101 in 1,001: February recap

March!  One of my favorites!

Let's start out the month with a 101 in 1,001 update, shall we?

I'm learning a lot about my routine, habits, strengths, and weaknesses through this project.  Each item on the list, you'll recall, is an experience I'd like to have or part of my identity I'd like to cultivate.  I've written that just taking the time to write down 101 mini-projects was a productive exercise, and as I settle into the actual project, I'm seeing what is a stretch and what isn't as much of a stretch now that I've put pen to paper (err, fingers to keyboard).  Therefore, I reserve the right to modify as needed!

An array of links, to refresh your memory:

The whole list

My first update

Track my progress via Google doc

First, here are the ongoing projects I planned to continue:

#22 Take at least one walk per week for one year.  Yes.  In my head, I interpret this to also include choosing to walk somewhere instead of driving, in addition to just simply walking for fitness and leisure.  I'm finding that I usually do one from each category per week.

#47 Volunteer at six races. I kind of continued this - I volunteered at the TC Valentine's Day 5K - but am saving this item for non-Twin Cities in Motion races, because I was already on a TCM committee thus making those events not much of a personal stretch!  I have my eye on some triathlons this summer.

#62 Send one card per week for three months. Oops!  I had to start this over when I missed a week.  The more cards in 1,001 days, the merrier, no?

#66 Make a list of important birthdays and send mail accordingly.  Yes.

#67 Go to six cultural events with a friend.  No, but it's ongoing!

#82 Cook one new recipe per month. Yes! February 12: Samosa pie (thumbs up) and daal with vegetables (thumbs down)

#90 Try six new foods. I picked a catfish po'boy off the menu on Feb. 24 and enjoyed it greatly.

And here are the goals I launched, plus my progress report:

#7 Go to 25 yoga classes   
Working on it!  Although, when I started this project, I was picturing this goal unfolding through my weekly class at one gym, before I joined Core Power Yoga.  Even when I launched this goal 29 days ago, I did not expect to be nearly one-third of the way complete by March 1!  (Thank you to Groupon for a discounted unlimited month that introduced me to Core Power, by the way.)  I may modify this goal, because my original intention was to work on consistently practicing yoga throughout the 1,001 days. Regardless, I am loving this one.

#12 Take a vitamin daily

Triumph!  This one was very satisfying because every day I passed the mini-test and took my vitamins, I felt happy, and then after I took them, I felt happier because I was doing something healthy!  29 days of Vitamin D and calcium, in the books. I'm keeping this one going.

#56 Document spending for one month

Hmm.  I'm not going to mark this one as complete yet.  The major upside this month was downloading an app for Mint, a program that tracks your spending, groups it into categories, and allows you to make notes about what you bought.  This is very, very handy and a resource I'm excited to have in my toolkit. But ideally, if I continue using Mint, I want to add notes every night (or if I don't, keep a daily log) about my spending that day. The resource was wonderfully helpful, but using the Mint app alone felt a little too automatic.

2011 in photos!

#75 Print out photos and make a 2011 album

Partial credit!  I ordered prints of all of my photos  and am still waiting for them to be delivered. My mom surprised me with a project for this month that will complete this goal - more details to come later, but I'm waiting til March to check this one off!

#83 Bake a birthday cake

YES! For my sister's birthday earlier this month, I baked a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and ganache. This was the second cake I've baked from scratch (the first being Josh's carrot cake in January) and it is instructive to see how that process goes from start to finish (except for how buttercream gets made - I could've gone without that part).  I found it funny that for such a decadent-looking recipe, I had almost every ingredient already in my cupboard.  Somehow, cocoa and butter and sugar and all that stuff combines to make a pretty cake with frosting.  The chemistry of baking!

#94 Read a book and see its film adaptation

This one's done!  I chose "The Descendants," read the book in early February, and saw the movie on Saturday, Feb. 18.  I loved both. Watching the movie so soon after reading the book got me thinking about how writers turn a book into a screenplay and how plot and character details get preserved or adapted. I loved this goal and want to do it again.

And one surprise!  I crossed #85 Cook with a new spice off the list when I bought and used garam masala for my sister's birthday dinner on Feb. 12.

What's coming up?

I'll launch these!  (I'll continue the other ongoing items, too.)

#76 Take one photo per day for a month

#23 Visit the dentist at least four times
#39 Go to three new-to-me museums
#49 Volunteer at at least three events

Whew!  Is anyone still reading?  Kudos to you if so.  I'm loving this project and how it's enriching my days.