Tag Archives: birthday

Well, it has happened again. It’s my birthday, and I had to try to decide what I wanted to post. A reflection on the past year? A wish list for the upcoming year?

Right now I am participating in a program called “23 Mobile Things” through NEFLIN (Northeast Florida Library Information Network for the curious) where each week we are introduced to a new app on our tablet or smart phone and test drive it for a week. Today I figured out how my new Instagram account works.

Something about that idea resonated with me – and with something I’ve already started to do with the beginning of the year. So, in honor of my birthday, I am going to try to do 38 things I’ve not done before (or that I’ve enjoyed doing in the past, but haven’t done in a long time). I want this to be a year I enjoy, and one in which I continue to grow, so the goal is a list of new thing for each revolution I’ve made it around the sun.

This will be a work in progress, but here is what I’ve got so far:

1. Make a painting (done – Painting with a Twist 1/10/2015)
2. Get a mani/pedi (scheduled for today, my birthday 🙂
3. Attend a concert of some sort on UF campus
4. See Neil Gaimen and Amanda Palmer (tickets purchased – Tampa 2/14 – Heartbreak Hotel, here I come)
5. See Welcome to NightVale live show (tickets purchased – Tampa 4/3)
6. Complete the Couch to 5k program; run a 5k with friends
7. Go to a convention with a solid writers track (95% sure this will be GenCon)
8. Submit at least 1 short story a month
9. Ride/ walk the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail
10. Go see Sue at the Florida Museum of Natural History
11. Go to an “away” Gator sporting event (gymnastics or football, most likely)
12. Complete a 2nd draft of a novel
13. Learn how to play Magic
14. Play a 5th Edition D&D game
15. Visit the Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation

Painting I made at Painting With A Twist earlier this month

Other ideas I am considering include:

• Participate in a Month of Letters – concern my address book isn’t up to date, and this happens in February
• Update my address book
• Take a craft class of some sort (Michaels or Santa Fe Community Education course)
• Learn how to knit ; knit something
• See John Scalzi speak
• Attend a THATcamp
• Swim with dolphins
• Empty my hotmail inbox
• make a meal primarily from items bought at the farmer’s market
• Learn how to cook ______ (something I’ve not cooked before – but what?)
• Find a way to support, advocate the LGBT community
• Attend a Pilates class
• Visit Marianna Cavern
• do Karaoke

Even if I add all of those, I’m only up to 29 things. I am open to suggestions. So, my friends, what would you recommend? Any books I should read, movies I should watch, or places I should go? What would you add to your own list?