her birthday, I decided to make pumpkin waffles instead. Mmm. They were so good…

* I drove a golf cart. Seriously, I think today was the first time I drove one, but what made the experience memorable is that I was wearing “drunk goggles,” which simulate vision impairment caused by intoxication. Believe it or not, this was a work thing too.

In today’s mail I received a picture of an adorable little three-year-old girl wearing a blue and white uniform. Her name is Audia, and she is a student at Maranatha School for the Deaf in Jamaica. Since she just started attending the school within the past few weeks, I don’t know much else about her family or her disability, but I do know that I am now officially sponsoring a child.

I had run into the sponsorship coordinator a few weeks ago, and when I told her that I wanted to sponsor a child at the school, she asked if I wanted to go along to Jamaica with her… leaving just a few days from now! I declined because I already have other commitments for that time, but perhaps the next plane ticket I buy will be to Kingston. After all, it’s been almost ten years since my last visit to Jamaica and almost five years since I’ve been out of the States. That’s a trend I need to reverse!

I’m not sponsoring Audia merely so I could check off one more thing on my 101-in-1001 list. Quite the contrary, in fact. I listed “sponsor a child” because it’s something I already wanted to do… like everything else on the list.

Today was an especially good day for the list, because I also completed number 51: “Edit an article on Wikipedia, even if it’s just to correct someone’s grammar.” I corrected a misspelling in one article and removed an errant comma in another. Maybe someday I’ll make more significant contributions to society.

Quick — what’s the capital of South Dakota? How about New Hampshire? Tennessee?

Sometime between fifth grade and last Sunday, I managed to forget quite a few of the U.S. state capitals. When I was creating my “101 in 1001” list, I decided that I’d like to relearn them. So I went online last Sunday evening, pulled up a list, and quizzed myself. (What would I do without the internet? Own a whole set of encylopedias??) As I reviewed the list one by one, I had plenty of “oh yeah…” moments.

Now that I have relearned the state capitals, I can quiz myself anywhere by systematically scanning a mental map of the U.S. The perfect time to do this is at night when I’m desperately trying to fall asleep. And yes, I’m aware that this puts me into the Nerd category.

If you’re looking for a quick refresher, the little kid in this YouTube video can help you. Some of his pronunciations are pretty funny, but he definitely knows his state capitals. Well, except for St. Paul, Minnesota.

Twice now I have tried to achieve one of my goals on my 101 in 1001 list:

3. Get 8 hours of sleep each night for an entire week.

Sounds easy, right? I thought so too. Apparently I can get 8 hours of sleep for SIX nights in a row, but not SEVEN. Twice I have failed on night seven. Last week it was Wednesday night and this week it was Thursday night. Last night I was working on a class project that is due today, and I simply couldn’t finish it up by 11:00. (I know, I shouldn’t have procrastinated on the project like I did…)

I still want to achieve the goal, but it’s obviously not going to be as simple as I thought. Meanwhile, I’m catching plenty of Z’s.

P.S. Remember my recent comment about my fingers accidentally typing the word “attachedule”? Last night they came up with “correlationship.” I think that’s technically a word, but I certainly intended to stop before adding the last four letters!

Last Wednesday I wore black because it was Valentine’s Day. (OK, I wore a little pink too.) Tomorrow I’ll wear black for an entirely different reason — it’s Ash Wednesday.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Christian church calendar, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, which is the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday. Actually, it’s 46 days, but only 40 if you don’t count Sundays. Easter Sunday, of course, is the day on which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but before we celebrate His victory over death itself, we enter a time of reflection, repentance, and sacrifice. The season of Lent will intensify during Holy Week, when we remember the events preceding and during the crucifixion.

In addition to wearing black tomorrow, I’ll also begin reading a book of daily Lenten meditations by Henri Nouwen entitled “Show Me The Way.” These aren’t the only ways I’m planning to observe Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, but I’m hesitant to write about the others in a public setting such as this. On the one hand, I’d like to share about my Lenten practices as a way of encouraging others to adopt meaningful practices in their own lives, but I also don’t want to be like the hypocrites in Matthew 6 who prayed on the street corners so people would see how religious they were. So I guess I’ll err on the side of caution and keep my mouth shut… at least for now.

Today was the second time that someone has asked me to go on a date on Valentine’s Day. No, not a date ON Valentine’s Day. They ASKED me on V-Day. Via a phone call. At work.

Story number one (the second one is better):

Five years ago, Valentine’s Day fell on a Thursday. That morning I got a call at work from a guy I had never heard of in my life. He explained that his sister is one of my acquaintances, and that he and I had gone to the same high school, though not at the same time. Then he told me that he’d like to meet me. Huh? Had he moved to the same town I did? No, he still lived in his hometown — more than two hours away.

He wondered if we could go out on Saturday night. I was going away for the weekend (and besides, what was the rush?). He suggested the following Saturday night, but I told him I had plans. It was true — I had a date with some other guy! Suddenly I felt as though I might actually have something that could be described as a “love life.” Ha! We managed to find a time that suited us both, and after our one quasi-date, I never heard from or saw him again. I still wonder if he realized that he was calling me on Valentine’s Day…

The other story:

This afternoon I decided to pick up an incoming call on the main phone line at work, since the receptionist was out of the office due to the ice storm. The caller asked if I could email her a copy of her grades. I described the difference between an official and unofficial transcript, and then explained the standard procedure for requesting a transcript. She asked if it made any difference that she had been kicked out of the university. No, we release transcripts regardless of your academic status.

She told me that she had been kicked out and that the school had really treated her wrong. “But you seem nice,” she said. Uh, thanks. I try. She said she hoped I was having a good Valentine’s Day… and then asked if I wanted to go on a date with her sometime.

I laughed, suddenly realizing that a friend of mine was prank calling me. “Who IS this?!”

I should have guessed. It was my friend Sara… who had prank called me at work once before. At least this time she didn’t ask for a hand-written transcript!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yeah, that’s right. Celebrate it with sugar, chocolate, and the color pink…

I’m often intrigued by my fingers’ ability to switch into autopilot while I’m typing. I’ll intend to type a certain word, and then suddenly my fingers will blurt out an entirely different word or phrase. It’s as if my fingers develop a mind of their own and don’t even bother to consult me anymore. When this happens, I scowl at my computer screen and think, “Where did THAT come from?!” And then I delete the unintentional letters or words, of course.

The other day at work I was getting ready to send an email in which I mentioned that a document outlining a certain production schedule was attached. At the end of the sentence, my fingers fused together the two key words and came up with “attachedule.” Crazy! I wasn’t consciously aware that the words shared a sequence of four letters, but my fingers quickly let me know!

OK, I realize that my brain should get the credit, and not my fingers, but it’s easier to attribute the funky words to something I understand (my mad typing skills) than to something I don’t (neural pathways).

I don’t think I’d make a very good criminal. Tonight I released my very first book through BookCrossing, and in spite of the fact that it was completely legal, it was nerve-wracking!!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, BookCrossing is a website that enables the tracking of books that people release “into the wild” — on a park bench, at a coffee shop, in the locker room at the gym, or wherever random books are likely to be picked up.

The book I chose to release was a novel with a pink cover that I bought for a dollar at a used book store on Saturday. The title caught my attention because it had been mentioned several times in Sara Nelson’s “So Many Books, So Little Time.” I decided to read through the book over the weekend so I could release it whenever the timing was right.

Since I’m not an experienced BookCrosser, I wanted to play it safe by releasing the book in such a way that no one would find it until I had fled the scene. After all, I didn’t want someone running after me to tell me that I had forgotten my book! I was also paranoid that someone would see me abandon the book and think I was planting a bomb or something!! OK, so I’m probably one of the least suspicious-looking people on the planet, but since everyone is paranoid about everything these days, I guess I was too.

After I registered the book on BookCrossing, I printed out a label to tape inside the front cover, which included the book’s ID number, a catchy explanation of BookCrossing, and the cute running-book logo. On a bright green Post-it note I wrote “FREE BOOK,” and then stuck the note on the front cover. I was ready for the release.

This evening I tucked the book into my handbag and headed out to run a few errands. When I walked into Target, I tried to act as nonchalant as possible, even though all I could think about was the concealed book I was carrying. As I meandered through the clothing section, I was slightly distressed to see that there were THREE employees working at the fitting room counter. Too risky. I spent more than enough time looking through the racks of shirts, sweaters, and pants until two of the employees left.

I soon made my way over to the fitting room, where the girl in red gave me a plastic tag with the number 6 on it. After trying on the items (nothing fit), I pulled the book out of my bag and laid it down on the red bench inside my tiny room. I felt like I was stealing something. The green “FREE BOOK” note looked too goofy, so I flipped the book over. Just then, the fitting room monitor got a phone call, which was the perfect time for me to make my exit. Bye-bye book.

I was sure the fitting room chick would see the suspicious book as soon as I left and immediately notify security, who would apprehend me at the front doors. I wanted to run out of the store, but I think I managed to walk at a normal pace. I said hello to a colleague of mine near the exit (she could serve as a character witness, right?)… and then I was out. How would the fitting room monitor describe me to the bomb squad? Did she notice that I was wearing red shoes? Would the security cameras see me get into my car and drive out of the parking lot? Have other BookCrossers felt like this, or am I the only crazy one?!

Yesterday I had lunch with some friends, and I was telling them about my 101-in-1001 list. Sarah asked me which thing was the scariest, but I couldn’t think of anything on my list that I’d describe as “scary.” I certainly would have never guessed that releasing a book through BookCrossing might fit into that category!

Don’t worry, I haven’t decided to start writing in binary. I recently stumbled across an interesting project called “101 Things in 1001 Days,” which originated with a guy in New Zealand. The project idea has been gaining internet popularity, especially during the past year, and in spite of the fact that everyone else is doing it… so am I.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on your part).

1001 days. That’s less than three years, and according to this nifty little calculator, my target date is November 5, 2009. I’ll be 30 by then. Hmm.

101 things. In case you were wondering, that’s a lot… and developing my list was surprisingly difficult! Some ideas came to me quickly, but when I started to get stuck, perusing other people’s lists helped to steer my thoughts in new directions. Some of the things on my list I have done before (sleeping out under the stars, going on a date, reading through the Bible, and maybe a dozen others), but the majority will be brand new experiences for me. I’ll let you guess which ones are which. Oh, and this will definitely help me follow through with my New Year’s Resolution to do new things!

The list feels a little overwhelming right now, but I also believe it’s doable, so it guess it meets the specified criteria. My entire list is posted below in bold type, and as I complete items, I will un-bold them and add the date.

:: THE LIST ::

1. Learn to like pickles.
2. Own a pet.
3. Get 8 hours of sleep each night for an entire week. (3/3/07)
4. Read through the Bible. (13/66 books)
5. Juggle 3 objects for 30 seconds.
6. Send a postcard to Postsecret.
7. Learn to whistle loudly (with my fingers in my mouth?).
8. Visit the local synagogue. (11/30/07)
9. Host 101 people in my home — but not all at the same time! (Prior to May 1, students don’t count…). (91/101)
10. Visit one of the 11 states I haven’t been to yet. (6/27/07)
11. Run a 5K.
12. Visit an Old Order Mennonite Church. (3/11/07)
13. Sing a solo. (3/18/07)
14. Drink a glass of wine. (6/29/07)
15. Watch someone get a tattoo. (04/04/0
16. Go on a date. (7/27/07)
17. Feel confident leading hymns.
18. Say “you’re welcome” more often than “yep.”
19. Identify 101 things that bring me joy. (92/101)
20. Grow tomatoes.
21. Read ten books that I own but haven’t read. (4/10)
22. Sell handmade cards.
23. Use the number keypad as naturally as typing letters on a keyboard.
24. Swim at the city pool. (7/22/07)
25. Ride my bike to work.
26. Refinish my $10 desk.
27. Vote. (11/06/07)
28. Help with a Habitat for Humanity build. (5/12/07)
29. Can or freeze something other than applesauce.
30. Re-learn the capitals of the United States. (2/18/07)
31. Make a comforter for MCC.
32. Write a Christmas letter. (12/31/07)
33. Buy something at an auction.
34. Release a book through BookCrossing. (2/12/07)
35. Carve a pumpkin.
36. Marry an amazing man. (OK, so this one isn’t completely up to me…)
37. Pretend to be a morning person for a week. (5/20/07)
38. Take a non-seminary class of some type.
39. Learn and memorize a song on the piano that sounds like it should be played in a hotel lobby.
40. Buy or sell something on eBay.
41. Climb on a climbing wall.
42. Write to an author. (7/16/07)
43. Eat/use up all food that is currently in my freezer or pantry.
44. Go on a real vacation. (7/4/07)
45. Win something. (6/16/07)
46. Own a hymnal accompaniment book. (4/28/07)
47. Fast for 24 hours.
48. Attend a worship service in Spanish.
49. Offer or receive something through Freecycle. (5/16/07)
50. Make bagels. (3/22/0
51. Edit an article on Wikipedia, even if it’s just to correct someone’s grammar. (2/27/07)
52. Create a pair of earrings.
53. Visit 10 Mennonite churches I’ve never been to (not including the Old Order church). (7/10)
54. Donate a gallon of blood. (0.875/1)
55. Go to a football game.
56. Read an issue of The New Yorker. (3/15/07)
57. Memorize one verse from each book of the Bible.
58. Learn about the original owner of my house.
59. Join the National Weight Control Registry.
60. Hit golf balls on a driving range.
61. Post a book review on Amazon.com.
62. Host a pajama party. (11/16/07)
63. Roast chestnuts on an open fire.
64. Go to a fair. (8/13/07)
65. Grow my hair long enough that I could donate it if I chose to.
66. Participate in 26Things (or something similar). (5/07)
67. Rely on just one alarm clock, not two.
68. Get a professional massage.
69. Attend a City Council meeting. (1/22/0
70. Do something active with Amnesty International. (2/25/07)
71. Spend a weekend at home internet-free.
72. Go to a car wash.
73. Have a consultation at a makeup counter.
74. Participate in NaBloPoMo. (11/30/07)
75. Learn to play a hymn on the hammered dulcimer. (9/20/07)
76. Get a better digital camera. (5/17/07)
77. Sew a purse/handbag. (5/15/07)
78. Host a dinner party.
79. Participate in a book club / reading group.
80. Ride a horse.
81. Learn to play chess.
82. Attend a Catholic mass.
83. Sponsor a child. (2/27/07)
84. Learn to play tennis.
85. Bake a beautiful loaf of bread.
86. Become confident with parallel parking.
87. Own a sleeping bag. (6/9/07)
88. Watch a foreign film with subtitles. (4/22/07)
89. Have a professional portrait taken.
90. Start an iJournal.
91. Be able to play guitar with worship music.
92. Paint something with chalkboard paint. (8/18/07)
93. Don’t wear a watch for seven (non-consecutive) days. (4/5/07)
94. Sleep out under the stars. (7/22/07)
95. Crochet a scarf or hat that I really like. (3/3/07)
96. Have a neighbor over for dinner.
97. Go Christmas caroling door-to-door. (12/16/07)
98. Do one trip from “Touring the Shenandoah Valley Backroads.” (5/19/07)
99. Get a credit card that gives me cash back. (7/12/07)
100. Make a cheesecake.
101. Be able to identify a non-Dipper constellation.