Classes Registered for

I suppose to be technical I can't actually cross it off the list but I did register today for 2 classes, this will then upon completion cross off two more items from my list.

Photography class is set for May 13th
Adobe Photo Shop class set for March 4th & 11th

Both at the local community college.

This will then cross off upon completetion...not just payment of class for numbers 3 and 34

Update And Rain Gutters

An Update and another to Cross off the list.

1. Have Rain gutters/reinstalled
Today January 30, 2006 I am now the proud owner of NEW Rain gutters. OK silly I know to get excited about something like rain gutters, but let me explain. 2 Years ago my house flooded -(the first time....as many of you who know me well will read this was just the first lesson in this area of 3) So why did the house flood downstairs this time. Well first of all RAIN...I have an issue with rain, that I hope to one day have resolved, but for now Rain and I well we dont see eye to eye...anyway, due to a faulty raingutter (cracked and not hung right to begin with) rain came pouring down into the back wall ...water then ran into the downstairs bathroom, and from there well spread through the downstairs. A few thousand dollars later we had it all repaired, with the exception of the rain gutters. Since then my dad has been kind enough to come and do tempoary fixes, but of course since we will probably NOT have much rain this year, this is the year I finally got on the ball and today they were installed!!

San Diego Rain Gutters came and did the work and the cool part is......"We warrantee the finish on this system for the life of your home. Imagine, never having to repaint your rain gutters again." COOL!
It does amaze me tho that labor for such a project....2 hours, 1 man $313.00.....ouch maybe I should go into the rain gutter hanging business, hmm not likely with my fear of hights!

OK and now for an update on the other 90+ items on my list

Read the Chronicles of Narnia to the kids. Well first book done, wow! I loved the last chapter.
The entire book I kept wondering where the Wardrobe comes in for the second story....well for those of you who dont know, I wont give it away but I love how C.S. Lewis brought it about. My favorite quote from that chapter and one I can completely relate to is this ' When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better"

Trip to Idaho, planned and will be crossed off before Febuary's end, I hope to add another blog to follow along on this trip since I know so many are worried about me making this trip.
I hope to cross off skiing, and snowman also on this trip.
Ive begun looking into IRA's and Mutual Funds, and yes I deposited money into savings this month. I have also so far been keeping up with my checkbook and keeping it balanced for the past 3 weeks...several more to go before I can cross that off, and hopefully then a new habit will have been formed. And today we will be heading out for the Wild Animal Park (first of min four trips I get to make this year)



Im a romantic fool, but these two lions groomin each other at the Park were tooo cute, so I had to take a picture and post it.

86. Organize my computer desk

While this sounds like a relatively easy project, I didn't want to just clean it like I usually do. I wanted to actually sort through files, clean out drawer, find a place for all the those extra cables and such I have had stuffed in corners.....well today I stopped procrastinating and did it :) Legal papers filed away, 2 garbage bags toss out....Im feeling productive :) (OH and note....the after shot...TAKEN with my new camera --woot!)

The Before Shot














The After Shot (with new camera)

32. Investigate and purchase a new digital Camera

While Ive done more research on this project then I have ever done in my life on any purchase I still feel timid about the fact I just ordered a new camera. Its funny to me you can think you know what you are doing, go to a store and look at what you narrowed down your choice to be and find out you were COMPLETELY wrong..... well that and I just couldn't justify spending over $1000 on a camera...(without a lense) ok ok for any professional photographers out there...yes that may be a bargain BUT Im not a professional....as one would know by looking at any of my recent photos....BUT heres hoping that a really nice camera will do the trick!

BTW this site helped me tremendously narrow down what I wanted and what to buy

DIGITALCAMERARESOURCE

and my choice well.................
SONY


and so the fun begins !!

I feel like a lil kid waiting to play with a new toy!!!

93. Write and Mail off a complaint letter done!

Honestly this wasn't all that difficult to do today. It seems to me that since the holiday season is over customers are now getting the short end of the stick. I have had one of the most horrid days in returning and dealing with stores and employees who simply just dont care and dont want to help. First of all, since when do you need a receipt to return things to Toys R Us. Im not talking about a toy that is no longer in fashion, a toy obviously more then a few months old, a toy in bad condition even.... and it wasn't even an unopened box but it was simply a Bratz doll (one I had decided I overpurchased for my daughter...what 7 year old needs 4 bratz dolls for Chrsitmas!)....No according to the sales representative that was absolutely Not of any help or did she even seem to care....YOU can no longer return items to Toys R Us without proof of purchase of some kind. They are not alone in this new approach of Customer Handling.....gone are the days of customer service being the top priority of stores ---Oh I long for the days where customers were always RIGHT!...Target is now holding onto firm their 90 day strict policy of returns to. If you have an item and a receipt and past 90 days since you purchased it....your out of luck. Of course you can empty your wallet while there and they can scan each card to see if you have purchased the item .....which leads me to say this.........Who Gave Target permission to record all of your purchases and cards you use. This means they have my credit cards on a database sitting with all the purchases I have made within the past 90 days.... am I not alone in being a little concerned about this......and that leads me to my final experience of the day...Lowe's.....and the letter I wrote. ....

Dear Lowe’s Customer Service Management:

Today upon a shopping trip to your establishment the customer service I received was not that which I would have expected from Lowe’s.

After looking around and shopping for a birthday gift for my father, I was standing in line and had a rather upsetting experience. The customer service representative that was helping me found that one item I was purchasing….a 12 inch tool bag did not have the proper tag on it to be able to scan. She looks at me and informs me that she indeed needs the tag to charge me. Not something surprising, but at the same time she is looking at me with a look of sorry I can’t help you. So I ask her ok, so well the item is about 12 steps in that direction it can’t take much to fix this. She informs me she will have to suspend the ticket and I will have to go and write down the information and stand in line again and then I can pay for the item. OK, first of all, 12 steps is that really asking too much of an employee to walk over and get the item herself? Granted there were a couple of people who had just gotten into line behind me but still---12 steps! I proceeded to say NO, why don’t I walk over there for you and yell over the code since you are incapable of doing so. She ended up following me over after and getting the code after having to ask another person for it. It was clearly labeled on the shelf and the exact code I had yelled over to her.

Now I ask you, is this the type of employee that Lowe’s is now employing??

And so I cross off item 93 from my list and sadly say It will take a lot for me to step inside of a Toys R Us again!

1 Down 100 to Go

I did it I posted it....nothing spectacular, nothing shall we say mouth on the floor dropping....but I posted it, so cross the first one ...or in this case the last one off the list :)

101 Things in 1001 Days! What am I thinking!

The hope the dream and in absolutely no particular order!

1. Have Rain gutters/reinstalled
2. Get a furnace installed
3. Take a photography class
4. Take a creative writing class
5. Learn to ski (try not to fall within the first 30 min again!)
6. Open an IRA or Mutual Fund
7. Go dancing
8. Learn to salsa or some sort of ballroom style dance
9. See a real Broadway Production
10. See a Rock Concert or Music Festival
11. Drop one dress size
12. Put at least $100 into savings a month (have a months worth of what it takes to pay the bills in it)
13. Try out a new class at the gym
14. Take a cooking class
15. Go to a spa for a weekend
16. Try out 10 new restaurants (0/10)
17. Write a book
18. Attempt to get something published
19. Have a reunion
20. Purchase a flat panel television
21. Write thank you notes within 1 week of the event 5 times. (0/5)
22. Photograph at least 2 dozen sunsets in different locations (0/24)
23. Select 3 or 4 of said photos from above and have framed. (0/3)
24. Visit an East coast beach.
25. Take tennis lessons.
26. Stop drinking soda for a month.
27. Buy a dishwasher and have it installed.
28. Learn to make 3 new completely fabulous meals.
29. Go on an hot air balloon ride in Del Mar and watch a sunset.
30. Make $1000.00 on Ebay. (0/$1000)
31. Spend an evening playing board games with the kids.
32. Investigate and purchase a good quality camera.
33. See a baseball game with the kids in the new Petco stadium in San Diego.
34. Take a professional development class either in computers or something else.
35. Assemble all my favorite recipes and make a scrapbook of.
36. Drive up the California coast with the kids.
37. De-clutter the kitchen.
38. Visit Canada
39. Go camping again.
40. Buy a new computer
41. Learn to video edit on my computer.
42. Get a personalized license plate.
43. Have a family portrait taken at the beach.
44. Take a trip on a train.
45. Participate in a Breast Cancer marathon, fund raiser, activity or something to help out.
46. Have a bonfire at the beach with friends.
47. Travel to Europe or somewhere tropical.
48. Get my passport renewed.
49. Find the perfect lil black dress.
50. Plant a vegetable garden and keep it alive through the summer.
51. Cut $50 dollars a week from the budget.
52. Spend a day scrapbooking again.
53. Have my driver's license picture retaken so it looks like me.
54. Pay off 3 credit cards (ones that dont get paid off each month already) (0/3)
55. Subscribe and start reading an investment type magazine.
56. Go bowling again.
57. Reduce clothing (donate at least 1/4 of what I own) donate the rest.
58. Buy stock even if just one share.
59. Read at least 5 books (fiction) (0/5)
60. Read at least 10 self improvement or learning type books. (0/10)
61. Visit 3 Art Museums (0/3)
62. Pick cherries again
63. Paint or have the outside of my house painted.
64. Write out a list of my top 10 favorites of music, movies, stores and food. (0/4)
65. Build a snowman.
66. De-clutter the library.
67. De-clutter and paint my bedroom closets.
68. Find a local farmers market and shop for produce on a regular basis at.
69. Read C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia to the kids.
70. Visit Catalina Island with or without the kids.
71. Go wine tasting and find a wine I actually enjoy.
72. Travel to Idaho with the kids again.
73. Write out a monthly to-do list, keep track of and complete 3 times. (0/3)
74. Host a garden film party.
75. Get a puppy for the kids.
76. Sort through photos from my past.
77. Fly kites with the kids again down at Sea Port Village
78. Keep checkbook balanced for 3 months in a row weekly!
79. Read the entire Bible.
80. Gamble in Vegas. Become active or involved in a group, organization or ministry.
81. Spend a weekend at a bed and breakfast in the mountains.
82. Get a bid on having the library extended and a new bathroom added on.
83. Sell all jewlery associated from my past (may or may not included wedding ring)
84. Rent a roadster in Monterey and go on the 17 mile drive.
85. Buy a jeep, four wheeler, boat or jet ski. Essentially, buy a new TOY!
86. Organize my computer desk.
87. Knit 3 new scarf's (0/3)
88. Rent a beach house for a week or so.
89. Take the kids to a water park and actually go down the slides with them.
90. Go waterskiing, jet skiing, or just ride in a motor or sail boat.
91. Visit 4 science museum with or without the kids (0/4)
92 Go on a nature walk with the kids and spend some time sketching
93. Write and mail off a complaint letter after receiving bad customer service.
94. Pay off the convertible.
95. Buy a record player and listen to those old LP's.
96. Make and stick to a budget for a minimum of 3 months.
97. Have a picnic at the beach with someone I love.
98. Use my passes to the Wild Animal park/and Zoo at least 4 times.
99. Create another list of 101 before time expires on this list.
100. Keep a journal of my progress of this list.
101. Post this publicly.

Am I out of my mind?

I always swore Id never do this...........so maybe this is the result of way to many hours on the internet....Ive been sucked into the cyber world and cannot resist any longer!