Updated bucket list for 2011

So far, not so bad checking off the bucket list. I'll update furthermore, when some are completed, and which to be removed (if it's not feasible), and added.. After all, all this is not for 2011 alone. If you see anything that I should do, feel free to toss suggestions my way!

Learning
Ghost Hunting 101 at University of Louisville/Delphi Center ( Completed in May 2011)
Writing/publishing a book. (In process- a nonfiction)
Sand Tray techniques
Learn how to make a tube drum (January 2011)

Self-Care
Write a letter about bad memories to a relative and do a burning/cleansing ritual.
Walk 25 labyrinths. (So far, six so far, in IN, LA, KY, DC, MD)


Stop being the peacekeeper and stand up for myself. (In process)
Make a list of things that make me happy- small, big, profound, simple (March, 2011)
List about what you really like about yourself.
Do an unplugged day. (3 times so far this year)
Ask friends to do compliments about me, (words, artwork, whatever!) and make a poster.


Books
The Happy Book (In process)
Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings
He's a Stud, She's a Slut and 49 Other Double Standards Every Women Should Know
The Feminine Mystique (April, 2011)
Sexual Politics
(the list is long..I'll keep 'em on Goodreads- you can look 'em up.)
Make a list of your favorite childhood books and explain why you love them.

Community
See The Vagina Monologues
Play in Vagina Monologues (If you know V-Day w/ deaf themes in 2011, ring me up!)
AIDS Walk (Will do in September!)
Habitat for Home in New Orleans
Set up a community activity of creating a labyrinth of shoes
Do a cheer-up package for a friend or three. (Done!)

Art
Create a mosaic of a labyrinth.
Paint again. (so far, 11 paintings!)


Start and finish a quilt.
After going to an event of your favorite activity (comic, science fiction, romance convention) and get freebies, do a bulletin board with the collection.
Scrapbook on collection of postcards


Health
Exercise 2-3 times a week.
Go to the park with the dogs once-twice a week.
Make healthy dishes from scratch


Charity
Volunteer for clean-up at a national park (July 2011)
Donate hair for Locks of Love and in honor of my aunt, cancer suvivor. (No luck!)
Drop off clothes at Goodwill (two times so far)
Freecycle listing of the television and entertainment center (May 2011)
Donate money to a non-profit organization fighting domestic violence (February 2011)
Donate money to Green Project- New Orleans
Make cookies and donate to a soup kitchen.

Just for fun of it
Get a tattoo of triple labyrinth on your shoulder
Get the frog tattoo refreshed/re-colored.
Try something that you had never tried before.
Try a new food each month. (Greek yogurt 1/11, almond milk 2/11, eel sushi 3/11, olives 4/11, cow's tongue 5/11, dill pickles 6/11)
Send beanie dolls to American soldiers (anysoldier.com) (1/11) Take pictures around the town, with quirky things and create artwork from photos.
Write 20 posts for my blog for 2011.
Go naked, fingerpaint/paint the walls (in the shower) and self.
Watch a meteor shower at the wee hours of August (August, 2011)
Attend a Comic book convention.
Go to a Science-fiction con.
Have your 'gnome'(my stuffed Erif Horse) at weird places taken with photos! (In process)
Blow bubbles at your porch and observe visuals through the bubbles.
Play with playdoh- do the 10 things with them (your name, an image of yourself, cupcakes, animals, landscape, and so on.)(January 2011)
Make the perfect kid's day menu and eat the food on the menu- you ARE a kid that day!

As promised.

Vacations/Trips
Wisconsin

3 trips in 2011. (Wisconsin, 1/11 and 6/11, and Louisiana 3/11- so far)


Nashville, TN (country music sightseeing)
Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Star Trek Exhibition/Louisville Science Center (February 2011)
Frazier International Historical Museum
Ventriloquist museum- Fort Mitchell, KY (only museum about ventriloquists in the world)

Bucket list... Goals....."Things to do"..... for 2011

First of all, I'm reassuring you..I'm not dying, nor with any intention to end myself by end of this year...I just like the sound of the "Bucket List"! :D

After skimming through the book "The Happy Book" (Here is the link to the book), I was thinking..and noticed a friend doing her list- I was like 'Doh! that's what I had been thinking for a long while, but needed someone to smack me in the head first!" That's what I had been wanting to do, a list- since I had been noticing that my list grows, grows and grows as older I get, and I don't get to do much of 'em..perhaps that's why I'm very much "down' these days... this would help with keeping me busy, and motivated for this year...I'll worry about 2012..heck, they say that's when everything ends.. the perfect quote.."I have goosebumps, people."

So here is the list...I will add if I desire..and if in process, the goal will be showed this way, and when the goal is accomplished, the goal will be marked.

Learning
Ghost Hunting 101 at University of Louisville/Delphi Center
Writing/publishing a book.
Sand Tray techniques
Learn how to make a tube drum (1/11)

Self-Care
Write a letter about bad memories to a relative and do a burning/cleansing ritual.
Walk 25 labyrinths.
Stop being the peacekeeper and stand up for myself.
Make a list of things that make me happy- small, big, profound, simple
List about what you really like about yourself.
Do an unplugged day.
Ask friends to do compliments about me, (words, artwork, whatever!) and make a poster.


Books
The Happy Book
Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings
He's a Stud, She's a Slut and 49 Other Double Standards Every Women Should Know
The Feminine Mystique
Sexual Politics
(the list is long..I'll keep 'em on Goodreads- you can look 'em up.)
Make a list of your favorite childhood books and explain why you love them.

Community
See The Vagina Monologues
Play in Vagina Monologues (If you know V-Day w/ deaf themes in 2011, ring me up!)
AIDS Walk
Habitat for Home in New Orleans
Set up a community activity of creating a labyrinth of shoes
Do a cheer-up package for a friend or three.

Art
Create a mosaic of a labyrinth.
Paint again.
Start and finish a quilt.
After going to an event of your favorite activity (comic, science fiction, romance convention) and get freebies, do a bulletin board with the collection.
Scrapbook on collection of postcards


Health
Go to the gym 3 times a week.
Attend monthly health seminars at the gym
Do Wii Fit at home 1-2 times a week.
Look at yourself in the mirror and say "You're getting there" and smile at yourself.
Lose 25 pounds.


charity
Volunteer for clean-up at a national park
Donate hair for Locks of Love and in honor of my aunt, cancer suvivor.
Drop off clothes at Goodwill
Freecycle listing of the television and entertainment center
Donate money to a non-profit organization fighting domestic violence
Donate money to Green Project- New Orleans
Make cookies and donate to a soup kitchen.

Just for fun of it
Get a tattoo of triple labyrinth on your shoulder
Get the frog tattoo refreshed/re-colored.
Try something that you had never tried before.
Try a new food each month. (Greek yogurt 1/11)
Send beanie dolls to American soldiers (anysoldier.com) (1/11)
Take pictures around the town, with quirky things and create artwork from photos.
Write 20 posts for my blog for 2011.
Go naked, fingerpaint/paint the walls (in the shower) and self.
Watch a meteor shower at the wee hours of August
Attend a Comic book convention.
Go to a Science-fiction con.
Have your 'gnome'(my stuffed Erif Horse) at weird places taken with photos!


Blow bubbles at your porch and observe visuals through the bubbles.
Play with playdoh- do the 10 things with them (your name, an image of yourself, cupcakes, animals, landscape, and so on.) (1/11)
Make the perfect kid's day menu and eat the food on the menu- you ARE a kid that day!

As promised.

Vacations/Trips
Wisconsin

3 Road trips in 2011 (Wisconsin, 1/11)

Nashville, TN (country music sightseeing)

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Star Trek Exhibition/Louisville Science Center

The Good, The Bad, the Cuddly- toys at Frazier International Historical Museum

Ventriloquist museum- Fort Mitchell, KY (only museum about ventriloquists in the world)

New Orleans and Hurricane Gustav

I'm worried, especially with what is going on in New Orleans at this moment- So far from what I could read of articles from NOLA news and CNN news, most of folks are evacating from New Orleans, in steady flows with public transportation (buses, vans, trains and planes), which includes helping elderly and disabled getting out of the city. The last plane leaves at 6pm tonight from NOLA airport. At some pickp-up locations, the last bus leaves at 2pm from what I understand.

On the other hand, I read an article just a few minutes ago, that some are still unable to leave, such as two brothers trying to get a van to come pick their handicapped cousin, but the van did not show up (don't know if the van had yet showed up so far...), several workers saying that they don't have the funds for where they could stay if they do get out of New Orleans, a woman not leaving due to her two Rottweilers (and who could blame her? Pets are very much part of our families) and so on. ("Strapped for cash, some in New Orleans stay and hope" - CNN news)

There is an article on NOLA news about Shari Bernius of Deaf Action Center ensuring that there is access to communcation for the deaf community in New Orleans, as in being the interpreter at emergency announcements (on television since usually emergency announcements don't include closed captioning.) Shari said in the article that due to limited access, several deaf had died related to the hurricane/flooding, and several had suffered in confusion afterwards, as I would recall from some conversations with some LA teachers for the deaf and some evacuees in Houston. I am hoping that the Deaf community has better access to evacuation and services on where they could go and where they could stay during the evacation. I'm hoping to get a hold of Red Cross to find out about what they are doing for the Deaf community this time.

For whoever you are in New Orleans, Deaf or hearing, African-American or white, get out if you can, and for who could not get out for any reasons, try to get to a higher floor and stay alive. We'll pray for you.

New Orleans

Well- what do you know? New Orleans is flooded again. That is not really surprising because New Orleans had been flooded before many times for three centuries and this is not the first time. The difference is that it is the access of communication all over the nation that reacts to the flooding, not the locals of New Orleans alone. Camilla was pretty bad but expected as well, as the Galveston hurricane back in 1902(correct me if I'm wrong.) It's the human nature that reacts to the natural "disasters" and chooses how to interpret everything. Humans have lived through so many disasters for thousands of years, and they survived. It is only recent that the humans think they are gods and can modify the environment, the surroundings, the science, the medicine, the body, and heck, everything. THAT's when Nature decides to slap them with a cream pie to wake them to the fact that they are not powerful as they like to think. Mind you, I -love- New Orleans; I love its history, its people, its foods, its magic. It's New Orleans that teaches us how to enjoy life short as it may be and it is New Orleans that taught us that we can rebuild as they did after several floodings and a great fire in late 1700's. Big Easy tells us that she may be knocked around but she ain't down!

The 17 Hurricane Deaf deaths- HOAX

Many folks have gotten the email of 17 Hurricane Deaf deaths but it's a Hoax. A lot of hysterical families called the Red Cross once they heard about the "deaths"

The FACTS:
Gine Ruebush is ALIVE-she is at George R. Brown Convention Center at this point- her family is picking her up tomorrow.

Michel Holmes is alive with his mom- have been with her all the whole time.

Madeline Scott is alive in Houston, currently with friends.

Sterling Everidge was picked up from LSD -yesterday--and he's alive. His family has him now.

Billy Hick IS missing, not dead (not confirmed.)

Monroe Bowens is alive, currently working with post office in Houston.

Jerry Galloway is not dead- but his name is NOT on dead list, so he's not confirmed dead- just missing- his wife is looking for him in the dome.

James Smith- his fate unknown.

Martha Corway- her fate unknown.

Anne Farmer and Fran Hardy- are ALIVE- were last seen at the Astrodome- suspected of being sent out to a state as evacuees.

James Firmin is alive at the Astrodome.

Lenny Kaye- his fate unknown- but Red Cross is following up thinking that he may be at George R. Brown.

Same for Morrell English.

So if you get the hoax email- do NOT forward!!!!

Ecology and Natural Disasters

Mudslides. Floodings. "Natural" disasters. If anyone had studied ecology, they would know that living in plains, valleys with tree-free hills, and locations that had been rivers in past, but now dammed, are asking for disasters to happen. Poputation is too high, the demand for suburbs are increasing. People are seeking to live in the county, away from the city- that's $$$$ in the eyes of the guys selling land, and building houses. Who cares about environment? Screw ecology! Fuck wildlife that have been already living there for centuries. If not for the mice, there would be no snakes, and there would be no eagles, and if eagles die out, whatcha do? Replace it for a wild turkey for the national bird? In other words, one shouldn't cry and complain if he is watching his house floating away in a flood or burning from wildfires. For example, New Orleans was actually a swamp, do you know that? There were a lot of wetlands surrounding New Orleans and it were the wetlands that helped bluff previous hurricanes. I wouldn't be surprised if a hurricane kicks New Orleans' ass due to human beings' sense of being immortal, "godlike" if you will. I just hope that when it happens, it won't be a MAJOR disaster.