my 2014 to-do list: 8-month update

totally meant to do this like, in july, but oh well. umm ... it's almost the end of the year now, and i've only completed 13 (that's 32.5%) of my 40-item list. granted, some of them were pretty big items, but i just can't finish out 2014 with less than 50%. it's unacceptable.

here are the ones i've accomplished so far:

2. visit new orleans

...and it was AMAZING.

6. finish my book proposal

it only took 2+ years! currently querying agents far and wide.

9. visit somewhere that's haunted

everything in new orleans is haunted, so ...

10. color my hair

decided on some red balayage highlights a few weeks ago, and i'm pretty happy with how they came out.

12. dine at 5 restaurants on the eater boston 38.

jm curley, hungry mother, highland kitchen, ten tables, and bergamot. boom!

14. watch a whole tv series that i've never seen before

watched all of HBO's "silicon valley" in a weekend.

15. take the jeopardy online test

this was like 6 months ago, so i doubt i made the cut.

19. do volunteer work

it took me a second to remember what i did, because it wasn't for charity or anything. i made grilled cheese sandwiches with roxy's grilled cheese at the boston calling music festival!

20. visit martha's vineyard

ALSO AMAZING.

21. drink a "green smoothie"

only slightly ashamed to say that i've now had more than one. like, at least a handful in recent months. they just taste like juice!

23. write to a celebrity and receive a response (online or snail mail)

i think there was another twitter-related exchange that i can't remember, but i do know that i've been retweeted by both andrew wk and ludacris this year! woo.

28. buy a plant for my apartment (and don't kill it)

ok, so the flowers are gone, but the leaves are healthy as ever! it counts.

30. reconnect with an old friend or acquaintance

i got back in touch with my old coworker, kathleen, who actually helped me conquer most of the eater boston 38 restaurants.

here are the remaining items that i think i can knock off:

4. take a cooking class

7. learn enough french to get around (being optimistic here)

11. get business cards

13. make a collage

22. overcome my eyelash-curling phobia

24. see a non-musical play

25. say "yes" to something i want to say "no" to at first

26. make my own sushi

29. participate in a scavenger hunt

31. teach myself a dance routine via youtube tutorial

33. pack a picnic lunch and eat it on boston common

34. win at pub trivia (2nd place finish twice ... come on!)

35. go to an ice bar

36. make my own pizza

37. win money from a slot machine or scratch ticket

38. send christmas cards

39. go out to dinner by myself

...and these ones will be a stretch, pending some miracles and/or assistance and/or intense effort:

1. purchase a home

3. be in a music video

5. swim in an infinity pool

16. try air bnb

17. get something i wrote published on mcsweeney's

18. go to a state fair

27. crash a wedding 

32. go sailing (or at least, on a sailboat)

40. watch 5 movies on the IMDB top 250 that i've never seen before

help, guys! 

"anybody order a loveburger, well done?"

it's national cheeseburger day, and i love me some cheeseburgers. let's celebrate with a smattering of the best burger-related things on the internet.


this insane(ly awesome) sweatshirt.

this pimped-out ride with all the fixins.

this classic film.

this delightfully weird print.

this beefy bling.

11 things you didn't know about me (maybe): liebster award nomination

haven't done a survey like this in a dog's age! the lovely marg b. of sugarskull industries nominated me for this neat liebster award thang, which helps readers discover new blogs. i've answered 11 questions that she had for me, revealed 11 facts about myself, and then asked 11 questions of two of my favorite bloggers. fun!

11 questions from marg b.

1. Favorite ice cream flavor?
mint chocolate chip.

2.  Do you mostly sleep on your side, your back, your stomach, or do you rotate all around?
stomach, with a lil' bit of side mixed in.

3.  What is your favorite thing about Fall?
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES!! jk, they're nasty. can "boots and scarves" count as one thing? also, hot cider. sorry, i'm doing this wrong.

4.  What is the last movie you saw?
if i stay. i cried and cried and cried. so much that at one point, my mom told me, "you need to stop" and i think it triggered a migraine. good movie though.

5.  Where is the farthest you've traveled so far?
rome, italy.

6.  Are you crafty?  If so, what do you like to do? If not, what would you like to be able to do?
hell naw. i wish! i'd love to be able to knit or crochet, so i can make massive doilies and stuff.

7.  Any pets?  Any pet you'd like to have someday?
nope. definitely want to have an american eskimo someday, though:

8.  What tv shows are you watching right now?
umm, i watched the entire first season of silicon valley this past weekend ... super funny. if it can make me laugh out loud, i'm typically a fan. 

9.  Pick your poison; wine, beer, spirits, or tea?
i'm an equal opportunity drinker, but whiskey cocktails are my favorite.

10.  Favorite thing to do to recharge?
take a vacation! or even just a day trip.

11.  Favorite spot in your home or apartment?
definitely my living room:

11 facts about me

1. my favorite song of all time is "waterloo sunset" by the kinks (followed closely by "freedom '90" by george michael).

2.  i'm adopted, so even though i grew up as an only child, i have nine biological half-siblings!

3. my biggest pet peeves: when someone doesn't say "thank you" when you hold the door for them, and when someone tries to make something more complicated than it is.

4. believe it or not, i've never seen harry potter, lord of the rings, the hunger games, twilight, or any of the star wars movies besides the original (which i went to see when they re-released it in 1997, and i fell asleep in the theater). i'm okay with it.

5.  i'd estimate that i've seen close to 200 bands live. the tinnitus in my left ear can vouch for this.

6. meat is awesome, but i could totally be a pescetarian if i had to. salmon, tuna, crab, lobster, shrimp ... love it all.

7. my middle name is louise, my great-grandmother's name. i used to hate it, but i think it kinda suits me.

8. i once interrupted story time in elementary school to ask if it was lunchtime yet.

9. i totally believe in the law of attraction/"the secret" -- basically that like attracts like. and someone on TV just said "secret" as i typed "secret." #proof

10. my idea of happiness is sitting with a cup of coffee, a crossword puzzle, and a great playlist.

11. pretty sure that i'm a misplaced member of generation x rather than a "millenial."  it would have been so awesome to be a teenager during the hair band craze, and in my 20s during the grunge era.

11 questions for my nominees

i'd like to nominate jennifer of one chicklette, and farah of la paradiddle! if you have a few minutes, it would be great to learn more about you ladies.

1. what was your first job?
2. is there a movie you can quote word-for-word? what is it?
3. what's been your favorite age, and why?
4. most attractive quality in the opposite sex?
5. how do you feel about oprah?
6. what destination is at the top of your travel wish list right now?
7. what's your sign/do you believe in astrology?
8. describe your perfect weekend.
9. bagel or english muffin?
10. what song would play during the opening scene in the movie about your life?
11. favorite amusement park ride?