30 x 30

One of the blogs I'm following had a post called 30 x 30. This was 30 things that this guy wanted to do before he was 30. I thought that looked like a great idea so I'm going to attempt a 30 x 30. I have about 4 1/2 years to get all the stuff done so I'm not getting the earliest start on it, but I think it's doable. If I don't do it, I'll just add 10 more things and make it a 40 x 40!

1) Complete a half marathon.
Hopefully this one gets accomplished this September!!

2) Go back to Europe.
I loved going to Europe and I would love to go again sometime.

3) Learn a foreign language.
This goes with #2, but I would love to know another language, or at least enough to get by. I figure if I start reading books or listening to tapes now, I should be fairly prepared if I get to go before I'm 30!

4) Have at least two of my children (we are still considering having 4 total)
This shouldn't be too hard since Dom is already here! But we would like 4 total and I'd like to have 2 of them before I'm 30. And who knows, by then I might decide two is plenty!

5) Take up golf...for real.
As you know, I played in a golf tournament last week and I had a good time. I think I want to try and play golf, like for real. This gives me a few years to get good!

6) Be Debt Free (except the house)
We have too much debt right now. We are ok financially but we have some old debt still hanging around. I'd like to get rid of all of that, except the house, by the time I'm 30.

7) Complete a full marathon.
This one is a little harder for me to reach since I don't even know how the half is going to go but I think I'd like to be able to say I've done it. Why not, right??

8) Watch Gone with the Wind.
I don't know why, but it seems like a lot of people reference this and I'd like to be able to say I've seen it.

9) Watch the Godfather movies.
Again with the referencing. I've never seen any of these and I'd like to know what the hype is all about.

10) Play in a Poker Tournament (at a Casino).
When Nick and I went to Vegas last year, we were going to play in a poker tournament at Planet Hollywood. Well the trip got cut short and we didn't play. I'd like to play in a real tournament someday, just to see how I'd do.

11) Get a new car.
Maybe not "new" new, but newer. I've never had a car that has less than 65,000 miles on it when I get it. I want one with less than 20,000 miles on it!

12) Go a year without caffeine.
I know I can do this because I didn't have any caffeine (well hardly any) while I was pregnant and I didn't have hardly any while I was breastfeeding, so I know I can do this. I just need to get motivated again to give up coffee. Coffee is my weakness!

13) Learn sign language.
This is a lot to learn, but I'd really like to know sign language. When Dominick was about a month old we thought he had some hearing problems. At first I was really stressed out about it and then I decided it would be ok and we'd all learn sign language. Luckily, Dominick can hear (he just elects not to a lot of the time) but I'd still like learn to sign.

14) See my brother and his family.
This is really a long shot since I've only seen him once in the last 10 years...ish. But I'd like to see him again, so I'm going to try.

15) Shoot a gun.
This one sounds crazy I know. But all the guys I work with go hunting and whatnot and I'd really like to shoot a gun. Not at anyone (obviously) or even at an animal. Not at anything besides a still target, but I'd like to try.

16) Get a bike and actually learn to ride it well.
I had a bike when I was a kid but it was pink and I hated pink, so I never rode it. In fact, I don't really know how to ride a bike well. I can physically do it. But I get nervous and shaky and have to put my feet down. Pathetic I know. So I'd like to get a bike and feel comfortable riding it.

17) Go back to school.
If we can afford it. I don't know what I'd like to take classes in, but I'd love to go back to school. I absolutely love school...

18) Learn how to drive a stick shift.
Nick's truck is a stick and I've driven it a few times but not near enough to feel comfortable. I would really like to know how to drive one in case I ever have to.

19) Learn how to French Braid hair.
This one also sounds silly, but I used to be so jealous in grade school when my class mates had braided hair and I didn't. I want to be able to braid my future daughter's hair. Not that it scarred me by not having braided hair or anything, it would just be nice to have that option!

20) Get really into cooking!
I like cooking ok. But I'd love to get really good and always have a yummy dinner on the table for my family. Something new instead of just one of the 10 things I know how to make now!

21) Finish the Entertainment Center!!!
Anyone who has seen our basement knows what I'm talking about! Nick tore it apart in January of 2007. It's still torn apart! By the time I'm 30, it better be done!

22) Register to vote in St. Louis City
I'm still registered in Calverton Park. I don't want to change it because I'm scared of getting a jury summons! I guess I need to face my fears and finally register...

23) Fly somewhere first class.
I don't think I care where. I'd just like to do it! Maybe not to Kansas City or Chicago though. If I'm paying for it, I'm going to be there longer than 45 minutes!

24) Go on a cruise.
It will take a lot of convincing to get Nick on a boat (he is afraid of sea-sickness) but I think it could be fun.

25) Make my own recipe. (I stole this one from you, bk!)
I want to have my own recipe that I am "famous" for and people like me to make when they come over for dinner/gatherings. My mom makes amazing corn flake potatoes and coffee cake (two separate things, not together!). My grandma makes everything good but especially fried chicken and chicken salad. My sister is awesome at all healthy food (she makes me want to eat healthy!). I want to be good at one really good thing too.

26) Make photo albums for around the house.
I have taken quite a few pictures since Dominick has been born but they are all online and I don't have hardly any in albums. I want to keep taking pictures and print them and put them in an album to keep around the house.

27) Go back to the Signature Room in Chicago.
That is an amazing restaurant in Chicago and the place where Nick proposed to me. That night was perfect but also such a blur. I want to go back and enjoy another meal there.

28) Go on a family vacation.
I'd like to go somewhere with my whole family, or at least the whole family that I still talk to! My parents, Angela, Andrew and Cecilia, and me, Nick and Dominick. I'd love for us all to go somewhere as a big family. Maybe we'll get to do that one of these years.

29) Learn photo shop.
My sister is SO good with photo shop. If anyone saw the picture she made of Dominick being held by Jesus for his baptism then you know she's good! But she's made some amazing pictures and I'd like to be able to do some too.

30) Be in the audience at the Ellen show!
I love the Ellen DeGeneres show. I would absolutely love to go and be an audience member at her show. She's SO funny and I love all the guests she brings one. This will be a hard goal, but I'm going to try! Maybe I'll fly first class there and knock off two birds with one stone!

I'll try to keep you updated on how I do with each of these. I'll have to keep coming back here to even see what they all are! But it's my goal now to get some of these done (or all if I can!) by the time I'm 30! Wish me luck!!