#99 - On every grocery trip, buy 1 thing to donate to a good cause (Not my stomach).

This item is going really well. I am couponing pretty significantly now and I end up with quite a few surplus items that go straight to the food pantry or another group that our church supports. I really wouldn't be able to do it without Money Saving Mom, though!

#79 - Start a 529 account or other education investment account.

I opened a Upromise account, and I'm going to call this one finished. Doesn't make too much fiscal sense for me to be contributing money into a 529 right now. I need to stop jumping the gun.

#64 - Create a DVD of Mike's "Harvey" performance(s).

I'm halfway there on this one! Last weekend my computer was finally ready to receive video transfer, so now I've got several GB of video that needs to be organized, edited a bit, and squished onto 2 DVDs. With several un-scheduled weekends coming up, I'm pretty confident that this will be finished by the end of 2009. Maybe I can finally give the originals back to Mike's parents. :-P

#39 - Test-drive a car I would never buy.

I'm going to call this one finished now that I have rented 2 cars in the past 4 months. I wouldn't by either of them (A Toyota Rav4 and a Hyundai Elantra), but both were good experiences in learning what I like about driving and what I don't!

#17 - Find all my rechargable batteries and replace the ones that keep dying

I don't know why I thought some of my batteries had issues, but they seem to be okay now. Also, all the batteries in the house are in one organized, central location and it seems to be working well. Another one bites the dust. :-)

#3 - Get a file cabinet and move my files from my parent's house.

I think I can finally call this one finished. I've had a filing cabinet for about 2 years, and it is now set up again in the townhouse. I've even got a system for keeping things filed without the paper getting out of control! Excellent.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I was a bit leery about reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven since it seemed to be so over-hyped for a while. I picked up a copy of this a while back and finally got around to reading it. I read it in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down! The premise is fascinating and the characters are well-written. I found it to be rather emotional as well - at least 2 tissues were used! I think this is one book that should be required reading & I've already got a list of people waiting to borrow my copy. Now that it has been out for a while, you should have no problem finding a copy to read at your local library.

The Last Days of Haute Cuisine

The Last Days of Haute Cuisine by Patric Kuh has a subtitle of "The Coming of Age of American Restaurants". It is a non-fiction piece about just that. From the story behind the beginning of credit cards to the slow food movement starting long before it was called the slow food movement this book is chock full of small stories that amount to a lot when put together. The history of the US is bound by the restaurant industry in ways that I had never dreamed of. I'm not usually one for non-fiction books, but the vibrant characters in this story are brought to life on the page in a way that does not often happen!

"When one has felt the pull of two continents, such images become dear to one. They are not the rah-rah oath of allegiance stuff that, dear as citizenship is, so oversimplifies the process of belonging."

Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel was a fascinating, thought-provoking story of survival. I feel like there isn't much to say that will do justice to this amazing story, especially without ruining the mystical quality that the book has.

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank was a birthday gift from a good friend. It was the perfect book for reading on vacation and I devoured it while watching the glaciers go by our cabin's balcony.

The book centers on Jane throughout her life as she tries to figure out life, love, and how to balance the two. It is organized in a collection of short stories - each with a different perspective matching where Jane is in her life.

It was a great read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it!

#56 - Go to see a stand-up comedian live.

We went to 2 different stand-up shows on the cruise ship, and both were the same guy. He was really funny and he did some seriously awesome impressions. Fun time.

#51 - Do karaoke

I competed in a karaoke competition on the cruise ship. My first time singing karaoke and the pressure was on! I thought I did pretty well, but I didn't win because this other guy WAS elton john. Seriously sounded just like him.

I really liked performing, but my least favorite part was listening to the half drunk people who thought they were hilarious. Not fun.

#42 - Ride in a limo

It really wasn't very comfortable, but it made us feel special.

"Give me my camera back!"

#40 - Visit at least one state I’ve never been to.

I think Alaska counts.


Denali was OUT in all it's splendor! Only about 30% of people get to see the mountain "out" because it creates it's own weather systems which usually result in lots of cloud cover. We were so lucky to see this amazing mountain!

#81 - Obtain a GOOD cash-back credit card and make it work for me.

I think I like the cards I have enough to "cancel" this item. I think canceled sounds much nicer than "failed".