25 Things, Revised

As you may have noticed, I am falling further and further behind in my quest to complete 25 New Things before my 25th birthday in November. I only have 5 months left, so I am going to take this time to revamp my list a little bit. There are many things that have come up and taken priority far over others, so I would much rather expend my energy on the awesome and upcoming, than on the thought-I-wanted-to-do-a-year-ago-but-now-I-couldn't-care-less.

But that's not fair, you say? Well, I like to think of it as simply giving myself the advantage in my own challenge. You call it cheating, I call it facilitating the completion of my goals. Tomāto/tomäto.

Here, I present a revised list of 25 things that I plan to do in my 25th year...

Yes, that means that I plan to give myself until the end of the year to complete these things. I know, now you think I'm REALLY breaking some rules. But! Here's the deal: Saccharine Thoughts will turn 2 on January 1st, 2011, and if you would quit bitching about me being such a cheater and read on, you would see that I have added "Have an amazing New Year" as the final item on my to-do list, thereby forcing this challenge to extend an extra month and a half.

Are you finished? Good. Now I present a revised list of 25 things that I plan to do in my 25th year:

1. Find an organization to volunteer and become actively involved with.
I volunteered with Austin Voices for Education and Youth during my month of unemployment, but unfortunately much of my time now is spent either at work, at the gym or in the yoga studio. I would LOVE to become actively involved with Austin Voices or another worthy non-prof again.

2. Hostess a breakfast/brunch, with Saturday morning cartoons
I foresee breakfast tacos and Looney Tunes in my near future...

3. Take voice/singing lessons
If you have ever had the, ahem, pleasure of karaoke'ing with me, you would second this notion.

4. Find a new job that I lovelovelove

5. Take a stripping/pole dancing class
LivingSocial has been promising the delivery of a coupon for a pole dancing class soon. Um, I'm waaaiting...

6. Be debt-free by the end of the year.
Do I really need to explain this? I attended a highly ranked state school on my own dime.

7. Get an addition to my tattoo
This will only come AFTER the completion of #6 because I'll be damned if I plan to go cheap with a permanent work of art on my body.

8. Take a bellydancing class

9. Go camping
I honestly don't think I've been camping since I was a senior in high school. Sad.

10. Spend a day thrift shopping
Because it's so much cheaper than mall shopping.

11. Play sand volleyball
Believe it or not, this little hobbit was once a bitchin' volleyball player with threatening serves. Now that I am fully recovered and back in action, I'm dying to play again.

12. Finish 3 of the 5 classes for my second BA
I have a degree in Spanish. I see it only fit to finish up the complimentary English, and I have put it off long enough.

13. Take level 2 at the Hideout Theatre
14. Take level 3 at the Hideout Theatre
These two have been postponed for almost a year now, but with reason. In August, our office will make the long-awaited relocation from 20 minutes west of everything to right smack dab in the middle of downtown, and right across the street from the Hideout Theatre.

15. Reupholster my couch
It needs it, yo.

16. Go blues dancing
I am now over a year out from my last knee surgery, and totally ready to get scootin'.

17. Compile my photography portfolio; create online resume for photo, writing, blog, etc
Because I recently realized that I have thousands (literally) of photos of people, events and shows and tons of written pieces that are jumbled across the abyss that is my hard drive.

18. Have a photoshoot in which I am NOT behind the camera
You know those faded photos you've found of your grandmother: age 17 in which she looks totally glam? In the offchance that I ever have offspring digging through my dusty drawers, I would like to give them something sensational to stumble upon.

19. Learn to make jam/preserves.

20. Take a grant writing course
My passion and strength lies in writing. I am now developing a career path in the non-profit sector, so learning the ins and outs of grant writing just makes sense.

21. Bring my patio garden back to life and keep it that way.
The Jasmine is blooming again. Does that count?

22. Go on a yoga retreat

23. Have a picnic
Honestly, it's just an excuse for me to make food for people.

24. Take an art class

25. Have an amazing New Years Eve
New Years Eve is my fav. A holiday set aside to celebrate a new beginning - I just love it. Unfortunately I have started many a year off on the wrong foot. The past 5 have been marred with break-ups or working or you know, just being passing out alone before midnight. All I expect from my New Year celebrations is a little sparkle, a little bubbly and a kiss at midnight... is that really so much to ask?