Killed Two Birds With One Stone

So, by finally watching It's a Wonderful Life, I was able to accomplish two of my list items at once.

Not only was I able to cross of my "I" movie for #30 - Watch a movie I've never seen before starting with each letter of the alphabet, but I also counted it towards #72 - Watch a classic movie I've never seen before.

Cheating? Maybe. But I don't think it is.

It's a classic movie. It even says so on the back. It premiered in 1946, and it was listed as the #1 most inspirational movie of all time by the American Film Institute. And, as I promised, I watched it in black and white instead of the colourized version which my DVD also provided. Everyone knows a movie isn't really a classic unless it's in black and white!

It truly is a heart-warming story. And a perfect reminder at Christmas to be grateful for what we have and enjoy every moment rather than grumbling and feeling down on our luck.

I'll admit it: I cried. I saw a little of myself in George Bailey, especially this year. It's been a difficult year, and I've spent a lot of time wondering what I've done to deserve this hard luck. No, I've never been so woe-is-me as to find myself on a bridge contemplating jumping (but if I were, I'd hope my guardian angel sent to save me was an adorable old man like Clarence Odbody!) However, it is sometimes easier to be brought down by the bad instead of focusing on the good.

Loving family. Great friends. A roof over one's head. The strength to endure the bad days. A job. Food on the table.

And knowing there are people who would be lost without you.

It was a nice reminder at this time of year. And one that I think I needed.

Merry Christmas to everyone :) Looking forward to crossing more off the list over the holidays and in 2011!!

Another Movie Completed for # 30

I swear, I can't believe I haven't crossed off more movies for #30 - Watch 26 movies I've never seen before starting with each letter of the alphabet. I'm a movie-aholic. If time permitted, I'd watch a different movie every night. During the summer, before I started my 101 list, I had rented many different movies that I'd never seen before.

But life seems to have been busy lately. As much as I'd love to have seen more flicks, I haven't had a chance. Haven't even been to the theatre in ages! Oh, how I miss it...the smell of hot buttery popcorn...the big screen, the comfy seats...

I really need to go to a movie over the holidays.

But I realized - rather belatedly - that after I saw Disney's A Christmas Carol last week, that I should be adding it to my list! Sure, I've seen different versions of Charles Dickens' beloved Christmas classic over the years, but I'd never seen this particular adaptation yet.

Jim Carrey made a perfect animated Scrooge. The whole movie was wonderful. For my recap on the movie, you can click here.

I'm looking forward to crossing another few items off the list in the next few days. I purchased It's A Wonderful Life from Amazon, and it arrived yesterday. It's unbelievable that I've never seen this holiday favourite. I'm also going to consider it my "classic movie". (I'm even going to watch it in black and white, even though the DVD I bought has a colourized version on it).

I'll let you know what I think of It's a Wonderful Life soon!

#47 - {Tentative} Check!!

Last night, I cleaned my house from top to bottom. And I tackled one of the most daunting tasks I've faced in a long time.

Cleaning my closet.

To say it was messy would be an understatement. It was a disasterpiece. And that is why it was #47 on my list - Organize my closet in a way that it STAYS organized for more than a week.

I'm not a messy person, really. I like things tidy and in order. Occasionally I let things get cluttered and out of hand, but I usually like to nip the messy-ness in the bud.

My mother calls me a pack rat, so I try to keep that in check, too. A few times a year I like to just haul everything out of all my little hiding places, go through it, and chuck whatever has become old or unnecessary. When I watch "Hoarders" on TLC and scoff at their disgusting habits, I also hear that little voice in my head reminding me that my tendencies to collect useless crap could land me on that show someday.

I won't let that happen.

So while I would have much rather spent the night on the couch watching a movie or reading a book - especially since it was a rainy, dreary night - I cleaned my room. And did a massive overhaul of the closet.

When I first moved into the house, and picked this room, the closet was one of the main features I loved about it. It's much bigger than the one I grew up with at home, and I never thought I'd be able to fill all the space.

Wrong.

Clothes piled on the shelf at the back of the closet. Bar weighed down by clothes haphazardly hung. Shoe boxes and gift bags and random other crap all over the floor. Then, the clothes piled on the shelf start overflowing, co-mingling with the crap on the floor.

It had got to the point where I couldn't find anything I wanted in there. Literally. And the rest of my room was starting to look like a dump, too, because I had no room in my closet to put stuff, like recently purchased Christmas gifts. It was driving me nuts.

This is all the crap on the floor that I couldn't put in my closet because there was no room...ahhh!!!

But the only time I seemed to get the urge to clean it was at 7 in the morning on a work day, when I didn't have time to dive into it.

So last night was the night. And I started by hauling everything out of the floor of the closet first. Shoes. Old gift bags and wrapping paper. Murder Mystery crap. Canada Day Committee stuff. Old Karate equipment. Purses and wallets and shoe bags. When did I ever end up with so much STUFF?!?

Before

After

After organizing the bottom of the closet, I started hauling out all the clothes off the shelf. I had a mountain of shirts on the floor. I wish I'd taken a picture of it. I spent over an hour sorting through clothes, tossing old stuff that no longer fit into one pile, and neatly folding the rest into specific piles: T-shirts, dressy shirts, tank tops, long-sleeve shirts, sweaters, pajamas. Everything piled neatly on my bed. You couldn't even see the comforter. It was incredible. I really need to think of that the next time I say I have nothing to wear!...

Before

After

So after transferring it all back into the closet, I was finally able to stand back and sigh with relief. A neat closet. Or at least neater than it had been in a long time.

I ended up with enough space to put all the Christmas gifts in there, and still have room for my laundry basket! Yessss!!

And then I turned around and saw all the "garbage" and unwanted clothes. Yikes. So I spent another long while packing up clothes to give away, throwing out the stuff that I wouldn't give to anyone, and getting the room back in order.

By 10:30 PM, I had it all dusted, vacuumed, mopped, and finally...finally...clean.

So this one gets a tentative check. Because while it's sparkling right now, time will only tell if it will still be in order by next week! ;)

A Few More Check Marks

So, it's been pretty dull on the 101 front these days. Not a whole lot accomplished, and I honestly haven't even been thinking much about it.

Has the 101 List novelty worn off? I hope not. There's still a lot of great stuff on that list I want to accomplish, and I don't want to just forget about it.

Plus, I need to uphold my status of "101 Cop" as a few of my kin have recently crowned me. ;)

First off, there is #99 - Direct a Murder Mystery that someone tells me is the best one ever. Honestly - and no offense to my wonderful cast this year, because they were truly wonderful! - I wasn't sure if this task was possible. Like, ever. Because last year's cast? They were pretty incredible. I wasn't sure it was possible to top them!

But you know what? It happens every year. Every year, they bring it. And every year, I hear someone say, "Pretty sure that was the best one ever..."

This year, it was my cousin Patti, who also MC'd the event. In her closing thank you's after the play was over, she made the comment that after every Murder Mystery event, she and Mae McCann have the same conversation, and Mae tells her that she doesn't think they'll ever be able to top the year before, but then they do. And according to Patti, this conversation happened yet again this year!

So while the exact words "best one ever" weren't actually used, I'm going to go ahead and cross this one off the list, thanks to Patti and to all the others who congratulated us on another successful Murder Mystery. The cast was, once again, amazing, and they had the crowd in stitches all night long.

Troy & Steph as Kaptain Flake and Officer Diddler

Last year's was a tough act to follow, but I think we pulled it off!

I was also able to get another game in for #33 - Go to at least 3 Senators games per season last night, when Luke and I were at Scotiabank Place with the Edmonton Oilers in town.
We lost 4-1. It wasn't pretty. In fact, it was quite possibly the most boring game I've ever been to. And while the Oiler fans in attendance didn't out-number the Sens fans, they chanted loudly, and often drowned out our feeble "Go Sens Go" attempts. To be honest, by about half-way through the first period, I was growing weary of the chanting battle, and everytime they started up the "LET'S GO OILERS, LET'S GO!", I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Later on in the game, and after the Oilers had taken the lead, it became downright annoying.

Also annoying? The twit behind me who called our beloved captain "that cherry-picking Alfredsson". Seriously. Wanted to turn around and slap her.

To cap off the evening of splendour?? Trying to get out of Parking Lot 5, which can only be described as an absolute clusterfuck (pardon my language). It was insane. We barely moved for half an hour. And we both agreed that we would never, ever park there again.

Was there an upside to the evening? Indeed. The yummy Pizza Hut supper that baby bro treated me to before the game. And the "Great Games in Senators History" segment on the jumbotron, which featured the Game 3 Stanley Cup Final match-up in Ottawa vs. the Anaheim Ducks, in which Ottawa won 5-3. Wade Redden not only got mentioned for setting up the winning goal, but he was also shown celebrating at the end of the game. It was bliss. Bittersweet bliss.

So here's a picture of Wade, just because I love him so much. And it's been so long since I've put up a picture of him. On any of my blogs.

Yummmmmmmm

Tonight, I tackle organizing my closet. If for no other reason than my Christmas wrapping paper is all in there somewhere, but I can't see it for the pile of clothes, gift bags, shoes, and hangers piled up!

I'll let you know how that goes...

#65 - Check! And Made my Mom Happy by Doing So...

If my mom had a 101 List, one of the items on her list probably would've been Make Jillian get back the two dresses she loaned to someone a long time ago.

It was with her in mind that I put this as #65 on my list. Because ever since I loaned these dresses to someone two years ago, she's harped at me at least once a month to get them back.

And that in itself is kind of hilarious.

Yes, these dresses aren't just "any" dresses. One of them was the dress I wore to my graduation over ten years ago. I recall it well. It was black velvety material with sequins on top, and we bought it a Laura warehouse sale for about $50. When my sister graduated 6 years before me, she wore a $400 dress from Melanie Lynn. More evidence that I'm the black sheep of the family. Or just too big to fit in beautiful, expensive dresses...

I got a bad, blistery sunburn a few days before grad, and I spent much of the day telling people I looked like a sunburnt killer whale. (My self-confidence is astounding, isn't it?)

The second was my bridesmaid dress from my sister's wedding, over eight years ago. I have much happier memories of that dress. A beautiful summer day, a wonderful occasion to celebrate, and dancing all night long in the eggplant-coloured gown. It was a little too long come party time, when I kicked off the heels and opted for flip-flops for the dancefloor, so I spent half the time yanking my dress up so my bra wouldn't show. When my cousin Jim stepped on the hem while we were dancing, one of the straps snapped. I have fond memories of giggling with some of my sister's friends in the ladies room while they pinned me back together, and thanked God my mom had the vision to put saftey pins and sewing kits in the little bathroom courtesy basket.

So yes, these dresses weren't just any old dresses. They definitely had sentimental value. That's why my mom didn't want me to leave them in someone else's basement, to grow old and dusty and eventually be forgotten.

Ironically enough, my mom throws out almost everything. She's not into pack-ratting. Or keeping momentos. Or hanging on to things of sentimental value. I think I heard her last week threatening to throw out my baby book because she needs more room on the shelf of her closet. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding...)

But for some reason, it was extremely important in her eyes for me to get these dresses back.

I, on the other hand, didn't really care, and felt sort of silly asking for them back, when I figured I'd never have any reason to wear them again. I mean, especially now. They're old.

However, this week, I realized I did have a reason. The Murder Mystery is this weekend. And it's a formal birthday party theme. As one of the directors, I really should dress up for it, since we encourage other attendees to come dressed up. I only own a few formal dresses, and the ones hanging in my closet right now definitely won't fit. So my only other choice was to hunt down these old dresses and try them on!

Picked 'em up last night. Safely back in my possession. Pretty sure I won't be wearing either of them.

But at least my mom can sleep at night again.

#65 - Get back the dresses I loaned to someone a long time ago... CHECK!!

PS - I've spent much of this blog trying to figure out if I loaned the dresses or lent them. I was already corrected on this once before in my life (in an entirely embarassing fashion, but that's another story for another day), but I can't for the life of me remember which way is grammatically correct, and my (brief) Google research didn't help much. I think lent is the proper term, but it sounds weird. And reminds me of Easter. Loaned it is!!

#45 - Check!! & Happily Watching DVDs in Bed!!

Falling asleep had never been a problem for me. Until this past summer.

But after the emotional & unexpected upheaval that my family went through in late July and early August, I discovered sleep no longer came easily. My brain just wouldn't shut off, and I'd find myself tossing and turning long into the night, flooded with memories, tears, and "no fairs".

Up until then, I had a TV with a built-in VCR that my friend Brenda gave me when I first moved in to my own place that had been very rarely used. I usually watched TV downstairs, read for a while in bed, then shut my lamp off and fell asleep without any trouble.

But I had a new reality of insomnia to deal with. And during one of those sleepless nights, I thought, "Might as well pop a movie in if I'm going to be lying here awake anyways."

So since then, I've been rotating between the same five VHS videos - 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, The Cutting Edge, Rock Star, and A Cinderella Story. And as much as I love them, they're starting to get a little old.

In recent days, sleep has been much easier to come by, and most nights I fall asleep about 10-15 minutes into the movie. But a habit has been formed, and apparently now I can't drift into dream world without the soft background noise of a movie quietly playing.

For that reason, #45 on my list was Get a DVD player for my room. And since I didn't have a lot of cash floating around, I had decided to put a DVD player on my Christmas list. I was willing to wait until then to finally start watching some of my favourites in my DVD collection while snuggled up with blankets and pillows!

Enter: My friend Lindsay.

The other day, while talking Christmas, I mentioned that I had a DVD player on my list for my room, and right away she mentioned that she had one she was no longer using. By the end of the day, I was going home with a DVD player for my room, and that night, I got to watch The Ugly Truth in my pjs!

Well...at least the first half-hour!

So now #45 is crossed off the list, and I couldn't be happier.

Thanks again Linds!! :)

#96 - Done...and What a Reading It Was!

One of the items on my 101 List that I was perhaps the most nervous about, believe it or not, was #96 - Get a Psychic Reading.

Why be nervous about it, especially since it wasn't my first time? I had a reading done about a year and a half ago, and it wasn't anything overly startling or alarming. The woman who did it was pretty bang-on when she told me things about myself, but aside from her referring to my grandmother in the past tense (as though she had already passed), it wasn't an unsettling experience. (And Grandma's 95 and still kickin' so obviously that meant nothing!)

When my friend Stacy and I decided to co-host an Escape @ Home Day at my place, I immediately signed up for a psychic reading, and almost instantly regretted it. In fact, I tried to give the damn thing away. The psychic service filled up quickly, and we had a waiting list going for awhile until we knew how many appointments they could fit in one day. I kept telling Stace, "Well, I'll give mine up, don't worry, someone else can take my spot."

As it turned out, the psychic was able to take everyone who had asked for a reading, including everyone on the waiting list, and including me.

Frig.

I had stressed about it for the past month or so, worrying about what she might - or might not - tell me. And I think I was also a little worried about whether or not I would hear anything about my cousins who passed away this summer.

I went into the reading feeling very agitated, knots in my stomach, nervous, and unsure why I felt this way. While I usually find psychic readings fun, interesting, and something to take with a grain of salt, I couldn't muster up much excitement for this one. In fact, I was dreading it.

Without going in to great detail, let's just say it was an emotional yet strangely comforting experience. The woman who gave the reading was very accurate - in fact, it was a little scary how accurate she was. And she was able to connect with the other side for me, which was truly amazing.

At the end of it, I was glad I had it done.

But I don't think I'll be signing up for any more anytime soon! ;)

#90 & #97 - Complete!

Halloween weekend has come & gone, and I was able to cross a few more items off my list.

#90 - Carve a pumpkin : I should get a double-bonus for this one, because I carved two! But you know what I discovered? It's something I fail to remember from year to year. I buy the pumpkins, I design the faces I want to create, and I get so excited for pumpkin carving day.

And after an hour of hacking into tough pumpkin skin & flesh, scooping out slimy pumpkin guts, altering my designs because they're too complicated to create without slicing the pumpkin into smithereens, I remember...

I hate carving pumpkins.

Hated it when I was a kid. Still hate it now.

But the end results were satisfying - not too elaborate, but a nice touch on my front doorstep for the trick-or-treaters!

#97 - Rake leaves and put them in pumpkin bags for Halloween : Another task which I accomplished this past Saturday, in anticipation of the big day.

But again, a slightly frustrating job, as I realized my pumpkin bags were extremely flimsy and see-through, and I had almost no leaves left in my yard to rake. I did, however, have some brush that my mom had piled up when she cut back my flower beds. Which totally shredded my bags as I was filling them, and I ended up standing outside in the icy drizzle with scotch tape, trying to repair them, and even at that, there were sticks poking out of them everywhere.

Joy.

The only good thing about my pumpkin bags? Their faces glowed in the dark. But I didn't even realize that until I was throwing them in my dark garage last night!

Hope everyone had a safe & happy Halloween!

#33 - First Game Done for 2010-2011 Season

I knew I had to include my Sens somehow in my 101 List, so I decided to commit to attending at least 3 games per season throughout my 1001 days, which I've figured equals 9 games total over the next 3 years.

I hope to get to many more than that - I just love being at Scotiabank Place supporting my team! - but 3 per season is my minimum goal.

Last night was my first game of the 2010-2011 season. Chris bought a 12-game pack for the year, and he offered to sell Luke and I tickets to three of those games. The first one on tap was last night's tilt against the Florida Panthers. Luke already had tickets to the game, so I had a spare ticket, and I invited Sarah to come along with me, knowing she's also a Sens fan!

The seats were great- second row of the third level, in the corner of the Sens' end. I was so relieved to get there. I'd been having a crummy couple of days, just feeling down and in a rut, and honestly, my hopes weren't high for my team.

The Sens have struggled in the early going of this season, and on top of that, I very rarely get to see a Sens win live. It's amazing how few wins I've seen over the years, in the many, many games I've been privileged to attend. I've been trying to think of when I last attended a Sens win at SBP, and I think it was the time they beat Montreal when I went with my uncle and cousins, and I met Wade Redden's brother, who was sitting behind us. So we're going back to 2008!

My family thinks I'm a jinx when I attend games, so I had them all well warned, especially with my recent crappy luck, not to expect big things from the boys in red, black & gold last night.

I was pleasantly surprised :) A nice 5-3 win, with some awesome goals from the likes of our captain Daniel Alfredsson (PRAISE ALFIE!!), Mike Fisher, Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek, and Zack Smith. They actually led the Panthers 5-1 mid-way through the third, but Florida potted two late in the game to make the final score seem closer than it really was.

The Sens played very well, and for the first time this season, they were able to string together back-to-back wins. The panic is slowly subsiding...And things are finally starting to look up for this team.

A great night at SBP, and Game 1 for #33...Check!!

Lots to Check Off! - #63, #68, and #75

It was a busy weekend for me & my 101 List! This morning, I was thrilled to cross off three - count 'em, THREE!!! - tasks!

#63 - Go on a Haunted Walk - I've been wanting to do one of the Haunted Walk of Ottawa tours for years, so to get in the Halloween spirit, I rounded up a gang of friends and finally ordered tickets. We booked the 9 PM Ghosts and Gallows Halloween Edition tour last Friday night. I had a great time and was so glad that I had 10 friends to take along with me! Sharon, Priscilla, Josee, Evan, Lindsay, Ryan, Luke, Amanda, Troy & Steph joined me first for dinner at Darcy McGee's, and then we ventured out in the cold evening for our tour.

Priscilla, Lindsay & Ryan waiting for the tour to begin

Steph was the only one up for a little photo op at the jail! haha!

Evan in one of the cells

The Ghost and Gallows tour focuses mainly on the murder of Darcy McGee, and the hanging of his accused murderer Patrick Whelan. Whelan was convicted and hanged for the murder, but apparently it was on very shaky grounds, and it is rumored that he still haunts the old jail, unable to rest after being wrongfully accused and executed.

Our guide, a lively, theatrical girl named Katelyn, told us many creepy ghost stories while we spent the bigger part of the tour in the old jail downtown (near the NAC), which is now a hostel. The upper floors, however, are still open for tours to show what the jail was like back before, when it was home to some of the areas biggest, most violent criminals. According to our guide, it is believed to be the most haunted building in North America. She toured us through an original block of cells, the solitary confinement cells, Death Row, and the gallows, before taking us out into the courtyard.

I have to admit, I just had a bad vibe being in the jail, and I was glad when it was over. To add to our experience, while on Death Row, our guide's story was interrupted by a loud bang coming from one of the cells. (Of course, it was the one I was standing RIGHT beside...I don't know if I've ever jumped and screamed so loud in my life. Half of our group seemed to think the noise was authentic, while the other half believed it to be staged...I'm still not sure what to think...)

Overall, it was an awesome way to spend a Friday night with friends, hear a few creepy stories, and learn some local history! The best part? When we walked out into the courtyard, we discovered it was snowing...and I loooove snow! It did get a few laughs, too, when our guide deadpanned, "Pretty bad when the scariest part of the tour is the snow..."

#68 - Drink a Guinness - Someone tell me why I ever thought it was clever to put this on my list?? I hate beer, so why did I think it would be fun to test out a Guinness, an infamously thick, dark, foamy, strong beer? Ewwwwww....

I decided while at Darcy McGee's Irish Pub Friday night with Guinness posters hanging everywhere that it was a good time to get it done. And I forgot to specify that I wanted a small one, so they brought me the regular (BIG) sized beer...blech. But I drank it, just so I could cross it off. And honestly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I initially thought it would be. Steph called it strong horse piss, but I didn't think it was that bad.

But will I be ordering another one? Uh...no.

The empty glass...to prove I drank it!

Much happier with my rum & Diet Coke!

#75 - Dye my hair a dark colour - Saturday morning, I went to my hairdresser Lisa and confessed to her that I was ready for a change and wanted to dye my hair a darker colour. She was shocked! I've loved my blonde highlights for about three years now (they magically transform my natural mousy-brown hair), and never wanted to go dark. Last winter, Lisa convinced me to put in some lowlights for the winter months, and I couldn't wait to get the blonde back in come springtime.

But I really was ready for a change, and told Lisa I liked the colour of her (new) darker hair, so we went with that. I think she told me the exact name of it is "Dark Chocolate Blonde", so I'm still a blonde at heart! haha!

Please ignore my haggard face...I had a terrible headache on Saturday!

This is about as dark as I'll ever go, and it will probably go back to blonde before I leave for Cuba in January. But for now...I'm loving it!!

"L" and "R" Movies - Check!!

Tuesday I was down with a head cold; spent almost the whole day on the couch. So what better time to cross off a few more of those movies?

Last week, I stopped in at one of my favourite places - the Videotron in Aylmer. They offer awesome deals on previously-viewed DVDs. For anyone who knows me, you know one of my biggest addictions is buying DVDs. Seen it already? I don't care. Why not just rent it? I need to own it.

So when I was in there last week, I picked up a couple of movies that I'd seen already and loved, but I also grabbed The Runaways and The Last Song, both of which I'd been wanting to see but hadn't got around to yet.

The Runaways follows the creation and short-lived success of the 1970's all-girl rock band, which launched the careers of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. Part of the reason I'd wanted to see the movie was because of the tie to Twilight - both female leads were played by Twilight alumni, with Kristen Stewart practically mirroring a young Jett, and Dakota Fanning channeling the Bowie/Bardot sex-kitten Currie.

Despite the uncanny likenesses between Stewart and Fanning and the real-life characters they played, I wasn't a huge fan of the flick, which surprised me. I love movies like Rock Star, so I expected to be wowed by The Runaways. And while there were moments that I did enjoy, overall I found it long, a little boring at times, and by the end of it, I didn't feel any connection to the band, their songs, or the '70's rock 'n roll scene. I was also completely annoyed by Michael Shannon's portrayal of Kim Fowley, the manager who brings the girls together and helps them climb the ladder to fame.

It brings me great shame to admit that I far preferred The Last Song. Based on one of Nicholas Sparks' mushy tear-jerker novels, and starring Miley Cyrus, The Last Song wouldn't win any awards. It follows the story of a troubled teen girl, Ronnie, who, along with her little brother Jonah, is sent to live with her estranged father at the beach for the summer. Ronnie falls in love with a local rich boy, and both she and her brother grow closer to their dad, only to find out he has a shattering secret.

I know, I know. Lame.

But you know, some days a girl just needs a chick flick. And bundled up in blankets, surrounded by kleenex, and pumped with Tylenol for my headache, The Last Song was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Plus, Liam Hemsworth, who starred opposite Miley, was pretty hot.

I don't even care that I'm probably old enough to have baby-sat him.

"L" and "R" movies...check!!!

#30 - "K" Movie - Done!

I love movies. I'd watch a movie every day if time allowed me to. So that's why it's kind of strange that I hadn't watched a new movie since creating my list until yesterday.

I must be busy or something.

In any case, after cleaning the house from top to bottom on the holiday Monday, I decided to treat myself to a movie & popcorn. I went down to Marcotte's and picked up a new release, Killers starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl.

I was glad to cross the "K" movie off my list of 26 movies that I'd never seen before starting with each letter of the alphabet...And I was glad Killers got to be the one! It was such a fun action-comedy starring two of my faves, and I loved every minute of it.

I've always been an Ashton Kutcher fan - I mean, who doesn't love Kelso? But let me tell you this: If you're an Ashton fan, you must see this movie. For one thing, it's a departure from his usual goofball comedy. Yes, he's still funny, but not over-the-top outrageously.

He plays the suave, cool international spy Spencer, whose job is killing people. In the south of France, he meets Jen (Heigl), who is holidaying with her parents. The two have an instant connection, and fall madly in love. Spencer gives up his single life and dangerous job in exchange for a normal future with Jen, putting down roots in the suburbs and hanging out with her and her over-protective parents (delightfully played by Tom Selleck and Katherine O'Hara - bonus!)

However, Spencer's old life comes back to haunt him, and before you know it, their friends, neighbours, colleagues, and even Jen's parents, suddenly have the potential to be their enemies.

It's an entertaining romp. And speaking of romp - apparently Kutcher bulked up for his role, and after his first scene in the elevator with Heigl, looking like this, I was picturing all kinds of romps with him...yummm.

And cue my latest phase. Holy hell.

I also have another item on the list that can classify as "in progress" - #3, knit a scarf or dish cloth. On Sunday, my mom got out some yarn and knitting needles after Amanda and I expressed an interest in learning, and we spent the afternoon passing the needles and yarn back and forth, knitting a long strip of white nothingness. (We joked that Amanda could give it to Luke for Christmas - a very skinny white scarf!) I'd had a few knitting lessons as a kid, so I picked it back up fairly quickly. Still nowhere near able to make something presentable (and worthy of crossing it off the list) - but it's...in progress!

In Progress

It's been almost a week since I started thinking about my 101 List, and I've only got one thing crossed off.

One thing.

How depressing...Kind of off to a slow start, eh?

But there are things on the list I am working on, so on the original list (which you can go to by clicking on the link under the Pages section to the right of your screen), I have marked them as "in progress".

#6 - Make Danica's scrapbook. This had to be one I tackled quickly, since the child will be turning two in a few short months, and it's important I document her first year before it's so long ago that I don't remember it. When I made Caden's scrapbook, I worked on it throughout his first year and had it to present to him (and Kara & Chris) at Christmas that year, two months after his first birthday. So I'm already behind the 8-ball with poor Dan. Not for much longer, though. I've already sorted through my photos to find all my Danica pictures, and I'm going to buy Baby Girl scrapbook supplies on Saturday. In progress.

#9 - Lose 20 lbs. Isn't this one always "in progress"? Ugh. About 6 years ago now, I dropped 70 lbs. in a year and a half. Since then, I've been steadily putting it back on. Up and down, total yo-yo-ing. Lose a bit, put 'er back on. But I'm on the right track. I've been cooking my own (somewhat healthier) meals rather than buying pre-packaged frozen crap, I've been attempting to buy more organic and healthy foods, and I've almost broken the chip-and-dip cycle. (You know, you buy a bag of chips and a container of dip...but then the dip runs out and you buy more. Then the chips run out and you have to buy more...and then the dip runs out again...and so on and so on, almost every night...so relieved that I've pretty much broken it!) Now if I could just get back to exercising a little more regularly...In progress!

#11 - Write a novel (at least a rough draft). I've always loved writing. And I wrote a so-called "novel" the year I dropped out of university. I decided that year to live my dream of becoming a world-famous author. Who needs school? Who needs a real job? Ha! I read that hand-written pile of crap now and laugh at myself for being so silly. It's ridiculous. And at a creative writing workshop I attended in high school, I remember one of the guest-speaking authors telling us that all writers need a day job. Hardly anybody writes a best-seller right off the bat. Point taken. So I've got all these storylines and characters swirling around in my head, and I've started writing ideas down in the hopes of getting something started soon. In progress.

#38 - Organize photos. Danica's scrapbook has helped in this endeavour. I've labelled all my packages of developed photos and put them in chronological order. Next step: getting all the pics off my memory cards and computer developed. I made a good stab at it on Saturday by developing everything from last fall, right up to Christmas Eve. But I can't afford to get everything done in one shot, obvs. In progress!

#83 - Acquire a taste for red wine. The thoughts of it causes me to make my "wine face". It ain't pretty. At Jared & Holly's wedding, I got so stinkin' drunk on wine (both white and red...and once I think I mixed the two to make "pink" wine) that the thoughts of it now makes my skin crawl. I can handle the white now (in very small doses), but red still gives me the heebie-jeebies. So last Thursday night I had a few glasses of strawberry Wild Vines with Brenda and Sarah. I know it's not officially "red wine" - I think technically it's zinfandel - but it's a step in the right direction. In progress...

So while there isn't a whole lot of action going on with my 101 List, two more friends have started 101 Blogs since I started mine! Check out my cousin Kayla's and my friend Mandy's. Both pretty cool lists!

#26 - Make an iTunes Playlist of My 101 Favourite Songs

Yesterday was Day 1 of my 101 Adventure, and I didn't want it to pass by without accomplishing one of the tasks or goals on my list.

By no means do I think I'm going to accomplish something from the list every day, but it seemed so anti-climatic to just post my list and then not attempt to do something to kick things off. And I didn't want it to just be something super-easy either, like buying a lottery ticket. I wanted it to be something with a little more significance.

There was one item on my list that jumped out at me as being something fun that would take a little thought & effort, and that was #26 - creating an iTunes playlist of my 101 favourite songs. Quiet, dreary day at the office on Day 1? Perfect opportunity!

Let me tell you this: For a kid who has over 3500 songs in her iTunes library (that's over 9 days' worth of music, folks) - it was a lot harder than I thought it would be! Even more difficult than compiling my 101 List.

I started by going through the entire list and transferring songs that I considered favourites into the 101 playlist I had created. After working at it on-and-off for a few hours, I finally came to the end.

And I had over 300 songs selected. Apparently I have a lot of "favourites". Whoops!

Another few hours of trimming and down-sizing, weighing certain songs against others, attempting to create a good mix, trying to evaluate their meanings to me and their importance in my life...I finally made the last deletions and finalized the list. I've had second thoughts about some of them and wondered if I made some wrong decisions, but for someone who loves music as much as I do, there really can't be a wrong answer, right?

So here it is. And in no particular order. (I found it hard enough to pick just 101, there's no way I could start deciding what was #1!)

1. I Wanna Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
2. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
3. When U Love Someone - Kid Rock
4. Love You Til The End - The Pogues
5. Wheat Kings - The Tragically Hip
6. Hang - Matchbox Twenty
7. Desperately Wanting - Better Than Ezra
8. Try - Blue Rodeo
9. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
10. Me & Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
11. Picture - Kid Rock ft. Sheryl Crow
12. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
13. The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
14. Fix You - Coldplay
15. Your Winter - Sister Hazel
16. Last Kiss - Pearl Jam
17. Free Fallin' - Tom Petty
18. Into the Mystic - Colin James
19. Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
20. The Reason - Hoobastank
21. I Hope You Dance - LeAnn Womack
22. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
23. You Are Not Alone - Patty Griffin
24. Here's to the Night - Eve 6
25. Drops of Jupiter - Train
26. Sandy - John Travolta as Danny Zuko in Grease
27. These Are The Days - Van Morrison
28. All For Love - Serena Ryder
29. What's Going On - 4 Non-Blondes
30. Such a Shame - The Dustin Bentall Outfit
31. The House That Built Me - Miranda Lambert
32. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
33. Long May You Run - Neil Young
34. Go Rest High on that Mountain - Vince Gill
35. Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland
36. Better Man - Pearl Jam
37. Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard
38. Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas
39. Fire & Rain - James Taylor
40. My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars
41. Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum
42. You Are my Sunshine - Ray Charles
43. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
44. My Wish - Rascal Flatts
45. Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback
46. I Told You So - Randy Travis
47. Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
48. Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw
49. Wonderwall - Oasis
50. Delta Dawn - Tanya Tucker
51. Song 2 - Blur
52. She Talks to Angels - The Black Crowes
53. That's The Way Love Goes - Merle Haggard & Jewel
54. Thunderstruck - AC/DC
55. Old School - Hedley
56. If I Had a $1,000,000 - Barenaked Ladies
57. Patience - Guns 'N Roses
58. Lean on Me - Bill Withers
59. Santa Monica - Everclear
60. Fiddlers Green - The Tragically Hip
61. I Wanna Love Somebody Like You - Keith Urban
62. All I Want is You - U2
63. Collide - Howie Day
64. I'll Be There For You - Bon Jovi
65. Down on the Corner - CCR
66. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
67. The Great Pretender - The Platters
68. Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
69. Like a Prayer - Madonna
70. Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison
71. Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
72. All These Things That I Have Done - The Killers
73. Two Steps Behind - Def Leppard
74. There You Go - Johnny Cash
75. Missing You - John Waite
76. Sweet Caroline -Neil Diamond
77. Green, Green Grass Of Home - Elvis Presley
78. American Pie - Don McLean
79. Forever & Ever, Amen - Randy Travis
80. The River - Garth Brooks
81. The Way You Look Tonight - Tony Bennett
82. Old Time Rock 'N Roll - Bob Seger
83. Lucky Man - The Verve
84. Love Lifted Me - Kenny Rogers
85. Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis Presley
86. To Be With You - Mr. Big
87. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
88. Don't Stop Believing - Journey
89. Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
90. I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett
91. Banditos - The Refreshments
92. Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
93. I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany
94. I'll Be - Edwin McCain
95. Lost Together - Blue Rodeo
96. Here For A Good Time - Trooper
97. I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan
98. Lose Yourself - Eminem
99. Jesse's Girl - Rick Springfield
100. Bring It On Home To Me - Sam Cooke
101. Have a Little Faith in Me - Joe Cocker

I know I've left some out...and I'm feeling sorry for the ones that didn't make the cut. I suppose this list could change 1000 times in the next 1000 days, but today, it stands as is.

Feels great to stroke that first item off the list! :)

101 List: Launched

Started: September 30, 2010
Scheduled to finish: June 28, 2013

1. Eat egg rolls from the Golden Palace

2. Make a dinner from scratch for my friends

3. Learn to knit a dish cloth or scarf

4. Take a trip down South

5. Cook a turkey

6. Make a scrapbook for Danica

7. Write a song and play it on my guitar

8. Host a poker tournament party at my home

9. Lose 20 lbs.

10. Get another fish for my tank

11. Write a novel (at least a rough draft)

12. Have a girls night/sleepover

13. Dabble my toes in the ocean

14. Organize a Schock cousin dinner out

15. Go for a ride on a snowmobile

16. Make spider-dogs over a bonfire

17. Go one whole week without logging on to Facebook

18. Plan a “girls day” with my mom & sister

19. Read 10 books in one year

20. Complete a song on Hard on Guitar Hero

21. Try a food I’ve never tasted before

22. Pull an all-nighter

23. Sing a song on-stage at Gavan’s

24. Organize a Young cousin dinner out

25. Make a dinner from scratch for my family

26. Make an iTunes playlist of my 101 favourite songs

27. Go to a drive-in movie

28. Visit my relatives in TO

29. Have a sliding party

30. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet

31. Take my first plane ride

32. Make a Gingerbread House with Caden and Danica

33. Attend at least 3 Senators games per season

34. Go for a minimum half-hour walk each day for a month

35. Go to a real Spa

36. Spend a day baking with my mom

37. Do something significant (to be determined) in memory of Jeff and Troy

38. Organize my photos

39. Attend a midnight movie premiere

40. Up my PAR (pre-authorized remittance) givings at church by $5/month

41. Wash my own car at least once

42. Spend a day at the beach

43. Take a road trip

44. Make something from every section of my Betty Crocker cookbook

45. Get a DVD player for my room

46. Take a train somewhere

47. Organize my closet in a way that it STAYS organized & doesn’t go back to mayhem a week later

48. Go one whole week at work without complaining

49. Paint a picture

50. Walk for a cause

51. Go to a museum

52. Buy myself a lottery ticket

53. Go for a boat ride

54. Don’t hit snooze for one whole week

55. Go a whole day of speaking (or attempting to speak) French

56. Plan my dream trip to Ireland

57. Go up the CN Tower

58. Buy my own (artificial) Christmas Tree

59. Go to the local trout farm and actually CATCH a fish

60. Bake a birthday cake for someone

61. Go Zip-lining

62. Get a tattoo

63. Go on a Haunted Walk

64. Give blood

65. Get back the 2 dresses that I loaned to someone a long time ago

66. Build a snowman

67. Complete a 1000-piece puzzle

68. Drink a Guiness

69. Donate to a food bank

70. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years

71. Go camping

72. Watch a classic movie I’ve never seen before

73. Read Wuthering Heights

74. Carve my name in a tree

75. Dye my hair a dark colour

76. Organize my recipe collection

77. Spend an entire dreary day watching movies

78. Pay off at least half of my line of credit

79. Get an updated photo taken with my family

80. Fall in love

81. Buy a new-to-me car

82. Go to an Imax movie

83. Acquire a taste for red wine

84. Go a whole week without swearing

85. Spend a day with my grandma touring her stomping grounds

86. Be on the Christmas House Tour

87. Go for a hike in the Gatineau Park

88. Buy a laptop

89. Write a blog entry for Jill’s World or Jill’s 101 Adventure every weekday for a whole month

90. Carve a pumpkin for Halloween

91. Go to High Falls

92. Order something wacky off the menu at The Works

93. Plant my yellow rose bush outside

94. Spend a day being a “tourist” in Ottawa – on the Market, Parliament Hill, etc.

95. Drive on the Queensway

96. Get a psychic reading

97. Rake leaves and put them in big pumpkin bags for Halloween

98. Wear a bathing suit in public without putting shorts on over it

99. Direct a Murder Mystery that someone tells me is “the best one ever”

100. Come in 2nd in the Car Rally

101. Donate $5 to charity for each task I don’t complete

Day Zero

This is my Day Zero.

After being inspired by reading Lists of 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days that my friends have created (and have devoted blogs to), I have decided to create my own list, as well as this Blog to keep track of it.

I've spent quite a bit of time today compiling my list, with the help of the Day Zero website and reading the lists of people I know. Up until today, I had never been compelled to do so. But suddenly, the urge hit me. The thought of creating a list of goals and things I've always wanted to do, both big and small, was suddenly exciting, and I couldn't wait to get started.

I intend on tweaking my list tonight, and tomorrow I will publish it here on my Day 1. In the following 1001 days, I will blog about my tasks as they are completed, and hopefully provide some pictures as well.

Come along for the ride! It should be an interesting one!