My Life List

I decided it was time to immortalize my life list. I got the idea from Mighty Girl Maggie's blog where she shares her mighty life list. It's basically a list of the things you want to accomplish in your life. It can be big events, small events, intellectual, physical, emotional. It's whatever I think is important to me that will allow me to say, I didn't go to my grave peacefully, I slid in sideways screaming, "Wow, what a ride!" (don't know who the author of that quote is).

On to the list!
Quit my job, focus in on my passion and make it happen Attended WDS July 2013, posts here, here, and here but it has definitely impacted my life. Signed up for WDS 2014. 

Write a novel. Changing this to short story....
Be Physical: I guess this fits with exercise: tried Bikram yoga, signed up for the San Jose Color Run 5K (done!), Dailey method, SV Turkey Trot
2013 activities: yoga, Warrior Dash, Giants 10K 5K run, kickboxing
Hike the state parks: Henry Cowell 8 mile redwoods loop, Andrew Molera, 
Organize the office at home. Purchased a huge shelf to go inside the closet to organize things. Now to purge!
Set up wireless surround sound in the home (DONE!). 
Finish 5 knitting projects in 2012 - Blanket, Cowl, Baby Sweater, second baby sweater (no picture), maroon cardigan for myself (needs to be blocked and finished but it's been a work in progress for more than a year), Poon Ponzio baby blanket done.
Purge the closets (I did a pretty big purge, there's still more to go, but I'm satisfied for now) (August 2012, performed a second purge so now I'm definitely done for the year). 
Inventory the home library and track the books I read (quantity and quality) Inventory started on goodreads.
Conversational in Japanese, Cantonese, Italian, French.  
Paint something on a canvas. Well, the paint nite is kind of a cop out but I'm going to count it as a win for now
Celebrate each month's national theme. 
Figure out my retirement/savings and start investing. Screw this, I'm going to go travel
House with yard and dog. Screw this too. I just want a back pack and my passport. Oh, but I want the dog too
Plant a successful garden - planted a jalapeno and ancho chili plant...waiting for success. May - added a habanero plant which is doing very very well. Jalapeno and Ancho keep getting dug up by the dog so success looks not so good. August update - harvested a few anaheims and found more than 10 jalapenos but they're very small. However, no habaneros. Maybe next year's crop will be better
Visit at least 10 different countries with a passport - 1. England 2. France 3. Italy 4. Austria 5. Germany 6. Switzerland 7. Netherlands. 8. Canada. 9. Belgium. 10. Australia. 
Learn a new basic/ancient skill (machine sewing, an instrument, embroidery, archery). Got a sewing machine for my 28th birthday! I can hem pants!!
Surf in Australia. 
Go deep sea fishing. 
Scuba dive the Gold Coast or Bermuda. Signed up for a scuba certification course!  Scuba Certified! Australia trip booked in November 2013. Going to dive Cairns! Scuba trip schedule in Cairns. Too bad I can't do a 3 day liveaboard. Scuba done!
Sky dive over Australia or Hawaii. This doesn't really count, but I did go paragliding in Austria
Bungee jump. 
Zip-line Interested in Mount Harmon zip lining, hopefully I'll get to sign up soon
Ocean Kayak. 
Donate to locks of love. 
Volunteer. 1. San Jose Trailer Park Rebuild 9/8  2. Friends of the Palo Alto Library (this one is ongoing)  3. Santa Cruz beach clean up 8/2013
Master the art of baking/candy making. 
Master a new cuisine (french, Italian, Japanese, Indian). 
Go back to school for something FUN. Not really school but Mochi making class on 10/25/2012. Truffle class 12/18/2012. Stanford: Einstein and his special theory of relativity in May 2013. Fiction of Relationships July 2013. Gastronomy August 2013. Editing certificate 2013-2014 (NOT FUN but necessary). The Art of Dark Chocolate December 2013. Rachel Dunn Chocolate class February 2014.
Dog sled in Alaska. or Truckee.
Enjoy a Guinness in an Irish pub. 
Homebrew. Starting today 8/29. Bottles acquired on 8/25 and brewing will commence! 10/24 - beer is bottled and conditioning, will crack one open on 10/29 to test it out. Beer was a success! Cloudy but a success, well, people seem to like it. Or they're lying to me...
Climb the Great Wall.
Learn how to wear a traditional kimono. 
Visit all 50 states (tally starts in 2009) California, Colorado, New Jersey, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Nevada (partial credit for Reno), Louisiana, Arizona (for work), New York/Staten Island
Visit all 7 continents (including Antarctica) Europe!. 
Make 100 crafty things 1. Joelle's baby sweater and 2. hat and 3. bad cowl scarf that I'm not going to post a picture of... and 4. and 5. Blanket and Cowl and 6. Jessica's Baby Sweater 7. Baby Chan sweater 8. Cardigan for myself 9. Hat for my cousin's baby 10. Contiki Europe scrapbook 11. Baby blanket for Baby Poon Ponzio 12. Cowl neck sweater 13. Pinwheels for Janette's baby shower 14. Lady bugs for Joellen's shower 14. Beehive for Jo's shower
Quilt all of my old t-shirts. 
Work in an antique bookstore. 
Live overseas. 
Read the 1001 books to read before you die (dad's already knocked down 50 of them! have to catch up!) (Finished book count: 11). Overall books read in 2012: 50! 2013 book goal: 55 (2013 ended with 52 read). 2014 book goal: 55 again
View an old text first hand. I saw one in the British Museum so I'll take credit for it
Explore the major museums. British Museum done!
View the Egyptian museum in Cairo. 
Sail the Nile. 
View the pyramids. 
Visit the Greek sites. 
Visit the Roman sites. Done! Coliseum, Pantheon, Forum
Learn how to sword fight. 
Master each rope knotting style. 
Sail the greek islands. 
Spin wool. 
Live on a farm for a week. 
Adopt a child. 
Attend a game of every national league (NFL, NHL, MLB Giants vs. Rockies 4/18/2012 Section 105 Row 6 11 innings Giants win, NBA, MLS, PGA, NASCAR). 
Invent something. 
Learn how to play the guitar, with skill. 
Take boxing lessons. 
Go horseback riding / barrel racing. 
Take dancing lessons. 
Perm waves into my hair. 
Dye my hair a crazy color (purple?). 
Learn how to take good pictures (learning now!). 
Get my new tattoo (or 3 :P). Done in Amsterdam! :D  Update: I want a new one! Two actually, one text and one of my Chinese family name

 Holy cow, 100 things to do in San Francisco:
MORNING
1. Wake up early at watch the sunrise from the top of Bernal Hill. Bring your dog if you've got one. (Bernal Heights)
2. Go to the Alemany flea or farmer's market. (Bernal Heights)
3. Go trail running in Glen Canyon Park. (Glen Park)
4. Swim in Aquatic Park. (Fisherman's Wharf)
5. Take visitors to Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, where Kim Novak attempted suicide in Hitchcock's Vertigo. (Marina)
6. Cure your hangover with a Bloody Mary at Zeitgeist on a sunny day. (Mission)
7. Bring Your Own Big Wheel on Easter Sunday. (Potrero Hill)
8. Play tennis at the Alice Marble tennis courts. (Russian Hill)
9. Sip a cappuccino on the sidewalk while the cable car cruises by at Nook. (Nob Hill)
10. Take in the views from seldom-visited Ina Coolbrith Park and listen to the sounds of North Beach below. (Nob Hill)
11. Brave the line at the Swan Oyster Depot for fresh seafood. (Nob Hill)
12. Drive down one of the steepest streets in town - either 22nd between Vicksburg and Church (Noe Valley) or Filbert between Leavenworth and Hyde (Russian Hill). Both have a 31.5% grade.
13. Nosh on some goodies at Noe Valley Bakery then shop along 24th Street. (Noe Valley)
14. Play a round of 9 or 18 at the Presidio Golf Course. (Presidio)
15. Hike around Angel Island in spring when the wildflowers are blooming.
16. Dress up in a crazy costume and run or walk Bay to Breakers. (Golden Gate Park/Panhandle)
17. Buy some of the best produce in the world at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, topped off with a cheeseburger from the 4505 Meats stand. (Embarcadero)
AFTERNOON
18. Picnic with a view of the Painted Ladies (the Full House homes) in Alamo Square. (Alamo Square)
19. Go on a first date at the Seward Slides. (Castro/Eureka Valley)
20. Swim on the roof top of UCSF Mission Bay. (Dogpatch/Mission Bay)
21. Run, bike, walk, pedicab, or rollerblade along the Embarcadero.(Embarcadero)
22. Lunch among redwood trees beneath the TransAmerica building. (Financial District)
23. Get an Irish Coffee from the Buena Vista Cafe. (Fisherman's Wharf)
24. See all of your favorite bands (and discover new ones) at Outside Lands Music Festival. (Golden Gate Park)
25. Get a contact high on Hippie Hill with the drum circles and channel the Summer of Love. (Golden Gate Park)
26. Play a round of disc golf at the beautiful disc golf course in Golden Gate Park. (Golden Gate Park)
27. Go to the Conservatory of Flowers then people-watch on the lawn. (Golden Gate Park)
28. On a Sunday, wander through Golden Gate Park when the streets are closed to cars, and cool down at the Twirl & Dip ice cream truck. (Golden Gate Park)
29. Read in the beautiful Shakespeare Garden. (Golden Gate Park)
30. Ogle all of the hip designer boutiques in Hayes Valley. (Hayes Valley)
31. Browse vintage vinyl at Jack's Record Cellar on a Saturday afternoon (the only day it's likely to be open). (Lower Haight)
32. Browse hundreds of thousands of books at the yearly Friends of the Library Book Sale at Fort Mason. (Marina)
33. Pick up a sandwich at Lucca and eat it on the Marina Green. (Marina)
34. Go on a burrito tour in the Mission, start with Papalote. (Mission)
35. Cheer for the Dykes on Bikes at the Dyke March during PRIDE. (Mission)
36. Skip the BiRite ice cream line by ordering their insanely delicious soft-serve from the pick-up window a few doors down, then devour it in Dolores Park. (Mission)
37. Educate yourself with the best indie music selection in the city at Aquarius Records. (Mission)
38. Go on a Mission mural walking tour and sate your hunger at Mission Chinese. (Mission)
39. Meditate while walking around Grace Cathedral's labyrinth. (Nob Hill)
40. Bike the Wiggle up to the Panhandle then cruise to Golden Gate Park. (NoPa)
41. Eat focaccia from Liguria Bakery on a bench in Washington Square Park. (North Beach)
42. Take a tour around the Beat museum and then visit the City Lights bookstore, the place that first published Howl by Allen Ginsberg. (North Beach)
43. Get a foot massage after your dim sum tour in Chinatown. (Chinatown)
44. Sunbathe on Baker Beach when the temperature rises above 68. (Presidio)
45. Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge during the weekend or after 3 p.m. when the bike path is open. (Presidio)
46. Climb all over the ruins of Sutro Baths. (Richmond)
47. Hike along the coast at Land's End. (Richmond)
48. Sip a Blue Bottle Coffee and soak in the sun on the SFMOMA rooftop garden. (SoMa)
49. Have a midday recess at Beats for Lunch, the monthly midday dance party at Monarch. (SoMa)
50. Check out the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps Project. (Sunset)
51. Vintage shop hop on Haight Street including Villain's Vault and Wasteland. (Upper Haight)
52. Watch a free summer concert amid the eucalyptus trees at Stern Grove. (West Portal/Sunset)
53. Flatten a penny or your favorite beer bottle cap on the cable car tracks.
54. Pay $2 to ride one of the more scenic bus routes end to end (like 24-Divisadero, 36-Teresita, or the F Line).
55. Take your photo with SF resident sign holder Frank Chu.
56. Get a good (and free!) view from the de Young tower. (Golden Gate Park)
57. Admire the architecture clashes in front of the Contemporary Jewish Museum. (SoMa)
EVENING
58. Sip a $5 margarita with your date at El Amigo while waiting for a table next door at Emmy's Spaghetti Shack. (Bernal Heights)
59. Go to a Sing-a-Long at the historic Castro Theatre. (Castro)
60. Salsa outside to a live band on a Saturday evening at The Ramp. (Dogpatch/Mission Bay)
61. Listen to reggae on the deck of Pier 23. (Embarcadero)
62. Channel Europe while sitting outside on a rare warm evening in Belden Place with a glass of wine in hand. (Financial District)
63. Drink with the fishes (literally) at Academy of Sciences Thursday evening Nightlife party. (Golden Gate Park)
64. Celebrating something, anything with oysters and Champagne at Zuni Cafe. (Hayes Valley)
65. Set up a library card at Two Sisters Bar & Books. (Hayes Valley)
66. Get a cocktail and a pretzel at the bar at Absinthe. (Hayes Valley)
67. Get a Russian venik platzka at the Archimedes Banya. (Bayview)
68. Watch a movie with a glass of wine at the Kabuki Theater. (Japantown/Fillmore)
69. Stroll on a neighborhood art walk like Divisadero or Lower Haight.
70. Gallery hop in the Tenderloin during first Thursdays. (Tenderloin)
71. Take advantage of Therapy's late-night hours and do a little shopping while waiting for your table at Locanda or Bar Tartine. (Mission)
72. Eat your way through the food trucks at Off the Grid. (Marina)
73. See the year-end holiday decorations on houses and yards at the top of 23rd Street. (Noe Valley)
74. Ride the Hyde Street cable car and get off to have a slice at Za Pizza and ice cream at Swensen's. (Nob Hill)
75. Roast marshmallows and make new friends over a bonfire at Ocean Beach. (Outer Sunset)
76. Head to 7th and Howard to retrieve your towed car from the police impound (it's only a matter of time). (SoMa)
77. See a free show at Amoeba Records. (Upper Haight)
78. Either ride or get stuck in Critical Mass.
79. Check out the view of our lovely City on the ferris wheel at Treasure Island music festival.
NIGHT
80. Go to Burning Man (at least once).
81. Shake it to the 90s at Debaser at the Knockout. Then, once the bars close,  gorge on pupusas at El Zocalo and be serenaded by mariachi bands. (Bernal Heights)
82. Take a night tour to Alcatraz. (Embarcadero)
83. Skewers and sake at Nojo followed by a Thursday popscene show at Rickshaw, where you can dance the night away to awesome bands. (Hayes Valley)
84. A night out at the SF Ballet or Opera followed by a late dinner at Hayes Street Grill. (Hayes Valley)
85. Plan a first date at hidden Hotel Biron where you can sip red wine over low lights. (Hayes Valley)
86. Sing your heart out at a karaoke bar in Japantown. (Japantown/Fillmore)
87. Collect a free concert poster after a live music show at the historic Fillmore. (Japantown/Fillmore)
88. Go bowling at the Presidio Bowl. (Presidio)
89. Get your money's worth with one extra large, extra stiff martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives from Blondies. (Mission)
90. Make a movie date with friends at Lost Weekend Video's new Cinecave. (Mission)
91. Eat a square slice of Golden Boy pizza with your fellow drunks at last call. (North Beach)
92. Exceed the 2 drink minimum at Cobb's Comedy Club or the Punchline. (North Beach)
93. Get your mind blown at one-of-a-kind sound-installation theater the Audium. (Pacific Heights)
94. Go out dancing at Cat Club Thursday 80s night. (SoMa)
95. Go to a tranny show at Asia SF or The Stud. And don't forget about Trannyshack at DNA Lounge. (SoMa)
96. Order garlic fries and any number of entrees at a Giants' game. (SoMa)
97. Dance at an electronica set by one of the OM Records DJs at Mighty or Mezzanine. (SoMa)
98. Prove your smarts at Edinburgh Castle's trivia night. (TenderNob)
99. Go to as many Noise Pop Festival shows as possible.
100. End up at the End Up in the wee hours once every other bar has closed. (SoMa)