Twenty down, twenty to go!!

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber and it's a great book! I'm glad to know that I've at least accomplished 20 of the items on my list so far! Life has gotten really busy and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be able to finish them all by the end of the year. But I've decided if I don't, that's ok - as long as they DO get completed as close to the deadline as possible! Next week, I'll be starting a second job to help me with the funds to be able to do some of the more expensive items. And I know I'll get more motivated even more when the weather cools off again. I can't wait for it to start feeling like autumn! It's my favorite season!

Perseid Meteor Shower - or should I say meteor sprinkle?!

I can no longer stay up until 2am and it wasn't easy at all to go to sleep and have to wake up in the middle of the night! My husband, daughter, and I went behind a building that's right near our house and there are no lights. We saw just a few "shooting stars" in the half an hour we were there. I've heard so much about the Perseid Meteor Shower that I expected to see several in that amount of time - or at least a dozen! Instead, it was more like five! They were still neat to see and I'm glad that I did it at least once, but once was enough! From now on, I'll be sleeping through it every year! :)

Bang? Bang? More like...Pop! Pop!

I recently met a great lady who offered right away to help me with firing a gun! She had the guns, bullets, and plenty of land for target practice! She gave me a few choices, but I wanted to start small for my first time. So, she chose her .22 rifle. I was amazed at how tiny the bullets were!
My first shot went over the top of the target, but the next two shots hit it, and for the last shot I aimed much more carefully and finally hit the edge of the bulls-eye! Woo hoo!!

One of the things I was a little worried about with firing a gun was the kickback, but I didn't have that problem at all with this size gun. It felt just like the little rifles that you use at fairs for target shooting. I didn't think that I would like it, but it was fun! I wouldn't mind trying out some pistols in the future, too, and maybe even working up to a bit bigger caliber. But no semi-automatics!!

I'm an Official Hospice Volunteer!

On Friday, I got my badge and did my first hour and a half of on the job training. Then I went back Saturday morning for two more hours. It was sad to go in the next morning and see that a couple of patients had died overnight.

Part of the reason that I wanted to volunteer at hospice was to help me with my own fear of dying. It seems to be helping some. It's such a calming place and it's nice to see how many families are constantly at the patients' sides. There are rarely any who are alone for more than a few hours.

So far, I have delivered snacks to patients and families and sat with one lady whose daughter is out of town, so she didn't have anyone with her that week.

I'm not sure how long I will continue to volunteer, but at least for a few months. They have a lot of volunteers, so I don't really feel needed and I hate to feel like I'm in the way of the nurses. It's an interesting experience though.

Checking Off Two More Items!!

I went on my first cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and swam in the pool on the cruise ship. And swam with dolphins in Cozumel. The dolphins were gentle and beautiful, and we got to hug them, kiss them, and hold their fins and swim with them! It was wonderful! I didn't buy any pics though because I couldn't afford the price of $29 per pic! That was ok though because I didn't like any of the pics of myself anyway. I ate so much on the cruise that I gained back every pound that I had lost, so now I'm starting again to try to reach my ideal weight! I need to lose at least 30 pounds in a little more than 5 months! Time to start hitting the gym again!

Got a Fantastic Facial!!

I gave myself a wonderful spa day that included a wrap, massage, facial, and hand treatment! I also got a wonderful lunch as part of the day! It was pure bliss! A day to get some much needed rest and relaxation! I spent the day at Belladonna here in Tyler and I highly recommend it! The staff is very nice and do everything they can to ensure you are completely comfortable. I was even given the choice between a mimosa or a glass of wine! I'm not a big wine drinker, or a drinker at all for that matter, and it was still fairly early in the day. So, I got the mimosa, which was my first drink in about 5 years! It was good!!

Making Some Changes...

With all that has been going on in my life - getting divorced, moving back in with my parents, and being broke most of the time - I've been contemplating whether or not I can handle continuiung this project. I really hate to quit things, but I am a realist and I know I won't have the time or money to do everything this year that I'd hoped to do. Especially since the year is half over and I'm not even halfway done.

When I told one of my friends about the list, she asked why I wasn't doing 40 things since I was turning 40. Now, why didn't I think of that?!

So, I'm going to knock a few items off my list that I don't think are going to be possible this year and then I can continue without it being yet another source of stress in my life. :)