Well, it’s July, which means half of 2010 is gone. So I thought it would be useful to do a quick update, to see what kind of progress I’m making.

1. Go to Morocco. - Made it there, thanks to volcano, almost didn’t make it back
   
2. Go camping at least twice next summer. - does camping out on a couch count?
3. Find my dream apartment and move into it. - still looking
4. Get my own washer/dryer and finally stop dragging my laundry around like a friggin’ nomad. - see #3 above
5. Get a dishwasher. - see #3 above
6. Replace my 12-year-old car with something newer and zippier. - zoom zoom
7. …or else get rid of it and join CommunAuto. - opted for the new car instead
8. Successfully fight that unfair, BS speeding ticket. - still waiting for a court date notice; they can take their time as far as I’m concerned
9. Complete and edit my NaNoWriMo 2009 project. – um, not so much
10. Participate in NaNoWriMo 2010. – we’ll see
11. …and win. - well, duh
12. Buy those new dishes I was eyeing at the Ottawa kitchen store. – not yet, but hoping to shortly
    
13. Buy a spice rack. – maybe when I get a new kitchen
14. Paint my kitchen yellow. (I’ve always wanted a yellow kitchen, for some reason.) – see #3 above
15. Go skiing at least three times. - went twice. so close, yet so far.
16. Go snowshoeing.
17. Visit Cathy. – not yet, but Bluesfest starts soon
18. Visit Andrea and Jim. - yay Mars!
19. Convince Andrea and Jim to come visit more often. - mission accomplished
20. Host Etrek Montreal-fest 2010. – y’all are welcome
21. Eat breakfast (other than coffee) more days than not. - coffee and a granola bar counts, right?
22. Buy a vegetable steamer.
23. Find a new volunteer project.
24. Celebrate Canada Day someplace where people are actually happy to be Canadian. - yay Mars
25. …with fireworks. - yay Martian neighbours
26. …and some typically Canadian music like Blue Rodeo or Great Big Sea. - when I’m up I can’t get down
27. Buy new socks and throw out the ones with holes in them.
28. Reprise Buy Nothing Week.
29. Roast marshmellows over a fireplace. - does a backyard fire pit count?
30. Have a board game brunch. - several times over
31. Eat crepes at CDL. – mmm, crepes
32. Host a wine and cheese. - mmm, cheese
33. Host a fondue party.
34. Make homemade sushi.
35. Play poker.
36. …and win.
37. Finish reading Don Quixote. – I gave up
38. …in time for the January book club meet-up. - yeah, not so much
39. Watch the rest of the UK version of Life On Mars. – gotta find season 2 on DVD, anyone have it?
40. Attend the St. Patrick’s Day Parade - but of course
41. …and fail to remember much about it later. - wow, I was far too sober this year
42. Turn 30. - kinda inevitable
43. …with minimal freaking out. – 30 actually feels pretty good
44. Go to New York City. (I heart NY). – maybe this fall
45. Go to Quebec City. – maybe this winter
46. Get through the winter without succumbing to the winter blahs. – it was a short winter, so that helped
47. …and weighing less than I do now. – hah!
48. Win tickets to something on the radio. - haven’t really tried
49. Get a letter to the editor published in the newspaper. – haven’t submitted any. Wow, I’m lazy!
50. Attend the Salon Passion Chocolat. - not till the fall
51. …and the Jazz Fest. - yep
52. …and the Comedy Fest. - next week
53. …and Bluesfest Ottawa. - next week
54. …and Nuit Blanche. – it was too bloody cold
55. …and the FrancoFolies. – it rocked
56. …and FantasiaFest. – later this month
57. …and a bunch of other festivals. - Beerfest!
58. Keep walking to work every day, as long as I live within walking distance. - it’s the only way to travel
59. Pack lunches and avoid the takeout trap. – managing on average four out of five days – not too shabby
60. Pay someone an undeserved compliment. – won’t say who
61. Learn to sew well enough to hem my own pant legs and sleeves.
62. Don’t get the flu. - epic FAIL
63. Call my grandfather. - often
64. Learn CSS.
65. …and update the look and feel of this blog so it’s not so ugly.
66. Blog more often. - does this post count?
67. Read the Israeli news headlines more regularly. - in spurts, but I try to keep up
68. …in Hebrew, to keep my language skills from going completely rusty. – I think my reading skills are nearly gone, sadly
69. …and listen to online radio or watch online TV broadcasts in Hebrew, too, for the same reason. - doing better on this score
70. Update my online (Flickr) photo albums. - mostly up to date
71. Update my offline (printed) photo albums. – yeah, not so much
72. Buy fruits and veggies from the farmers’ markets instead of the supermarket. – I heart Marche Jean-Talon
73. Vote. - there haven’t been any elections
74. …in an election where my vote actually makes a difference. - yeah, like that’ll happen
75. Visit the Contemporary Arts Museum on freebie Wednesday.
76. Go to at least one rock concert. – does FrancoFolies count?
77. …by a band that has been around for less than 15 years. - who?
78. Watch the Cannes Lions winning ads.
79. Carry on an entire conversation with a francophone without letting on that I’m anglo. – this works better in Morocco than it does in Montreal
80. Try 10 new restaurants in Montreal. – I’ve lost count but surely it’s been more than 10
81. Find a good answer to the inevitable questions about my name that doesn’t involve exasperation, or a long backstory.
82. Clean the oven.
83. …using baking soda (?) - sorry Urban Green Girl, but it doesn’t work as well as you said it would
84. Organize my DVD collection.
85. Set out to buy clothes and actually end up with clothes. – some of them are even pink
86. …and no shoes. – I think I did this once
87. Master the art of the experience brief. - I didn’t, but Jasmin is working on it
88. Get more (consumer) insightful. - oh, definitely
89. Retrieve my old electric keyboard and actually remind myself how to play it.
90. Reduce the procrastination to a manageable level. - Sporcle is evil
91. Pay my taxes. – they come off my paycheque automatically, so this one has been easy
92. …and put the refund towards travel. – see #1
93. Win my 2009-10 fantasy hockey pool. – I placed second
94. Draft Ovi in the 2010-11 fantasy hockey pool. - not yet, but wait till September
95. Go to at least one Habs’ playoff game – contingent on them actually making the playoffs, of course. – went to three of ‘em. Helped that the Habs made it to the conference finals.
96. Keep kosher(ish) for Passover. – um… the less said the better. my mom might read this.
97. Couchsurf. - repeatedly
98. Host couchsurfers. – several of ‘em
99. Help at least three friends plan trips. – it’s the next best thing to traveling myself
100. Invent a new smoothie recipe. - bananas and kahlua – surprisingly good together
101. Watch the Olympics on TV. – glued to the set
102. …and see the Canadian team win the hockey gold. (Hey, I can hope, right?) - epic WIN!
103. Improve my Spanish from a 20-word vocabulary to at least a 50-word one. - still on the to-do list
104. Watch Mad Men Season 4. - it starts in two weeks, can’t wait!
105. Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7. - on my netbook, but not on my desktop yet
106. …preferably without losing my mind in the process. - TBD
107. Go apple picking in the fall.
108. Sell my old backpacks.
109. Clear out my closets and drawers. – now I have no clothes left
110. …and participate in a clothing swap.
111. …and donate whatever I cannot swap to charity.
112. Drink more green tea instead of coffee. – I heart david’s tea
113. Finish the pile of books that are sitting on my “to read” shelf. - pile keeps growing
114. Get my grandmother’s chicken soup recipe from my mom.
115. …and learn to make it.
116. Convince my mom that the world isn’t going to end in 2012, regardless of what the Mayans said. - I’m still not sure she’s entirely convinced
117. Go karaoking. - we all live in a yellow submafine
118. Go kayaking.
119. Laugh a lot.
120. Spend less time in front of the computer making these lists, and more time actually doing the things on them. - been too busy to blog, does that count?

So, by my count, that’s 55 items out of 120 that I can cross off the list as having done so far. That adds up to about 46% of the list accomplished, with 50% of the year left. Not too shabby.

Now I gotta start working on finding that apartment. And learning Spanish. (Hmmm, maybe an apartment in Spain?)

But, inspired by Andrea’s gargantuan list, I have decided that, new decade, new attitude. This year, I will actually set out some lofty goals for myself, and hopefully even achieve them. So, without further adieu, here’s my list of 120 things to do in 2010:

1. Go to Morocco.
2. Go camping at least twice next summer.
3. Find my dream apartment and move into it.
4. Get my own washer/dryer and finally stop dragging my laundry around like a friggin’ nomad.
5. Get a dishwasher.
6. Replace my 12-year-old car with something newer and zippier.
7. …or else get rid of it and join CommunAuto.
8. Successfully fight that unfair, BS speeding ticket.
9. Complete and edit my NaNoWriMo 2009 project.
10. Participate in NaNoWriMo 2010.
11. …and win.
12. Buy those new dishes I was eyeing at the Ottawa kitchen store.
13. Buy a spice rack.
14. Paint my kitchen yellow. (I’ve always wanted a yellow kitchen, for some reason.)
15. Go skiing at least three times.
16. Go snowshoeing.
17. Visit Cathy.
18. Visit Andrea and Jim.
19. Convince Andrea and Jim to come visit more often.
20. Host Etrek Montreal-fest 2010.
21. Eat breakfast (other than coffee) more days than not.
22. Buy a vegetable steamer.
23. Find a new volunteer project.
24. Celebrate Canada Day someplace where people are actually happy to be Canadian.
25. …with fireworks.
26. …and some typically Canadian music like Blue Rodeo or Great Big Sea.
27. Buy new socks and throw out the ones with holes in them.
28. Reprise Buy Nothing Week.
29. Roast marshmellows over a fireplace.
30. Have a board game brunch.
31. Eat crepes at CDL.
32. Host a wine and cheese.
33. Host a fondue party.
34. Make homemade sushi.
35. Play poker.
36. …and win.
37. Finish reading Don Quixote.
38. …in time for the January book club meet-up.
39. Watch the rest of the UK version of Life On Mars.
40. Attend the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
41. …and fail to remember much about it later.
42. Turn 30.
43. …with minimal freaking out.
44. Go to New York City. (I heart NY).
45. Go to Quebec City.
46. Get through the winter without succumbing to the winter blahs.
47. …and weighing less than I do now.
48. Win tickets to something on the radio.
49. Get a letter to the editor published in the newspaper.
50. Attend the Salon Passion Chocolat.
51. …and the Jazz Fest.
52. …and the Comedy Fest.
53. …and Bluesfest Ottawa.
54. …and Nuit Blanche.
55. …and the FrancoFolies.
56. …and FantasiaFest.
57. …and a bunch of other festivals.
58. Keep walking to work every day, as long as I live within walking distance.
59. Pack lunches and avoid the takeout trap.
60. Pay someone an undeserved compliment.
61. Learn to sew well enough to hem my own pant legs and sleeves.
62. Don’t get the flu.
63. Call my grandfather.
64. Learn CSS.
65. …and update the look and feel of this blog so it’s not so ugly.
66. Blog more often.
67. Read the Israeli news headlines more regularly.
68. …in Hebrew, to keep my language skills from going completely rusty.
69. …and listen to online radio or watch online TV broadcasts in Hebrew, too, for the same reason.
70. Update my online (Flickr) photo albums.
71. Update my offline (printed) photo albums.
72. Buy fruits and veggies from the farmers’ markets instead of the supermarket.
73. Vote.
74. …in an election where my vote actually makes a difference.
75. Visit the Contemporary Arts Museum on freebie Wednesday.
76. Go to at least one rock concert.
77. …by a band that has been around for less than 15 years.
78. Watch the Cannes Lions winning ads.
79. Carry on an entire conversation with a francophone without letting on that I’m anglo.
80. Try 10 new restaurants in Montreal.
81. Find a good answer to the inevitable questions about my name that doesn’t involve exasperation, or a long backstory.
82. Clean the oven.
83. …using baking soda (?)
84. Organize my DVD collection.
85. Set out to buy clothes and actually end up with clothes.
86. …and no shoes.
87. Master the art of the experience brief.
88. Get more (consumer) insightful.
89. Retrieve my old electric keyboard and actually remind myself how to play it.
90. Reduce the procrastination to a manageable level.
91. Pay my taxes.
92. …and put the refund towards travel.
93. Win my 2009-10 fantasy hockey pool.
94. Draft Ovi in the 2010-11 fantasy hockey pool.
95. Go to at least one Habs’ playoff game – contingent on them actually making the playoffs, of course.
96. Keep kosher(ish) for Passover.
97. Couchsurf.
98. Host couchsurfers.
99. Help at least three friends plan trips.
100. Invent a new smoothie recipe.
101. Watch the Olympics on TV.
102. …and see the Canadian team win the hockey gold. (Hey, I can hope, right?)
103. Improve my Spanish from a 20-word vocabulary to at least a 50-word one.
104. Watch Mad Men Season 4.
105. Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.
106. …preferably without losing my mind in the process.
107. Go apple picking in the fall.
108. Sell my old backpacks.
109. Clear out my closets and drawers.
110. …and participate in a clothing swap.
111. …and donate whatever I cannot swap to charity.
112. Drink more green tea instead of coffee.
113. Finish the pile of books that are sitting on my “to read” shelf.
114. Get my grandmother’s chicken soup recipe from my mom.
115. …and learn to make it.
116. Convince my mom that the world isn’t going to end in 2012, regardless of what the Mayans said.
117. Go karaoking.
118. Go kayaking.
119. Laugh a lot.
120. Spend less time in front of the computer making these lists, and more time actually doing the things on them.

Yes, I know the original post had 201 things and this one only has 120. But it was all I could think of. Besides, if I manage to do even half of these things this year, it will be a very productive year.

If this list of the 100 best songs of last decade by Rolling Stone is any indication, the new decade can only be better cause it sure can’t get much worse.

Hard to believe that this time ten years ago, we were worried about the Y2K bug, and now we’re worried about the H1N1 bug. Plus ça change…

1. Walk to (and from) work. See the post below. This one’s an easy resolution to make now, and might be tougher to stick to when the minus-30 weather begins, but I’m certainly going to try to stick to it!
2. Pack my lunch. I’ve lapsed into laziness, and the cost of buying lunch several times a week is adding up fast. Bringing lunch is cheaper and healthier; eating out should be for special occasions only.
3. Eat healthier. Kinda follows logically from #2, but also includes a clause against sitting in front of the TV eating chocolate chips out of the package. (Yes, okay, we all know I’m a chocoholic!)
4. Improve my Spanish from Sesame Street-level to semi-conversational. The Coffee Break Spanish podcast is awesome.
5. Find a new volunteer project. I haven’t been involved in a good project in a while, and it’s time.

I usually end up not keeping new year’s resolutions. But this time, maybe by making them in September instead of December, it’ll be a better time of year to kick off new habits. It’s all about baby steps, anyway, not big leaps.

Shana Tova, everyone!

To all the fine-looking Jews out there: Best wishes for a happy and healthy 5768.

While waiting for a downtown Manhattan train, Autrey saw Cameron Hollopeter, a 19-year-old film student, suffering from some kind of medical episode. After stumbling down the platform, Hollopeter, of Littleton, Mass., fell onto the tracks with a train on its way into the station.

Autrey, traveling with his two young daughters, knew he had to do something.

“If I let him stay there by himself, he’s going to be dismembered,” the Navy veteran remembered thinking.

He jumped down to the tracks, a few feet below platform level, and rolled with the young man into a drainage trough — cold, wet and more than a little unpleasant smelling — between the rails as the southbound No. 1 train came into the 137th Street/City College station.

The train’s operator saw someone on the tracks and put the emergency brakes on. Some train cars passed over Autrey and Hollopeter with only a couple of inches to spare, but neither man suffered any harm from the incident.

Hollopeter was taken to a nearby hospital; Autrey refused medical attention — and then went to work.

According to bystanders, Autrey had time to shout to people to take care of his daughters before the train came. I can’t imagine what was going through his mind when he did it, but he was probably acting more on instinct than anything else:

Meanwhile, Autrey said the impact of the risky rescue was sinking in.

“It’s all hitting me now,” Autrey said. “I’m looking, and these trains are coming in now. … Wow, you did something pretty stupid.”

Perhaps, but it worked out well for him. It’s really nice to know that, with all the bad news out there, some people still care about others.

Happy 2007, all.

A very happy New Year to all my MOT readers. L’Shana Tova.

Oh yeah. The excellent Chinese food.

Flippancy aside, here’s wishing all people celebrating the New Year a healthy, happy and prosperous one.

Not the greatest blogging start to 2005, I know. But hey, I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions to blog more often. (Actually, I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions at all, since I never actually keep them.)

Incidentally, I haven’t been blogging much this week because I’ve been sick. There’s been a lot going on, but frankly, I haven’t been able to keep up. Blogging will get back to normal as soon as I am.

In the meantime, enjoy the holiday.

I do have to point out for the sake of posterity, though, that while 2002 was the last palindrome year until 2112, don’t think that 2003 isn’t a cool year as well. Wednesday (er, I mean Thursday, thanks Bill) did have the distinction of being the date 1/2/3.

I’m officially back from my vacation. Whistler had great powder, the Habs lost to the Canucks, and the word “service” is a contradiction in terms when it comes to the airlines. That about sums up my trip in a nutshell.

Beautiful sunny Whistler - purely to make you skiers out there very jealous!

Regular posting will resume tomorrow – I’m off to go hunt down some food.

So have a good one, everyone, and try not to let any of the discussions get too out of hand while I’m gone. Best wishes for a Happy New Year.

According to the results so far, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the terrorist attack in Bali, and the Russian hostage crisis are nowhere to be found in the top 10. But Martha Stewart and Winona Ryder’s court cases were both on the list.

What does that say about American culture?