I want to shimmer, I want to shine, I want to radiate

[40cakes]

So I realized I keep talking about "Yeah, I can go live my life now and do things and I'm gonna do stuff!" without actually outlining anything. I wanted to make a list of things I absotively posolutely need to accomplish before I'm dead dammit (provided death comes from old age and not a freak accident involving a trapeze, a low-flying helicopter, a flock of seagulls, and the Hudson river or something).

And while I was formulating this list in my head, I thought, "Say, I feel like I've done this before..." and realized I had. At some point in high school. When I was home this weekend, I dug through my closet to find my old journal (before the internets, we wrote our journals in pencil and paper and wrote "KEEP OUT" all over them because there were incredibly important things in there, like how hot Mark-Paul Gosselaar was) and found this old list of things High School Casey needed to accomplish.

Man.

Well, it's good to point out that most of the things I was really serious about, I've accomplished, and that feels pretty good. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever have that torrid affair with Ben Affleck, and that doctorate in psychology is out the window now. But hey, I think High School Casey would be very happy with where Adult Casey is now. I'm sure she'd sneer at her for wasting too much paper and wearing makeup and not showing off blue nail polish anymore.

So I'm making a new list. And no pie-in-the-sky bullshit where it sounds good to keep TALKING about doing it someday. Dates and plans. I'll even start off with something I've been talking about doing for years and finally did.



1. Donate hair to Locks for Love.

2. Sign up for Japanese Language courses at the Japan Society. (I filled out the registration form and wrote a check. They're currently hanging on my whiteboard until there's like, y'know, money behind the check.) Deadline: September 23rd, classes are September 26 – December 7.

3. Take a trip out west. Maybe to Hawaii, maybe to Huntington Beach. I have 3 weeks of vacation left, and I will use them. I'd prefer to go later in the year, when it's frigid here but lovely there, and also, can save money towards going. Deadline: December 2005.

4. Get serious about the knitting. Everyone's getting scarves with Christmas presents, dammit. (Get your colour requests in now) Deadline: December 25, 2005.

5. Go fire walking. This REALLY looks neat to do, and I really want to go. Oddly enough, this seems like it's the ONE THING you can't do in New York City. I've found various seminars around the country, but they're all in Nashville and Kentucky and Bumfuck Ozarks. I'll just have to suck it up and get down there, no matter what the locale, and do it. Deadline: April 2006.

6. Japan! Preferably in the spring, possibly through deez guys. Definitely through some sort of tour thing as I don’t know who'd be able to come with me, and while my reading skills always rock, the speaking and listening is not so good. Deadline: June 2006.

7. Tour Europe. zuppy28 recommends this trip, and after the fun she had, I'm inclined to believe her. Perhaps someday can come back and spend time around Europe at my leisure, but for now this'll do. Deadline: September 2006.

8. Learn to surf. If this place is still up and running, I'd like to go there, since it's all women-centric and stuff. If I can subway surf and play DDR, this should be a piece of cake. Deadline: October 2006.

9. Visit Ireland. Ah, the mother country. Don't know if I'd go on my own or with some sort of tour group, but I must go. Learn my culture and all that. Deadline: April 2007.

I think I'll stop while I'm ahead. Maybe add things as I cross them off. I know patience is a virtue, but I'm generally impatient and will be chomping at the bit to DO EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW OMG if I list anymore. Also will potentially run out of money. This is a good list, though. I dig.

[UPDATE] #5: This place in Oregon has a seminar for $125, and they hold them at least one Sunday a month. Orbitz has a flight + hotel deal for $400. I could make that work by November. Maybe I'll push back the West Coast plans to Deadline April 06? Or maybe since I know this happens pretty regularly, wait until spring when it's not fucking freezing in Oregon. Hmmm.

Comments

[wangch61.livejournal.com]

that europe trips looks pretty awesome.

if i was gonan go over the pnd...i would pretyy much goto spain, germany and Holland.

i have never been to Spain or germany.....but holland i have been to. But ya know...its holland...land of dreams.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

I thought Holland was the land of wooden shoes?

[zuppy28.livejournal.com]

Munich was boring as shit.
Sorry.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

YOU MAKE ME ITCH!

...no wait, that's not my line...

[pyrobovaphiliac.livejournal.com]

Japanese is hard. You feel like an infant when you're learning how to read again. I suppose it's easier than english though.

The best part of japanese classes are the surfer kids that take it. You get sentences that come out like: Waataashe no naa mie wha Erik dea SU.(all letters are pronounced)

..it'd be funnier if you could hear my impression.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

I know hiragana and katakana, and a few kanji (I'm positive every time I learn a new character, something else falls out my ears). I've kinda worked out the basic grammatical structure, but that's all been on my own and I realize it's always better to be taught by someone and have a group learning alongside oneself for everything to really sink in. When I learned Russian, I had already taught myself the alphabet and the phonics, but it didn't really CATCH until I took classes in college.

Also, I absolutely have to keep up with it if I have it in a class setting, as opposed to "Yeah, I'll teach myself Japanese. Yup, every night. Really. Ooh, a repeat of Veronica Mars is on...? Meh, I can do this later. On the train. Really."

[pyrobovaphiliac.livejournal.com]

When you say "worked out" I'm guessing that means you studied entirely outside of a classroom thus far? I applaud your informal educational persistence!

[aminallauren.livejournal.com]

I was in love with Mark-Paul. I had his pictures taped all over my locker in 8th grade. I even had a Saved by the Bell: College Years shirt! It was pathetic.

Anyway, that made me chuckle. I had to share.

PS

[wangch61.livejournal.com]

its pretty funny now that we know the truth about him.

Re: PS

[aminallauren.livejournal.com]

Hmm....fill me in on the gory details.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

I was only allowed to post pictures on my bulletin board in my bedroom, but it was COVERED with pics of him. Tiger Beat, Bop, man, you name it.

[cheekybaby.livejournal.com]

Fine list. :)

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

Why thank you. Somewhere in the future, I'll add on "learn guitar" etc, but man, this is enough for now, definitely.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

*cough* Can we delay one of the trips until I have job/vacation days if it comes to that? *puppy eyes*

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

MAYBE. Get yo ass out here, gurfrenn.

Are you listening to SHAWN MULLINS????

[zuppy28.livejournal.com]

Wow. So much to say.
One time, when we used to have these horrible "offsites" that were really boring, Olivia made me make a list of Cool Things I've done with my life/Things I have yet to accomplish. I liked the first part, cuz it made me realiz my life has been pretty damn good so far. Maybe you should also try that...

Also...in terms of Ireland- that was the very first Contiki trip I took (yes, I say very first like I've done 1000...) and it was amazing- check it out!

And in terms of going out west...you know I'm gonna recommend Redondo Beach :)

I LOVE SHAWN MULLINS LIKE I LOVE CAKE

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

I really would love to go to Ireland. A lot of this also comes from the last time I updated my resume. A reenactment, if you will:

F: So you listed your interests as "traveling and languages." Where have you been and what do you know?
C: Um...well, you see...I'd LIKE to travel! And learning languages is fun and interesting, thoughidontactuallyspeakanyfluentlyiblamethepubliceducationsystem.

Redondo Beach sounds fun! Maybe I'll do an up and down of the CA coast. See, Huntington Beach is where I was born, so I thought it'd be fun to check out my old houses and things and maybe go to the SD zoo and Knott's Berry Farm, now that I'm not scared shitless of the log flume.

At least you didn't say "Hey, how do YOU know it's Shawn Mullins?"

[zuppy28.livejournal.com]

ZOO!!!!!!!!
That's all I have to say.

[prettykate.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you remember, but I was doing this "monthly check-in" for awhile, and it was good. It really helped me see where I was going. I thik I should start it up again, honestly. I just looked and saw what I had done that was different.

It adds up to be more than you thik! For better or worse, being in a long term relationship compromises a LOT of your palns and what you can do. Esp. when they are men that have no interest in expanding anything more than their waistlines.

[chaosblue.livejournal.com]

Dude dude dude if you go to Huntington Beach I will SO have to venture down to visit. <3

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

Hooray! That's where I grew up, and I've always wanted to go back, even if it's not permanent. I don't know how it's changed in the past 13 years though...

[k-diddy.livejournal.com]

4. Get serious about the knitting. Everyone's getting scarves with Christmas presents, dammit. (Get your colour requests in now) Deadline: December 25, 2005.

I want a purple-y one! Dude, I love hand-knitted scarves. Alas, I don't knit.

[fadingembers.livejournal.com]

You're in luck! Every colour of yarn in the house right now is purple. No, REALLY.

Re: Erin Go Get Married and Never Talk to Me Again.

[robinterrae.livejournal.com]

You know, for the longest time (when I was little), I always wondered what "Erin go braugh" meant.

"Mommy.. what does that mean? What are they saying about me?"

Re: Erin Go Get Married and Never Talk to Me Again.

[robinterrae.livejournal.com]

... and why the hell didn't LJ put the comment where I clicked "reply to this?"

......