•3 Items on My “To-Do” List Marked for September Completion

—EDITED 10/22/2009—

Trip to Atlantic City: COMPLETED!  Click here for more details.

—EDITED 07/30/2009—

My friend kindly reminded me a few days ago that I had actually completed #17 (paint a large painting) when we attempted (quite successfully, mind you) to do finger-painting.  Some of our pieces can be hung up in the MOMA.  True story.

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It’s almost the end of July and I have yet to complete half of what my 2009 “to do” list entails.  If you remember, in a previous post (3 Completed Items On the “To Do: 2008” List), I had listed out all the things I wanted to achieve by the end of 2008.  Unfortunately, last year, I had only finished 3 things… out of the 20 items on that list.  Well, this year, I have gone above and beyond some of the items on my 2009 list.  For example, #14, which was to “join” the gym had been completed in 2008.  So, for 2009, I wanted to go to the gym regularly… and REGULARLY I did!  For a month (don’t laugh… it’s still better than nothing), I went to the gym 2x a day… of course, all this in preparation for my Machu Picchu trip.  And then, last month, I went on a 4-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu.  For those of you who don’t know how strenuous this trek can be, I’ll be posting a long and detailed photo-diary of my journey.  Basically, doing that 4-day trek is equivalent of doing exercise everyday for at least 3 months!  So… technically, I have been going to the gym quite regularly…

Anyways, the new list is basically my 2008 list plus two additions (see bottom for complete list).  Like the many books sitting in my tiny studio right now, I have started on almost every one of the items on the new list.  For instance, I’ve re-written my History senior essay (#8).  I’ve gone to multiple karaoke sessions in the heart of K-town (#9).  I’ve walked to the bike rental place around the corner and asked for the hourly rate (#2).  I’ve even hinted and suggested multiple times to my friends to go to Atlantic City sometime in the next few weeks (#7).  So, if you add up the progress I’ve made on each of these goals in my “To Do” list, I would be ½ way to the finish line already.  However, like those books, these goals might end up sitting there gathering dust months and even years from now before I can cross out any of them.  Thus, I have decided to do a half-way check point.

By September 1^st, I hope to have completed the following:

1) Read a classic novel (#5)
2) Go to a nice jazz club (#3)
3) Publish a short story (#15)

So, wish me luck!

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By the way, here’s the complete 2009 “To Do” list:

(* = started)

1. Take a creative/short story writing class
2. Bike around central park *
3. Go to a nice jazz club *
4. Eat dinner at a restaurant by myself
5. Read a classic novel *
6. Watch a French movie without subtitles
7. Go to Atlantic City
8. Publish my college History senior essay *
9. Take singing lessons *
10. Learn to play a song on the piano
11. Audition for a show, soap opera, or movie
12. Memorize a poem and/or speech
13. Take salsa lessons
14. Go to the gym (or exercise) regularly *
15. Publish a short story
16. Travel to Italy *
17. Paint a large painting
18. Relearn golf
19. Get a patent for an invention
20. Drink less! *