101/1001

Sarsm had a good idea: let’s do 101 challenges in 1001 days.  I didn’t think it was a good idea at first (too much like hard work), but I’m always banging on about grabbing opportunities so I thought I’d better grab this one and hold it gingerly by the fingertips and see what happened.  Once I’d hit on my first challenge and was able to start with something already done, I began to warm to it.   The challenge began in March 2011 and ended 19.12.2013.

If a challenge is complete, it is highlighted in red and bold on this page. 

1. Accept a challenge I don’t really want to do.
2. Find another 64 challenges for the list.  (38/64) All suggestions gratefully received but not necessarily acted upon.  I’m a wimp.
3. Get a job.
4. Do NaNoWriMo.
5. Win NaNoWriMo.
6. Do a REAL spring clean.
7. Type up and print out for folder and notebook over 150 poems I’ve written.
8. Leave my poems in 101 locations. (0/101)
9. Find 26 unfamiliar words, one for each letter of the alphabet.   (Words: 26/26)
10. Then use them in a post a day for 26 days.
11. Answer all comments received in one day with song lyrics.
12. Ride my bike twenty out of thirty days.  (0/30)
13. Ensure Spud can cook before going off to university.
14. Have the courage to play the drums in church.
15. Expose myself to twenty new experiences (20/20)
16. Hit 100,000 visitors on my blog (100,000/100,000)
17. Hit 250,000 visitors on my blog (344,283/250,000)
18. Learn how to upload new photos from the camera to the computer for my blog instead of relying on the Hub.  I’ve been blogging for almost two years; I think it’s time.
19. Learn how to scan photos for my blog  See comment in Challenge 5.
20. Hug a stranger.
21. Make thirty submissions to competitions or publishers (42/30)
22. Blog 1111 times (2068/1111) I don’t think this one is really a challenge for me but I need some that are achievable to keep me going.
23. Dance in the rain. 
24. Illustrate one of my poems with the medium of my choice. 
25. Try olives AGAIN.
26. Write a letter to someone who taught me something valuable about life and send it to them.
27. Try out three new recipes (6/15)  This is a huge challenge: I hate cooking; I hate new recipes more than I hate cooking.
28. Try three new foods (8/3)  I’m not adventurous with food but trying new ones is how I discovered peppers, my favourite vegetable, so I’ll give it a go.
29. Read 101 new books (84/101)  I lost the habit of reading for pleasure while studying for my degree.  I’m looking forward to this one.
30. Watch 101 new films (173/101)
31. Tell a joke every day for the next 1001 days (1001/1001)
32. Visit five new museums/galleries (4/5)  This will be harder than it sounds because I’ve visited all the local ones and travel finances are restricted.
33. Make home-made lemonade. 
34. Watch Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mocking Bird for the first time in over twenty years.
35. Colour my hair.
36. Manage ten real sit-ups.  Never ever managed it in 47 years of life. (10/10)
37. Manage twenty real sit-ups.  I was going to make this a challenge on its own but I need to do it in baby steps; I did consider the challenge, ‘Manage 5 real sit-ups.’ (10/20)
38. Write 1001 new poems (1115/1001)
39. Get 101 different flags visiting my blog (262/101) This was a little easier than I expected; I just went to the flag counter and I’ve already had 134 flags visit even before I start the challenge.  So, to make it harder and make up this list…
40. Get 101 different countries visiting my blog (199/101)
41. Save £1 for each completed task.  Once I get £101 together, I can treat my family.  £1 per task is my limit because, as the saying goes, there’s always too much month at the end of the money. (0/101)
42. Finish editing SA Poems.
43. Send off SA Poems to a publisher.
44. Start learning to play the guitar.
45. Buy a guitar.
46. Discover what Malteser games exist (2)
47. Invent a new one.
48. Walk the dogs for 1001 hours (706.55/1001)
49. Lose some weight.  More than a little; less than a lot.  This is deliberately non-specific because I don’t care enough to work that hard at it, but I could do with shifting a couple of kilos for my health now I’m approaching heart attack season (I suddenly realised the other day that in fifteen years I’ll be 62 – that was enough to give me a heart attack there and then).
50. Learn the names of the New Testament books as they appear.
51. Learn the names of all twelve disciples.  I’ve been a Christian for over thirty years; I think it’s time. 
52. Learn the names of all the Kings & Queens of England in chronological order.
53. Learn the names of all the British Prime Ministers in chronological order.
54. Learn the names of all the American Presidents in chronological order.
55. Learn my baptism verses.  I knew them in the Revised Standard Version but now I have a New International Version and I get the two versions mixed up.
56. Go back to computer school
57. Have a go on every item in the new children’s play area in Gorsey Bank Park.
58. Get a bike.
59. Get the first series of Glee on dvd.
60. Pack away the Hub’s MCFC replica shirts.
61. Empty the loft again.
62. Read all the Harry Potters for the sixth time. (7/7)
63. Buy/swap for my own copies so I don’t have to steal the boys’.
64. Don’t mention Maltesers in my blog for 10 consecutive days
65. Go to the theatre.
66. Reach 30,000 comments on my blog (36,913/30,000)
67. Reach 100,000 comments on my blog (50,151/100,000)
68. Learn all the words to the South African National Anthem.  I did start to learn it for the World Cup last year but I never quite got there.  When I know it, I will post a video of me singing it with my eyes closed, to prove I know it.  It will have to be with me singing along, though, if you want some tune to it. 
69. Learn how to post videos on my blog.
70. Send a message tied to a balloon, without harming the environment.
71. Taste a courgette.
72. Taste cauliflower again.
73. Not play on King.com for a total of 101 days (498/101)
74. Decorate our bedroom.  We’ve been in this house 14 years and it has never been decorated (if I discount the sticky-back plastic).
75. Make a video of me reciting all the lists I’ve learned and post it on my blog.

As you can see, my list falls somewhat short of 101 things to do so if you have any decent/amusing suggestions, I’m all ears.

By the way, if you think this sounds like a fun thing to do, why not join us?  You tailor the tasks to yourself and set your own start date.  You’ll love it.  We have a badge and everything!Write a letter to someone who taught you something valuable about life and send it to them.  If you don’t know where they are, get it published in the paper.