#21

So you might have noticed an item on my list that didn't make sense: #21.

If there is one thing I have realized recently, it is that I haven't seen a lot of movies. So my fellow press box posse of Adam and Derek (who I consider the masters of all things pop culture), put together a list of 53 movies I need to see. Some of these are on the AFI Top 100 list, some of them definitely are not.

I started the list off today with Dr. No, the very first James Bond movie. I had never understood the fascination with Sean Connery, but now I do... WOWZA! What a fox! I can't wait to watch the rest of the James Bond movies on the list!

(Sean Connery is my new favorite fox)

Here is the list of movies that Adam and Derek think I should watch. What do you think?

1 Top Gun completed 11/8/15
2 Ghostbusters 8/7/17
3 Ghostbuster 2
4 Dr. No  completed 10/24/15
5 Skyfall
6 Goldfinger completed 12/15/15
7 Citizen Kane
8 Godfather
9 Rocky completed 12/25/15
10 North By Northwest
11 Sixteen Candles 1/3/16
12 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (got for Christmas)
13 Young Frankenstein 8/18/17
14 Man on Wire
15 The Terminator 11/23/15
16 Aliens
17 How To Train Your Dragon
18 Raiders of the Lost Ark
19 Back to the Future completed 9/25/16
20 The Right Stuff
21 Fight Club
22 Wayne's World
23 Groundhog Day
24 The Fugitive
25 American Beauty
26 Pulp Fiction
27 Saving Private Ryan 8/20/17
28 Up 10/14/16
29 Shawn of the Dead
30 Million Dollar Baby 12/12/15
31 Argo
32 Rocky Horror Picture Show completed 10/31/15
34 Avatar
35 Wolf of Wall Street 12/4/15
36 The Life Aquatic 1/28/17
38 Casablanca
39 Jaws
40 Metropolis
41 Big Trouble in Little China
42 Chef completed 9/14/16
44 Karate Kid 7/22/2020
47 Mallrats 12/25/15
48 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
49 Mad Max
50 Mad Max: The Road Warrior
51 The Sting
52 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves completed 11/6/15
53 Tin Cup
54 Gone Baby Gone 8/6/17
55 Blood Diamond
56 Gran Torino
59 An Office and a Gentleman
60 Bambi 1/3/16
61 Mulan 11/20/15
62 Lady and the Tramp
63 Saturday Night Fever
64 The Kingsman 10/1/17
65 Die Hard
66 Hot Fuzz
67 Dumbo 12/13/15

In My 30s

So, it looks like I didn't finish my 30 before 30 list.

However, I did get to accomplish a lot of things. I went vegetarian for a month. I applied for Big Brother (sadly I did not get on). I found a wine I like, I talked to my mom everyday and I wrote letters to people who matter to me. The biggest accomplishment from the list was I grew my hair out and donated it to Wigs for Kids!

Some big things in my life happened before I turned 30. After 12 years in Tallahassee, I left and moved back home. I spent 10 amazing seasons in Florida State's Sports Information Department, but it was time for something new. I'm now working in the crazy world of minor league baseball for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos while living with my amazing mom and sister (who graduates high school this year!). I also get to be closer to my brother and sister-in-law. I love it!

But, now it's time to make a new list. 39 things to do in my 30s. My next milestone is 40, and since it's far away, it gives me a chance to actually accomplish the items below. If you have any tips or want to be a part of any of the things on my list, just let me know!

Disclosure: Sure, there are things I want to do that aren't on the list, I want to get married, have kids, etc., but this is a list of things to do that I can control. As crazy as some of them sound, I can do them and I can control if I accomplish it or not.

Traveling
1) Get my passport 10/23/2017
2) Visit all 50 states
3) Visit Mexico 11/15/17
4) Stand in four states at one time
5) Ride a train
6) Go on an Alaskan cruise
7) Visit five continents
8) Visit the Grand Canyon
9)  Visit Ireland and meet my relatives
10)  Visit one of the Great Pyramids
11)  See the Northern Lights

12)  Go on a roadtrip with my sister (roadtrip with my sister neighbor) June 2020 

13)  Go to Niagara Falls

Sports

14) Visit every Major League Baseball park
15) Finally go to a NFL game accomplished 12/6/15 Jacksonville at Tennessee

Movies/Music/Books
16) Read 500 books
17) Finish a book in one sitting
18) Listen to this whole list of 1000 songs
19) Watch every AFI top 100 movie
20) Read the entire Bible
21) Watch all the Adam and Derek movies

Personal Accomplishments
22)  Do a 10k
23)  Take boxing lessons
24)  Learn how to speak Spanish
25)  Give up soda
26)  Pay off my student loans  2019
27)  Work on buying my first house April 24, 2019 I bought my house!
28)  Learn to drive a manual car
29)  Own a pair of Jimmy Choo Shoes
30)  Make 30 new recipes

Personal Relationships
31)  Handwrite a letter to 12 people who have inspired me or helped me in my life July 2020

32)  Get rid of anyone negative in my life, forgive them, and move on

Something Fun
33)  Get one more tattoo 2/9/16
34)  Hold a panda

35)  Treat myself to a massage 3/14/17 - Thanks Heather! 

36)  See Cirque du soleil 10/22/17

37)  Finish a coloring book

38)  Put mentos in diet coke 12/25/15
39)  Find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop 11/10/17 (396 licks)

Time to get started!

28 To Go!

I have 22 states down and 28 more to go! 

Wow - I'm Behind #7, #10, #28

I cannot believe how far behind I am on my posts!!!! 

Well, I finished my going vegetarian for a month. I can't believe I way able to do it! (#10 on list). It honestly gives me hope that I can accomplish this list! I set my mind to something and I did it! 

The most challenging thing on the list is #28 - talking to my mom everyday. I love my mom so much, but it's been interesting to realize at 10/11 at night I haven't spoken to her. It was really difficult this past week at CoSIDA, a work conference. 

I had such a blast getting to meet new people and getting to rekindle relationships with other people. I can spend a whole season emailing someone results and rosters, but it's awesome to finally meet them in person. 

I also got to have my first cigar. Yes, I had a cigar. I will never have another one. It was a fun experience sitting with my office and trying something new, but my mouth felt so dirty! 

Once I left Orlando, I flew straight to Boston to visit my family and that is where I am now. 

Another thing on my list has been #7 - reading 30 books. I read Silent Honor by Danielle Steele which was about a Chinese family in America during WWII. It was very interesting because its not something that I think of when I think of that war. I think of Jews in concentration camps and Pearl Harbor. The other book I read was Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. It's about a mom who sees a missing child card with a picture of someone who looks just like her adopted son. Read it!!!! So good. I'm currently halfway through World War Z so I can be ready for the movie when it comes out. 

Well, once I get back from Boston I'm gonna look at my list to see what is next. 

Peace, love and hockey! 

Time to watch the Bruins!

#10, #14, #29, #30

One more week!!!! One more week!!!! What am I talking about? Eating meat! For the past day, all I have wanted to eat is Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets. I can't explain the craving, but I want it so bad! I have continued to be successful with my month long vegetarian adventure (#10) and I'm thinking of modifying my meat eating habits after the month. After reading articles about red meat, I'm thinking of just adding chicken into my diet. It will be a way not to shock my body after a month of no meat and it will be healthier. I have continued to experiment a little bit and tried a black bean burger, it wasn't too bad but I think I may stay away from it. 

Since this has taken a all of my attention this month, I think I'm going to continue that idea and spend next month on #29, reading the entire Bible. One of the reasons this is on my list is not necessarily for religious or spiritual reasons, but because it's one of the most influential books of all time. This book has been criticized and scrutinized, torn apart line by line, word from word. Conservatives and Liberals talk about things being wrong and right citing the book, and I feel like it's time I delve in. I attempted to do this a while ago, but it's time to start over, beginning at Genesis. 

So #14 on my list is to write a letter or card to someone who has influenced me in my life. I'm very proud at myself for not waiting until the last day to do this. I wrote this month's card to my hairstylist, I know what you are thinking... your hairstylists??? Well, she's much more than that. She's an awesome listener and a great mother. So if you want your hair done, see Tarah at Haute Headz in Tallahassee.

So I'm making a change to my list.... That's right, I'm making a change. I feel like I can do this because it's my life and I need to do what's best for me. So, I'm changing #30. Getting a kiss from Adam McQuaid is super unlikely and won't really help myself grow or help anyone else. So at the suggestion of Tarah (see above paragraph) I'm not going to cut my hair until I'm 30. I'll get it trimmed, but I'm not going to cut it. So you're probably asking yourself, what does that have to do with helping someone else. Well, I'm gonna donate my hair to Locks of Love after my 30th birthday. Time for me to embrace my long hair. 

This is the shortest my hair will be for the next two years! (Don't know why photo wouldn't turn)

Tomorrow I head to Atlanta for men's golf NCAA Championship. Should be a great week! Well, intermission is ending and it's time to watch the Boston Bruins! 

#10, #17, #30 (Outback, Bonefish and Deli's Oh My!)

So traveling Wednesday through Sunday prevented me from posting sooner, but here is an update on my #30before30. 

Doing more of  these things have made me be on my computer far less than usual. But that is good! 

As I write this blog, it's currently intermission in Game 7 between Boston and Toronto. Adam McQuaid is playing stellar tonight (see #30).  I love my Bruins so I really hope they win tonight. It's been such an intense game so far! Hits and checks all over the place. So here is a confession, the last time I didn't want a game, I hung out with friends and acted stupidly, plus the Bruins lost. So here I am, ditching my friends for dinner. I can't help it! I just believe in superstitions I guess.

So an update on #17, listening to 1000 songs. It's been going well. I have found more and more songs that I really like 'Unchained Melody' by The Righteous Brothers, 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls and 'Never Ever' by All Saints.... I mean, yea, I was totally just kidding on those last songs. Actually no, I loved them! Got to listen to a song I really liked that I never heard of before, 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?' by Joe Jackson. It was so good. I could listen to it all day. 

I had some hard vegetarian tests (#10), but I passed them! Traveling with sports teams can be a lot of fun, but you can have soooooo much good food. We went to Subway (not good but lots of meat), Outback Steakhouse (had one pasta choice which I ate), Bonefish (hello mix and matching sides), Jason's Deli (yummy Plain Jane potato for me), B.J.'s (cheese pizza!). And then I went home on Saturday night for mother's day and my mom made steak! 

I have gotten a lot stronger since I stopped eating meat. I feel like my body is getting cleaner and I feel more refresh. Definitely learned what I needed to add to my diet. I have been eating WAY less fast food which is obviously really good. 

Well intermission is over, time to watch the BRUINS! 

#26 Crossed Off, Update on #10

So the last five days have been very interesting for me. I am five days into my vegetarian goal (#10) and it is going okay. I started off a little skeptic but I have been doing surprisingly well. I have discovered that places like Chipolte and Moe's charge less money when you don't have meat. I have discovered that black beans are super awesome and have added tomatoes into my menu. I never liked tomatoes but am starting to like them a lot. I have discovered that my body is reacting differently now. (Perhaps it was my May the fourth be with you/Cince do Mayo party last night). The last couple days I have been sluggish. I think I need to increase my fruit intake. I'm actually becoming more and more used to the idea of being vegetarian and eating out has not been an issue for me yet. 

While I was at the party (mentioned above) someone brought a bottle of wine to the party. I never thought that I would finally find the one wine I like (#26) where it was all margaritas and Coronas. But I did it, I finally like a wine!!!! SWEET RED! It's perfect for me. I love sweet drinks and it's just what I want. 

On a personal note, May 10th is coming, it marks one year since my dad passed away . Obviously I miss my dad very much. It still hurts me knowing I can't give him a call telling him about new things in my life. It still hurts that I can't get a hug from him when a boy is mean to me. It still hurts that I can't hear him say he loves me, or he's proud of me, or that I'm beautiful. I'm sad that my sister won't have her dad at her confirmation. I'm sad my brother can't go out on the golf course with my dad. And mostly I'm sad that my mom can't lay in bed next to the man who she loves. 

However, I'm glad that I call my mom everyday. I'm glad my sister is my best friend. I'm glad my brother and I don't fight anymore. I'm glad that my family leans on one another. I'm glad we hug each other and love each other just a little bit more than we used to.