Give up soda for one month. Just one.

This picture is based on my life. 

Today, I embark on the 92nd item on my list: give up soda for one month.  But to be honest, I'm hoping this turns into a life-long change and I don't really drink it again...ever.

I drink a toooooooooooooon of diet soda, with a preference for pepsi.  It's truly an addiction... and it's disgusting.  The main sweetener, aspartame, has been involved in more FDA/health agency battles than nearly any other food in the US.  Phosphoric acid is also a rust remover.  

And I drink this stuff.  Ew.

So.  Starting today, there will be no more soda.  Not even clear shtuff, that's supposed to be "better" for you.  I don't care if you're infusing it with vitamins, it's probably still killing me.

We'll see how it goes.  It's been 12 hours since today started, and there are no withdrawal effects yet.  No shakes, no shivers, no hallucinations, no mercilessly yelling for someone to PLEASE please pass me a can.  

And I guess I'll be cheating... I'll still drink sparkling water.  Does that count as soda?  Let's hope not.....

#36 Take pictures of people in a big city AND # 75 Duck Boat

Missions accomplished?  For real?


This past week, I went on my first. Ever. Duck boat tour.  It was pretty sweet.  I learned some cool stuff, like the Boston Molasses Disaster, where a huuuuge flood of molasses ended up KILLING people!! Bah.  Cray cray.

Also, Bobby got to drive the duck boat.  SAHWEEET!

I also seized upon this opportunity in Boston to go around and take pictures of a random people...  I think this was a very good way to use my time.  Extremely rewarding, not gonna lie....  Below is a slide show of those photos, along with some captions as to why I found these specific situations so wonderful.

Daaaaaang, blog FAIL!

Meh.  So I've been getting called out on how inattentive I've been to this blog, BUT!! I've also done a LOT OF THINGS on my list.  I'm hitting the 1/4 point.... only about 3/4 of the year left until this little mission is done-zo.  SO! It seems to make sense to re-post the original list, and cross off the things that I've accomplished.  A lot of them have been done in this past month....and I've neglected to blog about them :( SAD!

1. Read the entire Bible, cover to cover
2. Finish The Social Contract by Rousseau (I'll get this from the library TODAY.  FOR REAL)
3. Learn to identify, by sight, the most common bird species in Massachusetts
4. Watch the sun rise and set from the same location (I guess this is a fancy way of saying sleep outside…)
5. Climb (at least) five trees in (at least) five different states  (I'm kind of on my way!! I've done TWO, Tennessee and Massachusetts)
6. Get to the top of another mountain
7. Pet a monkey. Somehow, it will happen.
8. Visit a zoo in every state in New England (This is apparently impossible.  There are literally NO ZOOS in either Vermont or New Hampshire. HOW LAME?!?!?!!?!? So I'm going to cross it off anyways....)
9. BEAST the GRE (I've been studying.....)
10. Visit Niagara Falls. It’s only eight hours away from Andover. I have NO EXCUSE.
11. Learn to cook GOOD food. And stop burning my pasta… (I've made some decent things this summer!!!! I'll have to put some more effort into this...)
12. Start using coffee for good, not evil. This means no more pouring it into my body in an attempt to stay awake. No no. This means enjoying mi café. (I'm doing better on this than I thought.  Okay, well, I was doing better.  But I still drink to shake....)
13. Build something incredible out of Play-Doh.
14. Develop healthy sleeping patterns. Preferably sleeping at night, every night, for a wholesome amount of time.
15. Recognize one thing I am thankful for every day.
16. Adopt an animal J (…okay, or buy, if I must….)
17. Write one letter, handwritten, a week. Oh, and ACTUALLY send it.
18. Remember to call home. Emails aren’t an adequate communication substitute.
19. Mentor someone, one on one, in Nashville during the 2010-2011 school year
20. Start doing my laundry weekly, instead of “as needed” which ends up being “wear that dirty shirt until it is SO CLEARLY dirty it’s embarrassing to put it on”
21. Laser tag.
22. Visit Leah in New York City
23. Eat at Pfunky Griddle with Emily  (We did this the week of finals, on reading day.  WAHOOOO!)
24. Visit Dinosaur World, in Cave City, KY
25. Visit the Creationist Museum
26. Go to the Science Center in Nashville
27. Karaoke
28. Paint a house (Mom, I guess this one is for youJ )
29. Run a half marathon
30. Ride my bike to the ocean.
31. Go to a Red Sox game!! (July 2.  We beat the Orioles)
32. Walk the Freedom Trail in as little times as humanly possible, while still paying attention to every single site.
33. Go to Plimoth Plantation again.
34. Do funny things on elevators
35. Take Bobby to a big flea market
36. Take pictures of people in a big city, just to creep them out (is this legal?)
37. Go bungee jumping and/or skydiving
38. Make homemade ketchup
39. Drive some type of a construction vehicle
40. Plant a garden
41. …. Tend to said garden.
42. Grow my hair out, and then donate it again.
43. Go this entire year without buying/drinking bottled water.  (Mission FAIIIILEED.  However, I've only bought one bottle of water in the US so far since I set this goal)
44. Get the people at Grins to know my name
45. Bake one birthday cake a month. But for a person whose birthday it is. Not just to do it, nor to consume myself.
46. Find Julianna housing for Summer 2010 (I played NO ROLE in this)
47. Eat less sugar. Okay, this is going to be HARD to measure. I mean, I can’t swear it off for a year (… or an hour), but I’m sure I can cut down on the candy/mints/sweets consumed.
48. Re-learn every single cloud type, and learn to spot them in the sky.

*The following are in regards to the accusations that I don’t ever watch good movies. Which is true. Thus, to appease these people….

49. Watch Citizen Kane
50. Watch Crash
51. Watch Fight Club
52. Watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (mostly just so I know what people are doing when they say “Anyone…. Bueller? ….. Bueller?”)
53. Watch King Kong (the 1933 edition)
54. Watch Schindler’s List ….in ONE sitting!
55. Watch Brian’s Song (I guess this one is for Dad…)
56. Watch Time Traveler’s Wife
57. Watch The Shawshank Redemption
58. Watch Gone with the Wind
59. …. Read Gone with the Wind….
60. Press my own paper
61. Bake vegan cookies that are just as delicious as the ones that are sold at Grins and Fido
62. Plant a tree on Arbor Day!
63. Visit a rainforest (Is it cheating when I know I’m actually going to be doing this? I mean, I guess something could happen and it wouldn’t end up occurring while I’m in Ecuador but still… I think it deserves to be here)
64. Finger paint. (I didn't realize that this is actually part of my summer enjoyment.... meaning, I didn't need to add it to the list; I would have done it anyway)
65. Volunteer weekly for one cause that I’m passionate about. I don’t need to decide the cause or the passion now. But during the school year next year, it’s happening.
66. Decide what my life will consist of upon graduation (which is Friday the 13^thof May, 2011. Are you KIDDING?!?! Yeah, we’re all gonna be super lucky with THAT as our starting-off point!) (*panic*)
67. Build a really cool sand structure. Amazing, even.
68. Have Bobby teach me a song on the guitar.
69. Learn all the words to Eternal Flame, which was the number one song on the day I was born
70. See whales in the wild (I guess this is a more articulate way of saying I want to go on a whale watch in New England this summer…)
71. Sleep on top of MRBIII
72. Learn how to make corn tortillas
73. Learn how to juggle
74. Start singing again, even it it’s just to/for myself
75. Go on a Duck Tour in Boston. I’ve never done that. And I should!
76. Buy something ridiculous at a yard sale
77. Write funny limericks for everyone in my (immediate) family
78. Go to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee

Aaaand I’ve also realized how few books I’ve read, TRULY READ, in my life. It’s actually kind of embarrassing… BUT I have a year to redeem myself!

79. Read The Poisonwood Bible
80. Read Pride and Prejudice
81. Read Catcher in the Rye
82. Read The God of Small Things
83. Read Atonement
84. Read I Know This Much is True
85. Read The Prince (and subsequently take over the world with my new found power)
86. Read Slaughterhouse Five
87. Read The Grapes of Wrath
88. Read How to Win Friends and Influence People (I mean, if this self-help book has been around for nearly 75 years, it must have merits, right? And it should counter the new Machiavellian self that I discover while reading The Prince)
89. Read The American Boys Handy Book. I think I might be most excited to read this one…..
90. Do at least four things from The American Boys Handy Book. I bet I’ll be the best Boy Scout EVER.
91. Learn to play poker. Correctly. Okay, I really want to turn this into “Learn how to count cards” but I’m really not sure I’m capable. So, even if that doesn’t happen, if I can really learn how to dominate five card draw, I’ll die happy.
92. Give up soda for one month. Just one.
93. Create a genuine savings account, not just a bank account with the title “Savings” that is separate from that which is called “Checking.” (DOING BETTER!!!)
94. Go through my closet and get rid of EVERYTHING that should not be there. Stop holding onto things that are pointless to keep. (I did this the last week of school... ended up with one suitcase and my hiking backpack of clothes.  I'm gonna go ahead and say job well done...)
95. Build my own kite and fly it, preferably by the beach
96. Talk to a random stranger, and hear their story
97. Change a car tire
98. Donate blood regularly
99. Get re-certified for CPR
100. Learn how to golf. And try not to embarrass myself…

 



So.  I have officially accomplished 17 things on the lits, and have made headway with many others.  But the thing is... a lot of these are more like general lifestyle changes.  I wonder if I'll ever be able to officially cross off something like "sleep normally", or if I'll just continue to work at it???


PS:   People need to visit me in Massachusetts.  Summer strugglezzzz.....